Four of us went to Simba Ugandan last evening and had a fabulous dinner. Since they don't serve wine, we brought our own and enjoyed our friends while we waited for dinner. We knew to expect that the food would take a while -- everything appears to be made to order -- but the wait was definitely worth it. The food was wonderful. We had a plantain appetizer and four different entrees (chicken, pork, vegetables, and rice) along with the special bread they serve. We shared all of the dishes. Each of us liked every one of the dishes. This is not the place to go for a quick dinner, but it is a great place to go for a leisurely, delicious meal.
Lynn Matejcic Sansone
Wonderful experience—-food and service
S Muel
Word on the street is very accurate; long wait, but worth it for the quality of the food.
Yuan C.
We went there for lunch buffet after 12pm. Price is $15 per person after tax. There was no server at all, we had to yell for a few minutes then someone came out. Only three dishes were out and two of them were rice; we were told it'll take another 5mins and everything would be out, 5mins turned into 15. The food is very salty and everything is covered in rosemary. Price is way too high, the food is not good (probably 5 out of 10), so not worth it.
meda go
The place was clean. Great customer service. Loved the food. I went with my 15 year old daughter and my daighter enjoyed the food. I will definitely go again
Brit B
Really good food! The buffet is a nice option if you want to try a variety of items. You can also order off the menu, I usually get the friend tilapia - one of my favorites! The ginger hibiscus hot tea is delicious if you like sweet and slightly tart flavors. (I believe they serve it chilled but I prefer it hot). The staff and owner were very kind . They also have a small store where you can buy artwork and clothing. Check them out!
Doug M.
Enjoyed the lunch buffet food very much, but the timing could use a bit of work. We arrived at 11:30 am, after the 11:00 opening, and were the first customers on a drizzly Sunday. None of the buffet items were out yet, but started appearing after about ten minutes. Every few minutes another tray of food would be ready and sent out. So everything was very fresh; it didn't look like anything was from the previous day and had just been heated up. Only real complaint with the food was that the chapati bread never was ready in the full hour we were there. But it did arrive as we were leaving, and we were given a to go box to fill and take with us. I'm glad I did, too, as the chapati was delicious, hot and thick. The other foods were also quite flavorful, without a spicy heat. So if you like your mouth to burn from the spice heat, don't come here. But if you want to enjoy the food for its flavor, then here's the place. I would best describe it as influenced equally by Ethiopia to the north, and India to the east. That's not really fair, I suppose, since Uganda has its own style (the bread for example), but for someone unfamiliar, that gives you a reference point. The interior of the place is pretty spartan, but not off-putting. I did knock my review down a bit because the food wasn't yet ready even 30 minutes after opening. I realize it is a small, family run place, but you need to serve the customers better. The same goes for the son (Majesty) and mother owners pretty much being busy in the back the whole time. Both were extremely nice when up front, though.
Monique Kramer
I ordered the goat curry, donuts, and chapati bread for lunch, and all were delicious. Really affordable and fantastic food. if you're on the fence about trying it, I can promise this place is a gem.
Quita Jones
This is amazing. I wish I would've known about this sooner. Amazing food. Amazing service. I could cry right now
Melissa S.
The food here was really good!! The menu isn't overwhelmingly large, which I appreciate. We had fried plantains, on the starter menu, which were amazing. We ordered the vegetable curry & the fried beef. Both were good. The only negative thing was how slow everything took to arrive.
I came in here within a few months of this place opening and I wasn't very impressed. The Nigerian man at the front taking my order was nice... The management... Anyway, I was the only person in and it took about 30 minutes to get my food. I ate some kind of baked chicken that tasted like something I would make in the comfort of my own home after i squirt some "Bragg" Amino acids on it. The rice was incredibly simple in taste and wasn't spectacular at all. I think my total was near $15 for the two of those and I just don't feel like it was worth it.
S SM
Worst place. Worst ambience. Worst food ever. Very few options on the lunch buffet. The guy at the front desk was the only guy at the restaurant. Served really bad and old food. When asked, turned out to be so rude and started shouting literally like a senseless human instead of being empathetic.. I would have given 0 rating if that was a possible option.. it's just the worst restaurant experience.
Mark P.
