Fatima's Cafe

When people say that Worcester has a great food scene (‘if you can find it’) they are talking about Fatima’s cafe. I couldn’t tell you what’s better—the food or the welcoming service from Omar. The food is HOT, made to order, and delicious. Well cooked and made with love. I had the E. African dinner plate with chicken stew, mixed vegetables and Bata (sweet potatoes, yuca), and the Somali Anjero (like a fluffy crepe). I don’t typically care for chai tea but Fatima’s chai was so repeatedly recommended on here that I had to try it. Absolutely delicious. If you like hot sauce, they make their own and it is perfect. This was my first time at Fatima’s, and it couldn’t possibly be my last. Almost every patron that came in after me seemed to have a personal connection with Omar, the front man. He is so funny, and so warm. He welcomed me 3x, walked me through the menu, and explained how to best enjoy my meal. This place is a gem. Cannot wait to be back.

The man at the counter is so welcoming and nice!! The food is cooked to perfection and fresh, even when ordered for pick up. Seriously the best samosas in the city that I’ve tried!! 10/10 experience.

This place is service forward. We were the only ones in an hour before close so we had their full attention, but I feel like if they had more guests they would've been just as attentive. The gentleman, presumably the owner, is a real down to earth dude. Honest and funny. We split a platter and I'd say it's more than enough food for two people. It was suggested to us to get extra bread because it would've been easier to pick up the food with. I started to at first, but discovered it was easier to just dig in under the platter and get a scoop of bread and whatever mixture was above it. ..not the most authentic approach, but it worked for us. The food itself was delicious. With so many options you're bound to favor one thing over something else. I loved the mixed veg in the middle. I thought the lentils were a little underseadoned. Everything in-between was wonderful. We started the meal the Chai teas. Not too sweet with a good balance of spice. I could've easily ordered another at the end of the meal. Don't not get the Chai tea. Bathroom on site, plenty of good seating. Parking seems to be in the back. We didn't turn quick enough and it's a one-way street so we parked down the street.

We got a take out order from Fatima’s last week and everything was amazing. We live nearby and I had searched Ethiopian food on a whim only to find out this place is around the corner. We will definitely be back! The service was attentive and kind, the samosas were delicious and the chicken sandwich was sooooo tasty. Everything was well spiced and flavorful. Grateful to realize this business is so close!!

Delicious food and a super friendly staff! We had an awesome lunch here and will definitely be returning!

Food is wonderful. Excellent service. It is a basic atmosphere, but the wonderful North African food is the real draw. Great for a quick lunch or take out. Easy access on and off the highway too. We will be back!

We stopped by Fatima's Cafe en route from Boston to Western Mass. We had been there before, more than a year ago, and Omai recognized us immediately. The food was once again incredibly delicious. Everything is homemade and the care and attention shine through. Omai is warm and welcoming and we're already looking forward to our next visit when we pass through Worcester. Do yourself a huge favor and give this gem of a restaurant a try!

This place is amazing. I suggest ordering a hot cup of their chai tea with milk and one sugar. It’ll be one of the best chai teas you’ll ever have. It’s aromatic and the flavor is on point. I ordered their beef dish and mixed vegetables. The portion is generous, the flavor is out of this world, and the owner and his family are welcoming and warm.

Fatima's cafe is amazing! We had them cater an event for us and everyone couldn't stop talking about how good the food was. Definitely highly recommend their catering for your next event!

I cannot recommend this place enough! I ordered from here to cater a work meeting in the area. For many of us, it was our first time having African food and certainly won't be the last! Everything was absolutely delicious. It was a large order, and when I picked it up yesterday morning, everything was hot and fresh. Equally as important though, the owners and staff were truly the kindest people. The gentleman offered me a cup of tea while I waited for the order to be packed and then helped me carry the trays of food to my car which he did not have to do. It's a family environment and you can tell they care a lot about it and put so much work into every order. I will definitely be coming back here!

