Drelyse African Restaurant
1911 Tamarack Cir, Columbus, OH, 43229
Drelyse African Restaurant Menu
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Visit below restaurant in Columbus for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Columbus for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Columbus for healthy meals suggestion.
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Address :
1911 Tamarack Cir
Columbus, OH, 43229 - Phone (614) 430-3350
- Website https://www.drelyse.com
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :11:00 am - 8:00pm
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : No
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Dinner
Parking : Private Lot
Bike Parking : No
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Quiet
Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only
Outdoor Seating : No
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : Yes
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : No
WE SERVE THE FOLLOWING STATES
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Anna Y.
It's kind of my food philosophy to only eat at exciting and unique places, and I was having difficulties finding an exciting place to eat in Columbus, Ohio -- Columbus being the typical American city. Sure, there were some decent choices, but nothing really stood out to me as really unique, special, and hard to find elsewhere. But then I spotted this place on yelp and thank goodness. There weren't many reviews, but all the reviews were glowing and I had a hunch this could be that hidden gem I was looking for. I lied to my parents and told them that it's only eh, 10 minutes outside of the city center. (Not too far, right?) So we started driving in the direction of this restaurant. It started getting very residential... not in a slummy way, but not exactly the surroundings you'd expect to find a restaurant. This was fine by me, but I could tell my parents were losing their faith in my judgement and I felt a little bad about that... Eventually, we arrived at a little local strip mall at the center of this residential community. The service was exceptional. The waitress kindly explained the menu, how it works, and what sort of flavors we should expect. We ordered the beef peanut butter soup with fufu, which had exactly the type of new zip of flavors I've been yearning for. It's got a tangy, rich, and smoky texture. It's likely to be a new experience for you, as it was for me. West African food is fun, too. You mold little scoops with the fufu and scoop the soup into it. It reminded me of making and eating peanut butter play dough when I was a little toddler. It was also really neat to observe the locals handling the fufu with finesse and scarfing the food down effortlessly. I also highly recommend getting a side of the baku, which is sort of like fermented fufu, so it'll have that sour flavor you might be familiar with and love if you enjoy Ethiopian injera. The baku can be used in the same style as the fufu, and I really liked the extra zing the fermentation added to the baku. This place is fantastic and completely worth it. Don't be frightened by the neighborhood. It's not that sketchy. Now, if only they'd open a sister restaurant in New York :(
(5)J W.
Delicious! Loved the strong flavors of the peanut soup and joloff rice with chicken. The Nem spring roll was outstanding as well. Not as big a fan of the spinach, but my bf liked it. Ooh, and the plantains...yum!
(4)Marisha H.
Amazingly delicious food with outstanding and friendly service. Having never been to a West African restaurant before, the server helped explain the various dishes on the menu and even brought out samples to try. The family that runs this restaurant is so very friendly and they take great pride in what they do. I would recommend Drelyse to everyone.
(5)Edward M.
had lunch there today for the first time. Food is excellent... exactly what you expect if you're familiar with African cuisine. If not.. it's still delicious but maybe a bit spicy for most palates. Owner is gracious, very warm and friendly and willing to modify dishes to your taste. Restaurant humble and very casual but warm.. it's almost like a "hole in the wall" with amazing food and wonderful owner. strongly recommended. Edward
(4)Gail G.
The food was excellent. The joloff rice with chicken tasted authentic , just like my students would bring in to share. The banku was interesting and fun to eat. I was told it was an acquired taste, but I loved it. It had a wonderful texture and the aroma was pleasant. I enjoyed dunking it in all the sauces, especially the hot sauce. Overall food was good and the service was friendly. It was clean and the followed serve safe rules. It was a bite pricey compared to other African places
(4)Aziza S.
I am sitting down in this restaurant as we speak, the food is delicious, but the costumer service is a little choosy meaning that If you are from a certain country(west africa) to be precise or if they know you, you have somewhat of a better treatment, we were eating and 20 minutes after we were finished no one asked wether our food was good when the table next to us the owner came to the table about 5+ times to Check on them and she just kept walking passed us, we observed everything as we waited for our check For over 20 minutes......anyway food is good but go here if you are just looking for the food and not a welcoming environment because we did not feel welcomed.
(2)Daniela Z.
Drelyse has really good food. Love their jollof & chicken, and sweet potato & chofi (turkey tails). Banku & Tilapia very good too, but a little pricey (big size tho!). My problem going here is the 'host'. He is very rude and ignorant. Called in to place an order, he literally starts an argument with a customer in the restaurant, telling them they can leave, whilst I'm attempting to give my order over the fone. Doesn't even place me on hold to argue! Zero professionalism. I have called in and changed plans after speaking with him on more than one occasion, bcos he's simply rude. My recommendation is to keep him away from customer service. Otherwise, I love the food n the owner is a really lovely lady too.
(4)Justin P.
This place is fantastic! I came here with my co-workers for dinner, and everything we ingested was great. We started with two appetizers: sambusa (which is like an empanada filled with beef) and vitumbua (which was a small, doughy, fried rice ball...It's legit.) For my entree I had the beef stew; another co-worker had the goat stew; and someone else had the peanut butter beef stew. I assure you each piece of meat was scrumptious. And while it didn't look like a ton of food, I left full. The thing that impressed me the most was the service. Lyse (the owner) very patiently explained the menu and checked on us all the time. Can't wait to go back!
(5)Kevin C.
My first foray into African food and all I can say is that I was very impressed with the attentiveness of the owner (I'm assuming he was the ower). My girlfriend and I went in, totally green, and not sure of what to eat. We were kindly given a run-down of all of the things on the menu. I ended up getting a sambusa and vitumbua for an appetizer. The sambusa seemed like it was similar to an Indian samosa...the difference being that this tasted fresh and homemade, which I can't say is the same for many Indian restaurants (I feel that the majority serve up frozen samosas). The vitumbua was excellent as was my favorite appetizer. My girlfriend ordered the peanut soup with goat and I had the jollof rice with goat. Both dishes were fantastic. The peanut butter soup had a slight taste of peanut butter but it wasn't overwhelming. The owner, at not expense of my own, brought out a small bowl of goat soup and I fell in love with that. We also tried the fufu and used it to dip into the peanut butter soup. The fufu was like a doughy, sticky ball of mashed potatoes - if that makes any sense. Long story short, if you're interested in some wonderful African cuisine, I highly recommend Drelyse. I will be going back often now.
(5)Margaret C.
Visited this place after being out of the state for a few years. It was just as good as I remembered. The service was helpful with samples to help us decide. The food was also just as tasty and exotic. I would highly recommend this place if you are looking for some new and unique flavors. -----Old Review------ Amazing service and tasty food. Definitely worth a visit. I've been using yelp to help me find delicious interesting places. This hidden gem definitely fit the bill. Not only was the food interesting, but it was tasty and reasonably priced. The waiter was thoughtful and friendly. He asked us if we had ever had African food before. Because we hadn't he was very helpful and considerate in guiding us in our selections. He even brought out samples of a few dishes to try so that we could gauge whether we could handle the spiciness of the food. He also gave us free appetizers and a African restaurant calendar when we left. When my friend first ask for goat, he told us they were out. But because my friend really wanted to give it a try he went back into the kitchen and saw what they could do. It took a little longer, but they were able to cook my friend a goat dish. All in all it was a great experience.
(5)LeRue C.
Delish! I wanted to try Drelyse so badly that while I was up this way for work I order the Jollof Rice with Chicken to go and took it on the plane all the way back to Atlanta. My food survived the flight all except for the salad. I do no know what Drelyse puts in that rice but man on man, it is heavenly. The food was so good it was worth the looks on the plane and the comments about someone on here has something spicy. I felt bad for my seatmate but you have to do some odd things for the sake of good eats. Cheers to Drelyse!
(5)Kate H.
Drelyse sits in a nondescript strip mall on Tamarack Circle. This was an experience. If you go here, treat it as such. The place runs on a different time schedule, so don't go here if you are in a hurry. Plan at least an hour and a half for dinner. And listen, LISTEN to the owner and get what he tells you to get. I didn't do a particularly good job of listening and ordered the beef/spinach stew (meh) and plantains... plantains rocked it, especially with the hot sauce. Owner insisted on giving me some beef stew with joffee rice (which was fantastic). My dining companion had the goat soup with fufu (sticky plantain bread used to eat the soup with your hands). Very spicy and excellent. We had vitumbau (think African beneighs) and spring rolls for appetizers. Probably may favorites. We drank palm wine and had a blast.
(4)Martha Z.
Absolutely delicious! When we visited Columbus we went here twice. My husband is from Ghana, and even he said it was good. The funny thing is there is a lot of drama between the family members who own and run it. You can hear the guy who runs the show complaining about his wife and her kids from the kitchen. It seems like a very dysfunctional family. I hope they are able to keep it together and stay in business.
(5)Greg S.
I have eaten here many times and as yet have not thought to write a review!. What can I say the food is fantastic, fresh and always flavorful. The staff is polite and most courteous. I could write a long winded review detailing each dish I have tried but to be honest I have found everything on the menu that I have tried so far to be wonderful. If you have never tried the food here then you are seriously missing out on an almost religious experience.
(5)Mandy K.
I don't review things obsessively, but Drelyse was so great that I thought it was necessary. I'm not *that* cuisine adventurous, so although I was interested in trying Drelyse, I was also hesitant. But everything was delicious! The vitumbua were delicious with the spicy (more flavorful than spicy sauce), and the sambusa was a good basic meaty hot pocket. I also tried the beef peanut butter soup, the beef spinach stew, and the jollof rice with chicken. They were all tasty, but the jollof rice with chicken was especially a standout. The flavors were strong and delicious, and the chicken was so tender it was falling off the bone. There was also a nice selection of some African beer and wine which excited my sister, who spent some time in Uganda. A lot of people might not like the banku, with its sour flavor, although I personally thought it was worth a try, and not awful. I was warned to stay away from the okra stews by people much braver than I, which have a slimy, gelatinous quality, and I think that was a good call. Beyond the food, though, we had a great server who removed any awkwardness I might have felt about being out of place. He was happy to explain anything on the menu and was very personable in general. I will definitely be coming back.
(5)Naiying C.
I was warned against getting the Okra soup but I got it anyways because I wanted to try something new and different. First couple bites were good but half way in, the okra texture got to me. I recommend coming here if you've never had African food, I need to go back to try other dishes!
(4)Wei L.
Really friendly and attentive guy making sure you are welcomed. Went over the menu and explained everything. First time rating African food. Was really goood! Will drop by again if I'm in the area.
(5)Neha B.
So here's what. Drelyse is inconsistent. That bothers me. When it's good, it's spot-on. And when it isn't... well. The Boy and I returned to Drelyse after a month. I don't live in Columbus so I was pretty excited about our pilgrimage. I called in advance to check that they'd be open when we arrived, and the person who answered the phone said "Yes of course" and seemed bemused and slightly indignant. I explained that the last time I'd tried to come by, they had closed their kitchen--it was an hour earlier than their supposed closing time. He retorted that that must have been a Sunday; I said no, it was a Thursday evening, but no matter, I was on my way. But he wouldn't let it go, and kept talking about how I must have been wrong. I kept saying, "Okay, no worries," but no dice. We arrived at the restaurant. The TV was on and really loud; there were maybe two other patrons there. It made talking difficult. Admittedly, eventually we asked gently whether the TV could be turned down a tad and they did. So that's good. We ordered quite a lot of food--including our favorites, the vittambua and the goat stew. I asked for my food not to be too spicy. The vittambua came out. Not very good. I was so disappointed; I rarely eat sugar (except to eat Jeni's ice cream; omg) and when I do, it has to be worth it (have I already said Jeni's? Jeni's!) The vittambua wasn't. Fine. Whatever. The food comes out. I start eating. I bite into chilis. The food is spicy. The dude swings by to ask how things are and I say this is too spicy. You know what he does? He starts talking. "Oh, no, this is not spicy! It can't be. I told the kitchen." I said, "Look, I just bit into chilis." He said, "There are no chilis in there!" Oh my god. Just say "oh no, so sorry" and take it back. Nope. He leans over and looks at my plate and says, "Oh, it must the *salad* that's spicy--that has chilis in it sometimes. But she [presumably a cook] picked the chilis out." Oh. So now you admit that there are chilis in the dish. And you're telling me it was made with chilis that someone picked out by hand, and not effectively. Well, that's appetizing. It was just a bit much for me and I wasn't in the mood to confront, so I said, "Don't worry about it," and turned back to my food. But, as with the phone incident, our man wasn't done. He walked away still saying, "But there are no chilis in the goat stew. I told the kitchen..." I was relieved when he went away. For a second. Because then he came back! And he said, "But Indians eat spicy! You don't eat spicy? You Indian, right? Man, Indian food is so spicy. They really like their spicy!" Now, here's what. I'm as American as I am Indian. I can handle more spice than many and less than others. Indian cooking varies a lot and it isn't all hot. And none of this matters because I asked for something non-spicy, and you brought me something spicy, then denied that it could be your mistake and insisted that I was wrong, and then you return to basically be completely insulting (and ignorant). The Boy placed a hand discreetly on my knee, and I closed my mouth instead of telling him what I thought. I picked around my meal as best I could; we finished and headed out. Here's the thing. I like good food. I am totally fine with a hole-in-the-wall. I can even make peace with slow or forgetful service. But I have a hard time when there is disrespect involved, and I felt that I was disrespected. I don't know that I want to go back. I might--who knows, the food might be good again--and the dude might leave me the f*ck alone. The Boy, by the way, got very different treatment. He's Nordic-looking, so the dude assumed he didn't know how to eat with his hand. That's not unfair. The Boy demonstrated and the the dude was delighted, clapping him on the shoulder and extolling his praises. And his food was fine. And my food wasn't bad at all; it was quite yummy, only it was f*ckall spicy and I had specifically--well, you know that story. So there we are. Come on, Drelyse. Get your act together. Don't be douchey. Just replace the food and stop insisting that the customer must be wrong.
(2)Rachel F.
Immediately welcomed and seated as soon as we walked in. The entire menu was explained to us, and popular dishes were pointed out. If we didn't know what something was, the waiter described it in American food descriptions. We tried two of the appetizers, sambusa and vitumbua. They were both delicious and I could have eaten many more of them. For dinner, we ordered two of the popular dishes to share. One dish you eat with your fingers. Right hands only, (we asked), and they washed your hands for you. The waiter taught us how to use our fingers to eat the food as well. An awesome place to try western African cuisines, and definitely a warm and welcome facility. I will take my friends there in the future.
(5)Matt D.
Who knew that Columbus would have great African food hiding out in a strip mall on the outskirts of town? If you're feeling adventurous and want some great homemade food, this is the spot. I thought the jollof rice with chicken was amazing: moist, well seasoned chicken and rice with an interesting shaved veg topping (not sure if it was pickled or what the preparation was, but it was really good). I was talked into the chicken gizzards by the manager, and I'm glad he was able to convince me. Surprisingly, I've never had them before. They're a little chewy, but perfectly prepared with a spicy sauce and more of that veg topping. I also had the peanut butter stew with goat, and while the goat was good, I wasn't in love with the broth.
(4)Adi P.
I loved it. This was first time experience for West African food and the owner is very friendly and very good person. Pretty good food and best service.
(5)Wendy D.
The food here is very special and outstandingly delicious. The chicken was crispy and fried without any breading--moist and tender. The Joffe rice was spectacular and seasoned perfectly. It reminded me of a trip to Ghana I took over a decade ago. I also tried the peanut butter soup which was death level spicy, but flavorful and delicious. The fu fu was raw rice dough and suited the soup perfectly. The owners were friendly and accommodating especially since we came in 20 minutes before closing. We felt special and appreciated.