So I'm kind of obsessed with Uganda and try to visit the country as often as I possibly can. Having lived in Kampala, the capital city, some years ago, I was especially excited when I heard about Simba here in St. Louis. I love all the natural and unprocessed foods, and especially the national dish of Uganda, matoke. This type of banana is eating daily in Uganda in a savory form and usually steamed in banana leaves or boiled and served with a sauce and sometimes meat. Unfortunately it is very difficult to find matoke outside of East Africa. If you're lucky, you might occasionally find it in London or Boston where more Ugandans live. Unfortunately, Simba doesn't have matoke, it's just nearly impossible or way too expensive to ship here. However Simba gets extra points for trying to recreate this dish by using a different type of banana and topping it with a peanut sauce. It's listed on their menu as Groundnut Sauce with Bananas. It's not what you'll find in Uganda, but I applaud the effort. I was especially shocked and excited to find rolex on the menu. This popular street food has evolved over the years in Uganda. It consists of eggs, usually cooked with onions and tomatoes and then rolled up in chapatti bread. This Indian style bread is a sort of thick wheat flour tortilla that is more dense and chewy than a Mexican flour tortilla. I tried Simba's chapatis and they were delicious. I haven't tried the rolex yet, but plan to someday. When I eat Rolex in uganda, I always find that it needs a hot sauce or something to spice it up a bit.
Alex G.
Having been to Simba 3 times now, twice for lunch and once for dinner, it's hard to know how to feel about it. The dinner visit was easily the best of the 3. Very tasty ribs paired with a really tasty pilau rice and a flavorful salad. The place was practically empty, but service was warm and friendly. It would have earned 4 stars if that were the only visit. The lunch visits drag the score down significantly. Food is kept lukewarm and, after 1, many dishes were out. Beef curry was still delicious, but nothing else really impressed. On our most recent visit, we walked in and absolutely nobody was to be found. One of my coworkers had to walk back to the kitchen to find the host/waiter. Water was requested but never brought. It's a real shame that this unique spot is let down by its lunch as its dinner offerings are worth going back for.
Paula Sparks
The owner/employees were so welcoming! The buffet was good, enough vegetarian items for me and not too spicy! And most important, food that is good for you. Convenient location on Olive at McKnight~
Four of us went to Simba Ugandan last evening and had a fabulous dinner. Since they don't serve wine, we brought our own and enjoyed our friends while we waited for dinner. We knew to expect that the food would take a while -- everything appears to be made to order -- but the wait was definitely worth it. The food was wonderful. We had a plantain appetizer and four different entrees (chicken, pork, vegetables, and rice) along with the special bread they serve. We shared all of the dishes. Each of us liked every one of the dishes. This is not the place to go for a quick dinner, but it is a great place to go for a leisurely, delicious meal.
Wonderful experience—-food and service
Word on the street is very accurate; long wait, but worth it for the quality of the food.
We went there for lunch buffet after 12pm. Price is $15 per person after tax. There was no server at all, we had to yell for a few minutes then someone came out. Only three dishes were out and two of them were rice; we were told it'll take another 5mins and everything would be out, 5mins turned into 15. The food is very salty and everything is covered in rosemary. Price is way too high, the food is not good (probably 5 out of 10), so not worth it.
The place was clean. Great customer service. Loved the food. I went with my 15 year old daughter and my daighter enjoyed the food. I will definitely go again
Really good food! The buffet is a nice option if you want to try a variety of items. You can also order off the menu, I usually get the friend tilapia - one of my favorites! The ginger hibiscus hot tea is delicious if you like sweet and slightly tart flavors. (I believe they serve it chilled but I prefer it hot). The staff and owner were very kind . They also have a small store where you can buy artwork and clothing. Check them out!
