11 Best & Unsung Street Foods Within Accra.
The street food culture in Accra is a vibe. The street food vendor’s stall is where the rich and poor join the same queue to grab either breakfast or lunch. There’s no social inequality here. In this queue, everyone is patient whilst there’s also zero tolerance for cutting through to the front. Friendships and business opportunities have been created in these queues. A street food stall with the longest queue is a surefire sign that the food will be amazing.
If you just arrived in Ghana for the Year of Return celebrations or you have been away for eons, this is my guide for my favourite trusted unsung streetfood joints in the city. They will soon become your favourite too. It ranges from the simple of breakfast foods, finger foods and lunch choices. Pick one of the holidays (preferably in the first week of January) to explore these streetfood hotspots. Most of these spots can’t be found Google Maps so I will share key landmarks closest to them and others don’t have names either but that’s what makes them so mystical and appealing. Trust me when I say the best authentic taste of Accra food is found in the nameless wooden stall underneath a Neem or Mango tree and the simple container shop by the roadside and not in fancy restaurants.
1. Osu Hausa Koko
Hausa Koko is almost every Ghanaians favourite morning porridge to grab whilst on the way to work or school. When in Osu, drive down the street after Papaye heading into Nyaniba Estates, at the second junction on the left is one of my favourite Hausa Koko spots. The spot sits right at the junction which makes parking a problem, so just drive a few meters away and take a short walk to the stall. What I love about this Hausa Koko is how fresh and hot it is every morning and that slight but obvious chilli burn. The Koose is superbly crunchy on the outside and soft and spongy on the inside. It’s best to go with your cannister or flask to avoid disastrous leakages from the rubber bag it’s usually sold in. The Koose is 0.20 pesewas and the Koko is GHC1.
2. Assibi Food Joint
Although this food vending container says it’s a food joint, their waakye is the best selling on the menu hence I’d rather call it a waakye joint. It's located on the boundary road in East Legon, from the tunnel towards American House, kind of adjacent to the Africa Cashew Alliance. The unmistakable line of cars in front of it also gives it away. This may be debatable amongst many waakye lovers but for me, this waakye spot hits the waakye cravings all the time every time especially if I can’t drive all the way to Osu for a wake fix. It’s affordable, generous portions for one and the toppings are exciting too but service is at a snail pace. The texture of the waakye is more clumpy than singular so if you love that kind of waakye then this is your must-visit waakye joint. Parking is by the roadside only.
3. American House Waakye
This is Waakye with flex. This waakye went to Harvard. This is the waakye spot where the rich and famous park their Bentleys, Mustang and Mercedes early Saturday mornings to buy waakye with all kinds of toppings and trimmings from cow foot, cow intestines, avocado, two types of salads, fried plantain, wagashi, fried chicken, fried fish and wele. If you are ready to spend about GHC20-30 on waakye just for you alone, then it’s worth the trip to East Legon American House Waakye joint. This waakye street food joint is directly opposite the American House. You can choose to sit and eat in a little alcove created behind the waakye stall or take along your own container which is actually cheaper than buying one of their foil containers. The waakye is delicious and more so with the extra toppings. They accept mobile money payments in addition to cash.
4. Dynasty Restaurant road Hausa Koko.
Yet another favorite Hausa Koko spot located on the Dynasty restaurant off the oxford street and right beneath a Mango Tree. The Hausa Koko is perfectly light and creamy, piping hot with distinctive Ghanaian spice flavorings. There’s the usual Koose and Bofrot as accompaniments. The bofrot is to die for! This Hausa Koko will cure any hangover you may be experiencing after AfroNation 😄.
Copyright: Naa Oyoo Kumodzi
Hausa Koko & Bofrot
5. Gob3 Joint in Osu.
Gob3 is the local name for boiled black-eyed beans and deep fried plantain with an optional side of gari. Also underneath a tree, this nameless Gob3 joint on the same road as Chez Clarisse is extremely popular in Osu and a personal favorite of mine. It’s extremely busy during lunch hours from 12pm onwards until the beans is sold out which is usually within 3 hours. The deep fried plantain is something special; it’s always fresh out of the oil, with a slightly caramelized crunch on the outside whilst the insides is succulent and well cooked through. There’s benches to sit on if you want to eat in but I would recommend sitting outdoors instead. It gets hot in there. A worthy local eatery to stop by whilst streetfood hopping.
