I had an amazing experience at Latha! I joined a friend for dinner and I was greeted at the steps with the warmest welcome, like I was family. This was so unexpected because customer service is pretty much nonexistent these days. The band was exceptional and created such a fun vibe before we order cocktails. We started with Watermelon Mojitos. Delicious and strong. We ordered the Dayboat Moqueca (fish) and Awaze Chicken. I must admit I didn't think much of the meal at first glance. It was a simple presentation, but as soon as I took a bite, I was overwhelmed with delicious flavor with a mild kick. So good. Definitely can't judge a book by it's cover type of experience. Do not miss the store in the back when you visit. I enjoy that the menu changes which insure variety. I highly recommend Latha. Evelia, and her amazing team have done an exceptional job bringing a lovely dining experience to the valley. What a vibe! read more

We went for the first time drove from Maricopa to experience this restaurant we found on TikTok and it was worth the drive. Cucumber Lemonade with ginger was amazing, that fried salmon and grits with the sauce was scrumptious, the apple salad and the pound cake for dessert, the gift shop I mean the overall experience was dope Loved it going back in April and May for my and my sisters birthday read more

This restaurant is our new favorite in Arizona! We came for the Sunday brunch and we were not disappointed. The food was incredibly flavorful and very unique. We had SHAKSHOUKA CRIOLLA, and the SUYA STEAK. I highly recommend both dishes. The cocktails were also on point. The most impressive part of our time spent at Latha was the incredible service and the ambiance. We ate on the patio which felt like sitting on my grandparents porch growing up and had great conversation with Evelia (owner) and her team, as well as making new friends that were also guests at the restaurant. The vibe was indescribable. The DJ (Kevin) played a wide range of music on the patio which added to the overall comfy vibe. Come check out this new restaurant! You will not be disappointed. read more

The ambiance was wonderful and it was a good first impression with warm staff, live music, and lovely rooms. However, the dining experience was not a good first impression. We ordered drinks and an appetizer. All came out fine. Ordered entrees then the server came back and said my selection was not available. It was Saturday night at 7 PM. I asked for the menu again (very small menu) and selected a different option. Server came back 5 minutes later and said they also do not have my 2nd option available. Then they delivered my husband his entrée and he had to eat it by himself. We requested that I just get the sides of the porkchop then maybe they do a different protein, they declined and said that was not possible. 2 drinks, an app and a vegetarian entrees was $100. Even with me going hungry, no discounts were offered on the bill. Almost $30 for a vegetarian "stew" is overpriced. No manager came by to check on us or offer apologies. If you already have a smaller menu with just a handful of items, manage your supply chain better or perhaps improve communication between the manager, kitchen and serving staff. We will not be dining here again due to these major disappointments. read more

We celebrated a double anniversary here with good friends. The service was impeccable - every person we interacted with was warm and inviting and thoroughly professional. Evelia Davis, the founder, even brought us gift bags with little lotions and things!! Ambience was lovely - lots of interesting touches from across the African diaspora, all beautifully displayed, but managed to feel comfortable and homey too without seeming like a museum. Also, fabulous music by a soloist....I'm terrible with names, so apologies to everyone who was so kind to us the night of Aug 31st :) Very interesting food - delicious and just the right quantities. Rice grits were a delight. Piri piri chicken wings were spicy and juicy perfection. The whipped goat cheese with honey was a revelation. We wanted to dip parts of our dinner in it!! We all enjoyed each of our beautifully presented entrees - but the seafood moqueca was the top hit. However, for our party of 4, the dessert was what pushed this whole meal over the top. I've had some great pound cake, but what they served here, with the watermelon frosting and fig butter, plus the Tamarind Brigadeiro Torte with avocado mousse, was scrumptious. The cocktails were also wonderful - unique flavors, lovely presentations. Latha is definitely worth repeat visits for special celebrations. I wish Ms. Davis and her team all the best. read more

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Loved the vibe, food, drinks and waitstaff! I had a caipirinha and was so happy they put booze in . Seems like everyone skimps these days . The wings were spiced perfectly and all the flavors of the night were creative and unique . Also everyone is so nice ! What a wonderful experience . I'll definitely be back . read more

