Jambo Cafe in Santa Fe - Phone Number, Reservations, Reviews

Really good Caribbean and African food. My favorite dish is the Mahi wrapped in banana leaf with black rice. You really can't go wrong with any of the dishes on the menu. The goat stew is amazing.

We were visiting from out of town our first time there. If we lived in Santa Fe we would eat there several times a week the food is truly fantastic the atmosphere wonderful and the service top notch- highly recommend- truly unique in its menu and everything was delicious

Blown away by everything that is this restaurant! The food was by far some of the most delicious and beautiful food I’ve come across in Santa Fe, this place takes food presentation to the next level, it’s platted in such a beautiful way that it marvels Seasons in Albuquerque, and the taste went above and beyond what I could of imagined, and if there weren’t enough nice things to say about this place, our server was so helpful and nice she went above and beyond

My dad's family has lived in South Africa for as many generations as they have lived in the US, and this is the restaurant we go to when we want that part of ourselves to feel at home 💚 every single thing we have eaten here is absolutely amazing, and we are never disappointed.

I don’t know what to say, honestly I was expecting way more. I arrived exited to see what the hype was about with my wife, I Jamaican and wife West African. Walked in and the wait was around 20 minutes. We assumed the crowd meant good food but we were wrong.This is worst food I have ever eaten at a restaurant, not only that, a poor representation of Caribbean and African cuisine. They have awards on the wall but honestly i don’t know how, food is watered down and tasteless compared to my experience as a Jamaican. My wife who’s Sierra Leonian didn’t have a good experience as well. I got the jerk chicken with white rice the rice was covered in oil no sauce just oil, my wife got the 3 combination dish and two had no flavor what so ever and the one that had flavor had a burnt taste.

Excellent 👌🏾, delicious treat for a nice twist. Shermiqua was awesome 💯 great service.

The food was mostly great, but the portions were quite small. We ordered four mains and some starters, then went home and made sandwiches.

We got takeout from here. The crab cakes were not good at all. They tasted of old canned crab and were gray in the middle. The hummus was good, fairly standard, but they forgot our olives. The chicken kebab was well-seasoned but needed salt. The green beans were perfect. The pili-pili shrimp was okay. The broth had a nice kick to it, but lacked salt. Slightly reminded me of a sub par panang. They wouldn't answer the phone for a to go order. The hostess said they were busy. They were definitely not lol. The cardamom coconut flan was nice but the pecan pie could use some work. I appreciate all kinds of food, perhaps it was an off night.

Probably the most disappointing time at a place featured on diners drive ins and dives, and I have been to 200 places over 20 states. When the food came after like 30 minutes of waiting, only the lamb curry part of the combo was hot. It is like they let the chicken curry and the goat curry cold while they were cooking the lamb

Amazing! Really , you have to try it yourself to believe all the flavors.

Food slaps. Service (front if house) was ok, they were quite busy. Kitchen is on top of their game. Seating was fine. There's a cool gift shop section we walked through after eating.

I love this place! The peanut chicken is to die for!! Our server was very nice as well; when one of the members of our party could not decide on the lamb stew or the goat stew the server brought out samples for us to try. They were both very good so we ordered both on the combo platter.

Very good service, very good food, very good dessert.

My favorite African cuisine restaurant. Actually, it’s the only African restaurant I know, but it’s also one of my favorite Santa Fe lunch spots. Located in a shopping strip on Cerrillos, I think it’s frequented more by locals than visitors. The dining room has tables, booths, and African decor, including the lion, who guarded me and my lunch. The menu is a cornucopia of dishes and flavors that may be unfamiliar but are well worth trying (like the Coconut Chicken Peanut Stew— try it!). Though I’m not a sandwich guy, I most recently really enjoyed the Harissa Spiced Lamb sand, which is served in a pita with yogurt sauce and your choice of two of the three kinds of house fries. I chose the sweet potato fries and the lemon fries, de-sandwiched the tender, slow-roasted lamb, and dipped the lamb into the yogurt sauce and each of the fries’ sauces. Yum!

Menu claims vegan items, but only two items are. The main issue isn't the number of vegan items, but items mislabelled as vegan on the menu, when they are not. Please update the menu.

The Jerk Chicken wings are phenomenal

The food is really good and the store is worth visiting.

