Rafiki Bistro?

[bear]

Haven't seen any board reports on Rafiki in the old Forest Cafe space. The yelp reviews are mixed but mostly positive, and a search brought me to the blog iamalwaysbroke.com, which also had mixed reviews (burger was pretty small, chicken looked great).

Prices seem pretty good, and the space seems nice. I'm thinking of checking it out within the next couple of weeks.

Anyone been?

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Rafiki Bistro
1682 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02138

[katzzz]

Anyone been lately? This place seems to have generated so little buzz that even though I live not too far away it never occurs to me to give it a try. Located between Temple Bar and West Side Lounge, it almost seems redundant. Is there any reason to go aside from curiosity?

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West Side Lounge
1680 Mass Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138

[triple creme]

Hate to say it, but most of the food I've tried there has been really, really bland. I had a good wild mushroom dish there for brunch, and a decent margherita pizza. Everything else I have tried there has tasted like a militant anti-hypertension regimen: no salt for you.

[Soxfan49]

Tried it last night for the first time and was underwhelmed. Had the special fig, sage, and taleggio flatbread pizza and the roast chicken. The pizza was far too chewy. I don't know if it was the dough or cooking method, but it was devoid of any crispiness whatsoever. The roast chicken was juicy and the skin was very crispy, but it was a little mushy. The mashed potatoes where also lumpy. I will say the waitress was very pleasant and attentive. It won't be going on my list of regular restaurants, but wouldn't be opposed to giving it a second shot if friends were headed there.

[smld77]

I was there last night for a birthday dinner and would consider going back. The appetizers and entrees were very good, with flairs of creativity. The staff were friendly, but a bit slow on the service. The drinks were delicious!

[Bob Dobalina]

Anyone been back here since the initial opening?

[bear]

Sorry, Bob, I was remiss in not following up after my original post. We went for breakfast and for dinner shortly after I originally posted. Breakfast was decent, not too expensive and tasty, although I'd agree with litchick that the potatoes could use work, since they did have a bit of that orangey color that comes from too much paprika, and weren't crispy (I'm a sucker for good homefries.) I still managed to eat them, though. We both had the bacon-cheese skillet, and the serving size was reasonable and the whole-grain toast was fine. We split a very good piece of peach coffee cake and coffee was good.

Four of us went to dinner, and I'll try and remember what we ordered. We started with warm Great Hill Blue (with honey, figs and toast points, I think) and a grilled margarita pizza. Both were tasty. Two of us got roasted half-chicken on nice mashed potatoes. The chicken was just a tad overcooked but still had some juices when it came out, the flavor was good and the skin was a bit crispy. I think they serves broccolini on the side. The seared scallops on a cumin-scented white bean "cassoulet" were probably the highlight of the meal. The vegetarian mushroom ravioli made my veggie son happy, and he was pleased that there were a few veggie options on the menu. We were full but all had a taste of key lime cheesecake, which seemed house-made and was fine but not memorable. Service was very good.

All in all, we enjoyed the meal and the atmosphere and thought the prices were reasonable. I wouldn't consider it a destination place, though. I don't think that they'll put Temple Bar out of business, but it's a decent addition to the area.

[Bob Dobalina]

Thanks for the report, Bear. Looked over longingly at the Forest Cafe spot recently and realized Rafiki's opening slipped below my radar.

[bear]

Bob, no trace of the ol' Forest left. Pleasant space now, but I do miss the divey atmosphere of the old place and the cheap food.

I should correct myself and say we got a "margherita" pizza, not a "margarita" pizza. Must be memories of drinking at the Forest that made me write that!

[Bob Dobalina]

Awesome slip of the tongue.

[litchick]

Well, meh. That's about the gist of it.

Went this morning for breakfast and was massively underwhelmed.

The good:
Nice space
Pleasant atmosphere (minus the cell-phone talkers all around me -- put it away!)
Decent coffee and pastries

The bad:
The cooked breakfast was pretty terrible, with the exception of the scrambled eggs, which were ok. The hashbrowns were actually sort of vile -- mushy, strangely flavored, and swimming in (and leaching) neon orange grease all over the plate, much to the chagrin of my eggs. The turkey sausage, which the menu proudly boasts is made in house, is of the worst sort: dry/mushy/mealy with absolutely no flavor. Sad grey little turkey pucks. Gah.

The staff was nice, but I'm not inspired to come back for dinner.

However, I probably will swing by some mornings for americanos and baked goods. Those were at least as good as, if not better than, good old Charbucks down the block.

[bee]

I keep getting excited when I see the name of this place thinking it is East African (rafiki means friend in Swahili), and then forgetting about it after I realize it isn't. Thanks for the reminder to check it out!

[beetlebug]

Tried them for breakfast their first week open. The breakfast was just ok. I had the rafiki skillet (don't remember what kind) and it was fine. It wasn't served in a skillet and it came with white bread toast. I cut them slack here since it was the first week. The home fries were interesting. They were leftover unfried, french fries sauteed into home fries. I loved the idea but they were bland.

But, Rafiki has excellent coffee and their pastries are from Iggy's (croissants and bagels) and Nashoba Brook Bakery (scones and coffee cake). The peach coffee cake is delicious and pairs beautifully with their coffee.

I would go back and try the breakfast since I was there opening week. But, the coffee and coffee cake are definitely worth a takeout breakfast.

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Nashoba Brook Bakery Cafe
152 Commonwealth Ave., Concord, MA 01742

[litchick]

Do you recall if it's set up in the mornings so one could drop in and get a coffee/pastry to go?

(If so, it will have a leg up over Starbucks a few blocks down, since you technically can't park in the spots outside Starbucks in the morning, but you can at Rafiki.)

[beetlebug]

Yes. The pastries and coffee are right at the bar. They make lattes and other kinds of Starbucky coffee as well as "plain" coffee.

[bookdwarf]

I was there on Friday night, but just for drinks, so I can't speak for the food. The bar is nice as are the bartenders. I had issues with the decor and the music though. I felt like I had stepped into the 90s. My friend said the same thing. Perhaps the food makes up for that?

[bear]

Thanks. I'll report back if we go to eat.