Absolutely love this place! Cute space and kind owners. The food is amazing and so delicious!! Must stop for sure

This place was amazing! I was visiting my friend in Worcester and was really excited to try some Ethiopian food because I've heard it's great in the area. The restaurant is very no frills, but it has a homey feel to it and the staff is very warm and gracious. I could really tell they were proud to serve their food. It's best to come here with a group (we had three of us) so that you can sample a few dishes and share. We tried one of each samosa, all of which were absolutely delicious, but my personal favorite was the beef. The Ethiopian Anjero Platter was 100% the way to go and had a mix of vegetarian and non-vegetarian options. Everything hit the spot and we left feeling satisfied. Can't beat the amount of food and flavor for the price. I'll have to visit again soon!

We visited Fatima's while in Worcester for some dr visits at UMass. Small, visibly authentic and spotlessly clean; my only recommendation would be some quietly playing African music to drown out the otherwise quiet location. The owner guy that served us was cool as a breeze and very helpful. We ended up getting the injera platter, the lamb sandwich and a trio of samosas to start. The samosas were probably some of the best I've had. We had one beef, one lentil and one vegetable; all very fresh, full of stuffing and very tasty. My favorite was the beef followed by the lentil. The injera platter came and if you've ever had injera bread it was pretty much exactly what you would expect; a huge piece of thinly rolled bread over a large plate, adorned with several vegetable and meats for you to eat with your hands rolled in the delicate injera bread. My only complaint about the injera dish was that toward the center of the dish, the bread was badly stuck to the dish and you almost had to scrape it off with your finger nails . Otherwise very tasty and delicious with additional bread as needed. The lamb sandwich was huge and piping hot, full of fresh vegetables and tasty lamb chunks. We capped off the dinner with one of their house made tres leches which was thick and milky along with a piece of locally made chocolate molten cake which was warm, oozing and delicious. Finally we enjoyed some excellent and aramotic chai tea. Would highly recommend giving this place a shot and surprising your taste buds! JAMBO!

First time having African food and it was delicious. Omar is very kind and welcoming. The food is very tasty and the portion size is large. The lentil Samosa was great!

I live close to Fatima's cafe and always drive by it. I've read so many reviews over the years, and finally decided to try it recently. I ordered the ugali with a side of rice pilau and goat stew. What I will say is the owner is so charming, and took time to explain to me that the dish is considered the "poor man's dish" in his country, and since cornmeal is so cheap, he didn't grow up really liking it. He spoke with such pride, and it honestly filled my heart. But, I wasn't as impressed with the food unfortunately. I thought it was just ok. As an African, I'm used to a certain level of spice and seasoning in dishes that I didn't quite experience in the dishes I ate. I found them to be actually a bit bland. Perhaps, they don't season the food as much to appeal to a wider audience and not to make it very spicy, but I think the goat stew I ordered could have been better seasoned. I found the rice to be a bit flavorless, so I didn't quite finish it. I think it's good to try all kinds of foods before labeling something the best in the area especially if you may not be familiar with the specific cuisine in general. I personally wouldn't order from here again, but at least glad I tried it.

This was our first time trying to East African food and Fatima's absolutely nailed it. We went with the samosas and lamb sandwich. Both dishes were incredible. We tried three different kinds of samosas;spicy lentils, beef, and mixed vegetables. All were amazing but my favorite for sure was the spicy lentils. The family who owns and runs this business are so incredibly nice. This is by far one of our favorite dining experiences in Worcester. We will definitely be adding Fatima's to our regular dine in and take out rotation. Thank you Fatima's for the awesome meal!

Across from the CVS, I saw this little place I probably passed 100 times since moving to worcester. Knowing that great African food CAN be vegetarian, I decided to check it out. The ambiance was that of any mom and Pop shop where you knew the food came in the Styrofoam containers but slaps harder than any chain or franchise. The charismatic and friendly Ethiopian owner wasted no time in assuring me that anything could be made vegetarian or vegan. He confidently suggested I get the lentil or mixed veggie samosas. I ended up getting three of each. He sold me on what, so far, has been the best chai tea I have had... As he promised. I will definitely be back to sample more of the menu and converse with this lovely local business owner. Oh, and did I fail to mention, they make their own green hot sauce and it is so good and spicy!

My whole family, including two kids, loves Fatima's! They are so friendly and make delicious food.

After a long day of work in the rain, this was exactly what I needed. It was like I was being hugged by a meal. My coworker and I shared the veggie platter, samosas and sipped on some Chai tea. Everything had such beautiful textures and flavors, we melted right into every dish. We come to the area for work often, and this is now one of our 'must stop' places.

