How Is Double 4 Still In Business?
Double 4
2a Sakajojo Street. Victoria Island, Lagos
NOSA: Double 4 has been in Lagos for the longest time. Probably had the best pizza in Lagos in the late ‘90s, but then again, there weren’t that many options.
FOLLY: One of my favorite memories is getting a banana split sundae from Double 4 on Awolowo road.
NOSA: In a bid to consolidate, I think, Double 4 has more or less moved in with Sakura. Like, they’re roommates and whatnot now.
FOLLY: It's like the co-working space in the restaurant industry. They share a kitchen, dining area, and waitstaff. I wonder why no one has thought of this sooner. Imagine all those Lagos chefs doing something similar. If you steal my idea, I promise I will fight you.
NOSA: Anyway, we visited Double 4 based on a reader recommendation.
FOLLY: And we got a couple pricy shawarmas (beef for Nosa and chicken for me) and BBQ chicken wings.
NOSA: The shawarma is a bit indecisive. It can’t fully decide if it wants to be Nigerian-style or Lebanese-style.
FOLLY: Honestly, it was a bit all over the place.
NOSA: It has the sausage and sauce that Nigerians like, but it also has that garlic, albeit faint, that’s common with authentic shawarma.
FOLLY: Genuine and random question, is Nigerian shawarma cultural appropriation?
The sauces were in different sections that eventually met in the middle. One side had more of the garlic style, and the other had more of the ketchup-mayo mix style.
NOSA: You’re probably thinking this is a recipe for perfection, but no, none of it works. Quite frankly, it’s an absolutely boring shawarma. There’s absolutely nothing about it that stands out and blaming that on the fact Double 4 shawarma has no idea what it wants to be.
Not spicy. Not anything. Just boring.
FOLLY: And pretty forgettable too.
NOSA: Oh, we got BBQ wings with zero BBQ.
FOLLY: Yup, those are indeed the BBQ wings
NOSA: What a joke.
POSTSCRIPT
NOSA: The food is edible. That’s the only good thing I can say about it.
FOLLY: Yes it doesn't taste bad, but it was a very disappointing rendition of shawarma and BBQ wings. The chapman was delightful, however, as chapman usually is.
VERDICT
DAMAGE
Chapman - N1000
Shawarma - N2000
BBQ Wings - N2500
PARKING
4 spots only.