The Mukase Restaurant (Chicago)

The Egusi with oxtail was AMAZING!! It Had the perfect amount of spice and flavor. I also enjoyed the jollof rice with chicken, but could’ve served bigger portions with both the Egusi and jollof rice. All in all, Good customer service and highly recommend this restaurant!

Forget any reviews you’ve seen. This food is fantastic and I’m from Chicago and tried the best African cuisine here. This location is top of the list! Service is excellent and everyone is so nice. It was soo good me and my partner ate it and came back in 1 hour to order again to take some home for dinner.

First of all when we enter the restaurant no one speaks to you it’s not inviting it’s not warm the service here it’s literally as if they don’t want you to order at all. This would have been okay if the food was good. I have tried a lot of African cuisines including but not limited to Kenyan, Senegalese (some of the best), Nigerian, etc. This restaurant boasts of authentic Ghanaian dishes. It was pitiful and the food was old. I ordered the suya fried chicken, oxtail and brown stew, okra with goat, and a regular jollof rice meal with goat. I wasted the $87 I spent at this restaurant. I expected so much more and this experience makes me not want to eat Ghanaian food ever again. Needless to say (from the old oxtail) I threw up my food shortly after digesting it. I wouldn’t recommend this place even if you were looking for food to feed your dog.

Great food! I’ve visited Ghana multiple times and this is 100 percent authentic!!!! Delicious and filling!!! I can’t wait to go back!

The food is so delicious. Highly recommend the egusi, goat, fufu, palm nut soup, fish, jollof. The portions are a perfect size and very reasonably priced. They have offers for free items and meal deals. There is no dine in, take out only.

my family and i love this restaurant and order from here frequently, and have been for at least two years. we spend at least $200 when we go!! we recently ordered and immediately i noticed that they have made their containers smaller while the meal is the EXACT same price of $22!!! the white container is not from mukase but that is the size their containers used to be, the black container on the right is now the new size. and when you open the container it is not even filled fully, they simply fill stew around the meat. in the picture with my bowl i haven’t even dipped stew mind you, just removed meat and see how the stew is depleted. in my eyes this is a cheat and frankly, very disappointing. i love this restaurant but this is what will make me stop eating from a place when they do stuff like this to good paying customers.

Mukase is the best in the city IMO! My family and I have been visiting for a few years. I go almost weekly for takeout. I appreciate the cuisine being consistent with its flavor, freshness and satisfying portions, chef’s kiss! customer service I give 10/10 as well.

This place has amazing African food. They asked me if I liked spicy food and man do they give you some spicy food if you want it. It was amazing. The portions are generous and everything is very flavorful. The lady who seated and served us was very friendly and made sure everything was good. Definitely will be coming back. 5/19 Update: It seems like the food quality has dropped and the prices have gone up since I last came here. Food just isn't good and I question what the point of the small pile of dry, hard spaghetti is. I don't think I'll be coming here any longer.

It was Ghana's Independence Day so I decided to order takeout from Mukase, a restaurant known for its African cuisine. I had the motherland combo with chicken, jollof rice, spinach stew, and fried plantains. The chicken could've had more seasoning and I wasn't a fan of the jollof rice but everything else was fantastic! The spinach stew is amazing with fufu and the plantains were perfection. I've also tried their Suya Chicken and it is great!! If it was closer I'd go more often. Will definitely return! Overall ratings Chicken 3/5 Spinach stew 5/5 Jollof rice 2/5 Fried plantains 5/5 Suya Chicken 5/5 Fufu 5/5

Food was great, so I at least have to give them some stars. Aunty at the front cash register though? You can see all the 1 and 2 star ratings are literally because of her. This was our first time eating here and she gave us extremely horrible customer service. Whether she is the owner or not, you need to fix your attitude. It is the one of the only setbacks of the restaurant. Another complaint is that there are no seating arrangements, despite very misleading picture online. It's more of a pick up your food type of place, instead of it being dine in . I would go to get food again, but I would unfortunately be praying that it could be a different person taking the order.

