Kendejah Restaurant

First time at Kendejah and it was pretty good. So happy it's all halal food! I ordered okra soup with chicken and turkey (loved the turkey flavor in it -- very smokey), jallof rice was very flavorful too, ordered egusi but I think there was some miscommunication so I got the goat soup (it was okay for me -- very tomatoes but the goat was very tender) and of course fufu is always good. Also, got the cornbread and mannnnn I are the whole thing without sharing! It was delicious!

I got the potato greens, which was good. I ordered online and it said it would be ready in 15 minutes, which was not the case. They did take about an extra 20 minutes to finish making and packing my food even though it was a special of the day. The food was well seasoned and I believe the turkey they used was just smoked turkey- eat in moderation given that smoked turkey is high in sodium.

Takeout only place. Got the Oxtail Served with rice. Good Oxtail. Mine was tender but my friend said his was not.

Extremely friendly and hospitable hosts. FYI, Takeout only now . The food was great! Highly recommended!

Food taste very good but you get more rice and beans than oxtails. The only seating area is outside the restaurant and I think they have maybe only two tables. So it's best to place your order over the phone or just order when you arrive.

Phenomenal food. I haven’t had Liberian food in a long time and this hit the spot. Food came out quick and it was still fresh by the time I got it back home. Would recommend to others and would definitely come back. Ordered the cassava leaf with chicken and smoked turkey. Switched the rice for fufu which was a bit more expensive but 100% worth it.

So delicious! I go here almost every time I am in San Leandro, and sometimes go to San Leandro specifically to go here. I usually get the potato greens and a side of plantains. I am continually surprised by the depth of flavor developed in the vegetarian version of the greens.

I paid $45 for red snapper w/ jollof and a side of greens. I'm very disappointed... the fish was tiny and overcooked. I don't think it was fresh...it was not white and flaky at all. Waste of money.

Wow, the food was amazing tonight. My cousin was visiting and mentioned wanting to try fufu, so we looked up where we could find some and Kendejah was the top choice (pronounced KEN-deh-jah). The fufu was great, but everything else was even better! We tried most things available on the menu: Greens, oxtail soup, goat stew, red snapper, three kinds of rice, plantains, this tomato jam that came with jollaf rice, fried fish and fries, chicken, corn bread, I probably forgot something else. It was all soooooooo delicious! Each dish was uniquely seasoned and had some spiciness. They have a spicy sauce you can buy in a jar (family recipe) that was so good too. I can't say enough how much we liked this meal. We were a group of six ranging in age from 5-71 and all of us thought it was fantastic. They also have a private room that you can rent. We will definitely be back.

As a loyal customer of this restaurant for 5 years, I have continued to order takeout even during the pandemic. The combination of Fufu, goat soup, and plantain is a must-try delicacy. I don't know how the chef manages to create such delicious and unforgettable food. Because of these dishes, I feel that living in East Bay is such a wonderful thing. I hope that in the future, they can add a dish with okra and dried fish. If you are hesitating to try this restaurant, my advice is that it would be a mistake to miss out.

We called for pickup around 7:45 PM on a Sunday evening. Our order was ready by 8:00 PM! We ordered the jumbo oxtail with fufu, jollof rice, and plantains - the perfect amount to share for 2 people. The oxtail is delicious and pairs well with either the fufu or rice. Plantains are perfectly cooked! Be aware there is no indoor dining at this time, it is pick-up only! The host was kind and greeted me right away. Will definitely come back!

Friendly owners and great food. Mostly is takeout but there is one table outside of the restaurant along the shopping street. Recommend to try the hot sauce.

