Very frustrating experience especially based on the current reviews (previous to mine). So I took my time and drove to this location as I am a fan of African Cuisine, however upon entering this establishment, disappointment awaited me from the outset, I was in the mood for African inspired soup with the spiciness however I called in advance and was advised that the only soup bases that were readily available were either the simple soup base (comprised of tomato soup as the base) or the peanut soup base as the other soup base which is (palm oil base) isn't as readily available as based on popularity. Once I get there, I asked the nice young lady if I could have a small sampling of the peanut soup as I am not a personal fan of tomato soup bases and she quickly dismissed me and advised that they were limited in their availability and wouldn't be able to provide me a small teaspoon courtesy sampling. And.... I can ensure you I asked for a small teaspoon as that would have been all I needed to make a quick decision however she insisted that this wouldn't be an option for me under no circumstance. With that having been said she did offer me the okra based soup which she attested to and I quickly opted for but... Emma (that is the name she gave me for herself) came back out of the kitchen and advised me that  they were out of that as well. With all that having been said, I had no choice but to opt for their peanut based soup. I asked for the peanut based soup as a takeout with the fufu. That's when Emma advised that they were out of the fufu, but would have it ready in ten minutes if i wanted to wait. I agreed reluctantly because I opted for a replacement to the fufu based on their menu for the pounded yam but yet again that wasn't readily available. At this point I am aggravated with the level of availability and accommodation to taste what they advised they had readily available. In addition to this the young lady (Emma) told me that they only accepted cash however upon entering the restaurants establishment it clearly says that they accept several different  credit cards for payment. I asked Emma at the time of payment why she advised cash only when their door clearly advertises that they do accept additional forms of payment and that is when Emma decided to disclose to me that they do accept the additional forms of payment if the order is $20.00 and over. Ahhah!!!!,  why not disclose this from the outset? Customer Service is everything and surely this matters as its a form of communication that needs to be disclosed from the outset especially if asked. Emma further advised me that had I called in advance and placed an order for exactly what I wanted they would have made it for me since African Cuisine takes so much time to prepare. Whoo Hoo, was I supposed to know that from the outset? Good to know now, yes, of course. Am I happy about that? Heck No. I have been to far better African Cuisine restaurants to give them my money one more time. But nice that you offer the opportunity to reinvest my time and hard earned dollars into this unprepared establishment.  In addition they aren't willing to offer you a sampling of soup, come on, It's tough out here step up to the plate and stand up for your establishment to garner more customers and increase your ratings. Onto the food, my soup came in a large quart sized container, was filled 3/4 of the way, included a hunk of boned meat of some sort, lacked in soup broth and didn't stand out in the least bit, all for the cost of $12.00. The decor was ok, the bar stocked some basic wine and beer of which I wasn't interested in and won't be going back. If you ever want true African Fare go to this place which I am sorry I never reviewed but will now since I have had such a subpar experience here to compare it to. Go to African American Best Food @ 410 Lenox Avenue 130th and 131st street (place in upper Harlem), contact phone number @ 212-690-8052, the food is exceptional compared to this place, healthy fresh and you can get small samplings on some items before making a final decision on your actual order.
Review Source:Tasty pan African cuisine in a cute decor with a full bar and great value pricing!
My new favorite NYC African restaurant....
Would recommend as destination( if you love good African cuisine) and as neighborhood joint if you need a nice place to hang and eat in Jamaica...
So like other yelpers  I came here on jury duty lunch break although in my quest for great ethnic cuisines of New York I have been meaning to check this joint out for awhile. First unlike the many dive hole in the wall places around Jamaica, this place is cute although tiny. Again unlike most of the African restaurants in the city this place is trying to cultivate some native decor with style. The food is a mix from Ghana,Nigeria and Senegal which covers a wide range of flavors and preparation. It's almost like a one stop tour of some major continent cuisine. Since it was only me dining , I did not get the tour just some plantain fufu with okra stew. The fufu was among the best I have ever had, silky smooth with enough salt to not make it tasteless mash with enough form to eat with the hand if desired but soft enough to eat with fork too. The okra stew was studded with mild spice and tender pork and beef pieces with a hint of dryed or smoked meats throughout. I did not get much chicken or goat although all are in the stew. For 12 dollars I was stuffed with half my stew and fufu and very satisfied.They also have 8 dollar lunch specials which are some of their stews served with rice instead of fufu.
Service was adequate. Seemed to be a change of shift so I had three different people wait on me. The first women who took my order was very limited English so there was a slow back and forth until she understood my questions on the menu. The other ladies no issues on the English front and everyone was fairly nice. I was impressed that prior to serving me the fufu,typically eaten with the hands, they brought a bowl of water with soap to clean the hands prior. Classy. None of the other NYC places that serve fufu have ever done that....
I will defiantly be returning...with a <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Frestaurant.com&s=c5fe485af4df376130bee54f875814d79c4d7913e1258123b1206d2bdbf4873b" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://restaurant.com</a> coupon and some friends so I can sample cuisine from the allover the continent....and their cocktails!
They seem to try and be a music lounge at night with live music....not sure where they fit the acts....so might check that out as well....
It's super easy to get to as its a few blocks from the Jamaica LIRR, multiple buses and subway lines...
I, like other reviewers, looked here in the context of being on jury duty
I've certainly had worse food, but it wasn't worth it
I had what the waitress (with her extremely limited english) told me was the most recommended/popular item - jolla rice and spinach stew (?)
I proceeded to get a mountain of pretty good rice, a small bowl with some stew which was mostly just big pieces of fat and bone - virtually no protein or meat of any sort at all
I virtually had to ask to even get silverware - it seems like the waitress is also the chef?
the flavor wasn't bad, but they don't really have water other than bottled water and the above cost $10 which seems pretty steep for what it is
i won;t be going back and I recommend fellow jurors who must shlep out to, effectively, Long Island, for their "Queens" jury duty to avoid this one unless you speak... creole?
