"Best Neighborhood Restaurant" - 2026 Jean Banchet Awards
PRESS
February 4, 2026
"...'Putting this out into the world and having people receive it the way that it is is when the true blessing. We reach your stomach, but we also want to reach your spirit.' Perhaps the most surprising thing about Mahari is that their recent success is no surprise at all."
January 26, 2026
"Chosen through a combination of anonymous panel selections and live audience polls, awardees were revealed across 13 categories," including Hyde Park's Mahari, named "Best Neighborhood Restaurant."
January 25, 2026
Mahari named "Best Neighborhood Restaurant" by Jean Banchet Awards
January 25, 2026
Mahari named "Best Neighborhood Restaurant" by Jean Banchet Awards
January 25, 2026
Mahari named "Best Neighborhood Restaurant" by Jean Banchet Awards
"Opened almost exactly a year ago in Hyde Park, Mahari offers a tour of the world via the African diaspora, with dishes from New Orleans, Nigeria, East Africa, and the Caribbean, reflecting Chef Rahim Muhammad's background; his mother is also part of the restaurant."
January 25, 2026
Winner "Best Neighborhood Restaurant," 2026 Jean Banchet Awards
January 21, 2026
"Cold Weather Bar and Restaurant Recs" including Mahari's
"lip-smackingly delicious" Rah-Sta pasta.
December 22, 2025
"...This is a menu that requires repeat visits to fully appreciate the breadth of what is on offer — but regardless of how many times you go, the pineapple wings ($18) should be a part of your order."
December 16, 2025
Mahari's mushroom-stuffed plantain was highlighted by Chicago magazine as one of the 25 best things to eat right now in the city.
Jean Banchet Awards - October 16, 2025
Mahari was nominated for a 2026 Jean Banchet award for "Best Neighborhood Restaurant." Awardees will be announced at a downtown ceremony on January 26, 2026.
July 31, 2025
"As we passed assertively spiced and brightly flavored dishes around the table — salmon rice fritters with mango chutney, a lamb burger with Haitian pikliz and pineapple — a consensus emerged among our omnivorous group that the star of the evening at Mahari was the mushroom-stuffed plantain."
July 14, 2025
Hyde Park's Mahari was just awarded three stars by dining critic Louisa Chu at the Chicago Tribune for "excellent." Chu's descriptions of Mahari's menu include "beautiful," "perfectly," "spectacular," "stunning," "lovely," and "brilliant."
March 27, 2025
Afro-Caribbean flavors are the name of the game at this vibrant newcomer.
February 28, 2025
"Born and raised in Chicago’s Hyde Park neighborhood, Rahim Muhammad loved traveling the world with his mother, Shawn Muhammad. He enjoyed experiencing new places through their diverse cuisines and valued the connection that food sparked between people.
Now, the mother-son team hopes to breathe fresh life into their neighborhood’s restaurant scene with Mahari, their new restaurant featuring dishes inspired by different cultures they love."
February 18, 2025
"A new Hyde Park restaurant offers a tour of the world via the African diaspora. Mahari offers the rice fritter known as calas from New Orleans; spiced, grilled suya skewers with mushroom instead of the typical beef from Nigeria; samosa-like sambusas from East Africa; and Caribbean ingredients like plantains and the Haitian slaw pikliz, all served alongside drinks crafted with African and Caribbean spirits and flavors."
January 23, 2025
"At Mahari, he said, they celebrate their roots through the different routes of the African diaspora. That starts with small bites, including his calas, also known as Creole rice fritters, traditionally a sweet breakfast dish served with cafe au lait. But chef Rah, as he’s known, makes savory deep-fried salmon cala, served with mango chutney and a clementine salad."
January 21, 2025
"African, Creole, Caribbean, Afro-Latina, and soul food dishes can all be found on Mahari’s menu. At this Hyde Park restaurant, expect suya grilled mushroom skewers and prawn and polenta with red curry, along with Carribean-spiced lamb burgers and tamarind-glazed filet mignon."
January 21, 2025
"Staff from Mahari, a new restaurant serving up cuisine from across the African diaspora, along with elected officials and members of the Hyde Park Chamber of Commerce celebrate the eatery's opening in the Hyde Park Shopping Center with a ribbon-cutting on Friday, Jan. 17, 2025."
January 21, 2025
"A fusion restaurant celebrating its owners’ roots in the African diaspora is now open in Hyde Park, following a packed grand opening which showcased the close connections the owners have already built among locals."
January 16, 2025
From "23 Things to Do in Chicago This Weekend" - New Afro-fusion restaurant Mahari is opening its doors this weekend, kicking off with a Friday ribbon-cutting ceremony with the Hyde Park Chamber of Commerce. Started by chef Rahim Muhammad, Mahari mixes African, Caribbean, Creole, Afro-Latina and soul food.
January 9, 2025
"From the vibrant spices of West Africa to the soulful comfort foods of the American South, one new Hyde Park restaurant is inviting you on a unique culinary journey of tradition. “Mahari” is a dining experience that combines African, Caribbean, Creole, Afro-Latina, and soul food cuisine."
July 14, 2024
"(Muhammad's grandmother's) home, nestled in a large network of levees for the Mississippi River, was teeming with life – the front yard had avocado, fig and plum trees, and it was a meeting place for the extended family. He added that the warm, moist climate of Louisiana meant that crops grew in abundance in his grandmother’s community, imbuing people with a strong value for fresh food."
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Mahari is pleased to participate in Choose Chicago's 2026 Chicago Restaurant Week event, offering special prix fixe lunch and dinner menus from Friday, January 23, through Sunday, February 8.