Quite the gem of a find! Kendejah is a casual Liberian spot that's currently only doing take-out orders, but that shouldn't stop you from dining on their rich and delicious noms. It's situated in the middle of a vast square of food options, but parking can be tough so be ready to snipe a spot nearby. We were passing through around noon and still managed to grab something. There's really only one table outside to eat at so don't be expecting table service, but the lady running the shop graciously gave out a dollap of hot sauce for an added kick since we were eating there. That stuff has some *serious* heat, so be warned! It is absolutely worth it though. QR Code ordering and payment, though the menu is rotating. They have a larger menu with all their options on their big wall, though the glare does make it hard to read without a bit of angle adjustment. Things went pretty smoothly otherwise though and it didn't take long for our host to prep the portions. Oxtail + Rice&Beans - 5/5 Came with option of plain rice or rice & beans. I went with rice and beans and it was a pretty fragrant option so I have no regrets there. The oxtail stew was fantabulously creamy and rich. Hits a lot of earthier notes. Since I had a strong dollap of spicy sauce I had a whole lot of heat added on top and it definitely help bring it to another level (though it's firmly only suggested for strong spicy afficionados). Okra + Rice - 5/5 I had zero expectations but this came out as quite the luscious stew with sweet and grassy notes. Has a mix of chicken chunks and ground turkey, which blends together well.

I stopped by Kendejah on a Sunday evening with a group of friends. We were caught off guard that there is no indoor dining at all and the only onsite dining option is a picnic tables directly outside the door. We scoped out the nearby area to see if there were any establishments where we could bring our own food and luckily there was a bar around the corner that did -- The Cooler. Another thing that I found to be pretty unique was that for each day of the week, three different entrees are offered. There were a few tasty looking items offered on Friday I had wanted to order but unfortunately this type of menu doesn't allow you to order it. I ultimately settled on sharing the fried fish platter with jollof rice with a side of plantains with my wife and this turned out to be an enormous amount of food. The fish is fried well and didn't taste oily or too dry. I really enjoyed the tomato flavor and spices in the jollof rice as well. Fried plantains are sweet and have crispy edges all around. I would definitely stop by again to try the other items they have on their daily rotating menu.

First time trying fufu here and it was good! We paired it with the oxtail stew which was so rich and flavorful. The oxtail was tender. I really enjoyed the combo. There was no seating indoors as they blocked it off so it is more of a grab and go. However, there was a small table outside that we sat down and ate at.

Hadn't been there in a while (pandemic) and while they have made some business changes, was so happy to see they've kept up the delectable food. And of course, the ever so personable host/owner, wish we could get the food truck back :-)

1.14.2024 - Girl's day out. We, the trio, my seastar and the bestie, are famished and we've been waiting for this day to expand our cultural palate. Although my seastar has been exposed to West African food, my bestie and I are such newbs. This is our first time ever! Just around the corner, Kendejah serves up traditional Liberian foods. The menu is posted on the side wall and they have a very unique concept. Not everything is available as many items are available on certain days. You get several options Monday thru Sunday with an added everyday of the week menu. Very interesting and fun. It saves the trouble of deciding what to get. It seems to be take out only. No dine-in available, however, Douggie, the owner, was very nice to set a picnic table for us to dine outside. We ordered almost everything that was offered on a Sunday and on the everyday of the week menu. 1. Oxtail stew 2. Red snapper 3. Goat soup 4. Collard greens with chicken and smoked turkey 5. Side of fufu 6. Side of cornbread 7. Side of plantain Before ordering all these goodies, we were allowed to sample their "it goes with everything" sauce. From spicy level 1 to 3. We thought #3 would be extremely spicy but it just had a slight kick. It's probably because as Koreans, we love spicy and are used to a higher level of spice. All the sauces tasted amazing! But our favorite is #1. It had more depth of flavor. #2 and #3 tasted the same with #3 being a tad bit spicier. All-in-all, it lived up to the name - it literally goes good with everythang!! Several of the menu options, such as the Attieke for the Red snapper was not available. Also the collard greens had an option for organic beef, but that wasn't available too. The oxtail needed to be cooked more because the meat was so tough. It was hard to bite the meat off from the bones. It did not want to come off and was pretty glued on. Wish they would have cooked the oxtail longer so that it was more tender and enjoyable. Nonetheless, the flavor was good. I really enjoyed their tomatoes and spiced flavored Jollaf rice. Dress some of their "it goes with everything sauce" on top made it even more appealing to my taste. The Red Snapper tasted fresh and well seasoned. The plantains and cornbread were enjoyable. Huge portions so sharing is recommended. Fufu....I can't really say it was delicious. Personally, not my favorite. It looked like mashed potatoes, but the texture and taste was like mochi. It threw me off, way off. Glad to have the opportunity to try something very new, but won't be ordering it again. On the other hand, my seastar loves it! Overall, first time experience was good. It definitely woke up a side of my tongue that was not quite awoken. Definitely will be back to purchase more of their sauce. Thanks to Kendejah, we're on a mission to try more West African cuisine!

