Safari Grill African & Mediterranean Cuisine

This place just opened very recently in the short-lived Cuban restaurant at 328 W. Woodlawn Ave. I had just eaten at Annie's Cafe and decided to duck in for a peak. The place is run by a Kenyan with a Somalian at the front counter. It is Kenyan-East African inspired along with standards such as baba gnouch, falafal, etc.

I didn't get a chance to eat but the guy showed me a goat stew that he had just prepared--it looked really good. I was impressed enough by the menu (with a nice vegetarian/vegan selection) and the hospitality that I plan on stopping in for a bite to eat.

Looks like it's right across the street from where I get my haircut, Beechmont Bombshells. I will def stop in and give a report. That area is really turning around. Sunergos is there too, great coffee.

We had lunch there today. They were so very happy to see customers, and gave us samples of lots of extras. We both had, geez I forgot the name. The polenta-like base with seasoned kidney beans and a vegetarian stew. They brought out samples of the beef bits and the chicken bits stews for the hubby to try, and brought out samples of a guava drink that was quite tasty. We both ordered the hot tea which is chai-like and extremely sweet, but tasty. They were so accommodating and friendly and sooo happy to have customers. Two mains, two hot teas, complimentary water and guava drinks came to a few cents over $21 and we rounded up to $27.

Really excited to try this place!

Sigh.

We tried this place Thursday night with a couple we know from the neighborhood - it's just blocks from our home.

I wanted soooo badly to love it, but first of all they don't have much social media presence so I really had to hunt for a phone number and couldn't find a menu online. I called to ask what time they closed and the phone was answered with just a "Yes?" and then a few minutes' wait until another person asked if they could help me. It didn't seem like a formal reservation situation, so I just asked what time they closed and told them 4 of us would be coming around 7:15.

We arrived and were seated. Decor wasn't anything to brag about, but that's no deal-breaker for us. Menu is on the wall above the order counter. Napkin holders all empty. Salt and pepper shakers all empty. My friend and I ordered the beef suqaar (cubes of beef with biryani rice and a veg medly). John bravely ordered the goat. Our other friend ordered the gyros. We were hungry for falafel, but I think they said something was wrong with their fryer. John and I also tried to order a gyros platter to share, but we couldn't seem to convey that we were ordering three entrees for two people.

As Leah said, they seemed extremely happy to see us. Our server - well, we had to order at the counter but he was the one who delivered the food to the table - asked if we were the ones who called ahead. There was only one other gentleman eating there. A group of folks came in while we dined but did not order food and only stayed a few minutes.

The food took FOREVER to come out. We got the free guava juice as Leah's party did (room temp, no ice, and I'm pretty sure it was just a regular bottled guava juice available at any Valu Market). When the food was finally delivered we dug in. John's goat was pretty tough and hadn't been cooked long enough, but he soldiered on and ate it all. Beef suqaar with rice was okay, sort of bland, but in the middle of dinner the server brought us some house-made green hot sauce that was so good it improved everything on the table. Then he brought out a platter with some more gyros (I am pretty sure it was frozen gyros strips, and both our friend's and our version came without any bread or sauce), but also a sample of the chicken suqaar, which was really an improvement on the beef version, but mostly because it was flavored like buffalo chicken.

We were never charged for the gyros/chicken sample platter, guava juice, or a very very sweet version of chai they gave us as we left. The tea-lovers in the party were really happy with the chai.

$28 for the two of us including tip and all the extras. Bathrooms were weirdly a jaunt away across an unused private dining space with a hop over a vacuum cleaner necessary to get there.

Today I walked by and there were handwritten signs in the windows saying they were "out of power" and would be open as soon as LG&E came to remedy the situation. I wish them success but I fear for their longevity.

My advice: close the restaurant and open a boutique tea and hot sauce shop. I'm not being facetious.