Teranga

I declare victory over my first African dining experience, by way of Senegal.
The food served at Teranga seemed to have a heavy French/​northern African influence, but the flavors are very similar to what you see in Caribbean cooking.
We walked in With all sorts of skepticism! The menu does a good job explaining the food in detail, even pointing out similarities to more familiar dishes, which is great when you have so many questions.
For Dinner we had:
–croquette du poisson. Basically a cod fish croquette/​cake. Well seasoned, not too fishy, perfect texture.
–sweet plantain. Loooooved!
–Mafé. The most popular dish on the menu. A lamb stew with a side of jasmine rice.
–michoui. Tender fall off the bone lamb shank with a side of couscous.
All done well, all beautifully plated.
The folk in the south end are always up for a culinary adventure, thus Teranga is in the perfect location. I have no reference point, but all things considered, this wasn’t as scary as I would have imagined. Teranga is a good transition into African dining and a good option for those looking to take a break from the same old.

This place had been on my to-​try list forever, and my roommate and I finally went for a «you’re almost done with finals» dinner, and I’m so glad I did (and so upset I hadn’t tried this place earlier).
It’s a pretty intimate and potentially romantic spot, but it was also good for us having a casual conversation. We were seated right away in the back, but I asked to be seated near a window since it was really dark in the restaurant.
The menu had a lot of interesting options, but we decided on the Thiébou Djeun (national dish) and the lamb Mafé (which was recommended by our server). Our food took a really long time to come, but we weren’t starving so it was fine.
The national dish was good, and I’m glad I tried it, but I wouldn’t order it again. The lamb, on the other hand, was amazing. The meat was really tender and flavorful. The waiter’s recommendation on point. We also got it with plantain (or yucca possibly) fries instead of rice, and they were really good as well.
Portion sizes were good — we split the two entrees and were full afterward. The apps and drinks sounded amazing though.
All in all, I’ll definitely be back here!

Teranga is a cute, upbeat place with an authentic feel to it and conveniently on Mass. Ave. The waiters are super friendly, as I had the pleasure of both waiters working there serve me. Both attended to my needs, and gave nice descriptions to what was on the menu. Another plus, one of the waiters on standby came to my side immediately while I choked a bit on my ginger juice and asked if everything was ok. He also cracked a little joke. Hospitality was great.
I ordered a ginger juice, that was pretty strong and spicy (not for the faint-​hearted) and the Dibi, which was lamb with sweet potato fries and onions. You can sub any side with anything else so I got rice instead. I had the lamb cooked on medium but it came out to be more of a medium rare and it was tough to eat. My waiter was kind enough to take it back to cook even more and it came back well done. This time, it was still tough but I was more comfortable eating it then.
Overall, I think the food was ok with a good amount of flavor but what bumped their rating was the five star hospitality. Maybe I’ll come back and try something else.

The food is amazing! Incredibly fresh, savory and delicious. The service was on point and everyone was incredibly friendly. We will surely be returning.

I had a bad experiences dinner here on my birthday. I don’t usealy write the review for business, the food was not great, like over cook. bad service i never have. Waiting 1hr 30 minutes for entry but never come out. No one come to check ur table.(restaurent not
busy at all) not recommend this restaurant, if you don’t want to angry yourself why come here.

Mm Mmm Mmm. The lamb shank (Michoui) is delicious. I doubt that one person could eat this whole shank, really awesome to share! The couscous is cooked perfectly and has a little bit of spice to it. The lamb shank is huge and the meat just falls off the bone. The ratio of fat/​meat was perfect. There is also an onion sauce that they place on top of the meat which compliments the couscous and the meat. ⁴⁄₅
We came in for a drink and ended up trying the shank because it was so highly rated. I don’t remember what we ordered but the drink was average and the food was good. The prices online are NOT the same as the restaurant. The total was definitely higher than expected.
Service was friendly but on the slow side. Food is definitely a 4 but drinks/​service bring it down a little.

This authentic Senegalese restaurant is so different from most other South End restaurants, and for this reason alone it’s worth a visit. The African cuisine is also a nice change of pace from the typical new American small plates menus.
You won’t see exposed filament lightbulbs or chef towel napkins. Instead, you’ll find yourself in a small, cozy restaurant with comfy padded chairs and simple place settings. The staff is friendly and we felt the service was just right — not too slow or too rushed (we sat at the bar).
As for the meal, it was nice to try some Senegalese dishes. The Mafé is really not to be missed — the lamb meat falls off the bone (yes, there are bones in the dish, but it’s hard to mind picking around them because it’s clear this is where some of the flavor comes from!) and the sauce is rich and delicious. The appetizers, however, were less memorable. We had the spring rolls (Nems) and something else that was fried… Both were crispy and crunchy but not especially flavorful, even with the accompanying sauce. (My go-​to for killer spring rolls is the Rouleaux at Elephant Walk down the street). We also had a side of the plantains, which were again crunchy but unimpressive (I recommend the Maracucitos at Orinoco for an incredible plantain experience!).
To drink, we had some enjoyable red wine. We inquired about the African sake which is an ingredient in a few of the cocktails, but our server was not able to offer us a taste because all of the cocktails are already mixed by dinner service time. (No wonder the bar had no bar tools or other equipment behind it.)
All in all, Teranga was a pleasant dining experience that felt far from ordinary for the South End. I would return to try some of the other menu items.

