Mama Sinmi’s Chop House

When I saw the description for this place, I was super-​excited to try a cuisine that I had never tried before (and that I read about once in a fantasy book because I’m a dork). The restaurant absolutely did not disappoint. The proprietress greeted us on sitting down and was incredibly warm, friendly, and informative.
The food itself was delicious and unique to me both in tastes and textures. The bean cake appetizer was wonderfully savory with just the right amount of heat and a texture that was almost custard-​like. The entrees were even better — the turkey leg was practically the size of my upper arm (not a tough feat, but allow me some hyperbole here) and the bone could literally be pulled out from the meat. I am ruined for state fairs forever. The fufu was also wonderful and unique, particularly the pounded yams — another texture I hadn’t experienced before (Dense? Glutinous? It defies description.)
I was extremely satisfied and left with a smile, very full stomach, and a very full to-​go box. I will certainly return!

Interesting cuisine and super friendly staff. The lady who runs the place was very informative and took a lot of time to explain the differences on the menu. While I enjoyed my dish, it was really more of the experience that sold this place for me.
I encourage patrons to be adventurous with their food choices. It doesn’t always pay off, but I was pretty happy. Also, their coffee is phenomenal. Very tasty

I got the meat pies and jollof rice with goat to go. All of it was very tasty. There was a lot of meat in the meat pies and very flavorful. I got the jollof rice a little spicy and it was re perfect level of spice. The goat was tender and the red sauce it’s in is tasty also. When I called to place the order the lady was very nice and accommodating and was also was when I showed up to pick up my order. I most definitely wish this place was open for dinner. Will definitely return

From all of the restaurants that I’ve tried in Oklahoma, this is my favorite. It is truly unique, the service is great, and the food is phenomenal. I’ve eaten at many Somali, Ethiopian, and Moroccan restaurants before, and the flavors here were very different. I chose the melon seeds with goat meat and spinach, and the yam fufu for a side. The yam fufu had a taste and texture unlike anything I’ve ever tried before, and was delicious. The dish itself was spiced to a level of my choosing, and had a great flavor and texture. It also went perfectly with the fufu.

Mama Sinmi’s was unlike anything I’ve ever had before! It’s super authentic Nigerian food and doesn’t fail to please the palette.
It’s a small, casual dining spot located appropriately next to an Ethiopian restaurant and a Mexican restaurant. A little international strip right there if you will.
The décor is charming and unique. There is a large mural on the main wall which I particularly appreciated; my favorite was the elephant. There are also quaint art pieces hung which provide a home-​y atmosphere; also a large flat screen which is always helpful for those sports peeps.
The beau and I started off with a beverage of Maltina. Which apparently is the drink of Nigeria. It’s almost like liquid molasses but jam packed with vitamins. It was different and I enjoyed it. They have two kinds which differ only slightly.
As for food we had the appetizer platter which provided us with a sampling of all the appetizers and also a little taste of an entrée. As a side note, you shouldn’t come here if you want fancy but you should come here if you want authentic cuisine. Each appetizer had its own unique flavor.
While the beef skewers are not the best cut of meat it’s little details like this that make you feel like you’re in a Nigerian village eating the local fare.
Same with the goat pepper soup; flavorful and savory and cuts of meat you wouldn’t expect. In fact, being Vietnamese myself, it reminded me of oxtail soup.
The meat pies are so delicious! Flaky outside and a yummy inside filled with beef and veggies; basically like an empanada.
The bean cake almost reminded me a polenta but more dense and filling.
My favorite part of the meal was definitely the frou frou and sauteed spinach. The frou frou almost tastes like mashed potatoes but has a sticky bun consistency. Combine it with the sauteed spinach and it’s to die for! The flavors compliment each other so well and leaves you wanting more. Next time I come back I will be sure to just get an entrée of this!
To finish up we had caramelized plantains, which really you can’t ever go wrong with. They were topped with Mama Sinmi’s red sauce; which is almost like a much lighter, more fresh tasting marinara sauce. At first the pairing seems odd but the two really compliment each other well. There is no good way to describe it, you just need to try it yourself! The red sauce itself is the restaurant’s own and I wouldn’t be surprised if it got picked up by big stores like Whole Foods and the like. Really it is delicious and unique. Definitely must try!
Overall Mama Sinme’s was soo delectable! It is always so satisfying to find a new place that I thoroughly enjoyed! There really is no other place like Mama Sinmi’s in OKC. If you’re open to new flavors, culture and cuisine you would really be doing yourself a disservice by not checking out Mama Sinmi’s.

