April 12, 2024
Michaela Althouse/PhillyVoice
Mamajuana Cafe's first Philadelphia location, at 1000 Frankford Ave. in Fishtown, opens Thursday. The New York-based chain is known for its Dominican dishes and sushi.
Mamajuana Cafe, the New York-based restaurant chain known for its Dominican food and sushi, is taking a slightly different approach to its first Philadelphia location, which opens Thursday in Fishtown.
Located a few steps from Brooklyn Bowl and the Filmore, the restaurant will be the chain's most upscale location yet, and also the first with extensive vegan options. Mamajuana Cafe offers Dominican bites and a vacation-like vibe, plus a DJ lounge and sushi.
David Heredia, a Mamajuana group representative, said they received numerous requests to open a Philly location – especially from New Yorkers who had moved to the area. But they ultimately made the move after a member of the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia fell in love with the cafe and helped facilitate the new restaurant.
"We've been looking for the right location in Philly, for the right time to go out there. We think that Fishtown was a really good location for us to open because of the whole scene out there," Heredia said. "We love the fact that there's a lot of art, dining, bars, comedy clubs, theaters. ... All the culture that it had."
The 10,000-square-foot restaurant, at 1000 Frankford Ave., seats 350 inside, with another 30 at the bar and 60 more on the patio. It's taking over the space that once housed Mad Rex, an apocalypse-themed restaurant that opened in 2017 and closed amid the pandemic. It later held The Fin, a restaurant from the Crab du Jour team that closed after three months in 2022.
Mamajuana Cafe in Fishtown has 350 indoor seats, plus another 30 at the bar and 60 more on the patio.
Mamajuana has a menu that emphasizes Dominican dishes and includes Caribbean and Asian-fusion offerings. Chefs Alexis Rosario and Jose Zarazuela created a Philadelphia-specific menu for this cafe, Heredia said, though it has some of the favorites from other Mamajuana locations.
Diners can snack on Thai fried calamari, eggplant and oxtail croquettes, or try the classic burger, ribeye or sushi. (Yes, there's a cheesesteak roll). Main courses include oxtail fettuccini, stuffed cassava and roasted pork shoulder. Meals are finished off with corn flan, Nutella tacos and tres leches cake.
Mamajuana also has a full bar and lounge, and plans to bring in DJs and live musicians for diners to enjoy.
"We want them to have an experience that hopefully gets their mind outside of their regular routine or their day and it makes it seem like they're on vacation — that they're in Punta Cana or something," Heredia said. "So that's the vision that we have with that location."
Mamajuana Cafe's menu emphasizes Dominican dishes and includes Caribbean and Asian-fusion offerings. Above, its Paella Marinara.
The restaurant group plans to continue expanding across the country. Mamajuana Cafe now has 12 locations, with the others in New York, New Jersey and Florida. Another is opening in a few weeks in Connecticut.
If all goes well at the Fishtown spot, Heredia said the group is open to pursuing other Philadelphia locations, likely in the Center City area.
"We're coming into that location humbly to learn about the culture, the people," Heredia said.
Mamajuana is open 4 to 11 p.m. on Mondays through Thursdays, 2 p.m. to 2 a.m. on Fridays and noon to 2 a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.
