B&B Restaurant, the New African Steam Table in Chelsea

Robyn and I wandered down 26th Street today looking for this "new African buffet" mentioned in a Talk thread. It's called B&B Restaurant (though there are no signs of beds or breakfast) and to clarify, it's closer to Seventh Avenue than Sixth, right around the corner from Chipotle.

Robyn's tub.

Robyn and I filled our to-go tubs with various unidentified meats, all of which were soaking in pools of oily sauces. A few hand-written signs on the steam table pointed out the biggies: oxtail, Jerk chicken, and curried goat. But with the other dishes, most lunchers just seemed to intuitively know. No matter what you get, it's $5.99 a pound. According to Zach Brooks, a steam table official in my books, that's on the low side (they usually range between $6.99 and 7.99).

Most of the set-up was dominated by meats, in addition to a few rices, some greens and cabbage, a goopy corn pudding thing, and fresh fruit at the end of the row. It's satisfying in the way most steam tables are—lots of smorgasbord potential, the food is pretty salty, and by the time all the flavors mingle, it's really just a heap of sustenance.

My tub.

I scooped up most of the okra in one tray. (Sorry okra lovers who came later.) The Jerk chicken hit the spot, and could have been the reason my legs were semi-tingling after. Something in my tub had heat! The white fish, however, was a straight-up choking hazard. Way too many bones ready to clog up the esophagus. Eating it was like chewing sunflower seeds—too much annoying spitting to deal with.

B&B Restaurant 26th Street b/n 6th and 7th Avenue

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