Dakar NOLA has quietly solved one of its biggest barriers to entry: you no longer need a $175 reservation to eat there. The James Beard-winning Senegalese restaurant has opened the Dakar Terrace, a walk-in-only, à la carte patio tucked beside its new home on Leonidas Street, offering small and shared plates without requiring the full tasting-menu experience.
Chef Serigne Mbaye opened Dakar NOLA in 2022, building the restaurant around the communal, tasting menu-style of service and hospitality that draws on his Senegalese roots, according to Axios. A seat at that dinner still costs $175, plus drinks. The new Terrace is designed as a far more casual option, making it easier for people to pop in without committing to the full prix-fixe experience.
A Bamboo-Lined Patio Along River Road
The Dakar Terrace sits along the River Road side of Dakar NOLA's new Leonidas Street location, described as an open-air and bamboo-lined patio. The restaurant relocated to 937 Leonidas St. from its original spot at 3814 Magazine St., moving into the former Mat & Naddie's space, NOLA.com reported. The outlet noted the move would add a more casual à la carte menu served on the covered patio, alongside the restaurant's existing tasting menu inside.
Unlike the indoor dining room, the Terrace takes no reservations at all — it's available for walk-ins only. The menu itself stays tight, with fewer than a dozen dishes spanning small plates, shared options, sides and desserts.
What's on the Menu
Diners can order the akara sous kaani, black-eyed pea fritters served with a caramelized onion and tomato sauce, or the poulet maafé, a braised chicken dish Axios described as sumptuous. The Terrace menu also offers small plates and shared options.
The lower price point stands in sharp contrast to Dakar's tasting menu, which Forbes listed at $175 for seven courses this past summer. Dakar has earned national recognition even as it looks for ways to widen its reach. Back when Dakar first opened its permanent location in 2022, prepaid reservations for parties of one to ten ran $150 per person, according to Eater New Orleans.
Riding a Wave of National Recognition
Dakar NOLA's rise has been fast. The restaurant was named Best New Restaurant by the James Beard Foundation in 2024, and Mbaye was a finalist for the Foundation's Best Chef: South award in 2026. That first Beard win added to the restaurant's national profile.
With the Terrace now open, Mbaye and business partner Effie Richardson have added a more casual option to the new Leonidas Street space. For now, though, the bamboo patio gives New Orleans diners their first real shot at tasting Mbaye's cooking without booking a seat at the main event.
