I will go to this restaurant every chance I get. It is on the smaller side so it is not good for larger parties. Every dish is amazing and cooked to perfection. They have expanded their drink and dessert menu which I have tried at my last visit and it was a great compliment to the main dishes. The service is not too slow and quite a reasonable pace. read more

Baobab Fare - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

Flavor, family, and fair prices! "Come home and get a plate!" Is what comes to my mind when I think of Baobab. That, and my mouth starts to water. The atmosphere is always upbeat and kinetic. Great color and decor to make you feel transported. The staff is always friendly, jovial, and knowledgeable on the dishes and drinks to help you make the right decision. They also have great comradery, always laughing and chatting, which adds to the amicable atmosphere. The "fare" is all inspired by Eastern African cuisine. So, every dish has a depth and complexity of spice and flavor that sings on the palette. The mixed vegetables, with rice, and your choice of protein make it a fulfilling and warming meal that will keep you satisfied and craving more. You can pair any dish with fresh, fruity, refreshing juices or hot African tea. Either option is great and only an added benefit to the meal. In addition to the tables, there is also a counter space with excellent street views if you want to get a bite and get some work done. I love Baobab and look forward to more memories and fun times spent here. read more

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My wife and I wanted to try something a little different this Valentine's Day. We did not have a reservation but they were very accommodating. We waited about 30 minutes but it was worth the wait. Everything we ordered was very good. Our waitress was very attentive. Had a very nice experience. We will be back. read more

Love this spot. Great hibiscus tea and the food is comforting. You can't go wrong. It gets busy fast. Say yes to the hot sauce. Don't be afraid to flag down another waiter if you need help because they are friendly. read more

Baobab Fare - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

Great dishes. Everything we had was so flavorful. Down to the spinach and I'm grateful to have gotten both kinds of rice. Excellent plays regardless of what main course you get. The sambusa to start is also amazing. read more

This was my first time dining here and I will 100% be back. My family and I had the Nyumbani, Samaki, and Mbuzi for our main dishes and our top favorite was the Nyumbani! It was rich in flavor and I wanted to keep eating. The plantains and corn salad were great sides as well. MAKE SURE TO ASK FOR HOT SAUCE!! (It gave it a nice kick) For dessert, we had the avocado pudding which was refreshing and light. The service was also great! read more

Wow....what a fantastic restaurant...this place is a culinary gift to the people of the city of Detroit. There is so much to love about Baobab Fare, from the vibe of the restaurant, to the amazing staff who take pride in the food they serve to the amazing story about the restaurant's founders and their journey to Detroit. All these components unite to make this a restaurant that you really feel good about visiting, and I haven't eve mentioned the food. OH...MY...GOODNESS, the food here is so, so good. I enjoyed the Nyumbani immensely. Like 2 days later I'm still thinking about it. The beef was so tender and well seasoned. Such a wonderful application of spices to deliver complexity without blasting your taste buds with heat for the sake of heat. It came with choice of rice (i opted for coconut), plantains and peanut stewed spinach. What a wonderful combination. I order plantains every chance I get, I even cook them at home and I'm not kidding, when I say that I have never tasted a better plantain in my life. Don't sleep on the stewed spinach, maybe one of the most unique and wonderful taste surprises I've even had. The peanuts and spinach delivered an amazing punch of Umami. My son, someone who never met a vegetable he didn't dislike, even ate every bite of his. I was shocked. As we were walking back to our car, chef/ owner Hamissi Mamba, the Chopped champion himself, stopped to thank us for coming to visit his restaurant and make sure we had a positive experience. Needless to say we did and will be back soon. read more

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There is nothing I can write here that has not already been covered by my fellow yelpers reviewing Baobab Fare. This restaurant serves perfect food, end of story. Complete culinary perfection, presented in the most welcoming way, as though you've entered a secret kitchen inside your new best friend's home. It's outrageously good, and the only reason I feel compelled to pile on the yelp love is to say, my friends, if you have not been here yet, you 100% need to prioritize a visit at your earliest convenience. It's been a week and I'm still dreaming about the food. Perfectly and expertly seasoned, I can't think of a better place to find nourishment in Detroit. Exceptionally good. read more

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This place has cute decorations around the restaurant that feels inviting. We ordered food to go but we enjoyed it very much! We ordered the Kumuhana ($19) which I highly recommend. The chicken was seasoned and cooked very well. The plantains were my favorite but everything was all delicious. The rice was a little salty for me, but I still very much enjoyed the flavor. This meal came with a lot as it had chicken, rice, plantains, and beans. They season their food pretty well and definitely a great place to try! read more

