Amala Joint

The owner she was very nice. I got the ogusi soup, I could not really enjoy it because it was too hot and spicy. My wait time was about 15 minutes. If I'm back in the area I would go back and try a different dish.

First time eating African food, could not of have chosen a better spot!! This spot is amazing, great food amazing server and amazing music taste!!

I go here all the time for Abula and have never been disappointed. I’ve never had a bad meal here, the owner is also super sweet. I’ve had Abula, pounded yam, and Jollof rice and they are all so yummy. To top it all, I’m under the weather and just ordered pepper soup for the 1st time through DoorDash and it is so yummy. It was so good, I called the store to compliment the chef. I will say that if you can’t handle spice to ask for less spice, but the spice really helps. Love this place and I’m loyal forever.

The best African meal I’ve had in the United States. Friendly staff too - the lady from Haiti was very friendly. Had abula! Good service and food overall. Definitely coming back!!

Amala Joint – A True Taste of Naija 🇳🇬 If you’ve been craving authentic Nigerian flavors that hit your soul, Amala Joint is the spot. From the moment I walked in, the aroma of rich spices and slow-cooked stews told me I was in for something special. I ordered the amala with gbegiri, ewedu, and assorted meat, and let me just say: PERFECTION. The amala was soft, warm, and just the right amount of stretchy. The gbegiri was silky, the ewedu had that traditional slippery texture that hugged the amala beautifully, and the stew? Whew deep, peppery, and packed with flavor. Each bite was a throwback to home-cooked meals in Nigeria. The assorted meat was generous and well-seasoned tender cow foot, spicy tripe, juicy beef everything cooked to perfection and soaked in rich, red stew. They don’t skimp on flavor or portion size. Customer service was friendly, and the atmosphere felt like a neighborhood kitchen with Naija pride. Whether you’re Nigerian or just love African cuisine, Amala Joint will transport your taste buds straight to Lagos. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Highly recommend for lovers of bold, traditional West African flavors. Don’t walk RUN for that amala!

I had a great experience at Amala Joint. Alene (I hope I spelt it right) went above and beyond with excellent customer service, and the food was delicious. I was also kindly offered an additional item, which was a thoughtful gesture.

Honestly I came from Illinois for a business trips to Houston TX.just of recent. I was badly hungry and looking for what to eat i drove round the city of Houston looking for delicious food, suddenly I saw a sing post on top of a business building written Amala Joint. I stop over to check the restaurant out guys guess what,their food was so delicious and the staff was so amazing. They make me feel at home. I recommend this place for everyone please go there and get something and eat.

The food was delicious and the quantity was nice. The ambiance could use some improvement. The atmosphere is dull and could use some life being brought into it. The tablecloths are a bit sad looking but the food helped to cheer me up lol. The music playing was lovely and the service was good

This was my first time eating Nigerian food from a restaurant and it was delicious. The dishes are made to order so don't be turned off by the wait. Will definitely return to try other items on the menu.

I was really excited to try Amala Joint based on the reviews, but I should have paid attention to who was leaving the reviews and when the reviews were left. Sigh. My friend and I placed an order via UberEats on Sunday around 7pm. I got the jollof with fish, efo riro with fish and eba and she got ewedu with amala. We left notes about how we wanted our food and the restaurant called to confirm, which we appreciated. So again, I was hopeful this would be a great foodie experience. Our food got to us about an hour later and boy was I disappointed. The jollof didn't come with plantain (but the image on UberEats had plantain in it) and it was extremely spicy AND they used so much maggi. It was so disgusting that I threw it away. The fish wasn't seasoned well either so it was beyond a waste of money. The efo riro and the ewedu were good until we both got sick the next day. I'll assume we got the scraps after a busy day because there's no way this is what they serve on a daily to their customers.

I've been dipping my toes into the underrated cuisine of the African diaspora lately, so decided to make the drive to this unpretentious cafeteria-style Nigerian spot outside the loop. I think it's mostly frequented by regulars because the young lady behind the counter seemed a little surprised to see us walk in. There are no prices on the in-house menu, but the main plates range from $15-$20. Some of the flavors are certainly acquired tastes that will challenge unaccustomed palates, but overall I would give my experience a 3.5/5. Jollof Rice w/ Chicken - the prototypical West African rice dish which consists chewy granules stewed in a slightly spicy and sweet tomato broth. It was fragrant and mellow in taste. The chicken itself was well-cooked and juicy which some beautifully crispy skin. Egusi - a traditional soup made from ground melon seeds, stock, leafy vegetables, and meat. The taste of this dish was more challenging for me and featured funky, nutty, and earthy notes. There were off-cuts of meat and offal mixed in; the cow skin was chewy but didn't add much flavor and I'm just not a fan of tripe in general. I have had versions of egusi that I really liked, but this one wasn't my favorite. Goat Stew - this was probably my least favorite dish. The meat was overcooked to the point of being leathery, and the bone-to-meat ratio was less than ideal. The flavor itself was decent. Our "swallow" of choice with the above was fufu, or pounded fermented cassava, which was like a bouncier and milder form of mashed potatoes that clings to all the spicy sauces and stews. The staff took good care of us and I would definitely come back to try some of their other recommendations.

