African Grill & Bar

Reviews 4

BR

Brian Hartz

Casting about to find dinner options close to our Tower Road hotel, I was disappointed to find mostly a boring array of chain restaurants in the area - so imagine my surprise and delight to find the African Grill and Bar. Being unfamiliar with West African food, I didnt know if Id like it, but at least it would be something different! Thankfully, my traveling companion was game to try it, too, and we were both glad we did. Once we entered this cozy cafe within an unassuming strip mall, we were greeted by our host Osei, a man so charming and enthusiastic that he probably could have sold me a used car, let alone some tasty cuisine from the largest continent on Earth thats still a mystery to most Americans. He patiently took us on a tour of the menu, knowing wed be unfamiliar with most of the offerings. We settled on a sampler plate for two that would give us our own chance to explore the offerings. We were not disappointed. We began with the groundnut (peanut) soup, with goat, chicken, and fufu, a sticky starch thats made from plantains and meant for grabbing and dipping with your hands. The soup was undoubtedly the highlight of the meal - its peanut flavor was intensely rich, the meat tender and succulent. (You can also choose from lamb, beef, and oxtail for most of the soups.) The only thing we didnt care for was the fufu - thats no insult to the chef; we just werent a fan of the dish itself, which was a bit bland compared to the sweet and savory soup. Next, our chef Adwoa brought out the rest of our platter, which we devoured with abandon. Earthy spiced rice with beans and carrots and some delicious steamed spinach with dense African bread provided great veggie options. (The bread was also perfect for sopping up the rest of that amazing groundnut soup.) In addition, we were surprised to find samosas on our plate - they were very similar in most ways to the Indian samosas I know and love, but stuffed instead with a subtly spiced ground beef that made for a very different and definitely delicious dumpling. Finally, we received a dessert of a bit of spicy sweet bread, whose name I unfortunately dont know, but reminded me very much of a zucchini bread or something similar. It was the perfect way to round out a new experience. The African Grill & Bar is clearly a family affair and a labor of love, and lovers of food of all kinds will find something to appreciate here, along with a truly welcoming atmosphere. The dining area was equipped with a stage and sound system, so Im guessing that they even feature live music sometimes, which will only enhance their appeal. I look forward to my next visit to Denver so we can get started on the rest of the menu.

A

A Private User

We went to the African Grill last night on a whim. We wanted to try something new and saw the great reviews, so we headed over there wondering what we would find. The restaurant was casual but nice enough to dine in although there was an odd fishy smell when you walked in. But, nonetheless, this was not like New China Cafe or the Jerusalem Restaurant...where you definitely only want to order carry-out or delivery. The restaurant is owned and run by a very friendly and lively young couple. The husband greeted us and led us to our seats. He then went through every item on the menu with great detail because we told him we had little experience with African cuisine. They are from Ghana so a lot of the food is influenced by that, but they also have items on the menu from other countries and regions in Africa. We tried the chicken wings and moimoi for an appetizer and they were both really good! The chicken wings (surprisingly) are a must-have order....the breading is light (kind of dusted in stead of the dense thick style of American fried chicken) with a nice salty flavor. The chicken wings came with two interesting but tasty sauces...a tomato-y sauce and a ginger sauce. The moimoi was in a tubular shape and seemed like cornmeal and chicken with some zesty, spicy flavor. It was also really good! The guys both ordered the jollof rice with a meat...one guy got chicken the other got goat meat. They both really liked their meals. I ordered the omu tuo (peanut butter soup with a rice ball and chicken). The soup was really good. The texture of the rice kind of weirded me out. The chicken was very tender and tasty. After our meal was complete, the cook (I presume the mans wife) came out and asked how we liked our meal. She was so sweet and we talked to her for awhile. Then, she came back out and gave us some banana bread and a donut on the house. She mentioned before how they cook with very minimal sugar, so the desserts were not the best, but it was such a sweet gesture. Personally, I would skip ordering dessert. All in all, it was a great experience....trying new cuisine, supporting a family-owned business, interacting with the incredibly friendly and kind owners, and eating delicious food! I definitely recommend the African Grill.

JO

john owens

Notnonly was this place insanely expensive. ($22 for some overcooked goat and onions) but it had Absolutely horrible service. It was non existent. We were not helped for 5 minutes then sat down and not spoken to again for another 5 or so minutes. We placed our orders with the mom/wife/chef who was very rude and refused to serve us chicken and called us racist. She demanded we try her fried beef. So we did so in fear of retribution on our families for generations to come. I ordered goat and it was overcooked and gross, the plantains were bland and soggy. The rice was good tho. The other people i was with ordered fish and the magic meat pockets. The meat pockets were disgusting i wouldnt feed them to my dog. We were not served water until after our food came out which took 25 minutes. The restaurant wasnt busy so i dont know what took so long. We got up to pay after not having our bill brought to us and had to wait another 5 minutes to get to the counter only to be told that we had to wait for our check. BUT WAIT THERES MORE!! When we paid with cash we were given the incorrect change and told that the registers were short and that they needed to give us their personal money. They pulled money out of their purse for our change. I think i saw a dog hanging in the back behind the curtain where they check you out. They were being very secretive about it. Very strange. This was a major letdown. Dont let these paid reviews fool you this place is BAD! Not the african food i grew up loving. This is a real review written at 10:01 pm on 2/24/17.

LO

Lorna Gates

First visit / take-out ; opted for the "Table for One" from the menu. It was a full course meal with a choice of chicken or beef for the meat and also the samosa, okra or spinach for the vegetable and several rice variety. Fried plantains were included with the meal. I chose beef for both the meat & samosa, okra and the jolloff rice. The menu price was $20 but I was informed it was $25 for take-outs (Bill total was $27.03). Overall, it WAS delicious and my only comment would be the jolloff rice. Though it was tasty, it was a bit dry. The okra side dish, samosa and the plantains were really good! The sauce they provided, which I assumed was some sort of sauce/gravy for the beef helped with flavoring it. One thing I was expecting was the food being spicy. The food was NOT spicy at all. My fault and not theirs for I should have requested my order to be spicy. Went on a Saturday night and there was live musical entertainment. The place was not crowded but it was still early evening. Though it is marketed as a Bar and Grill, the place was more like a restaurant/ family bar. Ambiance and crowd might contribute to bar feel at a later time. Parking is free and availability wont be a problem. I will definitely be back to try other dishes and will be sure to let them know to make my order spicy.