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This is a great and unique restaurant we were lucky enough to have recommended to us. Both appetizers were delicious and we all had a selection of main dishes that were amazing. The Hibiscus tea and Passion fruit drinks were refreshing and original. read more

I've been here twice with my friends and it was our first time having East African food and it was really yummy! The food presentation, server, environment, and vibes were great! Would recommend and come again to try something different. read more

Baobab Fare - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

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I never wondered that I was eating a unique African cuisine, and I never wondered that I was in Detroit. The atmosphere left little room for doubt. While it was reasonably busy, I was able to snag a table at a peak hour. The menu offers several vegetarian and vegan options, with clear markings on the menu. They're all very much based on diverse whole food ingredients. I was very happy with my choice of a peanut-spinach stew with various beans, rice, and vegetables. The choice was offered to get spiced rice or coconut rice; the spiced rice was possibly the best thing in my entire bowl. Then again, a few delicious fried plantains and the ample greens offered compelling competition. Ordering a tea got me basically an unsweetened chai while I waited. There were a few other things worth trying, and I can't say I've ever seen a restaurant quite like it. read more

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Wonderful ambiance and great food and service. Love the vibe and energy of the people who go there. Can't wait to go back!

There are moments when you bite into a food and don't feel the slightest need to add even a single grain of salt. That kind of flavor and seasoning tends to be one of the most satisfying experiences . This place is that, in spades. Every single bite of every single part of the meal was delightful! I had the lamb. Please taste the lamb. It was amazing. The staff was friendly and the restaurant itself had a beautifully-crafted image. A brand that's a mix of the culture inspiring the food and modern aesthetic. Also, the food was out in seriously impressive time. read more

Baobab Fare - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

Very nice lunch. The fried plantains are delicious and a good variety of dishes to try. There was only one vegetarian entree though, the eggplant which was good read more

I've been debating whether I should share my experience, but after much deliberation, I decided that I should allow others to be aware of my experience. I was genuinely excited about dining at Baobab Fare for a group birthday dinner. We started our experience with some drinks, I enjoyed the spiced coffee with oatmilk, and we all split the sambusa's with dipping sauce. For dinner, we all ordered different dishes, including kuku, mbuzi, nyumbani, and I had the samaki. We had various sides, such as coconut rice, and spiced rice. Everything was delicious, at the start. I thankfully was able to try everyone's dish. However, about halfway through my fish dish (samaki), I noticed an odd almost rubbery string-like object in my fish. Having experience with seafood, I immediately knew that the fish I had been served had a parasite in it. While the parasite was dead, it was still very disturbing. After bringing this to the attention of our waiter, he took the fish back to the kitchen to "investigate". Everyone else had no issues with finishing their meal, but I was unable to eat anything else at the restaurant. After a while, the waiter came back to the table and let me know that they weren't sure what it was, but they would like to provide me with a replacement meal. Unfortunately, after having discovered that in my fish, I was not looking to consume anything else for the night. While I understand that this can happen, I do think that the waiter and management could have handled this situation better. I was never asking for a free meal, but reading the situation and seeing that I wasn't eating my dish would have avoided a majorly awkward situation. While others from our party may go back to Baobab Fare, I'm unsure if I will be able to eat at the restaurant again. read more

Believe the hype! The food is AMAZING! I'd always wondered whv they are so few African restaurants in the U.S. (besides Ethiopian), so when I visited Detroit and my sister mentioned Baobab Fare, I was instantly sold (the stellar reviews didn't hurt! lol)! I had the Nyumbani and she had the Kuku. Both dishes were EXCELLENT! The meats were incredibly tender and perfectly seasoned. The yellow beans and spinach were delicious and both versions of the rice were well-seasoned and tasty. And the sauce that accompanies the Kuku!! Chef's kiss!! Both dishes were so plentiful, we had enough left for lunch the next day. I will definitely be returning on my next visit to the D! read more

Visited based on Yelp reviews , dishes were recommended by chef and it was amazing , the recipes are from barundi Africa I will be back until I try all menu items , real rare find read more

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Very unique, culturally exciting cuisine of E. Africa. We ordered what sounded good and delicious. The meat was quite tender and you could tell they slow cooked it. Rice is super flavorful. Sauce nice and comforting. For a cold day it was great. We usually would not have plantain but got to try this. Service was nice she friendly. Kid liked it. Clean atmosphere. Would be back read more