I'm honestly upset. Upset with myself for not knowing about this gem. I've trying to find a good oxtail spot, my co-worker told me about Kendejah, a Liberian restaurant. So I decided to give it shot. Kendejah is taking to go orders only at the moment. I spoke to a kind gentleman who took my order. Ordered: Jumbo oxtails w/ rice and beans Greens Cornbread The Sauce (medium) The oxtails were very tender and flavorful, it went well with the rice and beans. I scooped up some greens and mixed it with the rice. Let me tell you, finger licking goooooood... The cornbread was okay, tastes like cornbread. Let's talk about "the sauce". You can literally put this sauce on anything! I put it on some chicken, vegetables, beef, anything. I got the medium since that's all they had. Enough reading, go get some Liberian food at Kendejah!

Kendejah has officially won me over - I'll definitely be coming back for more. Their Chicken and Jollof with plantains is an absolute must-try and has quickly become a staple in our takeout lineup. Not only is the food delicious, but the service is also super friendly. And let's talk about value - the price for the dish is fair, and the portion size is more than satisfying. If you're looking for a taste of Liberian cuisine done right, Kendejah is the place to go. Highly recommended!

I came here again with a group of friends and ordered a jollof rice, while my partner got the red snapper. They have some standard menu items that are available all days of the week, as well as a few items that are available each day specifically. They had the food ready within 15 minutes of ordering. The jollof rice is a solid choice if you like tomatoes and food that is on the sweet side while also having a bit of acidic/sour and savory notes. If you prefer crispy and drier rather than wet fish, the red snapper is good too, and it came with pieces of tomato, onion, cucumber, and avocado. I do wish there was more variety of side dishes provided with each of the entrees and that the vegetables were more flavored. Although the price may appear a bit high for a main dish, the quantity of food is large.

Only to-go food available. There's no dining in. We ordered to-go food on their website. We got the Oxtail & Rice and Beans and Jollof Rice & Chicken Breast with Gravy. They were both ok. We really wanted to try their goat soup with fufu, but it's not available on Saturdays. First time trying African food though. Parking lot is shared with other stores. They also sell their own spicy sauces.

A change of rhythm with today's food, with African food as our intention. A little 40 min drive to San Leandro, but I'm glad to say it was worth it. We ordered the oxtails and side of rice. When we went, I'm everything was to go; indoors was closed. The wait was about 25 minutes, and we decided to eat elsewhere. Food was amazing, and oxtails are a dish I would eat all day

I just spent 43 dollars on a meal I can't even eat because there was a black hair on the literal top of the fufu and then, because we were excited to try it, we scooped that off the top to attempt to give it a try and look past it, and as I'm starting to eat the oxtail there was an even longer thick straight black hair in there? We are now on our way to get food from another spot tonight so that we can eat dinner. The lady who took our order was incredibly kind though, and this is extremely unfortunate. We really wanted to like the place.

The guy running this place is really sweet and was so excited for us to eat his food! My partner and I got the potato greens, the peanut soup, and the jollof w/oxtail. We also got the medium Kendejah sauce - this is a must!!! The food was very mild. The jarred Kendejah sauce is where all the heat is hidden, which is great for sharing among people with different spice levels. The medium sauce was hotter than most hot sauces in my house. It's a mixture of peppers and smoked herring and it's incredible. I believe him when he says it goes on everything! My partner was practically drinking it. We loved everything we got. The peanut soup with fufu was incredibly silky and flavorful, and the fufu was the best fufu either of us had had. The potato greens scratched the saag paneer itch but somehow were even better. The smoked turkey was a tad dry but I didn't really mind. The jollof was odd, as someone who's only had the Nigerian/Ghanaian styles, with the addition of beans and corn. It was delicious, though, and paired excellently with the oxtail. And oh the oxtail...I don't know why I got it - I don't like oxtail!! But I'm glad I did, because this was the best oxtail I've ever had. Hands down. It avoided a lot of the heaviness that can be a trap with these types oxtail stews, and really brought out the flavor of the meat. I will be losing a lot of money to this place, and you should too.

