Kilimandjaro Restaurant

Excellent food, sometimes takes time to arrive but totally worth it. Poulet Senegal and chicken shawarma are absolute favorites, will try Dibi lamb next time. Oh and cash only

FRICKIN DELICIOUS!!! The restaurant is really small, but the food is fantastic and cheap. We (party of 8) called the day of to reserve seats and had to change our reservation around last minute, and the staff was pleasant and accommodating. I’d highly recommend this restaurant!

Cash only. Plenty of parking. Small restaurant and cozy restaurant. Good prices for the amount of food.
Everyone on Unilocal was raving about the fish, I went ahead and got grilled tilapia with jollof rice. Fish was amazing.
Boyfriend got chicken kabobs which was also very flavorful.
Service is what you’d expect from a mom and pop shop. Food took a little longer than usual but it may be because of the fish.
This is also a great take out place — really worth to for take out!
Overall, my belly is happy and so am I!

Very interesting cuisine. Sincere staff and flavorful dishes. We had the fish sauce gumbo and mafe with plantain side. Definitely can give it a try.

I have been here thrice before, but this review will cover my most recent trip.
Based on the presentation, taste and quality of the food alone, this restaurant is amazing. However, there are some other logistical details that unfortunately keep my mouse hovering at the four star mark online. First, the venue is small and so beware of trying to find a table during peak dinner hours. Additionally, I didn’t see any table that would seat more than 6 people, so unfortunately not a place to bring your entire extended family. At the same time, the waitstaff were very accommodating in allowing our group of three to pull up another chair at a clearly two person table. The menu is outdated and in fact, the waitress apologized to say that about 3 – 4 items aren’t even made anymore. As a result, there are a sparse number of offerings made at dinner. This time I ordered Sauce Feuille with lamb and it was probably the second most delicious item I’ve had there, although I was a little nonplussed to find fish bones in the sauce. Ranked number one, in case you’re wondering, is the rich peanut butter curry or Mafe. My companions ordered the Yassa fish and the whole fish. They were blown out of the water (pun intended). I’m also a fan of the presentation of their side orders such as their rice which comes as a beautiful compact sphere on your plate. Other sides are served in long, undulating, horizontal bowls. Another plus is how hot the food is when it is brought out and that for a small-​medium sized person like myself, your entrée is easily 2.5 meals.
This is a great affordable restaurant for a small group of people that offers unique and wholly satisfying dishes. A final note is that they don’t accept credit cards! Don’t say we didn’t warn you.

This is my first time eating at an African restaurant, and the flavors of the incredibly cheap meal I got really blew me away. I should note that this was lunch, so dinner may be pricier (and the menu looked very different).
+ Chicken and rice dish — $ 9 — combination of seasonings and caramelized onions were the dominant flavors and were an incredible complement to the perfectly cooked bone-​on chicken and bed of short grain rice. Savory, a tad bit of sweet from the onions, and the scent wafting from the restaurant pretty much said it all. I would really like to know how they achieved that level of flavor and how the onions were cooked, because that really made the dish.
+ Ginger and mango juice — Also incredible. Probably one of the most ginger-​y drinks I’ve had.
For me, the $ 9 entrée alone was enough for 2 meals. Definitely worth the walk from university area, and I will be back to try their other dishes (including the fish I’ve read so much about).
Cash only!

I don’t know what they put in those onions, but it’s amazing. This little BYOB is making some terrific food.
We started with an order of plantains, and when I looked at it, I was worried that they weren’t caramelized enough. I shouldn’t have been. The sweetness of the plantain mixed with the spice on the onions perfectly. I could have eaten plates of this.
My dinner date ordered the Yassa Shrimp which also had some spice to it. It was sauteed with onions, garlic, habanero, and a bunch of other stuff. Great taste, she also reported enjoying it.
I had the lamb shank. Served with the same onion that came with the plantains and some red (brown?) rice. The lamb was excellently cooked, pulled off the bone cleanly, and was paired with the spiced onions to make a terrific dish. The red rice had am earthly taste that I enjoyed, better than a lot of fried rice that I’ve had.
The service was terrific. I could not believe when the server brought out my lamb and told me that the shank was too small, so they were going to bring me out a second one (the lamb didn’t look small to me). I have never had that happen ever before, I am very impressed with the level of customer service.
Private lot for parking, always a plus. A liquor store right next door. Go grab a bottle and have a delicious dinner.

