Baobab Fare
East African restaurant · North End ·
East African-inspired recipes, flavorful mbuzi, ugali, and passionfruit juice.
East African-inspired recipes, flavorful mbuzi, ugali, and passionfruit juice.
"Baobab Fare is an East African restaurant in Detroit. We haven’t been here yet, but want you to know this spot exists." - Team Infatuation
"An East African–inspired restaurant and three-time James Beard Award semifinalist known for hearty, comforting dishes such as mbuzi, a succulent goat shank stew served with rice and plantains that’s especially fitting for colder months." - AFAR
"Baobab Fare is owned and operated by husband-and-wife team Nadia Nijimbere and Hamissi Mamba, who fled Burundi for the United States in 2014. The restaurant serves dishes like mbuzi (slow-roasted goat shank paired with corn salad, plantains, yellow beans, and rice), juicy pan-fried chicken in a tangy mustard-onion sauce, and Ji, the restaurant’s signature bottled passion fruit juice. Baobab Fare has expanded its reach to include a food truck, Waka, and a line of packaged food items available for retail at several local grocers and cafes under the brand Soko. Its owners have ambitions to launch a line of dishes that can be served in public schools. Online ordering is available. Must try: For a unique offering, stop by on Tuesdays when Baobab Fare offers ugali — a traditional East African dish comprised of a dense corn flour ball, served with savory okra stew, and can be ordered with chicken or fish." - Serena Maria Daniels
"What began as a seasonal food-truck operation will become a brick-and-mortar in Eastern Market, taking the space previously occupied by Russell Street Deli. The menu translates Burundian street food for a sit-down setting, featuring items like chapati (a doughy griddled flatbread with stewed meats and vegetables) and charcoal-grilled brochettes, and builds on the brand's start during Noel Night in 2022. The parent team is also planning an additional location on the city's east side in coming years." - Serena Maria Daniels
"Projected opening: June 2025. What began as a food truck that launched during Noel Night in 2022 from Nadia Nijimbere and Hamissi Mamba is becoming a brick-and-mortar in Eastern Market in the space formerly occupied by Russell Street Deli, with plans for a second location at 16900 E. Warren Avenue. The menu will highlight street-food-inspired East African dishes such as Burundian chapati — described as a flaky flatbread with South Indian origins, filled with stewed meats and vegetables — as well as other East African-style delicacies like brochettes (skewered meat kabobs grilled over charcoal)." - Serena Maria Daniels