AFRIKA Taste & Lounge — Restaurant in South Euclid

During our recent visit to Afrika, the restaurant's atmosphere caught us off guard. The interior was very quiet and a bit dark, which contrasted with the beautiful artwork and décor. The chairs were charming but felt a bit flimsy for someone of my larger size, affecting my comfort slightly. The restaurant was almost empty, with just one other person dining, contributing to the serene, albeit unusual, ambiance.

We ordered a variety of dishes to get a comprehensive taste of their offerings:

Jollof Rice with Goat Meat: This dish was outstanding, with the goat meat stealing the show. The flavors were rich and satisfying, earning it a solid 9 out of 10. We enjoyed it so much that we ordered an appetizer portion of just the goat meat to take home.

Red Snapper with Plantains: The red snapper was beautifully seasoned and flavorful, meriting a 7 out of 10. However, the sides left something to be desired. The plantain slices were thin, almost bacon-like, and the single slices of cucumber and tomato seemed inadequate.

Egusi with Fufu: This traditional dish was good, but not to my personal taste, I'd rate it a 7 out of 10. My family siblings would rate it an 8/9 out of 10, For someone who enjoys tripe, this rating might be higher.

Additional Orders: We also took home another soup with pounded yam and extra jollof rice, further showcasing our appreciation for the goat meat and the overall quality of the food.

Despite some minor flaws, the food at Afrika was generally well-seasoned and delicious, which is crucial for my palate. The restaurant’s unique atmosphere might be better suited for a different time of day, as it also functions as a lounge and might have a livelier vibe in the evenings.

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5

This rating reflects the mixed experience of an unusual atmosphere and some lackluster sides, balanced by the excellent main dishes. As this was my first experience with African cuisine, I found it a great introduction and would recommend trying it, especially during the day if you're there for the food rather than the...

This rating is on the egusi soup and fufu. It was ordered to go. My 2 star rating has to do with the side order of plantains. I ended up throwing it out because the plantains could have passed for plantain chips, even plantain chips are sweet, but this was hard and bland. Clearly the plantains were not ripe. If your plantains are not ripe, let people know so they have the option to still order or not. I am from Nigeria, so I know what fried plantains should look and taste like. An American who has never had plantains before would have a misrepresentation on what plantains truly taste like. This can't be good for the business The fufu was fine, the equsi soup was actually very tasty, and the meats were very tender, however, I know when equsi soup is drenched with water to maximize its use. The soup was very watery and a turn off. Lastly, does it hurt to smile at your customers? make then feel welcomed with a warm greeting? I did a pick up order and in that short encounter, I can see how the complaints about terrible customer service would be valid. One of the biggest things that attract people to a business is good customer service, that is why chick file is so successful, it's a fast food restaurant just like burger king and McDonald, yet when you go to chick file, their customer service makes you wanna come back. Hopefully these reviews are read by the owners, and they see it as an opportunity to improve instead of seeing it as "haters" because people in actually want an authentic African restaurant in Cleveland. So, will I order from this restaurant again? Yes, only because i have not tried any of their other dishes, and I actually want to see this establishment flourish. Will I order plantains or fufu and equsi soup from here again though? Nope, and If I have the same turn off with their customer service? I definitively...

Edit: returned 4/30/24 to bring some friends, very disappointed. Ordered wings fries and rice for my friend rice and fries were over cooked extremely and still got charged for the fries we returned twice and never did eat. I ordered Asun, originally came out overcooked and not spicy, returned it got another order of it thought it was cool until i noticed they gave me a bunch of bones and then two of the original pieces i complained about being burnt. And my other friends egusi soup had crewy over cooked meat in it. Just a horrible experience, wont be back. The server was nice, but it was also hot as an oven in there for the majority of our visit. Not the experience I expected having been there many times when they first opened. Plus they charged a 20% gratuity automatically and didn't inform us, plus never adjusted our bill for the horrible food. Just takes your money for horrible food.

I love the dish Asun (spicy goat) and the rice. That's all I've tried so far. The cook and bar staff are very nice. The booth tables are very small especially for 2-3 people to eat. Disappointed at the bathrooms, the women's restroom was broken so had to use the men's and they had watered down soap and just was unclean looking. During the pandemic it should never be a shortage of soap especially in a restaurant setting. Guess it just needs room to grow as a new restaurant/lounge experience so going to try to give them a chance. Really hoping on improvement because I love the potential of the place.

Edit: definitely did much better, food was awesome and bathroom was super...