(5)Cece M.
This place is FANTASTIC!! First time trying African cuisine and I will be back. The goat is incredible tender and the flavors with everything I had, were amazing. The service was friendly. The place is spotless! 10 stars!
(5)Jessica I.
This was pretty much the ideal dining experience. Great food served by a deeply enthusiastic staff and made by loving hands. The place is humble but the food is magnificent. The food was rich, satisfying and full of nuanced spices. Great atmosphere with lots of west Africans streaming in and out and just a great vibe in the air. I felt fantastic after eating here, and I think that's only partially because of the really delicious food.
(5)Karyn M.
This was my first experience trying truly authentic African food. By authentic, i mean we were the only 2 people in the restaurant that were not African. I felt a little awkward at first, but the owner was super friendly. We inquired on the soups but ended up not ordering it and he brought out samples of it for us to try anyways. I came here as a recommendation from a patient of mine that is from Kenya. He told me to try the Jollof rice with chicken. We had that and the fried fish. It was soo good! I have mentioned this place to many of my friends and they really like it as well. African food is truly underrated.
(5)Van S.
Several coworkers and I made the trip to Drelyse for lunch. The gentlemen who greeted us took the time to step us through the menu and make helpful suggestions. We shared appetizers of vitumbua and sambusas. The vitumbua ($1 each) out-shined the pretty good sambusa ($1.50). It was a doughy, semi-sweet, fried rice ball. The sambusa had a nice flaky shell, but was on the small side. My lunch consisted of goat peanut butter soup with a side of rice and banku. I had never tried banku so I didn't know what I was in for. From what the gentlemen explained, banku should be eaten with a stew or soup and consists of fermented corn or cassava, corn in this case. It comes out as a baseball size ball of dough, and when you pinch a chunk off you get a strong sour aroma that is best described as "farm fresh". Most in the party tried it, but stuck with their jallof or white rice. Getting past the initial smell I did finish it, and enjoyed the texture and flavor when completely dunking it into my soup. I'm glad to have tried it, but I'll probably will stick with just rice next time. Sharing tastes between the party, I think I enjoyed the goat stew the most. I didn't get to try the waakye though. Overall the food was really good, but I limited my rating to a generous 4 star because the value didn't seem to be there. Not a terrible deal, but maybe a little on the high side compared to other African restaurants.
(4)Mark H.
Holy Crap! Yelpers you are right, this place is awesome! I had the Beef Peanut Butter Soup. Such a wonderful flavor. A bit spicy, not too hot. No real peanut taste, just a perfect flavor that is exactly what I wanted. The help there is great. Awesome service. I bit pricey but worth it. I love this place from the first taste. I will be back.
(5)Lola A.
Delicious foods mainly from the country of Ghana and some from Nigerian. Prior to my vegan days, this was my happy belly spot. Now I have to pray to the veggie gods to protect me from animal products when I am in the area and the will to stay away. Not sure if they have vegan options of many of their delicious dishes, but it is worth asking! Enter at your own risk fellow vegan and vegetarian brethren Anyway, service at Drelyse is EXCELLENT! They seem to care about making your experience there enjoyable.
(5)Divya R.
The goat soup is possibly the best thing I've eaten since moving to Columbus. Drelyse cooks from the heart and the experience here is humbling. I'm a regular here and crave it almost once every month. For someone who is very picky about what and where they eat, that has to say something.
(4)Sagim T.
I ordered a beef Sambusa (fried pastry filled with beef, onions, and spices) Vitumbua (sweet doughy rice cake) to start with. It came out very hot and good. I've had way better Sambusa home made and restaurant bought, but the Vitumbua was awesome, I felt like i can eat it all throught the day. For my entree, I ordered the Waakye with beef. Very good flavor. The soft texture of the bean/rice complimented the sauteed beef that was very succulent. But I feel like I went on an off day. Although it was good, the food didn't seem fresh, just maybe warmed up. The staff is very friendly, and makes you feel right at home.
(3)Rick K.
While visiting Columbus recently, we decided to be adventurous and try this place out. We had the peanut butter soup and jollof rice, with vitumbua and sambusas for appetizers. Wow, this place has it going perfectly. I am used to Nigerian food and a bit of other African, but never have I had it with the flavors here. Being Caucasian, you may get an odd look or two from the patrons, but the owner was beyond friendly and did not mind explaining things to my friend who were not as familiar with the cuisine. The meat is tender, cooked with bone attached (be careful if you're new, but it gives a lot more flavor), and worth the wait. Also you can do traditional eating here using fufu and your hands, so do a little bit of research beforehand so you are not caught too off-guard by the authenticity. Definitely worth eating here again, and looking at the tilapia he brought out to the table next to mine, I know what I will try next time I am in town.
(5)Gerry J.
Beside African Paradise, this is one other African restaurant that I regularly visit. I love love the Joloff rice with chicken. That dish alone can make this restaurant worthy of visit, truly a star. If you are on a more adventurous side, try the deep fried fish and goat soup or peanut butter soup. Love it. Most of the time, the owner will give you a sample of the soup, somehow they really recommend goat with everything. Do not really care about the appetizers, they are great but did not stand out as great as the entree. Great service too. The owner is very hospitable and he will walk you through some of the highlights on the menu. Sometimes it comes out as too friendly to me, especially when he tries to influence you on your choice of dish but hey, i would rather have that than an unfriendly waiter having a bad hair day.
(5)Marc S.
First time eating African cuisine and had no idea what will happen. Don't even know where to start. Walking into the restaurant it is not fancy schmancy no, not at all but it is honest to the bone. Ever experienced real hospitality? This is the place to experience it, a warm welcome and good advice on the menu. I told him that I cannot eat certain food containing gluten, eggs, nuts and milk. After a brief phone call discussing the menu with the chef we found a lot of food I can eat. And eating is what we did. It is delicious. 100% sure when I'm back in Ohio I will be there for some more food. They also offered us small samples to get a feeling about the food. They take pride in what they do, you can sense, feel and experience this. If you wanna taste something special, see how hospitality looks like. Go there.
(4)Sanchita D.
Great food and even better service! I was nervous at first because I had never had African food but they were so nice and told us what they thought we'd like an even brought us free samples! Such kind people and delicious food
(5)Sarah K.
WOW WOW WOW. This was one of my most amazing dining experiences of my life. I was only driving through Columbus and looked on Yelp to find an interesting place to stop and enjoy a meal. I really felt as though I was having dinner with them instead of at their establishment. It was a slower night so I'm sure that played into how much attention I got, but after revealing it was my first time, I really got a great introduction to West African Food and everything that was on the menu. I was offered samples of different dishes, taught how to eat fufu and peanut butter soup the authentic way with my hands, and was treated to some table side hand washing. It was a very comfortable and hospitable atmosphere and I enjoyed the food just as much as I enjoyed the service and experience. I would literally return to Columbus only to eat at this establishment. I'm not sure I'll find a better West African restaurant. Thank you for such a wonderful experience. Best!!
(5)Liz H.
This was by all accounts a wonderful meal. I yelped, and as a result went here to celebrate my birthday with my fiance, because West African was a type of food we had never tried before, and the place had just such great reviews. We were not disappointed at all. In fact, I now wish i lived closer to Columbus. It was a Sunday night, so a little quiet, and other than a group of young people who seemed to be there to peacefully watch tv and hang out, we were the only people in the restaurant. The enthusiastic and kind host greeted us, and asked us if we ever had African food before; we answered that we had, but only Ethiopian. He said that we would like this better and that he would introduce us to it by walking us through the menu. He was so helpful, and charismatic--extremely concerned about whether I could handle the spice level. He brought out samples to test me. I found it really endearing that he didn't want me to "fill up on water" but instead enjoy the delicious food. The amount of pride from the host made me really happy to be eating there. Once i tried the food. I was even happier. Our host wanted us to try everything. We got one of each appetizer, and they were yummy. They came with a hot sauce that was good, but I didn't have a lot of it. He brought out two small dishes of soup--the goat and peanut. They were both delicious. For the entre, he was pushing the Jollaf rice, and I was happy to order that. I got it with Tilapia filets, which came fried, I thought it would be grilled, but it was still absolutely lovely. The Jollaf came with this sauce on top that if i ever learned how to replicate it, I would put it on everything. The tilapia was smothered in marinated tomato and onions. It was really delicious. I misunderstood his description and thought it was both chicken and fish, rather than one or the other, but when i asked for it, he brought me out a chicken leg anyway, which was delicious. I would definitely agree with other reviewers about the pace of the meal. If you are in a rush, this isn't the place to go. I think we were there for about 2-3 hours. It was a very leisurely meal. We had a beer with dinner, some Kenyan lager, which was nice. We weren't offered another one, and at one point the host seemed to run out for a spell to go somewhere. There were folks there picking up to-go orders, who seemed to call it in and had a while to wait just the same. The host had told us though that certain things, like the whole tilapia, would take up to 45 minutes to prepare, so be ready for that. Altogether, we had one of each appetizer to share, a small taste of both soups, a beer to share, and then our entres, as mentioned, i got the tilapia witha chicken leg, and my partner got the goat. He loved his as well. The host also brought us out some Chapati (sp?). All of this food cost us somewhere around $30. I would recommend this place to anyone who likes to try new things, likes spicy and interesting food, and would be willing to go to dinner and let the host really treat you well. To some degree I felt like I had been invited over to someone's house for an intercultural dining experience, more than a meal at a restaurant. Just like if you were a guest in someone's home though, mark off the night, because you will be eating at the restaurant's pace -- food like this reminds you that great things come to those who wait.
(5)Joseph K.
I WANT TO GIVE THIS PLACE 10 STARS. This place is just absurdly, ridiculously, outrageously, unbelievably, ludicrously.. Visionary, utopian, and STOOPID (urbandictionary that to educate yourself) This place raised the bar for standards at any restaurant in terms of both dining experience and food flavor. This makes me want to travel the world and taste new flavors/textures. This food inspired me to start yelping. First of all, My friend and I walk in and are greeted by a fairly unassuming, lackadaisical building. Not the cleanest on the outside, but fine and homestyle on the inside. We were warmly greeted by the owner. We sit down, she explains what all the different types of food are. She is passionate about LIFE and food, you can just tell. We were unsure about getting fufu, stew or spinach dish ...she let us sample all of them. Oh btw, the grilled or fried tilapia is a staple of these types of African places. GET IT .please..just get it. She will recommend it, you must get it or you have not completely experienced life. She puts in the order first because it takes awhile to cook ( she tells you this, about 30 minutes, Never rush greatness...by the time you eat your other dishes, etc ..it's perfect timing for the fish) The other waiter (possibly the husband) came with a bowl to put our hands over, soap to wash our hands, and poured water over our hands ... ARE YOU SERIOUS. This is customer service. Ridiculous. Yet they knew when to back off and just let us enjoy the food. Impeccable timing and courtesy on their part. We ordered the goat stew w/fufu (starchy carb made of cassava, yam, and plantains usually with a distinct dough sticky consistency ....you either hate it or love it. .I LOVE IT) and grilled tilapia with cous cousand they were great. The goat's natural strong gaminess wasn't overpowering and was infused in the slow cooking process and the meat was very tender. Meat to fat/skin ratio was perfect. The stew had a nice spiciness to it but not too much. Tilapia (get the 15$ version ..not sure why they have a 14 vs. $15 version lol) So perfectly cooked, tender, crispy parts. The full fish comes out, so you get the cheek meat, etc everything. On top is a blend of onions, tomatoes in some marinade almost like an african pico de gallo ...ridiculously good... the tang cuts down on the richness of the fish. My friend and I ate the whole fish and realized that each bite becomes better. It's not overpowering with flavor, each bite is awesome, the texture changes, the fat ratio changes depending where you go on the fish. I wish I took a picture of the massacre. Thinking back, I realize that no other food experience has taken me to these heights...new taste buds were created ... which sucks because they're so hard to satisfy now. 1 slight qualm: African fufu is traditionally eaten with your hands. I did so ..but realized that the soap was a very scented soap ...so for the first few minutes, I was tasting the soap flavor + the fufu and goat stew. It was still good though ...and i'm sure most of you won't eat with your hands ...or maybe I underestimate you :) show me up .. Go to Drelyse, talk with the enthusiastic owner, get incredibly full for a fair price. I'm drooling as I finish writing this....right before I head to bed ...damn it.
(5)Mike K.
WOW! Out of all the African food I have had This place has taken the cake (the only better cook is my dad lol). Staff is really friendly, clean, fast, and fun. I had a great experience while ordering with tons of good suggestions for my friend whom has never had African food. This is the spot to go to if you are ever craving some Jellof or Fufu to make your day 10x better!
(5)Miss C.
This was our first African food experience. I was very impressed. The peanut butter soup was fantastic. The staff was very helpful and polite. The service was 5 star! We had a great experience. I liked vitambua & the plantains too. I'm looking forward to trying more African food!
(4)Michelle S.
I finally tried this place out with a friend. My sister recommended this place. The area is in sort of an odd spot because you have to go through a neighborhood to get to it. I'm not good at reviews... Anyways, I tried the vitumbua which as an appetizer made of rice that has been fried. You don't taste the rice. It is a little bit of a sweet taste. This appetizer was pretty good mostly due to the texture. I liked it. I ordered the Joloff rice with chicken. I never had African food before so I'm not sure how it's supposed to taste. It's pretty good. I wouldn't say the food is AMAZING but I do think everything there is pretty good. I liked the house salad also. The nice man let us try the goat soup and I think that people who like goat would like this dish but I'm not a fan of goat or lamb which I believe has a similar taste. It has a bit of a spice to it. I thought it was a nice change to try something new. I wasn't disappointed. I really liked the plantains too. I ordered some of this food to have my bf try. I agree with people the owners of the restaurant are charming :) Be sure to get the COUPON on their website and print it out!
(4)Richard B.
Based on fellow Yelper's reviews we stopped here for lunch on our way to Cincinnati. Perhaps it was just the day, (there was a problem with the credit card machine that totally engulfed the front help) we were the only patrons in the restaurant (oddly enough on a Friday just after one P.M.), yet mysteriously there was a stack of credit cards and slips the processing of which obliterated the fact that someone was in the restaurant requiring some small modicum of attention. Alas, no gracious host appeared with hand washing materials, the time gaps between menu, taking order etc. were frustrating, I mean we were the ONLY people there. When it came time to order I may have made a cardinal mistake, based on the rapt attention others were given regarding the menu choices, I stated that I liked fish and I liked spicy and asked what the waitress would recommend. I was told that the beef peanut butter soup that so many others have referenced could be made with fish, so I ordered that, as did my significant other, ...(without the spice.) It took a while to prepare, and after a time the meal appeared. We were told that there would be some bones in the fish as we were served. Non-plussed, we dove in only to find that this statement was an absolute inaccuracy. Perhaps it was the language thing, (all conversations between employees occured in some presumably African tongue), but what the waitress/hostess meant to say was there MAY be some fish in your BONES. I'm not talking a few pin bones here, I'm talking about when you filet a fish and there's a spine that is the framework from which the rib bones blossom, they hacked up spines from multiple fish, breaded them and fried them and tossed them in our soups, ALONG WITH RANDOM FISH SCALES! It was as though they pulled the scraps out of the garbage as they were out of fish and thought "let's play choke the yelpies". I get the whole thing about cooking things with bones in for flavor enhancement, That might have been acceptable had there been some actual flesh from a fish that found it's way into my bowl, along with the scraps but AT BEST there was perhaps two level teaspoons full of fish. To add insult to injury, you Yelpers who have not yet visited this establishment, may think well the cheap sot just paid for a bowl of soup, and you are right, but they charge twelve bucks each for these bowls of soup, so we are talking luncheon entree prices, not typical bowls of soup prices. I've had awsome lobster bisque with marble sized chunks of lobster in it for half that price, so yeah I actually expected a piece of fish in my soup, and I am honked. Was it an aberration? NO! My significant other got exactly the same bone to flesh ratio in her soup as well! In fairness I must say, that the broth was phenomenal! There were complex layers of flavor, deft use of ingredients and spices etc., that obviously took some time in development and unless you have a nut allergy have no fear that it is going to taste of peanut butter- no discernible peanut flavor, and sweetness is not imparted. Thankfully the soup was served with a plate of rice so there was something edible to put in the soup after one fished out the bones and watched them clumbsily ring the bowl during the dining process joined by the occassional fish scale that one coughed up while eating the re-named rice soup. The heat in my bowl was supplied by a halved scotch bonnet pepper swimming about in the bowl. I am a carnivore/omnivore. I'll eat the other stuff too, but I want flesh of some sort when I dine, so as it happens the first place we pass on the way back to the interstate was a Long John Silver's. I stopped and got a piece of fish for a buck and a half and ate it for fuel for the last segment of our drive. My suggestion is stop at LJS first and quietly bring your own fish to the party should you be inclined to order the same dish we had, otherwise FORGETABOUTIT!!! Beverages are all bottled and short of Orange Crush, Guiness and bottled water largely limited to beverages of intrigue (Goya malta, varioius uncommon fruit based beverages and and an African beer .
