Madiba

This spot, opened in 1999, has a historical pedigree—it was the first South African restaurant to set up shop in the United States. Devoted to bringing the experience of the traditional South African "shebeen"—an informal, almost underground café—to American diners, Madiba offers a full menu of South African favorites, like curried frikkadels (meatballs), bobotie (a curried ground beef mince) or pap and vleis (lamb chops with cornmeal), as well as a selection of imported South African snacks and take-home products.