The food was excellent, and our server was very funny and engaging. I haven't tried the takeout but it seems like it would work well. Fun little super casual café, highly recommend.

Homey feel. Attentive service. Food was authentic-tasting and great portion size for big eaters. Will be back!

we loved Fatima's Cafe so so much! we were super hungry when we came in and we gobbled everything up for sure. we had the vegetarian injera platter for two and all the individual side dishes were amazing. the owner also recommended us to get an extra chapati to eat the sides with and it was so so good - highly recommend! we also got the lentils and the vegetables sambusa. this is a really sweet mom and pop type restaurant, the service is amazing and the food even better !

Amazing food, and so many vegan options. I got the ugali and sukama and it was so delicious and healthy. The fruit juice was very refreshing. My friends got wraps and said they were delicious. It's great to have a place where meat eaters and vegans alike have excellent options! I will definitely return again.

Omar is always a gracious host, and the food is always wonderful. Whether you are vegetarian or a meat lover you have great options. Been a regular for years.

Best samosas my husband has ever had and he gets them a lot. My 13year old son loved the food and even ate the vegetables. The ambiance is minimal but the owner is lovely and makes you feel so welcome. The food is really delicious.

Thank you to Fatima's Cafe for donating your delicious vegetarian, beef, and spicy lentil samosas for the event hosted by RIAC, ARISE, ORIS and Ascentria for Refugee Day, June 23rd! The event wouldn't be the same without the great food! - ARISE

We drove 40 minutes to try Fatima's on the recommendation of other reviewers, and were not disappointed! It is a spare, clean one-room dining area with a one page menu, which seems to allow the chef to perfect each of the offerings. We elected to share a vegan edition of Ethiopian-style Injera with three different vegetable stews, which were served in abundant portions. Of the three stews the lentils were my favorite, but all were delicious. Highly recommend the samosas as well, and wished we had room for dessert. There were many other customers but it was not so busy that we had to wait for seats or food, and the owner/proprietor is kind and friendly and welcoming. We will be back!

The food tastes great, the environment sits very cozy. The atmosphere and family who run it are very friendly and welcoming.

This is the best meat I have ever had!!! The steak and lamb sandwiches were incredible. The owner is so kind!!! This is a foodie must. A gem.

We got the three samosas and veggie and meat injera platter and finished with chai. Everything was so delicious, the chicken and eggplant stews were our favorite. The service was phenomenal, they were so kind and attentive, brought us fresh made hot sauce that was so good. Can't wait to go back

Good food at decent prices Best for takeout Owners very accommodating abs swxhhhu b Even sweeter

good food, nice people. liked it a lot! samosas are great! not spicy inside but the sauce is if you get the spicy ones. very hot temperature wise, fresh, surprised the place was empty!

Superb service and amazing food! Never had Kenyan food before, but the waitress gave us some awesome recommendations. We live in CT and we wanted to try something different as we drove through Worcester. This place had stellar reviews so we checked it out. Certainly did not disappoint! Loved everything we ordered, especially the Mandazi dessert.

Absolutely amazing. My father found this restaurant online and decided to surprise us with dinner here for our "pre thanksgiving thanksgiving" because we will not be together next week. This is now our new tradition for next year but also a likely meeting place for in between the holidays dinners because it is that good. For appetizers we tried all of the samosas and each one was amazing in its own way. Add in the hot sauce and it's the best bite (careful if you're sensitive to spice but if you're a spice person you'll love the spice, isn't numbing and actually has flavor, made sure to take home the extra). We also had the chappati and we're offered honey with it which took it over the top. Dinner: 3/4 of us got the Ugali with Sukuma with goat. My husband is a chef and is passionate about an increased use of goat in the US because of its lack of appreciation and it was appreciated tonight at Fatima's. Perfectly cooked and with the Sukuma it was the perfect pair. The Ugali was a supporting character but more in the best supporting actress at the Oscar's way where it's actually the star. 1/4 had the rice pilau and sugoo with beef and the other 3/4 probably ate half of it because it was so good. The seasoning was perfect as was the cook on the rice. She is now in love with curry and all the additional flavors. Thank you for finally converting her to the good side. To top it all off, everyone who worked there was a joy. They clearly love and support what they serve, and well deserved because they are bringing homemade cooking outside of the home and anyone who goes there is lucky to be invited in. Can't wait to go back soon. I wish I more/better pictures but I had to eat it immediately.