Exceptional service ! Exceptional oxtails, exceptional !!! This place is so diverse. You will se families dressed casual coming straight from work and people dressed to the T for a birthday ! Whatever your looking for they have. The live music is amazing !!!! I'm in love read more

If there was 6th star, LATHA would get it. They had delicious food and terrific service in a fantastic setting!! You won't be disappointed!! read more

Excellent experience with amazing food! The team was very well versed in the history of the food and shared great menu insights during our double date. We loved having the talented mixologists craft unique drinks for our table as one of the menu options. Adorable aesthetic with a really fun gift shop near the cocktail lounge inside. Please put Latha on your list and enjoy! read more

The ambiance is great, the staff amazing, but the food eh, and the wait time...UNACCEPTABLE. Arrived at 8:20pm. Was seated right away. Took about 10 minutes before anyone took a drink order. Drinks appeared 10 minutes later. The waiter was very apologetic for the wait. Ordered a salad and the fried chicken to split with my partner. After 30 minutes of nothing, I asked a passing waiter if we could at least get the salad. The salad arrived about 5 minutes later. Looked like they took a bagged salad and placed in a bowl, then served. Not much more than greens. Finally one fried chicken breast arrived with Mac/Cheese. The Mac/Cheese was barely warm and looked straight out of a box. The small potion of cabbage or slaw was barely a spoon full. The chicken was tender, juicy and very flavorful. For $100, there are plenty of places far better for a meal in downtown. So disappointed. Hopefully they'll make adjustments. read more

What an amazing and unique place. Staff very friendly and knowledgeable..I wish I had more time to go back and enjoy myself..

Great restaurant with excellent food, great location, and super friendly servers and management. Thanks so much for a great meal and we look forward to coming back! read more

LATHA - African Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

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Amazing flavorful food with great ambiance. The staff is very friendly and attentive . read more

Great place loved the hummus will definitely be back! Service was ok, but they were busy so understandable.

The food, service, aesthetic is a 10/10!! It's a must try and having tried African flavors for the very first time yesterday definitely won't be my last. I'm planning to return for dinner during the week. Stop by the store...everything is unique and will not disappoint! read more

LATHA - Salmon & Grits - African Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

What a gem of a restaurant! From the inventive menu and cozy interior design that transports you to another world, I can't recommend Latha enough. My boyfriend and I split several things but the standouts were definitely the pork chop and salmon entrees! 10/10 recommend. read more

What can I say about the food? Nothing. After an hour seated at our table we never got our food...not even our drinks. We made a reservation for 6:15 for two. We got there a little early and were seated just after 6. We were one of two tables seated in our dining room. The other table was already into their meal. We ordered drinks and appetizers within minutes of being seated. Within the next 40 minutes two other tables were seated. They each received their drinks and even appetizers. We asked multiple times about our order, and were told "the drinks are being made". At the hour mark we had our fill of empty promises...just not our drinks or food. With growling stomachs we left... read more

It's a whole vibe everything is exceptional. Such a unique experience that the valley needed. My absolutely favorite place. read more

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we stumbled upon this place before heading to the theatre on a date night in downtown Phoenix, and now we can't recommend it highly enough. their menu was a beautiful assortment of pan african cuisine, and both our server Lauren and the sous chef Miranda helped bring it to life with great recommendations, and a warm reception. we enjoyed the Piri Piri Wings, the Awaze Shrimp, and Whipped Goat Cheese--all fantastic. the flavors on the shrimp (which is actually a mac n cheese dish) were out of this world. combined with live music, and a small africana inspired storefront, the atmosphere was lively. our only regret is not having planned more time before the show to enjoy their pound cake dessert (it looked delicious!) definitely go support this amazing establishment. pro-tip: reservations are helpful on the weekend! read more

