African
Non-veg
Serves meat, vegan options available. Cameroonian and Gambia cuisine in a homey setting. Most dishes can be adapted to be vegetarian. Offers a ginger drink, several veggie dishes. BYO. Open Wed-Thu 11:00am-9:00pm, Fri-Sat 11:00am-10:00pm, Sun 11:00am-9:00pm.
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1212 Royal St, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA, 70116
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Last update on 13 Dec 2021 by Guest
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Added by mommacat on 01 Aug 2007
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63 Reviews
First Review by kilgore
TexasVegan
Points +87
so good - Edit
I have eaten at Bennachin three or four times now. It's so great. I love the cozy atmosphere and African decor. The staff there are very friendly though they are usually short staffed. This is common in New Orleans so it isn't really that big of a deal to me. Yes, you may wait a little while for your food but nobody is in a hurry in New Orleans so you shouldn't be either.
Read moreAs for the food - I've loved everything I've had. I've had the Black-Eyed Pea Fritter poboy dish twice. I LOVE IT. I have also had both the plate with black eyed peas, rice and fried plantains and the spinach, rice and fried plantains plate. I know they sound sort of boring - they are not. Fantastic food. Also, I was told every non-meat dish in the restaurant is vegan as they use no dairy or eggs.
I highly recommend going here for lunch during the week as each of these dinners is only half their regular price of about 16 bucks (so 8 dollars). This is my favorite place to dine in New Orleans.
Pros: delicious food, great atmosphere, friendly staff
Cons: short staffed
Guest
theexternvoid
Points +523
NOLA's best restaurant - Edit
Just the tastiest food I could find in New Orleans. Too much of the local food of course is based on meat-focused Cajun. But Cajun includes West African food in its ancestry. So if you want something unique with some link to New Orleans, go to Bennachin. The food is savory and also seems healthy, not the processed and greasy stuff you get at the local bar scene. I went there twice. The first time, the host was super friendly and made the trip extra enjoyable for discussing the food and jazz music.
Read moreGuest
Level5vegan
Points +1078
Nice atmosphere - Edit
Nice atmosphere, very kind staff were helpful to veganize/describe dishes that were new to me. Generous portions and beautiful art/decorations.
Read moreGuest
guitargabe
Points +578
Delicious food, super friendly staff - Edit
Loved both the food and the people here, highly recommend!
Read moreGuest
RomanCaerleon
Points +38
Really tasty African cuisine - Edit
Enjoyed the food a lot. Nice place, good location. Did take a while
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2024-10-16
Guest
jollieduck
Points +3195
Not impressed - Edit
It was amazing that all of the dishes in the vegetarian section of the menu were vegan. I got the broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots with ginger sauce over couscous. The couscous was incredible watery, in a little puddle, and otherwise pretty basic.
Read moreGuest
Amyladedada1
Points +906
Reviews don’t lie - Edit
This place is very good. The atmosphere was so cozy. The food was really good. The staff were so helpful to find vegan options. Win win!
Read moreGuest
MellieLane
Points +73
Good food, great service! - Edit
Enjoyed a flavorful meal and quick, attentive service. Would recommend.
Read moreGuest
AbiEats
Points +322
Really flavorful - Edit
They had a couple vegan options, and the food was really good. The service was pretty slow, but the ambience was nice.
Read moreGuest
ScottHutton
Points +654
Sweet little local gem - Edit
We had an enjoyable and unique dining experience with Gambian/ Cameroonian food. Agree with others that the black eyed pea fritters were delicious. They were out of the curry dish that sounded like the best entree but our dishes were tasty
Read morePros: The black eyed pea fritters, Really nice staff, Cute little local gem on a nice street
Guest
Shafshaf
Points +351
WOW - Edit
Never had anything like their food. A very outstanding experience.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2023-09-24
Pros: Everything!
Guest
bEzz
Points +2173
I dream of Bennachin - Edit
The black eyed pea fritters alone are worth the trek into the French Quarter. The space is airy and colorful. The food, delicious. Bennachin is a hidden gem as far as I am concerned!
Read moreGuest
GlobalTravelingvegan
Points +172
Great food - Edit
The fried plantains were great not fried too hard. The other vegan dishes were good too.
Read morePros: Lots of vegan options
Cons: None
Guest
SteveD
Points +51
Great find in meat centric New Orleans - Edit
Akara Black eyed pea fritters were light and fluffy. The JAMA ni Makondo, spinach, coconut rice, and sweet creamy fried plantains, was delicious!
