Little Rock, Arkansas, offers a diverse culinary scene, and among its gems are restaurants that serve authentic and delicious African cuisine. Whether you're a local or a visitor, exploring these eateries can be a delightful experience. Here, we highlight two notable spots: Café Africa and Kontiki.
Café Africa: A Historic Dining Experience at the Little Rock Zoo
Make your visit to the Little Rock Zoo even more memorable with a stop at Café Africa. 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.
Entrance to the Little Rock Zoo, home to Café Africa.
History and Architecture
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. 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).
Kontiki: Authentic West African Cuisine in Little Rock
Kontiki is another notable spot for African cuisine in Little Rock. This place purports to be a restaurant. It is an actually a takeout gig/small grocery/clothing store.
Read also: Find African Food
West African dishes, similar to those served at Kontiki.
Exploring the Richness of African Cuisine and Traditional Foods
A Taste of West Africa
Kontiki offers African cuisine mostly from West Africa. The food is delicious and we hope to share it with Arkansas.
Customer Reviews
Here's what customers are saying about Kontiki:
- "OMG! If you are looking for Authentic African (Sierra Leone) cuisine, this is definitely the place to go to. I had the Goat Pepper Soup... the best Goat I've ever tasted outside of Curry Goat!..."
- "Great food, just a very small selection on the menu. Prices have increased but if you're in to culture food like me then you'll appreciate it."
- "Ordered jerk chicken and white rice with a side of some sort of sauce. All was good. Dining room combo market with not much atmosphere but clean. Server/owner? Very nice and helpful but hard to..."
- "Kontiki is one of my favorite places to order lunch from while working at home. I'm pretty sure they are on Grubhub and DoorDash."
Additional Information
We opened in January in Alexander, Arkansas but due to location and other issues the restaurant moved to Little Rock and opened its door in September 2018
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