It is not easy to base a restaurant on the cuisines of a continent that spans nearly 12 million square miles.
But at African Grill & Bar in Lakewood, the Osei-Fordwuo family has for two decades served takes on dishes originating from South Africa to Malawi to their native Ghana.
Jollof rice and fufu are two starchy staples with a prominent place on their menu. The former is tomato-based and time-consuming to prepare. The latter is toothy and smooth and requires some physical exertion.
“The pounding is where the fun comes from,” said Sylvester Osei-Fordwuo, the restaurant’s patriarch.
The sound of the boiled cassava or yam being pulverized was ubiquitous as he was growing up. And yet, he added, “That is the hard job nobody wants to do.”
This family does it daily.
African Grill’s matriarch, meanwhile, came from a home in Ghana that built their dishes around joloff rice.
“We were colonized by the British. We love doing rice, rice, rice,” said Theodora Osei-Fordwuo, as she sat in one of the grill’s numerous dining rooms.
The building, a former Mexican restaurant re-done in pan-African decor, feels both homey and labyrinthine.
Add some meat. Or don't. The owners will find something for you
As for what accompanies the aforementioned starches?
That is up to the diner’s discretion — unless they feel overwhelmed and wish to turn the decision-making over to the proprietors.
“We bring everyone that wants to come in here with us,” said longtime customer Suzanne Covington. “I always tell them: ‘Trust Theodora. She will find something for you.’”
That could be goat. It could be chicken. Perhaps catfish. Or there is the vegetarian route — which is also the default route.
“We prepare every food in this house without any meat in it. So the meat is separate. It’s your choice if you want to get meat or you don’t want meat,” Theodora said.
It is no accident that Theodora uses the word “house” in describing the eatery.
Customers are welcomed with incandescent smiles and regulars are likely to hear their names exclaimed upon entering.
If Theodora especially takes a shine to you, she may ask for your number and send you occasional motivational texts.
A years-long journey from Ghana to America
The culinary “home” they provide is in stark contrast to Sylvester’s Osei-Fordwuo’s adolescence in West Africa.
“My father died when I was in high school. My mother died two years after that. We lost the whole house that the 12 of us were living in,” he said.
Homeless, Sylvester began dreaming of a more diverse place.
“I see white. I see Blacks. I see Chinese. It was a constant dream,” he said. “So I said to myself, ‘Which country has all these people together? One day I will go to America.’”
The hope was California, where he had family, but his visa did not go through.
A decade passed. He met Theodora. Their mutual friend, a businessman, was from Colorado. He proposed they come and work for him.
“And I said, ‘is it in America?’” Sylvester said. “Because in Ghana, all you hear about is San Francisco, Chicago, White House!”
Maintaining connections a continent away
Fast forward to today, and the Osei-Fordwuos have three children of their own. They make appearances in the restaurant when they are not in school — adding to the genial ambiance.
And although their parents are 6,700 miles from their homeland, the family maintains close ties to Ghana.
Proceeds from the restaurant benefit underprivileged children and women in Africa, according to the couple. And friends and relatives who travel to or from Ghana are tasked with bringing back ingredients — especially spices like locust and cumin.
“You have to beg people coming from Ghana. We beg them. We do a suitcase for them to bring,” Theodora said.
The Osei-Fordwuos celebrate 20 years with an event at their Lakewood restaurant Sunday, July 28, 2024.
