Happy, happy news leading into the weekend. Immy Kaggwa, whose African food truck was a star at events like the Shorewood Farmers Market, has put the finishing touches on her new, first sit-down restaurant Immy’s African Cuisine (2847 N. Oakland Ave.). The new spot – located in the digs formerly occupied by Shahrazad Middle Eastern Restaurant – opens to the public Friday, April 22.
Kaggwa’s excitement is palpable even over the phone. “Yes, yes, having your own kitchen and not having to share!” she says of her new space. Previously, she was offering takeout from a shared kitchen at 8103 W. Tower Ave.
If you’ve eaten some of Kaggwa’s specialties – dishes from her native Uganda – you may be envisioning dishes like meat- or veggie-filled samosas, jerk chicken and vegetable stew, smoked jerk chicken and egusi (melon seed) stew available with beef or chicken. She will offer those foods, along with additions: chicken coconut curry, chicken in a peanut sauce and a vegan peanut stew with eggplant. Later on, she plans to expand the menu and offer items like African doughnuts for dessert. In the future, she also hopes to have a liquor license to serve beer and wine.
Dining at the new restaurant, which currently has seating for about 40 (with plans for that to expand as well), is first-come, first-serve.
Hours: Tues-Sun 11 a.m.-9 p.m.
