Yassa African Restaurant

I’m giving three stars because most of the traditional dishes were lamb-based. This was my first time trying Senegalese food, and I was really excited. The non-lamb options were mostly curry or other things. But why not offer those same dishes that consist of lamb with chicken? I get that these are traditional recipes, but it might be a good idea to have a chicken option for people like me who aren’t fans of lamb. The fufu was okay, but the food didn’t seem fresh since it came out really fast. +On a positive note, the staff was super friendly and answered all my questions respectfully. - food was quite expensive in my opinion

Feels like you’re eating at someone’s house and the food was so good and flavorful. The meat was tender and everything was good. Spice level was also good for me but I would have preferred a bit more heat. Overall would try again and definitely recommend trying this place out. Got too excited to try the chicken and lamb and almost forgot to take a picture 😅 - as you can see it was too good to wait!

We ordered two recommended main courses, paired with fried plantains and plantain fufu as sides. For appetizers, we tried a fried dish and the signature dessert, millet yogurt. Everything was unique, delicious, and satisfying. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 Grilled Whole Fish The grilled whole fish is a must-try here. The skin is crispy while the inside is tender! It’s seasoned just right, with onion and carrot as the main accompaniments. As a grilled fish lover, I really enjoyed the texture, especially the belly and fins. We dug in with our hands, just like other diners. It’s hard to imagine it tasting better with any other ingredients! 🌟🌟🌟🌟 Thiou Curry Shrimp Thiou curry features several types of meat, and the shrimp are perfectly tender. The curry flavor isn’t overpowering and has a slight tanginess, loaded with onions and carrots. This was the second dish recommended by the staff, who suggested lamb as well. For the main course, I highly recommend Plantain Fufu as a side! Fufu is a West African dish made from green plantains and water, with a slightly sticky, chewy texture and a hint of sweet plantain flavor. I loved it! 🌟🌟🌟🌟 Appetizer Fried Dishes The spring rolls and dumplings were both delicious. The fried dumplings are filled with salmon paste and come with a spicy sauce—definitely worth trying individually. For dessert, we ordered the Thiakry, a Senegalese specialty. It’s basically rich yogurt with millet added. It comes in a large portion, isn’t too sweet, and has a subtle cinnamon flavor. It’s quite filling and worth a try.

Everything we tried was delicious. However, the Thiou curry with lamb is so F’n good! You have to try it. It paired well with fufu , plantains and djolof. The servers were nice and the restaurant was clean and welcoming. The atmosphere is homey.

A homey, spacious restaurant with super friendly service, beautiful decorations, and a solid selection of flavorful dishes! The prices are solid and the portions are large and filling. This is a family-owned restaurant I’d always be happy to eat at and support! Food I tried: - Yassa Fish with Djolof Rice (4.5/5): The fish was great-- quite boney and salty, but very tender and flavorful. The soft sautéed veggies on top added a nice kick of flavor and texture. The djolof was wonderfully crispy and wasn’t spicy but very well-seasoned otherwise. - Yassa Chicken with Fried Plantains (4/5): The chicken was pretty crispy and juicy, and again, the soft sautéed veggies on top added a nice contrasting flavor and texture. The plantains were flavorful and well-fried. - Maffe with Plantain Fufu (4.5/5): The maffe was good and heavy, with distinct yet somewhat subtle peanut butter flavors. The lamb was very tender, but I wish it came with more— there were only a couple pieces in there. The fufu had a soft, fluffy texture, and was a good pair to this dish for scooping up the maffe sauce. The fufu itself didn’t have much flavor, but it soaked up the flavor of other things pretty well.

The food was deeply flavored and very well cooked. The fried fish was tender and flaky and the seasoned Yassa on top was like nothing I’ve ever tasted. The Fataya were filled with salmon and warm spices and served with a spicy pepper sauce for dipping. Service was attentive and made sure we had everything we needed.

It's crazy how delicious and flavorful the rice is! I got the whole fish with rice and plantain fufu. When I tell you that as the best fufu I've ever had!!!! The fish was good but was a bit overcooked and dry, which is sad. If it were juicy this would've been the best meal! I'll try them again for sure.

