Jambo Cafe ABQ

Ahmed M. Obo is founder and chef-owner of Jambo Café in Santa Fe, NM.

Originally from Lamu, an island off the coast of Kenya, Ahmed came to America in 1995, worked in restaurant kitchens in Santa Fe and New York, and opened Jambo Café in August, 2009. Popular with locals and families, foodies and tourists, Jambo and Chef Ahmed have been winning accolades and awards since the restaurant first opened. Starting in 2010, Ahmed won Santa Fe’s Souper Bowl four years in a row, competing against the best chefs in the city.

Jambo was voted #1 Best Ethnic/International Restaurant for six years running in the Santa Fe Reporter’s annual “Best of Santa Fe” competition and Best Chef in Santa Fe in 2015, 2016, and 2017. A beloved and admired member of the Santa Fe community, Chef Ahmed participates in events for Gerard’s House, Kitchen Angels, The Food Depot, Creativity for Peace, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, St. Elizabeth’s Shelter, and many more. He is an annual participant in the Santa Fe Wine and Chile Fiesta and in ArtFeast.

In 2013, Jambo Café was featured in the ‘Sammies and Stews’ episode of The Food Network’s Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. Chef Ahmed published his first cookbook, The Jambo Cafe Cookbook: Recipes and Remembrances of My Journey from Africa to America in 2016. Chef began serving his Afro-Caribe fare on the road with Jambo Hapa, the Jambo Cafe food truck in 2016 and in April of 2017 he opened another Jambo Cafe in Albuquerque, New Mexico.