In case you missed it, African food and music are having a bit of a moment in Buffalo right now. Restaurants serving Nigerian, Sudanese, Ethiopian and other African cuisines have been popping up a lot in recent years. Many of these spots turn the volume up at night with regular Afrobeat and Afro-Caribbean DJ nights.
As for the food, we’ve been covering local African restaurants for a while now, and we’re seeing more new African spots offer dishes that we just haven’t seen before.
Serving Ethiopian and Eritrean food, Horn of Africa on Hertel Avenue near Military Road is a great example of where African food and culture in Buffalo is at right now. Yes, there are Ethiopian classics like samosas ($7) and special (beef) tibs ($18). But there’s also:
- Kik alichi ($17). A spicy yellow split pea stew
- Misir qey wot ($16). Red lentils cooked in berbere pepper and other spices
- Quanta tifir ($20). Diced dried beef cooked in tomato sauce, ghee and egg
All of these come with injera, the comforting, spongy pancake-like bread used to scoop up meat, rice and veggies.
On my visit, I found that the samosas were spicy, nutty, hot, and crispy-crunchy — just as you’d expect, maybe a bit spicier than you’d expect. I also went for the quanta tifir and found it sweet, spicy, fiery hot, and deeply flavored. The bits of crunchy and chewy dried beef gave it pops of texture, while the spongy injera was one of the best I’ve had.
In addition to being a restaurant, Horn of Africa also has a full bar, and it regularly hosts Afrobeat DJ nights. In early November, Shalegrie played dancehall, soca, and other Afro-Caribbean sounds into the early morning. On my (much earlier in the day) visit, co-owner Tsegarada Abera told me business has been growing since she opened the place in late summer.
Horn of Africa and other new African spots may be a bit out of the way, but they’re bringing bold flavors that demand attention. Add a bit of music culture at places like Horn of Africa, and we’ve got an Afro-centric moment happening in Buffalo right now that you should be paying attention to.
Hours at the time of publishing (subject to change): Tuesday to Saturday 10 a.m. – 9:40 p.m., Sunday and Monday 11 a.m. – 9:40 p.m.
Want to share info or news with us? Send us a note!
Food & Drink News
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source stepoutbuffalo.com ’