(2)Vin R.
Now that my wife and I have found excellent Ethiopian food here in C-bus (Lalibela), we decided to experiment with other African foods. Via Yelp, we decided to try Drelyse. The restaurant is in a strip mall on Tamarack Circle (I'm finding that Columbus has many excellent restaurants hidden in random strip malls.) While I'm somewhat familiar with Ethiopian food, West African food is completely new to me, yet strangely comfortable. Based on other yelp reviews we went with sambusas and vitumbua for appetizers. The owner also brought us a spring roll. All three were excellent. The sambusa is very similar to an indian samosa. The vitumbua is a sort of heavy rice (?) cake that is pleasantly slightly sweet. There was an assortment of african beer and, oddly, Guinness bottled in Africa but sent to America. I went with "Nkulenu's Palm Drink" which was imported from Kenya. It is hard to describe, but very refreshing on a hot day. Give it a try when you go. I had the beef peanut butter soup with fufu. We also ordered a chipatti out of curiosity, which is similar to North Indian batura. The soup (when eaten with the chipatti) was reminiscent of malaysian roti canai and was very good. My wife had the beef spinach stew with rice which was also excellent. We also tried the plaintains which were tasty. The atmosphere in the (small) restaurant is very friendly and almost feels like you're visiting someone's home for dinner. There was a tv in the corner playing an african soap opera, which seemed to be centered around a couple that was pregnant against the wishes of their family and a lady with poorly controlled asthma who never could get to her albuterol inhaler in time... I digress. We met the owners...The husband runs the show out front (and kindly gave us samples of some of their food before we ordered.) The wife does much of the excellent work in the kitchen and chatted with us after we finished. The authentic way of eating this food is with your hands and, if you're up for it, they will wash your hands for you when you're finished. What a fantastic little restaurant. Thanks to Drelyse, I'm a fan of African food!
(5)Samantha L.
I was in the mood for something different and found Drelyse on Yelp. I'm not acquainted with Columbus but found my way to this mom and pop restaurant easily. As people have said, the owner is very nice and helpful. She even shared some of her photos with the governor when she catered an event.The menu is unknown to me but I was kindly given a sample before I ordered. Between two of us, I settled on the Jallof Rice and Chicken and the Beef Peanut Butter with Fufu. It's very flavorful, bold, and spiced food. I was given a plate plentiful of Jallof Rice topped with something spicy to eat it with. The Chicken had the crispiest skin and was covered in slices of tomato and onion. The Fufu is traditionally eaten with your hands but we opted for utensils. The peanut butter soup came in a large shallow bowl with the fufu in the middle. The beef soaked up all the soup and to my surprise, was a bit spicy as well (or maybe i just can't handle heat!). Definitely a new experience for me and I'd give it a try if you're feeling adventurous as well :) The meal came to be about $25 + tip. I will scan the menu as soon as I can :)
(5)Mike H.
I will start this review by saying that I've been to West Africa and have had a lot of the dishes on their menu right from the tap. They do a great job but I had some personal preference issues. I prefer my peanut butter soup more like a thick stew and served over rice. The Yassa was also different from what I remembered and a little on the salty side. The Jolof Rice and Beef Spinach Stew were great. I was disappointed that they didn't have the Chep Djan available because that was my favorite when I was traveling the area. To add to my disappointment, I tried to order this dish a couple years ago in a West African restaurant in Philly and was told the same thing! I guess I've just been unlucky. Strange though. I was hoping to see the ubiquitous super sweet minty gunpowder tea but didn't. For anyone interested... congocookbook.com/bevera… Drelyse: If you're reading this, ask a Senegalese person for a good Akara recipe. This was my all time favorite dish there. It would make a good West African addition to the app menu. For Yelpers, it's black eyed peas crushed, mixed with ingredients, rolled into balls, and deep fried. Like a bean fritter. Where I had it they would be served lined up on a fresh baguette with a light spicy palm oil, onion, and hot pepper stew, and eaten as a sandwich. I think it's served many different ways but this was my favorite. The best breakfast sandwich of all time! Sorry, I don't mean to be nit-picky. I guess it's unrealistic but I've been looking for the exact same dishes I had when I was in the region. Overall it was a great dining experience and I'll be back. A great place to go if you're not a picky eater and feel like being adventurous.
(4)Kate C.
Loved it! First visit was casual and welcoming. Definitely listen to your server for recommendations. Peanut Butter soup was lovely and the goat was great, too.
(5)Cornell S.
The Grilled Tilapia with Jollof Rice is my favorite dish. I have to get my fix at least twice a month, but I could actually eat it one a week. It takes time to prepare, but it worth the wait!
(4)Chenica R.
First of all the food was absolutely great! I had sambusa, jollof with fried fish with onions and tomatoes. My friend had the whole baked catfish...it was freakin' delicious. The staff are friendly and personable but they "opened" at 11 am but the owners didn't get there until 11! If you go, go with time to spare. BTW, my friend loves Drelyse so much, we drove from Louisville, KY to Columbus just to eat there.
(4)Beverly C.
Like someone's kitchen, Drelyse has this warm feeling making you feel right at home, it offers an impressive all day meal menu. Enjoy a meal with friends and family. What a great restaurant this is! The food is freshly prepared and tastes really good. Average meal consisting of a main course, appetizer and 2 beer's will be about $18/-. A variety of stews--including chicken, beef, goat and seafood--are served with rice. Make sure you try the Fufu, a traditional dish of pounded plantain and cassava root, Vitumbua, deep fried spongy goodness and the Grilled Tilapia and Banku. The somewhat spicy food pairs nicely with an African beer. There are several to choose from. Sit back, relax, and listen to Afropop and Reggae music as you enjoy a truly exotic meal. Say 'hello' for me to the chef/owner she is sweet and passionate about her work. Her husband is kind and accommodating and will greet you at the door on arrival, if you are a first timer to African Food he will help you choose based on preference and will also throw in some samples to taste before you order, I do not know any other restaurant that cares enough to do that for their customers. After our meal the owner/chef came by our table and chatted with us briefly. To our pleasent surprise we found that she does a whole lot of community work that truly got my attention. I was hugely impressed. Infact if you look up their website drelyse.com and click the Events section they have coupons you can redeem for food and make donations in exchange for a free meal. Now that is something extraordinary. They also offer free meals on Thanksgiving so people from Ohio listen up and drive down to support a cause in exchange for a delicious memorable meal. It can't get any sweeter than that!!!! If you are looking for a simple, warm home cooked meal with no bells and whistles this is it! You will be pleasantly surprised and go back for more.
(5)Moriah P.
I would eat here every-day if I could afford to. How much higher praise can I give than that? This place is awesome. The food is amazing, the people are lovely, and did I mention the food? Best, most tender gizzards that I've ever had (and I've eaten a lot of gizzards), I want to hoard their vitumba (think sweet puffy rice pancakes), spice levels are perfect, and jollof rice is heaven-sent. When they ask you your spice levels don't be afraid to tell them you like the heat, it's the kind that slowly builds in your mouth but, is never too much to handle. Go here. Seriously, I mean it. There's nothing more I can say.
(5)Charlotte F.
The appetizers were delicious, and the service was outstanding. The owner and my server both spent time helping me choose my first African meal. The meal itself was just above average, but thats probably because I didn't go more exotic...should have tried something other than chicken and rice (jollof)! OH, and the hand-washing ritual -- very cool!
(3)Mark B.
The first time I visited, a number of other diners where eating the special grilled Tilapia, which you have to order ahead. This time I called ahead and got two orders of the grilled Tilapia. Excellent! It came with a spicy tomato/onion sauce and with sides of jollof rice and plantain. On this visit I got the vitumber and sambusa again, peanut butter soup with chicken (a big hit with the four kids), goat soup with chapati (another big hit), beef spinach stew, and chicken waakye. Oh, and the side of fried yam was really nice. Again, great service and great advice from the staff. Tried all the different African beers this trip as well. Well, as you can see, I tried a lot more of the menu and their special dish (the grilled Tilapia) and must raise them by a star. This is a great little African restaurant.
(5)David S.
Very Good and Very Friendly!!! Highly recommended!!! Great food, great service, great prices! Staff was very helpful and answered any questions we had about the menu. Food is West African, different from Ethiopian. Can be spicy, but they'll adjust according to your taste. We've been there three times in two weeks. Get the vitumbua appetizer (or 4), great on it's own, dipped in sauce or use to clean up your soup bowl. The gizzards were also amazing(I know, doesn't sound tasty, but they were delicious!) Get the sambusas too, they're like Indian samosas, but less veggies, more beef, onion and savory spices. I could go on and on. Just go and try it:)
(5)Dereck E.
This was the first time that I had West African food and it was a very pleasant experience. The Peanut Butter Soup was very good! The service was good and friendly.
(4)Z P.
Very friendly staff. Excellent food, Joloff rice with goat. When I asked for spicy, it came spicy. Not burning, unenjoyable, but nice and hot. I will come back again.
(5)adam s.
I've been here twice in the last two weeks. My girlfriend and I have tried most varieties of things on the menu. Currently, our favorites are the beef and spinach stew with fried plantains. The beef and peanut butter soup is excellent as well. Most recently we tried the Okra stew, also great, as well as some fufu (a fun texture) and Banku (kind of an acquired taste). This is a great find in Columbus!
(5)Matt G.
Thank you fellow Yelpers!!! After some waaaaay inflated ratings on some places that I have found through surfing this site, you have come through big time. THIS PLACE KICKS ASS!!! Now, this is not a white table cloth place, it is not for a romantic dinner, there are many things it is not. What it is... it's family run restaurant that lacks polish and pretense and it's run by some of the nicest and most accommodating people that I have met in a long while. I have had Ethiopian food while in Chicago and was really underwhelmed. But since I was on business solo in Columbus, I took a chance and was rewarded. Beforehand, I looked at the reviews and read the menu. However, once I was inside this little place, the husband of the couple running the place introduced me to the perfect items to order and before I knew it I was enjoying a wonderful meal full of flavor and high quality ingredients. I tried the sambusas, which were meaty and a tad spicy. I had a spring roll and then the rice cake to start. Each item was a masterpiece on it's own. I was also offered a taste of the peanut butter soup which was anything but peanut buttery, but spicy, rich and complex. For my main course I had the Jollof rice with chicken. The rice was, as stated, a bit like dirty rice. The sauce on top was where the spice "hid" and there was quite a bit in there... I said hot was good. The onions and tomato "salsa" on the chicken was delicious and tangy. All the while, the owners looked out for me and made sure I enjoyed my meal. I also had a nice cold Tusker beer. When the bill came..... $18. You're kidding... for that quality... $18??? If this place was in Chicago, it would be packed and $30 for what I got. They need to get the word out... or maybe not. I will be back when I am back in town again.
(5)Instant Y.
Jollof chicken was great as were the sambusas
(5)Sabrina L.
We found this place on Yelp because I was feeling adventurous and I'm genuinely glad that we did. The restaurant is on the north side of Tamerack circle, just to the east of the Donatos. We ordered the rice cake and the sambusa as appetizers and both were excellent though I definitely give the edge to the rice cake. Plus, they were only a dollar a piece which was fantastic. For dinner my friend and I split a Jalloff Rice and Chicken entree and an order of plantains as a side. The rice was a great consistency, well seasoned and reminded me of dirty rice from Cajun fare. The chicken had a crispy skin and the meat beneath was moist and flavorful. The plantains were also excellent, perfectly done and a great compliment to the rice. The only letdown in the meal was the salad that came on the plate. The vegetables were crisp but the dressing tasted like low budget Italian, and didn't seem to fit the rest of the meal at all. The service was excellent and the woman who took our order was happy to explain the menu and allow us to share. I can't say that West African food is my new favorite but I can definitely say that if like me, you're looking for something adventurous, Drelyse is definitely the place.
(5)Berdawn H.
Drelyse is wonderful. Some friends and I ate there last night and we're all new to African food other than Ethiopian.The three of us shared goat with the cassava couscous and whole, grilled tilapia with jollof rice. Both were excellent and the fist was beautifully presented (we went for the head on). The owner generously agreed to fillet it and removed the spine after filling out plates with the top half of the fish. Crispy skin and no scales! The only beer available was a Kenyan lager (Tusker) but the owner told us that additional beers are often available but sell out more quickly. The only downside was that they had sold out of the okra dishes for the day, but considering the size of the servings, two entrees were more than enough for us. Things to be aware of: If you order the tilapia, it will take about 45 to prepare. There is another restaurant in the same plaza, "African restaurant", so depending on your route, you may need to drive around Tamarack Circle to reach Drelyse (it's to the left of a Donotos)
(4)Nick S.
Drelyse is a special place. The food was outstanding. The service was top-notch and incredibly friendly. Drelyse is the sort of restaurant that makes strange and intimidating foods seem accessible. We started with the vitambua. They're like sweet little rice pancakes. They were great. Very comforting. I wanted to pour syrup on them and have them for breakfast, or honey and eat them as a dessert. Next up were the sambusas. Another reviewed likened these to samosas, and I don't think that's very far off, but I don't think that does these justice either. I found them to be much richer than a samosa. They probably has something to do with it being stuffed with fatty ground beef. For entrees, everyone in the party ordered something different. I had the jollof rice with chicken. The rice was tasty. It did remind me of dirty rice as another review mentioned. The chicken was great: tender and juicy with a crispy skin. Someone else had the red red: A black-eyed pea stew served with plaintains and chicken. The plaintains were lightly fried, and were as good as any plaintains I've ever had. The stew was rich and smoky and spicy. The dinner that most impressed me, though, was the beef peanut butter stew with rice ball. The stew was intensely flavorful and the meet (actually lamb in this case as they were out of beef) was tender. When I want a spicy stew, this is what I want. Be warned, though, there are two West African restaurants on Tamarack Circle. The first time we tried to go, we ended up at the other one. It was not Drelyse. It was no where near as good. Lisa -- the proprietor -- told us that happens a lot. The sign very clearly says Drelyse, make sure you go to the right one (and make sure you go soon).
(5)Steven S.
