Mataheko Restaurant and Lounge

Well, we were happy to find this small bistro. When we get there, the hall was empty. We were shocked, this was a FRIDAY NIGHT.
Moly few people sat at the bar. Then we ordered two fufu combos, which were tasty. Fufu tasted like sticky rice and it was warm. Yummmmy I liked it. The spinach and goat meal was divine.
Then we had our kebabs, $ 2 each. Ewwwww. Very small. It was not so satisfied.
And cash only. Seemed I was eating at Chinatown ;)

I was very pleased with the customer service and the jollof rice was great. I will come again.

You’re on the Ave, so expect some Ave stuff… regardless of location the place itself wasn’t too great. I have been craving for Ghanian food for the past few months. The craving is still there.
The environment, needs cleaning, some remodeling. I found stains on my wine cup and on eating utensils *sigh*, this is a major no-​no. My boyfriend got tap water… parasites included *sigh again*. I liked the music though, African techno type stuff, really neat, tasteful!
The lady serving us was nice, asked if everything was good and everything was okay… just not a craving filler-​upper.
I had jollof rice with beef (I originally ordered it with chicken, but I was told that the chicken was not ready so I should order either beef or fish. Apparently I couldn’t wait for the chicken to be ready? Okay…). That beef was so hard to cut into, goodness. Rice was good though. And they served a generous portion of rice. I brought some home for leftovers, the food is no good for reheating. Very, very greasy.
My boyfriend had the fufu, mega fail. He did not enjoy it as much as he thought he would have. Fufu is where mofongo comes from, so he figured it would be a similar taste.
Wasn’t the worst, but wasn’t the best. I won’t be going back but give it a shot if you wish, stick to take out!

Tasty pan African cuisine in a cute décor with a full bar and great value pricing!
My new favorite NYC African restaurant…
Would recommend as destination (if you love good African cuisine) and as neighborhood joint if you need a nice place to hang and eat in Jamaica…
So like other Unilocalers I came here on jury duty lunch break although in my quest for great ethnic cuisines of New York I have been meaning to check this joint out for awhile. First unlike the many dive hole in the wall places around Jamaica, this place is cute although tiny. Again unlike most of the African restaurants in the city this place is trying to cultivate some native décor with style. The food is a mix from Ghana, Nigeria and Senegal which covers a wide range of flavors and preparation. It’s almost like a one stop tour of some major continent cuisine. Since it was only me dining, I did not get the tour just some plantain fufu with okra stew. The fufu was among the best I have ever had, silky smooth with enough salt to not make it tasteless mash with enough form to eat with the hand if desired but soft enough to eat with fork too. The okra stew was studded with mild spice and tender pork and beef pieces with a hint of dryed or smoked meats throughout. I did not get much chicken or goat although all are in the stew. For 12 dollars I was stuffed with half my stew and fufu and very satisfied. They also have 8 dollar lunch specials which are some of their stews served with rice instead of fufu.
Service was adequate. Seemed to be a change of shift so I had three different people wait on me. The first women who took my order was very limited English so there was a slow back and forth until she understood my questions on the menu. The other ladies no issues on the English front and everyone was fairly nice. I was impressed that prior to serving me the fufu, typically eaten with the hands, they brought a bowl of water with soap to clean the hands prior. Classy. None of the other NYC places that serve fufu have ever done that…
I will defiantly be returning… with a
coupon and some friends so I can sample cuisine from the allover the continent… and their cocktails!
They seem to try and be a music lounge at night with live music… not sure where they fit the acts… so might check that out as well…
It’s super easy to get to as its a few blocks from the Jamaica LIRR, multiple buses and subway lines…

I Always order delivery on my day off and its always awesome

I, like other reviewers, looked here in the context of being on jury duty
I’ve certainly had worse food, but it wasn’t worth it
I had what the waitress (with her extremely limited english) told me was the most recommended/​popular item — jolla rice and spinach stew (?)
I proceeded to get a mountain of pretty good rice, a small bowl with some stew which was mostly just big pieces of fat and bone — virtually no protein or meat of any sort at all
I virtually had to ask to even get silverware — it seems like the waitress is also the chef?
the flavor wasn’t bad, but they don’t really have water other than bottled water and the above cost $ 10 which seems pretty steep for what it is
i won;t be going back and I recommend fellow jurors who must shlep out to, effectively, Long Island, for their «Queens» jury duty to avoid this one unless you speak… creole?

Got here at around 10pm on a saturday and was surprised that i could get fresh cooked food at this hour. The place is a bit small but feels very relaxed and cozy. There was just one young girl working the bar and as a waitress but she was really nice and helpful even though she messed up my order. She checked on me a few times to see if I liked the food and I did. I had the chicken with there special rice and salad. The salad was extremely tasty. The rice and chicken were also good. I also had an order of white wine and was a bit surprised that it costs $ 8 since the meal alone was just $ 10. I would definately come back to this place. I’m looking forward to trying other dishes here, I really enjoyed the spices and flavors that I’m not accustomed to. This place also has a pool table in the middle so its a good spot to just hang out and watch sports.