The food was so good!!! We loved this place. It could be considered a hole-in-the-wall, with its casual ambience and decor but the food was knock out! As someone who works in Africa with artisans, It was fun to meet people from Senegal and Benin as well. Service was great. I highly recommend the shrimp, curry and fufu. Oh! And the ginger juice was worth going back just for that!

Yassa was sooooo delicious, definitely one of those places that are deserving of five stars and more. My friends and I came here and had such a great time - one of those meals so good that you hope all the blessings are bestowed upon the small business owner and they and their place keeps thriving. We tried the nem and fataya as snackie appetizers and also tried the baobab, bissap, and honeydew and melon drinks. I enjoyed trying them because they aren't drinks I've really been exposed to before. I wish I remembered every entree we got but I am not exaggerating when I say everything was so delicious. They knocked everything out of the park. All the sides that came with the meals were so good including the plantains and the fufu. I still think about that fufu lol, it was So Good. I am no expert on this cuisine but I have had much more mediocre fufu before and this was exquisite. I would absolutely come here again and if you haven't been, definitely go. So yummy. Staff was also nice.

Street parking can be challenging. They are a little slower at the food being ready but everything appears to be made fresh upon ordering. No alcohol. When I order online all of the menu options aren't available that I desire which usually allows for me not having something I desire because they don't do well with acknowledging the comment section when ordering ahead. Maybe call in is better but I haven't tried that. I enjoy eating their food and so far nothing has disappointed I have had their Chicken it seemed grilled, curry chicken, curry lamb, and granine stew from the Ivory Coast which consist of lamb and small shrimp. The service is as to be expected which is Cordial. The ambiance is busy with carryouts, dining in there is a TV playing music and tables that can seat larger parties.

We had the food delivered to the North Side and it was still warm and fresh. The lamb Senegal was great with the raw onions and snapper filet with onions and peppers was really good too, as was the Saka saka, although it felt a bit oily. Would certainly eat here again.

I love their food. I come here about twice a month. I love the fataya, which reminds me of a fried salmon empanada, and they have thee absolute best jollof. My only problem here is that the Aloco (plantain ) isn't always the best.. but they're my favorite spot right now, and has been for 6 years so far.

Great!, great and great! I love trying new foods. First time having fufu. Let's just say this- I will be back...

Great food. Great service! Great customer service! Parking was readily available. Will come again soon.

Overall Thoughts: A homey, spacious restaurant with super friendly service, beautiful decorations, and a solid selection of flavorful, traditional dishes. The prices are reasonable for the large and filling portions. This is a family-owned restaurant I'd always be happy to eat at and support! Food I tried: - Yassa Fish with Djolof Rice (4.5/5): The fish was great-- quite boney and salty, but very tender and flavorful. The soft sautéed veggies on top added a nice kick of flavor and texture. The djolof was wonderfully crispy and wasn't spicy but very well-seasoned otherwise. - Yassa Chicken with Fried Plantains (4/5): The chicken was pretty crispy and juicy, and again, the soft sautéed veggies on top added a nice contrasting flavor and texture. The plantains were flavorful and well-fried. - Maffe with Plantain Fufu (4.5/5): The maffe was good and heavy, with distinct yet somewhat subtle peanut butter flavors. The lamb was very tender, but I wish it came with more-- there were only a couple pieces in there. The fufu had a soft, fluffy texture, and was a good pair to this dish for scooping up the maffe sauce. The fufu itself didn't have much flavor, but it soaked up the flavor of other things pretty well. -- Price (relative to peers): 4.2/5 Food: 4.4/5 Ambience: 4.8/5 Service: 5/5 Overall Value: 4.5/5

Food and service and excellent! Ambiance was chill and homey but elevated! Highly recommend

I loved the curry lamb stew and the Yassa Chicken. It's spicy but well worth it! The service is good and will give suggestions if you are a newbie to the food.