Read moreGuest
Cazi
Points +24
Must try here !!! - Edit
Delish - ordered the spinach dish
Read moreJama nl Makonde 🤤🤤🤤🤤🤤 it was amazing !
Fixed my veggie craving
Y’all need to come eat here
Guest
dana5306
Points +48
Excellent food for both vegans and Omnis - Edit
My friend and I went here on our last night in NOLA. The food was absolutely delicious. My Omni friend is a picky eater and even she loved it. I recommend the black eyed pea stew.
Read morePros: Lots of veg options, Good for both omnis and vegans
Guest
AnVK
Points +157
Real good real food - Edit
The food is reliably delicious every time. A tasty option is the kone ni makondo (a black eyed peas meal with rice and fried plantains). It is a good filling meal. Get meals medium or spicy and there’s plenty of taste. The homemade ginger drink is strong and delicious. The black eyed pea fritters are tasty fried food with a yummy sauce. The people are friendly and helpful there.
Read morePros: Real food, Options, Friendly
Guest
Breah
Points +752
Good ghannanian food - Edit
This place serves meat but has several bean-based vegan options. The service was pretty slow, but the food was authentic and tasty. Portions were sizeable, definitely a fair price for what you get.
Read morePros: Vegan options, Authentic
Cons: Slow service
Guest
duncula
Points +42
3 1/2 stars - Edit
We had the kone ni makondo and the jama jama ni makondo to go. We also ordered the black eyed pea fritters, but she didn’t write it down and we didn’t want to wait. The kone was good. The rice was bland, but it was fine mixed and I ordered medium spicy. The plantains were good, although not the best ever. The bread was like a throwaway. The jama jama was stinky and mushy and I didn’t eat it. That may be a personal preference because I don’t really like stewed or vinegary greens and prefer more lightly cooked. The portions were good, but it was over $28 for two lunch specials to go, plus tip. I’ll go back and try again, but I do feel underwhelmed.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2021-04-27
Guest
hlc22
Points +46
Yummy and different - Edit
I tried three different dishes—kone ni makondo, jama jama ni makondo, bikai ni curry. Loved the first two, but the third wasn’t my taste and not sure the eggplant was cooked all the way. Lots of vegan options and delicious!
Read moreGuest
gabrielle.atx
Points +127
INCREDIBLE! - Edit
This restaurant has an abundance of vegan options and the staff is incredibly helpful. My Omni friends all ate vegan and were very impressed, especially with the Peanut Stew (obviously with no beef). I can’t recommend this place enough!
Read morePros: Lots of vegan options, Incredible cuisine, Cozy atmosphere
Guest
MeAgainVegan
Points +70
Nice ambience underwhelming food - Edit
I love really flavorful food but I ordered the 43, eggplant w coconut rice and it was just basic veg and rice. The peas and beans appeared to be cooked from frozen. The place is cute and popular. Maybe we ordered the wrong thing. Luckily I’m a weirdo and bring a baggy of travel spices on trips because I really needed the soy sauce and nooch this meal!!!! The black eye pea fritters were decent.
Read moreGuest
StephenGolden
Points +152
So delicious - Edit
Food was so good. We hadn't had this type of food before, and just went with what sounded exciting on the menu. The black eye pea fritters were a great way to start. The main courses were really flavourful. Loved this place.
Read moreGuest
Karen82
Points +493
Tasty - Edit
Good variety of vegan choices. Very tasty. Decent sized portions and inexpensive. Staff were friendly and helpful.
Read moreGuest
KavillaVeg
Points +147
Not much flavor - Edit
This place has a cozy ambiance and alluring menu, but both my b/f and I were enormously disappointed with the food. There just wasn’t much flavor to speak of - at all. My dish was mostly steamed veggies on steamed rice.. no spice, no sauce, no flavor. Also, they don’t serve alcohol.
Read moreGuest
Rebeli
Points +161
Loved this place - Edit
What a nice find. Delicious, and a cuisine you don't get every day! Some dishes were a little salty, all were scrumptious. Nice ambience and service. Good prices.
Read moreGuest
ilovetoeatveggies
Points +225
What a cool place! - Edit
Woah! This place is so cozy and the food is so delicious! The ambiance is epic, the staff are so friendly and helpful and kind, and the food is SUPERB!
Read moreGuest
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