Expensive and poor customer service.serving portions too much rice not enough main meal

Had the oxtail curry with black bean rice. The food was good, but not for me. Very tender and saucy with tons of rice. Definitely good for the price and would fill you up for both lunch and dinner if you're not a big eater!

Hidden gem, I wanted to try fufu & my bf found this spot. He got jollof with chicken & I got the goat soup with fufu. I loved the flavors & the soup was so spicy but with fufu it was so good!! Only catch was: Outdoor dining. The ladies are nice as well!

Don't sleep on this establishment. Every time I've come their food is delicious and I always grab a jar of hot sauce. The Sauce. If you like hot sauce for flavor, not just hot but with flavor get the sauce it's worth it. I normally get the same items. This time I got them plus the peanut soup because my son wanted fufu. Unfortunately now you can't buy fufu separately. Therefore you have to purchase the soup. The soup was decent. I'm not a fan of peanut butter nor the smell. So I can't give it a honest rating, however I did like it and so did my son. The service was excellent I got there in called exactly when they closed after driving seven miles past the restaurant's location Thankfully the owner answered and asked where was I. Outside your establishment! He said no problem. Give me five minutes. I couldn't wait to get home and dig in. The portions are generous. After my son and I shared some items we still had plenty leftovers. Can wait to go back. Next time I plan on trying the cassava leaves and another soup and maybe the fried fish.

Service is great and food is really fast. I've tried multiple different African/Lebanese food spots and nothing beats here. From the texture of the fufu to the stews and soups. You get what you pay for. Love this spot

Food = scrumptious, full of soulful, unique flavors, clearly made with love, generous portions. If you like Caribbean food (like I do) you will love this food. Service = you will be treated as a valued guest, which rarely happens anymore except for *maybe* at the most expensive restaurants Overall experience = the historic figures on the mural inside give a glimpse of how important Liberian history is in connection to the history of this country. There are very few places out there where you can experience a direct connection to such a rich legacy, AND leave nourished and satisfied at an affordable price, all here in lil' San Leandro! I can't wait to taste all the dishes on the menu.

Kendejah never disappoints. It brings a tear to my eye with how delicious the food is.What I love is how CONSISTENT the food is. Every time I visit the restaurant, the food is delicious regardless of what day it is, how long it's been since I've been back, doesn't matter. My Mom froze it at one point and when I came home for the holidays, it tasted like we just picked it up! My favorite dish is the potato greens or cassava and now the collard greens. I HATE- absolutely hate (lol) okra but I tore up the smothered okra from Kendejah haha! The fufu, jollof rice, omg everything tastes phenomenal! And THE SAUCE, please don't forget the Sauce!! I don't know what kind of witchcraft they use to make that sauce but it is everything and more. Buy 10 of them if you have to! All in all, I really hope they open more locations elsewhere *wink wink Nevada & Socal* More people need to experience the deliciousness that is Kendejah!!

I am in love with the potato greens. The ox tails are delicious also. The service is usually good.

the oxtail and fufu was delicious. have ordered from here several times. always good!

Wow, let me just start off with how good the food is here! The service is amazing as well! I got the jollof chicken rice dish and I'll be back for more.

Been meaning to go here for a while and am kicking myself for taking this long. We got the jollof with chicken breast and the oxtail with beans and rice. First off, the portions were super generous and the price super reasonable. The jollof rice was really good but the chicken was the star of that dish for us. I'm not normally a fan of white meat but they had ran out of the drumsticks so that was all they had. Best chicken breast I've ever had. Didn't miss the dark meat even a little bit. This was my wife's favorite but my favorite was the oxtail. I was actually licking the takeaway dish after eating it. The flavor was out of this world. And while I absolutely put all of the oxtail sauce on the rice and beans, I did try them first and they were super flavorful all by themselves. Cannot wait to go back and try more dishes.

