I just had the best food in my life! My wife and I were in Seattle and she was in the mood for mafé. The closest place that was open was Bantaba. I asked the gentleman at the register what he recommended, and he said he loved chicken yassa. And now I understand why. It's a mind blowing combination of chicken meat, onions, a touch of garlic, and lemon. My wife loved it as well. The servings are incredibly generous and the staff wonderfully kind. They kept waving at our baby and playing peekaboo, so he had a smile on his face the whole time we were there. The ambiance is nothing special, but there's nonetheless a welcoming family vibe. It's an easy place to hang out. We will most definitely be back!

While doing errands in Lynnwood, I browsed Yelp looking for new-to-me places to try and found Bantaba. It looked homier than Gold Coast in Seattle, and I felt adventurous and ventured into a "home turf" restaurant. Lol. This place is different, to say the least. This restaurant is more of a step down from an eatery. You order at the counter. They don't have menus. They don't have a website. They have photos on the wall without prices. When I asked about prices, she said, "I'll tell you." I had to keep my face straight, so I wouldn't giggle. We previewed on Yelp, so we had a decent idea of what we wanted. She didn't look like someone who was answering questions, so we avoided asking. The prices are very reasonable. That is their biggest selling point. We did remove the fried plantains when we learned that is $10.99. We knew it will be too much food anyway. Newbies probably shouldn't come here. The place is BUSY and SLOW. We arrived at 5pm on a Sat. They already have stacks of takeout boxes waiting for pickup. Only a group of two were ahead of us, but I later learned there were multiple takeout orders, too. We waited 45 minutes for our food. Everyone seems to know that's just how they roll. One guy came in with a thick book to wait for his takeout order. Their clientele is familiar with them and their food. Dine in isn't true dine in. It is sit-down to eat from the same takeout boxes using the same plastic utensils. No water service either, must buy water or beverage. No service actually, we bused our own table afterwards. Despite the good food, the long wait time is a turn-off. Overall, the food was flavorful, though the meats are charred to the dry side. Prices are good with big portions. The meats all have many bones; they would not suit those who favor the typical chicken breast, no bones meal. The Food: Benechin Chicken with Jollof rice, $15.99 - 4 Stars The Jollof rice caught my attention, which I learned about from the other African restaurant. Each cook has their own recipe. Theirs is tomato based with flavorful seasonings that has a slight kick. I liked it! The chicken is bone-in, well charred, slightly dry but not too bad. This dish is a two-days serving for me. AFRA Lamb, $18.99 - 3.5 Stars This dish comes with side of rice or salad. It is a generous pile that filled the little container. The lamb is also slightly dry, with lots of bones, but also lots of food. Hubby impressively finished his meal. He liked the meal, but the many bones exceeded his normally high tolerance. Meat Pies, $6.00 - 4.5 Stars I really like these flavorful meats and potatoes filled hand-sized pies. Well-seasoned with seasoning that I believe is unique to West Africa. I highly recommend ordering these.

The food is always amazing! Every time!! I'm usually a chicken kind of guy but the Afra Lamb has been my go to. Black eye pea slaw with some plantain!!! 10/10

I was very happy with my food, as was my boyfriend, who is from Nigeria. The food wasn't as spicy as he would like but they had some pepper sauce for him to add in. The staff were kind and they were busy with lots of to-go orders. They seem to have a lot of regulars!

The best food I've found. So flavorful and amazingly seasoned. The people that work there are so very kind. I've tried other west African restaurants. None compares to this location. Not only are their recipes consistent, but the food is also extremely fresh. You won't experience freezer burnt food from them. Treat yourself and give them a chance. You will not be disappointed at all.

Highly recommend this spot for all considering trying something new and curious. I was served by a nice woman named Mary, the food was prompt, flavorful, and a wonderful change in spots for take out. I'd be up for trying other dishes! Would highly recommend the plantains as a side with anything ordered. The ambiance was simple, clean, and pretty busy for a week night. Parking lot was full, and had plenty of parking. Seemed like a decent amount of to-go orders too.

Authentic west African delicious food!!! Staff were extremely friendly as well, and answered all our questions. Highly recommend.

Pretty good West African food. I tried the afra lamb and I enjoyed the taste and flavor. However the sauce the onions came with was not evenly mixed so the flavoring was not very consistent. The food came out in to go containers even if you are dining in. The wait was quite a bit (roughly 20-30 min) so just be ready for that.