First time coming here and an absolutely amazing experience! We were happily greeted and sat down right away. The restaurant felt very cozy and comfortable. When the waiter found out we were there to celebrate my girlfriend's birthday the entire staff went out of their way to make her feel special. I won't give away everything they did for her but 3 different times they surprised us both to acknowledge her special day. Now we can start with food, it was phenomenal! We started with whipped goat cheese and it was fantastic!! Our main dishes were the pork chop and the chicken dish and we couldn't stop eating from our own plate and each others. Pork chop, veggies and sauce were fantastic. The chicken was smoked and the rice was delicious! Finally ended the night with the pound cake and again what a delight!! Loved our experience here and can't wait to come back again. To the owner, hostess, waiter, bartender, cook and any other staff a huge THANK YOU!!! A++ all around!! read more

Everything about this dining experience was above par. The food, the ambience, the friendly staff, the quaint shop with hand made gift items, the cozy/romantic bar, the music. It was all perfection! The watermelon salad, Dayboat seafood fish, pound cake dessert, and drinks were all excellent! I can't wait to go back. read more

Had a reservation. When we arrived we were sat in a back room. We asked the host three times if we could sit outside and were told that the place was going to be filled shortly and our reservation was for a specific table. Shortly after, another couple was sat right next to us. They asked to move one table away so they could talk and not be right next to another table. They were told the same thing. The room (indeed the entire restaurant) was empty. We then asked the server if we could go outside, she checked, same answer. After about 15min we ordered a drink and a manager (maybe?) came by and asked how we were doing and we asked again to move to another table. They finally accommodated our request and sat us outside. Food was ok, looked better than it tasted. My main course was cold probably would have tasted good if it was warm. My wife's dish was better, at least warm. None of the hot food came out hot. The drinks were good, but we do not eat out for the drinks. Our actual server was good, but it's hard to make up for a bad host and food that was average at best. Spent about 2 hours at the restaurant, they never sat anyone next to us outside, there were empty tables inside the entire time and the place started to clear out as we left for a concert. Apparently the host was more interested in accommodating people that never came rather than the customers they actually had. Normally I would eat somewhere at least twice before I wrote a review, however, based on the mediocre food and the restaurant bending over backwards for patrons that did not exist I would not recommend this restaurant. read more

Seemed like a good vibe but it was not the vibe. The service was ok. The ambiance was a little loud due to the live music but was fun to listen too. But we were more disappointed in the food. The pictures online looked awesome but the taste was average and for the cost I was expecting awesomeness. Sadly it was not. It also took almost an hour for our food to get to the table, we were on the verge of going to a different restaurant but didn't cause the food finally got there. Now the entree I got was decent it was pretty much a shrimp pasta with Gouda cheese. It was alright and my wife got the mushroom stew and it was bland. I was trying to be optimistic most of my time there cause I was trying to enjoy my date but for the price I was expecting better service and food. Oh also they were out of almost all the things we wanted!!! I'm not one for negative reviews but it seems this establishment may have some work and growth to do. read more

Wow, what an extremely tragic case study of a restaurant. This place has the concept, it has the menu, and it has the potential. But I would never, ever return to a place with such atrocious service. I got the impression that the chef cares, and perhaps the owner cares, but this place will be out of business within 12 months unless a radical change is made in the quality of service. I am truly at a loss to describe the "I don't give a crap" attitude displayed by some staff members when contrasted to the enthusiasm and effort of others. My wife and I have both worked in the restaurant industry, and I don't know how some employees keep their jobs after tonight's performance, much less deserve an automatic 20% gratuity that subsequently gets taxed. It was 30 minutes before a food order was placed, it was 2.5 hours before we could leave, and the restaurant was never over 50% full at any given time. read more

Latha is amazing!! The ambiance was so peaceful and welcoming. The staff were friendly and genuinely interested in the guest experience. Service was a bit slow during shift change, but worth every second of the wait. The food was flavorful and delicious. The bes part was the gift shop so many beautiful clothing and jewelry fresh outta gana as well as locally sourced herbs, soaps, essential oils read more

