The Charcoal Hut in Leicester

The food wasn’t what we wanted, we asked for Kenyan style food she said poussin chicken and it wasn’t poussin at all, they put a whole lump of some different type of sauce and called it poussin wasn’t happy at all and the fries were hard not enjoyable Can’t go back again it was my first time and was very disappointed!!

Amazing service can’t thank them enough catered really well for my family and kids food was amazing cooked to perfection and really big portion defianatly recommend

Had the best meal ever staff wer so welcoming and accomadating really went the extra mile to make our dinner so special i cant even begin to describe how fantastic the food was 10 out of 10 for everything by far the best food in leicester

Been twice now; I've had both the Masai Mara Mix & Lake Malawi Mix & really enjoyed it. Chicken, Lamb Chop & Chips were very nice - solid flavours and cooked very well. The Veg Rice is exceptional and I ain't even a rice guy unless I'm eating my bengali home cooked curries at home! The sauces have great flavour and spice, and the King Prawns are nice when dipped into their spicy sauce. Was too hungry to take photos/better photos so I will update my uploads at a later date. My only criticism is that the platter is overpriced for the amount of food you get - I feel there should be at least 2 more Chicken Fillets and 2 more Lamb Chops due to the size of these.

We booked a table for 10 to celebrate my daughters 22nd birthday , we had to wait half hour for our table to be free despite calling them to book it as advised by the restaurant. We were squashed and cramped in one side of the wall with no room for us to eat. We asked for a baby high chair and again it was being used by another child so had to wait an hour for one. Service was very slow and the food arrived in dribs where some guests were eating while others were waiting, they didn’t have any still bottled water left and we had no choice but to order expensive drinks . Prawns ordered were under cooked , chips were cold and meat wasn’t the best. We asked the waitress to bring out the cake and she bought the cake out in the box as it was given and dumped it in front of my daughter shocking service. We will never be going here again, they cannot cater for a large group the restaurant was busy but only 2 waitresses! Avoid at all costs! What a waste of our precious time and money!!!

An excellent selection of food and drinks! Tasty and fresh! This place has a wide variety of African influenced dishes. The Grape Soda was delicious too! It was not too busy on a weekday evening when we went. The only thing I would say that needs improving is when the drinks are served. It would be better for them to be served before the meal is served. Highly recommended!

Visited The Charcoal Hut in Leicester with my wife, sister, and mum, and we were thoroughly impressed. Food & Flavors: Everything we ordered was fresh, well-seasoned, and full of bold flavors. The Pili Pili sauce had the perfect fiery kick, while the lemon & herb sauce added a bright, tangy balance. Both were packed with flavor and complemented the grilled meats beautifully. The quality of the ingredients really stood out. Service & Atmosphere: Service was great, with a friendly and efficient waitress taking care of us. One thing we appreciated was the presence of (what seemed to be) the owner or chef—a big guy who briefly checked in on us. He asked for our feedback in a short, professional manner—just enough engagement without being intrusive. Suggestions for Improvement: Serve drinks before starters. Offer disposable gloves for customers who would prefer to enjoy the Gazebo chicken hands on without the mess. Let customers sample the sauces before ordering – as first-time visitors, we would have loved to try a small taste before choosing which sauce to have with our grills. This place offers a diverse menu featuring African-inspired dishes - definitely worth a visit!

Went for my daughters birthday and a cake was provided, really nice touch 👌

The food is rubbish chips are those frozen packs from aldi drinks taste like it's from aldi chicken steaks are so thin it's embarrassing 😳 rice that comes with order not nice at all the could hardly eat the steak and chops moctail thrown some aldi frozen summer fruits disgusting really cheep stuff and extortionate prices and food was tasteless nothing like Africa absolute joke waste of time wouldn't go there ever 😑 spend your money elsewhere quality matters

Wanted to try out this place for a while, they had opened then closed for a few years and they opened up recently again. I remember going as a kid to the takeaway on Hartington road some 30 years back. Hopes were high as food was finger licking good then. Place is nicely decorated, comfortable chairs and they also took orders via/tablet which was nice to see. Menu is quite simple, not too many dishes. I believe that is the best way to do it, so that you just offer the customer what you are best at. We ordered the lake Malawi mix, beef and chicken mishkaki and some mocktails. The lake Malawi mix was a sharing platter for 2, which included, rice, spicy chips, chicken and beef steak, lamp chops and prawns. Everything in the platter tasted amazing, authentic Malawi cuisine. I was looking forward to the mishkaki the most, the meat was tender and tasted good but it didn't have that tangy taste that the mishkaki has back in Malawi/Tanzania. The mocktails were nicely decorated and tasted good. Food was presented really well and they catered for our needs. Service was impeccable. Could not fault it. They really look after the customer, making you want to come back. I would say the service was the best I've received in recent times. Definitely would go back and this time want to try their whole chicken as that looked tasty.

Customer service is fantastic, steak, prawns & chicken where fab! We'd preferred the piri piri chicken over there gazebo type of offerings, but this maybe just down to personal preference.

