The best fast-food restaurants in Accra

If you have never had a take away from Papaye it is unlikely you have not been in Accra for very long. Papaye could be described as an institution in Accra, the home of chicken and rice. If you are looking for relatively fast, tasty and value for your money food, Papaye is a great bet. Their most popular dish is the rice and broasted or grilled chicken. They also offer fish options, burgers and fries. Open till late.  Papaye can be found on Oxford street Osu, Tesano highway, Spintex road and Tema.

Yes, this is a KFC. But as KFCs go, it is one of the more eye-catching – largely owing to a gigantic bargain bucket on a pole out front that glows well into the night. Its arrival on Oxford Street caused a great deal of commotion back in 2011, and this shiny three-floor chicken emporium has been serving streams of enamoured locals cartons of its golden-crumbed fast food ever since. A second branch has opened in the Melcom Plus building in the North Industrial Area, and a third in Marina Mall.

This is a small takeaway joint with a few tables and chairs outside. To be honest, it doesn’t look much, but the word has got around Accra that these guys serve the best ribs in town. And we’d be hard pushed to disagree. There’s also other American comfort food such as burgers, grilled cheese sandwiches and the like. 

This branch of Accra’s favourite chicken chain also has a bakery and an ice cream parlour. Think Nando’s and you are pretty much there, and the food is of similar quality. 

Sitting directly below Monsoon (but under different ownership), Osu Food Court provides a more family- focused and less smoky alternative to its upstairs neighbour. Take your pick from Galito’s Flame Grilled Chicken, Pizza Inn, Chicken Inn and Creamy Inn.

An Oxford Street institution, Frankie’s passes its hours drawing in a steady supply of snack-seeking locals. It’s ideally placed to cater for those gotta-grab-something moments – whether that’s a mid-morning ice cream, a lunchtime mixed grill or a post-bar burger. In a seperate section is The Lounge, a little lounge and bar serving a slightly different menu of continental dishes to the main restaurant. It’s a quiet place for a reasonable sandwich or chips with a beer in the afternoon, when the cold air-conditioning offers respite.