Darou Salam

I have had lots of food from all over the world, and Senegalese food, especially here is beyond excellent! We got two dishes: 1. Yassa guinar- fried chicken with onion and rice. Solid and big chicken pieces, a little oily and ginourmous to handle, but it's well flavored and a lot! The onions are like nothing I've ever tasted. Savory, mysterious. The rice is maybe more like millet, as it was soft. But again the spices are so special and comforting. 2. Maffe. The menu said meat and peanut butter. Okay, worth a try. AMAZING doesn't do it justice. I've had satay, thai, other African cuisines with different ground nuts, and nothing is comparable. I wasn't that hungry, and I kept eating it. With the rice, spoonfuls, whatever. Seriously, if you like even peanut adjacent dishes, this is worth a try. Big portions as well. People super nice, and definitely a regular clientele. Gem in Northside!

The outdoor seating area is very peaceful. You can sit under their covered area or out under the trees. When I tell you the Mafè was the BEST I had ever had. My word it was tasty. My husband took my leftovers instead of eating his own because he loved it so much. We will definitely return when we have business in Cincinnati again.

Dropped by for lunch while in the area and was very impressed by this hole in the wall spot. we ordered the lanb and the fish dish. The flavors were very unique and unlike any dishes we have tried before. The jollof rice is exquisitely seasoned and the rice is an interesting texture, each grain is a lot smaller and firmer than basmati rice and almost feels like bulgur grains. The sauces were very savory and complex. the lamb was perfectly barbecued and brisket-like. Also got a smoothie and a hibiscus drink, both very interesting and complex flavors, hints of orange blossom and a starchy potato (taro? yukka?) in the smoothie and the hibiscus was extremely different than the hibiscus tea drinks commonly sold. We dined in and had come in around 1 PM, half an hour after opening. the restraint was quiet and there was just one person there getting a pick up order. The chairs were all pulled on to the table and there was no one dining in, but we got our food at the counter and then pulled out chairs to sit. No other diners came in during the lunch hour, so it was quiet and we had the place to ourselves. The food was served in to go boxes even though we were dining in, seems as if most of the lunch customers are take out orders (there were several pick ups while we were in store). There is also some very cute cozy seating in the front yard of the restaurant, it was too cold when we came to sit outside unfortunately. definitely would recommend, this is a hidden gem.

Best and most authentic African you will find in cincy. I took my friend from Atlanta and she said she can’t find better out there! I typically get the lamb 10/10 under the name (Ashley) and i get the fish 20/10 with extra peppers. Sooooo good and so seasoned so well it’s unbelievable. Great customer service! I’ve tried other African restaurants and they don’t compare! They taste like an American dish. This is the best African food you will find!

I was a visitor from Michigan looking for a authentic west African restaurant to take our youth mentoring program. I wanted them to have an experience eating outside of their norm. They loved it! We had a very large order, and the gentleman working was very accommodating. I have had food from other countries in west African, and I was highly impressed by the cuisine. The restaurant was small, but we ate outside and all was well. :) thanks again for accommodating our group.