We pulled into Ivoire Delice after hearing about a new restaurant that specializes in West African cuisine! The exterior was very colorful and interesting, with pictures of different menu items, so look for this since they don’t yet have a sign up.
We ordered the Jollof and chicken (fried) and grilled chicken with “dirty style” onions. All three dishes looked very similar in portion, so I recommend just getting the jollof and chicken since it is a few dollar cheaper. Since they forgot the dirty onions this time, they promised to throw it in for free next time. The owner was very friendly and nice! She kindly explained the different items on the menu for us.
The chicken was grilled perfectly and the jollof, which is a West African rice dish, was super flavorful and topped with a delicious savory sauce. You can also get the sauce spicy, which I definitely need to try. Since they only have plastic utensils that aren’t as sturdy, it was a bit hard to cut into the chicken, but despite the difficulty it was one of the most tasty chicken dishes I have had for sure! It was served with a side of cooked cabbage and fried plantains, which were sweet and delicious.
They have a large indoor dining area with beautiful murals and leather chairs. It did take ~40 mins for the food to come out so I recommend ordering ahead if you are in a rush! There is no outdoor dining or delivery service yet.
I was so excited to see a restaurant specializing in West African food in Gainesville and will definitely be back to try more dishes!
Address: 1116 N Main St, Gainesville, FL 32601
Community Foodwaves 