Teranga for Senegalese Food

Teranga Restaurant
1746 Washington Street
Boston, MA 02118-1828
(617) 266-0003

Service (3.7/5.0)
Food (3.3/5.0)

I'm not sure I will be going back. Why the ambiguity?
Service, while not bad, was not great either. We came in a big group of 10-12 people and the food was very very slow. We waited for more than 2 hours on a quiet Sunday evening from 7 pm and didn't leave until 10-ish. The restaurant was nicely-decorated with African art but for me, whether it is street eats or 5-star restaurant, is all about the food. 

Which brings me to the food--My experience with Senegalese (and West African food in general) is embarrassingly marginal so while I can't say for sure if the food is authentic or not, I just didn't enjoy it as much as my friends. Teranga's food for me, boils down to personal preference, and specifically, I found most of the lamb I sampled to taste rather "game-y". Since it didn't do much for me, I don't think I will miss it that much.

(Mafé-Lamb stew with carrots, sweet potatoes, white potatoes, and cabbage in a ground nut sauce and served with jasmine rice. Best-tasting out of the whole lot. Tangy gravy tended to be more appetizing.)

(Michoui-Marinated roasted lamb shank stuffed with herbs and served with a caramelized onion sauce and Moroccan couscous. Ok I suppose.)

(Brochettes-Grilled skewered cubes of filet mignon served with yucca fries and onion & mustard-spiced sauce.)

(Dibi-Grilled marinated lamb shoulder chops with an onion and mustard-spiced sauce served with sweet potato fries)

(Thiébou Djeun (National Dish)-Herb-stuffed white fish cooked in tomato stew with broken jasmine rice served with cassava, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, eggplant, and pumpkin. So-so.)

(Beignets that weren't very good.)

(Bouye (fruit from the baobab tree) juice- mixed with pineapple juice and flavored with orange flower water and vanilla sugar. Too sweet + I don't like creamy and tangy together. but David seemed to enjoy this.)