A Nigerian food truck is expanding to its first brick-and-mortar location on San Antonio’s East Side next month.
Oringo Africana will open Sept. 5 at the former home of barbecue joint Dignowity Meats, which shuttered in late 2024 after operating at 1701 E. Houston Street for a decade.
Chef Ugoshukwu Ijoma got his start preparing made-to-order meals out of his home before transitioning to selling his Nigerian fare at a food truck park at 9501 Computer Drive, according to CultureMap San Antonio, which first reported on the restaurant’s move to the East Side.
Oringo Africana will offer jollof rice, a staple of West African cuisine, as well as grilled tilapia with plantains and okro soup, which includes shrimp, goat and okra flavored with African spices. A grand opening flyer highlights one of the food truck’s best-sellers: egusi, which is a stew made of ground melon seeds with meat, fish and vegetables that is served with fufu, a dense dough.
In the spirit of his business’s name — “oringo” is Nigerian slang for having fun — Ijoma also creates dishes inspired by San Antonio, like tacos stuffed with beef suya, a thin-sliced meat coated in a spiced peanut blend.
Oringo Africana will be the third restaurant in San Antonio that cooks up West African fare, according to CultureMap. Ultra Kitchen offers Nigerian favorites and AfroTex Grill marries Tex-Mex with West African street food.