Dibi is Senegal's quintessential street grill experience — charcoal-grilled lamb or mutton cooked over intense heat in specialized dibi houses (dibiteerie) found throughout Dakar and across the country. The simplicity of the dish belies its deeply satisfying character: perfectly seasoned meat with a charred exterior and juicy interior, paired with a mustardy onion sauce and fresh bread.

The classic dibiteerie experience involves sitting on low stools or benches in a smoky restaurant where the cooks work over large charcoal grills, often pressing the meat flat with a heavy iron plate to maximize the Maillard reaction and develop deep char marks. The lamb is always served with an onion and Dijon mustard sauce — a reflection of Senegal's French culinary influence — and eaten with chunks of fresh baguette.

Dibi is considered Senegal's most informal and democratic eating experience — it is cheap, immediate, and delicious. It is the food eaten late at night after a social gathering, bought from a street vendor on the way home, or enjoyed as a quick communal meal with friends. The combination of lamb, charcoal smoke, and mustard-onion sauce is one of Senegal's most addictive flavor combinations.