The Liberian-owned restaurant serves jollof rice, plantains, fufu and other West African dishes at 700 Locust St. inside Local Bites.
Updated Oct. 2, 2026.
DES MOINES, Iowa — Mama Africa Food and Catering serves West African food at 700 Locust St. in downtown Des Moines, where chef and owner Ventica Woods operates her first permanent restaurant inside the Local Bites food hall.
The menu includes dishes rooted in Liberian and West African cooking, including jollof rice, plantains, fufu and greens. Lunch options include customizable bowls and wraps, while the restaurant also serves dinner on several days of the week.
Mama Africa opened the downtown location Aug. 1, 2026, after building a following through catering, festivals, pop-ups and the Downtown Farmers’ Market.
The restaurant is located on the lower level of the Greater Des Moines Partnership building and can also be reached through the downtown skywalk system.
Mama Africa is at 700 Locust St. in downtown Des Moines
- Restaurant: Mama Africa Food and Catering
- Address: 700 Locust St., Des Moines, IA 50309
- Location: Local Bites food hall, lower level
- Phone: 515-735-1141
- Cuisine: West African and Liberian
Current business listings show hours from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday and Tuesday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday and Friday, and noon to 8 p.m. Saturday. Hours and menu availability can change, and customers can find current updates through Mama Africa’s Facebook page.
The menu includes jollof rice, plantains, fufu and West African greens
Mama Africa’s menu centers on West African flavors and dishes Woods grew up with in Liberia.
Lunch options have included bowls and wraps built with bases such as jollof rice, white rice, jollof noodles or fried cabbage, with grilled beef or chicken and toppings including sweet plantains, red beans, onions, peppers, corn and tomatoes.
Dinner offerings have included egusi with fufu or rice, fufu with okra sauce and potato greens with rice. Other Mama Africa dishes have included cassava leaf greens, goat meat, chicken wings, meat pies and the restaurant’s MAPS pepper sauce.
Individual dishes and ingredients can vary by day.
Ventica Woods grew Mama Africa from home cooking into a permanent restaurant
Woods began selling meals from her home in 2020. The business later expanded into catering, weddings, festivals, pop-ups and regular appearances at the Downtown Farmers’ Market.
Woods is originally from Liberia and moved to Iowa as a teenager. Cooking the foods she knew from home remained part of her connection to Liberian culture and eventually became the foundation of Mama Africa.
Mama Africa opened its first permanent location in August 2026
The Aug. 1 opening gave Mama Africa a permanent downtown location after years of operating primarily through catering and events.
The restaurant operates inside Local Bites at 700 Locust St., next to the Des Moines Marriott Downtown. The food hall is on the lower level of the Greater Des Moines Partnership building and is connected to the downtown skywalk system.
Mama Africa can be reached at 515-735-1141. Current hours, menu items and catering updates are available through the restaurant’s official Facebook page.
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