Not good too spicy I have to try something else first time eating African food service wasn't informative when ask what to order

Yesterday I took my son to Yassa to have lunch. My ex husband is Senegalese so I've eaten Senegalese food before even cooked it! The food and service here is amazing! While parking can be a challenge it was totally worth it! I ordered grilled fish, my son's favorite is mafe' ( lamb stew with peanut butter sauce ) soooo good and fataya for an appetizer ( salmon stuffed style empanadas with a sauce on the side)! U have to get the pungent ginger drink or bissop ( hibiscus) . Definitely going back and the owner was amazing & pleasant too! The esthetic makes u feel as if u are in Senegal eating in a cafe .

Yassa!!! A group of friends and I came here for Senegalese food after a beach day on the southside of Chicago. Amazing Senegalese food - I got the dark meat chicken with plantains. The food was flavorful and delicious and the price was out of this world. I think I spent around $13 including tip for this dish. In terms of ambiance, you won't really find much of it here but it is still an experience and I would recommend coming on a night where there is live music.

When in Chicago, be sure to visit Yassa! The food here is so good it'll make you want to slap your mama! The flavors are as authentic as it gets. The space itself reminds me of places I've traveled to on the African continent, and even the service evokes the atmosphere of local restaurants I've visited. I tried the red snapper, tilapia, and veggie plate, and every single dish was worth writing home about. I couldn't believe the amount of flavor in each bite!

Had it yesterday! It was soo good and made fresh! Service was nice and the environment was great. Will come back again!

Ugh YASSA If you're looking for an incredibly flavorful and budget friendly meal, look no further!! I got the Yassa Lamb dinner + aloco, and had hefty leftovers. My friends got the yassa chicken and the veggie plate (one of them is vegan), and rave reviews all around. We had a party of 6, and the server split our checks without any of us even asking. The service is on the slower side, which is a plus for me because the sense of urgency is a white norm

Interesting place. Decent food. Friendly service. I've been there for endorsement dinners and enjoy this establishment.

First time trying this cute little place sitting in Brownsville the service was good. Staff was very friendly. The food was sees it perfectly. Everything was very delicious.

Well it's been a long time since I went to yassa Senegalese restaurant and I didn't know that they changed the location since 2010. The food is actually very good the last time I came. I went to another Senegalese restaurant last year which was good too by Hyde Park but nothing compares to yassa. Their fataya was much more savory than the other Senegalese restaurant and they were very fast and service delivering the food. Although it took a while being sat down since I was dining in. Other than that I think it had improved since the last time I came here from the old location I don't know if it's a different manager? Ambience is a little interesting it's not bougie but it does have that Senegalese feel being in this restaurant. Thus the four stars out of five stars but then again since this outside is predominantly African-American some restaurants I'm not surprised that if it's not bougie in ambience. Otherwise the food makes up being a Senegalese restaurant ethnically for still having a high rating of four stars.

Ordered on a whim from this restaurant for lunch - zero expectations, resulted in 100% satisfaction! Let's start with the Fataya - Salmon Patties, basically - except there's NOTHING basic about them! The filling is SO flavorful and well seasoned and not fishy at all. The outer pastry crust is so delicious, even on its own. Well done, Yassa folks! Then there was the Yassa Shrimp - beautifully cooked shrimp in a beautifully developed sauce with green peppers and onions. Again, the key to this being such a successful dish is just how well seasoned the stew is! The onions and peppers add more depth of flavor, and are not over-cooked, just a bite to them. The plantain Fufu was the thing I was most skeptical about - and it turned out to be JUST PERFECT!!!! And lastly the Couscous - when you first taste it, you think to yourself, it's just couscous - it's just a vessel for the stew. But no, even eaten alone, this staple is so comforting and delicious! I HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGGLY recommend this place to everyone. I don't eat meat, I'm a pescatarian, but I'll be trying absolutely everything I damn near can from this restaurant!!!!!

