About Jambo Cafe
Winner of numerous awards, Jambo Café is proud to be named by the Santa Fe Reporter for the Best International Cuisine for 13 years running and Chef Ahmed Obo for “Best Chef” from 2015 – 2023. Jambo Café was featured on the Food Network’s Diners, Drive-ins and Dives in 2013 and again in 2023. In 2022, Chef Ahmed Obo received a nomination from the James Beard Awards for Best Chef in the Southwest.
Chef Ahmed and Jambo Cafe have a food truck called—Jambo Hapa (Hapa means “here” in Swahili)—serving up Jambo favorites. Jambo Hapa has a lighter schedule than before covid, but is still seen out and about throughout the Summer festivities.
The exotic locale of Lamu Island, off the coast of Kenya, with its fusion of Swahili, Indian, Arabic, and European influences, is at the heart of Owner-Chef Ahmed Obo’s spirited cuisine. It was there, in his mother’s aromatic kitchen, that Ahmed mastered his homeland’s unique and fragrant cooking style, beginning a culinary adventure eventually leading him to Santa Fe, New Mexico where, in 2009, he opened Jambo Café. We’re proud to have celebrated 14 years of service in Santa Fe.
Jambo Café has a legion of loyal fans who wax eloquent over Chef Obo’s mouth-watering fare. Whether it’s table-side, take-out or walk-in catering you crave, Jambo Café will tempt your palate with spices just right.