Some coworkers and I ordered takeout from The Mukase as I had been dying to try Ghanaian/West African food. We had a large online order and did not receive confirmation that it was received. I had to call and confirm it had been received about 10 minutes later, it was only at this point that I received a confirmation text saying it was ready. I didn't mind having to call and the owner was nice enough, but it's just something to be aware of if you're ordering online. When I arrived for pick up, there was nobody up front but somebody came out and told me my food would be out shortly, which it was. The vibe was very much no-frills, neighborhood spot serving up some authentic West African cuisine. There weren't many people dining in (if any) but it was around 1pm on a week day and there was clearly a ton of takeout orders. The flavors did not disappoint!! The peanut butter soup with Chicken + Fufu was a top-notch combo. Spicy, but not overwhelming (but I do love a bit of spice.) my only grievance with the the soup was tiny fish bones that I would have to spit out, as the base of the soup is clearly made with fish. I also split Oxtail and Jollof rice with my coworker and the flavor/tenderness of the oxtail was to die for. The Jollof rice left a little to be desired as far as flavor/seasoning.

These people are scammers. They don't answer their phones and they charge you for items they end up not putting in your order.

Such a good and consistent spot to get Nigerian food. I always order through Ubereats and it's always accurate and I usually call the restaurant if I have questions and they're always able to help. I get the egusi with chicken, I've tried the okra soup (not the biggest fan of the texture but the flavor and spice is great!) pepper soup, and peanut soup (loved it). The jollof rice is very basic and usually hard and stuck together, so I don't get it every time I order. This is my go-to place for egusi though!

This place is such a find. Now, there weren't many places to sit and eat, so be prepared to take your food to go. The up side of this is that their food is coming to you hot so it could take a 30 minute drive, no problem. The ambiance could throw you off a little since there isn't much in the building, but I believe they are just invested in their food quality. The woman at the front was very kind and helpful. She recommended a drink that was SO DELICIOUS. It was a tall canned fruit drink (passion fruit flavored). We had jerk chicken, jollof rice, and spinach and egusi. The Spinach and Egusi came with fufu. Every single dish exploded with flavor! Now, you have to be mindful that the food will have a good kick. The jerk is real deal and so is the spice in the Egusi soup. I wouldn't be shocked if they used real scotch bonnet. I loved it! The heat was powerful but the flavor just keeps you going. I was a little worried about the fufu since it had flattened in the plastic by the time we made it home, but it was great. Glad that it is near my church! I'll definitely be coming back.

Do not eat here unless you love FLAVOR, Spice, & DELICIOUS DELICIOUS food !!! Truly one of the BEST MEALS IVE HAD IN CHICAGO so far!! It was BEYOND EXCELLENT!! We got the spinach & egusi w fufu, the okra, the peanut soup, & fish ~ everything was amazing. The portion size is great & everything was PHENOMENAL Goat is notoriously hard to cook & can end up like a rock if you don't know what yr doing... this was THE BEST GOAT I've had in a long time, possibly ever (~ dont tell my brooklyn, caribbean fam). Cannot recommend this place enough 10/10 !!! The staff was also really patient & kind. Dont eat here unless you're ready to have the most delicious meal ever & be left full, happy, & so content!!! Thank You Mukase!!!!

Had never eaten jollof rice and had only had ethiopian, Egyptian and Moroccan food before I tried this restaurant and let me say Ghanaian cuisine does not disappoint in the slightest. Since my first time trying it I've gotten this restaurant delivered some 3 or 4 times. The beef in the jollof has such a nice char/crisp on it, and the spiciness of the dish makes my mouth water just thinking about it. Their chicken wings are also just awesome, and I'd highly recommend trying them out. I tried the goat curry as well, which was also really tasty. Overall the only negative is it can be a bit pricey, but it's well worth your dime if you love spicy and delicious food. I'm sure I'll order from The Mukase in the future and would recommend it (at least to try) to anyone interested

I really wished I had tried this place months ago. There are no West African restaurants near me in Logan Square and I've been searching for good options. I cannot comment on the service due to ordering from a delivery app. My positive experience was solely based on the food. I can barely put into words how much this food hit the spot after a long work week. I ordered the Fufu with peanut soup and chicken. I also ordered a side of spinach. The peanut soup has some heat and is very flavorful. The spinach is not plain spinach. It is also filled with spices and other ingredients. Everything was really good. Some menu items may not be ideal for people who have trouble with spicy foods.

FOOD IS AMAZING ! So packed with flavor ! So delicious ! Some of the best Ghanaian food I've ever had. If you want to try Ghanaian food for the first time visit this restaurant. And If you don't know what to order there's a wonderful host that'll help you figure it out. -Chinaa

The food is so good I had to have seconds! The man on the phone was really nice. The fish is great and so was the red sauce. The fufu is always perfect. My favorite restaurant to go to!

I CRAVE this place at least twice a month. Every plate has so much flavor. My favorite is the spinach and egusi stew as well as the palm nut soup with goat. Both come with fufu. So delicious!

I eat here at least once a week, my go to hollow rice w fish and peanut butter soup! Fast and delicious every time.

Had been looking for a few Ghanaian restaurants and The Mukase popped up. Placed an order for takeaway since COVID hasn't gone away. They have a fan. The red red reminds of the red red my Ghanaian friends prepare. I got it with fish. The attieke was proper spicy, just the way I loved it. They didn't have baked tilapia, so I went with the fried tilapia. The pepper soup was not like Nigerian pepper soup. No biggie as I used some of it over the attieke. Must admit that everything I ordered popped with flavor. They will get my business, for true.

Cooked to perfection. It tastes just like home and has me in the worst chokehold ‍‍. I've been here 4 times this week and will definitely be back again. The Goat and oxtail dishes have been my favorite and the Jollof is the bomb

So freaking good! I was craving black eyed peas for New Year's Day (an American Southern tradition for good luck), and this spot had them when I was searching for delivery. Took a chance and ordered several other items and was blown away. Perfect blend of spices and flavors. Highly recommend the Motherland Combo with goat, the black eyed peas, and the spinach. Will definitely order from this spot again!

Jollof is delicious...I usually get the A Special...my only problem is consistency...sometimes Mukase is the best thing I ever tasted and then sometimes it's average

Today during work I decided that I wanted to eat something I've never eaten. I walked into this restaurant immediately, I told the lady helping that I didn't know what to order. She said I'll walk you through it and she advised on what I should order. DELISH!!! She recommended Fu Fu with Chicken, Spinach and Egusi stew . I was in the middle of working and tried it in my car! I called all of my family members raving about this cuisine!! Wow, wow, wow a MUST TRY!!she told me that I'll be back and I will TOMORROW!

My mama tells me that Mukase means kitchen in twi. Fun fact. I did not know that there was a new(ish) Ghanaian restaurant in Chicago, but I heard that the food was really good and I had to check it out. Let's talk about the service. It was not great, although not the disaster that other yelpers have described. I went with a friend on a Saturday around 7:30pm, and I think there was only one server plus a woman who I suspect to be an owner. We sat there for 10 minutes or so when I realized that the server, who looked like a teenager, was not planning to stop by with water or menus or anything like that. She brought both instantly when I asked and with no attitude, so maybe the servers just need training? The food also took a while to come out. Why the 4-star review? Because the food was *delicious*. It was as authentic as Mom's, spice and all. I had jollof with goat stew and my friend had fried plantains with bean stew. Both were super flavorful and a healthy portion. I also sent some work friends to Mukase (with appropriate warnings about the service) and they loved it, too.

the fufu was watery couldn't even enjoy it with the egusi and the beef khebab was too dry and tough almost like it was cooked days ago and they just reheated

Today was my first day eating West African food and it has blown my mind. I got: fried plantains, jollof rice, spinach and egusi stew (with beef), and fufu. I will definitely be back! I loved everything so much!

