Baraka Cafe

by Lys W.

A fellow yelper and I were hungry and wanted to get out of the house.  Neither of us had ever had North African food, so we wanted to try it.  Like everything else in my life, anymore, we found Baraka via Yelp.  It had received good reviews, so we went.We met at Central, and started walking down Pearl Street.  It was kind of odd, because it is such a residental area, and I thought we had missed it.  The place is so cosy and only holds 20 people.  I went to the restroom to wash my hands, and it is IN THE KITCHEN!  I wanted to stay and watch the cook work. :)The food was delicious, and we both got vegetarian dishes.  The cheese was succulant and the couscous has become my new favourite dish.The woman who waited on us was very nice, but she tended to hover.  She made it very clear that we should eat EVERYTHING on our plate or at least take it home for later.  She did not want to have to throw any food away, which I do understand.I tried cherbert for the first time, and it was amazing.  I am completely addicted, and I will come back to Baraka just for the drink!

by Anya F.

Good lemonade.  Definitely has some potential. There was only one waiter/host/server/person working, and even though there were only two other couples there, we got no water and no menus. So we just sat there for at least 15 min before anyone came over. The portions are small, the prices are high (for the quality and the taste).The food is lacking taste and proper presentation.  Could be improved thought.

by Cara P.

I'm too scared to come back.  The wonderful and gracious Allix T. organized our little dinner outing and was up against some mighty scary competition. Our waitress. There was no winning, so I think we just decided to make a night of it and celebrate Kenny...easy to do since everyone at the dinner table rocked!!Our waitress hated us (until it came time to pay) and I will not take any chance on her noticing me on a return visit...maybe I'll wear a wig?HHmmm...Visual....Go youtube the soup Nazi episode of Seinfeld. Picture him, but a women in a track suit and hijab, plus purple sequined table cloths, big ass pillows, small quarters, and bugs. Though the food was excellent, my couscous and veggie dish  and the little penis Orly gave me, could never make up for being scared of our waitress, being literally pushed out the door come check time and viciously attacked by bugs. Plus... Any lady that doesn't completely adore one of Biba's creations is off their rocker...our waitress wasn't satisfied with the lovely cake Biba made for Kenny because there was paper on it.....FAIL.At least I was in good company;0

by Christopher W.Nik B.Tiffany Z.Shaina G.TheyWill H.

Attention hungry eaters: the portions at Baraka Cafe are small. The prices seem very reasonable at first glance, but if you need a full meal you might need two entrees or multiple appetizers.Luckily, everything is stupendously delicious, and just as importantly UNIQUELY delicious. Visit with your closest friends. It's just that kind of place.Foreign and sultry. It doesn't get better than that. Stepping into this place you immediately feel that you have been transported to an exotic location that is full of mystery. Foods, smell, and sounds are all unknown to you. It is a very small space, very intimate and the lighting is perfect. The menu is limited, which means that each dish is really good.We shared a pitcher of the charbat, the rose petal lemonade, which has great flavors. However, I thought it was a bit over-sweetened.I had the Smoked Salmon Coca as my dinner, which was great. It was essentially flat bread topped with layers of caramelized onions, smoked salmon, some very tasty sauces, and a big pile of fresh greens on top. This dish was delicious and was the perfect portion size. I will definitely come back here for more.Intimate, cozy atmosphere that reminds me of small restaurants in Europe.  The North African trinkets decorating the walls give it a homey yet exotic feel.  And, what's most important, the food is outstanding -- my personal favorite is the baby lamb chops (perfectly spiced, best when medium rare).The service can be slow so certainly don't come if you're in a rush or starving and note that the restaurant can sometimes be cold in the winter hot in the summer.  Perfect for a couple or a group of 4, especially if you're looking to have a slow-paced meal that provides ample opportunity for conversation :)Cash only!For a taste of the exotic screaming with Mediterranean flair, head to Baraka where in the style of meze (small plates) and bowl filled entrees, food of North Africa (Tunisia and Algeria) spice up your taste buds and fill your bellies with pleasure.Now that Dave and I are steps away from this place, I know 100% that we will return monthly if not weekly.  Baraka (cash only) is warm and welcoming, but small with very limited seating.  Thankfully, the menu is limitless with its small sharable plates (each plate the perfect size for parties of 4) and reasonably priced entrees (meat dishes up to $18, vegetarian in the low teens).  Be sure to pair your meal with the homeade lemonade, Cherbat, flavored with a subtle hint of mystery spice, rose petals and mint.  It is the perfect complement to the flavors of every dish we ate.The two of us shared meze of:  + Jbinet with Berber Karmous :: Mediterranean cheeses of feta and some other semi soft amazing cheese  + Merguez D'Alger :: spicy lamb beef North African sausage  + Karentika :: Oran famous savory chickpea custard with harissa tapenade :: like polenta cake; warm and lovely  + Zaatar Coca :: traditional Bedouin galette of sage, thyme, sesame seeds, lemon juice, caramelized onions on hand-stretched grilled Berber breadAnd for our entree we shared the eggplant stuffed with feta and fire roasted, served with cous cous.  Sharing was key!  But there are many other items that we want to try later.I agree with ther rose pedal lemonade - heaven in a glass - small and crowded most evenings - it is truly a wonderful place with authentic food

by Melissa T.

