As Algerian flavors meet matcha and American dishes get a new spin, North African culture makes its way into the DMV: siblings Fatima and Mohamed Benmansour co-founded Mlih Cafe, the DMV’s first Algerian fusion pop-up cart, in October 2025.
“To keep things authentic but familiar, we put a fusion twist on our treats, blending flavors of home with our experiences in the west,” the cafe wrote in their opening post on Instagram.
The cafe has served at various locations and events, including Al-Maghreb’s AFCON soccer tournament in November and a Muslim Business Students’ Association (MBSA) event in December.
The idea of opening a cafe had always been a dream for the Benmansour siblings. “Even when we had our own jobs in the future, we wanted to open our own little brick-and-mortar one day,” said Fatima, who is a graduate economics major at UMD.
Fatima started drinking matcha six years ago and was struck by its similarity to atay, traditional tea that is a staple in Algeria and the Maghreb region of North Africa. “When my parents tried it, they were like ‘this is basically atay,’” she said. “We were kind of addicted to it.”
The siblings noted a lack of representation of Algerian culture in the DMV area. “With Fatima’s matcha making and my baking, we wanted to bring Algerian culture into the community through our passions,” Mohamed, who is a senior in high school, said.
Most people know Algeria because it is the largest country in Africa, Fatima told Al-Hikmah, but Mlih Cafe “want[s] people to taste [Algerian] flavors.”
“We wanted to gather people and create a space where our culture is appreciated,” she said. “There is a lot of thought, love, and passion that goes into our flavors.”
Mohamed said one of his favorite parts about serving drinks is the invitation to questions about his culture. “Sharing our history and culture with people is one of the drives [of starting Mlih],” he told Al-Hikmah.
The word “mlih” came naturally, the co-founders said. Mlih, which means “good” in Algerian Arabic, is used casually in everyday talk. It’s simple and familiar for the Benmansours, they said.
“Every conversation you have with an Algerian, you will hear them say ‘mlih,’” Fatima said.
Muhammad Atiya, who is Libyan and Palestinian, told Al-Hikmah that North African representation in small businesses is “really awesome to see.” The second year student at Howard Community College also praised the cafe’s matcha.
“Honestly, I don’t know what I was going to expect with North African infused matcha, but this is some of the best matcha I’ve ever had in my life,” he said.
The menu features both traditional and fusion options. One of the cafe’s most popular drinks is their Algerian Matcha, an oatmilk matcha latte with orange blossom syrup topped with cold foam and pistachios, representing flavors common in traditional Algerian desserts. The cafe also serves hojicha, a Japanese green tea, and atay.
Mlih Cafe also serves desserts including the fusion item Tmar banana bread, which fuses American banana bread with Deglet Noor dates. The cafe also serves traditional Algerian sweets such as Makrout El Louz, made with almonds and orange blossom syrup coated in powdered sugar.
Anya Tahi, who is Algerian, wrote to Al-Hikmah in a statement that the cafe makes her feel represented. “It genuinely makes me so happy. Within the Arab [and] Muslim community at UMD, North Africans, let alone Algerians, are often not well known,” the junior nutrition science major wrote. “Having a small Algerian-owned business does so much to highlight our culture.”
Wissal Ezzaki, a first year marketing analytics graduate student and a close friend of the Benmansour siblings, praised Fatima’s drive in co-founding the cafe.
“She’s very passionate about what she does and you can see that in her work,” Ezzaki said. “It’s inspiring to see somebody who has a vision or a passion and actually go for it.”
As an Algerian, Mohamed felt that a lot of people living in America are not aware of his culture. Co-founding Mlih Cafe feels like it’s helping change that, he told Al-Hikmah.
“We are delivering Algeria to them and go beyond just sharing dishes,” he said. “We’re sharing our history with them.”
Image credits: Cover photo by Amna Tariq/Al-Hikmah.
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