I never have seen Somali restaurant in my life. I would say this restaurant is an African restaurants with a lot of Indian influence. Somali tea is very similar to Indian tea which has milk and sugar. Somali anjero looks almost like Indian dosa. Dosa tastes better though. Also Ethiopian anjero tastes better than Somali anjero. But there are a lot more Ethiopian restaurants around. So I went with Somali anjero. Beef stew and chicken stew were good, though I like beef stew more. Spicy lentils and cauliflower and eggplant very were good too. I like spicy lentils more. All the side dish curries I mentioned tasted very similar to equivalent Indian food, but less spicy. Beef samosa was good, again slightly less spicy than Indian version. Chappati is also good. It is similar to Indian slightly (not totally) layered paratha. Owners are very friendly people. Will help you to find the food you will like.

Love love love Fatima's Ethiopian food. It is unique and I feel well cared for while ordering. The vegetarian plate is 10/10

So good. Got carryout for our first time. I'm not even done eating. But it's so good I had to right the review immediately. This is some of the best food we have eaten in Worcester. I highly recommend them. Everything we ordered was tasty good. Well done. Thank you. We will be coming to visit again soon.

We came here around 1pm on a Sunday and it was pretty empty but soon after the place got really packed around 2pm. The service was excellent, the waiter explained each dish and provided photos for references. We ordered the trio mixed samosas, beef, vegetarian and lentils. They were crispy on the outside without too much dough and it was delicious with a bit of spice. The green sauce is spicy but we got it on the side. We also had the dinner combo with chapati, eggplant cauliflower side and goat. That was very different compared to Indian food we've had so that was nice. The lamb sandwich was also very tender and juicy. The chai tea was one of the best chai tea I've had. Almost like a dessert but not too sweet. I'd come back to try more menu items!

***COME SUPPORT THIS AMAZING LITTLE RESTAURANT!*** The owner (and one of the kindest and happiest people I've met in a while) was telling me how, for the first three years his shop was open, business was tough! But Yelp helped get the word out on how absolutely AWESOME the food and service are here. I've never had Ethiopian cuisine before so I had a lot of questions. After speaking to the owner- I trusted him enough to make the decisions for me. I told him to make me a plate of whatever he recommended. First I tried the beef samosas. Ohhh my GOODNESS! So flavorful! And the hot sauce that came with it was so good that I asked for some to take home. Next, he brought out a goat dish (I've never had goat!) with sides of lentils, squash and eggplant in savory sauces with a serving of flat bread to scoop everything up with. He instructed me to eat with my hands. Ugh. I'm already dying to go back!! It was definitely a unique experience. I love trying new things! This was definitely at the top of my list of places to try. I can see why they got so many great reviews!

Fatima's cafe the food was SCRUMPTIOUS, delicious, freshly cooked, hot appetizing and tasteful! I can't wait to get more of the vegetable samosas and flat bread. Oh my!

The food is excellent, the staff is friendly and helpful, and the space is welcoming. Definitely worth dining here.

Delicious lunch! Chai was also great. Looking forward to coming back for dinner. Very friendly owner!

typically friendly staff however today when ordering a takeout order the person taking my order was very rude a disrespectful. Not a way to keep repeat business I most definitely will not be ordering from here again shame.

Coming from DC area esp if you lived in Silver Spring MD you will be spoilt with great Ethiopian food hence when I saw this East African place I became excited. Now, this is more like Somali food and the major difference between the two being Ethiopia being a land locked country it wasnt colonized the way like Somalia being on the coast was. Outside influence on Ethiopian food didnt reach and hence the most of the difference. The samosas were simple and crispy. We had the Anjero and chappathi dinner and I must say i was so surprised by the chapatthi. Its just like the bread we get in India( we call it paratha - not the stuffed ones). Anjero was quite different from the Ethiopian Injera though. The Kenyan Chai was milk heavy however the flavour was good. The Chicken though could have been better as the boneless pieces he used were not of that great quality and it was quite dry. The veggies were fresh though and my team mate being a vegetarian was delighted to find so many options. Will I be back? Maybe not for a quick lunch from work( $16 for a quick lunch , in Worcester, doesnt happen frequently) however would still recommend this place. If I crave for the food again, maybe during dinner time.