Delicious.I've only been to Baraka once, but it was fantastic.  One of those rare little gems of a locally-owned restaurant tucked away in a side street off Mass Ave (which is generally where the little gems in Central Square are located).I had one of the specials, which was seafood tajine.  The portions were really only large enough for one person, not share-able as might be imagined.  On food quality alone I'd give five stars, but the place is a little bit small and the menu is also skimpy.  Go with the specials or just ask what to order.

by Nik B.

Foreign and sultry. It doesn't get better than that. Stepping into this place you immediately feel that you have been transported to an exotic location that is full of mystery. Foods, smell, and sounds are all unknown to you. It is a very small space, very intimate and the lighting is perfect. The menu is limited, which means that each dish is really good.We shared a pitcher of the charbat, the rose petal lemonade, which has great flavors. However, I thought it was a bit over-sweetened.I had the Smoked Salmon Coca as my dinner, which was great. It was essentially flat bread topped with layers of caramelized onions, smoked salmon, some very tasty sauces, and a big pile of fresh greens on top. This dish was delicious and was the perfect portion size. I will definitely come back here for more.

by Dan S.

Baraka Cafe is a great little treat tucked away at 80 1/2 Pearl Street. Everyone will tell you to get the rose lemonade cherbit, and they're correct - it's delicious. Another popular dish is the 3 cheese appetizer, again for good reason. The food was delicious, the setting is small and quiet with very attentive service. Try it out if you're in Cambridge.

by Shaina G.

For a taste of the exotic screaming with Mediterranean flair, head to Baraka where in the style of meze (small plates) and bowl filled entrees, food of North Africa (Tunisia and Algeria) spice up your taste buds and fill your bellies with pleasure.Now that Dave and I are steps away from this place, I know 100% that we will return monthly if not weekly.  Baraka (cash only) is warm and welcoming, but small with very limited seating.  Thankfully, the menu is limitless with its small sharable plates (each plate the perfect size for parties of 4) and reasonably priced entrees (meat dishes up to $18, vegetarian in the low teens).  Be sure to pair your meal with the homeade lemonade, Cherbat, flavored with a subtle hint of mystery spice, rose petals and mint.  It is the perfect complement to the flavors of every dish we ate.The two of us shared meze of:  + Jbinet with Berber Karmous :: Mediterranean cheeses of feta and some other semi soft amazing cheese  + Merguez D'Alger :: spicy lamb beef North African sausage  + Karentika :: Oran famous savory chickpea custard with harissa tapenade :: like polenta cake; warm and lovely  + Zaatar Coca :: traditional Bedouin galette of sage, thyme, sesame seeds, lemon juice, caramelized onions on hand-stretched grilled Berber breadAnd for our entree we shared the eggplant stuffed with feta and fire roasted, served with cous cous.  Sharing was key!  But there are many other items that we want to try later.

by Allix T.

I want to go back and try Baraka out as it's meant to be - a nice, intimate, date place.  The restaurant is tiny. It's cozy, it's intimate. It's good for having a tete a tete with your honey but it's not good for a reunion dinner with a large gaggle of folks.When Kenny and I were planning our group outting we both talked about the space concerns. I called Baraka earlier in the week and they said a party of eight would be no problem. The woman on the phone was very sweet and said she couldn't wait to see us.  A few hours before dinner I found out that we had one more in our party so I called the restaurant to see whether that would be an issue. A different person answered the phone and miscommunication of the worst kind ensued. I was on the phone with the person for about ten minutes. They couldn't find my reservation name, couldn't understand me, and when I said "nine" they kept repeating back "five people."  I repeated several times: "I called yesterday, made a reservation under the name 'Kenny.'  The reservation was for eight, you said that would be fine. Now we have one more. So we have nine."  "Five people?""No, we have a reservation for eight. One more is coming, we have nine now.""Don't worry, we'll see you at seven, everything is all set."Eesh. We got there and everything was not all set.  I felt awful and guilty but mostly embarassed and a bit shocked when the hostess came up to me, got in my face, and said: "you made this reservation? You did this? Hmph."  I could tell she was annoyed, but I didn't know what to say really. I'd called and made a reservation initially for eight - if that wasn't a problem, why would nine be? Even more so - had they just lost the original reservation when I'd called back?Eesh.The food was alright, but dinner was harried. We couldn't ask questions about the dishes, so I ordered two items that seemed to be vegan. Though neither mentioned it, one dish came out with a HUUUUGE scoop of yogurt on top. I was pretty shocked especially given that fellow veggies had recommended the dish.  I scooped it off and all was right with the world.Still I don't think I got to give Baraka a fair shot. And I'm damn sure that they didn't give me a fair shot. So I'll be back...once my hair grows in and I look completely different - I'm pretty sure if I were to go back too soon, I'd get a swift kick out the door.

by Jenn Y.

I walked past twice before seeing the entrance, but am very glad my friend Rosaria told me about this place!  There were many things on the menu I wanted to try, and ultimately ended up ordering a smoked eggplant soup (served chilled) and the vegetable couscous.The soup was deliciously smoky and went well with the grilled pita.  I'm normally not particularly excited by couscous, but the waiter recommended it, and it was excellent.  It was a beautiful consistency with the softened vegetables melting in your mouth.  Lovely lovely flavor.  I will definitely come back to try more of their menu!