B&B Restaurant Corp

Fabtastic no-​frills food. Authentic and tasty, one of my go-​tos for lunch in the area!

I thought I was playing it safe by sticking to rice with meat, jerk chicken, plantains, and spaghetti. I was wrong. The chicken was some of the most tender and fall of the bone meat I’ve ever had. The spices in the other «basic» dishes carried heat and an interesting complex mix of flavors. I felt like I was eating someone’s home cooking. Great meal overall and economical as well!

$ 9 for a delicious and filling meal for two!
4 types of meat, 2 rice dishes, veggies, and plantains. The Okra brisket and fried meat rice especially stood out. Everything was delicious and incredibly cheap. I can’t get over the quality for the price. Really nice staff too. What a gem!

Flavorful. Delicious. Best of all, it’s a great cheap, on-​the-​go spot for lunch or dinner. I’m not an expert on West African by any means but whatever it is, B&B made it flavorful. I hope I’m not offending anyone but it reminds me of Caribbean or Indian food, not the creamy type but the curry goat/​vindaloo type. I wanted to dab a little here and there until I saw the whole lamb shank for only $ 7!!! Even though the lamb shank weighed in at 1.3lbs when he put in on the scale to cover it, they only charge a flat rate of $ 7. The lamb was tender, fall off the bone, delicious. Such a steal! I also saw whole fried fish, which looked like either tilapia or porgy for a flat rate of $ 10. I will definitely come back again next time to try the goat curry, jerk chicken (looked heavily spiced, just the way I like it!), and pilau.

The rating is solely for the food. It is delicious, seasoned to my liking and oh so flavorful. Just don’t expect to receive friendly service. The cashier was very kurt, but not rude. He was more on the dismissive type which I didn’t pay any mind too. There are plenty of tables and even a pitcher of water in each table, but I didn’t trust to drink from it. It’s quite thoughtful to have water in each table, but personally I don’t know how long it has been there or who has touched it and I just wouldn’t trust to drink it. Most of the food were labeled, but the chicken I got wasn’t. It was, however, delicious and I hope that they will have it again. It was spicy, tender, and juicy. Also, the rice and beans were delish.
I do have to add that the containers were too high for me. It was located on the top shelf and I had a difficult time grabbing one of the to go containers. I am 5’1 and I had to ask someone to get me one. Also, the space is a bit cramp. It is hard to get around and the space should really be for just 1 person at a time each lane.
I will be back for the food!

My friends and I were the only ones there when we arrived at 12pm and so we got our pick at the buffet. There’s a lot of things to try so just get a little bit of everything if you don’t know African food. I paid about $ 9 for a plate full and a drink. They do it by weight. It was delicious. I had no idea which one I liked the best, since the names didn’t really match the food. It was a red soup with quail I think. It’s cafeteria style and spacious. It was easy for the four of us to set our luggage to the side while we ate and our bus stop was only a 23 minute walk away. If you’re fiendin for some hearty good food, come here cuz it’s open ²⁴⁄₇.

Excellent food, crazy cheap, friendly atmosphere. The food is like something you might expect to be served as a guest in someone’s home — not gourmet, but simple and delicious. The chicken is especially good — it practically melts off the bone. It’s always a good sign when there are a lot of expats at an ethnic restaurant, and we were the only people in the place speaking English.
Plus it’s open ²⁴⁄₇! You’d be hard pressed to find a more satisfying meal after a long night out on the town.

Had this place bookmarked for nearly two years before I stumbled by one Saturday afternoon. That’s a feat, btw — that a bookmark lasted that long and the business was still open.
Great place to get some cheap, good-​old down home cooking. Think all the meats, veggies, and spaghetti you desire. Wings. Plantains. Greens. Rice. No one will blink when you come in, so take a plate and pick what you want from the buffet. You pay based on weight in the back of the restaurant.
Definitely a spot frequented by a regular crowd — agree with Yan that there were lots of cab drivers and people from Africa/​diaspora.

This place is good. The food is, for the most part, fresh. And the best part is it’s really, really inexpensive. Food this good really should cost much more.
But the joint suffers from the same issues as other mom-and-pop’s in that there’s no one there to explain anything and it can be confusing and even a little intimidating eating things that you don’t really understand (you, not me– I actually don’t care ;).
That said, just try the different rices and vegetables like others mention. Get one of the several types of chicken (the jerk chicken stands out). Try the beef. Hell, try the goat if you’re feeling horny (get it?)…
It’s open all the time so plenty of opportunity for all if you’re in the area. Stop eating the same things all the time and try something a little out of your comfort zone.

If you’re looking for great tasting food, big portions, and affordable prices, this is the spot. As this restaurant is buffet style, my husband and I both piled our plates after a long, arduous day. We were starving as we hadn’t eaten since breakfast and were busy moving into our apartment all day. For two full plates, a drink and two water bottles, we were charged $ 20 as the food is sold by weight. I have not eaten a meal this good in MONTHS. This is what you would expect at a high end restaurant – just without the high prices and lavish décor. It’s a great family spot too. We will definitely be coming back. The food was absolutely delicious. Highly recommended!

Stellar food at any time! We looked like typical Midwest yokel tourists so we had no idea what the hell we were supposed to do when we arrived… the staff will quickly see to it that you don’t overthink things. Just grab a plate from on top of the steam table and get to scooping! No frills, no fuss, just awesome food.
Everything was great… in particular all the chicken dishes were amazing. The jerk chicken was especially flavorful.
Finding a cheap eat that’s different and good in NYC can be hard sometimes but don’t let this place’s humble appearance turn you off from some amazing eats!

