2. Little Accra in Grand Concourse, Bronx
The Bronx is home to a handful of African enclaves throughout the borough, particularly populated with people from West Africa. One of the most prominent of these enclaves is Little Accra, located around 167th Street and named for the capital of Ghana. Many Ghanaians came to the Bronx in the 1980s and 1990s during the military regime of Jerry Rawlings, defined in part by harsh economic and political conditions. A majority of Ghanaians in the Bronx have entered the healthcare field as home aides, nurses, and doctors.
With two locations in Concourse and Fordham, Papaye is one of the most recognizable Ghanaian spots in the Bronx. The restaurant is known for its jollof rice, goat or fish stew with rice and beans called waakye, and fufu with chicken or fried fish in a palm nut or peanut soup. Accra in nearby Morris Heights is another staple of the Bronx’s Ghanaian food scene, serving up a similar menu with dishes like goat in okra stew, egusi soup, tilapia with garri, and smoked spiced meat called suya. The area around 167th Street is lined with barbershops, hair salons, and markets, such as Adum African Market and Wholesale, owned by and catering to the Ghanaian population.