A storefront that once sold vape pens and phone cases on Hartford Turnpike is now home to steaming plates of jollof rice, waakye and fufu. Taste of African Cuisine opened its doors on September 26 at 200 Hartford Turnpike in Vernon, marking the first brick-and-mortar location for co-owners Irene Acheampong and Ernest Nyarko after years of running the business as a pickup and delivery operation out of a residential address on Kenwood Drive.
The pair formally celebrated the opening with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on October 2, joined by municipal officials, according to Patch. Vernon Mayor Daniel A. Champagne issued a proclamation recognizing the restaurant's opening, and he said the eatery gives residents and visitors an opportunity to experience West African warmth, hospitality, history and culinary traditions through food prepared with care and love. Champagne, who has led Vernon since 2013 after 22 years as a local police officer, four years as a state senator, and a stint on the Vernon Town Council, lent the new business official civic weight on opening week.
From a Home Kitchen to a 24-Seat Dining Room
As reported by Connecticut Post, the restaurant now offers West African food and a taste of Ghanaian culture out of a space that includes a dining area, service counter and food-service window, according to town of Vernon building records. The dining room seats 24 and runs Tuesday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., staying closed Sundays and Mondays.
The menu leans heavily on dishes prepared from family recipes passed down through generations, all cooked to order. Offerings include jollof rice, waakye, Ghanaian fried rice, banku with okra stew, fufu, banku with tilapia, boiled yam with eggplant stew, and rice with spinach stew, per the Connecticut Post's reporting. The restaurant also uses seasonings and other staples sourced from African markets to round out its flavors.
More Than a Meal
Acheampong and Nyarko have said they plan to offer a cultural experience beyond the food itself. On select days, guests will be able to rent traditional Ghanaian attire and take part in a mini photo shoot at the restaurant, turning a meal into something closer to a cultural outing.
The building itself has seen a dramatic transformation. The 1,000-square-foot storefront previously housed STIIZY Smoke Shop, Smoke & Vape, and several mobile phone retailers before undergoing internal upgrades to add commercial kitchen facilities and seating, according to The Connecticut Scoop. The larger multi-tenant retail building at 200 Hartford Turnpike dates to 1970 and spans 6,350 square feet across 0.67 acres near Interstate 84 Exits 64 and 65, with 50 parking spaces and a municipal assessment of $599,700, per LoopNet listing records. The strip center also houses Cut to the Chase Hair Salon and D'Angelo Grilled Sandwiches along the busy corridor.
A New Option in Central Connecticut Dining
Dedicated West African restaurants have historically been sparse in Tolland and Hartford counties, with most nearby options concentrated in East Hartford at spots like Pabs African Restaurant and Sidibe African Restaurant, according to a Facebook community post. Taste of African Cuisine adds another option to Central Connecticut’s broader dining scene.
The arrival of Taste of African Cuisine tracks with broader demographic shifts across the region. Connecticut's Black population grew by 8% between 2011 and 2021 to an estimated 359,000 residents as the state became more racially diverse overall, per CT Mirror. In the Hartford metro area specifically, 35% of the Black population is foreign-born, led largely by Caribbean and West African diaspora communities, according to data cited by BlackDemographics.com, which ranks the region among the top in the northeast for its share of foreign-born Black residents.
Jollof rice is one of the dishes on the new menu at Taste of African Cuisine in Vernon, just off I-84.
