West African cuisine comes to LSU area

It’s a delicious mix of beans, onions and spices carefully shaped into a hearty patty, then fried. It’s sold as a meal at roadside stands and made in kitchens across West Africa. Nigerians call it akara—but Caroline Collins, native Nigerian and proprietor of the new BB&PF restaurant on Highland Road, calls it a bean burger.

“It’s very similar to a hamburger,” she says. “Except it’s healthier and has far fewer calories.”

It’s a claim often made by meatless burger purveyors of patties that later turn out to be dry, pebbly or otherwise unsatisfactory. However, patrons who dine at BB&PF—named for its signature dish, the bean burger with a side of hot and tasty plantain fries—may not even miss the meat. The bean burger patty is juicy, slightly spicy and very savory—and dressed with lettuce, onions and mustard on a whole-wheat bun. It makes an incredibly tasty burger alternative.

Collins makes the patties from scratch, and fries or bakes them according to customer’s preferences, but both come in at under 200 calories, including the bun and dressing. Collins also serves up other delicious and healthy Nigerian foods, from the steamed bean pudding called moin moin to coconut rice with a tasty beef, chicken or fish stew. There are also breakfast options, such as oatmeal and pap, a sort of smooth maize polenta that also has its origins in West Africa.

BB&PF’s proximity to campus allows Collins to cater to hungry students on the go, but she hopes the inexpensive prices, healthy options and unique cuisine will draw more people to her little restaurant in time. bbandpf.com