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    Baobab Fare

    4.7 (449 reviews)
    Open • 11:00 am - 9:00 pm
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    BAOBAB FARE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Dogs allowed

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    Recommended Reviews - Baobab Fare

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    Nyumbani
    Andrew L.

    Came here for dinner on a Saturday evening. I was seated right away, but they were pretty busy and had a decent wait for larger groups. I'd definitely recommend making a reservation if you're going at a busier time. The service was fast and friendly, I had an overall very good experience! The peanut stewed spinach really caught my eye, so I knew I'd go for a dish with that included. I ended up going for the Nybani with half spiced rice and half coconut rice, with added spicy sauce. I thought it was really good! The beef was super rich and tender, both rices were good but i preferred the coconut rice after adding the spicy sauce. The peanut stewed spinach was very yummy, but I'm glad it came on a dish with a wide array of flavors. Would definitely recommend giving this spot a try if you're visiting town or local to Detroit!

    Kumuhana with plantains on the side
    Nick D.

    Baobab Fare is unbelievable. This was one of those meals where you'll look down at your plate and surprisingly notice that it's licked clean. I ordered the Kumuhana with coconut rice. Absolutely the right decision. The chicken was tender, flavorful, and perfectly complemented by the coconut rice. Everything on the plate worked together; not a single bite felt wasted. The plantains were so good that I ordered an extra side. The service was strong as well. Everyone was attentive and welcoming, and the whole experience matched the quality of the food. Detroit has a lot of great places to eat, but Baobab Fare stands out. This was my first time here, and it definitely won't be my last. Highly recommend you make time to come here.

    Passionfruit drink
    Ainsley E.

    Had a nice birthday dinner here! It's more casual an environment than I expected, and was booked up on a Saturday evening. We ordered sambusa for an appetizer, and I honestly could have eaten like 10 of these as a meal. They were SO GOOD an honestly my favorite thing here. Awesome flavor in the chicken and the dipping sauce is something I would bottle and take home. You get the option to do half/half on the coconut or spiced rice with the entrees. We recommend the spiced for more flavor, but opt for both if you're curious about the coconut. I had the kumuhana chicken. The chicken had a nice smoky flavor. I didn't enjoy the plantains much. There was a huge portion of them and I found them bland...didn't eat them all. I enjoyed the beans, but overall the dish needed some pickled onions or something bright to lighten it up. The corn salad helped, but it needed more. The spinach in the nyumbani was another favorite item -- very good flavor and would have eaten a side of just that with bread or something. Would definitely return here if in the area to house some sambusa, but we won't be going out of our way to try this again.

    Tracy W.

    Grey was amazing. Ask for her. She checked on his periodically, and made great recommendations from the menu. Now that the service is covered, let's talk about the food. Everything I tasted was absolutely phenomenal. Back loading from dessert, you can't go wrong with the Tami. It is super fresh and light. I had the goat shank and my friend had the Kumuhana. The goat was absolutely delicious along with the rice, beans, and corn in the bowl. My companion seem to truly enjoy her chicken dish. Watch out for the hot sauce! It was delicious, but I got a bite that made me cough my head off. Still worth it though! You don't wanna miss out on this place. Enjoy!

    Intore
    Emily L.

    I was excited to visit Baobab Fare and try some of their vegan options. I ordered takeout, so I didn't get to fully experience the restaurant itself, but it looked cute and inviting. The food was delicious overall. The Intore was definitely the highlight--flavorful, well-seasoned, and with just the right amount of spice. Everything tasted fresh and thoughtfully prepared. My only disappointment was the value of some of the sides. The beans were good, but $7 felt steep for a portion that was around half a cup. The shokola was also quite small for $9. That said, I would absolutely recommend Baobab. I plan to go back and next time I'll stick with the main courses.

    Nyumbani
    Jake H.

    What a great Detroit Gem! All the food was unique African fare that I really enjoyed. Loved the simple menu, fresh ingredients, and kind service. Both the Nyumbani meal and the Kuku were both incredible, well seasoned and flavorful. Highly recommend to everyone in the area!

    Samaki, spiced rice much
    Rd M.

    I was so let down by my experience at this highly recommended and well regarded spot. Chose to finally try this place for my birthday dinner and I was so excited to introduce my wife to East African cuisine. The good...the food is really good and came out rather quickly. Everything tasted fresh and it definitely reminded me of my time in the Horn of Africa. I got the Samaki and did not regret it. The sambusas were also great. I like the spiced rice much more than coconut. No complaints with the food. The service and the atmosphere, however, could not have been more the opposite. We felt so unwelcome and were treated so poorly by the server. We ran out of water halfway through our meal and asked for a refill and we didn't see her again until the check came. She rolled her eyes at my wife's pronunciation after she already apologized for not knowing how to pronounce it. She completely ignored the two questions we asked about the menu. I hate that this happened, I wanted to love this place so much but I would never go back after being treated that way. This was the total opposite of what you expect if you watch the chef's videos on IG or TikTok. What a letdown.

    Goat shank
    Ryan B.

    Go here. Eat goat shank. Leave, happy. You are welcome, no long review. Adding more words because yelp makes you....

    Items for sale
    Clemence C.

