Review: Mama Koko’s Gets Inspiration From the GM’s Mother

It’s a rare jewel of a bar that can give you a hangover on Friday night and help cure it on Saturday morning. Mama Koko’s is that kind of jewel. A coffee shop that serves breakfast and lunch by day, it transforms into a cocktail bar with outstanding drinks and small plates Wednesday through Saturday nights. We love it in all its forms.

Housed in the historic James E. Hooper House in Old Goucher, the setting of Mama Koko’s is as alluring as its food and drink. Built in 1886, the mansion retains an old-world charm. Climb the steps through the front door and into the foyer and you’ll find a large wooden fireplace and piano.

There is a bevy of rooms in which to hang out. On the main level, there are some high-top tables and a bar that serves draft cocktails. Other rooms have couches where larger groups can congregate. There’s outdoor seating in the back, and another bar that serves hand-mixed specialty cocktails. The upper levels house artist studios, pop-up stores, gallery space, and more. Feel free to bring your drink and wander throughout.

The concept, general manager Angola Selassie told us in August, shortly after it opened, comes from his mother, Kokahvah Zauditu-Selassie.

“One day I’m inside her kitchen, and I take a look around and see Star Wars collectibles, vintage coffee posters, references to New Orleans, stacks of books, an ancestral shrine, a bar cart—and I thought, we should theme [Mama Koko’s] after our house and the hospitality my mother gives,” he said.

The eclectic decor hints at a fascinating menu that includes breakfast smoothies like the Green Gangsta (apple, peach, pineapple, mango, spinach, wheatgrass, spirulina, and ginger), and lunch items like Cajun shrimp and grits. But when we visited on a bustling Friday night in October, the focus was on the cleverly named cocktails like Pharaoh Dance and Cruel Summer.

We started with a Perfect Crime, a combination of mezcal, velvet falernum, China-China, tamarind, and grapefruit. Each specialty cocktail is ranked on a scale of refreshing to spirited and comforting to adventurous, and this one accurately graded toward refreshing and adventurous. It was slightly but not overwhelmingly smokey, with a hint of orange.

Next, we tried a Noble Ember, a draft cocktail that’s Mama Koko’s take on an Old-Fashioned. Hibiscus, vanilla and orange bitters, and lemon and orange oils give the drink a tangier flavor than its traditional brethren. Beer, wine, cider, and mead also are available, and people in all the rooms seemed be enjoying the full array of offerings.

Nine bar bites, including fried plantains, smoked collard greens, and Liberian meatballs, incorporate flavors from the Caribbean, New Orleans, West Africa, and French cuisine. A plate of Poisson Boule—fried red snapper balls with a spicy peri peri sauce—was excellent.

A bowl of rice and beans also hit the spot. The menu says they’re “Ms. Jackson’s original recipe…there’s a story here, just ask.” Although we didn’t get a chance to, we will when we return. And we’ll definitely return—on a Friday night and Saturday morning.