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    Tolex African Grill

    3.9 (18 reviews)
    Open 11:00 am - 9:00 pm

    Order Tolex African Grill Takeout or Delivery

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    Suya, jollof rice and plantains.

    I'm an American of Nigerian descent, a local journalist, and a foodie. I had just about given up on Nigerian food in Atlanta. I've never been fond of my native cuisine. That's a confession. The cultural disconnect is real. I live four minutes away from Tolex. I drive by it every time I leave Pine Lake. I've been in this restaurant before, under previous ownership, and been disappointed. But I visited the home village in Imo State at Christmas for the first time in my life a few months ago, eating as much authentic Nigerian food as I could. And I wanted to compare notes. I'm glad I did. Tolex beat anything I ate in the village, and anything I had at the high-end restaurants in Abuja on the way home. Purists will hear that and argue that claim to death, of course. But the truth is, Nigeria is hurting right now and it shows up in the food culture. The quality of ingredients available in a market in Nigeria has deteriorated with the economy. People have been struggling to find enough to eat. Those conditions can shape the practices of a cook, and a real chef makes something work. Take that skill, and apply it to what can be obtained in an Atlanta-area farmers market - which is to say, absolutely anything - and you get Tolex. It is operating in the better traditions of Black American food, produced with ingenuity, well seasoned without a lot of flash. I ordered suya, which is traditionally a northern Nigerian dish, along with jollof rice and plantains. Suya is a simple dish - grilled meat prepared with a peppery spice that includes roasted peanut, garlic and paprika. Jollof rice is a spiced tomato dish omnipresent in west African cuisine. Plantains are universal. Each was perfect. Plantains done properly are actually hard to find in Atlanta. It an easy measure of the quality of a kitchen for me. If they can do plantains well, they should have the gear and skill to do other basics well. The suya was tender without being overdone, with an excellent spice blend. The jollof rice was flavorful and did not have unnecessary embellishments - everyone wants their jollof rice to be special, and invariably that ends up turning a simple dish into an overwrought, time-consuming error. Tolex is a hole in the wall at the end of a strip mall filled with ethnic African businesses that is likely to be overlooked by anyone who can't read Amharic or Somali. But the parking lot was full. So was the counter, with brown bags for takeout. This iteration of the restaurant appears to be surviving on a robust DoorDash business. The restaurant interior is what you'd expect in a strip mall: working class seating with a TV playing Burna Boy videos. Atlanta has had dozens of Nigerian restaurants open and close over the years. Many have been marketed as flashy, upscale "elite" establishments designed to project an image of success - Yahoo Boy aesthetics - while overcharging for average fare, counting on ethnic affinities to get them through without actually building those relationships. As I sat there, a parade of customers came through, most of whom were Nigerian, many of whom were familiar with the owner and the business. Tolex is the equivalent of the family restaurant in a Chinatown or Indian neighborhood that is primarily patronized by the diaspora community. And that might be why it works. Tolex is not cheap. But it's also not more expensive than any other decent restaurant on the east side. A plate, a drink and a side will set you back about $28 before taxes and a tip. So far, it's worth every penny.

    Efo Riro Egusi Soup
    William N.

    Great authentic food. My favorite African spot. The menu has variety. Service is great and the food is always hot and fresh! I order Togo this time. The establishment is small seating 5 tables max.

    Nigerian fried rice meal

    We came here for vacation and tried this Nigerian restaurant for the first time!! Being Nigerian, I am picky but this food didn't disappoint at all!! We came back for second!!! We are at the restaurant and the owner were so nice!!! Food was generous!!!

    Goat pepper soup extremely delicious
    Jessica C.

    I walked into the building and it felt like home the owner Tolex and staff are so welcoming and then the menu tells you everything you need to know I ordered the goat pepper soup the asun egosi soup with foo foo and the beef suya with fried rice when I say I had sat there and enjoyed every bite of everything I have to come back and try everything the soobolo drink is superb and wines were amazing with this authentic food from the mother land I'm truly impressed and will be back

    Jollof rice

    I ordered my food for delivery and the food was good. The portion size was very small for the price I paid, though. I'm a bit disappointed by that.

    Efo Riro with goat  Fufu and a Side of Fried Rice

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    3 years ago

    The service was wonderful! I loved the music! I'll be back soon to order again. If you come make sure you try the mackerel fish and rice !

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    3 years ago

    Authentic West African food, Very good service! I recommend this establishment. You won't regret it.

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    3 years ago

    Business owner information

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    Toyin O.

    Thank you so much. We truly appreciate your support

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    Madina Restaurant

    Madina Restaurant

    4.4
    (47 reviews)
    1.0 mi
    $$

    Visited 6 June 2026…read more Overall, we had a good experience. Parking is shared with other businesses in the plaza, but there is plenty of available parking, including enough space to accommodate 18 wheeler trucks. When we first arrived, the older employee seemed a bit intense. He encouraged us to take our time reviewing the menu, but remained nearby watching us before we ordered. He also came across as somewhat aggressive while my friend was placing their order. After another customer voiced a complaint and left, his demeanor appeared to improve and the remainder of the visit was more pleasant. The food portions were very generous. We ordered the goat with chapati, which resembles roti skin, and two people were able to share it comfortably and leave satisfied. We also shared the king fish and rice, which was excellent and still left us with leftovers. Another friend ordered the tibis with spaghetti, and that portion was large enough that leftovers had to be taken home as well. The menu described the tibis as spicy, but we did not find it spicy at all. The food was flavorful, the portions offered great value, and there was plenty of seating available. While the service could have been more welcoming at the start, the quality and quantity of the food made for an enjoyable dining experience overall.

    I recently tried this place out. I've had Ethiopian food a handful of times and it never agreed…read morewith my tastebuds. This was my final attempt and luckily I found something I like. It was one of their non-meat dishes. It was tasty. The place is very unassuming, but the service and hospitality are there. I asked for a to-go container and ended up getting a refill on my entire order before I left. Lol Thank you! My lunch became my dinner.

    Photos
    MADINA GOAT MEAT DISH YUMMY ROUND OF APPALUSE
    MADINA GOAT MEAT DISH YUMMY ROUND OF APPALUSE
    Madina Restaurant
    Madina Restaurant

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    Femi's Food

    Femi's Food

    5.0
    (1 review)
    26.3 mi

    Stumbled upon this while doing a search for Nigerian food specifically Jollof rice. At the time of…read morethis writing I was starting to give up hope on my search for quality like home Nigerian food in Atlanta. I've tried Ike's (not impressed), Little Lagos (trash), Cafe Songhai (OK), Toyin (not consistent). I decided to take a chance on this place because of the menu. I checked out their Instagram and saw some activity and pictures so I said why not? Pricing was reasonable. Customer service was BEYOND. My contact person was Yemisi and not only is she courteous but very pleasant and communicative from time of order placed to delivery. There is a delivery fee of $15. Pickup is in Gwinnett county area if wanting to avoid the delivery fee. When you place your order plan for a 2-3 day window for delivery. Packaging was EXCELLENT. Slight spillage from the stew but it's inevitable and overall packaging was great. I loved the baked goods especially the sausage roll and scotch eggs which packed a kick in heat with the spice level of the sausage. I appreciated that. I love spicy food. It was a slow burn (like black pepper spice not habanero peppers spice) so don't think it's spicy. Sausage rolls 5/5 just look at the beauties in the picture and they taste so good Meat pies 4/5 the filling is very soft like a baby could eat it but I loved the crust. I'm a fan of ground meat but not minced meat if that makes sense. Flavor was great though. Jollof rice 4/5 I was expecting more spice. I would order this again but request more heat. If you top it with the goat meat stew this will also help. Goat meat stew My favvvvv! So good. The type of stew you would find at Nigerian parties and weddings etc. Sooo good, spicy and flavorful and the meat was tenderrrr like I love. Would order this again and again and again in a heartbeat. Scotch eggs The showstopper! Listen I LOVE Scotch eggs and the way they made these. Let me tell you right now, hands down, the BEST Scotch eggs I've had the pleasure of eating. Sooooo good! The crunch of the exterior, the slow heat/slow burn of the sausage surrounding the perfectly boiled egg. WOW!!!!

    From the owner: We specialize in providing authentic Nigerian dishes and small chops such as meat pies, sausage…read morerolls, scotch eggs, jollof, fried rice, and stews and soups. Always created and delivered with love.

    Photos
    Goat meat stew and Jollof rice
    Goat meat stew and Jollof rice
    Scotch eggs, meat pies and sausage rolls
    Scotch eggs, meat pies and sausage rolls
    Femi's Food

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    Ike's Cafe and Grill

    Ike's Cafe and Grill

    3.8
    (401 reviews)
    9.6 mi
    $$

    My first time trying Egusi and Fufu and it was so so delicious! The Egusi soup was so flavorful and…read morecomforting. The flavor was tomatoey with a bit of heat. The side of Fufu was a must. The pounded yam was smooth and not too thick. I had fun scooping up the Egusi in the Fufu with my hands. Both together was an enjoyable flavor and texture combo. The Beef Suya was good as well, a nice meat appetizer. The beef was cooked well done which some people may not like, but I enjoyed it since I grew up eating my steak that way. It paired very well with the spice blend and raw onions. I also had the Ghanaian Jollof Rice and that was not my most favorite dish due to the flavor. Not my cup of tea, but the rice was cooked well. I also liked the side plantains. The interior is nicely ornate and comfy. The service here was also super great and my assigned server was very personable. I genuinely enjoyed my conversation with her and she did well giving me recommendations and directions as a first timer for this type of food. Overall, I had a great experience here and would come back again!

    so I have been bringing my family of 7 here for 3 years. We ordered our usuals this weekend 7/7/26…read more, and OMG i was SOOOOO mad !! it seems as if they got a new chef and the food was HORRIBLE! The okra soup was super thick, barely any soup / sauce. it had a bunch of sharp pieces of crew shell with no crab meat to be found. I usually feed it to my baby but it had so many sharp pieces. the egusi was SUPER dark and oily. it looked like dirty car oil and it was SALTY ! the chicken suya was great as always but they changed the dipping sauce that comes with it which is the main reason i even get the chicken. the sauce is disgusting. this was the absolute worst experience i've had here . it was a waste of my $125 and i will not be returning . i spend thousands yearly on this food and this experience has been a major turn off . i drive 35 minutes fron buckhead atleast 2x a month to enjoy this food and i am totally turned off from this latest experience . i would normally recommend but the change in the food was soooo drastic ! i'm scared!

    Photos
    Buffet
    Buffet
    Lamb debee
    Lamb debee
    Buffet menu

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    Buffet menu

    Tolex African Grill - african - Updated July 2026

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