Sante Yallah African Restaurant (Keur Aisha Restaurant CORP.) — Restaurant in New York

Review for Santé Yallan African Food Restaurant – ⭐ 0/5

This was only my second time trying African food, and I was excited to share the experience with two of my African friends. Sadly, our visit to Santé Yallan was a major letdown on multiple levels.

From the moment we walked in and seated ourselves, we noticed immediate red flags. Workers behind the counter had their pants sagging so low their underwear was fully exposed—on the food line. That’s not just unprofessional, it’s unsanitary. To make matters worse, the staff were laughing, playing, and horsing around like kids while the restaurant itself was filthy. Tables were dirty, old food and trash were scattered across the floor, and flies were visibly flying around. If they have time to play, they have time to clean.

It took about 45 minutes for our food—fish and lamb—to be prepared. While waiting, my friend politely asked about the order. The person we assumed to be the manager rolled his eyes and gave a rude, immature “It’s coming” response. Totally unnecessary and disrespectful.

Before eating, we all went to wash our hands—an important part of African culture when eating traditional meals. The bathroom, however, was disgusting: no soap, a soaking wet floor, no paper towels, and the toilet tissue was also wet. The lack of cleanliness was shocking.

When the food finally arrived, it was just okay, definitely not worth a 45-minute wait. The lamb lacked seasoning and should have been marinated longer. I didn’t try the fish because it was tilapia, but my friends said it was bland and had no real flavor.

When I went up to the counter to ask for napkins, the man literally handed me two single sheets of paper towel like they were rationing supplies. I had to explain it was for the whole table before he reluctantly gave me a few more.

After our meal, I went up to ask for a to-go box and just shook my head. This place has a lot of potential, but right now it’s not being taken seriously. The staff is unprofessional, management is dismissive, and the restaurant is not sanitary.

Food should bring people joy, culture, and connection. This experience did the opposite. Based on everything—the service, cleanliness, food quality, and attitude—I have to give 0 stars. This was my second time trying African food, and sadly, it was not a good one.

Santé Yallan, please do better. Your...

This place is so good! The dibi lamb, lamb tomato stew, maffe(peanut butter stew), the jollof rice! I haven’t gotten anything I didn’t like. I have a diverse palate and in my opinion they have flavor and know how to cook! It sucks when you eat out and waste your money and end up regretting it since you wasted your money.. this isn’t one of...

Their customer service is very poor, they charged $12 for the delivery fee and the delivery wait is 3 hours. They don’t care about their customers and don’t apologize at all for any inconveniences. This is definitely the worst African restaurant in New York City, don’t order there even if you don’t have a choice. Also, their quality...