Fatima’s Café, Worcester MA

Between the service and the food, I cannot rave enough about the wonderful experience at Fatima’s Cafe [43 W Boylston St, Worcester, MA 01605].

It was the perfect place to stop on our road trip from Albany to New Hampshire and a good excuse to experience a town I’ve never been to before, Worcester! We drove right passed the tiny storefront without even realizing. No problem! A quick u-turn in a strip mall and holy moley, these weary travelers were driving down a one way street. Whoops, don’t make that mistake! We corrected our situation and parked in the little lot on the side and settled right in. The space was quiet on a Friday evening, though many would come to pick up orders.

I was excited to get a little caffeine boost (for the part two of the drive) and comfort with a wonderfully warm fresh brewed cup of chai while Jeff tried a fresh fruit smoothie.

We just ordered entrees, but our waiter kindly came out with some samosas for us to sample. They were the best I have ever had! The dough was so delicate, filling velvety, and the dipping sauce was lip tingly HOT. I would order a whole slew of these next time.

Food is cooked up fresh to order, so it was a bit of time until our meals appeared. To tell it true, I’ve never been 100% satisfied with any previous traditional African cuisine – feeling it always fell short of the mark. This was a total deal breaker. Both of us went for the Ugali with Sukuma, a traditional Kenyan dish – vibrant and mouthwatering. Ugali is a cornmeal based porridge, our waiter instructed us to mix it into the tender chicken and gravy, seasoned to absolute perfection.

Add to your spoon bits of succulent collards (rivaling any I’ve encountered down south), onions, peppers, and spinach to find a heavenly symphony in your mouth! If you find yourself passing through Worcester, don’t pass up a chance to have dinner at Fatima’s.