This place was great! I was on jury duty so I searched for something nearby on Unilocal (it never fails).
I assumed the place would be crowded but when I got there at 1pm, I was the only one there. However, they did have multiple boxes filled with bags of food. The woman working there said they mostly do deliveries (there must have been 40 or 50 bags of food prepared). The restaurant looked very clean and they had two flat screen tvs playing a soap opera on BET, which was fun since I was by myself. I ordered the jollof rice with fish (she said the fish was the special that day). It was fantastic! I never had a jollof rice dish before. It consisted of very flavorful rice, eggplant, some sort of rich spicy sauce, some plantains, some sort of crunchier grain, and the fish. It was so hearty and filling! I also had a ginger root drink which was really tasty!
The woman working there was really friendly and told me she was from Ghana but the food they serve was from multiple countries in west Africa.
If I am ever stuck in jury duty again, I would definitely go back (or maybe take a ride out there before then)!

This place has a great ambiance, great lounge area, nice bar, and great staff. However, being a fan and also a great cook of African food, this place is just mediocre. Me and my boyfriend both got the fish and joloff rice. My boyfriend absolutely hated it, to me it was OKAY… nothing special, but definitely nothing that would bring me back. Not only was the food mediocre, it was very expensive for a Jamaica based African restaurant. I heard they have some nice dance nights here so I might check it out, but I’m pretty much done with the food.

This place is the shiznot (is that really a word?). Okay it’s the bomb! Do you feel me? Okay it’s superb. Now you got it. I went here on Valentine’s day and wasn’t disappointed with my choice of date nor the restaurant. First off, what restaurant have you ever been to where the chef personally comes out to greet you and asks you what you feel like eating tonight? NONE
Try the roasted eggplant with couscous and home made ginger beer or try what my date had the fried turkey which he said is to die for. We had dessert on the house which was crepes with strawberries.
Run there!
Only disappointment:
We had to purchase bottled water $ 3 (no tap water available)

This was another stop on my jury-​duty lunch tour of Jamaica.
I was the only customer on a Thursday afternoon, so sat at a table in the back corner. As is common in these situations, my options were limited by my vegetarian diet– I settled on a plate of jollof rice with spinach and plantains. My server talked me out of trying the kenkey and banku, although I’d like to at some point, and talked me into a house-​made juice (I forget what kind).
The food was hearty and filling– a satisfying lunch. I didn’t find it particularly exciting, but again, meat-​eaters will probably have more fun with this cuisine.
The chef whipped me up a fruit crêpe with whipped cream for dessert, which was solid. He also asked how my food was, which was a nice touch.
The single large TV was playing Judge Alex, which was fine for a lonely jury duty lunch but probably not if you come with a companion. There’s a pool table in the middle of the room, and a lounge downstairs– I’m told it gets busier at nights and on the weekends.
My server was super-​sweet, is the thing. She even sat down and talked with me while waiting for food to come out, as we were the only ones in the place for the most part.
So, all-​in-​all a good experience. I’d come back here and try some of the Ghanaian starch foods next time, and I’m sure carinvores would have a day of it.

Absolutely LOVED this location. Took the whole crew from Queens Fashion week and couldn’t stop raving about the food, service or the cozy ambiance of Mataheko!
Enjoyed our time there and am DEFINITELY going back.

I was so happy when this place opened near me… It was a welcome break from the usual restaurants in the area. The food is great! The atmosphere is casually elegant and it is a good idea for a first date… not to stuffy but nice enough and comfortable to talk. The price point is very affordable.
I hope that it sticks around for a while.
Update 2012… Mataheko has disappointed… called to ask question about service times… the girl answering was rude… giggling and then hung up… With the change in menu items… I have to say Mataheko was a promise never fulfilled. Rating change 4 stars to 2 stars

My boyfriend (who is Ghanaian) and I discovered this restaurant about a week ago, and we have been back at least 3 times already! Mataheko, named after a place in Ghana and translates to «Let me sit somewhere», serves authentic west African cuisine, and the food is amazing! Apparently they’ve only been open for a few weeks, which explains why they don’t really have a huge following yet. The décor of the restaurant is contemporary with hints of African flair, which makes it a cute date spot if you live in Queens.
Here are some of the dishes that we’ve tried:
Waachye with Chicken — Stewed rice and black eye peas with chicken, This was delicious!
Jollof Rice with Chicken, Jollof Rice with Beef — Both were great, although I preferred the chicken.
Omo Tuo w/​Peanut Butter soup and beef — Round rice ball with peanut butter soup. — Very tasty.