AWESOME food. Will travel back to Santa Fe just to come here and eat. Had to give the Chef our regards.

One of the best meals I've ever had! Wish I could have tried the whole menu. Saw the place on YouTube and had it on my list if I ever visited Santa Fe. Luckily I got to experience both!

Can't beat the value here. The food is delicious, and the portions are large. I definitely recommend everyone give this place a try. If you don't know what to get on your first visit, try the combination platter. It's a great way to try three different dishes they offer.

I have ordered from Jambo before and the food is great! Last weekend was my first time eating at the cafe itself. I was telling my friend how good it was. When we arrived the host was on her cell and obviously on a private call walking back and forth whilst on her call. She was not friendly to us and acted as if she didn’t want to be there when she finally finished her call. The young woman that took our order was brusque with us, and we never saw her again after she took the order. The young woman that served us was also brusque, and we never saw her again either. I asked the host if she could have someone come to refill my water while we were eating, she again acted like she didn’t want to be there and said she would get someone to fill my water, but no one came. This experience kind of made me not want to go to the cafe again, even though the food was good.

The food was amazing! The place was packed when we arrived, but we didn't have to wait too long. Staff was very friendly and attentive.

Love this place! So delicious!!!

Melange of African cuisine. Nice selection of South African wines ,lamb and other dishes from around the continent but a rather incoherent menu. Big continent, small menu.

Food was fantastic. Loved walking through the gift shop while waiting for dinner. I had the oxtails.

It was just me eating. I was sat with a menu and then that was the last I heard from any staff until I left almost 20 minutes later. At least say it's going to be a few minutes or give me a water to sip on? When I was sat the restaurant was not packed or anything. I got sat quickly and no one else was on a wait. Looked like they were setting a big party, but I was still bummed the host and servers got the tables after me water. I didn't even get a glaas of water or acknowledgement. That is some of the worst service or lack thereof I have experienced in a long time. Maybe there needs to be some help from the management or something. I don't know . It was a bad experience. The food smelled great to be fair and the place looked cool. Service could use some help. I'll come back another time and hopefully it will be better.

I was very excited to go to Jambo, and it was even better than I expected! Everything was perfect, the food, service, and atmosphere. I could only eat so much but I want to try everything on the menu so I will definitely be back. I included pictures of the crab cakes, jerk wings, mahi mahi and Kenyan steak. We also had the coconut flan and key lime pie although the desserts were devoured before pictures could be taken!

🏵️ very good. Lunch 06-26, host was very pleasant accommodating and intuitive also hard working. Service is always good. Napkins are large, water was clear, dishes were sufficient and tasty. I had the Jerk Chicken Sandwich... With sweet potato fries. Didn't need to add any salt or pepper but I did put on hot sauce because I'm a spicy kind of guy. I still have memories of this place from years back, it is in a convenient location. Sometimes they bring a food truck to music shows too. I like their soups and salads in the restaurant as well. They have several teas and a variety of good drinks, with some beers available also. They have Jambo Bazaar to the left side inside which has a great selection of miscellaneous items like African masks, wood carved animals, necklace pieces, metal art, wall art, clothing exedra. I will include some pictures. 🏵️

I have been coming to this restaurant for several years, visiting each summer but following what happend this past Saturday night i don’t want to come back. Our server was exceptional rudeness and a lack of consideration for our party. there was a delay in the delivery of our food, and the quality was disappointing. the wings were undercooked, and the plantains were hard. our server engaged in loud conversations with other staff members about discussing private information that was inappropriate for my children to overhear. Her conduct was highly unprofessional.

Spent the day at Santa Fe and decided to stop by to try something new. Was pleasantly surprised! I would recommend getting stews/curries over anything else. Love the atmosphere and the food was really good. So many unique, earthy flavors. We tried the mango ginger lemonade, jerk chicken wings, curry coconut crusted tilapia, combination platter, and the kebabs. Everything was delicious! The lemonade and the stews/curries with the roti were especially good. Loved trying a new cuisine. Only thing is our server felt super rushed and left multiple times before getting everyone’s order at the table or before we could finish ordering. She also didn’t write down anything we ordered so I ended up getting chicken curry instead of the goat (or lamb I’m not sure which one I got) stew I ordered for the combination platter. Also, this place is a bit pricey. Each dish will be about $20 and the serving sizes were small for beef and especially the fish. There were just a few bites of fish on a pile of rice and spinach, wasn’t worth the money. We ended up spending $100 for 3 people. I would say just get curries or stews as they definitely felt worth your money. The food was delicious though and I would like to come back regardless!