Great food especially the oxtails an the palm butter jollof rice cassava leaves served with rice also

Came by a couple days ago and got oxtail with jollof rice For $30, the portions definitely were skimpy. I got 4 pieces of oxtail but it was the End of the tail bone so it was a lot smaller. Gravy was flavorful but salty. I also got the Sauce and it was really good but combined with the gravy it was a salt overload. - I'm not sure if I was overcharged but I've ordered this before and have only paid about $24 for the same thing. Service I can say was great. He was very helpful and even let me try all the sauces before I bought them. But for $30 not including the tip, definitely not worth the try.

Came here per a friend's recommendation and it was delightful. They only offered takeout, but the service was quick and we received our plates within 10 minutes. We had the fufu & peanut butter soup, and the potato greens with rice, which genuinely reminded us of hawaiian lau lau. Everything was cooked perfectly, and had great portions.

I have passed this restaurant many times but when my co-workers decided to order food, I was so elated with the menus. I feasted on ox-tails and their signature rice dish. The food was so flavorful and traditional. The ox-tails were tender and not overly seasoned. The service was quick as we only had an hour to eat so the food had to be served quickly. The staff were kind and hospitable, they explained the food and gave a quick history of the dishes. The atmosphere was nice, I did not feel rushed even though we were on a tight schedule. I highly recommend them. They do have a catering truck which I envision can come to you offering the same quality of food.

The Fufu and Goat Soup was what I had! It was so flavorful!Brought some home to my daughter and she told me she wanted this instead of lamb moving forward. My husband got the oxtail stew he was very happy! Can't wait to try other items! Like the Saturday soup special, that for me.

I'm still counting down the days until we don't have to get takeout anymore, because the food is just so delicious. We got the jollof rice with chicken curry which is my personal favorite. The curry is super flavorful but not spicy, and each bite is packed with the most amazing and unique flavors possible. It just pairs so well with their fluffy jollity rice. They also had delicious oxtail which was literally falling off the bone. The buttery sauce melts in your mouth rice those rice and beans, and I could not ask for more!! I hope to try more of their food soon.

It was my first time trying Kendejah Restaurant and I'm glad I did! Food: 7.5/10 - I've had homecooked Liberian food before so I believe that the deduction comes from comparing the flavors of the jollof rice - I tried to but it just wasn't for me. The Oxtail ($19) and the Attieke with Red Snapper special ($25) were really tasty and so too were the plantains! Service: 10/10 - We called in our order and it was ready upon arrival. I'm not sure if I'll personally be able to get the jollof rice again but I definitely recommend visiting Kendejah!

Rude. Wouldn't accept card. Asked for fries and chicken. Was told they were out. I felt it was discrimination more than the truth. Rude. Very unwelcoming.

Amazing, awesome food with a twist! If you have not tried Liberian food or just want to try some unique tasty food, head down to Kendejah. I had the chicken jollof rice which was very flavorful and yummy. Everyone enjoyed their food as well. Note that their "mild" sauce (bought separately) is VERY spicy...visualize multiple people with watery eyes and coughing..so be warned unless you can like that level of spice. Doug, the owner is an entrepreneur and a super interesting guy. He shared some of the history of Liberia including many facts that we were not aware of. I ended up spending some more time the next day learning about the history of Liberia. I wish him much success! He has got a great product that should be available widely. This is in a busy part of downtown San Leandro so parking was a hassle. Also note that they are only open for takeout these days and I wish they open up the restaurant for indoor dining.

The food was excellent I just wish there were larger portions. The service was also great. I'll definitely be going back for more of their delicious cuisine.

As soon as I walked in, I knew it was gonna be dope food. Smiling faces greeted me and let me even try their special sauce while I was waiting for order. (Btw, the best sauce you'll ever try probably is that one, ask for it) Food was delicious and big healthy portions. We loved it and will keep coming your way! Absolutely great experience. Just a heads up: food is spicy so if you love spicy food, you'll be extremely satisfied

I didn't eat here but I called and the employee who answered the phone told me quite shortly that no, they don't serve any vegan or vegetarian food. I'd wanted to try this place and both the website and Yelp reviews indicate veg options.

