Brooklyn Suya
African restaurant · Crown Heights ·
Nigerian suya bowls with grilled meats, tofu, and fresh sides
Nigerian suya bowls with grilled meats, tofu, and fresh sides
"For a quick to-go meal, head over to Brooklyn Suya, a counter-service spot on Franklin Ave that tends to smell like grilled meat. This place specializes in suya bowls, and you can get them with everything from steak and chicken to salmon and tofu. Pick a base (either rice or kale), choose from add-ons like plantains and mushrooms, then specify your spice level. Just keep in mind that even the mild option will get your mouth tingling. Due to its minuscule size, Brooklyn Suya doesn't have any seating, but there's usually some kind of bench situation out front." - bryan kim
"West African steak bowls and other vegetarian options available for delivery and takeout - call or order here." - hannah albertine, nikko duren, bryan kim, arden shore, matt tervooren
"Generally speaking, fast-casual bowls are about as exciting as the transcript of a filibuster. But the Nigerian food at Brooklyn Suya is different. This is a tiny spot with a few stools, and only enough room behind the counter for a single employee, a rice cooker, a cash register, and an oven full of incredible smoked and grilled meats. Each bowl comes with your choice of protein, a rice or kale base, add-ons (plantains are essential), and spice level (even the mild is intense for those sensitive to heat)." - kenny yang, bryan kim, nikko duren, hannah albertine, matt tervooren
"Named after one of Nigeria’s popular street foods, Brooklyn Suya in Crown Heights sells just two things: suya and suya bowls. Suya is roasted and skewered beef (or chicken) marinated with suya seasoning - a dried spice made with ground cayenne pepper, peanuts, salt, and a few other unique (and secret) ingredients. The bowls include a base of rice or kale, cherry tomatoes, cucumber slices, red onions, and suya beef or chicken. You can customize yours with fried ripe plantains or avocado and you also get to choose how spicy you want your suya seasoning, with three levels from mild to very spicy. Keep in mind that this place only does pickup or delivery orders, but they’re available on most delivery apps." - jiji ugboma
"My favorite Nigerian restaurant is Brooklyn Suya, a street-food counter in Crown Heights; Komolafe admitted she hadn’t yet visited it." - Helen Rosner