Best Burgers in Dakar: Plateau to Almadies

The best burgers in Dakar are spread along the peninsula: the Plateau, the downtown business district, for lunch; Point E, Mermoz and Sacré-Cœur for casual evening spots; and Ouakam, Ngor and Les Almadies, at the western tip, for ocean-side terraces and newer restaurants. Beef, chicken and lamb are the meats on the grill, all halal.

Two traditions shape how Dakar eats meat in bread. Senegal’s Lebanese community, settled in the country for more than a century, made shawarma one of the most common sandwiches in the city. The Senegalese side is dibi: lamb grilled over charcoal at a dibiterie, cut up and served with raw onion and mustard. The same pairing of onion, mustard and lemon drives yassa, one of the national dishes, so an onion-heavy burger with a mustard sauce speaks the local language. Menus are written in French, and orders at the counter are often taken in Wolof.

Burgers in Dakar: key facts

• Neighbourhoods to explore: the Plateau, Médina, Point E, Mermoz, Sacré-Cœur, Ouakam, Ngor and Les Almadies.
• Local benchmark: dibi, charcoal-grilled lamb from a dibiterie.
• Sandwich culture: shawarma, brought by the Lebanese community.
• Flavours to look for: onion, mustard and lemon, as in yassa.
• Currency: West African CFA franc (XOF).
• Getting around: taxis, with the fare agreed before the ride, the TER commuter train and the BRT bus line.

Every guide we publish on Dakar is dated and lists only venues, addresses, prices and ratings we could verify. For the rest of West Africa and beyond, see our burger restaurant guides by city.