Mesob Restaurant Is Opening in Boston's South End

An East African dining spot is on its way to the South End of Boston.

According to a licensing board hearing page within the city's website, Mesob Restaurant is planning to open on Washington Street near where it intersects Massachusetts Avenue, with its exact address indicating that it may be taking over the space where the Senegalese dining spot Teranga had been. The listing mentions that the proposed eatery would have one main dining room and that the business is seeking a full liquor license, while a street abutters meeting notice says that it would be an East African restaurant that plans to be open Monday-Thursday from noon to 11:00 PM, Fridays from noon to 1:00 AM, Saturdays, from 8:00 AM to 1:00 AM, and Sundays from 8:00 AM to 11:00 PM.

The address for Mesob Restaurant is 1746-1752 Washington Street, Boston, MA, 02118. Its website can be found at https://www.mesobrestaurantboston.com/

[December 23 update: According to a poster within the South End Community Board Facebook group page, Mesob Restaurant is now open, with the dining spot offering Ethiopian dishes (its website also says it serves Eritrean cuisine as well).]

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Nubian Markets Opens in Roxbury

A new cafe, butchery, and grocery store that focuses on being a community center of sorts has come to a Boston neighborhood that has been seeing its share of redevelopment of late.

Eater Boston is reporting that Nubian Markets is now open in Roxbury, moving into a space on Washington Street in Nubian Square. The website for the business indicates that owners Ismail Samad and Yusuf Yassin hope to connect to longtime residents of the neighborhood, saying that they "look forward to contributing to the efforts that have been long standing in Roxbury, to create a destination that is grounded in the flavors and culture of the people who have been here for generations."

Nubian Markets offers foods of the African diaspora, with its halal options featuring regional African fare; its cafe serves such items as lamb couscous, chickpea peanut stew, jerk chicken, injera and lentils, black-eyed pea fritters, peri peri chicken, harissa lamb, and more.

The address for Nubian Markets is 2565 Washington Street, Roxbury, MA, 02119. Its website can be found at https://www.nubianmarkets.com/

by Marc Hurwitz (Also follow us on Twitter at @hiddenboston)

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[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]

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Sahel Restaurant and Lounge Is Opening in Lowell

A brand new Afro-Caribbean restaurant is coming to the Merrimack Valley.

According to a source (Aron Levy), Sahel Restaurant and Lounge is planning to open in Lowell, moving into a space on Central Street in the downtown section of the city. The menu for the upcoming eatery includes such items as fish cakes, drunken jerk shrimp, scotch eggs, braised oxtail stew, fried red snapper, grilled pork chops, spicy stewed plantains, peanut stew, curry pasta with tofu, and a cauliflower sandwich.

No opening date has been given for Sahel Restaurant and Lounge as of yet, but a note on its website mentions a guest list for its soft opening and grand opening, so it may debut soon.

The address for Sahel Restaurant and Lounge is 135 Central Street, Lowell, MA, 01852. Its website can be found at https://sahelrestaurantlounge.com/

[October 1 update: According to a Facebook post from the place, Sahel Restaurant and Lounge is now open, with its grand opening being held late last week.]

by Marc Hurwitz (Also follow us on Twitter at @hiddenboston)

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[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]

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Gumax Cafe and Grill May Be Opening in Cambridge

A restaurant known in part for its spicy pies with East African influences could be on its way to Cambridge.

According to a poster within the Friends of Boston's Hidden Restaurants Facebook group page, Gumax Cafe and Grill is looking to open on Mass. Ave. between Harvard Square and Central Square, with a sign out front saying that it plans to open this fall. Based on its sole location in Woodbridge, VA, it appears that the upcoming location of the eatery would offer crispy and spicy pies with such fillings as beef, chicken, lobster, crab, and vegetables while also serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner items such as waffles, pancakes, French toast, omelets, sandwiches, steaks, seafood dishes, and more.

The website for the parent company of Gumax Cafe and Grill indicates that the spicy pies offered reflect owner Augustine Guma's roots in Uganda; Guma is currently planning to open more locations of the restaurant in New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Virginia, Washington, DC, and California.

