La Braise African Grill - Springfield — Restaurant in Springfield

EXTREMELY SLOW - Don't eat here if you are already hungry, in a rush, or have somewhere you have to be afterwards.

Based on other reviews that said that they were slow and that you should order ahead even if you dine-in, I called an order in at 4:45 on a Friday for a soup to dine-in and a grilled chicken to go, and was told it would be 45 minutes. I arrived after 30 min and they said the soup was ready and the chicken was not, which was fine, though it took another 15 min for the soup to be brought to the table after that. After an hour, the chicken was still not ready and they had no estimate on when it would be ready. When I told them I had to go, they said that they hadn't started the soup until I walked in and that there were a lot of other orders in front of me; I get the impression that they just put the chicken on the grill at around the 1-hour mark after I ordered it. The restaurant was empty and only 1 other person showed up to pick up a small order while I was there, so I can only imagine how much slower it would be during prime dinner hour. The soup was very flavorful and tasty, though very spicy - they may want to mention in the menu description that it's spicy. The description also says it is cooked with vegetables, but the veggies are pureed, and it's more like chicken in an orange soup broth. I suspect the grilled chicken is delicious, but I didn't get to eat it and had to leave to go to a meeting without the dinner I had planned to have ready for my family. They have multiple signs up in the restaurant telling delivery drivers and customers "DO NOT RUSH US!!" so I suspect that you just need to go in ready to spend a lot of...

From the outside, the restaurant looks very low-key and unnoticeable. I have been looking forward to experiencing authentic African dishes for a long time and couldn't find one yet. Luckily, this location showed up on my Google Maps when we were ready for lunch in a nearby area. The space is tiny and fits only 3 tables. We ordered quite a lot for 3 girls and all the dishes came out distinctive, even the sauces (red is tomato taste & green is chili spicy) which we got so addicted to that mixed them in every single thing. However and frankly, we waited likely 1 hour for the food and I still gave it MAX stars because the food soothed us heavenly and made it all up. The waiter was nice and the chef lady was friendly and communicative. She suggested calling ahead for food pre-ordering then coming to enjoy with a short wait. So you gotta be ready to stay excessively patient if you walk-in. Only 1 chef and food is made fresh when an order is placed. Regardless of whether you are a fan of African food, you should give this place a shot. It's...

I heard about this restaurant from my coworkers and I must admit what a hidden gem. I ordered the half grilled chicken (spicy) and was instantly moved by the taste and quality of the meal. The owner Karen is very friendly and welcoming. I was forewarned that it takes time to prepare the meal so I called ahead with a set pick up time. She made the meal fresh, upon order and the wait was well worth it. At first I underestimated the spice level but it is to perfection

The chicken was tender and tasty to say the least. I will be a regular returning weekly customer and attempt to try other items on the menu. Nothing against chain restaurants but when you discover hidden mom n pop gems like this, I try to support small family owned businesses as much as I can. The owner, Karen's dedication and effort is consistent in each and every order.

I wish you were open earlier on Sunday, nonetheless I will support you on Tuesday or Wednesday as much as I can. Keep up the excellent quality and service. 10 starts...