Skip to content
Link copied to clipboard
A plate of brown Jollof rice, chicken kebab, and plantains are served to patrons at West African restaurant Kilimandjaro during a grand reopening in a new space and location in West Philadelphia at 44th and Chestnut Streets on Sept. 12, 2024.
A plate of brown Jollof rice, chicken kebab, and plantains are served to patrons at West African restaurant Kilimandjaro during a grand reopening in a new space and location in West Philadelphia at 44th and Chestnut Streets on Sept. 12, 2024.Read moreAllie Ippolito / For The Inquirer
The 76 Badge

Kilimandjaro

West PhiladelphiaWest African, Senegalese, BYOB$-$$

The original Kilimandjaro opened in 2005 in a strip mall on Chestnut Street, and swiftly cemented owner Youma Ba as a West Philly staple. After a four-year break, it’s back in a brand-new space, with all the warmth and charm of the original, filled with bright pops of color. You’re likely to be greeted in the 60-seat dining room by Ba herself, working the register and doling out plates of plantains and couscous. Kilimandjaro’s atmosphere is casual, but the food is as serious an example of Senegalese flavors as you’ll find anywhere in the city. The menu is small, with just eight options for either lunch or dinner, but everything hits. The whole fried tilapia and the poulet Senegal are particularly good choices, both marinated in spices that give a slow build of heat throughout the meal and beg to be washed down with a fresh ginger juice.

How we choose our best lists

The Inquirer aims to represent the geographic, cultural, and culinary diversity of the region in its coverage. Inquirer staffers and contributors do not accept free or comped meals — all meals are paid for by the Inquirer. All dining recommendations are made solely by the Inquirer editorial staffers and contributors based on their reporting and expertise, without input from advertisers or outside interests.