Really a fantastic restaurant. The ambiance, décor, and staff are excellent.
The croquettes de poisson (fish cakes) and vegetarian nems (spring rolls) are both great appetizers.
All of the salads are excellent. Try the Salade Ordinaire
The Thiéboy Djeun (National Dish) is tremendous, such flavorful fish and a slight but of heat without being acutely spicy.
We tried a mango dessert whose name escapes me, that wasn’t on the menu, but needless to say it was very, very good.
Only complain would be that it is a bit overpriced. For example, $ 10 for the fish cake appetizer which comes with 3 pieces, each barely bigger than a half dollar coin.

My wife and I went to Teranga for Valentine’s Day, and I have to say that I’ve never had a restaurant experience as bad this. This was the WORST restaurant I have ever been too.
We made a reservation for 7:30 PM a few days earlier, but when we arrived, we were told that the restaurant does not actually take reservations. I was pushed a bit for information on how this was possible, as I had a decently long phone call with the restaurant concerning the booking. And the details of the evening. Regardless, we were told that there was no table for us, but that we could sit at the bar and wait for one to open up.
At the bar, we were given menus with completely different prices than the website indicates. The difference wasn’t a paltry dollar or two, either. Everything was significantly more expensive.
We each ordered a cocktail and appetizers. I received mine immediately, but my wife’s cocktail never showed up. After about ten minutes of looking at this one lonely cocktail, I grabbed the waitress to ask what was going on. She had totally forgotten about the other cocktail, and dropped what she was doing to make it. Normally I would appreciate this, but I imagine that she probably forgot something else in the meantime.
After receiving my wife’s cocktail, we were delighted to see a table open up, only to be filled immediately by another couple that just arrived. I’m sorry, but we had reservations and were promised to be seated at the next available table. We had been at the restaurant for 30 minutes, fought for our drinks, and still had not received our appetizers. I told the older male waiter/​bartender/​whatever that if we weren’t sitting at a table in ten minutes we were leaving.
Somehow they managed to get us a table, and about 15 minutes later brought us the wrong appetizer. I asked for the correct appetizers and ordered our entrees. After another 15 minutes or so I asked the waitress to confirm what we had ordered, only to find out that she had never actually written it down and had forgotten everything. She did, however, tell us that the items we actually ordered (their «national dish») were unavailable. We stood up, paid for our drinks, and left. Happy Valentines Day, I guess.
All in all, the experience was awful. The one bathroom has no lock, the service is terrible, the whole reservation thing is a nightmare, and I assume the food would have been cold and/​or the wrong thing, if it had actually ever come out. There were no apologies, no explanations, and the only positive take-​away was that the cocktails were good. Here’s a star for that.
Never coming back, my advice to all others is STAY AWAY FROM THIS RESTAURANT!!!

This is the third Senegalese place I’ve been to (the other two: Bissap Baobab Oakland – go for the yassa and pastelles & Patisserie des Ambassades in NYC – serves great sweet plantains and bottled ginger drink + sandwiches). I would skip the fish croquettes, but absolutely recommend the thiebou djeun – best decision to get this dish! And for dessert the molten chocolate cake was small but nicely presented (for a bigger portion, sans presentation, get the torta fluida at Orinoco). I tried the bouye – it’s like a fruit lassi. I would try the ginger or bissap juice drinks next time.
Agree with Sutanuka L. for African mixed with French food, this is the place to go.
Lively music plays while you eat – and service was very pleasant.

Great customer service! My boyfriend and I went there (Thursday evening) after a friend recommended the place. Once we arrived, the aroma was very warm and welcoming. The owner actually waited us herself and suggested her favorites while allowing us some test trials! Definitely a place to return to. The appetizers especially the Accara and Fataya were exceptional! I could have ate just that and been satisfied. Meals were well prepared and the presentation was everything. Great service, great food!