I’m ashamedly ignorant of the food of an entire continent (though I guess I know a little about ethiopian food), so I got a tiny scoop of everything. And it was awesome. Note that the signs above the cafeteria style buffet do not always match what the dish is so don’t rely on them. Also a lot of the meat is joint meat, which I find particularly tasty but is going to require some digging.

I would never believe that African BBQ could be that much delish!!! There is billion of options to try from, I did not not try much of them but I am pretty sure all of them are beyond fabulous.
Prices are beyond than affordable and staff is very nice. There is no way to describe in words how delicious their food is, the only way is just to try it.

The sign out front says B&D, but the business card and Unilocal review say B&B. Anyway, I like it. Food from throughout the African diaspora, cooked by Senegalese chefs.
It’s clean but minimal seating, and you eat with plastic utensils out of foam takeout containers. It’s a place for a good, inexpensive, healthy meal.
There’s a salad bar, and a wide variety of hot foods like mac & cheese, Jamaican peas & rice, «broken rice» (African, similar to couscous), and chicken about 4 different ways: curried, stewed, roasted, and a wonderfully spicy Jamaican jerk style. Also fish and lots of vegetables, and a Senegalese «peanut butter sauce» that I wish I’d taken more of.
It’s halal, so there’s no pork or alcohol, but I can live without them for a while. The lady tending the buffet was wearing a full veil, whether for hygienic or religious reasons, I don’t know.

I would do 5 stars but my friend didn’t like the flavor and he tried it based on my recommendation. Everybody knows African dished/​food is an acquired tasted. I thought the selection was amazing and the flavor and seasonings were spot on. The food is sold by the pound and is a great experience if you like to try ethnic dishes. The folk were rolling through at a consistent flow which was promising. I would eat here again and again but be forewarned, it’s a heavy meal and all you will want to do after indulging in a taste feast is SLEEP/​NAP/​Go COMATOSE! Or at least that’s what I’m about do at 2:04p.

Delicious African food for a reasonable price. African restaurants in the city (i.e BUKA) tend to be overpriced. I am so happy I have found an authentic restaurant that service delicious food. From waakaye peanut soup and everything in between this restaurant has an amazing selection of REAL African food. I would say that its definitely mostly a ghanian/​west african menu but everything is delicious.
My only complaints would be (1) this place is cash only and (2) some of the stews could be more spicy! But i understand they cant make the food too spicy to appeal to a broader market.

B&B is a gem in Flatiron/​Chelsea. Here’s why:
1) There are a ton of options. Seriously, one of the longest steam counters I’ve seen, and everything looks really delicious.
2) At $ 6-​$ 7 per pound, it’s one of the few options in the area that won’t break the bank.
3) Real African food! I have to admit I don’t know much about African food, and Africa is such a huge continent, I can’t even pretend to act like I know which country or region it’s from, but judging by the staff and customers, you can tell they have food that reminds them of home.
I agree with the other Unilocalers when they say they wish they trays were labeled. For someone inexperienced with this cuisine, knowing what the dishes are would be helpful. But then again, they’re serving mainly to people who probably already know what the dishes are so I don’t think the small population of the rest of us matter. Also, like I said, everything looks so delicious I still want to try it regardless of whether or not I know what it is.
Give this place a chance if you’re feeling adventurous and are looking for something different in the area!

I’m an adventurous eater and one of the things I love about New York is the incredible diversity around every corner. Where else is there everything you could possibly think of — including an authentic African place — within a 5 minute walk radius? Sounds like a lunch option to me!
The most notable thing about this place is the HOT SAUCE. OMG. For those fiends of spice out there… this place will put you to the test. Personally, I get my true hotness fix from ethnic hot sauces, meaning I have a hard time finding the flavorful yet searing HOT kick I crave at your local grocery store. The hot sauce at this place, however, does not disappoint — the little tubs of red hot chilis were INSANE. Must try.
Ok so, why only three stars? Two words: mystery meat. The buffet here could desperately use some labels. Just one word even — Goat, Beef, Chicken… etc. There are so many different curries and stews that if you’re not familiar with the cuisine, you won’t know exactly what you’re getting into. And I promise you, I’m not one to be squeamish about meats — I just want to know what creature’s tiny bones I’m sucking on!
So my advice here is to 1) TRY THE HOT SAUCE, and 2) Unless you’re feeling particularly adventurous, stick to the items that are distinctly chicken (or another recognizable meat) and the grains & veggies — which were great. I loaded up on a whole bunch of different things and found myself scrutinizing what exactly was on my fork (hmm… fish???). Even for someone who is all about trying new things, it doesn’t feel good to question what you’re about to eat. I’ll be back again though, the jerk chicken was delicious, and I’m curious what they have on different days.

I really wanted collard greens. Like really wanted collard greens. I walked in and saw someone eating collard greens… but alas, they ran out. At like 8pm. Enough about collard greens.
B&B African-​American — definitely a local’s spot. You walk in and everyone knows everyone. You know it’s gonna be good.
It’s a buffet-​style restaurant — $ 5.95 a pound (at least for dinner). I couldn’t find price signs anywhere. I’m not exactly too sure what African food consists of, but I can say that I’m quite pleased!
Walking around, looking at the different types of meat and mush (couldn’t tell what half the stuff was but ate it anyway), I was highly intrigued. I picked up a little bit of a few things and they were all good — especially this one vegetable mush that I have no what it was. Jerk chicken was tender, flavorful, and well-​seasoned. Vegetable options are quite good as well.
Since I only stopped by for a super, super light meal before a volleyball game, I didn’t try as much as I wanted to — will definitely be back for more veggies and meat!

Like:
Unassuming place from outside but good food inside, place to sit and eat, decent non-​alcoholic drinks selection, reasonable prices, decent location.