6. Nyame Na Ay3 Waakye Spot in Osu.
In Ghana, we eat waakye for breakfast for positive energy for the day ahead. If you want great waakye, then prepare yourself to stand in a waakye queue. Waakye queues are an absolute vibe and worth experiencing especially in this waakye hotspot. Nyame Na Ay3 waakye spot is located on the Oxford Street just after the pizza hut eatery. By 7am, this waakye is fresh, ready and loaded. The queue starts from 7:30am till about late morning. The toppings to go for will be their steamed and crunchy chopped vegetables, fresh onion rings and fried fish. You will know why when you try them out.
7. GAS Ga Kenkey in Jamestown.
This famed Ga Kenkey spot in Jamestown has been in existence for more than 80 years. Their Ga Kenkey texture and flavor is seriously top grade. The best Ga kenkey isn’t flaky and doesn’t disintegrate easily and has the perfect slight fermented corn sourness. This Ga Kenkey is that and more. People drive from Oyarifa to Jamestown just for this Ga Kenkey because they understand the importance of eating good Ga Kenkey. There’s no compromising on quality Ga Kenkey. You can get one kenkey for GHC1 or GHC1.50 with a side of several deep-fried crunchy fish pieces. Their chili pepper is incredible and what we call in Ga ‘shitoloo’ . You can find them behind the Mantse Agbonaa Palace grounds just two minutes before the Jamestown Lighthouse.
8. Labone Junction Kelewele
This kelewele stall has been at Labone junction for as long as I can remember. It’s where we used to queue up for hot, sticky and spicy kelewele and groundnut in the early evenings on Friday nights. When it’s plantain season, you get a generous quantity for the same price as compared to leaner seasons. This kelewele joint also serves deep-fried sweet potatoes and fried yam with fried fish. They are located just a minute away from the main Labone junction if you are coming from the Labadi road highway and just on your left if you are from Cantonments towards the junction.
9. Ga-Fante Kenkey Spot in Osu
Ga-Fante Kenkey is the salted softer version of Fante Kenkey and is wrapped in an elongated shape as compared to the square-ish shape of Fante Kenkey. It’s crazy delicious especially when just popped out of the cauldron. This spot is directly opposite ICGC Restoration Temple and is open during the week but usually from 1pm. You can get it also on Sundays from 11am but go early because it sells out fast. Service is slow but worth the wait. There’s parking available by the roadside.
10. Charcoal Grilled Fish at Osu Night Market
The Night Market in Osu is a vibrant market which comes alive from 6pm till 11pm every day and it’s totally worth your visit whilst in Accra. There are many local food vendors at this market from roast pork, Ga Kenkey, fried fish & shrimps, kelewele and charcoal grilled fish. The charcoal grilled fish (mackerel and red snapper) is excellently grilled over hot coals by two vendors so you get to choose which stall has the sexier looking fish. I personally go to Auntie Akweley’s stand because she’s so much nicer. Hit this grilled fish stall, walk to the back and grab a few balls of Ga Kenkey and your night is made!
11. Afternoon & Evening Hausa Koko Joint in Adjirigano.
Yet another nameless Hausa Koko spot this time in Adjirigano, two shops before Stanbic Bank. What makes this spot so appealing is that the Hausa Koko is sold only from 3pm till they’re sold out. Honestly though, Hausa Koko as an early evening meal is best because once the drowsiness sets in, then you hit the sack! Best sleep of your life. The Koose from this Koko joint too is wild! Super crunchy on the outside and so soft and spicy on the inside. At GHC1 for one Koose, it’s worth every bite and the Koko washes it down so smooth. hmmmmm!!! Edey bee!!!
These are my favourite street foods within Accra but there are also some pretty amazing street food joints in other parts of the city as well. If you know some great ones, share them in the comments below and lets geaauxx eeeattt!!!!