I loved the food so much I forgot to take a picture. I had the ALL NATURAL GRILLED JERK CHICKEN, and I love loved it! I am coming back one more time before leave town. My family had the COCONUT CHICKEN CURRY and they really enjoyed it.

Excellent food with great service.

Favorite place to eat in Santa Fe. Great service, owners are so friendly. Love love love Jambo!!!

Very well cooked African food. The menu covers the whole continent and it feels like its upgraded by the chef Ahmed

Amazing food at Jambo Cafe. Veggie options available!

I ordered a large rice and lentils. Paid $19+. Was given a cup of rice and a cup and a half of lentils. Waste of money and time.

I definitely need an African or Caribbean wife 🤤. This is the best restaurant in the whole state. 🥰

I've never had a bad experience

Good good and very good service/ good food and very good service

Quick friendly service, fun lively atmosphere. Started off with the tasty crispy coconut shrimp which had a delicious mango sauce for dipping. I ordered the Ethiopian Chickpea Berbere stew which was so flavorful and satisfying! Friend got the Grilled Jerk Chicken which was tender and juicy, with a surprising addition of sweet plantains. We each thought the spice levels were perfect, providing just the right amount of heat. Lots of people eating lunch at 12:30 pm on a Tuesday. Highly recommend!

The food here is excellent!!!! The food had so much flavor we highly recommend to eat here!

Just WOW! I was searching for a mediocre halal restaurant and surprised by what i found! Ox tail is one of the best beef dishes in my life. Mahi mahi and jerky wings are just perfect.

Amazing flavors and beautiful presentation of the dishes. Oxtail is a must but every dish we ordered hit the spot.

My first time eating Moroccan, I had jerk chicken excellent.

I have never had a dish I didn't love from this establishment. It's too bad they had to leave ABQ, but it's worth the drive to Santa Fe for the food and ambience!

My favorite restaurant in Santa Fe. Every single time, the food is top notch , always top tasting and quality. Everything on the menu is delicious. The kebab and mahi mahj are our favorites.

Been knowing my friend for quite long time keep up the good work One love

terrible had to pay $20 in gratuity and they try to make me pay $25 for another tip and they charge me seven dollars for tax $124 total .It was terrible. I will never go back the food it was mid. they brought out sauce we didn’t even ask for and it was disgusting. Made us pay two bucks for each and drinks are four bucks.

Must-Stop while in Santa Fe- Excellent selection of African dishes and wine from across the continent. Been there multiple times and the place never disappoints. Friendly staff.

Every dish we ordered (soup, crab cakes, goat stew, and combination plate) was just phenomenal, my compliments to the chef. The staff are also wonderful. One of the most unique and delicious restaurants I’ve ever been to and there is something on the menu for everyone.

The food was ssssooooooo good! I definitely recommend. I also like the environment.

Jambo is and has been one of my favorite restaurants for years! I absolutely love it. Fantastic food, great atmosphere and service and chef Ahmed is such a wonderful person. I love everything on the menu, but the curry chicken salad wrap is my absolute favorite! Do yourself a favor and check it out if you’ve never been. You will not be disappointed!

Absolutely incredible! The jerk chicken was fall off the bone, juicy and delicious with the right amount of spice. Also tried the island spiced coconut peanut stew and WOW. I love curries but this was next level amazing. A must stop if you’re in Santa Fe!

I have been wanting to try Jambo Cafe for a long time now. Everything was great! We went around lunch time so it was a little busy but the wait was not too long. If I could give them 10 stars I would.

Best Restaurant in Santa Fe. Get the plantains and the goat soup.

Absolutely incredible food. My husband and I cook a lot and I attended culinary school as well, so we often find ourselves disappointed when eating out. Not here! The food was incredible. It tasted like and elevated version of something we might make at home. The lamb burger and goat stew were just fantastic and full of flavor. This is the best meal I have had out in over 3 years. Highly, highly, highly recommend. Great service too!

A friend suggested we stop in for lunch. It is one of his favorite restaurants. I must say, I was very impressed. The food was great. There was a good selection on the menu. It is definitely worth trying. I will be back.