I went with a friend who studied in Accra, Ghana and the food brought her to tears because it reminded her of her home stay host's food. The building is a little tucked away behind a closed laundromat, which gives it a hole-in-the-wall feel. The food is delicious, with a complex, savory flavor profile that doesn't pull any punches with heat. We ordered the peanut soup with chicken & the motherland special with chicken. One soup fish and a special is enough to split between 2. I still dream of the plantains and jollof rice now. The place is takeout or delivery only, so don't plan to stay. But if you do, enjoy some Ghanaian music playing from the tv and try to find a spot touched by the fans. 5/5 would recommend

First time trying African food and WORSE SERVICE EVER!!! THe lady there on Friday 07/15 has a very disgusting attitude. My husband and his daughter both agreed as well, he tried to laugh it off and told her its our first trying African food and asked about a drink that was on the menu under "drinks" and when he asked what it was she said " a drink" and pointed out to the fridge for him to read it him self, usually servers say " oh it tastes like this and that" but seems like she was even lazy to explain what it would taste like. Second I asked for the egusi stew with plantains and asked to add an order of fufu to which she " you can not do that" she confused me and when explaining she did not make any sense until my husband told her to add it we will pay extra, the whole time that is what I was telling her to do that. Third the rice I ordered was BURNT !!!!!! As soon as I opened the container it smelled horrible Im pretty sure she knew and still decided to serve it. HORRIBLE!!! And lastly I ORDERED BEED FOR MY STEW and she gave me goat, She really needs to be checked. This is unacceptable and I will never come and never recommend this place to anybody.

Food is delicious and the customer service was great. The vibe inside was also great.

Some people are complaining about the service, in my opinion if the food is good who care how the lady who make the food talk to you. I have Asian parent my mom be mad for no reason sometimes, but she make good food I don't complain about it I just eat. this place make delicious food stop whining about the customer service, if you want good customer service go to American restaurants.

Please note, I'm not into the star inflation on YELP and other rating sites. This place is okay, and possibly better. This review is based on one visit (so far) a year into the Pandemic. I do plan to return, and I suspect like many ethnic specialty African or Asian restaurants, there have been supply chain problems with specific ingredients and packaging. I have a special fondness for Nigerian cuisine, and all of a sudden Tik-Tok blew up with West African immigrants showing us how to make fufu in between my favorite cat videos. And, I was in town briefly to get a dental check up (yes I drive 75 miles to see my dentist. His father was my dentist and I've been going to the same clinic since 1969, trust issues). There's something amiss with the YELP search algorithm when it comes to Nigerian food, so I ended up at this Ghanaian restaurant but fufu with peanut soup is very similar across SubSaharan Western African cuisine. I get mine with fish. The fufu was generous in portion (very important), but a bit too potato-y for me (there are a wide variety of grains used for fufu due to the highly varied climate zones south of the Saharan and the importation of grains like cassava from the New World but my favorite taste is African yam-plantain). The fish was excellent, the peanut soup was a tad too thin and not peanut-buttery enough for my taste. But I also know from my more familiar Nigerian restaurants that peanut soup comes out a little differently every time. Now, remember, I live in Milwaukee so packaging issues are probably not a problem for you. There are no decent SubSaharan West African restaurants currently in Southeast Wisconsin. The containers the food was put in weren't adequate and I had a real mess when I unpacked on arrival at home. The service was good, ordered by phone and it was ready on time. Parking was a bit of a challenge, I haven't lived in Chicago in 15 years so I've gotten used to not being challenged the way you are in the Windy and it was also in the middle of a snow storm. Like MacArthur, I shall return.

If I could give this place a zero star I definitely would. I don't think I've ever been so angry or stressed by a service before but I had the worst experience ever at this place and I hope I can save you from experiencing the same. Before heading out to this restaurant, my friends and I (party of 6) called well ahead of time(about an hr) and when we got to the restaurant our food was not ready. We met the lady who runs the place and when we tried to ask about the status of our orders she asked us to "go and sit down." The table we were given was very dirty we had to clean it ourselves. We were seated for about 30mins before she attended to us. None of our orders were ready, if anything she had forgotten we called to place our orders. We had to remind her of what we ordered and she started working on them while we were there. She brought out the first person's first order (plantains) and took about 30-4mins before she brought out his next order (jollof rice). Through out this entire time she responded rudely to us when we asked about the status of our orders or whenever we tried to get her attention. She treated us differently (with so much disrespect) than how she treated some white guests in the restaurants and we were so shocked by this. We waited about 3-4hrs before we got our food. One of my friends was so hungry that she tried eating food from another place at the restaurant because she got soo tired of waiting and the lady spoke to her rudely and threatened to throw her out. I honestly have no pictures of the food because it really wasn't worth the stress and anger we experienced at this place. Save yourself and take your coins elsewhere dears! Would not recommend this place at all.

