Diva’s Kitchen

The food here is awesome. It might not look like a lot from the outside. I actually drove by this place many times without realizing it’s a restaurant until my co-​worker took me here.
I always get #2 Fried Chicken with Brown rice. It’s delicious. I am not sure what they used to flavor their food, but it’s fantastic. I believe the chicken is rubbed with Senegalese spices, even under the skin of the chicken, flash fried and then grilled to it’s done. Every bite tastes better than the previous bite. The brown rice is perfectly cook and perfectly spiced. Their sauteed onion is nothing like I ever tasted before. (I don’t like onions, but I love the onion they served) Perfect blend of spice and circus that will dance in your mouth. When they are in business, I eat there at least once a week.
I am quite sad that this place had closed down. Hope they can open at another location.

The food here was fantastic. It tasted home cooked. I had the oxtail stew with rice, the soup was full of flavor, spicy, hearty and wonderfully balanced. My boyfriend really enjoyed the grilled lamb and brown rice. The portion sizes are great, you get a lot of food for your money. I will definitely be coming back in the future.

Who would have thought great Senegalese food could be had in Hamilton? The fish platter is easily my favorite with delicious grilled fish, bones and all, seasoned to perfection. There’s something special about a place still willing to serve an entire grilled fish, eyeballs and teeth intact, where most similar places have sanitized their menus and insist on selling seasoned fish sticks. The couscous is flavorful and vibrant, unlike most places I’ve been where the couscous tastes like styrofoam balls covered in oil. The lamb and chicken platters are also quite good but the fish is my clear favorite. All of the meat is halal, a perfect added bonus for any Muslim customers. The lamb and chicken platters were delicious but could have used a pinch more seasoning. Each platter is huge and we were able to feed a party of 8 with just 3 of them. I’ll definitely be trying more of the menu items at Diva’s kitchen.

Went in for lunch with 12 people and the food was excellent! Every person enjoyed their food. The service was slow but its clear this is because all of the food is being cooked from scratch. The food was well worth the wait.

I just finished my lunch here and I really want a cigarette, and I don’t even smoke. Yeah, it was that good. This restaurant is located in a prominent area in 5 points Mercerville, but this spot has housed many failed businesses. I sincerely hope that this one survives for quite a long time. This was my first taste of Senegalese cuisine, and I am impressed. If I had more experience with this style of cooking, I may have given 5 stars. In fact I may need to increase the rating upon further visits. Today I just had one dish, the chicken yassa. It consisted of three drum sticks with the thighs still attached. The poultry was crispy and grilled on the outside, while remaining perfectly moist on the inside. The sauce was very onion based, but with spicy and briny notes. In the sauce were sautéed onions, crisp carrots, peas, string beans and green peppers and olives. What appeared to be plain white rice was actually very flavorful in its own right. For a beverage they offer traditional juices, I had the sorrel and I loved it. The chef’s name is Kady and she is super friendly. I cant wait to go back and try other dishes. My favorite lunch of the year so far!

Little «hole in the wall» «mom and pop» places can be some of the best places for food. This place is a PERFECT example of that. I tried it last night with my lady and neither of us were disappointed.
Don’t expect any fancy ambiance. Imagine a clean McDonald’s run out of someone’s house… If that bothers you then seek professional help, because the food WELL than makes up for it.
I had the Chicken Yassa. The chicken was cooked well with the skin crispy (greatly adding to the taste) and the meat still moist. I went for the jolof rice and it was a good call. Think of it like Asian fried rice. The Yassa was a mix of onions, green olives, carrots and other veggies in a light spicy gravy that smothered the chicken. Each bite was an explosion of flavor. I was full at the end and my mouth was still craving more.
My lady had the grilled lamb with cous cous. I’ve only had cous cous from a box and was not happy. However this one was very good and the lamb was excellent. Especially with the spicy salsa they provided. The plantains were also magnificent. I kept steeling her food.
I agree with other reviews that the food took awhile to come out, but it’s good food, not fast food. As the great Alton Brown says, «Your patience will be rewarded».p

This restaurant deserves a 5 star for the taste and quantity of its servings. I tried the Fish Yassa. The fish was fresh and grilled to absolute perfection.
Like mentioned before by many, the wait time is long but completely worth it. This is one of those places that do not talk about home cooking but actually practices. The only downside would be thier service. There is only 2 – 3 people running the kitchen as well as the dining room at the same time so you might have to walk up the counter and ring the bell for refilling your water cup, but if you want to try something delicious and have time in hand give this place a shot, you will not be disappointed at all.

