Mahari brings not just the vibrant cuisines of the African diaspora to Chicago, but chefs tracing their cultures and blazing their own paths.
Executive chef/owner Rahim Muhammad and his mother/co-owner, Shawn Muhammad, at Mahari in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Chicago on July 9, 2025. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune)
The dining room at Mahari, located in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood, July 9, 2025. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune)
The prawn and polenta dish at Mahari. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune)
French toast flambé. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune)
Beverage director Lisa Brown at Mahari, 1504 E 55th St, in the Hyde Park neighborhood, Wednesday, July 9, 2025. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune)
The sambusa trio at Mahari, 1504 E 55th St, in the Hyde Park neighborhood, Wednesday, July 9, 2025. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune)
Sobolo nonalcoholic drink at Mahari. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune)
Salmon cala fritters at Mahari. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune)
Executive chef/owner Rahim Muhammad in the kitchen of Mahari, in Hyde Park, on July 9, 2025. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune)
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Executive chef/owner Rahim Muhammad and his mother/co-owner, Shawn Muhammad, at Mahari in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Chicago on July 9, 2025. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune)