OPENING ALERT
New San Antonio spot gives African cuisine the Chipotle treatment

Afrotex Grill specializes in jollof and suya bowls.
Fusion cuisine has wrapped almost everything in a tortilla, from Korean bulgogi to Jamaican jerk chicken. Now, San Antonio’s Afrotex Grill, newly opened at 6422 Babcock Rd. on the Northwest Side, is giving West African suya the burrito treatment.
The restaurant comes from the team behind Suya Mix Bistro. The popular ghost kitchen specializes in its namesake dish — grilled meat coated in a spiced peanut-based dry rub. Afrotex fires up chicken, beef, wings, and salmon in plates with sides like corn or plantain.
But its biggest innovation comes when jollof, the smoky tomato-based rice dish beloved throughout the region, is added to the mix. The restaurant takes its cues from the quick-service model of restaurants like Chipotle. And jollof is readily remixed into bowls with field mix or rolled into a wrap.
Guests can make each dish their own by adding various vegetables, but the condiments earn the Afrotex name. The restaurant lets patrons choose from Nigerian ata dindin (a fried pepper sauce), Tex-Mex pico de gallo, and its own house ranch.
Afrotex sells a variety of nonalcoholic options, ranging from bottled sodas to Poppi, but many visitors no-doubt will want to try its house originals. Lagos Sunset blends fresh lemonade with mango and passion fruit. Zobo is a popular Nigerian drink made from dried hibiscus petals. It sips a little like a San Antonio staple, jamaica agua fresca.
Locals can try out Afrotex Tuesday through Saturday, 11 am-11 pm, and Sunday from 11:30 am-6 pm. The restaurant is closed on Mondays.

The dishes use produce grown on San Antonio Food Bank's campus.Photo courtesy of San Antonio Food Bank