Enjoyed the lunch buffet food very much, but the timing could use a bit of work. We arrived at 11:30 am, after the 11:00 opening, and were the first customers on a drizzly Sunday. None of the buffet items were out yet, but started appearing after about ten minutes. Every few minutes another tray of food would be ready and sent out. So everything was very fresh; it didn't look like anything was from the previous day and had just been heated up. Only real complaint with the food was that the chapati bread never was ready in the full hour we were there. But it did arrive as we were leaving, and we were given a to go box to fill and take with us. I'm glad I did, too, as the chapati was delicious, hot and thick. The other foods were also quite flavorful, without a spicy heat. So if you like your mouth to burn from the spice heat, don't come here. But if you want to enjoy the food for its flavor, then here's the place. I would best describe it as influenced equally by Ethiopia to the north, and India to the east. That's not really fair, I suppose, since Uganda has its own style (the bread for example), but for someone unfamiliar, that gives you a reference point. The interior of the place is pretty spartan, but not off-putting. I did knock my review down a bit because the food wasn't yet ready even 30 minutes after opening. I realize it is a small, family run place, but you need to serve the customers better. The same goes for the son (Majesty) and mother owners pretty much being busy in the back the whole time. Both were extremely nice when up front, though.
I ordered the goat curry, donuts, and chapati bread for lunch, and all were delicious. Really affordable and fantastic food. if you're on the fence about trying it, I can promise this place is a gem.
This is amazing. I wish I would've known about this sooner. Amazing food. Amazing service. I could cry right now
The food here was really good!! The menu isn't overwhelmingly large, which I appreciate. We had fried plantains, on the starter menu, which were amazing. We ordered the vegetable curry & the fried beef. Both were good. The only negative thing was how slow everything took to arrive.
Restaurantji Recommends
I came in here within a few months of this place opening and I wasn't very impressed. The Nigerian man at the front taking my order was nice... The management... Anyway, I was the only person in and it took about 30 minutes to get my food. I ate some kind of baked chicken that tasted like something I would make in the comfort of my own home after i squirt some "Bragg" Amino acids on it. The rice was incredibly simple in taste and wasn't spectacular at all. I think my total was near $15 for the two of those and I just don't feel like it was worth it.
Worst place. Worst ambience. Worst food ever. Very few options on the lunch buffet. The guy at the front desk was the only guy at the restaurant. Served really bad and old food. When asked, turned out to be so rude and started shouting literally like a senseless human instead of being empathetic.. I would have given 0 rating if that was a possible option.. it's just the worst restaurant experience.
So I'm kind of obsessed with Uganda and try to visit the country as often as I possibly can. Having lived in Kampala, the capital city, some years ago, I was especially excited when I heard about Simba here in St. Louis. I love all the natural and unprocessed foods, and especially the national dish of Uganda, matoke. This type of banana is eating daily in Uganda in a savory form and usually steamed in banana leaves or boiled and served with a sauce and sometimes meat. Unfortunately it is very difficult to find matoke outside of East Africa. If you're lucky, you might occasionally find it in London or Boston where more Ugandans live. Unfortunately, Simba doesn't have matoke, it's just nearly impossible or way too expensive to ship here. However Simba gets extra points for trying to recreate this dish by using a different type of banana and topping it with a peanut sauce. It's listed on their menu as Groundnut Sauce with Bananas. It's not what you'll find in Uganda, but I applaud the effort. I was especially shocked and excited to find rolex on the menu. This popular street food has evolved over the years in Uganda. It consists of eggs, usually cooked with onions and tomatoes and then rolled up in chapatti bread. This Indian style bread is a sort of thick wheat flour tortilla that is more dense and chewy than a Mexican flour tortilla. I tried Simba's chapatis and they were delicious. I haven't tried the rolex yet, but plan to someday. When I eat Rolex in uganda, I always find that it needs a hot sauce or something to spice it up a bit.
Having been to Simba 3 times now, twice for lunch and once for dinner, it's hard to know how to feel about it. The dinner visit was easily the best of the 3. Very tasty ribs paired with a really tasty pilau rice and a flavorful salad. The place was practically empty, but service was warm and friendly. It would have earned 4 stars if that were the only visit. The lunch visits drag the score down significantly. Food is kept lukewarm and, after 1, many dishes were out. Beef curry was still delicious, but nothing else really impressed. On our most recent visit, we walked in and absolutely nobody was to be found. One of my coworkers had to walk back to the kitchen to find the host/waiter. Water was requested but never brought. It's a real shame that this unique spot is let down by its lunch as its dinner offerings are worth going back for.
The owner/employees were so welcoming! The buffet was good, enough vegetarian items for me and not too spicy! And most important, food that is good for you. Convenient location on Olive at McKnight~