Nyumbani maybe the best entree in Detroit on any menu. It's impossible for me not to order it every time. Consistently delicious. read more

After reading many positive reviews, this was my first visit to Baobab Fare. My expectations were high, perhaps too high. Food quality: 4 stars I'm all about the food and Baobab certainly offers a small but mighty East African menu that isn't common in Michigan. The Nyumbani beef was flavorful and tender. The fried plantains were what I expected, sweet and a nice compliment to the dish. I had high hopes for the peanut stewed spinach and thought I would love it, but I was just not feeling it. I like that we were able to get half coconut rice and half spiced riced. The coconut rice was rather plain, so I would definitely recommend the spiced rice over the coconut rice. As for the Kumuhana, the chicken was seasoned well, but just tasted like it had been sitting in a warmer for a little too long. The stewed yellow beans were the dark horse, and surprised me with how good they were. I was a little confused with the corn salad because some of it was warm and some of it was refrigerator cold. I'm honestly not sure what temp it was supposed to be but it was good. Service: 4 stars Our waitress was polite and our food came out super fast. Like faster than the freaky fast guys at Jimmy John's. With such a small menu, they were able to get food out quickly, likely because they have everything prepared in big batches in the back of house. I appreciated the speed but also think that this business model lends itself to inconsistently in freshness on certain dishes (similar to getting food from a buffet). Atmosphere: 5 stars The aesthetic of the interior is pleasing. Seating was a little tight as they've tried to fit as many seats as possible into the space. The floors were a little dirty if you looked at them closely, but the unique tile pattern was fun. Probably a 4 star in this category but I gave them 5 because of the fresh flowers on the tables. Value: 4 stars Portions were reasonable and the prices are in line with the quality of the ingredients. It's not cheap, but I think it's worth it to have unique recipes prepared well. Overall: My wife and I enjoyed our meal and can see why people like it. However, it wasn't so amazing that I would tell people to go out of their way to try it. I like supporting local businesses, so if you are in the area, definitely consider giving them a try. read more

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I've visited Baobab Fare on multiple occasions and the food is extremely consistent and well prepared. I enjoy the vegetarian plate and have had the Samaki which was great. The Tamu dessert is delicious but my favorite is the coconut mango coulis. Service is pretty good. The dining room is quite small and for the popularity of this place they could really expand and do well. The last time I visited the it was quite warm in the building and this was my first time dining in during the summer so I do not know if this was just a fluke or regular occurrence. We also had a long wait from the time we ordered and our food was delivered. But, on all other occasions the food has been quickly served and ready if I had takeout or dined in the restaurant. It is definitely more than worth trying any I highly recommend. read more

Food was absolutely amazing, great flavors and definitely a must try. Ordered multiple dishes and shared family style. read more

Baobab Fare - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

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Everything. As long as you can tolerate a meal without alcohol, it's simply excellent. Our greeter was excellent. Our waitress Shelley P. was really good and advised us on tastiest combinations of the meal. Excellent service overall. And the environment is relatively simple with indoor seating for about 32. Gotta try the spiced coffee (4stars!), and the fizzy Hibiscus is a perfect drink before or after the meal. read more

Visited on a Saturday afternoon and it was surprisingly busy for the time of day! The whole meal was delicious! I'm excited to return and try another item. I recommend getting the passion fruit juice instead of a dessert - it's very sweet and easy to take home if you don't finish! read more

Baobab Fare - Kumuhana chicken - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

We have wanted to go here forever. Went for lunch as soon as they opened at 11am on a Friday for my husbands birthday. The restaurant slowly filled up and the service was INCREDIBLE!!! The food delicious! We loved everything we tried. And the Sambosa appetizer was amazing. If you not been, go! read more

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I'm sad I'm having to revise this review because the first time I attended was an amazing experience. We had reservations for 5 people and upon entering, no one even greeted us. We went up to the bar area and asked to be seated. After handing us the menu, the waitress didn't return until we got up and asked to order 15 mins later. We did get our food fairly fast, but we weren't checked on at all during our meal. After we were already finished with everything is when she finally came to ask us if we wanted boxes. We ran out of water 15 mins into being there (they only give a small bottle for a whole table) and it was never refilled it. The food quality sadly has also changed. I have had the kuku and nyumbani before and they were both amazing. The beef was falling apart last time, whereas this time, both dishes were dry and the kuku was salty. The nyumbani was so tough that I had to bite into the entire chunk of meat to get a piece to rip off- they don't have steak knives and the butter knife wasn't cutting it. They charged us a 20% "large party" fee on our bill, despite the terrible service and only 5 of us being there. To my knowledge, a party of 6 or more is usually when they add that on. read more