Got here at around 10pm on a saturday and was surprised that i could get fresh cooked food at this hour. Â The place is a bit small but feels very relaxed and cozy. Â There was just one young girl working the bar and as a waitress but she was really nice and helpful even though she messed up my order. Â She checked on me a few times to see if I liked the food and I did. Â I had the chicken with there special rice and salad. Â The salad was extremely tasty. Â The rice and chicken were also good. Â I also had an order of white wine and was a bit surprised that it costs $8 since the meal alone was just $10. Â I would definately come back to this place. Â I'm looking forward to trying other dishes here, I really enjoyed the spices and flavors that I'm not accustomed to. Â This place also has a pool table in the middle so its a good spot to just hang out and watch sports.
Review Source:This place was great! I was on jury duty so I searched for something nearby on yelp (it never fails).
I assumed the place would be crowded but when I got there at 1pm, I was the only one there. Â However, they did have multiple boxes filled with bags of food. Â The woman working there said they mostly do deliveries (there must have been 40 or 50 bags of food prepared). Â The restaurant looked very clean and they had two flat screen tvs playing a soap opera on BET, which was fun since I was by myself. Â I ordered the jollof rice with fish (she said the fish was the special that day). Â It was fantastic! Â I never had a jollof rice dish before. Â It consisted of very flavorful rice, eggplant, some sort of rich spicy sauce, some plantains, some sort of crunchier grain, and the fish. Â It was so hearty and filling! I also had a ginger root drink which was really tasty!
The woman working there was really friendly and told me she was from Ghana but the food they serve was from multiple countries in west Africa.
If I am ever stuck in jury duty again, I would definitely go back (or maybe take a ride out there before then)!
Fufu and Vegetarian Plantain Dish were great in this little gem in Queens. I like eating with my hands and will jump on any opportunity to do so - well fufu is traditionally eaten with your carefully cleaned fingers. A great joy. Portions outperformed our hungry expectations by far and we took doggy bags that'll keep us munching for a while. The charming chef personally suggested her favorite dishes and prepared at top speed. Please try homemade ginger and hibiscus beverages.
Review Source:This place has a great ambiance, great lounge area, nice bar, and great staff. However, being a fan and also a great cook of African food, this place is just mediocre. Me and my boyfriend both got the fish and joloff rice. My boyfriend absolutely hated it, to me it was OKAY... nothing special, but definitely nothing that would bring me back. Not only was the food mediocre, it was very expensive for a Jamaica based African restaurant. I heard they have some nice dance nights here so I might check it out, but I'm pretty much done with the food.
Review Source:This place is the shiznot (is that really a word?). Â Okay it's the bomb! Do you feel me? Â Okay it's superb. Â Now you got it. Â I went here on Valentine's day and wasn't disappointed with my choice of date nor the restaurant. Â First off, what restaurant have you ever been to where the chef personally comes out to greet you and asks you what you feel like eating tonight? Â NONE
Try the roasted eggplant with couscous and home made ginger beer or try what my date had the fried turkey which he said is to die for. Â We had dessert on the house which was crepes with strawberries.
Run there!
Only disappointment:
We had to purchase bottled water $3 (no tap water available)
This was another stop on my jury-duty lunch tour of Jamaica.
I was the only customer on a Thursday afternoon, so sat at a table in the back corner. As is common in these situations, my options were limited by my vegetarian diet-- I settled on a plate of jollof rice with spinach and plantains. My server talked me out of trying the kenkey and banku, although I'd like to at some point, and talked me into a house-made juice (I forget what kind).
The food was hearty and filling-- a satisfying lunch. I didn't find it particularly exciting, but again, meat-eaters will probably have more fun with this cuisine.
The chef whipped me up a fruit crepe with whipped cream for dessert, which was solid. He also asked how my food was, which was a nice touch.
The single large TV was playing Judge Alex, which was fine for a lonely jury duty lunch but probably not if you come with a companion. There's a pool table in the middle of the room, and a lounge downstairs-- I'm told it gets busier at nights and on the weekends.
My server was super-sweet, is the thing. She even sat down and talked with me while waiting for food to come out, as we were the only ones in the place for the most part.
So, all-in-all a good experience. I'd come back here and try some of the Ghanaian starch foods next time, and I'm sure carinvores would have a day of it.
I was so happy when this place opened near me....It was a welcome break from the usual restaurants in the area. Â The food is great! Â The atmosphere is casually elegant and it is a good idea for a first date...not to stuffy but nice enough and comfortable to talk. Â The price point is very affordable.
I hope that it sticks around for a while.
Update 2012...Mataheko has disappointed...called to ask question about service times...the girl answering was rude...giggling and then hung up...With the change in menu items...I have to say Mataheko was a promise never fulfilled. Â Rating change 4 stars to 2 stars
My boyfriend( who is Ghanaian) and I discovered this restaurant about a week ago, and we have been back at least 3 times already! Mataheko, named after a place in Ghana and translates to "Let me sit somewhere", serves authentic west African cuisine, and the food is amazing! Apparently they've only been open for a few weeks, which explains why they don't really have a huge following yet. The decor of the restaurant is contemporary with hints of African flair, which makes it a cute date spot if you live in Queens.
Here are some of the dishes that we've tried:
Waachye with Chicken - Stewed rice and black eye peas with chicken, This was delicious!
Jollof Rice with Chicken, Jollof Rice with Beef - Both were great, although I preferred the chicken.
Omo Tuo w/ Peanut Butter soup and beef - Round rice ball with peanut butter soup. - Very tasty.
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