    We are from out of town and my friends took us there! What a great find! As a gluten free person, I was very excited about all the options! We were there for a late lunch and we had to wait maybe 20 minutes for a table. I got the passion fruit drink which was good. We also got the chips with the dipping sauce. That was a lovely way to start the meal. I love plantains so I was very excited to see it was part of most of the dishes. I got the kumuhama chicken. It comes with your choice of rice, beans, plantains and corn salad. It is flavorful without being spicy. I tried my friends' dishes and they were good too. The serving size is good and I think most people have enough to take some leftover home. We tried 2 of the desserts. The Tamu is very interesting and not too sweet if you aren't into overly sweet treat. The coco mango is more traditional "parfait " but still lovely. If I lived around, I would definitely hang there a bunch!

    Menu
    Atif S.

    The food here is amazing. I've had African food before, but this is probably the best I've had so far. Anyone visiting Detroit should give Baobab Fare a try. We were quickly seated and the staff was very friendly, accommodating, and knowledgeable about the menu. There was some catchy music playing that added to the vibe. Most of the menu is gluten free except for the sambusa so it's a great spot for anyone with celiac disease or gluten intolerance to visit (they fry those in a fryer that other items don't come into contact with). They also have some vegetarian and vegan options on the menu. Our food was served surprisingly fast. I had the mbuzi which is a braised goat shank dish served with spiced rice, corn salad, fried plantains, and stewed beans. The goat shank was very tender and flavorful. Literally fell off the bone. The corn salad was a nice refreshing touch to the dish. I love plantains so I obviously enjoyed those too. The stewed beans were soft and creamy. The rice was seasoned nicely and brought the dish together. For dessert we enjoyed the shokola y karanga and the coco mango. The shokola had a nice thick creamy texture from the coconut cream and was topped with crispy spiced peanuts that added a nice contrast to the dessert. My favorite of the two desserts was the coco mango. The coco mango was layered with coconut cream, mango coulis, mango chunks, and topped with toasted coconut. It had the perfect combination of textures, contrasting acidity and richness, and just the right amount of sweetness. Everyone who comes to Detroit needs to check out this restaurant!

    Kumuhana
    Sofia E.

    Seriously one of the best chicken dishes I've ever had. This place was a little ways away from the downtown area, but easy enough to get to by bus. For two people, without reservations, we waited about 30 minutes on an early Saturday evening. Well with the wait. The interior was nicely designed and the staff were very attentive. Ordered the Kumuhana and tried the Ji Hibiscus beverage. The drink was good, but on the sweet side. The food was amazing. Chicken was super tender, rice was cooked well, corn salad added a nice touch of freshness, and the plantains were good too. A very filling meal, I'm surprised I was able to finish it all. Would definitely come back again, if in town.

    Jason C.

    It required two visits, trying different dishes to finally have enough 411 to write a review. Tried: Sambusa, Plantains Chips & Dipping Sauce, Nyumbani, Kuku, Kumuhana, Mbuzi, Samaki, Intore, Mgoga, Tamu, Coco Mango, & Ji Passion Fruit My Favorites: Intore and Samaki - when it comes to flavor profiles, these two dishes shine over others. I also asked the waitress which dish is the most popular and they told me the Samaki is their #1 seller. I tired half/half on the rice on my first visit, this visit I went with spiced rice pilau only. I'm not a fan of coconuts, while the coconut rice doesn't have a overpowering coconut flavor, spiced rice will be my to go moving forward. Nyumbani, while decent, the meat was bit under seasoned to my taste. Kuku was the better over Kuhuhana. Mbuzi - the goat shank was lukewarm when we got it, it was bit hard to break the meat off the bone, but worth trying at least once. Service was superb on both visits, water bottle gets refilled w/o asking, and great experience. While I won't be able to make it out often, definitely will be on my list of places to revisit while in Detroit area.

    Takeout bag
    Melissa P.

    A true, authentic and cultural gem! Baobab Fare is a celebrated East African restaurant in Detroit, founded by Burundian refugees Hamissi Mamba and Nadia Nijimbere. This was my first time here but definitely won't be the last. The food is so rich in color, flavor, and ethnic tradition - it feels like a homemade meal straight from Africa. I loved the flavor of my dish called "Nyumbani", the beef was so tender it broke apart with a touch of my fork. I went with friends - vegetarian and not - we all loved our dishes which were variations of one another considering the ingredients across each dish are similar.

    Kumuhana

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    Ask the Community - Baobab Fare

    Is reservation needed?

    If you have a large group of diners, then yes, would recommend you make a reservation, but it's not necessary. Also keep in mind, they do get busy depending on the day of the week and the time of the day.

    Is parking easy on Woodward?

    Yes, and even easier on Grand Blvd

    Are Saturday mornings a busy time?

    Does this restaurant offer halal meat?

    Yes!

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    The Congregation Detroit - Matcha Tea Latte, Carrot Cake Chai

    Matcha Tea Latte, Carrot Cake Chai

    The Congregation Detroit - Matcha latte at The Congregation Detroit.

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    Matcha latte at The Congregation Detroit.

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    La Ventana - Outside

    Outside

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    La Ventana

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    Baobab Fare - coffee - Updated October 2026

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