Sometimes it pays to be adventurous. This unassuming Senegalese restaurant (right at the junction of Quakerbridge Road, Nottingham Way, White Horse Avenue, and Edinburg Road) has certainly turned out to be my favorite find so far this year! Food is über tasty and delicious, service is friendly, warm, and incredibly personal, portions are large and hearty, and prices are more than reasonable. Décor is cute and kitschy casual, with West African touches added in – think an updated 1950’s diner vibe with bright red and white tile flooring, red walls, and African (Senegalese?) artwork and statues scattered in the mix. The place is spotlessly clean, light, and surprisingly spacious. Even though the restaurant is out of my way, the food is so good that I find myself returning time and again.
As a vegan, I was a little concerned when I first perused the menu. It’s predominantly meat-​based, however the woman taking my order (one of the owners?) was just wonderfully helpful about suggesting options that could be modified for me since everything is made from scratch. I went with the peanut soup, brown rice, plantains, and fufu. The peanut soup was really a stew, not a soup. Normally it has meat, but mine didn’t. It came in a large bowl and was chock full of fresh-​tasting vegetables. Surprisingly, it doesn’t have a peanut flavor. In fact, if it weren’t for the name, I wouldn’t have even known the dish had peanuts. It’s just savory, indescribably rich, and tasty. (I’m craving it as I write this review!) The brown rice was also very good. Subtly spiced, it came generously mixed with tiny chunks of carrots and peas. The fried plantain was nicely sweet, just the way I like it. Fufu is fufu… worth a try since it’s a standard starch in West African cuisine, but like plain white rice, there’s not much to be said about it… other than it went well with the peanut soup.
I had never had West African food before. In a word, yum! Diva’s does have French fries and other American offerings on their menu. But for goodness sake, venture out and explore the large selection of Senegalese options if you come here.

We finally ate here after driving past it a few times and wondering how good it could be. It’s not fancy and the service was slow but cordial. However the food was tasty. I don’t know African cuisine so I can’t vouch for authenticity. What I can vouch for is good the flavorful food. My wife had the ox tail soup. It was well seasoned without being over seasoned. I had a grilled lamb dish which was also delicious.
We’ll be back for the food which gets four stars, but having only been here once and because of the slow service I’m sticking to three stars for know. If you have a sense of culinary curiosity this place is worth your time.

I’ve driven past this place for a while and finally decided to drive over there on my lazy Sunday and get take out.
FYI…The only place to see the menu is on their Facebook page where they show pics of the entrees for the time being until they get their website up and running. Now to the food…
I ordered the grilled chicken and onion sauce ($ 12) and was completely blown away by the flavors. The chicken was cooked perfectly and was very flavorful. It’s served with brown rice with a few chopped cucumbers and sliced red pepper on top. The onion sauce is awesome, however, for those that are sensitive to spice may find this dish too spicy, but it’s sooooo good. Also, I got the baobab (spelling?) drink ($ 3). Not only is it really good in flavor (like a smoothie, similar to piña colada without the coconut), but it’s insanely healthy with A LOT of vitamins and minerals. In West Africa, they call the baobab tree the tree of life. I can see why with something so tasty and healthy.
Overall, I’d highly recommend this place and the manager is very nice and he will guide you with suggestions if you’re unsure. Next time I’m going to try the peanut butter soup (my mouth is watering just thinking about it!).
Cheers!

It was like soul food with a twist — an ethnic worldly twist that took us back to what «home» would be to the millions of Africans in the US and thousands in New Jersey since this restaurant is Senegalese and family-​run. I had Dibby with couscous which was perfectly seasoned lamb (steak style). It was delicious and came with a onion side that was sautéed and thickened. I would like to order it with plantains next time as some other dishes had that as a side.
My husband stuck to the basics and had BBQ chicken with fries (no surprise). It was fried chicken doused in BBQ sauce and wasn’t extremely unique, but he liked it and it is an option for those who don’t want to delve too deep into a completely new cuisine. The neighborhood would also appreciate some soft filial options to get them returning and possibly trying other new things.
We also tried the goat okra stew but I have to say that it is probably an acquired taste that I personally have not acquired. I actually have never eaten goat so I’m sure that’s why it wasn’t for me, but for others, they may love it.
I heard a few other patrons rave about the seafood and whole fish options so we may give that a try next time. Since it was halal meat, we just opted for non-​seafood options.
Everything is made to order– and the owners are VERY friendly.
Finally, get the baobab fruit smoothie drink– it has a wonderful taste almost like rose and is a super fruit packed with fiber and nutrients — definitely filled me up with my meal.
Things are extremely reasonably priced.

They’re vegetarian dishes were pretty respectable, but their meat dishes really blew me away. Their Dibi (seasoned lamb steaks) was absolutely phenomenally delicious.