Tried it for lunch today instead of my usual Taco Bueno. Saw the menu, it was short. I was also short on time, so I got what Unilocalers rave about. The goat pepper soup. I ordered regular, don’t know what spice level it was. I tasted it, hey its good. About halfway thru, the flames of hell started creepin up on me. Ears red & hot, forehead dripping with sweat, dizziness. Man! It was spicy! It had good flavor, but I guess im a wuss with the spice level here. I’m kinda embarrassed that the soup kicked my butt… it is for me, similar to phở in that it is a soup with purpose. To clean you out!

I would say this is the real deal, but I have no idea what’s authentic or not when it comes to West African food. I can tell you it’s delicious. I can tell you the staff was wonderful, polite, helpful, courteous and knowledgeable. I can tell you the spice level goes from mild to Wow, that’s hot! I can tell you that I’m very glad I went.
There doesn’t seem to be a big variety or selection of culinary establishments in Oklahoma City. This place would make any city proud. Step out of your comfort zone and try it.

Great family atmosphere.
Incredible variety of food and flavors.
We will absolutely be back

Amazing, what more to say than that?
Mama Sinmi’s is that place that I will all of the sudden get a craving for.
I’ve never had anything bad there and the service is great.
The very first time I went in there the owner had no problem going over the menu with me. Being an Oklahoma native, everything on the menu was foreign. I tend to be an adventurous sort, so when she had the look of «If this is your first time then this might not be the way to ease you into it» I knew that that was the dish for me.
My standard order is usually an order of meat pies, Pastries with ground meat, potatoes and English peas. A bean cake, give it a try! And a cup of the goat pepper soup. I like my dishes spicy and if you tell them to make it as hot as they can be prepared. You are going to know that you just put something spicy in your mouth.
I am very glad that I stumbled into this establishment, It is now a staple of my restaurants that I frequent.
Mama Sinmi’s how have I made it this long without you?

This was my first experience eating West African cuisine and it ended up being fantastic. The chef, owner, and their family are some of the nicest, most hospitable people I’ve ever met. They truly make the dining experience one of a kind.
I had the Efo Riro with chicken. The chicken was so tender it fell off the bone, and the spices in the dish were unlike anything I’ve tasted to date, making the dish have a complex taste that anyone can enjoy to its fullest.
Between the unique and stellar food to the fantastic family, this experience was unforgettable. I look forward to trying everything on their robust menu.

Mama Sinmi’s Chop House is an excellent choice to explore West African Chop (food)! We lived in West Africa and had been on the lookout for a good restaurant. We found it at Moma Sinmi’s! Excellent choices, super flavour, and an overall great place to eat. It’s a great place. Love the ground nut stew.

Was passing through OKC for the night and found this little place via Unilocal reviews. I love trying new ethnic foods and this was my first western African dish. The staff was very welcoming and suggested the Groundnut Soup with chicken (spice ⁷⁄₁₀). IMHO delicious, the texture, the flavor, spice, were all balanced well. If it weren’t for the location I could see this place doing really well in the future. Of you’re into trying new cuisines I’d suggest stopping by you won’t regret it!

