Tam Tam's African Restaurant

Recommend: Worth a try

Food: Somewhat tasty

Price: Inexpensive-Moderate ($9-$15/dish)

Service: Average

Ambience: Casual to Nice

Address: 605 Cedar Avenue South

Minneapolis, MN 55454

Phone: (612)339-0854

Hours: Sun-Thur 11am-10pm

Fri & Sat 11am-midnight

(Lunch Special Mon-Fri 11-3)

Website: www.tamtamsrestaurant.com

In the heart of Cedar-Riverside on a Friday night, we expected that Tam Tam's would be bustling with African diners. To our disappointment, there were no Africans in the restaurant besides the owner and two workers, and for a while we were in fact the only customers in the restaurant (another couple arrived a bit later). Though quiet, the place inside was nice but not remarkable. The food also was good but not remarkable. On Tam Tam's example menu online they have listed the West African staple fufu, or mashed plantain, which I was excited to try. Unfortunately, they didn't actually have fufu. Instead we ordered Eland's Supper ($13.99) and Palm Butter Stew with chicken ($11.99). Eland's supper came with a vegetable pie and lentil sambosa (top picture), and a big bowl of Vegetable Delight (a vegetable stew) accompanied by injera and collard greens (front two dishes in bottom picture). The vegetable pie had a mix of potatoes and other veggies and some nice spices. The lentil sambosa also had a some fairly tasty spices mixed into the whole lentils, but neither appetizer was outstanding.

Similarly, the vegetable stew, collard greens and injera were all satisfying but lacking a little something. The Palm Butter Stew on the other hand, which came with basmati rice and fried plantain, was pretty good. This dish was a new one for me and I would definitely get it again. It was very homogeneous and as you can see, doesn't look incredibly appetizing, but had a very interesting flavor. We got it with the chicken this time but may try one of the other options, goat or beef, next time. The sweet plantains went well with the stew but the rice seemed like it had been cooked earlier in the day and sat for a while.

The portions were generous, though I suppose appropriate for the price. All around the experience was not bad, but there are many other African restaurants in the cities I'd like to try before going back to Tam Tam's.