I was blown away by my first experience at Jambo Cafe when I ordered the lamb burger. The lamb was very tender (medium!) and tasty and the bread was very light. The flavors just melded together super well! I got salad instead of fries and was pleasantly surprised by the quality and ingredients of the salad since it included feta, chickpeas, olives, tomatoes, and red onion. This dish was ~$18. More recently I tried the jerk chicken salad, a soup of the day (crab coconut), and the island spice coconut peanut chicken stew. I was disappointed in the soup (no crab pieces and no crab flavor) and let our waiter know, so it was taken off our bill. The jerk chicken salad was a great portion and delicious with a decent amount of chicken. The peanut chicken stew was not as complex as expected, and very peanut-forward and rich. I thought it was tasty enough, although I would've loved a vegetable to go with it. Service is alright and friendly, although sometimes slow. This spot gets busy! I think the prices are a bit high though, with most entrees close to $19+. All in all, I think this is one of the better restaurants in Santa Fe and would definitely go for the lamb burger again! read more

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Wow wow wow! Amazing flavors, huge portions, superior service, easy parking, reasonable prices, comfortable setting. My wife and I were in Santa Fe for a couple of days and wish we were there longer so we could try more entrees at Jambo Cafe! She was not quite sure about African and/or Caribbean flavors, so tried the BBQ Chicken Sandwich and said it was great. I had the Lamb Sandwich with mixed fries, and both were excellent. The lamb portion was huge with nice flavors, and my "mixed" fries were sweet potato and also harissa lemon, which were very tasty. We also ordered the cinnamon-dusted plantains appetizer but for dessert, and it was very good also - but had to eat it the next day since we were too full from the entrees. A must stop if in Santa Fe! read more

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Thanks to a recommendation from a friend, we ended up here on our visit to Santa Fe. The ambiance was quite chill. The light was soft and dim. The music was energizing. The decor was intriguing. The service was quick and very pleasant. The food was absolutely tasty and delightful! We ordered the sweet smoke paprika hummus plate, the Kenyan style beer kebabs, and the Moroccan spiced beef brisket wrap. The hummus was quite tasty and smooth. The meat from both entries was tender, well marinated, and nicely seasoned. The portions were good as well! Definitely a spot we can count on when we make our way to Santa Fe again. read more

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Wow amazing- everything was a hit. We got the goat stew, jerk chicken, and braised oxtail - everything was soooo well seasoned. Definitely worth stopping by if you're in the area. read more

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Man I was so hyped / proud to find an African cuisine spot while researching for my first time visit to NM. This place popped up and so I added it to my itinerary. Walked into the place and the impression that it gave me was "a hole in the wall vibes" type dining. From then on I tried my best to NOT be so critical or judgmental but, from there it kept getting WORSE! I was really indecisive as to what to eat so, I asked the waiter and he suggested the Curry Coconut Chicken. The price for the dish was $19.99 and I thought boy it must be good if it's that much; so I ordered it. When my food came out I was not happy because of the portion for that amount of money. I began tasting and let me tell you it DID NOT taste anything like coconut and nor did it have any flavor! The chicken used was thighs (which had nasty chicken fat attached), the temperature was luke warm, and it was sooo watery!! I was NOT the least bit happy as I felt I got robbed but, instead of being boilsterous I stopped eating the food. I kindly let my waiter know that I wasn't happy with the quality or value and his demeanor was "sucks to be you.". At that moment I paid my bill and left. In summary I think it's shameful that the AFRICAN food quality / portions are being misrepresented in NM. However, I think it's peculiar that this place was featured on triple D?? Maybe this is a complacency issue here and the locals don't know any better. ChopNBlok in Houston,TX puts African cuisine on the map for sure!!! I don't recommend...‍ read more

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We've had wonderful meals at Jambo Cafe, but somehow I had never left a review. Time for that to change! This restaurant has a wide variety of flavorful dishes from several African countries and the Caribbean. My husband had their fantastic lamb burger with a side of lemon harissa fries. I chose the combination plate; it was difficult deciding what three dishes to include, but I went with the chicken coconut curry, the Caribbean goat stew, and Moroccan lamb stew. A strip of rice separated the three entrees, and a lovely fresh roti went with it all. So, so good. The restaurant was busy but not noisy, with friendly servers. One even took the whiteboard with the day's specials off the wall and brought it over to a table of older women so they could read it. You just can't go wrong at Jambo Cafe. read more

Jambo Cafe - From left to right: Moroccan lamb stew, Caribbean goat stew, and chicken coconut curry. - Caribbean Near Me - Santa Fe, New Mexico