Finally made it to this place and now I wonder what took so long. Mama Sinmi’s is delicious! If you’ve been on the fence I definitely suggest you jump off and give it a go. Set aside a little time and treat yourself to some amazing food.
Meat Pies: Delicious and filling. I could probably eat one or two of these for lunch. At 2.50 a piece that’s a really good lunch in my opinion.
Goat Pepper Soup: So good! The broth is amazing and the meat is so flavorful. When they ask how spicy you want it be warned, they’re crazy and like it hot. Thankfully I’m also crazy and had no problems with this.
Pineapple Sweet Tea: Please, can I have some more? My girlfriend who hates sweet tea tried to take all of mine. That is a solid vote for this stuff.
The food was amazing and the people are just as nice. They have no problems answering any questions you may have because the menu is so unique. I can’t wait to go back and try more soon!

HEY LOOK: I noticed a review had mentioned that the prices were incorrect on the website. After going there and seeing the actual menu, the one discrepancy I saw: the pepper soup entrees are listed as $ 8 on the site, but are $ 10 in actuality. The rest is accurate, but drinks are not listed on the website.
Where to even start? First off, amazing people here. They are incredibly nice and informative. As my boyfriend and I entered, a pair of people leaving with a to-​go order seemed really excited and assured us we were certainly at the right place. Also, they keep it cool in here, like 73 degrees on the thermostat cool and it’s a small place. So great for summer time (I’m assuming it’s kept warm in winter. Pft, I dunno).
As it is mentioned in many reviews, the pace is slow going. Quality food takes time, and it’s certainly quality. Okay, I’m not an expert on West African food. In fact, this was my first time, but everything tasted awesome. I like to think it’s authentic because in my life I have taken many taxis and much of the time the driver is African (and there’s always time to talk). At least two mentioned that they enjoyed eating at Mama Sinmi’s so take that as you will.
Zobo drink (hibiscus based drink, served hot or cold) ⁵⁄₅: This drink is… I’m not sure there’s a good word for it. Refreshing, delicious, harmonious, heavenly. I got it cold and while it costs $ 3 (with I think no refills :[), it is so very amazing.
Meat pie ⁵⁄₅: Deliciously crispy with tasty insides (flaky, buttery shell filled with spiced ground beef, pea, carrots and potatoes). They are $ 2.50 each, but when they came out, they were all plump and stuffed, so well worth it as an appetizer. They’re probably the reason I couldn’t finish my meal!
Fufu entrée: groundnut soup with stewed beef and ÈBÀ (roasted & grounded cassava) ⁵⁄₅: The fufu entrees give you a choice of fufu (listed on the site), a meat, and a main dish. I wasn’t sure what to expect other than the bit I read on the menu (pureed and fire-​roasted peanuts cooked in palm oil paste with or without fresh cut spinach), but after the zobo and meatpie, I was sure I was in for a treat. The soup was flavorful and the bits of spinach in it complimented it perfectly. The stewed beef was tender and tasted like the soup but inside it had its own flavor and was juicy. Now, the fufu. Now that’s some stuff. I can only comment on the eba, which tasted a bit fermented and sour. On its own it was good, but even better dipped in the soup.
Fried plantains ⁵⁄₅: I had only had one experience with fried plantains before and it was awful. But I KNOW they’re supposed to be good! After all the great food above, I ordered some to go. They’re tick cut, slick to the touch, and oh so sweet. It comes with a red sauce which I didn’t get — sorry!
All in all, I’m excited to return!

