We recently had the pleasure of having Swahili Spot cater our company lunch in Palo Alto, and the experience was nothing short of phenomenal! From start to finish, the entire process was seamless, and the food was an absolute delight.
Chef Priscilla Mkenda is a gem and a joy to work with. She was incredibly friendly, punctual, and went above and beyond to ensure all our needs were accommodated. She effortlessly catered to a variety of dietary considerations, providing delicious spicy, non-spicy, gluten-free, and vegetarian options that satisfied everyone on our team.
The food itself was absolutely fantastic—delicious, fresh, and bursting with authentic Tanzanian, Ugandan, and Kenyan flavors. We received countless compliments from our colleagues, who all agreed that it was one of the best catered lunches we've ever had. The quality and portion sizes were exceptional, especially for the price.
Swahili Spot is truly a unique find in the Bay Area, offering a taste of East African cuisine that is hard to come by. We would highly recommend Chef Priscilla to anyone looking for a memorable, delicious, and affordable catering experience and would absolutely work with her again in the future. Thanks, Priscilla and team!
Food: 5
Service: 5
Alexandra M. Sims
Amazing restaurant run by Priscilla a woman with Uganadan and Tanzanian roots. Try the whole fish and the chapati. I also loved the tamarind juice.
The food was super authentic and reminded me of my time in Kenya. Staff was super nice and music was great 😊
Will be back!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Megan Timmens
Took my Tanzanian exchange student there for a taste of home. Walked into a cozy place where the owner welcomed us and talked to my student and other customers as if they were good friends. We had the fried fish and curry dishes. Everything was so delicious--we enjoyed every bite. Especially the cabbage! Overall one of the best places I have eaten, perfectly authentic, with a wonderfully friendly atmosphere.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Whole Fried Fish
Aisha Jamila Shah
Extremely delicious and nutritious, with vegan options available! 😋🍴🌱
Ryan Wihera
Had this spot on my radar for months and finally stopped in one Sunday for a quick lunch and I wish I'd been by sooner!! Delicious, flavorful, and made with home cooking-style love! We shared the curry chicken with mung beans and veggie combo over rice n beans with plantains and mandazi (lightly sweet fried bread) and a side of hot sauce we put all over it all. So good. It's hearty, filling food (good for sharing) but not heavy or greasy. Can't wait to try more - get your butts down here and get a plate!
Isaiah Smith
Best African food in the Bay!
Sheryn Shahwan
What a gem of a place. I know Africa has a lot to offer in terms of cuisine so I decided to explore Tanzanian food. The flavors are like symphony in my mouth. I had the chicken curry bowl and chicken sambusa and accompanied it with the hibiscus juice. I was in heaven. The lady behind the counter who was preparing my food was also charming and generous enough to have me try their coconut rice cake which is called Vitumbua. It was delicious. I live about 45 minutes away but will definitely return!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Anthony Lee
We had a catered lunch from Swahili Spot, and overall, it was a good experience. The Bongo Beef had nice flavor, but there was a bit too much fat for my liking. The Zanzibar Chicken also had good seasoning, though it came out a bit dry. I really enjoyed the fresh and tasty green salad, and the coconut rice was wonderfully aromatic. The Makande Stew was an interesting dish with firm and chewy ingredients—a unique first-time experience for me. The sautéed greens, however, were cooked down a little too much. All in all, it was a solid meal, though a few improvements would have made it even better.
Food: 3
Alyssa “Pearl” Johnson
This place is soo good! Everything I’ve had from here is cooked perfectly. The meat is tender, slow cooked and flavorful. I hadn’t had this type of cooking before coming here but I’m so glad I tried it! I really hope this restaurant stays around. It’s kind of hidden/a whole in the wall but a true gem. Stop in and try it out, you won’t be disappointed.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Alexander Boulgakov
I just now realized my photo is blurry :((((
Anyways, I believe this is my first time eating Tanzanian food. It was flavorful, with good ingredients, and cooked right there.
The owner is a very kind and interesting person. She also runs a food truck. In fact, her most popular dish sold out yesterday when she took her truck to Oakland First Fridays.
We had a great conversation about the food and Oakland.
It is not super cheap. I ate the beef curry special (pictured) and a dessert (not pictured) for $25. But it's worth it. There aren't many Tanzanian restaurants around. If you want to try something different and have a real warm experience with the host, this is the place.
The food was amazing! Priscilla is a lovely woman with a beautiful heart and kind attitude. I had the chicken curry, sambusa, and mandazi. It tasted as if I was back in Tanzania. Great vibes, amazing food!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Sambusa
Abel Misha Gille Esbenshade
Delicious food, really nice people. Just a bit pricey
Wheelchair accessibility: No stairs
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Chicken Curry Rice Bowl
Christine Spang
Great food and upbeat vibes! You've got to try the whole fried fish. Will def be making this a regular spot.
First time eating here. I got the Chicken Curry rice bowl with the sides and hot sauce. It was so delicious!!! Amazing. And? Next time I’ll ask for less rice and more food on top. It was pretty rice heavy and wished I’d gotten twice as many greens. And weird - I only got one piece plantain, and? regardless- the my meal was amazing. Service was kind and friendly.Love this place!!!Welcome to West Oakland!! ??
