Calabar Grill and Bar

What is Calabar Grill and Bar? Founded by Calabar native Keppy Otu, Calabar Grill and Bar brings the rich culinary traditions of southeastern Nigeria to a bustling strip of Weston Road in Mount Dennis. The dining room balances a sleek white marble bar with plush booths and communal seating under flat-screen TVs tuned to soccer matches and soundtracked by upbeat Afrobeat rhythms. It functions as both a lively late-night neighbourhood lounge and an authentic sit-down destination.

Calabar Grill and Bar Menu & What to Order The kitchen specializes in complex, slow-simmered Nigerian soups and fiery skewers hot off the grill. Kick things off with tender, pepper-seared asun (goat meat) or sliced beef suya dusted generously with peanutty yaji spice, then dive into thick egusi soup or traditional edikang ikong served alongside smooth mounds of pounded yam (fufu). Whole seasoned grilled tilapia paired with charred plantains (boli) is another crowd favourite, especially when washed down with a cold malt, Nigerian soda, or palm wine. Halal-friendly meat options are widely available, and kitchen staff are happy to modulate the heat if you cannot handle full Naija spice levels.

Know Before You Go The restaurant operates daily from lunch through to 2:00 a.m., making it a rare late-night dining gem in the Weston corridor. Walk-ins have little trouble grabbing a table on weekdays, but calling ahead for large group tables is recommended on busy weekend nights. Street parking is available on Weston Road alongside nearby municipal lots, and the 89 Weston TTC bus stops right outside.