I came here wanting to try African food. Started out with samosas. The crisp hot shell went well with the filling and green hot sauce/salsa. I'd choose the beef and lentil samosa over the vegetable samosa. The lentils I got on the veggie plate was good, but the potato/cabbage and eggplant/ cauliflower was bland. This was served with warm chapati. My sister enjoyed her lamb meat sandwich, which, once I had a taste, had much more seasoning.

Delicious meal and very friendly service. Great stews. Looking forward to our next meal!

I have been to this cafe 2 more times since writing my review, and I stand by my original review. A clean, well run restaurant with delicious food. The owners are pleasant & kind, and show their gratitude.

We ordered vegetarian samosas to take out for a family party and they were excellent! The spicy lentil ones and the chickpea ones were both big hits. The food was ready at the scheduled time and the staff was very friendly. Everything was perfect.

I had book marked Fatima's either because of Phantom Gourmet or I had seen this pop up enough in Yelp. In short, another place I never would have probably found, but very happy I did. Cafe is fairly small and almost minimalist in design, but it more than makes up for that in the quality of food. I was in around late lunch time and there was only one other couple eating at the time. The owner was very friendly and helpful to both me and the other party in terms of what to order and give his recommendations if torn between choices. I ended up on the Somali steak sandwich. It comes out super hot, so make sure to give it a little time to cool if you don't want to destroy the roof of your mouth. The steak is flavorful and unless you know a ton of other African diners in Worcester, this is going to be a unique experience. In short this place servers up some great authentic cuisine with a very friendly staff that is going to make sure you have a great experience.

Delicious, flavorful, and hot food! Super good! I had a beef stew with two vegetable stews and the bread to go with it. The beef stew was AMAZING! So flavorful and tasty! We also got three other dishes which were also all flavorful and tasted very good. All of the dishes were made right to order, nice and hot. The man taking our order was super nice and kind. I recommend coming here if you want really good food! They're only doing take out right now, so just walk up to the window and order there or order ahead.

Great food! The amazing environment and the people are really personable which makes you feel at home.

The food was amazing We stumbled upon Fatima's by accident. We were hungry and in Worcester so a Google search lead us here and thank god it did. Not only was everything we tried amazing. Fatima and her husband are the nicest people ever. We will be making the driving back from Wmass soon just to eat here.

What a gem to have in the city. The food is delicious and a nice change from the usual offerings. The owners and staff are great!

Great family business! The food is delicious, the service is friendly and accommodating and the prices are reasonable. Please support this amazing little gem!

What a wonderful place! Homey, cozy, friendly, and COVID-safe. The sandwich is huge and can feed two people unless you're a heavy eater like my in-laws then get two sandwiches!! I have had samosas in more than 40 states and four countries. I can confidently says that theirs is the best that I've ever had! He makes everything fresh from scratch so give yourself time and order in advance. Try their chicken, lamb, and beef sandwiches.

It's a hidden gem. Great service and great food. Owners were great at explaining the different types of regional food. It's all Halal too!

In addition to seeing samosa on their menu, their consistent 5 star ratings intrigued me and I could not wait till I checked out this place. It is a small place with up to 12 tables and you could see the kitchen over the counter. The owners take your order and they are very friendly and welcoming. I was here quite a few times and I ordered samosa every-time I visited. Coming from India, I love freshly fried hot samosa. Although, the flavors are not exactly similar, I still enjoy a freshly prepared samosa. Fatima's offer lentil and mixed vegetable samosa. Lentil samosa soon became my favorite. I find the cost reasonable for the quantity and quality of the food. The green chutney they offer on the side is great and it goes well the samosa. I order prior to going to the store and pick it up. They are usually on time and they give a time estimate for preparing the order. If you order in person, you could see them taking the wrapped samosa out of the fridge and fry it. We go here regularly and I am sure we will keep the trend!