Baobab

Last Saturday I went out with a group of girls for a Bachelorette Party. After dinner we stopped by Little Baobab for some dancing after hearing how much fun it was there. There were 7 of us total. At the door we were told there was a $5 per person cover charge. After a little haggling with the doorman, he let the Bachelorette in for free and charged us $25 for the remaining 6 of us (a big savings of $5). After we got in we noticed that the drink list taped to the bar stated that ladies got in free before 10:30 on Friday and Saturday nights. After looking at my watch, I noticed that it was only 10:15. I was a little irritated that we had just paid $25 to get into a bar that was no bigger that my garage. When we asked the doorman that had taken our money about it, he told us that "tonight was special". He couldn't tell us what was special about that night nor was it a holiday. On top of that, the beer that I ordered had some type of goey stuff on the bottom of the bottle. After wiping it off with a napkin, I smelled by hand (which was a big mistake) and it smelled like it had been sitting in something nasty for quite some time. So needless to say, I left there feeling taken advantage of, dissappointed and disgusted.

It was really fun, they had great music and a really chill vibe. it wasn't too crowded. The drinks were a little expensive but it's to be expected.

I cannot say enough good things about Little Baobab. The food is cheap, it is excellent, the drinks are amazing (be sure to try the homemade rum/vodkas infused with fresh fruit), and they spin the best music I have heard in the city (sucre/French African and Latin beats with some reggae influence). After midnight, the place turns into an international dance fest...you cannot go there and not dance. It is actually physically impossible I think. The staff is super friendly--when you go there, you feel like you are hanging out at a friend's house. If you want a formal dining experience with pretention (and air conditioning), don't go here. If you want to let go and have a great time, go here.

As a frequent visitor to Senegal and a friend of many Senegalese, I was greatly dissapointed to find names of Senegalese dishes that bor very little resemblance to actual Senegalese food that I have eaten over the years in Senegal. I saw only one person in restaurant who was Senegalese and saw no persons from Senegal in the kitchen. There were Senegalese dishes on the menu, but not what was actually served. The atmosphere was lively and I thought that there were a lot of young folks who had probably been to Senegal in the Peace Corps, etc. and that they came because of the food. I don't believe after having the food, that these people were coming because the food reminded them of Senegal. The place was jumping. The food...blah!!

We live around the corner and every chance I get, I try to swing dinner and cocktails at the LB. The food is cheap, fresh, and really tasty. My sugestions include the crabcake, the tropical salad, the hummus, and the peach melba...but really, I've had most of the menu and for the most part, it all rocks! For main dishes, they cook up a mean chicken curry. Their cocktails are all innovative and interesting, but some are definitely an acquired taste...The DJ and sometimes salsa dancing don't hurt the scene, either.