Most people swore up and down that Mama Rocks had the best burgers in town. Me? I wouldn’t go that far, but I’ll give them credit—they were definitely one of the better ones.
In fact, in my post on the 5 Best Burgers in Nairobi, I gave them a solid place in the ranking. Decent burgers? Absolutely. Best in town? Debatable. But now, apparently, they’re no more.
Unlike most places that shut down due to scandals like racism or serving food that tastes like shame; Wink Wink Honey & Dough, Mama Rocks didn’t go out that way—or so I’d like to believe.
How did I find out they’d closed? Well, I decided to order some burgers for a review, only to discover that they packed up shop in October 2024. Yes, I’m four months late to the news.
Why didn’t I know earlier? Because I went full caveman, taking a break from social media. Apparently, living under a rock means missing out on burger-related catastrophes.
Honestly, it’s a bit disappointing. I had my day planned—order at least four of their main burgers, rank them like the self-proclaimed Gordon Ramsay I am, and call it a day.
I already knew their burgers were good. Well, except for the veggie burger. That one was… let’s just say garbage.
Now, they claim it’s a “temporary closure,” but let’s be real—four months in the restaurant world is basically a lifetime. Still, I’m holding onto hope that they’ll make a comeback.
Mama Rocks may not have been my number-one go-to for burgers, but they were a big deal. Nairobi feels a little different without them.
Why Mama Rocks Were a Big Deal
Oh no, it just feels wrong using the past tense here. I really hope they bounce back—partly because I care, but mostly because I need to finish that burger review, I know…pretty narcissistic
Mama Rocks was the first Kenyan food joint I ever saw featured on Munchies, the big-deal YouTube channel by Vice. And by “big deal,” I mean 5 million subscribers. They kind of put Nairobi on the foodie map, so we owe them that. The video is just embedded hapo chini
Then there were their burgers. Unique twists you couldn’t find anywhere else—mango sauce on a burger? Yeah, I hadn’t heard of it either until Mama Rocks. Their flavors were distinct, signature even, and made you feel like you weren’t just eating a burger but experiencing a burger; and yes there’s a difference you moron.
And let’s not forget their humble beginnings as a food truck at the Alchemist. They were practically the patron saints of late-night bites for you drunks looking to soak up your hangovers with something edible.
Oh, and they were women-led. I’ve got to give props to the ladies for taking a bite out of entrepreneurship in a male-dominated industry. That’s the kind of empowerment that inspires young women to go out and crush it.
Not that I’m a feminist or anything—I’m just a guy with chest hairs who grew up in a house full of sisters. Look what they’ve done to me.
To most people, these were the best burgers in town. Mama Rocks was a big deal in so many ways, which is why I felt compelled to write this “little tribute”. But seriously, Mama Rocks, come back. We’re not done with you yet.
Why Mama Rocks Possibly Closed Down
In my previous post about the best burgers, I mentioned that Mama Rocks’ burger quality had been sliding downhill since their prime pre-pandemic days—around 2018 and 2019.
Maybe that was the first red flag. Back then, I naively blamed it on their rapid expansion. Actually, scratch that. I wasn’t naive; I still think that might’ve been part of it. We all know it’s easier to scale quantity than quality. Wait, did I just invent a new quote? Someone call Merriam-Webster.
With more locations popping up, their quality control felt a little… stretched. Not to the point where I’d say, “Oh, they’ve fallen off,” but more like, “Hmm, this is good, but not quite as good as I remember.”
Still, I doubt that’s the main reason they closed. Even up to the end, plenty of people still loved their burgers. Sure, there’s new competition—Uncle Nene’s is pretty much universally hailed as better than Mama Rocks. And then there’s Drip Burgers, which everyone says is great (I haven’t tried it yet, so no comment).
But competition alone doesn’t feel like the smoking gun here. If anything, the fast-food market is growing (not great news for our arteries, but that’s another topic). So no, I don’t think rival burger joints took them out.
You know what might’ve done it? The business environment. As a humble businessman myself (yes, I sell other actual things that are not satire), let me tell you: 2023-2024 was brutal. Probably the worst year I’ve seen since 2015. Businesses were dropping like flies because running operations became next to impossible.
Here’s the deal: businesses have running costs. They need to cover those costs first before turning a profit. If a business can’t do that, the owner has to pump in cash from elsewhere just to keep the lights on—and that’s a financial black hole. At some point, it makes more sense to cut your losses and close up shop.
That’s usually why businesses shut down. Mama Rocks didn’t share any specifics about why they closed, but it doesn’t take a genius to figure out it was likely something along those lines. Let’s face it, running a business in this country feels like playing Monopoly on hard mode, and unfortunately, the government isn’t exactly handing out Get Out of Jail Free cards.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to head to my local Java House and finally try that Dawa drink you all won’t shut up about. If it’s not a life-changing elixir, then I’ll come back here with some mild verbal abuse. Bye for now!
Read My Previous Post: The 5 Best Burger Joints in Nairobi Right Now
