Available on Dishout is Accra Express, the West African spot on the radar this week after landing in the New York Times' top 100 restaurants for 2026.
The 2026 list was assembled by Times’ co-chief critic Ligaya Mishan, who spent months eating her way across all five boroughs, weighing everything from technique to what she called a restaurant’s ‘New York-iness’. Accra Express secured their spot with their ‘Jollof Rice’, a dish that’s already been winning. Walk into the East Harlem location and the three championship trophies tell the story: golden rice bowls on the counter, one for every year they’ve claimed the title.
Ligaya praised its smoky, bold flavour and rich red stew (tomato stew). The Infatuation described it as a low-frequency buzz of flavor that keeps you coming back for one more bite.
The trophies sit in Harlem, but it started in the Bronx. Mohammed Awal Abdullah began cooking his homeland's food out of his Bronx apartment in the 1980s, and that kitchen became 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 grew out of that original Bronx kitchen. The same family, the same love, still feeding their own.
For the Bronx community that African Dishout was built around, this is a hometown story. A family that started in our neighborhood is now on the New York Times’ list of the 100 best restaurants in New York City. That’s not just a Manhattan win. That’s a diaspora win.
Beyond that:
tuo zaafi, rice balls with soup, fried yam, plantain and beans, and a dozen others worth working through over your next few orders.
We’ve been a delivery partner for Accra since 2018, so this win feels personal.
We go where other apps stop. So whether you’re in Harlem, the Bronx, Brooklyn or Queens, Accra Express isn’t out of reach on
African Dishout. Open the app, search Accra Express, and get the jollof that just made the New York Times’ 100 Best. Africa is proud.
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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