I can only attest to the food as I ordered out, but I really had much higher expectations considering other reviews. I got the maffe with 1/2 djolof rice and 1/2 fufu (for an up charge) and also sampled one fataya and one nem. I was hoping to have enough for two meals. I was honestly disappointed by everything. The djolof rice was super bland, and while I have not had the Senegalese version before, I at least expected it to have some flavor. The maffe was very nutty but was incredibly oily (to the extent that it got oil all over you as you opened it) and the portion was very disappointing for a $22 entree: there was honestly one piece of carrot and one piece of potato, and three large lamb bones with a small amount of meat. That was it. The rest was sauce. The fufu came out fine but it was packaged in a way that on arrival it was totally smashed flat and covered in rice. The nem also tasted greasy and was quite soggy. I liked the flavor of the fataya but it wasn't enough to make up for the rest. After eating my one carrot and one potato and picking the meat off of the huge pieces of bone I ended up throwing the rest away as I didn't want to just eat sauce and rice for leftovers. I don't mind bones in food but when the menu advertises "cubes of lamb" I expect some pieces of just meat and not mostly bone. Overall I was very disappointed by my meal, especially for the price of over $30. Tl;dr: the best part of the meal was the hot sauce.

This used to be my go to for African cuisine. OK this was my last time. My food tasted old like not freshly made today. The chicken taste like it was just reheated from maybe a day or two ago with the hard edges. My couscous tasted old, not like it was made yesterday like the shelf had expired and it was still used not happy so. I think this was my last time northside here I come.

Food 7/10 The food was okay. The amount was also good. I picked JOLOF Rice and Tilapia. The Fish Portion pricing on the menu was confusing or at least the server was not helping at all. The whole tilapia and filet of tilapia were the same price. (IDK why). But the Plate could have been bigger for the fish platter, as it was very inconvenient. The food was fresh the fish was well-cooked. Place/staff/Ambiance 4/10 As someone mentioned in one of the reviews, the table was very sticky. The Server wiped it in front of me still very sticky and gave me a nasty feeling about eating there. The lady server over is NOT friendly at all. They need to train their staff in hospitality.

Terrible and super slow service. This is the second time this is happening. I waited over 30 mins for after my order said ready on Uber eats. The staff kept telling me "5mins" the entire time. Extremely frustrating and I ended up waiting for 40 mins to get my food.

Local African cuisine right in my area, the food came out, hot and delicious. The service was friendly, and the staff were very accommodating. And I enjoyed every delicious entrée and will be back again.

The food is good the severs was being stingy with the napkins they charge extra for using card there menu is old so the prices are different and they don't tell you till after over all me and my family decided to never come back

One word: delicious! I visited during lunch on the weekend, when it was mildly busy. Cultural decor and music set the ambiance. The service was pretty quick - I ordered my food, and it was delivered to me within 10 minutes. I ordered a piece of fatay, ginger drink, and the lunch portion of the Yassa Chicken, and got djolof rice and plantains for sides. Very glad I stuck to the lunch portion, because it was very filling. I really like how the marinated peppers and onion acted as a sauce for the chicken, because it enhanced the flavor the chicken already had, and brought together the sides. The ginger drink had a equal amount of the tart ginger flavor and sweetness of the other ingredients within the drink. Everything cost me less than $22 too, which was quite the cherry on top, if you will.

Yassa Senegalese restaurant is highly recommend. They are not that far away from Chicago convention center. We accidentally stumbled across this place looking for a place to eat dinner. Very friendly staff. Off street parking in front of restaurant. Meat, rice and the Fataya is explosion of flavors. Our orders included, Fataya, Combo Yassa Lamb and Chicken, Yassa Chicken. Prices are reasonable and be prepared for a little bit of a wait. They are supper busy and seems like they have a big carry out business also. Next time I am in Chicago will be stop by for a meal.

It's been a decade since I've been to Yassa and I wanted to see if it lived up to the memory I'd built up, so I stoopped off on a late Friday afternoon with a friend to check it out. We started with the Fataya which was absolutely delicious. It was a fried dough pocket filled with a spicy salmon mix with a savory flavor. Definitely the best bite. We also ordered the yassa red snapper filet covered in vegetables and a side of fried plantain. The red snapper was well-cooked and the seasoning was fine, however it didn't have the lemony-garlic flavor I was hoping for so slightly disappointing. The veggies on top were not cooked down as much as I like, but the plantain was perfect! They were a fried sweet bite that were perfectly done. Worst part of the meal was service. The young lady serving us was very inattentive, hard to flag down, and absentminded. Overall, okay experience. I'd come back to order the fataya to-go.

