Maima’s, Known as New York’s Only Liberian Restaurant, Is Out of Commission

Maima’s — widely thought to be New York City’s only Liberian food-focused restaurant — is no longer in business. The restaurant in Jamaica, Queens suffered from an electrical fire back in February and posted a note on Facebook saying that they would be "closed indefinitely" to fix some problems. But as of Monday, the phone number no longer works, the website has shut down, and visitors on Yelp have reported it closed.

Chef and owner Maima Kamara moved to the U.S. in the ‘80s after political turmoil in Liberia, she has told Eater. She opened her namesake restaurant about six years ago in Jamaica, Queens and was known for a pepper shrimp dish, made with head-on prawns and loaded with spices. Eater critic Robert Sietsema called it "one of the spiciest dishes in New York City;" he previously named Maima’s the best West African restaurant in the city for Kamara’s homey dishes. Eater has reached out to the restaurant and will update with any further information. Check out a video of Kamara cooking below: