Taste Of Africa - San Diego

We decided to try something different and found a great place to sample a variety of African dishes at a small buffet. The food was delicious and the service was outstanding.

The service was quick and the restaurant had a fast-food atmosphere with loud music. The food was tasty, but I probably wouldn't go out of my way to eat here again. The combination of Chicken curry, eggplant stew, and matote (my choices) wasn't the best. The large pieces of white meat in the curry were a bit dry. There was no alcohol served, but there was a reasonable $1 charge per bottle for bring-your-own.

The food at this restaurant is absolutely amazing, praise be to God.

I 've been ordering to go from this local spot for the past year but it wasn 't until last night when I got the chance to dine in and write this place a proper review. It 's been long overdue. Here we go. Taste of African Cuisine is as hole in the wall as it gets. I 've never seen anything quite like it in the US. RC 's review described it perfectly: the most 'unpretentious ' place I have ever eaten at in recent memory! I thought I had entered an auto repair facility. I 'm totally onboard at this point. The ordering/pickup area is a literal hole in the wall. It 's more like a wide slit, but you get the gist. There 's no menu, so it 's wise to ask the chef what he 's cooking up today. He 's been cooking up the finest Somali recipes for over two and a half decades, so he really knows his stuff. I 'm not even 25 years old, let alone my measly cooking skills. I 'm entrusting my tastebuds to the chef. Life is like a box of chocolates, you know? You never know what you 're gonna get. I go with rice and chicken and my brother and sister opt for rice and fried tilapia. Everything was ready surprisingly fast. Only 5 10 minutes I think. The portions are HUGE. Definitely worth $15 per plate. Plenty of rice and meat to match. The side salad complements the dish with carrots, red onion slices, and lettuce. A cup of boiled potatoes in tomato soup accompanied our dishes as well. The colors are vibrant. The taste is delectable. The chicken is done just how I like it and isn 't overcooked and dry. The fried tilapia wasn 't anything to write home about, but was delicious regardless. We loved it so much, finding leftover food on our plates would have been like trying to find a needle in a haystack. That 's the good news. Now the not so good news: the area around the restaurant looks a bit questionable which might make people queasy. The asphalt is jacked up, the signs on all the businesses are old Taste of African Cuisine went without a sign for I don 't know how long. They just put up a new sign a few months ago, and maneuvering into the parking lot can be tricky. The inside of the restaurant has a faint stale cigarette smoke smell. It reminds me of an inexpensive motel. If you can get past that, then this restaurant is for you. I 'm giving Taste of African Cuisine a solid 5/5 for food and a 3/5 for dine in. Averages out to 4/5. The rice dishes are top notch. There 's no question about that. However, the ambience isn 't everybody 's cup of tea. I have to be honest about that. Colleen, I 'm sorry your first impression of the restaurant drove you away, but give to go a try! The food is a real treat. If you 're down for an adventure, this is the place to be. Colina Park is just around the corner, so take a walk around and see what else City Heights has to offer!

They have the best African dishes. Good customer service and delicious foods Thank you. I'll be back again!