‘The best Ghanaian takeout food you will find in Charlotte’: What to know about Mama Gee’s
In 2013, Gifty Bonsu and her son Kobbi Bonsu found the perfect Charlotte spot to open Mama Gee’s, and this is where the Ghanaian takeout restaurant’s story begins: In a cozy 65-year-old building on Beatties Ford Road, just two miles from uptown.
Before opening the restaurant, Gifty was a nurse for 13 years. But she always loved to cook, so she would cater for parties on the weekends. People kept telling her she should open a restaurant — so eventually, she retired from nursing and did just that. The “G” in Mama Gee’s stands for Gifty — and now, everyone calls her Mama Gee.
Kobbi graduated from high school in 2012, a year prior to opening the African restaurant. He got a degree from CPCC, yet he already knew what he wanted to do — work for himself. “Since I already had the family business going, I just decided to hop in and take it as far as I could,” he said.
“And 10 years later, here we are.”
What to order at Mama Gee’s
Mama Gee’s proudly boasts that it’s “the best Ghanaian takeout food you will find in Charlotte” in its Instagram bio. And the Bonsu family would like to invite you to try it for yourself.
Kobbi suggested that every first-timer should order the jollof rice, which is sauteed with tomatoes. It’s often served with chicken, plantains and tomato stew. “It’s got a little kick to it, but it’s nothing crazy. Little kids love it. It’s probably the most popular dish in Africa.”
Kobbi wants to remind you that it’s Ghana-style jollof being served. “So, there’s a battle between Nigeria and Ghana as to who makes the best jollof. We all know it’s Ghana,” he said with a smile.
For the past decade, Kobbi said customers have traveled “from near and far” to get food from Mama Gee’s. There may be a solid reason for that: On the day of our visit, customer Yamna Gawosso echoed the sentiment that Mama Gee’s serves the best African food in town.
Another customer, Horatio Ashong, said he’d only recently discovered the restaurant. “What I love to eat here is the Jollof rice and the spinach stew. Very good flavor, very good. I mean it’s just the texture, everything is just perfect. It’s very well cooked.”
On behalf of himself and his family, Kobbi had a message for the restaurant’s long-time customers. “I just want to thank you guys from the bottom of my heart,” he said. “We wouldn’t have been able to make it this far without all of you.”
He had a message for new customers, as well: “We look forward to seeing you and serving you, and also introducing you to our cuisine, because we make amazing food here.
“All the food is made with a lot of effort and a lot of love — and you definitely taste it.”
Mama Gee’s
Location: 509 Beatties Ford Rd, Charlotte, NC 28216
Instagram: @mamageescharlotte
Cuisine: West African
Alex Cason contributed reporting.
This story was originally published May 19, 2023 at 9:00 AM.