Service is slow but well worth the wait!!! I had the Yassa Lamb this time!!! So flavorful!!! I have also tried the Yassa fish!!! Also amazing. The Nem "egg rolls" stuffed with ground beef, shrimp, and chicken are some of the best I've ever eaten! The salmon patties in the puff pastry are a must have!!!! And the sauce that goes with it is fyah!!! The juices are great pallet cleansers as well!!

I finally tried tis restaurant. The food was very delicious. It was a great experience. I will definitely return.

Authentic and flavorful African food, at this local gem on the Southside. Delicious food, with a friendly and familiar atmosphere. This is a must-visit place when craving specific African delicacies. My favorite AFRICAN restaurant. Food is authentic Senegalese and you can taste the love in it. African soul food at it's best. My favorites are the fataya and Curry Chicken. Everything was just so flavorful! The service was okay, but we did wait a good minute for our food. The wait was well worth it, but be prepared to wait sometime for your entrees.

Listen! I lived in Chicago for 7 years and this was one of my favorite restaurants outside of Pearl's on the Southside! If you want authentic, flavorful African food this is your place! My favorite dish is the Yassa Lamb with the onion sauce along with cabbage and jollof rice! I took my husband here on our visit to Chicago and he loved the food. This place does not disappoint! I wish they had locations all over the U.S.

I've been here several times and the food and service can be hit or miss. My personal favorite dish is the Yassa Chicken, which I typically order with Aloco and Jollof rice. Last time I went, the place was empty, but my friend and I waited for close to thirty minutes for food that didn't seem like it was freshly made. When the service and food all come together at a high level, this place is great, but unfortunately both the food/service is inconsistent. The place is great value in terms of pricing.

Amazing food and drinks and such a nice homey atmosphere. Makes you feel all good inside just make sure you don't wear light colored clothes when you dig in Yummmm

We love exploring the amazing food in our city and having never tried the cuisine of the Senegal people. What a great place to try out! Four of us went and we each tried something different. Everyone was extremely impressed. My Yassa Shrimp will definitely go down as one of my favorite ever meals. Very casual in appearance this restaurant overwhelms with the flavors of Senegal. The service was attentive and we were informed of the meal taking time to be prepared. It was so worth the wait! We believe we were welcomed by the owner at some point in our evening. The most stunning woman in what I'm assuming was a traditional African dress approached us warmly and welcomed us to Yassa. We felt the LOVE through the people and the food and will definitely return. I hear they play music. on certain Saturdays so that is when I hope to go again.

The food is all so good! I tried the lambchop entree, chicken stew, fish, fataya. Friendly service. Thanks Yassa!

I can't even explain how hooked I am on African food after my very first meal there . We had the curry chicken curry shrimp Yassa chicken . Nem and the fresh ginger pineapple juice

I don't eat meat now, and unfortunately, they don't have a large variety of vegan-friendly options. However, I used to order fish and chicken dinners frequently without disappointment! If you like a good grilled or fried fish whole - it's a must-try. I don't know what they do to that olive and onion mixture, but it is divine!

Food is amazing. We always get take out and the food is consistently delicious. Definitely on our radar to visit in person!

I'm not sure I like how African restaurants perpetuate the oft held misconception of too many Americans that Africa is a single ethnic group and a small nation instead of a vast and diverse continent. However I can guess why they might think they have to do this. I believe this is a Senegalese place, and as such, it's pretty good. Since Senegal is a Muslim country, I suppose it's a safe guess that this is Halal. Chicken Yassa is from Southern Senegal originally though I know Nigerians like it too. Maffe and Thio curry dishes are their best, though the Yassa fish is very good too. Service is slow, but friendly. I've been in cleaner places. Don't be misled by wayward reviews, this is not a Mexican place and there are no "empanadas." They do have a somewhat similar looking appetizer that's a Senegalese street food called, Fataya. Yassa is the base of whatever else is in the fried pastry, so it really doesn't taste like an empanada, don't expect it to. Senegal is in Western SubSaharan Africa but I understand why your palate might think you're eating Caribbean food (another lost review). Forced migration during the TransAtlantic Slave Trade decades resulted in all sorts of skilled workers ending up in the New World and they brought with them cuisine, religion, and music which was a powerful and lasting influence. Senegalese dishes are the not so distant cousins of American Soul Food, and Creole-Cajun cuisine as well.

