The line at Accra Express on a Saturday afternoon has always told the same story. A steam table loaded with the heavy reds and browns of stews that have been cooking since morning. Jollof rice piled high. Waakye. Fufu wrapped tight in plastic. Goat in groundnut soup, smoked turkey butt, fried fish glistening under the lights. Aunties in line speaking Twi. Cab drivers on their lunch break. A line of people who already know exactly what they're going to order.
That kitchen just landed on the New York Times' 100 Best Restaurants list for 2026. And we've been delivering their food this whole time.
The 2026 list was assembled by Times co-chief restaurant critic Ligaya Mishan, who spent the year eating across all five boroughs to narrow a thousand contenders down to 100. Accra Express made the cut, and the jollof is what carried them there. Anyone who's eaten it understands why. It's the kind of jollof that doesn't announce itself. No gimmicks, no presentation theater. Just rice with a low, smoky hum of flavor that keeps you eating one more spoonful, then one more, then one more after that. The Infatuation called it "first-rate, salty-savory" with a "low-frequency buzz of flavor that keeps you coming back for one more bite." That's the dish.
It's also a dish that's already been winning. If you've ever been inside the East Harlem location, you've seen the golden rice-bowl trophies on the counter, competition wins, year after year. The Times recognition is the latest, not the first.
Here's the part of the story the headlines won't tell you. Accra Express didn't start in Harlem. It started in the Bronx, at the original Accra restaurant on Davidson Avenue in University Heights, where the family has been feeding the West African diaspora for years. The East Harlem location, the satellite spots — all of them grew out of that original Bronx kitchen. The same family. The same recipes. The same standards.
For the Bronx-based community that African Dishout was built around, this is a hometown story. A family that started in our neighborhood is now in the most prestigious restaurant list in the country. That's not just a Manhattan win. That's a diaspora win.
If this is your first Accra Express order, here's where to start.
The full menu has;
Accra Express doesn't simplify Ghanaian cooking. They serve the whole pantry.
When a restaurant gets named to the New York Times 100 Best, the line out the door doubles. That's incredible for Accra Express, and exactly what they deserve. But it also means that if you're not in walking distance, getting their food just got harder.
That's where we come in. African Dishout has been delivering Accra Express across New York and the surrounding cities; same-day, every day. You don't have to stand in the Manhattan line. You don't have to fight tourists who just read the list. You can pull up the app, order the jollof that just made the Times, and have it at your door without leaving your couch.
This is exactly why African Dishout exists. The food the diaspora has been eating for years is now getting the recognition it always deserved. We're proud to be the way you keep eating it; wherever home is.
Africa is proud. Order up.
Same-day delivery across New York and our 10-city footprint. Open the app, search Accra Express, and get the jollof that just made the New York Times' 100 Best.
What is Accra Express known for? Accra Express is a family-run Ghanaian restaurant known for its jollof rice, which has won multiple awards and was named in the New York Times' 100 Best Restaurants list for 2026. The full menu features waakye, fufu and soup, banku and tilapia, kenkey, and other authentic West African staples.
Where is Accra Express located? Accra Express is in East Harlem, Manhattan. The family also operates the original Accra restaurant in University Heights, the Bronx, where the business first started.
Can I order Accra Express for delivery? Yes. Accra Express is available on the African Dishout app with same-day delivery across New York and the wider Dishout footprint, including New Jersey, Boston, Worcester, Philadelphia, Washington D.C., Maryland, Virginia, Dallas, and Houston.
What should I order on my first Accra Express order? Start with the jollof rice and chicken stew or fried fish. The waakye, fufu with groundnut soup, and banku with grilled tilapia are also longtime favorites.
Is Accra Express on the New York Times' 100 best restaurants list? Yes. Accra Express was named to the 2026 list by Times co-chief critic Ligaya Mishan, with the jollof rice singled out as the standout dish.
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