Baobab Fare - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

First of all, the service and hostess were extremely accommodating. We had a reservation where the host did not write down we had a wheelchair but the hostess when we arrived found us a way to get to our table in the back anyway! Moving on, we started with a hot and cold hibiscus tea and the passion fruit tea as well. The hibiscus was a bit tart bur tasty. The passion fruit was amazing! Highly recommend. For dinner, we ordered the fish (Samaki), slow cooked beef (nyumbani), chicken(kuku) and eggplant (Intore). All the dishes are served with either spiced or coconut rice and plantains. Some were served with pinto beans and some with peanut spinach. Everything was extremely flavorful and fresh. They also served it with a hot sauce, which we ended up buying a bottle version from them as well because it was so delicious. We were too full to try dessert. Service was also spot on! read more

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DELISH! Baobab has been deservedly lauded by the likes of James Beard as well as Esquire, Eater, etc and it does NOT disappoint. I'm the first to say that I'm not that familiar with East African cuisine. I've had Senegalese food, but that's about it. Baobab was super flavorful and tasty. We ordered all the below to share -- MAKE SURE to save ROOM FOR DESSERT!! They're also able to do half spiced rice pilau and half coconut rice, so don't feel like you have to pick. The fried plaintains were PERFECT - not too mushy and just the right amount of fried. Also, all meats are halal FYI! *Nyumbani (Tender beef slow-simmered in ripened tomato sauce. Served with fried plantains, peanut-stewed spinach, and your choice of spiced rice pilau or coconut rice. Nyumbani means home--and this is a Baobab Fare signature dish!) - the beef was very tender indeed; I wish I ordered 2x-3x of this dish for more meat. Yum. *Kumuhana (Tender marinated chicken-grilled roasted with onion, garlic, lemon alongside our fresh corn salad. Served with fried plantains, stewed yellow beans, and your choice of spiced rice pilau or coconut rice. Kumuhana means compassion - our inspiration for this dish.) - It was a nice piece of bone-in chicken leg/thigh so it was super tender and succulent. I loved the fresh corn salad; I wish I ordered an entire side of it! *Intore (Fragrant eggplant stew served with your choice of peanut-stewed spinach or savory yellow beans and spiced rice pilau or coconut rice. Intore is also a cultural dance--and this dish is sure to enchant!) - I'm not even vegetarian and I would order this as my main. It so tasty and well-cooked; it honestly didn't even taste like egg plant. *Mboga (Tender spinach and finely ground peanuts braised in warming spices. Served with fried plantains, stewed yellow beans, and your choice of spiced rice pilau or coconut rice.) Spinach with peanut! Who would've thought. It's really subtle though. *Tamu (Sweet dessert pudding made from creamy avocados and tangy passion fruit, garnished with chia seeds.) - this was delightfully smooth and fruity! I didn't think I'd like it but it was quite damn good. *Coco Mango (Made up of coconut milk, mango puree, and mango - then topped with coconut flakes) - OK if you've had Melo Melo on the West Coast, this is the closest to anything I've had in the midwest. I would come back JUST for this. I also loved the Pili (East African Hot Sauce) so I bought it from the market area at the front of the store. They sell Ji, coffee beans, hot sauce and branded clothing! read more

I've been hearing good things about Baobob Fare for quite a while but I've been having trouble influencing family to try it. I arranged to have lunch with a friend who was open to trying it. We had a lovely window table at lunch and I ordered the Kuku (chicken dish with mustard-based sauce) and my friend, who is a vegetarian, ordered a dish that she described as tasting like creamed spinach. Both of our meals came with choice rice, plantains, and beans. I selected both the spicy rice and coconut rice, but definitely recommend the spicy rice which was much more flavorful. I loved the flavors throughout the dish. It reminded me a lot of Peruvian food - one of my favorite cuisines. The manager thought we had to wait too long for our food (I didn't think it was too bad), so she offered us a free dessert. I ordered the mango dish which came in a little jar. It was a light custard with mangos on top and toasted coconut. It was very light and fruity with the toasted coconut adding some texture and crunch. I will definitely be coming back and persuading the family t read more

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I had the samaki and it was outstanding. I generally don't order fish while eating out but this was the best prepared fish I have ever eaten. The taste is the whole dish was very pleasing. I also had the spiced coffee that I enjoyed a great deal. My partner also enjoyed stewed spinach that she also enjoyed. We had about a 30 minute wait on Saturday in the early evening and it was well worth it. Service was solid and not overly solicitous. Overall, a really great experience and we will be back soon with others in town. read more

