Afterhours

Incredible Flavors, Generous Portions Await!

When setting foot into After Hours, the enticing aroma of smoky barbecued meats and island spices is akin to a siren's call to tired commuters seeking solace. Venture beyond its unassuming facade, and you are awarded with a festival of delightful culinary offerings that somehow straddles the thin line between chaotic charm and a tantalizing hit-and-miss affair. The menu reads like a love letter to comfort food aficionados, with Mac & Cheese so voluptuous it could make a bowtie blushing. Yet, beware: biting into firm plantains or receiving charred chicken is as likely an outcome as striking gold with their well-reputed ribs, which have claimed episodes of culinary bliss among the cavorting throngs who line the tiny space each night.

Service at After Hours appears to be somewhere between aloof amnesia and episodic joy. Consistency is elusive here – delivered orders often take longer than the duration of your average crime drama and can sometimes wander astray altogether, helmed by notably distressed delivery drivers. But fear not, for individuals like Nonye and Moses are celebrated local heroes, crafting a redemptive experience through delightful service and banter. After Hours, in all its frantic, flavour-laden righteousness, captivates with intrigue; even as patrons debate under salted skies whether its pluses outweigh its minuses, perhaps like life itself, every visit clings to that delicious uncertainty seasoning the everyday mundanity with unconstructed symphony. Nonetheless, there’s something endearing indeed about this island-kissed paradox that leaves the culinary critic much to bemuse, and certainly more to discuss. — Penelope Savory