Absolutely delicious. The coconut lentil stew and coconut chicken curry and coconut shrimp were outstanding. Highly recommend.

I will say the crab cakes were nothing short of amazing. For an entree, I had the combination plate with goat stew, peanut chicken, and chickpea berbere. The last two were delicious but I really didn't like the goat stew. I also tried the flour less chocolate cake to go and I ended up tossing it. Response to owner: Yes, goat was a little outside of our comfort zone. The veggies and sauce with the goat stew were amazing though. The chocolate cake though was stale. We did take it to go, but it went straight into the fridge upon getting back to the hotel

Absolutely delicious! The jerk chicken is so good! The Coconut curry I believe is so good!

I got marrocan Kabab was good but

We were in town for almost a week and couldn’t resist going here time and time again! The food was very well cooked and absolutely delicious with just the right amount of blend of savory flavors! We met the chef and it is clear they have very many repeat customers. I will definitely return anytime I am in the area.

The food is phenomenal! Friendly staff!

Fantastic, flavorful food! We were visiting Santa Fe for a few days and ate there twice - it was that good! The atmosphere is relaxing, friendly staff. Great experience I would highly recommend Jambo Cafe to anyone looking for a taste of Afro Caribbean food.

Wonderful flavors of the Caribbean and Africa. We enjoyed some unique food that was well presented. You don't come here for the location or atmosphere, although the interior was clear and organized if not a bit worn.

Delicious food for both vegetarians and meat eaters. Great options for people who want to try something with a little or a lot of kick. Really great all around.

The food here was excellent. We were a large group and the service was exceptional. We had a lot of different dishes and everything was interesting and tasty.

My favorite place to eat in Santa Fe! Sometimes it can take a minute for your food to come out. I say this not a criticism, because they're always busy(for good reason). Rather so that you can go in with the right expectations in order to enjoy this amazing restaurant!

The oxtail stew is simply amazing

Friendly staff and amazing Caribbean cuisine. I’ve loved every dish I’ve tried. Once at Christmas, I wanted to buy a pecan pie. They only had pies in glass plates. Sold it to me and simply asked I return the dish later. Amazing experience every time I go.

An absolute must when you're in Santa Fe! Amazing flavors, every bite I had was delicious!

Food was great, especially the coconut chicken curry and plantains, but avoid the Chai

We were there on 4/4/24. Food was okay, not stellar. The thing that made me mad was that they added an automatic 20% tip to our bill, because we had six people. Service was slow and poor -- for instance, none of us got drinks because they forgot to ask. Unfortunately, we didn't notice that the tip had been added, and we added an extra tip! If you're reading this Jambo, please refund the extra tip to the other family that shared our bill. Our bill was $138 for six people, with only water to drink and one person only getting a $10 salad. I think the total we ordered was $108, and the rest was tax and tip. Yikes!

Interesting food. Great place to escape and try something not ordinary. The spices are well selected. Order sampler to try multiple dishes.

I actually didn't visit this place. I was parked near by

My son was looking for the best fries in Santa Fe, and I found Jambo Cafe. He ordered all 3 varieties to try, and he loved them. Very large portions - we had to take some home. They have some nice vegan options, and a salad for raw vegans. We got to meet the owner, and he was very welcoming. The place has African ambience, with a shop with handmade crafts, fabrics, artwork, spices, and the book written by the owner of the restaurant.

3 times visiting Santa Fe and 4 times eating here. It's our favorite place in a town with many food options. Highly recommend the goat stew.

Having never eaten here, the server was happy to lead us down the menu path. And what a delicious journey. Not too pricey and still, worth every bite and penny. The Lemon fries blew my mind!! A must try!

One of my favorite spots in Santa Fe. Definitely recommend the Kenyan style beef kabobs, with a Naan and house made Chai 🤌

The Jambo Cafe was great choice for our short stay in Santa Fe. The combination plate was super tasty… I loved the way the rice was cooked and the chickpea stew! And the jerk chicken wings …👌 I was sad that they had ran out of roti but we arrived late on a Friday night so I guess that’s the learning! The wine was great and my favorite part was meeting Chef Ahmed who came to check if we had enjoyed our meal. They have a beautiful store on site open as late as the restaurant which is also worth checking out! Whenever I’m in Santa Fe I’ll be stopping by to try to catch that famous Roti!!