Jambo Cafe is a must if you're visiting Santa Fe and are tired of the abundance of Mexican options. Every single dish we had was prepared with so much love and flavor. The restaurant owner was constantly walking around and talking to the customers. He even has his own cookbook for sale in his shop next door. AND he said that he's been talking about expanding and building a restaurant in Denver, which would be amazing. Cinammon-Dusted Plantains. I love me some good plantains and these are the bomb. Coconut Chicken Curry. So much curry for the price, I only wish I got more rice. However, the curry was spectacular, and I loved the fresh spinach and sliced cherry tomatoes. Brilliant! Pomegranate BBQ Chicken. I'm kind of kicking myself for not buying the pomegranate sauce from the shop because this stuff was next level. My sister, who is the pickiest eater I know, really enjoyed the concoction and raved about it. The entire experience was so authentic, from the atmosphere to the service to the food and anyone would be lucky to dine here. read more

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Wow! The oxtail is so delicious. Layers of flavor, spicy collards, and sweet potato cake. I always get 3 sides of roti because it's so good, and an extra side of the collard greens. Fresh and flavorful. The fresh ginger lemonade is super refreshing. read more

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It is hard to find interesting vegetarian fare- the Jambo menu indicated potential options. We were delighted when our server happened to be the chef's daughter who was also vegetarian. She guided us through the menu. We had the tofu jerk sandwich with a mix of fries and and the mix of 3 vegetarian dishes - curry, lentils and roti, and stew, which were all delicious. Unfortunately, the servings were generous that we had no room for dessert. We loved the atmosphere, harsh lights covered by fabric, soft music, and wonderful decorations. We were grateful to meet the chef ! Thank you Jambo for a lovely experience! read more

Nice people, decent food, but not as good as we had hoped. Interesting mix. Perhaps too much choice.

This restaurant is cool and popular. I had the Kenyan kabobs but I didn't like the sauce, which was a little sweet for my taste. My husband had the oxtail and it was delicious. read more

Jambo Cafe - Oxtail - Caribbean Near Me - Santa Fe, New Mexico

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Absolutely devine, very large space with beautiful decorations. Attentive staff and friendly service. The food was presented well and delicious. If you are in town give this place a try, you will not be disappointed. read more

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One of the most unique, interesting and delicious meals I've had all year. We shared the oxtail and the combination plate with chicken peanut stew, lamb stew, and berbere stew. I was impressed with how rich all of the flavors were - multi-layered, with just the right amount of spice. The roti was thick and chewy in the best way. I wish I could eat here every night! read more

Two years later we tried it again - twice! The food was still good and came out quickly. Plenty of meat and reasonably priced. However, the service is still atrocious. Staff are indifferent to patrons. Host could barely be bothered to seat us, waited at door for several minutes while he played with phone or tablet. Waitress only came by once said: "you don't want anymore water do you?" Such a shame that service is so substandard otherwise I would try it again but doubt I will ever go back. read more

I know this place comes highly recommended by Guy Ferrari, but I have to admit it was good, but it was different. I'll touch on that under the Food side of things. Good: I got the ox tails, and this is where I mentioned they are different. I'm assuming the way these were made were more on the African fusion side of things. The flavor of the ox tail those kind of like Mexican mole. I'm wondering if they use some of the same seasoning. Kind of had a spice to it. The type of oxtails, I'm used to have more of the Caribbean style flavor. However, for what they were, they were very good. Pretty tinder as well. The plantain was probably the best plantain I've ever had in my life. It was Fried and tasted simply amazing. My girlfriend got a curry dish with. She really enjoyed as well. It was pretty good as well. I tried it. The customer service here is top notch. Everyone here was extremely helpful and very nice. They got us in and out very quickly. The customer service is definitely five star rated. No doubt about it. The owner is there and he stops by the table to talk to clients. I will definitely come back in and try different things up their menu the next time I'm in New Mexico. read more

Jambo Cafe - Caribbean Near Me - Santa Fe, New Mexico

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ROAD TRIP (AGAIN): Our wives join Tom Neiman and Jim Tritten as we venture north to the City Different (Santa Fe for you east coasters). Jambo is a culinary delight featuring authentic Swahili dishes and African-Caribbean fusion. If that isn't enough, Jambo offers vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free options. Impeccable service and an astonishing interior complement your dining experience. Most highly recommended. Join Chef Ahmed at Jambo as they celebrate 15 years in business on August 11th at 4:00 PM. Click on the following YouTube link to see our complete report and Chef Ahmed himself. https://youtu.be/KScIlKZ2w2M?si=RbbgyY26_BdZHoFV read more