This place is amazing!!! Delicious right amount of spice everything. We will be returning all the time

Came here on Sunday. Grabbed to go because the restaurant isn't allowing dine in guests due to ongoing Covid crisis. Went with the jollof rice chose goat as the accompanying meat. Also added a side of black eyed peas. I don't love black eyed peas but these black eyed peas were otherworldly!! Savory, tasty with a healthy amount of spice. Thinking they were seasoned with some kind of meat. Thoroughly enjoyed the jollof rice as well. Good portion size. Had a little kick far as spice as well but the intensity level and seasoning was different than the black eyed peas. The Goat fell off the bone. I normally take pictures but didn't have the presence of mind just dug right in.

I truly Love this place never Disappoints I Travels from oakpark illinois to the Northside Just to Get this food. I feel bad I keep forgetting the Lady name who works there She Always Have a Nice & Pleasant Attitude.

Food was good! Customer service was trash. The woman taking the order was extremely rude

I Overdue for a Review First lets me start off saying The Customer Service is Excellent compared to some other places I went to in the area. Second THE FOOD SO FRESH SO GOOD From the Jollof Rice Curry Goat okra Stew Plantain All So Good. My Coworkers Love The Food and Always sending Me there To Pick up Food. MOST DEFINITELY WILL CONTINUE YO SUPPORT THIS RESTAURANT

First time eating African cuisine. If you like HEAT, this is the food for you! Literally my upper lip was sweating the whole time. I loved the staff there. The owner/chef was super sweet. When my friend asked her what the Peanut Butter Soup was like she responded "Perfect" - How cute is that? She even turned on the fan cuz of my sweaty brow. Lol The best plantains I've ever had and the portions are large. Two meals in one entree I'd say.

Hands down one of my favorite restaurants in Chicago. I've been here a few times with different sized groups of people everyone always leaves happy. The food and service are consistently great. My favorite thing to order on the menu is the egusi soup with goat meat. I've had a lot of egusi throughout my life and the one here is definitely one of the best. The waakye with fish is also really good, as are the turkey tails if you're ordering an appetizer (and if you like fatty meat). The food is very spicy, which I personally love, but the levels might be a little high if you're sensitive. Also be warned that the portion sizes are huuuuge... so come with a big appetite:

Unpleasant Experience: The owner of the restaurant just makes it feel as if you're annoying her when ordering, picking up, or dining in (pre-covid). I've been here over 10 times over the years and nothing has changed even after maintaining my polite behavior every time. Even on my birthday in 2018, almost $45 was added to my bill then removed after we confronted her about it. After multiple failed and unpleasant experiences, I've finally decided to never return even if the food is good. Those bad spirits are lurking. Palace Gates is more welcoming.

The food is delicious!! They are also very patient and accommodating. I'm seeing some interesting comments about service. My belief is that those are cultural differences lost in translation. Anywho. I'm going back today because I need some pepper soup.

the food here is really amazing. Their jollof rice is dryer than what I have had from other restaurants, but i still think its really enjoyable, sometimes more than the less dryer jollof rice i have had. i havent tried everything, but i've tried a few items and the flavors are always phenomenal. The service is also really nice, although i've only done pick up and delivery. Overall, this is a must try restaurant. I recommend trying a bunch of their appetizers and sides and starting from there.

It was so good and spicy but all around delicious really tasty . I would definitely reorder.