Amazing fresh cooked food ! Not far from city center. Impressed with the speed & service!

The food wasn't great. I was hoping for better because we eat Senegalese food often. Service was ok had to ask for our drinks 2 times

I never ate in but i got it togo on grubhub they're jollof rice and Fufu was amazing. Didn't care so much for the cabbage but overall it was good

It's been a few years since I visited Yassa. I used to go regularly when they were on 79th St. Anyway, I wanted to try fufu. I posted for referrals, and someone mentioned Yassa. Since I was already familiar with the food we went. I asked for a recommendation for the fufu. The waiter recommended the green stew. We didn't like it to much, but they were accommodating when changing it to the lamb stew. That was much better in my opinion. Seasoned very will. We also got the Dibbi Lamb, which was always my favorite when I used to come. Had a side of cous cous and jollof rice. Oh, I also ordered a side of plantains which go well with the lamb and cous cous, I hope I'm spelling that right. Overall, it was a good food experience. Will definitely go again.

I love going to this place for my Caribbean food fix, very good flavor and seasoning to the food, I have enjoyed many things on the menu. The people are warm and welcoming, I enjoy it most when I sit in and eat my food. I would have gave it 5 Stars but my last visit was underwhelming, a lady was there serving and she didn't give me much food and lacked the friendly service I'm used to. But I definitely recommend you check this place out.

Great selection and large portions! The jollof rice can sometimes have a burnt flavor but not a deal breaker. I would recommend going with a combination platter with Yassa Lamb and Dibi Chicken - you cant go wrong! Other favorites are Thiou Curry With Lamb or Chicken. Happy eating!

They do not care about ambiance here but the food is good and that's what matters most I suppose. In a way I felt like I came to a neighbor's house for dinner. That neighbor is very familiar with you and doesn't feel the need to impress you with their decor or presentation. My friend from London was in town and had never had Senegalese food before so I decided to introduce her. I settled on this location for the cuisine out of convenience and decent reviews. I have to say, though the food was good, it did give me the full Senegalese vibes that I was accustomed to. Some of the preparations, especially the fataya were not up to par. They seemed more like something I'd get from a cheap Chinese restaurant and they were almost all fried dough with no filling. Just take it off the menu you if you are aren't going to put anything into it. The thiebou djen that attracted me to the restaurant was good. The jollof was a bit more tomato flavored than I'm used to but it wasn't bad nevertheless. My friend had the yassa and it too was pretty good. I'd come back for the food and maybe just take it to go.

I'd really urge the staff to work on their attitude when dealing with customers. It takes nothing to actively listen to the customer. Nobody wants to make a bad review but this is the 2nd experience I've had that reflects that. They charge a card fee even when you pay for cash. That is too greedy for me to wrap my head around and the staff was so unaccommodating/pretending like they couldn't fix the issue. A few dollars in fees should not be put over community members feeling this way. Especially when they sought out to support a small business...very disappointed. Also the Thiou Curry Stew should not be that salty ever. Time and time again. That takes away from the flavor and the patron shouldn't just have to bare through it

I'm new to Senegalese food and had no idea what to expect. Yassa is a friend's favorite place, and I'm glad that he shared it with us. They have a fairly simple menu. Mainly lamb, chicken and fish. I had the lamb curry stew and it was amazing. There is an assortment of sides to choose from and I enjoyed the plantains and red rice. The servings are generous and the prices are reasonable. They used to have BYOB, but no longer. They serve water or juice. Simple and flavorful.