I had a better dinner than you did on Saturday night. I say that because I was at Mama Sinmi’s, and you weren’t. Don’t pretend, it’s a tiny place — if you were there, I would have seen you. Regardless, it was great to be introduced to something this good in this little gem in Oklahoma City.
Let’s get one thing clear: This is slow food. On our visit, we were some of the only folks there, and it still took a solid hour to have our order come up. That’s okay, because this is the essence of «this is worth the wait» food. So, let’s dive in, sipping on cold ginger beer as we wait and enjoy the excellent company.*
We had banana chips while we waited, and you would think that the «banana chip filler» side dish would be kind of a throwaway; I wouldn’t mention it except even here, they spiced the chips a little to give it some extra flavor and did not overload it with sugar like you’ll find in «trail mix» gone wrong. It actually worked really well with the ginger beer, and made the wait quite tolerable as we demolished them.
We had the fried plantains, which were excellent but not exactly what I expected.** I thought frying might lead to some crunch, but they were cut thick enough that they had plenty of give in the center. It actually reminded me of a well-​baked potato on the inside, and it was quite yummy. The sauce was perfect, complementing the plantain and neither over– nor under-​drizzled. That’s another theme of everything I tried: It’s rare to find flavors this strong balanced so well.
In any case, time passed by, and eventually I found myself facing a dish I am unable to pronounce but is best described as «roast mango seeds and palm oil in broth with your choice of chicken, beef, or goat.» After discussion with the owner, I requested the heat/​spice level to be «whatever you would do if you were making it for yourself,» and apparently he had all his taste buds removed in a tragic gibbon accident*** because that dish was spicy! But it was not a «prove you’re tough with this hot sauce» spice; rather it was a powerful flavor amplifier that did its business and moved on without ruining my palate. 10 minutes after eating, I could hardly tell I’d eaten anything out of the ordinary … apparently they use the flesh of the pepper to impart the heat instead of infusing it into a liquid spicy sauce, and that’s the reason. Sounds good, anyway.
And it was good! The broth was served with fufu, flour manipulated into balls to keep everything together and substitute for bread. I had cassava flour, and it was very interesting indeed. I knew in my head that I should barehand it and dip, but I just couldn’t get over it and went with the «slice a bit off with a spoon and dip» technique, and then eventually just dropped my balls in the soup. (Stop it.) Mixing them in thickened the broth a bit, got me all the flavor I could hope for, and made for an extremely filling and satisfying meal.
I sampled my seatmates’ dishes enough to know that each was hearty, filling and delicious in a unique way. Yum indeed.
And I haven’t even mentioned the service. The owner spent a long time with us and the others in the restaurant, making sure we were comfortable and introducing us to a type of cuisine we knew very little about. He patiently answered question after question, made some great recommendations, and took great care of us. Nicest owner you’ll ever meet.
Last but not least, we got to beta test a soon-​to-​be-​unveiled dessert, a standard pound cake but with a guava/​cream sauce and sliced guava. Maybe not an amazing dessert, but only in the same way that whoever finishes second to Usain Bolt is maybe not an amazing sprinter.
We’ve got us a winner here, folks. Set aside a bit of extra time and I think you’ll be impressed.
* For the record, one look at the length of her review should tell you who has been spreading the gospel of Mama Sinmi’s and provided the aforementioned company.
** «Excellent, but not exactly what I expected» is probably what I’d title this review and, come to think of it, the vast majority of my life.
*** Why do I bother coming up with these comments if I’m going to be all neurotic and look up a better choice anyway? Turns out gibbons are not African at all, it’s a terrible choice. A mamba accident, then.