Overpriced for what you actually get. I wasn't blown away by any of the meals, either. To be honest, the most flavorful dish was the potato greens. I did like those. They reminded me of slow cooked turnip greens with smoked turkey that's a staple down in the south. The restaurant itself is currently just a take out window/door so no dining in or outdoors. The service provided was indifferent and transactional. I tried not to have any expectations but was disappointed anyway. The palm butter tasted okay but was almost gritty, probably from the crab. The oxtails and pretty much every meat in these meals were hard and dry af. I can't say whether any of it was fresh but the white rice definitely wasn't because a lot of it was stale and dry when I ate it. Like, you know how you have rice in a pot all day long and the moisture starts evaporating from the rice on the sides? Like that.

We had the ox tail dish, chicken and the Friday special ... we sampled their mild and medium hot sauce and we were hooked. All four of us loved sharing the dishes. The plantains were perfect and the hospitality of the staff was AMAZING!!! It was our first time having dinner at Kendejah. And it definitely will not be our last .. You got to try it..

Good food but I hate that they no longer have inside dining at their spot!! Whhyyyy???

Service was awesome. Dougie was so helpful and made sure we have everything we needed. They have sauces they sell in bottles. Def recommend to purchase and like he said it goes with everything. I purchased the #3 def like mine on spicier side. Collard greens and oxtail soup was amazing. Def coming back~

$23 for oxtail with beans and rice. Delicious. Good portions of oxtail with a heaping amount of rice and beans. The oxtail was tender and flavorful, not excessively salty. I usually don't eat much carbs but I ended up eating the entire rice and beans. It was so good. Sounds basic, but great texture and flavor. Cooked perfectly. It's basically just a takeout window. No seating inside or outside. No line Sunday night. Food came out quick. Parking in the plaza can be a hit or miss, but no problem if you don't mind a short walk. I will be back to try other dishes

First time customer today, ordered online easily. Food was incredible and flavorful. Had the Jollof Rice & chicken gravy, the fish & fries, and corn bread. Gawd damn. I'll be back. Took it home to Oakland about 7miles away, and food still warm. Supposed to save some for the wife, but we'll see!

I came here yesterday which was Saturday and got potato greens and it was pretty tasty. I asked for spicy and they put some pepper sauce on the side but it was not spicy at all. It had a good amount of chicken and smoked turkey. I want to try the beans next.

First time trying and I absolutely loved it! It was so good. We had the chicken jolofff plate and peanut soup with fufu! Can't wait to have it again!!

SOOOOOOOOOO GOOD!!!! OMG! It was my first time having west African food but I've had this place bookmarked for a while. I had an emergency dentist appointment because one of my fillings fell out and this place happens to be in the next plaza over so after my appointment, I walked over and a man happened to be standing outside so he explained the menu to me. They have a few dishes they make every day and then each day of the week, there's different specials. I went for the Oxtail stew with Jollaf Rice (which he explained to me was the African version of fried rice). I stood outside for about 5 minutes and he called me over because my food was ready. The food smelled so good, I decided I needed to try it fresh once I got to my car. I took my first bite and honestly, because I've never had it, it took me a second bite before I was like Whoooaaa! It was absolutely delicious and I couldn't stop eating it. Like seriously, I ate half of it while I was sitting there and forced myself to stop because I wanted to share some with my husband so he could try it but then I got home and ate some more haha! I saved him a small oxtail and a few bites of rice lol but it was enough to say that we will definitely going back and trying more dishes!!

This place has been on my list for awhile and we finally ordered take out! Just one visit and I know I LOVE this restaurant already! We ordered the oxtail with jollof rice and goat soup with fufu. THE OXTAIL guys! The sauce was super flavorful and each freakin piece of oxtail was so tender. The goat soup was also really flavorful and had a bit of a kick to it. We were sad to see that there wasn't any fufu in our take out :( It's okay though because we do plan on coming back!