The Best Worst Restaurant in Nairobi

Have you ever eaten somewhere so bad, you start wondering if it’s intentional? Like, maybe they’ve perfected the art of being terrible, so much so it’s almost impressive. For me, that’s Odyssey Bar and Grill in Ngara.

Now, it’s bad for a lot of reasons, and I could go on. But here’s one example— if you order a drink and a meal at the same time, you might assume the drink would show up first. You’d be wrong. It’s the food. Always. Just one of those things that makes Odyssey… well, Odyssey.

Most places try to hide their flaws, maybe even dress them up a bit. But not here. At Odyssey, you just sort of accept it, embrace the chaos. And here’s a little tip: don’t get too attached to anything on the menu. I’d say they have maybe a third of it available on a good day. And if you see their pizza oven and think you can order a pizza, let me save you the trouble—you’ll only end up disappointed. Or worse, laughed at. While I’m waiting for my dry pork, of course.

Here’s the thing, Odyssey holds a special place in my heart. When I first moved to the neighborhood and didn’t know where to eat, it was the closest spot around. And here’s a confession—I took my girlfriend there for our first date. Yeah, first impressions.

I could go on about all the ways it lets me down, but one thing’s for sure: when I need a convenient Long Island that’ll take an hour, or a plate of wet dry pork, I know I can count on Odyssey to both disappoint me and satisfy me.

Oh, and yeah—the food? Average at best.