Stopped by for drinks as we had just finished dinner and ended up having the best night! The staff at the bar were amazing- so fun, kind, professional and made beautiful, tasty drinks. My friend and I wanted to stay all night and can't wait to go back. We had originally decided to check it out because there was dancing and live music but that ended right as we got there... still had an incredible time:) I'm really excited to go back and try the food! read more

Overall great experience. I was not sure what to expect but I was pleased from top to bottom. The drinks were good. The food was also good, I had the fish of the day, the wings, and the goat cheese. read more

The food is unbelievable. Everything that I put in my mouth, I wanted more. The flavor of each dish just bursts in your mouth. The mixologist they have on staff made the specialty drinks to perfection. Our waitress was knowledgeable on each dish and was a complete joy as our stay lasted over 2 hours. The owner seated us and came over after our meal to make sure everything was to our liking. 5 stars all the way around for this one! read more

When entering the restaurant everyone is so lovely & extremely welcoming. Our waitress was extremely rude and the food was cold. After being served food the waitress never can by to check on us. When she finally can I asked if the food was supposed to be cold she said no and walked away. She finally brought the check and as we waited for 15 minutes she never came to get it so we left cash and walked out the building. As we were walking out she stopped us as asked "so you aren't going to pay?" As I told her I left cash in the check book she stormed off and as we are waiting she never came back outside to say she received the money. Very bad experience for being there for the first time. read more

Food wasn't that good service was horrible. Service was not up to my standard food was not up to my standard.

Would prefer more parking available, but great first impressions. I can already tell I'll be coming back

Finally! A place for us but also diverse enough to share our culture with others. My favorite is the outside seating and the shopping area. It has a beautiful flavorable menu, the chef came out and greeted us! And he also made a new cheesecake that I got to try for the first time! It really is a place you can hang out all day, so be careful to not get stuck in the vibe lol. But kudos to this place. It hasn't even been opened that long but I see them being around for a long long time! read more

We really liked the ambience of this restaurant, and the service was good. But the food was very underwhelming. I ordered the Berbere Fried Chicken and it was raw on the inside. My husband ordered the Jerk Pork Chop, and we both thought it was mediocre and bland. read more

Made a reservation for 6:15 and were seated just after 6. We placed orders for drinks, appetizers, and dinner. At 7:00 we had not been served anything including our drinks, but both tables next to us that were sat around 6:30 had their drinks and appetizers. We asked twice about the drinks and appetizers and were told both times that they were being made. The other tables were given the same drink and salad types we ordered. 0 stars. read more

Truly a wonderful restaurant from head to toe and one of my favorite places. I'm so sad they don't have a location closer to me! The staff are incredibly welcoming and really make you feel welcome and taken care of. Fantastic hostess, general manager, bartender and the owner is even there to make sure you're okay! I don't typically drink alcohol but I did get a drink here because they looked so unique. Ash the bartender was the perfect mix of friendly and left me to my own devices. I got a banana drink that was to die for. Their shrimp with rice grits was absolutely delightful and not something I could ever recreate at home. I'm absolutely in love with this place and would return all the time if I lived in Phoenix. I think they had a little store that I meant to check out but forgot before I left. read more

Visited last night to celebrate my husband's birthday. Everything was amazing... the welcome, drinks, appetizers, and entrees! Very warm environment. We felt like we were home with our cousins. They even sang, "Happy Birthday"; traditional and Stevie Wonder version! I would highly recommend if you're looking for a special place to celebrate. read more

Absolutely perfect. We had to wait for our table at the bar which was perfectly fine because the drinks and apps were delicious and the bartender was friendly and welcoming. Speaking of welcoming, the proprietress checked on us many times and was incredibly warm and kind. Mains were also nuts. Cozy atmosphere. No notes, please give these people your money. read more

Definitely would come back to Latha. Flew in from Knoxville, Tennessee to try this restaurant. I was not disappointed.

A great place to visit if you are looking for a good time and looking forward to eating tasty food.Service was honest and very kind.Gorgeous landscape and a shop located inside.A few bugs to work out but has a very bright future. read more

Best food in Phoenix! Amazing flavors and awesome staff! My wife and I were blown away.