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Meytex Cafe is a “chop bar,” Ghanaian slang for a casual eatery. The framed pictures of African (Kofi Annan) and African-American (Martin Luther King Jr.) political figures that plaster the walls are representative of the food served: Peanut-sauced goat as well as fried chicken. However, there’s no guarantee either of those dishes will be in stock because only a fraction of what’s listed on the laminated menu is available at any given time. Hungry customers are likely to find egushie, a thick pleasantly smoky stew of spinach and ground pumpkin seeds topped with pureed tomatoes, and staples like banku, white pliable blobs that taste like sourdough and typically served on the side. For many West Africans Meytex serves as a makeshift social club—the big screen TV and bottles of Stone Strong Lager tend to get more attention than what’s coming out of the kitchen—but everyone’s welcome in this gathering place. — Krista Garcia

Egushie, $10