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Did not expect this coming from Los Angeles to New Mexico. Hands down I'm stopping by ANYTIME I'm passing through the town. Wish I could give the chef a kiss on the forehead. Perfect fall off the bone Jerk Chicken wings. Host were amazing aswell and there's a cool gift shop next to them. Thanks for having us read more

Jambo Cafe - Trio Combination Plate - Caribbean Near Me - Santa Fe, New Mexico

If you want to taste some unique different flavors stop by Jambo. My daughter and I are exploring Santa Fe and trying new tastes. We had been to Jambo many years ago and wanted to try it again. We started with their crab cake and plantain appetizers. The crab cake was full of crab. It had a nice cornmeal crust. It was delicious. I had the cinnamon dusted plantains. They were awesome. They were cooked just right with a light dusting of cinnamon. They were good plain or dipped into the pineapple curry was amazing. I had their special garlic marinaded ruby trout. It was perfectly tender and full of flavors. It was on top of a rice cake and covered in bok choy. It was delicious. My daughter had the Moroccan spiced beef brisket pita. The beef was so tender and delicious. The fries were very interesting. She had the combo sweet potato fries and cumin fries. They were delicious plain and with the harissa sauce. So many unique and different flavors. The restaurant was an African theme with muted lighting. It was fun and unique. Our server was great. She was friendly and checked in with us. She let us take our time and enjoy it all. The bathrooms were fine. They only have 2 single use bathrooms. read more

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You don't know what you don't know... and once a discovery is made, the epiphany is extraordinary. Having a palate for curry, and some fringe experience with African fusion cuisine, I was drawn towards Jambo. Just entering the place is magical, aromas all savory and enticing, with a hum of clever conversation. Nafisah was warm and generous with her time, which is rare when stopping in for a busy lunch. The Mango Ginger Lemonade is as rich and refreshing as it sounds, appertif and cordial in one. As I'm passing through, I wanted to sample a variety, and The Combination is perfectly designed for that. I played it a little safe, asking for the chicken curry as 1 of 3, then venturing towards Moroccan Lamb and Ethiopian Berbere Stew (with Nafisah's guidance) for my other 2 choices. Their Roti is the most incredible African flatbread - somewhere between a crusty/doughy tortilla and Naan, it scoops and soaked up every last drop I could gather of the Berbere Stew (vegan - UNLIKELIEST of my preferences), but I'm dreaming of the next time I can visit Santa Fe for this meal. Had I been traveling with friends, I would have enjoyed the Jamaican Rum Pecan Pie (or my typical indulgence - the flourless chocolate cake), but felt fully satisfied by drippings of curry and lemonade while spying my neighbors' options for next time. Looking forward to the return! read more

Jambo Cafe - Combination plate with lamb, chicken, and Berbere. I CANNOT overstate my delight in every bite. - Caribbean Near Me - Santa Fe, New Mexico

Let me first say that I think they should rename their café. Doesn't Jambo mean Hello? How are you? Well, when my daughter and I went to eat there last night, not one person greeted us. We were literally standing at the door waiting for someone to acknowledge us. Staff saw us but ignored us. So we walked in and walked over to the counter. The man making drinks continued to ignore us, even though he looked right at us. A woman wearing a hijab who was talking on her cell phone and sitting at the bar, finished her conversation, and then slowly turned and looked at us. I asked her, "Do we seat ourselves?" she scoffed and said, "no, I will seat you." The look on her face was extreme boredom and irritation. The good news was, we were not the only ones she greeted like this. I watched her walking in an elderly couple. She was walking them to the far end of the restaurant when they tried to get her attention and kept saying, "no we do not want to sit way over here." But she completely ignored them and kept walking. So they stopped walking and stood next to the booth that they wanted to sit in. She glanced back at them and saw that they were no longer following her, so she just walked off. The look of bewilderment in their eyes what's familiar. The only good experience we had was from our waiter. Our experience was particularly annoying as we were really looking forward to going to this African Caribbean restaurant which was recommended to us highly. We are also of African descent so we really expected better service. The service we got was as if everyone in there hated us. Even the woman with Braids treated us poorly. We are not originally from New Mexico and we definitely felt unwelcomed in this place. We were dressed very nicely and looked like we were ready for a night out. It was as if they looked at us and said, what do they think they are better than us? Well let's treat them like absolute garbage. When we left, we were stared at, and nobody said goodbye to us. We will absolutely never come back to this place. However, the food tasted really good. Unfortunately, my daughter got really sick on the way home after eating this food. read more

Really nice Jamaican food place. I loved the ox tail and crab cakes. The ox tail was so tender and flavored.