My first time trying Senegalese cuisine. Small place, possibly understaffed. Felt the tables were too close to one another. Relaxed atmosphere with African inspired décor. Food was good.
Nems — chicken and beef spring rolls were OK. The Michoui — roasted lamb and caramelized onions with couscous was DELISH! The Mafé — Lamb stew with jasmine rice was good too though i felt the vegetables were a bit undercooked.
Coco-​Doux cocktail was horrible.
Appetizers and cocktails are around 10 $. Entrees cost around 20 $. Portions are a on the lower side.

I went here with a friend to grab a bite to eat for dinner on a Monday night – little did we know, we would be the only people in the restaurant.
Didn’t bother us as we quickly settled in and ordered an appetizer of croquettes de poisson. This came with 3 croquettes total and they were decent, but a bit on the fishy side. Also, they were served with a couple sauces, but there was not nearly enough sauce to go around.
For my main meal, I decided to go with the lamb shank. Though it took a little while to come out, it was a decent portion size and really fell off the bone. The couscous and sauce it was served with really complimented the lamb well and made for a great dish.
My friend ordered the house specialty and seemed to enjoy his meal as well.
***Something to note about this place – the prices online are not accurate, not even close. The lamb dish is listed as $ 17 online and is actually $ 23 – this is just a pet peeve of mine and I felt a little misguided.
Overall, this place doesn’t have the best vibe or the quickest food preparation, but the food is definitely tasty. I have a hard time understanding how this place isn’t more popular – maybe it’s the location, but likely it’s the high priced menu, so it might do them better to go back to the old pricing from their online menu.

Really slow serving. Over priced for too small portion. Mediocre cooking.
We are 5 people here, Friday night. When we got here, there’re very few people. It’s almost empty. We got our table pretty easily.
The appetizer came very quickly. Spring rolls, nothing impressive. Similar to what you’d get at a cheap Chinese restaurant.
The entrée takes forever. We waited for over an hour and everyone was starving.
When the food was finally here: lamb stew was too salty, full of small bones, could have ordered from an Indian restaurant. The fish was too dry and taste bad. The lamb shank was ok. Lamb chop was ok. If it were just ranking the food, I would have given 3. But it doesn’t worth the money nor the waiting.

Wait more than an hour for entrée and the food is not good.
My friends ordered lamb dishes, it is dry and hard.
I ordered fish and is not fresh at all. Very dry and no juice at all.

I wanted to give this 3.5 stars and Unilocal really needs to start allowing for that.
The location of this spot is awesome! Cannot be beat in the south end. I heard that you needed to wait for a table — We didn’t, it was not crazy crowded.
The mango sangria was tasty but best in town? can’t comment because I have not had mango sangria. but I thought it was just «good».
Ordered the spring rolls for appetizers — nothing special. the other appetizers sounded more appetizing.
I got the Mafe (Lamb stew) and the flavor was great — only issue I had was that I had 3 small pieces of lamb in my whole stew. the rest was potatoes and carrots. I love a good meaty stew so that was a disappointment.
My sister says she always enjoys this place so I’m willing to try it again for sure. Maybe i’ll go for the lamb shank! can’t be stingy with the meat on that: D

I had such a weird experience here that I don’t know what to review it with!
On one side, the dish I had was worthy of 5 stars.
On the other side, service and order of the staff was completely confusing down to a 2 star.
I’m not sure if their AC was broken, or if they don’t have one, either way, it wasn’t in use on the hot summer Sunday night I was there. I spent a lot of time sweating. They do have what looked like a nice outdoor seating area.
So I don’t know if it was sunday or what, but they seemed to be out of half the things on the menu. some things they would tell us ahead of time, some things we would find out when we got the wrong thing. Either way, the organization of that kinda left me not wanting to bring guests back. One of the entrée dishes we ordered was lamb base but in error in they made a fish dish. Instead of solving it, they brought out the wrong dish, went something along the lines o, we actually ran out of that dish (literally they were out of half their menu! at 6PM on a sunday in the south end) and asked if we would take the wrong dish. We did take it, and paid for it since we were hungry and the dishes take their time to come out. There was another instance where another person ordered the mango salad that had no mangoes. Just weird things like that were awkward.
However, the food that did come out as ordered was perfect and I highly recommend coming out to dry it! The inside was very cute and cozy instead (minus the lack of functional AC). The drinks we got were great and the entrée prices are modest for the south end!
Thiebou Djeun was the dish I ordered and finished to the last bite! The serving portion was definitely filling, but it was so good i ate it all. The fish does come with bones, but they were easy to eat around.
I am ending with a 4 star, to give it another chance, when they seem to be more in control, with all their ingredients in stock for next time!