What a great experience. Not only did we get a tasty Ghanaian meal, we got an enthusiastic background on Ghana (mostly b/c we were asking lots of questions). Lisa, the owner couldn't have been more friendly, and she helped us decipher the menu. Great stuff. I'd go back and recommend you give it a shot.
(4)s g.
Thanks, Yelpers -- I never would have discovered this gem without Yelp. I went with two friends last night, so we could try lots of things. We had the sambusa, vitumbua, and spring roll appetizers -- each better than the next, and only $1 each. As others have noted, the owners are incredibly friendly and helpful. She asked what we liked and determined that we were "adventurous" eaters (and remembered to warn me about which items had cilantro). We chose the Jallof chicken dish, a beef and spinach with plantains, and an okra-meat-crab dish. All were wonderful and very generous. Prices were very reasonable, too -- I only put $$ because we had appetizers, but you could have more than enough to eat without them. Check on line for a coupon before you go. The owner told me that if you want fish, call and order before you come, as it takes a little longer. I will be back to Drelyse soon. Enjoy.
(4)T K.
Just went recently with a group of friends. The place is in a little sketchy shopping strip. But don't let this keep you from coming to this place. The food is phenomenal. We got the goat soup, a beef dish, and a chicken dish...and a couple appetizers. All of it was fantastic. Lisa (the owner and our waiter) made sure we felt comfortable and asked if anyone had allergies. She was very attentive and was very helpful in explaining all the dishes. None in our group had had African food, but we will be back soon. The service is just like what everyone else says....it's great! We asked for ice, and supposedly they either ran out or do not carry ice. The waiter went out and bought a bag of ice. Great service! Anyone looking for great food and an adventure....check out this place! If you don't know what to get, let Lisa recommend dishes. Great job Lisa! We will be back soon.
(4)Caroline H.
This was my first time eating West African food and it was delicious!! My friend and I started out with the Sambusas and the Vitumbua's for an appetizer. The Sambusas were like little phylo meat pies with spices and onions, so yummy. The Vitumbuas were mashed rice with cinnamon and nutmeg and fried, almost like a doughnut. From there we had a sample of the goat soup since neither of us had ever had goat before...it was spicy and really tender, we were both pleasantly surprised. After that we had the peanut butter soup with beef and the Jollaf rice with chicken. It was so much food but it was all wonderful. The woman who waited on us ws so helpful in explaining thing. Wonderful experience I will be going back.
(4)Danny B.
I stopped in here the other day to try something different. The food was good. I had the Jolof Rice with the chicken simply because thats what most everyone here had and I was not disappointed. I also had one of the sambusa and it was tasty. It was very similar to an empanada. The owner was also really nice. He mentioned that if I were to come back I should try the peanut soup. He went ahead and gave me a free taste and its unlike any soup I've ever tasted. If I ever want to introduce a friend to new ethnic food this will be the place I take them. The only downside I have is that it was a little tricky finding this place.
(5)Samantha D.
My boyfriend and I went to Drelyse last weekend after seeing that it got great reviews on Yelp. We were not disappointed. It was absolutely wonderful. As has been mentioned in earlier reviews, the owner is a very amiable and approachable woman. She was very helpful in showing us how to eat our dishes with our hands without making a complete mess. We started the meal of with one vitumbua each. Vitumbua are rice patties that are fried to golden-brown and served while still warm. They are slightly sweet but not overpoweringly so, and they were so delicious that we were tempted to order more. For his main course, my boyfriend ordered the beef peanut butter soup with fufu (a doughy ball made of ground cassava). The owner showed us the proper technique for pinching off pieces of fufu, molding it into a sort of saucer shape, and using it to scoop up pieces of the soup. The soup was very flavorful and delicious, and the mellow taste and starchy texture of the fufu blended with the soup in perfect harmony. The pieces of beef in the soup were extremely rich and hearty. I had the grilled tilapia, which is the most pricey item on the menu but totally worth it. It is a whole fish, grilled completely intact, which is served to you covered with tomatoes, onions, and peppers and with a tomato relish on the side. It was the best fish I've ever eaten in the States. Every mouthful burst with flavor, and I ended up eating the whole fish in one sitting. As soon as we were done my boyfriend and I vowed that we would be back as soon as possible, and that next time we'd bring lots of friends with us with whom to share this gem! In short, everything about Drelyse is a wonderfully pleasant experience. The dining area is very clean and well-lit, the service is very friendly and timely, and the food is absolutely delicious. The owner said that there is also patio seating available in the summer, so if you're looking for a place to enjoy great food in the fresh air I would highly recommend Drelyse. DRELYSE WEST AFRICAN RESTAURANT: IT'S GREAT FOOD.
(5)Daryn G.
Drelyse was my first taste of West African cuisine and it was simply amazing. I discovered this place via Yelp and, once again, Yelp did not let me down! Pronounced Dreh-Leez, it's a little restaurant in the center of Tamarack Circle in North Columbus. The owners used to run a restaurant in Ghana, so the authenticity is unquestionable. The dining room had six 4-person tables, not huge, but it didn't need to be. The interior was very Mom-and-Pop, nice but not fancy. We arrived and started looking at the menu (available online at Drelyse.com ) and everything sounded great. We threw ourselves on the mercy of our host, the husband of the owner and a wonderful food guide. So kind and attentive, he did his best to steer us 'first-timers' to flavors more suited to the Western palate, but we assured him that we were foodies who had come for authentic food. He then, happily, pointed out the local favorites, local to Ghana that is. As we went over the menu, he brought 2 small bowls of soup for us to sample (like I said, he was very kind). One was goat soup and the other was peanut-butter beef soup and both had a few small bits of FuFu in it, a starchy, doughy dumpling. We tasted and swapped and decided they were both terrific. Drinking right from the bowl, the broths were so very rich and deep in flavor that I almost forgot to share. The beef soup was spicy and the goat soup was spicier, but neither was overly spicy and the flavor of the soup was complimented not overwhelmed, just enough to put a little sweat on the brow. We grabbed a pair of Tusker ales/beers, from Kenya, to wash it all down and it went well with the spicy food. Tusker is similar to Guinness, dark, strong, with a slightly nutty back-note. Our host explained that West African food is eaten with the hands and asked if we wanted silverware. We decided to remain true to the food. If it's to be eaten with your hands, so be it! He brought over a small ceramic basin of soapy water. We dipped our hands and gave them a quick wash. He then produced a ceramic jug of clean water which he poured over our hands to rinse them. I love a good food ritual, so this was fun and elegant at the same time. The samples really hadn't helped because now we wanted to taste everything! In the end, we decided on Sambusa and Vitumbua for appetizers. Sambusa is a small flaky pastry filled with spiced meat (and I mean filled, more meat than pastry) and served with a spicy-sweet sauce. Crisp and deliciously meaty. The Vitumbua was a dense, chewy fried dough muffin/biscuit/cake, lightly sweet but also savory at the same time. A great start! We chose Goat Soup and Jollof Rice with Chicken for our entrees. Our host brought out two steaming plates plus a softball-sized bread round. The bread round was actually a dish called Banku and it's a sticky ball of fermented cassava dough that felt very much like uncooked bread dough (just MUCH stickier, you have to eat it off your fingers or you'll never get it off). Grab a sticky wad of Banku, use it to grab a piece of meat from the soup, and eat both. Banku has a potato-ish taste and goes great with their soup. Tasty and fun! The Jollof Rice was bright red with a lovely sauce on top and I have never tasted rice with that much flavor before. No tableware, so the banku was used to eat the rice too. The tomatoes and onions on top of the chicken were spectacular and I cannot pretend to know how they made them taste so good. Maybe they were pickled, might be magic, but they were far tastier than the plain onion and tomato they seemed to be. The chicken, ah the chicken, I don't know what spices were on it, but it was really tender and so good. Packed with flavor through and through, not just a coating, but a permeated flavor that made for some really good eating right down to the last morsel! I'm a pretty big eater, but, since every bite included some banku, I filled up long before I cleaned my plate And I really wanted to clean my plate! And I wanted to clean the plates of the people sitting next to us (their fish dish looked awesome, takes 40 minutes to cook, so call ahead for that). I really wanted to be hungry again so I could order other items from the menu, but I was so stuffed that I didn't have room for dessert (or a deep breath). We repeated the hand-washing ritual again to clean up, but I wish I hadn't because, now, hours later, I would be happy if my hands tasted and smelled like their amazing food. I can honestly say it was better than finger licking good, it was lick-your-friend's-fingers good. Heck, it was knock-your-Momma-down good (yeah it's THAT good). I am looking forward to tasting every item on their menu, so I'm already planning a return trip. And it's only five minutes from my house! If you hit Drelyse, and I think you should, you'll probably see me there with a handful of food and a big smile on my face!
(5)Shaina H.
What a find! We got the Sambusas, the Joloff rice, and the Peanut butter stew with goat (fairly spicy but the goat was delicious!). The owner is very helpful and kind, even stayed open later than he wanted to for us and helped us to pick out what we would enjoy.
(4)Jake S.
Ok, Don't go here. Why? Because the place is small and has great food and if you go there I may not be able to get a table when I'm hungry. I better not see you there. I ordered chicken jollof and my son ordered the goat stew. We also ordered sambusa and vitumba both of which were good. The thing I like about the place is the friendly and helpful people running the place. They gave us samples of fried plantain and peanut butter soup to try and told us what to expect from the food with regard to spice and flavoring. My son ate the goat stew like a hungry animal. He actually found the place online and suggested we try it. We both liked it and will be coming back. But, please don't go there when I'm going :)
(5)Suzanne M.
Attention Columbus yelpers! For Americans, West African food is one of the great "undiscovered" ethnic cuisines. Drelyse African Restaurant is the ideal place to treat your self to culinary exploration. You'll realize just how much the cuisine of Ghana and Senegal has to offer: spicy stews, crispy meat-filled pastries and an intriguing variety of starches. Some of it will look kinda-sorta familiar--a lot of Southern and Caribbean food draws heavily on the heritage of African slaves taken from West Africa. For instance, Jollof rice is clearly related to jambalaya and dirty rice. However, its flavors are distinct from its New World cousins; richly savory with black pepper, tomato and onion. I don't mean to convey that I am an expert on West African cuisine. In fact, this trip to Drelyse was our first real life experience with it (apart from a horrid peanut stew cooked by a well-meaning housemate during college); my previous knowledge was limited to the written word and the television. The warm welcome and patient enthusiasm of the staff at Drelyse is a large part of the reason why I say that this restaurant is an ideal place to explore. We really enjoyed talking and learning from our server, the proprietress of the restaurant. We started out meal by washing our hands; the proprietress poured pitchers of warm water over our hands into specially provided basins. Ghanian food is traditionally eaten with the hands; however, the restaurant happily provides utensils for those who prefer them. We dug into our meal: Sambusas (fillo-dough pastry stuffed with meat and onion--actually east African), spicy goat stew with fufu (a giant dumpling made of potato and cassava dough) and jollof rice with chicken. We loved everything, but the Jollof rice with chicken really stood out as our favorite. The chicken was shatteringly crispy on the outside and and succulent on the inside. Perfection. A delicious tomato and pepper relish added a note of freshness. The rice was toothsome in flavor and texture without being overly rich. We accompanied it all with palm wine, a curious beverage that worked really well with spicy food. It reminded me of an earthier version of the Japanese soft-drink called Calpico. All in all, we look forward to coming back and trying out other items on the menu such as beef peanut stew, fried tilapia and a rice and beans dish called waakye. I encourage you to do the same.
(5)Matthew M.
My girlfriend and i stopped into Drelyse one cold night recently just because it looked interesting from the road. When we arrived inside, the dining room tables were set up in classy fashion and the manager woman was sitting down to have a meal. We talked with her and she was most pleasant, expanding on why it's important to make a good representation of classic African food and to run a clean, upstanding restaurant. Then a younger girl arrived who was perhaps the manager's daughter (you can see her in one of the pics i've posted), and got herself some food as well. She was pretty and shy about having her picture taken, but she said i could use her image on yelp. The manager directed my attention to the hand bowls on stands lined up along the wall that are used to wash one's hands before an African meal, since much of the food is eaten without utensils. We tried the lamb soup and--interestingly--the peanut butter soup and found both to be delicious and unique. I will definitely be going back again soon for a full dinner experience.
(5)Miriam P.
Where do you go for West African food? Columbus. OH of course! Well I found my self on a very sudden and short trip to Columbus, OH. It's always strange to be in a city with no one else and nothing to do, so I resorted to one of my favorite activities....eating. With the help of yelpers I found this little unexpected gem. The last thing I expected to find was really good African food. Boy was I pleasantly surprised. Let me tell you though the drive there was a little sketchy. I am pretty sure I saw one guy that was urinating in plain view on the side of the road when I drove through the adjoining neighborhood. It was worth it! I would not say the area was so much scary, but I do hale from Miami, DC and Baltimore, so scary is a relative term. The peanut butter beef made y mouth water for more. The portions are huge. and You have got to start with the Sambosas. Not much in the vegitable department, but I was ok going total carnivore that evening. The place itself is not much to look at in a small shopping center. The inside was very clean and the tables had formal set tables that didn't exactly match the whole effect. There was fun music playing, but the also did have Fox news on (T.V. in a restaurant are a no no in my book) but we will forgive them. The owners were SUPER friendly and helpful. They warmed me about the "soup" being spicy. While it did have a tasty kick, it was no where near spicy for this hot cuban tamale. Try it you'll like it!
(5)Tim J.
Like most others on here, I found this restaurant on yelp, and am glad I did. The food was very good, I tried the jollof (sp) rice and goat stew, which was very good, but took 40 minutes to get, and when someone at another table brought up the fact that his friend at the same table got his food over ten minutes earlier though they ordered the same thing. She starts talking about how it has to be 165 and other US food codes, but I have been a chef for a while now, and you know that the food is prepared in advance, and hearing the microwave getting a work-out, yet hearing no pots or pans, confirmed my thoughts. She was telling the other guests to look a her reviews on here and other sites, and talked about serving the governor, OSU president, etc. and stating how much better she is at the top of her lungs. It might be the best African food around according to many, but it's still not five stars, with the craziness that took place, they are lucky to not get less truthfully.
(3)Shoba N.
We visited Drelyse on a Tuesday night. There was one other gentleman finishing his meal but otherwise we had the place to ourselves (for 5 of us.) We met the owner/chef, her husband, and their teen-age daughter. So it is definitely family run! The owner was very patient with us, kindly explaining what was in each dish. She was careful to ask if we had any food allergies (many dishes are prepared with dried shrimp, which is not necessarily called out as an ingredient.) She was also very patient with me, a vegetarian - explaining what was cooked in chicken broth and what was truly vegetarian. I had a delicious plate of black eyed peas, white rice and plantains. Oh my it was soooo spicy!!! She was not joking when she said she would make it spicy. We also tried the sambusa (very similar to an indian samosa) and the "fried sticky rice balls" for $1 each. How can you go wrong? She is from Ghana (she speaks perfect British English, French and Ga - her native language.) The other 2 female chefs are from Senagal and Kenya. After preparing our meal, she was happy to come out and visit with us, explaining more about Ghana and her culture. Overall, a lovely Tuesday night dinner. Highly recommended for something out of the ordinairy.
(4)Shuo F.
This was my first time at an African restaurant. A friend took me after going to the DMV and told me that I had to give it a try. My experience here was very pleasant. The owner was very pleasant and cordial. He welcomed us with a big smile and explained many of the dishes to us. I ordered the sambusa to start off with, which was very flavorful. These alone would be worth making a return trip for! For the entree I had the jollof rice with chicken and it was absolutely amazing! The rice was well seasoned and the perfect amount of spice for me. Next time I will venture out of my comfort zone and eat something besides chicken and rice haha.