The "LADY" at the front desk needs a better customer service TRAINING! On 10/19/22 For the first time, I decided to take my husband to try some Ghanaian food different from what I cook at home. We don't live in Chicago, I went to the Makola shop for groceries and decided to google Ghanaian foods near me. A lot of restaurants popped up but we picked The Mukase. Upon arriving there, greeting and just asking for a menu from the "lady" (a mature woman in her 40-50's) at the front desk we both were shocked at how unwelcoming her response was. At that point I was beginning to lose it, but I kept my cool and acted nice. While she was handing the food to my husband, I realized the palm oil from the okra soup had spilled in the bag and she saw it, ignored it and even when I asked her for a paper napkin she handed me just one napkin (I nearly asked for more napkins and I will pay for it). My husband pinched me to ignore her and he took it to the car to wipe it himself. The way she speaks, her facial expression and her whole demeanor was just POOR and RUDE. While we sat there waiting for our foods, 2 other people came to buy food and she treated and acted way worse, I am set to believe that's just how she is. Although I will give the food 4stars( 4 star cuz okra stew had too much oil), I don't think I will ever visit or recommend The Mukase Restaurant to my loved ones. Ghanaians are really welcoming people, but that lady at the front desk......hmmmm...

This restaurant has great food and excellent service. We went on a Wednesday night - not too busy, only two other people dined while we were there. Ring the counter bell - we got a tip from a patron, as we came in - for service. We ordered peanut butter soup, with goat: really good, not too thick, and spicy if you want it; with a fufu side (I love putting this into my soup, and it also treated great coated in okra stew); spinach + egusi stew is slightly spicy, if you want it, and a tasty, healthy, and filling dish, which came with sweet plantains, and an order delicious perfectly crisped plain chicken drumsticks; the okra stew side was slightly spicy (spice made to order), very delicious and gooey; and a side of joloff rice, which was also delicious, flavourful, not dry. The attached photos were taken midway through the meal - the portions were larger. Add on a cream soda and you have heaven in your mouth for an hour+. We had a great experience and both decided to come back to try some items they did not have in the kitchen. I recommend this spot - I came for joloff and peanut soup and was very pleased.

Where do I begin, so I went to this restaurant recommended by a friend. Upon arrival the woman "Agyeiwah" taking my order was VERY rude and dismissive, the food i ordered and what came out were two different things smh. Then when i asked why the food was not reflective of the menus description she just dismissed my question and said "that's how it is", and that she doesn't have any peppers to give me, I can't make this stuff up. I ordered grilled chicken with green peppers, onions and Suya pepper, but what i got was fried chicken with onions. If you can't satisfy the specifics on your menu next time inform the customer that it's slightly different, instead she found my questions annoying and gave me attitude. Never going back to that place. Grace African restaurant is far better

I absolutely LOVE The Mukase!! I am obsessed/addicted with the okra stew. It's spicy and delicious! The woman at the front is so nice and I love chatting with her when I go to get my food.

I'm from Detroit, Michigan and every time I visit chicago I make sure to come to Mukase. This is one of the best west African food spots in chicago! The dining area is clean, food is very tasty and well priced for the amount of meat given with each meal. I don't usually leave reviews but the service, food, and environment was 10/10. A must visit if you love authentic West African food!

I went here with a friend; neither of us were familiar with African cuisine. We were advised on what to order and it was delicious!

My goodness. When I tell you Service was rude, we left. I understand food takes a while, but my goodness, the rude way she spoke to me was awful to a point my cousin said "let's go!" I don't think I'll be back.

Delicious authentic African food, never disappoints! If you eat in restaurant, your wait may be very long.

The best place to get tasty Ghanaian and other African dishes. It's also very clean, spacious and the owner and staff are amazing. My favorite is the fufu with palm soup and red snapper. The yam and vegetable stew is also very DELICIOUS! Please check them out if you haven't. You'll love this place.

Cozy clean restaurant great menu decent staff tasty food. I especially love the red stew, jollof & egusi great quantities. You won't be disappointed.

With friends of my wife we went to The Mukase. Pretty good size group and they accommodated us even when short staffed. Authentic Food with exceptional flavor. It was really good. A BYOD without a bottle fee and with free parking in the back. I'd never had dinner with this group but really appreciated the meal and community of it. Great food, service(a bit slow) but friendly. We will return.

Owner or lady at the front is very rude. Food is alright nothing special. Ordered carry out. Lady at the front seemed annoyed at any customers existence. Bad customer service.