Besides the treat of Senegal-​inspired cuisine, Terenga offers a relaxed atmosphere, a charming staff, and great drinks! I enjoyed my dining experience here.
The menus are fairly simple and quite interesting, with a variety of beers, wines, and distinct cocktails. We sampled some of each of these, including their sangria (their traditional sangria is a little less sweet and fruity; the mango sangria is quite a bit sweeter). The cocktails have combinations of muddled fruits and spices. They were, unfortunately, out of several types of liquor and wine this evening, but each time we were informed of something not on the menu, an equally interesting alternate was offered.
We tried a little bit of everything for the appetizers too. The brochettes de crevettes (grilled shrimp with a sriricha sauce) were my favorites with the vegetarian nems a close second, with a rich cumin flavor. The lunch menu seems to offer a few more vegetarian selections than the dinner menu does. My dinner entrée, the mafe (lamb stew) promised lamb falling off the bone — it did, which also implies some bones will be in the stew. It also contained white and sweet potatoes, carrots, and cabbage in a spicy peanut sauce — remember Senegal is equatorial, which means typically spicy food. There was enough extra sauce to garnish my side of jasmine rice. My dining companions were equally satisfied with their meals.
They were, again, unfortunately out of a few of their dessert offerings, which tonight included some of their cocoa based cocktails. I instead tried some Senegalese coffee. It was perhaps the strongest coffee I have ever had — even stronger than Turkish — with a deep, rich, earthy aroma and taste, stronger than other African coffees I have tried.
The staff here are wonderful, they make you feel so at home as they interact with you while taking and delivering your order. I almost wish we could have pulled up 2 additional chairs and asked them to join us. I’m very glad to have tried the cuisine and the restaurant.

Came here on Saturday as a quick snack as we had an hour before another appointment. It’s pretty exciting to get an African menu, something I don’t see often enough.
The service was perfectly nice and warming, but very slow. I’m not sure if this is because we were sitting outside or if it’s just understaffed, but it took the waitress a few trips before we finally got three drinks, cutlery and small plates. Additionally, 3 of the 8 specialty drinks were out of stock after a busy Friday which was disappointing.
As a snack we had the Nems which are Chicken and Beef spring rolls stuff with rice vermicelli, veggies and nuoc mam dressing. The three were good for a snack, but a little flavorless.
All in all, eh, it’s alright as it was close to where we had to go, I will say the main courses looked pretty good from afar at the other tables. I believe Friday’s are more hopping, try again then.

Finally made it to Teranga after many years of wanting to. But wanting isn’t doing, and doing didn’t fall into place until an evening that a friend wanted to meet up in that particular corner of the world.
At first we thought they were closed since my friend couldn’t open the door. Nope, it was just the door sticking. Give it some muscle. Also close the door with great intent, otherwise a draft will slip in through the sizeable crack and sweep over the tables set along the front window.
We opted to share a number of items, beginning with their Croquettes de Poisson $ 7 Pan fried savory fish cake (flounder) served with cilantro and garlic sauce. It arrived as three irregularly shaped and portioned patties. Moist, but on the bland side. Yeah, it needed some salt. But it had a nice crisp crust.
The Salade Ordinaire $ 6 Mixed greens, chopped russet potatoes, sweet potatoes, beets, and boiled eggs, tossed in coconut-​lime dressing, in my opinion was ironically named, as an ordinary salad in the U.S. is generally iceberg lettuce with perhaps a scattering of shredded carrots, a piece of tomato and a couple of slices of cucumber, with your choice of bottled dressings. The mix of ingredients here were not new to my palate individually, but as a conglomerate, it was. It went well together and made for a light and refreshing course.
The Michoui $ 17 Marinated roasted lamb shank (falling off the bone) served with a caramelized onion sauce and Moroccan couscous was as described, with the meat easily eased off the bone. But it was must have been a tiny lamb — I’m sure this entrée alone would not have satiated my hunger. And everything on the plate was on the soft side, which gave me little to test my teeth against. Sometimes you just want a little chew, you know? There was also an unannounced spicy heat to this dish.
We considered ordering a side of their Yucca Fries $ 5 after considering the size of the lamb entrée against the remaining space in our tummies, but they were out, so that was not to be.
We tried two of their three juice offerings.
Bissap juice $ 3
Sorrell juice mixed with pineapple juice and flavored with orange flower water and vanilla sugar
Bouye juice $ 3
Bouye (fruit from the baobab tree) juice mixed with cream and flavored with orange flower water and vanilla sugar
They were interesting. I preferred the creamier Bouye juice a tad. Both were a bit too floral for us though. My friend likened it to drinking lotion.
Juices were made to order, they told us. But everything took quite a while. The second juice did not arrive till the lamb was near gone. Service was pleasant, but with everyone helping everywhere, we had to repeat ourselves several times.
You’ll have to grab the key to use the bathroom which is just beyond the back door.
Check out Teranga when you have time to spare. I know that Senegal is in Africa, but they’re on island time here.