Little Rock, Arkansas, offers a taste of Africa through establishments like Afrobites and Café Africa, each with its unique story and culinary offerings.
Afrobites: A Culinary Journey from Senegal to Little Rock
Afrobites brings the vibrant flavors of Africa to Little Rock, thanks to co-owners Madere Toure and Pap Diop, who immigrated to the United States from Dakar, Senegal, in the early 2000s. In late 2020, Toure and Diop opened their first location at 1702 Wright Ave.
Afrobites’ offerings aren’t specific to any nation or region. Chicken, shrimp, and fish are available in flavors like piri piri, suya, and jerk, atop a bed of rice or with chapati bread. Dibi lamb with shrimp, curried cabbage, and collard greens are also popular choices.
“We make sure that they get at least one of our four drinks that we sell,” Diop said. Meat and lentil patties are also available.
The two trucks’ menus differ slightly. Afrobites recently announced that its Little Rock location will now be open from Tuesday through Sunday instead of only on weekends. “From Tuesday to Thursday we’re going to have some of the items that we can’t do during the weekend,” Toure said.
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That week, Toure was cooking chicken yassa, chicken with an onion sauce and lemon over coconut rice, and red snapper filet on jollof rice with cabbage, carrots and butternut squash. I opted for the red snapper with rice and vegetables.
Everything was delicious and cooked perfectly and I came back from my lunch break extremely satisfied.
From Jan. The first stop on Afrobites’ culinary journey was Kenya.
“If the market demands a brick-and-mortar, we’ll probably work on that area, but if the market demands another truck, we’ll go to that area.
Café Africa: Dining with History at the Little Rock Zoo
Make your visit to the Little Rock Zoo even more memorable with a stop at Café Africa. Originally constructed in 1934 through the Works Progress Administration (WPA), this historic building once housed the Zoo’s majestic big cats, including lions, tigers, and jaguars.
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The building showcases the craftsmanship of Silas Owens Sr., a renowned African American stonemason, carpenter, and farmer from Faulkner County, Arkansas. Owens played a pivotal role in the construction of several iconic Zoo structures in the 1930s under a WPA contract, including the Elephant House (originally a concession stand), the Reptile & Tropical Bird House (formerly the Primate Building), and Café Africa (formerly the Cat House).
While dining, you can still see remnants of the original big cat enclosures on the patio, providing a glimpse into the Zoo’s rich history.
Afrobites Opening in Little Rock ! Authentic African Food !
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