I’ve been wanting to try this restaurant for about a year now, but somehow didn’t make it in until tonight. You can bet I’m now kicking myself over this huge mistake. It hasn’t been an hour since we left and we are already planning on what we are going to get next time!
Andrew and Ijeoma Popoola are the beautiful souls that own and run this restaurant that is full of flavor, both culture and cuisine-​wise. They make everything they can as fresh as possible — so this means, not only will it take a bit for your food to get out to you, but by the end of the day there might be a few things that they are out of.
Although there are only an average of 5 dishes per section (appetizers, rice entrees, bean entrees, fufu (carbohydrate) entrees, pepper soups, and meats) there are so many plates you will want to try! Their menu has a wonderful description of the foods they serve, but Andrew is very happy to answer any and all questions about the menu.
We decided to start with a meat pie and dodo kelewele (fried plantains) as our appetizers. The meat pie could definitely be considered a comfort food. The crust was flaky, but soft and filled with a meat which was lean, mild and wholesome without being greasy. The plantains were really yummy and served with a spiced red sauce.
I decided on the Efo riro with chicken and cassava with Andrew’s guidance for my entrée. The bowl of chopped spinach with a chicken quarter was super delicious and bursting with flavor. There really isn’t anything like cassava in America. It is related to the potato/​yam, but 3 times as large and has a much tougher and rougher skin. I wouldn’t say it was bland, but I really don’t know how to describe it. It perfectly complimented the efo though! He helped me choose a spice level of ³⁄₁₀ which was perfect for me.
Matthew had the fried rice with stewed beef and a bean cake. He decided on a 5 out of 10 on the spicy level with Andrew’s suggestion. Originally, he was going to go with a 9, but Andrew explained that the way they spice their foods isn’t quite thy way Americans do; he explained that their spice fades a lot faster after the meal but still provides plenty of heat during. Matthew was caught off guard by how spicy it ended up being! I definitely wouldn’t have lasted more than 3 bites of his rice. (The stewed meat didn’t have spice at all.) The bean cake was a small cake of bean with some spices and their red sauce. It complimented the meat very well and created a well rounded plate.
We both ordered an authentic African drink. The hot Zobo, or hibiscus drink, is super delicious hot. It is much like Jamaica that can be found at many authentic Mexican restaurants. The Mama Mango that I enjoyed is a slightly fizzy mango drink — yummy!
Don’t be afraid to ask Ijeoma, or Andrew for that matter, about their culture — they are very happy to share with you. Andrew even gave us a bottled water, explaining that it means we’re important. He understands that those that walk in the front door are customers and treats them well.
I don’t know why you are still reading this (so much for shorter reviews); go now!

Tried the vita malt drink, it’s a syrup like malt drink. Zobo drink is very light and has a wonderful floral flavour. The mama ginger drink is a unique experiencial blend of sweet cool and spice. Moin moin is similar to masa in texture and an absolute delight. Ogbono has an odd consistency and is one of the more daring options on the menu. Groundnut soup is just that, very peanut rich. Goat is tasty with a nice tomato sauce. We called in advance so they’d make desserts. This remains one of my favourite finds in the city. Great.

For our monthly lunch outing daughter Robin and I ventured to Mama Sinmi’s Chop House.
It has west African décor, and a large and lovely Elephant Mural on the wall. African rhythm music was subdued and pleasant, no hindrance to table conversation.
Not being up to snuff on West African Cuisine the amiable fellow serving us was more than happy to give us details on the menu.
To start we had the ginger drink which proved to be a real novelty. It had a potent ginger kick that tickled the tip of the tongue then softened as it went down. It went perfectly with the spiciness of the food that followed.
We had the Moin-​Moin bean cake appetizer. I don’t know how describe the flavor, but we both thoroughly enjoyed it along with plantain chips.
Robin had Fried Rice with Chicken, and I had the Jollof Rice with Beef, both were accompanied by DoDo Fried Plantain. Chicken fell off the bones, and the beef had a hearty flavor. The portions were big enough to fill a ranch hands appetite and everything was enhanced by some very tasty spices.
I can now add West African Cuisine to my «I like that too» list

Absolutely gorgeous pepper pot stew, and jollof rice that’s so tasty it’ll make you grin from ear to ear.
Don’t go expecting a large space, though — this is one tiny venue.
Mama Sinmi will come over and introduce herself, as will (should he be on site) her husband, Andrew.
Fantastic service; wonderful, home cooked Nigerian food.
Andrew came to our table and explained everything very carefully. (I was already conversant with Nigerian food, but many of my dinner companions simply weren’t.)
We were brought a complimentary side of plantain chips, and a really tasty and sauce alongside that.
We moved on to a peppery goat stew, beautiful black-​eyed bean cakes, and (perhaps best of all) a fiery rice dish that almost made me weep with joy.
Beautiful food; beautiful people.

Lovely place for authentic west African food. The portions were right, food was scrumptious, hearty n filling as most Nigerian food is. the gem to this joint were the owners, a young couple from Nigeria … Their love for the food and cultural authenticity was endearing… The ambience, warmth n oh did I mention the food will make this place a weekly tradition for me n friends… Definitely check it out.