This has been the best Nigerian food I've food in Houston. The customer service was great and welcoming. Here are some things i tried: Egusi & Fufu Suya Jollof rice w/chicken If you haven't tried Nigerian food. I would suggest you start here !

Good food, authentic ambiance, service was good better than avg Thanks ! Suya and okoro was good

Ayyye my first try of Nigerian food and I'm thinking why did I wait so long?!?!??! The Egusi soup and fufu was dancing on my taste buds! It's quite delicious and spicy. I added goat which was an up charge, but the options were beef, tripe and fish(I believe). The restaurant was clean and they had a picture menu but no prices. My Egusi with goat meat and fufu was $24 I am not sure if that's market price but it was steep to me. However with that taste and the added health benefits (Egusi is high in fiber). I'm not mad at it and I will continue to explore the menu and cuisine.

I was traveling and found on yelp when search African food. Food great, fresh, wholesome. But they definitely need help with being polite to their customers. These days if hard to keep workers. But They got a crowd and instead of engaging with their clientele, it was like they ignored them. My group of three saw Some walk away angry. We just do happen to have time But even we thought for a moment they all went home. No one at counter for more than 5 -10 minutes at a time. I didn't mind the wait for such good food. But give me a clue I.e...like it will take so much time to fill this order. Or I will be right with you , etc

The restaurant is located in a little shopping plaza which looks a little sketch at first glance, but I'm giving 5 stars because Amala's joint was the perfect experience. I'm a fan of Nigerian food and have eaten at about 6 different Naija spots in the Houston area, but their service was by far the best. The first thing I noticed when I walked in was how clean and tidy everything was. Sanitizer and hand soap at every table and they bring a bowl of water with your meal so you can clean your hands. Also, the dining room didn't smell heavily like food, which was nice since I had somewhere to be afterward. I had Efo with pounded yam and tilapia. Y'all!!! It was soooo good. Perfect level of spice for those that can't handle too much heat, but enough for those of us that really enjoy the kick of peppers. The tilapia was perfectly cooked. A little crisp on the outside, soft & flaky fish on the inside. The ladies that took care of us were absolutely sweet. If you're still reading stop and go to Amala's Joint for some bomb food!!

We've been wanting to try Fufu and gave this place a try. They were very helpful and suggested what entree we should try. We ended up getting Fufu, Egusi, Efo Riro with the tripe, the coconut rice with chicken, at the end the brought us suya to try and it was all flavorful! The flavor of the food was amazing! We will be coming back!!!

My first time here and first time trying Eugsi with fufu. One with goat meat and fish. First I was greeted so warmly!!! I was absolutely shy ordering because I didn't want to mispronounce the name but she knew what I wanted and helped me out making a choice. Racing home to try it, and goodness! I love it! I don't know what I was scared of but this is absolutely delicious! I will come back to try another dish, but I'm for sure getting Eugsi with Fufu to goooo! A must try! Thank you!!!!

My wife and I are foodies --- but west African and Nigerian food is something we don't have in the Bay Area. We got the okra stew w/ pounded yam and the jollof rice with beef. OMG --- so flavorful, delicious and not meant for those who can't handle spice. Jollof rice -- rice is so delicious, aromatic, fragrant and perfect chewy / al dente texture. Beef is stewed and goes perfectly with it. Okra stew -- comes with mixed meats (not sure on which specifics) but dried fish, beef, pork or beef intestine, etc. super flavorful although messy due to the slime lines due to the okra. Meant to be eaten with your hand but if you don't want to messy I recommend using your spoon to flatten the pounded yam and add to the soup. 5/5 for sure!

The food here is superb, the new recipe egusi is to die for mmmmmm yummy in my tummy . Unfortunately I finished the food before taking pictures

I love this place! The Jollof Rice is the Best in town! Very Spicy. The customer service is good! It's always a great visit. You can also buy, Imported Sodas that are sold in Africa.

Their food is always nice and fresh. The portion is very good (I've only had their amala) and they read / fulfill special request! The 3 encounters I've had have always been pleasant whether it's via ubereats or coming into the store to order. Highly recommend since compared to other Naija restaurants not only their food is good but also their customer service!

We were looking for a nigerian restaurant during our visit to Texas. I saw this restaurant online. The pictures enticed me. I must say, it didn't disappoint. We all enjoyed our meals. If we're ever in Texas again, we will definitely stop for more delicious food.

Love their food and their jollof rice is always bussing or their egusi soup. I love going there to eat.