Had the pleasure of trying out this restaurant last night at my son's insistence, and I’m so glad we did! Although we had to wait a bit longer than expected, the wait was absolutely worth it. The portions were generous, and the poussin chicken was absolutely packed with flavor, perfectly spiced. My sons thoroughly enjoyed their steaks, mentioning they tasted exactly what they hoped for. It felt like a meal made with love! The mocktails were another highlight. Their creative and intriguing names matched their unique and delightful flavours. The fresh passion fruit was my favourite, refreshing, vibrant and perfectly balanced. To top it all off, it was such a pleasure meeting the owner, a humble and kind lady whose warmth and dedication to her craft shone through in every detail. JazakaAllah khair for creating such a wonderful homely dining experience. I would highly recommend this restaurant to my friends and can’t wait to return for another scrumptious meal.

Great experience here we’re always back for the Gazebo chicken, excellent hospitality from the owners.

Absolutely fantastic Food . I will be going again it’s my new favourite restaurant in Leicester. Also, the service was lovely staff very friendly thank you 🤩 Sofia xx

Amazing food great option of platters the chicken fillet and preggo 10/10

Went there by accident but can't fault the food. Really enjoyed the gazebo chicken. Authentic african food, loved every thing we ordered. Would definitely go again!

I am very happy with the food and the services received from the team. An excellent place to eat and drink. I will recommend this amazing restaurant to all 👌

Honestly the best food I’ve had in quite a long time. I had the gazebo chicken with rice and chips which was AMAZING! And the beef mishkaki which was tender and not chewy which a lot of places can’t pull off but these guys did. It also didn’t have the generic Asian resturant taste but instead transported me to the streets of Kenya. Beautiful food, AMAZING customer service and the decor was aesthetically pleasing. Genuinely will come again.

Excellent food and service. I would definitely recommend The Charcoal Hut. I highly recommend the wings. I’m looking forward to my next meal there.

it was very clean, the owners and staff were very friendly and the food was amazing, we ordered bang bang prawns, grilled chicken and prego steak roll, very yummy and good portion.i would highly reccomend this restaurant 👍👌

We were disappointed with the food To be honest. Expected better.

Amazing food, chicken steak chops prawns it was all perfect. Even the mocktails were some of the best ive had. Would definitely recommend, perfect place for a family meal

Went here to experience the mishkaki and was not disappointed. Taste was excellent, succulent and a good amount per stick. We also had the crispy beef which were very tasty and the lamb chops which were tender and full flavoured. The fresh passion fruit juice was also lovely.

Really nice food. I ordered the full gazebo chicken and the mishkaki (medium). Flavours were really nice and all the family enjoyed it. Will definitely be visiting here again!

We had a delightful pre theatre meal here on Monday. Food was great, service superb and we loved it and would highly recommend and hope the business prospers. Well worth a visit. Waitress so attentive and thoughtful.

Amazing food and quality service, I was really impressed even though they were extremely busy on the day I went, the quality and service were exceptional, keep up the good woork

Excellent Food, the wafer steak Pili Pili was awesome the coleslaw was tasty , prawns nice and juicy . Will definitely recommend

Delicious creamy milkshakes, my go to place from now on.

I love the food Especially The prawn

Haphazard service and very bland food. Previous reviews are fake, family members or staff themselves posting the reviews. Scandalous how they can charge those prices for what was served.

Amazing food, flavour was on point, service was slightly delayed (food made up for it) as it is a new place which is expected and am sure it will improve soon.

At first I didn’t understand the hype because my wife and her sister had been talking about ‘The Charcoal Hut’ since November. The food was supposedly “to die for” so I thought why not head over for the opening weekend. We tried to reserve a table but were told it wasn’t possible for this weekend so we decided to head over anyway to their new restaurant to try our luck. I must say the decor is amazing, the light up wall is very creative and the food is actually underpriced for the quality. We ordered a charcoal sizzler, a charcoal hut burger and the kid’s cheesy volcano. Yes the service was rather slow and the wait time was quite long but when the food arrived it was obvious that everything was cooked fresh to order. Initially I was frustrated because the food didn’t arrive for 35 minutes but when it did it made the wait worthwhile. The beef, chicken and prawns were seasoned well without overpowering the taste of the meats, the burger was fresh and not processed or frozen. They had Coke Zero and Irn Bru in glass bottles!? We’ve never seen that before in a restaurant in Leicester! My wife only drinks Coke Zero so usually when we go out she has to settle for Diet Coke or water but this was quite something. I also had the ‘Dirty Bit’ thickshake which was really thick and delicious. Again the service was very slow but the quality was 11/10. The reason why I have given the 5 star rating instead of 4 is because: They offer lemon and ice.. They take card payments.. The food is fresh and actual restaurant quality.. The prices are super reasonable.. The manager was so nice and apologetic for the delay.. All in all considering it was just the second day they were open, it was obvious that they were still trying to find their feet and for that alone it would be unfair to give 4 stars. Would I recommend? Absolutely.