Diarra's Cuisine

Had a chicken dish and it was great. Service was also good. The owner came out and we chat about the place and soccer. Great atmosphere. Thanks.

After trying Jiallo's on the north west side, and Major Restaurant on the far west side, and truly enjoying our African culinary adventure, we decided to try Diarra's, just around the corner from home.

Its a little tough to find, on the SW corner of 71st/Michigan, behind Dairy Queen. We walked in to the very unassuming little shop. It was a bit on the chilly side, and empty. Even the owner (I assume that was him) wasnt in the dining room, but the chimes at the door brought him out in a few seconds.

We asked what to order, as we're not familiar with Senegalese fare, and it sounded like not everything on the menu was in stock. But that was ok. He recommended the Debe, which is grilled lamb, and the grilled chicken. Both came with rice (although the Moroccan couscous which sounded good was all sold out already). We wanted to try an appetizer, but it seemed that they were out of that too. No worries, we'd read online that they have limited product on any given day, so this was not a surprise.

We waited maybe 20 minutes for our meal to be prepared. Once it arrived, we were hungry and ready! The flavors were bright and rather complex, but came together so well. The lamb was well done, and had a delicious crust. There were a few bones, but it just proved that it was the rib tips that was used. A pretty large pile of meat sat next to a much larger pile of rice. The rice seemed plain at first, and it was, but pour on the bowl of fresh onion sauce, and you have a flavorful dish that made every bite a delight! My wife had the chicken, and was brought 2 quarters of a chicken, although I wasnt sure if it was 2 leg quarters, or if it was in fact, half a chicken. Either way, it was also delicious. The rub on the chicken seeped all the way down to the bone, making every bite full of flavor.

Each dish was $10, as are all the meals for both lunch and dinner. We were in and out in about an hour, and thoroughly enjoyed our dinner tonight. One star was deducted because there really wasnt anything remarkable about the service or the decor, and the menu, while nice, didnt allow us to try what we wanted. I'd hope that next time we would have other options since we enjoyed tonight's so much. The food however is 5 stars all the way.

Senegalese cuisine was among the first African food I've ever tasted besides Nigerian food. Early in the beginning of the new millennium, I was exposed to delicious Senegalese dishes by folk from Senegal who hosted festivals in my old neighborhood at a place called Touba Cafe; and sometimes I would be invited to eat at someone's home. This is how I was exposed to Yassa (Chicken in an onion sauce served with rice) and Mafe (a peanut butter and tomato sauce originally from Mali) as well as many other tasty sauces served with couscous and their famous Bisap (Hibiscus) juice.

Being exposed to delicious home cooked Senegalese food I know good authentic food when I taste it; and I must say that Maymuna (the owner and chef) cooks very tasty, authentic Senegalese food as well as dishes from Mali and Guinea. If you don't mind sweating and or the smell of herbs and spices come and enjoy some of the best food from West Africa. Even if your butt burns in the morning the next day, it's well worth it! Haha... Come out and enjoy this little gem on the Northwest side of town.