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    Fatima's Cafe

    4.8 (381 reviews)
    Closed 11:00 am - 8:00 pm
    Updated 2 weeks ago

    Fatima's Cafe Photos

    FATIMA'S CAFE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for kids
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - Fatima's Cafe

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    Interior - A dining area with several tables and chairs, wall art, and a small counter, in a casual restaurant setting.
    Adina S.

    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!

    House made tres leches
    Eric M.

    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!

    Ethiopian Anjero Platter - A large white plate holds injera with multiple vegetable and meat stews, accompanied by a side of additional injera on a paper-lined basket.

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

    Mixed vegetables samosa
    Chad H.

    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!

    2 of the 6 mixed veggies & lentil somosas. With a SPICCCCY homemade sauce
    Evan G.

    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!

    Chapati - A large, round naan bread with a golden-brown, slightly crispy surface is placed on a white paper-lined plate on a wooden table.
    Priyanka D.

    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 !

    Ugali with sukuma - A hand holds a piece of vegetable sambusa above a plate of East African cuisine, including greens, cooked vegetables, and mashed potatoes.

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    2 years ago

    Business owner information

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    Fatima I.

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    Fatima I.

    Thank you so much! We really happy to have made your day!

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    2 years ago

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

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    Fatima I.

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    2 years ago

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

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    Fatima I.

    Thank you so much! Looking forward to seeing you again!

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    2 years ago

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    Fatima I.

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    3 years ago

    I've never dined in the restaurant but we get the take out often and the samosas are out of this world!

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    Fatima I.

    Thank you so much! Looking forward to seeing you again!

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    2 years ago

    Amazing food and service!! Will definitely be back. All the food was cooked fresh and flavorful.

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    3 years ago

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    Fatima I.

    Thank you so much!

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    2 years ago

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

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    Fatima I.

    Thank you so much! We are so happy you enjoyed your visit!

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    Thank you so much! We really appreciate the support!

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    Ask the Community - Fatima's Cafe

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    Pros: Cozy, British pub style atmosphere; interesting small plates, not too expensive…read more Cons: gets extremely crowded in the evenings; very loud when crowded; staff is snobbish I've been here a few times, and my most enjoyable experiences were during lunch. If you can sit at the bar or in one of the 2 tables by the window, you'll get excellent service. The charcuterie board is great, and the drink selection is also pretty good. However, the last time we came here, it was the middle of the afternoon on Valentine's day. I'm from Boston and Cape Cod and my partner is European; we look like it and we act like it. Upon a brief interaction with the hostess, we both felt spoken down to: "YOU'RE trying to come in on Valentine's day? Without a reservation?" This, coming from someone with a Worcester accent who was dressed like a boy going to church choir. We were shooed away into the dining area: "I guess you could stand over there and look at the menu". It's about 330 in the afternoon- most tables are completely empty. Then a different staff member, also with a working class accent, says "I need you to clear out of this walkway because this is for staff only", despite the fact that no staff were walking there and we had been standing there about 20-30 seconds. We left without saying anything as the hostess tried to say something to us. If you want to feel spoken down to, in the working class city of Worcester no less, come here. Alternately, if you're feeling aggressive and want to squeeze your way in to sit touching shoulder to shoulder, come here. The time before this, the hostess was a soft-spoken woman who mumbled a lot; we had to elbow people out of the way at the middle bar section, which is where she directed us. Maybe in another year I'll want to come back for lunch only. Honestly, I'd rather drive back to Boston if I'm going to be treated snobbishly.

    Fatima's Cafe - african - Updated May 2026

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