Combining environmental awareness and good food, Grills 101 delights residents and visitors alike with its variety of delicious and well-grilled full chicken.

By Amandin Ogbewe

Grills 101, one of the most underground popular spots in Abuja, is famous for its signature grilled whole chicken among other meals. But the charm of the restaurant is more than just its main dish, so let’s get to the meat of it.

The restaurant is located at Woodbridge Park, Kur Mohammed Avenue, Central Area, Abuja. The spot is one of its endearments as the park, which houses the restaurant, is available for chilling as one awaits their food slow-roasting under the guidance of intentional hands. The outdoors of Grills 101 has an environmentally friendly aura about it with recycled tire chairs, loads of greenery, and swings to let your inner child (or your actual children. Grills 101 is child friendly) out in anticipation of a happy meal.

The highly patronised restaurant is owned by a woman from Northern Nigeria hence the abundance of foods peculiar to the region on the menu, including the restaurant’s popular massa, which is a locally made bread spiced with distinctive suya spices and garnished with vegetables. I see, or rather, taste why it’s popular after trying it for the first time. The most surprising thing about the delicious snack is that it costs just ₦500.

“Our bestselling foods are smoked lamb rice, massa, mandi chicken rice, and chicken wings and mandi lamb rice,” said Paulina, one of Grills 101’s customer care representatives about the restaurant. Another quality that stands this outlet out is its ambiance of wooden furnishings and neat environment that emits the famous northern wood fragrance. The prices of these dishes vary. Smoked lamb rice goes for ₦3,000; mandi chicken rice is ₦3,000; chicken wings go for ₦1,500 and mandi lamb rice is offered at ₦3,500.  Interestingly, she says they’re bombarded with requests for their recipes but maintains that’s all top secret. All my efforts to get a sliver out of her proved abortive.

Aisha Hanga Muzzammil, proprietress of Grills 101 further explained that the principle of freshness is what the restaurant prides itself on, disclosing that they usually close by 6 pm and don’t go in into the night as all fresh foods are exhausted by that time. The interior, where the important activity of eating takes place, looks like a greenhouse, subtly hinting at the focus of natural meals and drinks.

“When a customer is unhappy, I feel so terrible and I always remedy it and make them feel better,” said Aisha. This spells out the mixture of customer satisfaction and fresh givings the restaurant exemplifies, which is also the rationale behind the attention to greenery and nature. I’m told it’s meant to keep customers grounded and give them something beautiful to gaze upon as they await the food.

The service is truly remarkable. Even though I consider myself to be a young dashing man, I’m met with a lot of “sirs” and “welcomes”. “Did you enjoy it? I know you did,” Rosemary tells me afterwards. She’s confident and quite right.

I did, in fact, enjoy the grilled catfish with ginger drink and a rich kunu aya mix. Every meal I’ve had at Grills 101 is worth the experience and the gratification for my taste buds. The signature sauce also added a nice ring to the whole dining experience. Most grilled meal orders come with this special sauce and I often play with the idea of ordering the sauce just on its own merit. It’s that good. For meals so delicious, the affordability is another mild shocker as most meals are in the range of ₦3,000 upward. Grills offers deliveries and pickups.

Grills 101 has also recently opened up another outlet in Gwarimpa at 41 Sa’adu Zungur Avenue. The new branch is said to exist on all its pre-existing ideologies of nature and fresh meals. They also offer catering services and can be booked for weddings and events. If you have a taste and make a futile attempt at the secret recipe, you might as well hire them and get the meals made for you and yours at an agreed fee.

Pro-Tip: If you plan to eat at the restaurant, it’s best to contact them via Instagram or their WhatsApp number (WhatsApp: 09046567336, mobile: 08177956107, also available on their IG page) so you can place your order beforehand. But the wait isn’t so bad, as I’ve pointed out the serenity of the environment makes the wait enjoyable.

The name Grills 101 fits like a glove as the restaurant provides a great lesson on the fundamentals of smokey scented food and natural blends. Grills 101 has the sauce, in more ways than one. You should be checking them out this moment.

Amadin Ogbewe, who hails from Benin City, Edo State, is a writer and journalist based in Abuja

Ayodele Johnson

Ayodelé is a Lagos-based journalist and the Content and Editorial Coordinator at Meiza. All around the megacity, I am steering diverse lifestyle magazine audiences with ingenious hacks and insights that spur fast, informed decisions in their busy lives.