MUST TRY!!! Warm welcome upon entry the owner/kitchen lead makes a point to check in to see how satisfied you are so the service is impeccable! Food wise my partner had the plantains (he prefers them well done) he also had the chicken curry omg all over the country and the flavor was immaculate!!! I had the kabobs the flavors extremely tasty I only wish it was filet meat. Plate presentation was nice the environment gives off the ambiance of Africa again a must try. read more

Jambo Cafe - Kenyan Style Beef Kabobs - Caribbean Near Me - Santa Fe, New Mexico

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This is a place in a strip mall that came recommended by some friends who had been there before. We were a table of four who did not have a great experience though. Our service was so slow and it took so long to get our food that I am pretty sure it was probably forgotten. I tried to order the coconut shrimp, but they were out so I had to go with something else. Not a place I will be going back to. read more

Jambo was great again! It's always busy so make a reservation if you can. It feels a little dark inside, but the food is worth it! The waiter was very helpful when figuring out if we could find some menu items that work with our family's food allergies (gluten, dairy). read more

Came back for a second try and I'm glad I did. The restraint felt like it has substantially improved since I first came in 2018. Really enjoyed the Coconut Chicken Curry and the Roots Drink. Would recommend to anyone. Lamb and Goat stew were both good, but not excellent. read more

Came for a quick solo lunch and boy was it quick. I sat down and ordered the Coconut Curry Chicken and just a few minutes later it was served. Loved the lunch portion size and flavors were excellent. Price was a bit high in my opinion, around $20 before tax, but I suppose that's Santa Fe. The place was rather full and it was clear a lot of people do take away. read more

Jambo Cafe - Caribbean Near Me - Santa Fe, New Mexico

I loved this place on my second visit many years after my awesome first one. Here's what I tried: Coconut shrimp -- uses shredded coconut and it's nicely crispy Banana leaf wrapped mahi mahi -- great flavor, tender fish Combo goat stew, lamb stew, and coconut Island curry lentils over rice and with roti -- perfect if, you like me, want to try a few different dishes. I do wish there was a little more heat in each of the dishes. The lentils may be my favorite, though I also really enjoyed the other two stews. There are a lot of dishes to choose from. There's also a gift shop next to the restaurant. It's nicely decorated, has a lively atmosphere, and the service is fine though a bit on the slow end when it's packed. read more

Amazing fusion of African and Carribbean influences. A strip mall restaurant with expansive, attractive spaces and a comfortable atmosphere. It features a multi-award-winning chef and incredible flavors. Excellent vegan options; we stop here for lunch or dinner (often both) with every visit to Santa Fe. read more

While staying in SF for work we decided to try something new and we're very pleased with our choice. The ambiance was amazing and the food was perfection. I tried the South African pinot noir and it was lovely. We started with a hummus plate-best hummus I have had in years! It was perfectly portioned for an appetizer. I had the chicken pomegranate bbq wrap with the harissa fries and was over the moon. Hubs had beef kebabs and was very impressed. Service was attentive and prompt. Don't skip dessert! We had the pecan pie and the key lime. Highly recommend. read more

Amazing service. Restaurant has great atmosphere, prompt attention from waiter. He was attentive, helpful with ideas as well as good suggestions on menu. I had the sampler plate that had goat stew, lamb stew and chicken curry with the roti bread. Everything looked and smelled delicious. No matter what I ate it was full of flavor and the meats were all fall of the bone tender. The portions were great and the price was very good. I will for sure be going back to try other menu items. read more

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Used to like this place but our most recent experience was not positive . There were 5 of us and we were seated at a long table for 6. A glaring light was right over the table. Fortunately the waiter removed the light bulb. Three of us had the soup of the day which was not as good as it sounded. It was supposed to have crabmeat. Mine had none. Soup was edible but not good. Pita bread on the side was hot and good. I ordered the crab cake appetizer. First taste was not good. When I looked at interior it was grey almost black. Suffice it to say, I didn't eat any more. My husband described his coconut shrimp appetizer as "awful". Our two friends who ordered the chicken on skewers said it was delicious. We split the check with the other couple and suggested our single friend leave a $40 cash tip which she did. Next morning, I asked my husband how that dinner could have cost $200 since two of us didn't even have a meal. When he checked we discovered they had pre-added a tip! We complained. They said it was on the menu. I didn't even think about that since normally that's for parties of 8 or more or maybe 6.,, but 5??? Fortunately they did refund the $40 tho we had to go in person since we had used two credit. Guess cash was an easier option. Since our two friends enjoyed their meal and three of us agreed the soup was. It good I gave stars. Had it just been my husband and I it would have been a negative star. Not sure if that's doable. Even tho I left my crab cakes virtually untouched the waiter didn't even ask if everything was ok. Maybe he knew better.? read more

