Most of Lagos does not eat in restaurants. It eats at a buka, a roadside cook, or from a grill at the bus stop — quickly, cheaply and well.
Bukas and mama puts
A buka is a simple eating house, often a canteen with benches. A mama put is a cook selling from pots at the roadside; the name is what you say, “Mama, put…”, pointing at what you want.
Ordering is by pointing and naming: a swallow or rice, a soup or stew, and a protein — beef, chicken, fish, ponmo (cow skin), assorted meat. You pay for what goes on the plate.
Street food to try
- Suya: spiced, grilled skewered beef, sold in the evening, wrapped in newspaper with onions and pepper.
- Boli and groundnuts: roasted plantain with peanuts.
- Akara: bean fritters, often with bread or pap in the morning.
- Puff-puff: fried dough balls.
- Roasted corn and coconut, in the rainy season.
- Agege bread, soft and sweet, eaten with almost anything.
Eating safely
- Busy is good. A buka full of customers turns over its food fast.
- Hot is good. Food cooked or reheated in front of you is safer than food sitting warm.
- Water: drink sealed bottled or sachet water from a trusted brand.
- Wash or sanitise your hands before eating with them.
- Pepper: ask for less if you are not used to it. It is not mild.
Paying
Cash and transfers both work. Many bukas show an account number for transfer; make sure the name matches the business before you send.