Moroccan lamb stew was amazing. Great wine list.

My first time, great atmosphere. Waitress took order, than we didn’t see her again appr.40 minutes. Cold food, reheated in microwave, she didn’t care at all. Never again.

Amazing food. The crab cakes were so good! The Lamu coconut shrimp and vegetarian dishes were so flavorful. This is by far the best food we had while in Santa Fe.

Always wonderful! My favorite food in Santa Fe.

The food was some of the best I have ever had. Very unique flavors. It smells great from the moment you walk in. We had the crab cake appetizer which was amazing. I had the shrimp dish and my husband had the combo dinner all vegetarian. If I lived here, I would eat here at least once a week!

Waitress took order, then she disappeared we askedemployees for our waitress. She came 40 minutes later with cold food. Then food was microwaved and soggy. So disappointed. First time here.

Delicious and eclectic. The fusion of many beautiful and exotic cuisines wonderfully prepared and presented.

Food is delicious but portions could be larger. Service was excellent and atmosphere was pretty good, done up well but basic sort of space and accoutrements.

Probably the best food in Santa Fe

Absolutely delicious food. I had the curried coconut encrusted tilapia with a cup of curried black bean sweet potato soup. For a starter we had the cinnamon dusted plantains. My friends had the combo plate and the lame coconut pili pili shrimp. Everything was flavorful and not overwhelming. This is a wonderful place to try African food. There were vegetarian dishes too.

Although I was a bit hesitant to dine for lunch there, I decided to change my attitude and walk in with open arms. After perusing their menu beforehand, I picked a dish that seemed safe and something I've experienced before (think Thai) so I chose their curry dish with beef. Actually it was very good--as I ate every bit of it!!! I had a delicious and delightful drink to wash it all down with. I chose their lemonade with ginger and it was great! For desert by buddy and I chose bothe the keylime with a chocolate crust and it was devine! The other desert was a chocolate dish with pecans and a liquor infused and it was amamazing!!! The service was extraordinary, as the young lady who served us was from Georgia and she was fast and very attentive. I'm going with a all--around ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ score for my lunch meal and service. So even though it reads African & Caribbean dishes; come with a smile and an open mind, because when you walk out, you'll still be smiling with a full stomach and happy with their overall service and happy you went... Santa Fe is definitely named "the city different" because of places like these, that have great dishes and understand that the town's diverse culture will flock because we're all searching for something different that will entice our pallet. Try it out!!! As they say, Jambo!!! Enjoy!!!😁🤝🏻🙆🏻🙋🏻 J. Rodney Tafoya A happy first timer

Great little spot. We were seated immediately. The chai tea was amazing. We had wings and we also a combination platter and another lamb stew platter. Great flavors, huge portions, got a roti on the side and it was awesome. Really enjoyed the flavors but couldn't finish the platter.

Absolutely incredible restaurant with homely staff and excellent food. Would recommend to anyone and will return if I get the chance.

Excellent meals for very reasonable prices. The combo plate is an excellent sample of different delicious dishes. Friendly and helpful staff, and a nice atmosphere. One of our favorite places to go to.

A must go to when you come to Santa Fe!! Great service and the food/flavors are amazing. Jerk wings, plantains, rice beans, refreshing drinks. Can’t wait to come back

Lovely meal at Jambo. Jerk chicken and plantains were excellent. The ginger lemonade was also really refreshing.

My first time eating at an African Restaurant. I had blackbean sweet potato curry soup, and carry out braised oxtail and monfongo. This place did not disappoint. Everything was fresh and delicious.

I came expecting great food and a photo of guy fieri and was not disappointed. The picture of him is exactly what I had hoped it was. See photo #2. Chef Obo came out after our meal to say thank you and we were very excited to tell him how much we enjoyed the meal. See the meal, photo #1. I will be back and recommend you go as well!

This place is incredibly every single time I go in there. Nice to see that after years of being in business, they still make great food

One of the most satisfying meals i’ve had! We ordered the curry encrusted goat cheese salad, the mixed fries, and the combination plate (tofu, lentils, chickpea). Everything was amazing and well rounded. The ginger lemonade was perfectly spicy and refreshing. Highly recommended for anyone staying in Santa Fe. Totally worth the drive if you’re staying on the Plaza.