A new restaurant named Homewood African Factory & Grill just opened on Oct. 19. It is located in Downtown Homewood and is unlike any other restaurant in the Homewood-Flossmoor area due to it being the only African restaurant in the community.

The owner’s name is Maryam Lala and she is joyous about the opening of her new restaurant. Her menu options come from Nigeria and Senegal. 

Fufu is one of the many options that are available at Lala’s restaurant. It is one of the most commonly eaten Nigerian foods. Fufu is a very starchy food that consists of root vegetables that are mashed in a dough-like consistency. It often includes cassava, yams, and plantains. It is used as a staple food in parts of western and central Africa. 

Jollof rice, which is also available at the Homewood African Factory & Grill, is an example of a spicy dish from Nigeria. Jollof rice consists of rice, tomatoes, onions, chilies, and often a combination of tomato paste, bell peppers, garlic, ginger, thyme, and curry powder. Nigerian foods are generally known for being spicy. 

Lala chose to open her restaurant in Homewood because she wanted to expand the culture and because of demand.

She and her co-workers are planning to expand their restaurant to other parts of Illinois such as Dolton and Schaumburg.  

“We just want to expand the culture and embrace our food. The culture is not spread enough.” said one of Lala’s co-workers.

One of Lala’s co-workers explained and expanded about some more food on the menu.

“We have ayamase stew, meat pie, moi moi, and more.”

Ayamase stew comprises green bell peppers, onions, boiled eggs, assorted meats, and chilies. Meat pie is a buttery, flakey pastry with the meat of your choice. It could often be compared to a pot pie. Moi moi is a savory steamed traditional Nigerian dish made from peeled black-eyed peas, peppers, boiled eggs, onions, and other meat like fish, crayfish, and animal liver. Lala’s restaurant has many other menu items to choose from.

Lala and her co-workers’ favorite food on their menu is the jollof rice. “I would recommend the jollof rice and something to drink because of the spiciness of the rice.”

Lala and her co-workers are also looking into adding yam porridge to the menu. 

Overall, the restaurant has many five-star reviews and has a 4.1-star rating according to Google. They do dine-in, takeout, and delivery by Uber Eats. Days of operation are Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 12 to 9 p.m. and Fridays from 12 to 10 p.m. This doesn’t add much.