Where To Eat In Lagos: Bukas Vs Restaurants [Pros & Cons]

Here is how to decide where to eat in Lagos.

Lagos is a busy city. Everyone you meet on the streets of the city is either rushing to catch up with an appointment or the office. In these situations, people hardly have time to put something in their stomachs.

Well, they do that because there are quite several places they can stop to pick up their breakfasts in the morning or get their lunches at lunchtime.

This means that these people don’t prepare or eat meals at home before dashing out of their houses.

They won’t do that because the high numbers of bukas and restaurants spread all over the nooks-and-crannies of Lagos city got them covered.

Restaurant Or Buka: Which Is The Better Place To Eat In Lagos?

However, whichever place you decide to patronize for your meals, depends on the size of your pocket. Some patronize bukas and some patronize restaurants.

There are also different reasons why people choose different places to eat. The reasons range from economic to financial, and from health to convenience.

So, in this expose, we are going to tell you some of those places you can eat depending on the size of your pocket and also the pros and cons of eating in those places.

Bukas In Lagos

Many people don’t the meaning of the word buka or where it originates from.

The word BUKA originated from the Yoruba (buka) and Hausa (bukkaa). For the Yorubas means hut or market stall, while for the Hausas, it means grass shed or hut.

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From the above, it shows that buka is a borrowed word from Yoruba and Hausa languages. However, in Nigerian parlance, a buka is synonymous with roadside restaurants or street stalls that sell local cuisines at a relatively low price.

Buka is associated with life on the streets. It is mostly patronized by those who can’t afford to eat in costly or lavish restaurants.

As a Lagos person, you can get your food from any of the following bukas:

  • White House, Yaba
  • Amala Phase 1, Lagos Island
  • Amala Shitta, Surulere
  • Iya Eba, Lagos Island
  • Olaiya, Surulere
  • Amala Canada. Ebute Meta
  • Bank Olemoh Designer Rice, Surulere
  • Ajisafe, Ikeja
  • Amala Yahoo, Ogudu
  • Defence Car Park Canteen, Marina
  • Stella’s Kitchen, Ikeja
  • Yakoyo, Illupeju
  • Iya Amala (Police College), Ikeja
  • Mama Ebo Pepper Rice and Bar, Lekki
  • Ghana High, Lagos Island
  • Saudi Food Palace, Bariga
  • Belgium Canteen, Mile 2
  • Topshot Amala, Ikoyi

Eating in a buka has both advantages and disadvantages. We are going to tell you some of the most important ones.

Advantages of Bukas

  1. It is very cheap:

Foods sold in bukas are very affordable. You can get food for as low as N300. You will eat with shikini money.

  1. Food Served in Bukas are Always Fresh

Most of the foods served in bukas are fresh. It is often hard to get food there. You get served hot and fresh.

  1. Everybody Receives Equal Treatment In Buka

Both the rich and the poor meet in Bukas. They all eat the same thing and ate treated equally. Nobody gets preferential treatment.

  1. It Serves As a Ground For Meeting People From Different Backgrounds
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If you patronize bukas on a regular, you would discover that people with varying ethnic, religious, political, and economic backgrounds meet there.

  1. It Provides An Avenue For People To Meet Their Future Employers, Benefactors, and Associates

Since people from different backgrounds commune with each other in Bukas, possibly, you can bump into a future employer or business associate in the process. This has been proven over time and now.

Disadvantages of Bukas

  1. Poor Hygiene Conditions

Most bukas don’t adhere to the basic rules of hygiene when it comes to food preparation. And sometimes where these foods are sold is very unhygienic. You could find flies and dust in the air.

These things can easily settle on food that has been prepared, making it unhealthy for human consumption.

  1. It Could Be A Breeding Ground Germs

Some of the places where these bukas are built or situated are not conducive enough. There could be grasses or garbage around. These things can turn the entire place into a breeding ground for germs.

  1. There is no safety or security

Bukas are often very open. Everybody has access to the place. So, this makes it open and prune to dangers.

Once you are there, your safety or security is not guaranteed.

Lagos Restaurants

Restaurants are synonymous with class, extravagance, and lavishness. The environment is also neat and clean. Customers get special treatment here.

We all know that Lagos is the city of class. And because of this, exotic restaurants abound in the city. But one thing is certain; your pockets must be heavy to afford their meals.

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The following are some of the most exclusive restaurants you can find within the city of Lagos:

  • Shiro Restaurant and Bar
  • S.V.P Lagos
  • Ocean Basket
  • Hard Rock Café
  • Cactus Restaurant
  • Bubbletii (Boba)
  • Kilimanjaro Restaurant
  • Bungalow Restaurant
  • Sherlaton Indian Restaurant
  • Craft Gourmet
  • Izanagi
  • Lagoon Restaurant
  • Talindo Steak House
  • Spice Route
  • Casper And Gambini’s
  • Terra Kulture
  • The Sky Restaurant
  • Jevinik Restaurant

There are advantages and disadvantages of eating in a restaurant. We are starting with the advantages.

Advantages

  1. Exclusive Treatment

Restaurants offer exclusive services to their customers. Once you step into a restaurant for a meal, there is always someone on standby to attend to you promptly.

  1. Serene Environment

A restaurant’s environment is always calm. You eat your meal in peace, without noise or disturbance of any kind.

  1. Clean And Conducive

Asides from the peaceful nature of a restaurant, it is also very clean and neat. Everywhere shines and sparkles, making it conducive and healthy for eating.

  1. Safe and Secured

Restaurants don’t play with the safety and security of their customers. They make it a priority to provide adequate security for their customers. It is not unexpected since it is mostly patronized by the rich and famous.

Disadvantages

  1. It is Very Expensive

Meals in restaurants are very expensive. The cost of a plate of a meal ranges between N10, 000 and N15, 000. It is not affordable, only the rich can afford it.

  1. Tendency to Sell Stale Food

Many people are of the notion that restaurants sometimes serve stale food to their customers. If this is true, then it is a serious turn-off.

With this guide, I’m certain you are ready to choose where to eat in Lagos.

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