July 17, 2023

Two sisters originally from Liberia have opened a restaurant featuring African cuisine on the east side of Sioux Falls.

Lou’s Joy & Vick Kitchen is the creation of Lou Harmon and Victoria Pittman. It opened in March in the former Sahara Grill & Cuisine space in Neighborhood Market at 4301 E. 12th St.

Victoria Pittman and Lou Harmon

The menu features six signature dishes that are available daily and four that rotate each day on a weekly basis.

The dishes come from Liberia, Nigeria, Senegal, Ghana and the Ivory Coast in West Africa and Somalia in East Africa.

“Our seasoning is unique,” Harmon said of African cooking. “The spices, we try to make it not too spicy. We make it for people from different backgrounds, so if they want extra spice, we cook that on the side, and we give them it in a little container to take along.”

The Ivorian dish attieke is popular with customers, she said. It’s made with fermented cassava pulp that has been grated and dried. After it’s cooked, the texture is similar to couscous. Lou’s serves it with a choice of fish, goat or chicken. It also comes with sides of stir-fried bell peppers, fried plantain, fresh avocado and a hot or mild pepper sauce.

Liberian fried rice and dried rice dishes also are popular, Harmon said. They also come with a choice of meat.

One of the rotating items on Wednesdays is a uniquely flavored dish from Sengal, she said. Yassa chicken and rice has lemon and vinegar, giving it a sour taste. The chicken is fried, and the dish also has onion, carrot, hot peppers and garlic.

Some of the prices have increased since the menus were printed, but most of the meals are $20, and the portions are large, Harmon said.

The daily menu also includes Liberian and Somalian snacks such as baked or fried meat pies, Somali-style sambusa and pepper kala, which are similar to doughnut holes and come with a sauce of peppers for dipping.

Pittman was the first to arrive in the United States, Harmon said. She moved to Pennsylvania in 2003, and Harmon arrived three years later. Her sister also got a three-year head start on living in Sioux Falls, moving here in 2015, with Harmon following after Pittman encouraged her to come.

Both sisters have full-time jobs in addition to owning Lou’s. Harmon also works at LifeScape, and Pittman works in the Wells Fargo call center, helping at the restaurant over the supper hour and on Saturdays.

Hours are 11:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday. The restaurant offers seating for about two dozen people, and delivery also is available through DoorDash.

Follow the restaurant on Facebook for updates. 

Corrections: Lou Harmon and Victoria Pittman are from Liberia. Their birthplace was incorrect when the article was first published. Harmon also works full-time at LifeScape. Her status there was incorrect initially.