(5)Jon B.
Cooked to order....dynamite. Peanut Butter stew with Goat, awesome. Chicken Gizzard special is not your granny's gizzards...authentic African home cooking. Tusker beer (Ethiopian) pairs exceptionally well with spicy goodness.
(5)Richard B.
Based on fellow Yelper's reviews we stopped here for lunch on our way to Cincinnati. Perhaps it was just the day, (there was a problem with the credit card machine that totally engulfed the front help) we were the only patrons in the restaurant (oddly enough on a Friday just after one P.M.), yet mysteriously there was a stack of credit cards and slips the processing of which obliterated the fact that someone was in the restaurant requiring some small modicum of attention. Alas, no gracious host appeared with hand washing materials, the time gaps between menu, taking order etc. were frustrating, I mean we were the ONLY people there. When it came time to order I may have made a cardinal mistake, based on the rapt attention others were given regarding the menu choices, I stated that I liked fish and I liked spicy and asked what the waitress would recommend. I was told that the beef peanut butter soup that so many others have referenced could be made with fish, so I ordered that, as did my significant other, ...(without the spice.) It took a while to prepare, and after a time the meal appeared. We were told that there would be some bones in the fish as we were served. Non-plussed, we dove in only to find that this statement was an absolute inaccuracy. Perhaps it was the language thing, (all conversations between employees occured in some presumably African tongue), but what the waitress/hostess meant to say was there MAY be some fish in your BONES. I'm not talking a few pin bones here, I'm talking about when you filet a fish and there's a spine that is the framework from which the rib bones blossom, they hacked up spines from multiple fish, breaded them and fried them and tossed them in our soups, ALONG WITH RANDOM FISH SCALES! It was as though they pulled the scraps out of the garbage as they were out of fish and thought "let's play choke the yelpies". I get the whole thing about cooking things with bones in for flavor enhancement, That might have been acceptable had there been some actual flesh from a fish that found it's way into my bowl, along with the scraps but AT BEST there was perhaps two level teaspoons full of fish. To add insult to injury, you Yelpers who have not yet visited this establishment, may think well the cheap sot just paid for a bowl of soup, and you are right, but they charge twelve bucks each for these bowls of soup, so we are talking luncheon entree prices, not typical bowls of soup prices. I've had awsome lobster bisque with marble sized chunks of lobster in it for half that price, so yeah I actually expected a piece of fish in my soup, and I am honked. Was it an aberration? NO! My significant other got exactly the same bone to flesh ratio in her soup as well! In fairness I must say, that the broth was phenomenal! There were complex layers of flavor, deft use of ingredients and spices etc., that obviously took some time in development and unless you have a nut allergy have no fear that it is going to taste of peanut butter- no discernible peanut flavor, and sweetness is not imparted. Thankfully the soup was served with a plate of rice so there was something edible to put in the soup after one fished out the bones and watched them clumbsily ring the bowl during the dining process joined by the occassional fish scale that one coughed up while eating the re-named rice soup. The heat in my bowl was supplied by a halved scotch bonnet pepper swimming about in the bowl. I am a carnivore/omnivore. I'll eat the other stuff too, but I want flesh of some sort when I dine, so as it happens the first place we pass on the way back to the interstate was a Long John Silver's. I stopped and got a piece of fish for a buck and a half and ate it for fuel for the last segment of our drive. My suggestion is stop at LJS first and quietly bring your own fish to the party should you be inclined to order the same dish we had, otherwise FORGETABOUTIT!!! Beverages are all bottled and short of Orange Crush, Guiness and bottled water largely limited to beverages of intrigue (Goya malta, varioius uncommon fruit based beverages and and an African beer .
(2)Anna Y.
It's kind of my food philosophy to only eat at exciting and unique places, and I was having difficulties finding an exciting place to eat in Columbus, Ohio -- Columbus being the typical American city. Sure, there were some decent choices, but nothing really stood out to me as really unique, special, and hard to find elsewhere. But then I spotted this place on yelp and thank goodness. There weren't many reviews, but all the reviews were glowing and I had a hunch this could be that hidden gem I was looking for. I lied to my parents and told them that it's only eh, 10 minutes outside of the city center. (Not too far, right?) So we started driving in the direction of this restaurant. It started getting very residential... not in a slummy way, but not exactly the surroundings you'd expect to find a restaurant. This was fine by me, but I could tell my parents were losing their faith in my judgement and I felt a little bad about that... Eventually, we arrived at a little local strip mall at the center of this residential community. The service was exceptional. The waitress kindly explained the menu, how it works, and what sort of flavors we should expect. We ordered the beef peanut butter soup with fufu, which had exactly the type of new zip of flavors I've been yearning for. It's got a tangy, rich, and smoky texture. It's likely to be a new experience for you, as it was for me. West African food is fun, too. You mold little scoops with the fufu and scoop the soup into it. It reminded me of making and eating peanut butter play dough when I was a little toddler. It was also really neat to observe the locals handling the fufu with finesse and scarfing the food down effortlessly. I also highly recommend getting a side of the baku, which is sort of like fermented fufu, so it'll have that sour flavor you might be familiar with and love if you enjoy Ethiopian injera. The baku can be used in the same style as the fufu, and I really liked the extra zing the fermentation added to the baku. This place is fantastic and completely worth it. Don't be frightened by the neighborhood. It's not that sketchy. Now, if only they'd open a sister restaurant in New York :(
(5)Z P.
Very friendly staff. Excellent food, Joloff rice with goat. When I asked for spicy, it came spicy. Not burning, unenjoyable, but nice and hot. I will come back again.
(5)Chenica R.
First of all the food was absolutely great! I had sambusa, jollof with fried fish with onions and tomatoes. My friend had the whole baked catfish...it was freakin' delicious. The staff are friendly and personable but they "opened" at 11 am but the owners didn't get there until 11! If you go, go with time to spare. BTW, my friend loves Drelyse so much, we drove from Louisville, KY to Columbus just to eat there.
(4)Charlotte F.
The appetizers were delicious, and the service was outstanding. The owner and my server both spent time helping me choose my first African meal. The meal itself was just above average, but thats probably because I didn't go more exotic...should have tried something other than chicken and rice (jollof)! OH, and the hand-washing ritual -- very cool!
(3)Vin R.
Now that my wife and I have found excellent Ethiopian food here in C-bus (Lalibela), we decided to experiment with other African foods. Via Yelp, we decided to try Drelyse. The restaurant is in a strip mall on Tamarack Circle (I'm finding that Columbus has many excellent restaurants hidden in random strip malls.) While I'm somewhat familiar with Ethiopian food, West African food is completely new to me, yet strangely comfortable. Based on other yelp reviews we went with sambusas and vitumbua for appetizers. The owner also brought us a spring roll. All three were excellent. The sambusa is very similar to an indian samosa. The vitumbua is a sort of heavy rice (?) cake that is pleasantly slightly sweet. There was an assortment of african beer and, oddly, Guinness bottled in Africa but sent to America. I went with "Nkulenu's Palm Drink" which was imported from Kenya. It is hard to describe, but very refreshing on a hot day. Give it a try when you go. I had the beef peanut butter soup with fufu. We also ordered a chipatti out of curiosity, which is similar to North Indian batura. The soup (when eaten with the chipatti) was reminiscent of malaysian roti canai and was very good. My wife had the beef spinach stew with rice which was also excellent. We also tried the plaintains which were tasty. The atmosphere in the (small) restaurant is very friendly and almost feels like you're visiting someone's home for dinner. There was a tv in the corner playing an african soap opera, which seemed to be centered around a couple that was pregnant against the wishes of their family and a lady with poorly controlled asthma who never could get to her albuterol inhaler in time... I digress. We met the owners...The husband runs the show out front (and kindly gave us samples of some of their food before we ordered.) The wife does much of the excellent work in the kitchen and chatted with us after we finished. The authentic way of eating this food is with your hands and, if you're up for it, they will wash your hands for you when you're finished. What a fantastic little restaurant. Thanks to Drelyse, I'm a fan of African food!
(5)Samantha L.
I was in the mood for something different and found Drelyse on Yelp. I'm not acquainted with Columbus but found my way to this mom and pop restaurant easily. As people have said, the owner is very nice and helpful. She even shared some of her photos with the governor when she catered an event.The menu is unknown to me but I was kindly given a sample before I ordered. Between two of us, I settled on the Jallof Rice and Chicken and the Beef Peanut Butter with Fufu. It's very flavorful, bold, and spiced food. I was given a plate plentiful of Jallof Rice topped with something spicy to eat it with. The Chicken had the crispiest skin and was covered in slices of tomato and onion. The Fufu is traditionally eaten with your hands but we opted for utensils. The peanut butter soup came in a large shallow bowl with the fufu in the middle. The beef soaked up all the soup and to my surprise, was a bit spicy as well (or maybe i just can't handle heat!). Definitely a new experience for me and I'd give it a try if you're feeling adventurous as well :) The meal came to be about $25 + tip. I will scan the menu as soon as I can :)
(5)Mark B.
The first time I visited, a number of other diners where eating the special grilled Tilapia, which you have to order ahead. This time I called ahead and got two orders of the grilled Tilapia. Excellent! It came with a spicy tomato/onion sauce and with sides of jollof rice and plantain. On this visit I got the vitumber and sambusa again, peanut butter soup with chicken (a big hit with the four kids), goat soup with chapati (another big hit), beef spinach stew, and chicken waakye. Oh, and the side of fried yam was really nice. Again, great service and great advice from the staff. Tried all the different African beers this trip as well. Well, as you can see, I tried a lot more of the menu and their special dish (the grilled Tilapia) and must raise them by a star. This is a great little African restaurant.
(5)Mandy K.
I don't review things obsessively, but Drelyse was so great that I thought it was necessary. I'm not *that* cuisine adventurous, so although I was interested in trying Drelyse, I was also hesitant. But everything was delicious! The vitumbua were delicious with the spicy (more flavorful than spicy sauce), and the sambusa was a good basic meaty hot pocket. I also tried the beef peanut butter soup, the beef spinach stew, and the jollof rice with chicken. They were all tasty, but the jollof rice with chicken was especially a standout. The flavors were strong and delicious, and the chicken was so tender it was falling off the bone. There was also a nice selection of some African beer and wine which excited my sister, who spent some time in Uganda. A lot of people might not like the banku, with its sour flavor, although I personally thought it was worth a try, and not awful. I was warned to stay away from the okra stews by people much braver than I, which have a slimy, gelatinous quality, and I think that was a good call. Beyond the food, though, we had a great server who removed any awkwardness I might have felt about being out of place. He was happy to explain anything on the menu and was very personable in general. I will definitely be coming back.
(5)adam s.
I've been here twice in the last two weeks. My girlfriend and I have tried most varieties of things on the menu. Currently, our favorites are the beef and spinach stew with fried plantains. The beef and peanut butter soup is excellent as well. Most recently we tried the Okra stew, also great, as well as some fufu (a fun texture) and Banku (kind of an acquired taste). This is a great find in Columbus!
(5)Miriam P.
Where do you go for West African food? Columbus. OH of course! Well I found my self on a very sudden and short trip to Columbus, OH. It's always strange to be in a city with no one else and nothing to do, so I resorted to one of my favorite activities....eating. With the help of yelpers I found this little unexpected gem. The last thing I expected to find was really good African food. Boy was I pleasantly surprised. Let me tell you though the drive there was a little sketchy. I am pretty sure I saw one guy that was urinating in plain view on the side of the road when I drove through the adjoining neighborhood. It was worth it! I would not say the area was so much scary, but I do hale from Miami, DC and Baltimore, so scary is a relative term. The peanut butter beef made y mouth water for more. The portions are huge. and You have got to start with the Sambosas. Not much in the vegitable department, but I was ok going total carnivore that evening. The place itself is not much to look at in a small shopping center. The inside was very clean and the tables had formal set tables that didn't exactly match the whole effect. There was fun music playing, but the also did have Fox news on (T.V. in a restaurant are a no no in my book) but we will forgive them. The owners were SUPER friendly and helpful. They warmed me about the "soup" being spicy. While it did have a tasty kick, it was no where near spicy for this hot cuban tamale. Try it you'll like it!
(5)Steven S.
What a great experience. Not only did we get a tasty Ghanaian meal, we got an enthusiastic background on Ghana (mostly b/c we were asking lots of questions). Lisa, the owner couldn't have been more friendly, and she helped us decipher the menu. Great stuff. I'd go back and recommend you give it a shot.
(4)s g.
Thanks, Yelpers -- I never would have discovered this gem without Yelp. I went with two friends last night, so we could try lots of things. We had the sambusa, vitumbua, and spring roll appetizers -- each better than the next, and only $1 each. As others have noted, the owners are incredibly friendly and helpful. She asked what we liked and determined that we were "adventurous" eaters (and remembered to warn me about which items had cilantro). We chose the Jallof chicken dish, a beef and spinach with plantains, and an okra-meat-crab dish. All were wonderful and very generous. Prices were very reasonable, too -- I only put $$ because we had appetizers, but you could have more than enough to eat without them. Check on line for a coupon before you go. The owner told me that if you want fish, call and order before you come, as it takes a little longer. I will be back to Drelyse soon. Enjoy.
(4)J W.
Delicious! Loved the strong flavors of the peanut soup and joloff rice with chicken. The Nem spring roll was outstanding as well. Not as big a fan of the spinach, but my bf liked it. Ooh, and the plantains...yum!
(4)Marisha H.
Amazingly delicious food with outstanding and friendly service. Having never been to a West African restaurant before, the server helped explain the various dishes on the menu and even brought out samples to try. The family that runs this restaurant is so very friendly and they take great pride in what they do. I would recommend Drelyse to everyone.
(5)Mike H.
I will start this review by saying that I've been to West Africa and have had a lot of the dishes on their menu right from the tap. They do a great job but I had some personal preference issues. I prefer my peanut butter soup more like a thick stew and served over rice. The Yassa was also different from what I remembered and a little on the salty side. The Jolof Rice and Beef Spinach Stew were great. I was disappointed that they didn't have the Chep Djan available because that was my favorite when I was traveling the area. To add to my disappointment, I tried to order this dish a couple years ago in a West African restaurant in Philly and was told the same thing! I guess I've just been unlucky. Strange though. I was hoping to see the ubiquitous super sweet minty gunpowder tea but didn't. For anyone interested... congocookbook.com/bevera… Drelyse: If you're reading this, ask a Senegalese person for a good Akara recipe. This was my all time favorite dish there. It would make a good West African addition to the app menu. For Yelpers, it's black eyed peas crushed, mixed with ingredients, rolled into balls, and deep fried. Like a bean fritter. Where I had it they would be served lined up on a fresh baguette with a light spicy palm oil, onion, and hot pepper stew, and eaten as a sandwich. I think it's served many different ways but this was my favorite. The best breakfast sandwich of all time! Sorry, I don't mean to be nit-picky. I guess it's unrealistic but I've been looking for the exact same dishes I had when I was in the region. Overall it was a great dining experience and I'll be back. A great place to go if you're not a picky eater and feel like being adventurous.
(4)Kate C.
Loved it! First visit was casual and welcoming. Definitely listen to your server for recommendations. Peanut Butter soup was lovely and the goat was great, too.
(5)Cornell S.
The Grilled Tilapia with Jollof Rice is my favorite dish. I have to get my fix at least twice a month, but I could actually eat it one a week. It takes time to prepare, but it worth the wait!
(4)Dereck E.
This was the first time that I had West African food and it was a very pleasant experience. The Peanut Butter Soup was very good! The service was good and friendly.