So I met some friends for dinner here tonight and I had a lovely time. It is BYOB so bring plenty of booze, tip, wine and spirits is right next door. The food was good and the portions were great. The only issue is the slow and forgetful service. We also spotted a few creepy crawlys on the floor, which spooked us but is probably expected in a place like this. They were missing a lot of menu items tonight, saying they didn’t have it. As long as your expectations aren’t too high, this is a solid place to get cheap food and put a few back.

The dinner service is really slow. Sometimes they have only one server, which makes things even worse given how popular this place can get. That’s my only real complaint because both times that I have been here, I have had to bring the check up to the register myself.
First time I came here was a few months ago, I got the tilapia with fried rice, and plantains. Don’t get me wrong, food is really good. Fish is charred and very succulent on the inside. Plantains are slightly sweet and served with chopped onions.
Second time I went here, I think that I got the same thing by mistake. I ordered the red snapper, however I think that I had the tilapia again because I got charged $ 12 and the server insisted that it wasn’t snapper lol.
Overall, the service is really lacking here. I really think they need another server, given the popularity.

The fried snapper was really good. The plantains were really good. The fried rice was very good and it also tasted like chinese fried rice with smaller grained rice.
I liked the place. It’s in a small strip mall with minimal parking. Try to get there earlier to avoid a wait.

I live in Kilamandjaro. I’ve been eating there since 2008 and I haven’t stopped. I go there so much the owners can recognize my voice over the phone. I even had my graduation dinner there!
My favorite dish is the Fish Yassa. It’s so good I could eat the seasoned onions by itself. If you want appetizers definitely get the beef patties or plantain. The grilled chicken and Dibi chicken is good too. Great spot for a date night or just hanging out with friends. It’s also a BYOB. People of all races enjoy their food & if you try it I can guarantee you’ll find something you like.

Best African restaurant in town, my 2^nd time to visit kilimandjaro restaurant but they food blow my mind, so authentic
I think I will move around this restaurant to be able to come everyday.

Kilamandjaro is often labeled as the most accessible of all the west Philly African restaurants. That’s mainly because of its location very near to the University of Pennsylvania campus and rapid transit. It is also colorfully and attractively decorated on the inside… although they could use some new seating as a couple of the seats and banquettes were torn. The food here is very reliable… although not spectacular. I recently enjoyed a maafe lamb and rice dish here. The peanut sauce was excellent … and made even better when I requested hot sauce. The lamb in the Maafe, however was not of the best quality in my opinion — a little too much fat and bone at the same time. Service was competent but my water glass was never refilled after I pretty early on finished the water. All in all a solid University City African restaurant that has a little room for improvement.

I really wanted to love this place but my experience here was very so-​so. The most frustrating part was being repeatedly told that whatever we had wanted to try was out for the day — this was before dinner hours, too! Why even have a menu? After a few futile attempts, we finally gave up and just asked what was actually still available. Ended up with a chicken dish and a lamb dish. To be fair, they both tasted fine but were nothing spectacular and just not what we’d wanted.
I’m still looking forward to returning for the other dishes, but probably won’t try again for dinner.

Wow, I started this review over a year and half ago and never finished writing it. Good thing I remember how good the food was.
Kilimandjaro is by far one of the most unique and great tasting restaurants in the Philly area. I’ve never been to Africa but having traveled all over the world, I can imaging this is pretty authentic dishes. The portions are generous and the drinks they had were interesting (to say the least). I went with two other people and we all ordered something different so that we can have a taste of each other’s plates. They were all really good. Only my friend’s drink was weird but I guess it’s a matter of opinion because she really liked it.
Service was good though rather slower paced. Most of the people who worked here at very limited English proficiency so I’m going to chalk it up to cultural differences that I’m sensing here.
Make sure to call in advance, the time of when they open varies and Unilocal nor their website is correct and they’re both different.
Parking: Small shared lot or metered street
Price: $ 12+ per person
Wait: 20 mins

So I was very excited to try this place out as it came highly recommended by a friend. I tried to order several items on the menu which I was told were not available… I kind of had a blank stare because it was around 5 p. m in the afternoon and I began to wonder what the dinner service would look like…
After being unsuccessful at picking items directly off the menu I started to use Pictures from Unilocal to point out what I wanted to try… Turns out they didn’t have it. I ended up settling on a chicken dish with brown fried rice apparently they did not have the red rice…
I found the food to be rather salty! While I liked the flavor of the rice it was too salty to enjoy. The chicken was a little on the tough side and tasted as though it had been pre-​made. The portion size was also off as it was not even the side of a quarter chicken. The meal was not balanced as there were bit no vegetables, a slice of tomato and a slice of cucumber. Also I would have appreciated some gravy.
Well the question is, will I return? I think not. I would not drive from New York City for this, I would rather opt for a local option. I really had wanted to try the red rice but alas something are not meant to be. Also I didn’t like that they only had tilapia fish.
A shout out to the lady who took the order, she was very patient and helpful as I navigated through a menu which did not reflect what was truly available. She is the reason for two stars instead of one.