I only need one word for this restaurant - "WOW". The owner recently won "Chopped" so we decided to check it out. Very inviting inside highly recommended reservations to ensure a table since it is not very large. Had the Samaki, which is a pan fired fish dish which was absolutely amazing read more

I stopped by on my last day in town since I hadn't had any African cuisine in awhile. My friend recommended this place & it didn't disappoint. Walked in & waited about 5 minutes for table. While I waited, I observed the African chic decor & enjoyed the tunes. I ordered the Nyumbani: slow simmered beef in tomato sauce served with plantains, peanut-stewed spinach & seasoned rice. The beef was oh so tender & flavorful. It basically melts in your mouth. They give you plenty rice & I mixed it with the all that slow cooked meat. The plantains were fried just right. It was my first time having the stewed spinach & I liked it. To me, it doesn't have a strong peanut taste. It's very mild. It looks like creamed spinach but the flavor profile is different. I think there's some coconut milk in there. I also had the passion fruit drink. It was refreshingly delicious. I've never had passion fruit as a juice but now it's one of my favorites. To top it all off, I got to speak with the owners. The lady was beautiful & wore a head wrap. She came over to make sure all was well. She was so sweet. I asked her to put one of her restaurants in MD. The guy was just as friendly and pleasant. He shared some info about the restaurant. I'm so excited to see what in store for this restaurant & I hope to see them expand to my area. read more

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This was the first time I've had Eastern African food. Kuku - The chicken was perfectly juicy, and served with a slightly sweet mustard based sauced on top. Delicious. The stewed yellow beans were similar to good refried beans, but with a different spice and flavor profile. The coconut rice was fluffy and had a very slight coconut fragrance. The plantains were perfectly fried. I highly recommend the Kuku. Nyumbani - The beef was a little on the dry side and honestly just reminded me of a pot roast cooked in a tomato based sauce. The spiced rice pilau had a pleasant mild spiced flavor and was perfectly cooked. The plantains were fried well, but were soaked into the spinach a bit and were a little soggy - this is probably much better if eaten in the restaurant rather than takeout. Unfortunately the peanut-stewed spinach was severely burnt, resulting in an extremely acrid and bitter taste. I had to throw the spinach out. read more

Baobab Fare - Nyumbani and Kuku Takeout - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

Food was very well prepared and flavorful, and the service was attentive. The flavor profile was that of East African comfort food. Very well done I plan to go back soon. read more

Beautiful restaurant and great location. There is street parking and a minute walk from the q line. The staff is super friendly and kind. The food was amazing. I had the chicken with half coconut rice and half seasoned rice. The dish came with plantains and beans. Everything was well seasoned and perfectly cooked. The hot sauce was bomb, not too spicy. The hibiscus tea was excellent and reminded me of sorrel. read more

Love this restaurant! Every bite of my meal is delicious. I like that you can get a little of everything with your entree - - two types of rice, beans and spinach. It's cozy and the staff is welcoming. read more

Tasty lunch in casual environment with friendly service after the fisher building architecture tour on a Saturday afternoon. After hearing great things about baobab fare, we had to check it out for ourselves. I got the Intore, an eggplant based dish that was tasty. Eggplant was melt in your mouth delicious, with sweet plantains and beans. (5/5) My girlfriend got kuku, a chicken based dish that was fairly similar to mine (4/5). We also got the Tamu dessert, a refreshing avocado and passion fruit based jelly-like dessert. Highly recommend. Overall had a fantastic experience at Baobab Fare, and highly recommend coming and expanding your culinary experience. read more

Baobab Fare - Intore - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

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A random stop for dinner. I never heard of this place but saw it a few times driving by. I had the lamb shank mixed rice beans and corn salad. It was delicious, the meat fell off the bone. Very cute place. I love the color combo. The server was very excited that 6 tables had been new patrons this evening. Definitely will be back. read more

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Wow. It was my favorite place from my trip to Detroit. We shared an Intore bowl and two desserts and since then I constantly think about this place. I wish there was a location in NYC so I can eat there All. The. Time. Very welcoming vibe! The service was quick and on point. Usually the non-meat options at restaurants are subpar to meat dishes but Intore is a shining star on its own. Very generous portion. The eggplant is delicious. Spinach incredible. Plantains perfect. Beans magnificent. Flavorful, rich and nourishing. I felt so good after eating it. Can't wait to come back! It'll be my first stop. read more

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