(4)Edward M.
had lunch there today for the first time. Food is excellent... exactly what you expect if you're familiar with African cuisine. If not.. it's still delicious but maybe a bit spicy for most palates. Owner is gracious, very warm and friendly and willing to modify dishes to your taste. Restaurant humble and very casual but warm.. it's almost like a "hole in the wall" with amazing food and wonderful owner. strongly recommended. Edward
(4)Beverly C.
Like someone's kitchen, Drelyse has this warm feeling making you feel right at home, it offers an impressive all day meal menu. Enjoy a meal with friends and family. What a great restaurant this is! The food is freshly prepared and tastes really good. Average meal consisting of a main course, appetizer and 2 beer's will be about $18/-. A variety of stews--including chicken, beef, goat and seafood--are served with rice. Make sure you try the Fufu, a traditional dish of pounded plantain and cassava root, Vitumbua, deep fried spongy goodness and the Grilled Tilapia and Banku. The somewhat spicy food pairs nicely with an African beer. There are several to choose from. Sit back, relax, and listen to Afropop and Reggae music as you enjoy a truly exotic meal. Say 'hello' for me to the chef/owner she is sweet and passionate about her work. Her husband is kind and accommodating and will greet you at the door on arrival, if you are a first timer to African Food he will help you choose based on preference and will also throw in some samples to taste before you order, I do not know any other restaurant that cares enough to do that for their customers. After our meal the owner/chef came by our table and chatted with us briefly. To our pleasent surprise we found that she does a whole lot of community work that truly got my attention. I was hugely impressed. Infact if you look up their website drelyse.com and click the Events section they have coupons you can redeem for food and make donations in exchange for a free meal. Now that is something extraordinary. They also offer free meals on Thanksgiving so people from Ohio listen up and drive down to support a cause in exchange for a delicious memorable meal. It can't get any sweeter than that!!!! If you are looking for a simple, warm home cooked meal with no bells and whistles this is it! You will be pleasantly surprised and go back for more.
(5)Moriah P.
I would eat here every-day if I could afford to. How much higher praise can I give than that? This place is awesome. The food is amazing, the people are lovely, and did I mention the food? Best, most tender gizzards that I've ever had (and I've eaten a lot of gizzards), I want to hoard their vitumba (think sweet puffy rice pancakes), spice levels are perfect, and jollof rice is heaven-sent. When they ask you your spice levels don't be afraid to tell them you like the heat, it's the kind that slowly builds in your mouth but, is never too much to handle. Go here. Seriously, I mean it. There's nothing more I can say.
(5)David S.
Very Good and Very Friendly!!! Highly recommended!!! Great food, great service, great prices! Staff was very helpful and answered any questions we had about the menu. Food is West African, different from Ethiopian. Can be spicy, but they'll adjust according to your taste. We've been there three times in two weeks. Get the vitumbua appetizer (or 4), great on it's own, dipped in sauce or use to clean up your soup bowl. The gizzards were also amazing(I know, doesn't sound tasty, but they were delicious!) Get the sambusas too, they're like Indian samosas, but less veggies, more beef, onion and savory spices. I could go on and on. Just go and try it:)
(5)Matt G.
Thank you fellow Yelpers!!! After some waaaaay inflated ratings on some places that I have found through surfing this site, you have come through big time. THIS PLACE KICKS ASS!!! Now, this is not a white table cloth place, it is not for a romantic dinner, there are many things it is not. What it is... it's family run restaurant that lacks polish and pretense and it's run by some of the nicest and most accommodating people that I have met in a long while. I have had Ethiopian food while in Chicago and was really underwhelmed. But since I was on business solo in Columbus, I took a chance and was rewarded. Beforehand, I looked at the reviews and read the menu. However, once I was inside this little place, the husband of the couple running the place introduced me to the perfect items to order and before I knew it I was enjoying a wonderful meal full of flavor and high quality ingredients. I tried the sambusas, which were meaty and a tad spicy. I had a spring roll and then the rice cake to start. Each item was a masterpiece on it's own. I was also offered a taste of the peanut butter soup which was anything but peanut buttery, but spicy, rich and complex. For my main course I had the Jollof rice with chicken. The rice was, as stated, a bit like dirty rice. The sauce on top was where the spice "hid" and there was quite a bit in there... I said hot was good. The onions and tomato "salsa" on the chicken was delicious and tangy. All the while, the owners looked out for me and made sure I enjoyed my meal. I also had a nice cold Tusker beer. When the bill came..... $18. You're kidding... for that quality... $18??? If this place was in Chicago, it would be packed and $30 for what I got. They need to get the word out... or maybe not. I will be back when I am back in town again.
(5)Instant Y.
Jollof chicken was great as were the sambusas
(5)Sabrina L.
We found this place on Yelp because I was feeling adventurous and I'm genuinely glad that we did. The restaurant is on the north side of Tamerack circle, just to the east of the Donatos. We ordered the rice cake and the sambusa as appetizers and both were excellent though I definitely give the edge to the rice cake. Plus, they were only a dollar a piece which was fantastic. For dinner my friend and I split a Jalloff Rice and Chicken entree and an order of plantains as a side. The rice was a great consistency, well seasoned and reminded me of dirty rice from Cajun fare. The chicken had a crispy skin and the meat beneath was moist and flavorful. The plantains were also excellent, perfectly done and a great compliment to the rice. The only letdown in the meal was the salad that came on the plate. The vegetables were crisp but the dressing tasted like low budget Italian, and didn't seem to fit the rest of the meal at all. The service was excellent and the woman who took our order was happy to explain the menu and allow us to share. I can't say that West African food is my new favorite but I can definitely say that if like me, you're looking for something adventurous, Drelyse is definitely the place.
(5)Berdawn H.
Drelyse is wonderful. Some friends and I ate there last night and we're all new to African food other than Ethiopian.The three of us shared goat with the cassava couscous and whole, grilled tilapia with jollof rice. Both were excellent and the fist was beautifully presented (we went for the head on). The owner generously agreed to fillet it and removed the spine after filling out plates with the top half of the fish. Crispy skin and no scales! The only beer available was a Kenyan lager (Tusker) but the owner told us that additional beers are often available but sell out more quickly. The only downside was that they had sold out of the okra dishes for the day, but considering the size of the servings, two entrees were more than enough for us. Things to be aware of: If you order the tilapia, it will take about 45 to prepare. There is another restaurant in the same plaza, "African restaurant", so depending on your route, you may need to drive around Tamarack Circle to reach Drelyse (it's to the left of a Donotos)
(4)Nick S.
Drelyse is a special place. The food was outstanding. The service was top-notch and incredibly friendly. Drelyse is the sort of restaurant that makes strange and intimidating foods seem accessible. We started with the vitambua. They're like sweet little rice pancakes. They were great. Very comforting. I wanted to pour syrup on them and have them for breakfast, or honey and eat them as a dessert. Next up were the sambusas. Another reviewed likened these to samosas, and I don't think that's very far off, but I don't think that does these justice either. I found them to be much richer than a samosa. They probably has something to do with it being stuffed with fatty ground beef. For entrees, everyone in the party ordered something different. I had the jollof rice with chicken. The rice was tasty. It did remind me of dirty rice as another review mentioned. The chicken was great: tender and juicy with a crispy skin. Someone else had the red red: A black-eyed pea stew served with plaintains and chicken. The plaintains were lightly fried, and were as good as any plaintains I've ever had. The stew was rich and smoky and spicy. The dinner that most impressed me, though, was the beef peanut butter stew with rice ball. The stew was intensely flavorful and the meet (actually lamb in this case as they were out of beef) was tender. When I want a spicy stew, this is what I want. Be warned, though, there are two West African restaurants on Tamarack Circle. The first time we tried to go, we ended up at the other one. It was not Drelyse. It was no where near as good. Lisa -- the proprietor -- told us that happens a lot. The sign very clearly says Drelyse, make sure you go to the right one (and make sure you go soon).
(5)Danny B.
I stopped in here the other day to try something different. The food was good. I had the Jolof Rice with the chicken simply because thats what most everyone here had and I was not disappointed. I also had one of the sambusa and it was tasty. It was very similar to an empanada. The owner was also really nice. He mentioned that if I were to come back I should try the peanut soup. He went ahead and gave me a free taste and its unlike any soup I've ever tasted. If I ever want to introduce a friend to new ethnic food this will be the place I take them. The only downside I have is that it was a little tricky finding this place.
(5)Samantha D.
My boyfriend and I went to Drelyse last weekend after seeing that it got great reviews on Yelp. We were not disappointed. It was absolutely wonderful. As has been mentioned in earlier reviews, the owner is a very amiable and approachable woman. She was very helpful in showing us how to eat our dishes with our hands without making a complete mess. We started the meal of with one vitumbua each. Vitumbua are rice patties that are fried to golden-brown and served while still warm. They are slightly sweet but not overpoweringly so, and they were so delicious that we were tempted to order more. For his main course, my boyfriend ordered the beef peanut butter soup with fufu (a doughy ball made of ground cassava). The owner showed us the proper technique for pinching off pieces of fufu, molding it into a sort of saucer shape, and using it to scoop up pieces of the soup. The soup was very flavorful and delicious, and the mellow taste and starchy texture of the fufu blended with the soup in perfect harmony. The pieces of beef in the soup were extremely rich and hearty. I had the grilled tilapia, which is the most pricey item on the menu but totally worth it. It is a whole fish, grilled completely intact, which is served to you covered with tomatoes, onions, and peppers and with a tomato relish on the side. It was the best fish I've ever eaten in the States. Every mouthful burst with flavor, and I ended up eating the whole fish in one sitting. As soon as we were done my boyfriend and I vowed that we would be back as soon as possible, and that next time we'd bring lots of friends with us with whom to share this gem! In short, everything about Drelyse is a wonderfully pleasant experience. The dining area is very clean and well-lit, the service is very friendly and timely, and the food is absolutely delicious. The owner said that there is also patio seating available in the summer, so if you're looking for a place to enjoy great food in the fresh air I would highly recommend Drelyse. DRELYSE WEST AFRICAN RESTAURANT: IT'S GREAT FOOD.
(5)Daryn G.
Drelyse was my first taste of West African cuisine and it was simply amazing. I discovered this place via Yelp and, once again, Yelp did not let me down! Pronounced Dreh-Leez, it's a little restaurant in the center of Tamarack Circle in North Columbus. The owners used to run a restaurant in Ghana, so the authenticity is unquestionable. The dining room had six 4-person tables, not huge, but it didn't need to be. The interior was very Mom-and-Pop, nice but not fancy. We arrived and started looking at the menu (available online at Drelyse.com ) and everything sounded great. We threw ourselves on the mercy of our host, the husband of the owner and a wonderful food guide. So kind and attentive, he did his best to steer us 'first-timers' to flavors more suited to the Western palate, but we assured him that we were foodies who had come for authentic food. He then, happily, pointed out the local favorites, local to Ghana that is. As we went over the menu, he brought 2 small bowls of soup for us to sample (like I said, he was very kind). One was goat soup and the other was peanut-butter beef soup and both had a few small bits of FuFu in it, a starchy, doughy dumpling. We tasted and swapped and decided they were both terrific. Drinking right from the bowl, the broths were so very rich and deep in flavor that I almost forgot to share. The beef soup was spicy and the goat soup was spicier, but neither was overly spicy and the flavor of the soup was complimented not overwhelmed, just enough to put a little sweat on the brow. We grabbed a pair of Tusker ales/beers, from Kenya, to wash it all down and it went well with the spicy food. Tusker is similar to Guinness, dark, strong, with a slightly nutty back-note. Our host explained that West African food is eaten with the hands and asked if we wanted silverware. We decided to remain true to the food. If it's to be eaten with your hands, so be it! He brought over a small ceramic basin of soapy water. We dipped our hands and gave them a quick wash. He then produced a ceramic jug of clean water which he poured over our hands to rinse them. I love a good food ritual, so this was fun and elegant at the same time. The samples really hadn't helped because now we wanted to taste everything! In the end, we decided on Sambusa and Vitumbua for appetizers. Sambusa is a small flaky pastry filled with spiced meat (and I mean filled, more meat than pastry) and served with a spicy-sweet sauce. Crisp and deliciously meaty. The Vitumbua was a dense, chewy fried dough muffin/biscuit/cake, lightly sweet but also savory at the same time. A great start! We chose Goat Soup and Jollof Rice with Chicken for our entrees. Our host brought out two steaming plates plus a softball-sized bread round. The bread round was actually a dish called Banku and it's a sticky ball of fermented cassava dough that felt very much like uncooked bread dough (just MUCH stickier, you have to eat it off your fingers or you'll never get it off). Grab a sticky wad of Banku, use it to grab a piece of meat from the soup, and eat both. Banku has a potato-ish taste and goes great with their soup. Tasty and fun! The Jollof Rice was bright red with a lovely sauce on top and I have never tasted rice with that much flavor before. No tableware, so the banku was used to eat the rice too. The tomatoes and onions on top of the chicken were spectacular and I cannot pretend to know how they made them taste so good. Maybe they were pickled, might be magic, but they were far tastier than the plain onion and tomato they seemed to be. The chicken, ah the chicken, I don't know what spices were on it, but it was really tender and so good. Packed with flavor through and through, not just a coating, but a permeated flavor that made for some really good eating right down to the last morsel! I'm a pretty big eater, but, since every bite included some banku, I filled up long before I cleaned my plate And I really wanted to clean my plate! And I wanted to clean the plates of the people sitting next to us (their fish dish looked awesome, takes 40 minutes to cook, so call ahead for that). I really wanted to be hungry again so I could order other items from the menu, but I was so stuffed that I didn't have room for dessert (or a deep breath). We repeated the hand-washing ritual again to clean up, but I wish I hadn't because, now, hours later, I would be happy if my hands tasted and smelled like their amazing food. I can honestly say it was better than finger licking good, it was lick-your-friend's-fingers good. Heck, it was knock-your-Momma-down good (yeah it's THAT good). I am looking forward to tasting every item on their menu, so I'm already planning a return trip. And it's only five minutes from my house! If you hit Drelyse, and I think you should, you'll probably see me there with a handful of food and a big smile on my face!
(5)Shaina H.
What a find! We got the Sambusas, the Joloff rice, and the Peanut butter stew with goat (fairly spicy but the goat was delicious!). The owner is very helpful and kind, even stayed open later than he wanted to for us and helped us to pick out what we would enjoy.
(4)Jake S.
Ok, Don't go here. Why? Because the place is small and has great food and if you go there I may not be able to get a table when I'm hungry. I better not see you there. I ordered chicken jollof and my son ordered the goat stew. We also ordered sambusa and vitumba both of which were good. The thing I like about the place is the friendly and helpful people running the place. They gave us samples of fried plantain and peanut butter soup to try and told us what to expect from the food with regard to spice and flavoring. My son ate the goat stew like a hungry animal. He actually found the place online and suggested we try it. We both liked it and will be coming back. But, please don't go there when I'm going :)
(5)Suzanne M.