First can you say amazing? No you can’t because the food is in your mouth and feel like this is heaven I’ve finally made it. The seasoning is on point or pot much not to little. It’s juicy and rarest and all a round great. The fiber drink has now become my favorite and I’ll be on a search in Cali for it. Its not too sweet and not too spicy. The couscous reminds me of achake (hope o spelled it right) but I think I like this better. Oh and don’t get me started on the prices! They’re seriously the best I’ve seen for African food.
Seriously though the food is THE BEST African food over tasted. This is going to become a staple when I come back to Philly definitely glad I came here during my little trip from Cali. If you’re in Philly or just visiting go to this place!!!

Few I know in West Philadelphia have heard of Kilimandjaro, and I’m not surprised. Its exterior is nondescript, and the restaurant itself is situated adjacent to the local liquor store. However, upon stumbling upon its Unilocal page I knew I had to go.
The restaurant has no frills to it, with minimal decoration outside of some African art decorating the walls. The menu is also very simple, helpful given my lack of exposure to African cuisine. Simply put, the portions are generous. I ordered the Poisson and received an entire grilled tilapia which I paired with a side of steamed vegetables. Meanwhile my friend received a half rotisserie chicken. His side of rice tasted great, resembling couscous. The theme of the meal was certainly spice, as a variety of spices were used to season the rice, chicken, and fish.
It’s a good thing we didn’t order more, because the entrees were more than we could finish. This was a shame as the rest of the menu looked very appetizing as well. Kilimandjaro also has a lunch special and serves as a BYO. If you are in the area and ever feel a little bit adventurous, this place is certainly a good place to try.

Had an excellent meal here. Expect the service to be pretty slow, but they were gracious and friendly.
I got the chicken brochettes (French for kebabs) along with the Senagalese rice. Both dishes were good. The chicken was outstanding. It was clearly thoughtfully marinated and grilled to give just the right amount of char. This is some of the best chicken I’ve ever had. Delicious.
The rice was great as well. It was a short grain served tossed with peas and carrots. Cooked in a fermented bean. It tasted like soy a little but that could simply be due to my palette being unaccustomed to African cuisine.
Having been dissatisfied with Ethiopian food in the past, it was a pleasant surprise that this west African fare was quite appealing and not too foreign for my admittedly westernized taste.

The food is AMAZING, but their service is garbage. I will always credit Kilimandjaro for beginning what is sure to be a lifelong love affair with Senegalese cuisine. The flavors were amazing and addictive, and I’ve already started scouring Unilocal reviews in search of something similar that’s closer to home.
Kilimandjaro has nothing to offer in the way of ambiance or service. There is not décor to speak of, and their table layout seems very inefficient. The waitress was very scatterbrained. We waited for everything: for our table to be cleaned, for menus, for our beverages. Everything takes a while because they are very busy and short staffed. We ordered the fataya to start. It took an eternity, and when it did arrive, we were not provided with plates or utensils. They provided a stingy, half short glass’ worth of hot sauce. I would have been annoyed had these beef patties not been some of the most delicious I’ve had in my life. I held my tongue and waited for my entrée.
It took approximately 45 minutes for our main dishes to come out of the kitchen. That may be the longest I’ve waited … ever. I had the fish yassa and my boyfriend had the senegalese chicken. I requested the cous cous, while he requested the brown rice. She absolutely refused to make any amendments, which was weird, because my cous cous dame in a separate bowl and we ended up trading once the food arrived at the table anyway. But, the food was mind blowing. The spices were very strong, in the best way possible. I’m not sure who had the better dish, it may have been a toss up. Either way, I walked out of their with a new respect and obsession for Senegalese cuisine.
Tips for dining here: Come here when you have a good amount of time to kill, and are in no rush to be anywhere. Order take-​out if possible, or call ahead if it’s not possible to place your order and alleviate wait time. Get ready to enjoy a culinary trip to Senegal, and an incredible meal.