Detroit’s own Baobab Fare just got its flowers on a national stage. The East African restaurant at 6568 Woodward Ave has been named one of the Top 100 Black-Owned Businesses of 2026 by Emerald Book, a curated national list of vetted Black-owned businesses across the country’s biggest metro areas. Detroit made the map, and Baobab Fare is on it.
The spot is run by owners Nadia Nijimbere and Hamissi Mamba, serving East African comfort food right in the New Center, steps from the Fisher Theatre. Slow-roasted goat shank (Mbuzi), flash-fried fish (Samaki), coconut rice, plantains — generous plates, bright room, everybody treated like family. That’s the reputation they built.
And this isn’t a one-time nod. Baobab Fare also holds OpenTable Icons honors for 2026 — its third straight year on that list, after 2024 and 2025. Consistency like that is earned, plate by plate.
From a Detroit kitchen to a national list — that’s what on the rise looks like. Congratulations to Baobab Fare. Pull up, bring your appetite, and support.
Read the full story: https://emeraldbook.org/newsletter/mar-0526/ and https://www.opentable.com/r/baobab-fare-detroit
Tap in. — LORDZ
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