Attention Columbus yelpers! For Americans, West African food is one of the great "undiscovered" ethnic cuisines. Drelyse African Restaurant is the ideal place to treat your self to culinary exploration. You'll realize just how much the cuisine of Ghana and Senegal has to offer: spicy stews, crispy meat-filled pastries and an intriguing variety of starches. Some of it will look kinda-sorta familiar--a lot of Southern and Caribbean food draws heavily on the heritage of African slaves taken from West Africa. For instance, Jollof rice is clearly related to jambalaya and dirty rice. However, its flavors are distinct from its New World cousins; richly savory with black pepper, tomato and onion. I don't mean to convey that I am an expert on West African cuisine. In fact, this trip to Drelyse was our first real life experience with it (apart from a horrid peanut stew cooked by a well-meaning housemate during college); my previous knowledge was limited to the written word and the television. The warm welcome and patient enthusiasm of the staff at Drelyse is a large part of the reason why I say that this restaurant is an ideal place to explore. We really enjoyed talking and learning from our server, the proprietress of the restaurant. We started out meal by washing our hands; the proprietress poured pitchers of warm water over our hands into specially provided basins. Ghanian food is traditionally eaten with the hands; however, the restaurant happily provides utensils for those who prefer them. We dug into our meal: Sambusas (fillo-dough pastry stuffed with meat and onion--actually east African), spicy goat stew with fufu (a giant dumpling made of potato and cassava dough) and jollof rice with chicken. We loved everything, but the Jollof rice with chicken really stood out as our favorite. The chicken was shatteringly crispy on the outside and and succulent on the inside. Perfection. A delicious tomato and pepper relish added a note of freshness. The rice was toothsome in flavor and texture without being overly rich. We accompanied it all with palm wine, a curious beverage that worked really well with spicy food. It reminded me of an earthier version of the Japanese soft-drink called Calpico. All in all, we look forward to coming back and trying out other items on the menu such as beef peanut stew, fried tilapia and a rice and beans dish called waakye. I encourage you to do the same.
(5)Matthew M.
My girlfriend and i stopped into Drelyse one cold night recently just because it looked interesting from the road. When we arrived inside, the dining room tables were set up in classy fashion and the manager woman was sitting down to have a meal. We talked with her and she was most pleasant, expanding on why it's important to make a good representation of classic African food and to run a clean, upstanding restaurant. Then a younger girl arrived who was perhaps the manager's daughter (you can see her in one of the pics i've posted), and got herself some food as well. She was pretty and shy about having her picture taken, but she said i could use her image on yelp. The manager directed my attention to the hand bowls on stands lined up along the wall that are used to wash one's hands before an African meal, since much of the food is eaten without utensils. We tried the lamb soup and--interestingly--the peanut butter soup and found both to be delicious and unique. I will definitely be going back again soon for a full dinner experience.
(5)Tim J.
Like most others on here, I found this restaurant on yelp, and am glad I did. The food was very good, I tried the jollof (sp) rice and goat stew, which was very good, but took 40 minutes to get, and when someone at another table brought up the fact that his friend at the same table got his food over ten minutes earlier though they ordered the same thing. She starts talking about how it has to be 165 and other US food codes, but I have been a chef for a while now, and you know that the food is prepared in advance, and hearing the microwave getting a work-out, yet hearing no pots or pans, confirmed my thoughts. She was telling the other guests to look a her reviews on here and other sites, and talked about serving the governor, OSU president, etc. and stating how much better she is at the top of her lungs. It might be the best African food around according to many, but it's still not five stars, with the craziness that took place, they are lucky to not get less truthfully.
(3)T K.
Just went recently with a group of friends. The place is in a little sketchy shopping strip. But don't let this keep you from coming to this place. The food is phenomenal. We got the goat soup, a beef dish, and a chicken dish...and a couple appetizers. All of it was fantastic. Lisa (the owner and our waiter) made sure we felt comfortable and asked if anyone had allergies. She was very attentive and was very helpful in explaining all the dishes. None in our group had had African food, but we will be back soon. The service is just like what everyone else says....it's great! We asked for ice, and supposedly they either ran out or do not carry ice. The waiter went out and bought a bag of ice. Great service! Anyone looking for great food and an adventure....check out this place! If you don't know what to get, let Lisa recommend dishes. Great job Lisa! We will be back soon.
(4)Caroline H.
This was my first time eating West African food and it was delicious!! My friend and I started out with the Sambusas and the Vitumbua's for an appetizer. The Sambusas were like little phylo meat pies with spices and onions, so yummy. The Vitumbuas were mashed rice with cinnamon and nutmeg and fried, almost like a doughnut. From there we had a sample of the goat soup since neither of us had ever had goat before...it was spicy and really tender, we were both pleasantly surprised. After that we had the peanut butter soup with beef and the Jollaf rice with chicken. It was so much food but it was all wonderful. The woman who waited on us ws so helpful in explaining thing. Wonderful experience I will be going back.
(4)Shoba N.
We visited Drelyse on a Tuesday night. There was one other gentleman finishing his meal but otherwise we had the place to ourselves (for 5 of us.) We met the owner/chef, her husband, and their teen-age daughter. So it is definitely family run! The owner was very patient with us, kindly explaining what was in each dish. She was careful to ask if we had any food allergies (many dishes are prepared with dried shrimp, which is not necessarily called out as an ingredient.) She was also very patient with me, a vegetarian - explaining what was cooked in chicken broth and what was truly vegetarian. I had a delicious plate of black eyed peas, white rice and plantains. Oh my it was soooo spicy!!! She was not joking when she said she would make it spicy. We also tried the sambusa (very similar to an indian samosa) and the "fried sticky rice balls" for $1 each. How can you go wrong? She is from Ghana (she speaks perfect British English, French and Ga - her native language.) The other 2 female chefs are from Senagal and Kenya. After preparing our meal, she was happy to come out and visit with us, explaining more about Ghana and her culture. Overall, a lovely Tuesday night dinner. Highly recommended for something out of the ordinairy.
(4)Rachel F.
Immediately welcomed and seated as soon as we walked in. The entire menu was explained to us, and popular dishes were pointed out. If we didn't know what something was, the waiter described it in American food descriptions. We tried two of the appetizers, sambusa and vitumbua. They were both delicious and I could have eaten many more of them. For dinner, we ordered two of the popular dishes to share. One dish you eat with your fingers. Right hands only, (we asked), and they washed your hands for you. The waiter taught us how to use our fingers to eat the food as well. An awesome place to try western African cuisines, and definitely a warm and welcome facility. I will take my friends there in the future.
(5)Matt D.
Who knew that Columbus would have great African food hiding out in a strip mall on the outskirts of town? If you're feeling adventurous and want some great homemade food, this is the spot. I thought the jollof rice with chicken was amazing: moist, well seasoned chicken and rice with an interesting shaved veg topping (not sure if it was pickled or what the preparation was, but it was really good). I was talked into the chicken gizzards by the manager, and I'm glad he was able to convince me. Surprisingly, I've never had them before. They're a little chewy, but perfectly prepared with a spicy sauce and more of that veg topping. I also had the peanut butter stew with goat, and while the goat was good, I wasn't in love with the broth.
(4)Adi P.
I loved it. This was first time experience for West African food and the owner is very friendly and very good person. Pretty good food and best service.
(5)Liz H.
This was by all accounts a wonderful meal. I yelped, and as a result went here to celebrate my birthday with my fiance, because West African was a type of food we had never tried before, and the place had just such great reviews. We were not disappointed at all. In fact, I now wish i lived closer to Columbus. It was a Sunday night, so a little quiet, and other than a group of young people who seemed to be there to peacefully watch tv and hang out, we were the only people in the restaurant. The enthusiastic and kind host greeted us, and asked us if we ever had African food before; we answered that we had, but only Ethiopian. He said that we would like this better and that he would introduce us to it by walking us through the menu. He was so helpful, and charismatic--extremely concerned about whether I could handle the spice level. He brought out samples to test me. I found it really endearing that he didn't want me to "fill up on water" but instead enjoy the delicious food. The amount of pride from the host made me really happy to be eating there. Once i tried the food. I was even happier. Our host wanted us to try everything. We got one of each appetizer, and they were yummy. They came with a hot sauce that was good, but I didn't have a lot of it. He brought out two small dishes of soup--the goat and peanut. They were both delicious. For the entre, he was pushing the Jollaf rice, and I was happy to order that. I got it with Tilapia filets, which came fried, I thought it would be grilled, but it was still absolutely lovely. The Jollaf came with this sauce on top that if i ever learned how to replicate it, I would put it on everything. The tilapia was smothered in marinated tomato and onions. It was really delicious. I misunderstood his description and thought it was both chicken and fish, rather than one or the other, but when i asked for it, he brought me out a chicken leg anyway, which was delicious. I would definitely agree with other reviewers about the pace of the meal. If you are in a rush, this isn't the place to go. I think we were there for about 2-3 hours. It was a very leisurely meal. We had a beer with dinner, some Kenyan lager, which was nice. We weren't offered another one, and at one point the host seemed to run out for a spell to go somewhere. There were folks there picking up to-go orders, who seemed to call it in and had a while to wait just the same. The host had told us though that certain things, like the whole tilapia, would take up to 45 minutes to prepare, so be ready for that. Altogether, we had one of each appetizer to share, a small taste of both soups, a beer to share, and then our entres, as mentioned, i got the tilapia witha chicken leg, and my partner got the goat. He loved his as well. The host also brought us out some Chapati (sp?). All of this food cost us somewhere around $30. I would recommend this place to anyone who likes to try new things, likes spicy and interesting food, and would be willing to go to dinner and let the host really treat you well. To some degree I felt like I had been invited over to someone's house for an intercultural dining experience, more than a meal at a restaurant. Just like if you were a guest in someone's home though, mark off the night, because you will be eating at the restaurant's pace -- food like this reminds you that great things come to those who wait.
(5)Joseph K.
I WANT TO GIVE THIS PLACE 10 STARS. This place is just absurdly, ridiculously, outrageously, unbelievably, ludicrously.. Visionary, utopian, and STOOPID (urbandictionary that to educate yourself) This place raised the bar for standards at any restaurant in terms of both dining experience and food flavor. This makes me want to travel the world and taste new flavors/textures. This food inspired me to start yelping. First of all, My friend and I walk in and are greeted by a fairly unassuming, lackadaisical building. Not the cleanest on the outside, but fine and homestyle on the inside. We were warmly greeted by the owner. We sit down, she explains what all the different types of food are. She is passionate about LIFE and food, you can just tell. We were unsure about getting fufu, stew or spinach dish ...she let us sample all of them. Oh btw, the grilled or fried tilapia is a staple of these types of African places. GET IT .please..just get it. She will recommend it, you must get it or you have not completely experienced life. She puts in the order first because it takes awhile to cook ( she tells you this, about 30 minutes, Never rush greatness...by the time you eat your other dishes, etc ..it's perfect timing for the fish) The other waiter (possibly the husband) came with a bowl to put our hands over, soap to wash our hands, and poured water over our hands ... ARE YOU SERIOUS. This is customer service. Ridiculous. Yet they knew when to back off and just let us enjoy the food. Impeccable timing and courtesy on their part. We ordered the goat stew w/fufu (starchy carb made of cassava, yam, and plantains usually with a distinct dough sticky consistency ....you either hate it or love it. .I LOVE IT) and grilled tilapia with cous cousand they were great. The goat's natural strong gaminess wasn't overpowering and was infused in the slow cooking process and the meat was very tender. Meat to fat/skin ratio was perfect. The stew had a nice spiciness to it but not too much. Tilapia (get the 15$ version ..not sure why they have a 14 vs. $15 version lol) So perfectly cooked, tender, crispy parts. The full fish comes out, so you get the cheek meat, etc everything. On top is a blend of onions, tomatoes in some marinade almost like an african pico de gallo ...ridiculously good... the tang cuts down on the richness of the fish. My friend and I ate the whole fish and realized that each bite becomes better. It's not overpowering with flavor, each bite is awesome, the texture changes, the fat ratio changes depending where you go on the fish. I wish I took a picture of the massacre. Thinking back, I realize that no other food experience has taken me to these heights...new taste buds were created ... which sucks because they're so hard to satisfy now. 1 slight qualm: African fufu is traditionally eaten with your hands. I did so ..but realized that the soap was a very scented soap ...so for the first few minutes, I was tasting the soap flavor + the fufu and goat stew. It was still good though ...and i'm sure most of you won't eat with your hands ...or maybe I underestimate you :) show me up .. Go to Drelyse, talk with the enthusiastic owner, get incredibly full for a fair price. I'm drooling as I finish writing this....right before I head to bed ...damn it.
(5)Wendy D.
The food here is very special and outstandingly delicious. The chicken was crispy and fried without any breading--moist and tender. The Joffe rice was spectacular and seasoned perfectly. It reminded me of a trip to Ghana I took over a decade ago. I also tried the peanut butter soup which was death level spicy, but flavorful and delicious. The fu fu was raw rice dough and suited the soup perfectly. The owners were friendly and accommodating especially since we came in 20 minutes before closing. We felt special and appreciated.
(5)Cece M.
This place is FANTASTIC!! First time trying African cuisine and I will be back. The goat is incredible tender and the flavors with everything I had, were amazing. The service was friendly. The place is spotless! 10 stars!
(5)Shuo F.
This was my first time at an African restaurant. A friend took me after going to the DMV and told me that I had to give it a try. My experience here was very pleasant. The owner was very pleasant and cordial. He welcomed us with a big smile and explained many of the dishes to us. I ordered the sambusa to start off with, which was very flavorful. These alone would be worth making a return trip for! For the entree I had the jollof rice with chicken and it was absolutely amazing! The rice was well seasoned and the perfect amount of spice for me. Next time I will venture out of my comfort zone and eat something besides chicken and rice haha.
(5)Jon B.
Cooked to order....dynamite. Peanut Butter stew with Goat, awesome. Chicken Gizzard special is not your granny's gizzards...authentic African home cooking. Tusker beer (Ethiopian) pairs exceptionally well with spicy goodness.
(5)Jessica I.
This was pretty much the ideal dining experience. Great food served by a deeply enthusiastic staff and made by loving hands. The place is humble but the food is magnificent. The food was rich, satisfying and full of nuanced spices. Great atmosphere with lots of west Africans streaming in and out and just a great vibe in the air. I felt fantastic after eating here, and I think that's only partially because of the really delicious food.
(5)Naiying C.
I was warned against getting the Okra soup but I got it anyways because I wanted to try something new and different. First couple bites were good but half way in, the okra texture got to me. I recommend coming here if you've never had African food, I need to go back to try other dishes!
(4)Wei L.
Really friendly and attentive guy making sure you are welcomed. Went over the menu and explained everything. First time rating African food. Was really goood! Will drop by again if I'm in the area.
(5)Justin P.
This place is fantastic! I came here with my co-workers for dinner, and everything we ingested was great. We started with two appetizers: sambusa (which is like an empanada filled with beef) and vitumbua (which was a small, doughy, fried rice ball...It's legit.) For my entree I had the beef stew; another co-worker had the goat stew; and someone else had the peanut butter beef stew. I assure you each piece of meat was scrumptious. And while it didn't look like a ton of food, I left full. The thing that impressed me the most was the service. Lyse (the owner) very patiently explained the menu and checked on us all the time. Can't wait to go back!
(5)Mark H.
Holy Crap! Yelpers you are right, this place is awesome! I had the Beef Peanut Butter Soup. Such a wonderful flavor. A bit spicy, not too hot. No real peanut taste, just a perfect flavor that is exactly what I wanted. The help there is great. Awesome service. I bit pricey but worth it. I love this place from the first taste. I will be back.
(5)Lola A.
Delicious foods mainly from the country of Ghana and some from Nigerian. Prior to my vegan days, this was my happy belly spot. Now I have to pray to the veggie gods to protect me from animal products when I am in the area and the will to stay away. Not sure if they have vegan options of many of their delicious dishes, but it is worth asking! Enter at your own risk fellow vegan and vegetarian brethren Anyway, service at Drelyse is EXCELLENT! They seem to care about making your experience there enjoyable.
(5)Kevin C.