Wow!! Amazing food!! Fall off the bone chicken wings. Best chicken wings I've ever had and they come with a delicious sauce. The combination plate is great for tourists to try multiple curries/stews but my favorite was definitely the peanut chicken stew. Fresh made roti was delicious and goat curry was beautifully spiced-cinnamon and clove maybe? Excellent all the way around! read more

Jambo Cafe - Goat curry - Caribbean Near Me - Santa Fe, New Mexico

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The restaurant had great reviews and we only had one day in Santa Fe, so we knew we wanted to try it. It exceeded our expectations! We discovered the Zia sparkling drinks here, which the prickly pear flavor was so yummy we went to a grocery store to buy more the next day. The chicken curry peanut stew was so good. Similar to an Indian curry but the added peanut flavor gave it a sweet twist. The beef kebabs (Kenyan style) was delicious, the meat was so tender and came right off the stick. read more

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My family and I love Caribbean food. Due to high yelp ratings, we tried it. We were so happy that we did. Both my dad and I had the goat stew. It was finger lucking good! My husband had the jerk chicken. Unfortunately that didn't meet his expectations. It was more like stewed chicken vs grilled or baked. I had the mango ginger lemonade. It was very delicious and refreshing. The service was great. The restaurant was clean. We were traveling from out of the area. I would have definitely looked forward to trying other things on the menu. read more

WOW. Absolutely blown away. This was my first experience trying this particular flavor of fusion cuisine and boy howdy, I am hooked! I regret not buying the cookbook while I was in town. I came on a Friday night and the spot was bursting at the seams! Always a good sign. I didn't have a reservation but didn't have to wait long. It was nice to be able to peruse the adjacent shop while I waited and doubly nice that they had additional seating in the shop, as the entrance to the restaurant is pretty small. For beverages, I went with their house made mango ginger lemonade, which really hit the spot. A tasty mix of sweet and warming spice. For food, I started with the cinnamon dusted plantains (which I happily inhaled) and because everything looked so good, ordered the combination plate, where I picked the peanut chicken stew, chickpea berbere stew, and lamb stew. I slew of heavenly stews! Everything was beyond delicious but if I had to pick one favorite, it would be the chicken peanut stew . I was open to dessert but nothing caught my eye that evening, though a few sounded interesting. If there's any chance to ever open a sister shop in Denver... Please please do it. I'd come here every week! read more

Came with a group - we were seated at a nice table by the windows. The decor was interesting and warm - I really liked the fabric covering the skylights. Husband got the combo and chose goat curry, lamb and chicken. I got the oxtail. Mine was definitely the better bet and delicious! The combo didn't give enough of any of the three; the goat was mostly bone. The roti it cane with was fantastic. A really nice find in Santa Fe, but would get a full dish rather than the combo the next time we find ourselves in NM. read more

Jambo Cafe - Combination Plate with Roti / Chapati - Caribbean Near Me - Santa Fe, New Mexico

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Ate at Jambo Cafe at 4:30pm on 4/29/25, a Tuesday late afternoon. Did not have good service. Slow to get to us initially. Slow to return when we weren't quite ready. Did not offer another drink. Did not come back to check on us. Had to ask for check. Second person brought our check and seemed like he was a lead or mgr - didn't ask how things were. Food was good, but the poor service overrides that. Won't be back anytime soon. read more

This was definitely a restaurant that I would come back. The jerk chicken wings was falling off the bone. I am so happy we saw this restaurant on a YouTube video and decided to go there for dinner. Oh my God the food is amazing. read more

One of the more interesting and favorite restaurants we tried in Santa Fe. Very large and diverse menu consisting of African, Caribbean, Moroccan cuisine. Also had hummus and Roti. We got the combination stews and black bean deep potato soup. Fresh made roti and rice came with the stews. Also had the black bean sweet potato soup- good. The Jamaican pecan pie was tasty served warm with ice cream, but not extra-ordinary and very sweet. I would eat there again. read more

Jambo Cafe offers a mix of African and Caribbean flavors. The food was off the charts delicious. The service was fast and friendly. The restaurant has a nice vibe. I spoke to the chef/owner briefly and you can tell he's someone absolutely loves what he does. We will be back next time we're in Santa Fe. read more

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