The address for this proposed restaurant in Cambridge is: Gumax Cafe and Grill, 1033 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA, 02138. The website for the place can be found at https://www.gumaxcafeandgrill.com/

[January 31, 2020 update: It appears that plans for Gumax to open in the space on Mass. Ave. have fallen through, as a source tells us that a "For Lease" sign is now up at the space.]

by Marc Hurwitz (Also follow us on Twitter at @hiddenboston)

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[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]

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Tawakal Is Reopening in East Boston

by Marc Hurwitz

A beloved Somali restaurant in East Boston that closed seven years ago is getting ready to return, albeit it in a new space and with a slightly different name.

According to an article from Eater Boston, Tawakal Halal Cafe is opening on Maverick Street in the Jeffries Point area, which is more or less on the other side of Eastie from its old home on Bennington Street in Orient Heights. The post says that the dining spot--which was formerly called Tawakal Halal Cuisine--will soft open on October 28, with an official opening taking place on October 29. The restaurant will be open for lunch and dinner daily, with the plan being to have a "small" menu at the outset.

Tawakal Halal Cuisine debuted in 2010 but closed approximately a year later, transitioning itself at the time into more of a caterer for various events; the eatery had been a favorite among locals and food writers alike, with restaurant critic MC Slim JB praising its "beguiling" cuisine in a Boston Phoenix review, saying it was "food-nerd nirvana."

The address for Tawakal Halal Cafe is 389 Maverick Street, East Boston, MA, 02128. Its Facebook page can be found at https://www.facebook.com/TawakalHalalCafe/>

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Mogogo Ethiopian Cuisine in Malden Has Apparently Closed

by Marc Hurwitz

It looks like an Ethiopian restaurant north of Boston has shut down after a very brief time in business.

According to a post from Eater Boston, Mogogo Ethiopian Cuisine in Malden appears to be out of business, with a tipster for Eater and a Yelp poster saying that the Highland Avenue eatery is indeed closed, while its phone is no longer in service. The dining spot, which had only been open since last September, offered such items as injera, lentil stew, chickpea dumplings, boiled lamb, chicken stew, steak tips, and prime beef.

As soon as we find out why Mogogo may have closed--and what could be going into the space, if anything--we will post an update here.

The address for this now-closed restaurant in Malden was: Mogogo Ethiopian Cuisine, 1 Highland Avenue, Malden, MA, 02148.

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UPDATE: Teranga Restaurant in Boston's South End Reopening After Being Seized by the State

[Ed note: This article was updated on Friday, December 2 to reflect the fact that the restaurant is opening back up again.]

A South End dining spot that is the only one of its kind in Boston is reopening after being shut down by the state.

According to a source, Teranga Restaurant was closed early this week with an orange "seized" sign in the window, with photos sent to us showing that the Washington Street eatery was shut down for nonpayment of taxes and is now in the possession of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. A note on Friday from CBH Communications, however, indicates that the restaurant is opening back up again, apparently this evening, though definitely this weekend.

Teranga first opened in 2009, bringing to the South End the first (and only) Senegalese dining spot in the city of Boston. Its menu includes such items as fish cakes, lamb stew, grilled tilapia, skewered cubes of filet mignon, and fried millet donuts.,

The address for Teranga Restaurant is 1746 Washington Street, Boston, MA 02118. Its website can be found at http://www.terangaboston.com/

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Suya Joint in Roslindale Moving from Roslindale to Roxbury

It looks like one of the only restaurants in Boston that serves Nigerian food is moving.

Eater Boston is reporting that Suya Joint in Roslindale is closing in preparation for a move from its current Poplar Street location to Dudley Square in Roxbury. The article says that its final day in business in Roslindale Village is later this week, though it is not known whether the last day is Friday, January 29 or Saturday, January 30 (a note on the restaurant's Facebook page says "Friday, January 30"). It appears that the eatery will open in its new space in Roxbury sometime this spring.

[January 22, 2016 update: A new article from Eater Boston states that Suya Joint is now open in its new home in Roxbury.]

Suya Joint first opened in February of 2012, moving into the space where the Bangkok Cafe had once been; the dining spot offers West African cuisine, with an emphasis on Nigerian fare.

The new address for Suya Joint will be 185 Dudley Street, Roxbury, MA, 02119. Its website can be found at http://www.suyajoint.com/

Suya Joint to Replace Bangkok Cafe in Roslindale

It looks like an African restaurant is coming to Roslindale, and it will apparently be moving into the space where a Thai spot has been for the past several years.