My first foray into African food and all I can say is that I was very impressed with the attentiveness of the owner (I'm assuming he was the ower). My girlfriend and I went in, totally green, and not sure of what to eat. We were kindly given a run-down of all of the things on the menu. I ended up getting a sambusa and vitumbua for an appetizer. The sambusa seemed like it was similar to an Indian samosa...the difference being that this tasted fresh and homemade, which I can't say is the same for many Indian restaurants (I feel that the majority serve up frozen samosas). The vitumbua was excellent as was my favorite appetizer. My girlfriend ordered the peanut soup with goat and I had the jollof rice with goat. Both dishes were fantastic. The peanut butter soup had a slight taste of peanut butter but it wasn't overwhelming. The owner, at not expense of my own, brought out a small bowl of goat soup and I fell in love with that. We also tried the fufu and used it to dip into the peanut butter soup. The fufu was like a doughy, sticky ball of mashed potatoes - if that makes any sense. Long story short, if you're interested in some wonderful African cuisine, I highly recommend Drelyse. I will be going back often now.
(5)Margaret C.
Visited this place after being out of the state for a few years. It was just as good as I remembered. The service was helpful with samples to help us decide. The food was also just as tasty and exotic. I would highly recommend this place if you are looking for some new and unique flavors. -----Old Review------ Amazing service and tasty food. Definitely worth a visit. I've been using yelp to help me find delicious interesting places. This hidden gem definitely fit the bill. Not only was the food interesting, but it was tasty and reasonably priced. The waiter was thoughtful and friendly. He asked us if we had ever had African food before. Because we hadn't he was very helpful and considerate in guiding us in our selections. He even brought out samples of a few dishes to try so that we could gauge whether we could handle the spiciness of the food. He also gave us free appetizers and a African restaurant calendar when we left. When my friend first ask for goat, he told us they were out. But because my friend really wanted to give it a try he went back into the kitchen and saw what they could do. It took a little longer, but they were able to cook my friend a goat dish. All in all it was a great experience.
(5)Karyn M.
This was my first experience trying truly authentic African food. By authentic, i mean we were the only 2 people in the restaurant that were not African. I felt a little awkward at first, but the owner was super friendly. We inquired on the soups but ended up not ordering it and he brought out samples of it for us to try anyways. I came here as a recommendation from a patient of mine that is from Kenya. He told me to try the Jollof rice with chicken. We had that and the fried fish. It was soo good! I have mentioned this place to many of my friends and they really like it as well. African food is truly underrated.
(5)Van S.
Several coworkers and I made the trip to Drelyse for lunch. The gentlemen who greeted us took the time to step us through the menu and make helpful suggestions. We shared appetizers of vitumbua and sambusas. The vitumbua ($1 each) out-shined the pretty good sambusa ($1.50). It was a doughy, semi-sweet, fried rice ball. The sambusa had a nice flaky shell, but was on the small side. My lunch consisted of goat peanut butter soup with a side of rice and banku. I had never tried banku so I didn't know what I was in for. From what the gentlemen explained, banku should be eaten with a stew or soup and consists of fermented corn or cassava, corn in this case. It comes out as a baseball size ball of dough, and when you pinch a chunk off you get a strong sour aroma that is best described as "farm fresh". Most in the party tried it, but stuck with their jallof or white rice. Getting past the initial smell I did finish it, and enjoyed the texture and flavor when completely dunking it into my soup. I'm glad to have tried it, but I'll probably will stick with just rice next time. Sharing tastes between the party, I think I enjoyed the goat stew the most. I didn't get to try the waakye though. Overall the food was really good, but I limited my rating to a generous 4 star because the value didn't seem to be there. Not a terrible deal, but maybe a little on the high side compared to other African restaurants.
(4)Gail G.
The food was excellent. The joloff rice with chicken tasted authentic , just like my students would bring in to share. The banku was interesting and fun to eat. I was told it was an acquired taste, but I loved it. It had a wonderful texture and the aroma was pleasant. I enjoyed dunking it in all the sauces, especially the hot sauce. Overall food was good and the service was friendly. It was clean and the followed serve safe rules. It was a bite pricey compared to other African places
(4)Aziza S.
I am sitting down in this restaurant as we speak, the food is delicious, but the costumer service is a little choosy meaning that If you are from a certain country(west africa) to be precise or if they know you, you have somewhat of a better treatment, we were eating and 20 minutes after we were finished no one asked wether our food was good when the table next to us the owner came to the table about 5+ times to Check on them and she just kept walking passed us, we observed everything as we waited for our check For over 20 minutes......anyway food is good but go here if you are just looking for the food and not a welcoming environment because we did not feel welcomed.
(2)Daniela Z.
Drelyse has really good food. Love their jollof & chicken, and sweet potato & chofi (turkey tails). Banku & Tilapia very good too, but a little pricey (big size tho!). My problem going here is the 'host'. He is very rude and ignorant. Called in to place an order, he literally starts an argument with a customer in the restaurant, telling them they can leave, whilst I'm attempting to give my order over the fone. Doesn't even place me on hold to argue! Zero professionalism. I have called in and changed plans after speaking with him on more than one occasion, bcos he's simply rude. My recommendation is to keep him away from customer service. Otherwise, I love the food n the owner is a really lovely lady too.
(4)Divya R.
The goat soup is possibly the best thing I've eaten since moving to Columbus. Drelyse cooks from the heart and the experience here is humbling. I'm a regular here and crave it almost once every month. For someone who is very picky about what and where they eat, that has to say something.
(4)Sagim T.
I ordered a beef Sambusa (fried pastry filled with beef, onions, and spices) Vitumbua (sweet doughy rice cake) to start with. It came out very hot and good. I've had way better Sambusa home made and restaurant bought, but the Vitumbua was awesome, I felt like i can eat it all throught the day. For my entree, I ordered the Waakye with beef. Very good flavor. The soft texture of the bean/rice complimented the sauteed beef that was very succulent. But I feel like I went on an off day. Although it was good, the food didn't seem fresh, just maybe warmed up. The staff is very friendly, and makes you feel right at home.
(3)LeRue C.
Delish! I wanted to try Drelyse so badly that while I was up this way for work I order the Jollof Rice with Chicken to go and took it on the plane all the way back to Atlanta. My food survived the flight all except for the salad. I do no know what Drelyse puts in that rice but man on man, it is heavenly. The food was so good it was worth the looks on the plane and the comments about someone on here has something spicy. I felt bad for my seatmate but you have to do some odd things for the sake of good eats. Cheers to Drelyse!
(5)Rick K.
While visiting Columbus recently, we decided to be adventurous and try this place out. We had the peanut butter soup and jollof rice, with vitumbua and sambusas for appetizers. Wow, this place has it going perfectly. I am used to Nigerian food and a bit of other African, but never have I had it with the flavors here. Being Caucasian, you may get an odd look or two from the patrons, but the owner was beyond friendly and did not mind explaining things to my friend who were not as familiar with the cuisine. The meat is tender, cooked with bone attached (be careful if you're new, but it gives a lot more flavor), and worth the wait. Also you can do traditional eating here using fufu and your hands, so do a little bit of research beforehand so you are not caught too off-guard by the authenticity. Definitely worth eating here again, and looking at the tilapia he brought out to the table next to mine, I know what I will try next time I am in town.
(5)Gerry J.
Beside African Paradise, this is one other African restaurant that I regularly visit. I love love the Joloff rice with chicken. That dish alone can make this restaurant worthy of visit, truly a star. If you are on a more adventurous side, try the deep fried fish and goat soup or peanut butter soup. Love it. Most of the time, the owner will give you a sample of the soup, somehow they really recommend goat with everything. Do not really care about the appetizers, they are great but did not stand out as great as the entree. Great service too. The owner is very hospitable and he will walk you through some of the highlights on the menu. Sometimes it comes out as too friendly to me, especially when he tries to influence you on your choice of dish but hey, i would rather have that than an unfriendly waiter having a bad hair day.
(5)Marc S.
First time eating African cuisine and had no idea what will happen. Don't even know where to start. Walking into the restaurant it is not fancy schmancy no, not at all but it is honest to the bone. Ever experienced real hospitality? This is the place to experience it, a warm welcome and good advice on the menu. I told him that I cannot eat certain food containing gluten, eggs, nuts and milk. After a brief phone call discussing the menu with the chef we found a lot of food I can eat. And eating is what we did. It is delicious. 100% sure when I'm back in Ohio I will be there for some more food. They also offered us small samples to get a feeling about the food. They take pride in what they do, you can sense, feel and experience this. If you wanna taste something special, see how hospitality looks like. Go there.
(4)Sanchita D.
Great food and even better service! I was nervous at first because I had never had African food but they were so nice and told us what they thought we'd like an even brought us free samples! Such kind people and delicious food
(5)Sarah K.
WOW WOW WOW. This was one of my most amazing dining experiences of my life. I was only driving through Columbus and looked on Yelp to find an interesting place to stop and enjoy a meal. I really felt as though I was having dinner with them instead of at their establishment. It was a slower night so I'm sure that played into how much attention I got, but after revealing it was my first time, I really got a great introduction to West African Food and everything that was on the menu. I was offered samples of different dishes, taught how to eat fufu and peanut butter soup the authentic way with my hands, and was treated to some table side hand washing. It was a very comfortable and hospitable atmosphere and I enjoyed the food just as much as I enjoyed the service and experience. I would literally return to Columbus only to eat at this establishment. I'm not sure I'll find a better West African restaurant. Thank you for such a wonderful experience. Best!!
(5)Neha B.
So here's what. Drelyse is inconsistent. That bothers me. When it's good, it's spot-on. And when it isn't... well. The Boy and I returned to Drelyse after a month. I don't live in Columbus so I was pretty excited about our pilgrimage. I called in advance to check that they'd be open when we arrived, and the person who answered the phone said "Yes of course" and seemed bemused and slightly indignant. I explained that the last time I'd tried to come by, they had closed their kitchen--it was an hour earlier than their supposed closing time. He retorted that that must have been a Sunday; I said no, it was a Thursday evening, but no matter, I was on my way. But he wouldn't let it go, and kept talking about how I must have been wrong. I kept saying, "Okay, no worries," but no dice. We arrived at the restaurant. The TV was on and really loud; there were maybe two other patrons there. It made talking difficult. Admittedly, eventually we asked gently whether the TV could be turned down a tad and they did. So that's good. We ordered quite a lot of food--including our favorites, the vittambua and the goat stew. I asked for my food not to be too spicy. The vittambua came out. Not very good. I was so disappointed; I rarely eat sugar (except to eat Jeni's ice cream; omg) and when I do, it has to be worth it (have I already said Jeni's? Jeni's!) The vittambua wasn't. Fine. Whatever. The food comes out. I start eating. I bite into chilis. The food is spicy. The dude swings by to ask how things are and I say this is too spicy. You know what he does? He starts talking. "Oh, no, this is not spicy! It can't be. I told the kitchen." I said, "Look, I just bit into chilis." He said, "There are no chilis in there!" Oh my god. Just say "oh no, so sorry" and take it back. Nope. He leans over and looks at my plate and says, "Oh, it must the *salad* that's spicy--that has chilis in it sometimes. But she [presumably a cook] picked the chilis out." Oh. So now you admit that there are chilis in the dish. And you're telling me it was made with chilis that someone picked out by hand, and not effectively. Well, that's appetizing. It was just a bit much for me and I wasn't in the mood to confront, so I said, "Don't worry about it," and turned back to my food. But, as with the phone incident, our man wasn't done. He walked away still saying, "But there are no chilis in the goat stew. I told the kitchen..." I was relieved when he went away. For a second. Because then he came back! And he said, "But Indians eat spicy! You don't eat spicy? You Indian, right? Man, Indian food is so spicy. They really like their spicy!" Now, here's what. I'm as American as I am Indian. I can handle more spice than many and less than others. Indian cooking varies a lot and it isn't all hot. And none of this matters because I asked for something non-spicy, and you brought me something spicy, then denied that it could be your mistake and insisted that I was wrong, and then you return to basically be completely insulting (and ignorant). The Boy placed a hand discreetly on my knee, and I closed my mouth instead of telling him what I thought. I picked around my meal as best I could; we finished and headed out. Here's the thing. I like good food. I am totally fine with a hole-in-the-wall. I can even make peace with slow or forgetful service. But I have a hard time when there is disrespect involved, and I felt that I was disrespected. I don't know that I want to go back. I might--who knows, the food might be good again--and the dude might leave me the f*ck alone. The Boy, by the way, got very different treatment. He's Nordic-looking, so the dude assumed he didn't know how to eat with his hand. That's not unfair. The Boy demonstrated and the the dude was delighted, clapping him on the shoulder and extolling his praises. And his food was fine. And my food wasn't bad at all; it was quite yummy, only it was f*ckall spicy and I had specifically--well, you know that story. So there we are. Come on, Drelyse. Get your act together. Don't be douchey. Just replace the food and stop insisting that the customer must be wrong.
(2)Mike K.
WOW! Out of all the African food I have had This place has taken the cake (the only better cook is my dad lol). Staff is really friendly, clean, fast, and fun. I had a great experience while ordering with tons of good suggestions for my friend whom has never had African food. This is the spot to go to if you are ever craving some Jellof or Fufu to make your day 10x better!
(5)Miss C.
This was our first African food experience. I was very impressed. The peanut butter soup was fantastic. The staff was very helpful and polite. The service was 5 star! We had a great experience. I liked vitambua & the plantains too. I'm looking forward to trying more African food!
(4)Michelle S.
I finally tried this place out with a friend. My sister recommended this place. The area is in sort of an odd spot because you have to go through a neighborhood to get to it. I'm not good at reviews... Anyways, I tried the vitumbua which as an appetizer made of rice that has been fried. You don't taste the rice. It is a little bit of a sweet taste. This appetizer was pretty good mostly due to the texture. I liked it. I ordered the Joloff rice with chicken. I never had African food before so I'm not sure how it's supposed to taste. It's pretty good. I wouldn't say the food is AMAZING but I do think everything there is pretty good. I liked the house salad also. The nice man let us try the goat soup and I think that people who like goat would like this dish but I'm not a fan of goat or lamb which I believe has a similar taste. It has a bit of a spice to it. I thought it was a nice change to try something new. I wasn't disappointed. I really liked the plantains too. I ordered some of this food to have my bf try. I agree with people the owners of the restaurant are charming :) Be sure to get the COUPON on their website and print it out!
(4)Kate H.
Drelyse sits in a nondescript strip mall on Tamarack Circle. This was an experience. If you go here, treat it as such. The place runs on a different time schedule, so don't go here if you are in a hurry. Plan at least an hour and a half for dinner. And listen, LISTEN to the owner and get what he tells you to get. I didn't do a particularly good job of listening and ordered the beef/spinach stew (meh) and plantains... plantains rocked it, especially with the hot sauce. Owner insisted on giving me some beef stew with joffee rice (which was fantastic). My dining companion had the goat soup with fufu (sticky plantain bread used to eat the soup with your hands). Very spicy and excellent. We had vitumbau (think African beneighs) and spring rolls for appetizers. Probably may favorites. We drank palm wine and had a blast.
(4)Martha Z.
Absolutely delicious! When we visited Columbus we went here twice. My husband is from Ghana, and even he said it was good. The funny thing is there is a lot of drama between the family members who own and run it. You can hear the guy who runs the show complaining about his wife and her kids from the kitchen. It seems like a very dysfunctional family. I hope they are able to keep it together and stay in business.
(5)Greg S.
I have eaten here many times and as yet have not thought to write a review!. What can I say the food is fantastic, fresh and always flavorful. The staff is polite and most courteous. I could write a long winded review detailing each dish I have tried but to be honest I have found everything on the menu that I have tried so far to be wonderful. If you have never tried the food here then you are seriously missing out on an almost religious experience.
(5)