We recently had the pleasure of having Swahili Spot cater our company lunch in Palo Alto, and the experience was nothing short of phenomenal! From start to finish, the entire process was seamless, and the food was an absolute delight.
Chef Priscilla Mkenda is a gem and a joy to work with. She was incredibly friendly, punctual, and went above and beyond to ensure all our needs were accommodated. She effortlessly catered to a variety of dietary considerations, providing delicious spicy, non-spicy, gluten-free, and vegetarian options that satisfied everyone on our team.
The food itself was absolutely fantastic—delicious, fresh, and bursting with authentic Tanzanian, Ugandan, and Kenyan flavors. We received countless compliments from our colleagues, who all agreed that it was one of the best catered lunches we've ever had. The quality and portion sizes were exceptional, especially for the price.
Swahili Spot is truly a unique find in the Bay Area, offering a taste of East African cuisine that is hard to come by. We would highly recommend Chef Priscilla to anyone looking for a memorable, delicious, and affordable catering experience and would absolutely work with her again in the future. Thanks, Priscilla and team!
Food: 5
Service: 5
Amazing restaurant run by Priscilla a woman with Uganadan and Tanzanian roots. Try the whole fish and the chapati. I also loved the tamarind juice.
The food was super authentic and reminded me of my time in Kenya. Staff was super nice and music was great 😊
Will be back!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Took my Tanzanian exchange student there for a taste of home. Walked into a cozy place where the owner welcomed us and talked to my student and other customers as if they were good friends. We had the fried fish and curry dishes. Everything was so delicious--we enjoyed every bite. Especially the cabbage! Overall one of the best places I have eaten, perfectly authentic, with a wonderfully friendly atmosphere.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Whole Fried Fish
Extremely delicious and nutritious, with vegan options available! 😋🍴🌱
Had this spot on my radar for months and finally stopped in one Sunday for a quick lunch and I wish I'd been by sooner!! Delicious, flavorful, and made with home cooking-style love! We shared the curry chicken with mung beans and veggie combo over rice n beans with plantains and mandazi (lightly sweet fried bread) and a side of hot sauce we put all over it all. So good. It's hearty, filling food (good for sharing) but not heavy or greasy. Can't wait to try more - get your butts down here and get a plate!
Best African food in the Bay!
What a gem of a place. I know Africa has a lot to offer in terms of cuisine so I decided to explore Tanzanian food. The flavors are like symphony in my mouth. I had the chicken curry bowl and chicken sambusa and accompanied it with the hibiscus juice. I was in heaven. The lady behind the counter who was preparing my food was also charming and generous enough to have me try their coconut rice cake which is called Vitumbua. It was delicious. I live about 45 minutes away but will definitely return!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We had a catered lunch from Swahili Spot, and overall, it was a good experience. The Bongo Beef had nice flavor, but there was a bit too much fat for my liking. The Zanzibar Chicken also had good seasoning, though it came out a bit dry. I really enjoyed the fresh and tasty green salad, and the coconut rice was wonderfully aromatic. The Makande Stew was an interesting dish with firm and chewy ingredients—a unique first-time experience for me. The sautéed greens, however, were cooked down a little too much. All in all, it was a solid meal, though a few improvements would have made it even better.
Food: 3
This place is soo good! Everything I’ve had from here is cooked perfectly. The meat is tender, slow cooked and flavorful. I hadn’t had this type of cooking before coming here but I’m so glad I tried it! I really hope this restaurant stays around. It’s kind of hidden/a whole in the wall but a true gem. Stop in and try it out, you won’t be disappointed.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I just now realized my photo is blurry :((((
Anyways, I believe this is my first time eating Tanzanian food. It was flavorful, with good ingredients, and cooked right there.
The owner is a very kind and interesting person. She also runs a food truck. In fact, her most popular dish sold out yesterday when she took her truck to Oakland First Fridays.
We had a great conversation about the food and Oakland.
It is not super cheap. I ate the beef curry special (pictured) and a dessert (not pictured) for $25. But it's worth it. There aren't many Tanzanian restaurants around. If you want to try something different and have a real warm experience with the host, this is the place.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Bongo Beef Rice Bowl
Restaurantji Recommends
The food was amazing! Priscilla is a lovely woman with a beautiful heart and kind attitude. I had the chicken curry, sambusa, and mandazi. It tasted as if I was back in Tanzania. Great vibes, amazing food!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Sambusa
Delicious food, really nice people. Just a bit pricey
Wheelchair accessibility: No stairs
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Chicken Curry Rice Bowl
Great food and upbeat vibes! You've got to try the whole fried fish. Will def be making this a regular spot.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Whole Fried Fish, Bongo Beef Rice Bowl
First time eating here. I got the Chicken Curry rice bowl with the sides and hot sauce. It was so delicious!!! Amazing. And? Next time I’ll ask for less rice and more food on top. It was pretty rice heavy and wished I’d gotten twice as many greens. And weird - I only got one piece plantain, and? regardless- the my meal was amazing. Service was kind and friendly.Love this place!!!Welcome to West Oakland!! ??
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Chicken Curry Rice Bowl, Chapaci
Good food, sweet lady that owns the place.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
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