According to the restaurant's website, Suya Joint is planning on having a grand opening for their restaurant sometime this month on Poplar Street. The address that they give is that of the Bangkok Cafe, which has been in Roslindale Village since 2005, and a PDF page on the City of Boston website seems to confirm that Bangkok Cafe will be replaced by Suya Joint, as a transfer of a liquor license from one business to the other was discussed during a Licensing Board meeting last month.

The 35-seat Suya Joint will be featuring West African cuisine, with an emphasis on Nigerian fare. It will also offer catering, according to its website.

[February 13, 2012 update: According to Universal Hub, Suya Joint is now open. (Thanks to food/drinks writer MC Slim JB for bringing this to our attention.)]

The address for the new Suya Joint is: Suya Joint, 25 Poplar Street, Roslindale, MA, 02123. The website for the restaurant can be found at http://www.wix.com/dowcreativesolutions/suya-joint

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Tawakal Halal Cuisine in East Boston Has Closed

Boston's only Somali restaurant has closed its doors, as the folks behind the place have decided to concentrate on their catering business.

According to their website, Tawakal Halal Cuisine on Bennington Street in the Orient Heights section of East Boston shut its restaurant down at the beginning of this month, transitioning into becoming a caterer for various events. The note on the front page of their site indicates that the site itself will remain active, as will their Facebook and Twitter pages.

Tawakal Halal Cuisine first opened in the fall of 2010, bringing to this section of East Boston a casual spot featuring East African cuisine, with the main focus on Somali fare. Some of the items served at the restaurant included vegetable sambusas, roti, beef kababs, potato fritters, goat soup, grilled chicken breast, chicken biryani, and tilapia chapati.

The address for this now-closed Somali restaurant in East Boston was: Tawakal Halal Cuisine, 1004 Bennington Street, East Boston, MA 02128. The website for the catering business can be found at http://www.tawakalcuisine.com/

Thanks to a poster on the Chowhound site for bringing this to our attention.

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Owner of Teranga in Boston's South End to Compete on "Chopped" Tuesday, June 28

The chef and owner of Boston's only Senegalese restaurant is going to be on the next episode of a popular Food Network show.

An email sent to us by CBH Communications indicates that Marie-Claude Mendy of Teranga in the South End of Boston will be participating in Ted Allen's show "Chopped" next Tuesday (June 28). The episode, which airs at 10:00 PM, will pit Marie-Claude against other chefs, taking everyday ingredients and using them in a three-course meal that will be reviewed by a panel of judges. The winner of the episode will be awarded $10,000.

Marie-Claude Mendy first opened Teranga about two years ago on Washington Street, bringing to the neighborhood a place to get West African dishes such as grilled tilapia, fish balls, grilled chicken with vermicelli, lamb stew, herb-stuffed whitefish, and accra (black-eyed pea fritters). The address for the restaurant is: Teranga Restaurant, 1746 Washington Street, Boston, MA 02118. The phone number is (617) 266-0003. And the website can be found at http://www.terangaboston.com/

A web link for "Chopped" can be found at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/chopped/

[June 29 update: Marie-Claude Mendy won last night's "Chopped" competition, beating three other chefs and winning $10,000 in the process. A link containing a bit more information on the episode can be found here, including when it will be shown again: Thyme Flies: Chopped]

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Latest Review: Habesha Restaurant, Malden

The latest review on the Boston's Hidden Restaurants Web site is for an Ethiopian dining spot in Malden, MA, called Habesha Restaurant. Located on Main Street in a strip of small shops just north of downtown, Habesha is a tiny restaurant with a handful of tables and a bar area inside the dining room. The menu includes a number of traditional Ethiopian dishes, including some that are highly spicy. Prices are reasonable and service is friendly and helpful. To read more about Habesha Restaurant in Malden, please click on the link above.

Latest Review: Fasika in Somerville

The latest review that is on the Boston's Hidden Restaurants Web site is for an Ethiopian dining spot on Broadway in East Somerville called Fasika Ethiopian Restaurant. Fasika is an offbeat place that includes a sedate, serene dining room on the left side (complete with traditional Ethiopian basket tables) and a raucous working-class bar full of Somerville townies on the right. The food at Fasika is cheap, fresh, and delicious, and compares favorably to Addis Red Sea, a critically acclaimed Ethiopian restaurant in the South End of Boston and Porter Square in Cambridge. To read more about Fasika in Somerville, please click on the link above.