Stango Cuisine, 500 North Walnut Street, Champaign, Illinois, is an African restaurant offering authentic Zambian cuisine to the community.
Stango Cuisine is an African restaurant that specializes in Zambian cuisine. The owners learned to cook this cuisine in Zambia before migrating to the U.S. and are dedicated to introducing it to their chosen communities.
Stango was the first Zambian restaurant in the United States and the first African restaurant in Champaign, Illinois.
Additionally, Stango Cuisine Restaurant operates a food truck known as Stango Bites, which is parked at a different location each day. The truck is popular among college students who live near the restaurant. It offers Zambian-style street food, which is not served in the restaurant. You can order the Stango Bits menu items online for pickup at the restaurant or through a third-party delivery company.
Soon, they will offer Stango Late Nite, which will provide pickup and delivery only from 10 pm to 2 am. Details will be announced soon. Delivery will be available via DoorDash, GrubHub, or Uber Eats.
Mubango Chanda is a co-owner, manager, and lead chef. She migrated from Zambia to the U.S. in 2000 and serves authentic Zambian cuisine using family recipes. She is also responsible for scheduling and operating the food truck.
What is Zambian Cuisine?
Zambia is one of Africa’s most beautiful nations, boasting stunning natural wildlife. This vibrant nation is also famous for its delicious cuisine, which has been passed down and preserved for generations.
Nshima, made of ground white maize, is a staple food consumed by most people throughout Zambia. Often served with “relish” and vegetables for an authentic Zambian experience, it can be found anywhere, including homes, restaurants, and roadside stalls. Preparation of Nshima plays an integral part in Zambian culture; men’s or boys’ masculinity may even be measured by how adeptly they can use the Mthiko cooking stick when creating Nshima and Ndiwo dishes.
The Zambian climate provides ideal conditions for growing an array of vegetables that form the basis of many traditional dishes, including kapenta, kale, mchizwi, and we. This variety makes Zambian cuisine uniquely satisfying and enjoyable to all who experience it firsthand.
Zambia is famous for its delicious greens-based meals called Ifisashi. These include pumpkin leaves, cassava leaves, or rape (a type of kale) cooked and mixed with peanuts and chilies before being served with Nshima rice to create an indulgent yet fulfilling experience that will satisfy even your hunger pangs!
Stango Cuisine online ratings are as follows as of August 18, 2024, at 2:20 pm:
- Google – 4.6 Stars with 140 online customer reviews
- Facebook – 4.5 Stars with 54 votes – 1.9k likes – 2.1k followers – 90% recommend this restaurant
- Yelp – 4.7 Stars with 52 online customer reviews – an exceptional Yelp rating
- TripAdvisor – 5 Bubbles with one online customer review
- DoorDash – 4.7 Stars with 200+ online customer reviews
Business hours:
- Sunday – CLOSED
- Monday – CLOSED
- Tuesday – 11:00 am – 7:00 pm
- Wednesday – 11:00 am – 7:00 pm
- Thursday – 11:00 am – 7:00 pm
- Friday – 11:00 am – 7:45 pm
- Saturday – 11:00 am – 7:45 pm
Address and phone:
500 North Walnut Street
Champaign, Illinois 61820
Phone: +1 217-369-3566
Website: StangoCU.com
Owner (s): Mubango Chanda – Co-owner & Head Chef
Owner (s): Betty Phiri-Chibwe – Co-owner