Toham African Restaurant

out of business

I am vastly disappointed with this restaurant. As a person who just loves good food, I never minded the undecorated dining tables and chairs and empty walls. Of course, Toham's current décor and dining atmosphere is a far cry from that. Their bopping African pop and leather sofa makes the restaurant feel more warm and lively.

But due to some shady business transactions, I've decided that I will NEVER go back to the restaurant again. Instead of putting fish in my egusi-fufu dish as requested, the male attendant gave me an "assortment of meat" which consisted of one pig feet (all skin and bone, no meat), 2 beef ribs, and some mystery meat. The jollof rice was dry and bland to the taste as if it has been sitting in the fridge too long. When asked for the bill, the owner (who did not take our order) gave us a rough estimate of $26 even though we ordered two dishes (8.50 each). When asked why the bill was so high, the owner confused us both with a lengthy explanation. Apparently, my "assortment" of meat called for $10 for each meat and the plantains that were brought out to us, were not part of the deal; that they were "merely on the pictures for decorations" and would cost us an additional $2 for each plate.  I kindly explained to her that all I did was point to two pictures from the menu and read the name of the dish as I do at most restaurants.  I had to sweet talk her into shaving $5 off our original bill, which she did hesitantly while giving us the impression that she did us a huge favor.

But that was not the end of it all. I had to order some takeout for the family too so I asked the owner to educate me on all the possible dishes that I would order. I ended up ordering a goat meat dish and the egusi-fufu again "with fish." Guess what? When I came home, no fish, and goat meat was a sad collection of two goat pieces and two pig feet.  What a sham! I did not expect this type of idiocy from the owner. We were such good customers throughout, the least she could've done for us was get the order right.

It always amuses me to see how people pan West African restaurants -- the complaints are always quite similar.  West African food (Ghanian and Nigerian is the most available in Chicago) can be amazing and delicious, and going out for it can be really fun, but I think you have to know what to expect.  

The first thing: don't expect American-style service, and know that the food will take a while.  In West Africa, people take things slower, so relax, enjoy the company of your dining companion (bring two six packs instead of one), and don't be afraid to flag down your server if you need something.

As a former Peace Corps volunteer in West Africa, I've tried a number of  West African restaurants in Chicago, and Toham is my favorite.  Their pounded yam is excellent, and their spinich sauce is spicy and flavorful.  They also do their meat really well - it's always been tender.  Their jollof rice is also great, and perhaps a good choice for those who aren't ready to dive into Nigerian food.