Babani's Kurdish Restaurant

Bright, lemony, flavorful, deliciousness. I've never tried Kurdish food before going to Babani's and now I know what I've been missing out on!! The food was all incredibly flavorful and filling. We had the dumplings and eggplant dish as well as a lemonade. There has to have been at least 12 lemons in our meal it was so fresh and zesty! Everything was reasonably priced and good size of servings. Can't wait to come back to try more.Ample parking and great service!

Lovely tapestries on the walls and very nice lighting. Enjoyed the music in the background. The waitress let us pick a booth and then brought water and our menus. He ordered Kurdish coffee and I ordered Kurdish tea. Hubby said the coffee was super tasty and minty. My tea was amazing and I wish it was a gallon. Very rich. Refills are $2 and she gave me a top off. Both of our plates were amazing and came with our choice of one of 5 salads. Mine was cucumber and it had fresh crisp parsley. I believe our waitress did everything: cooked, served, cleaned and bussed our table. She was very sweet and served us with pride. Totally recommend.

Such a fun find!! The food is flavorful, comforting, and great portion sizes so well worth the price. Parking is very easy as there is a large lot next to the building. The staff were very sweet and clearly passionate about their food and business. Not pictured here but the Kurdish Lemonade is SOOO good!

My sister and I wanted to try this restaurant since we had never had Kurdish food before. The restaurant is very comfortable with beautiful decorations on the walls and lots to look at while waiting. We were able to sit in a booth which we requested so that we didn't have people walking past us. This provided a pleasant and quieter experience which we both liked. We both thoroughly enjoyed our main course/entree. The chicken I had was incredibly tender and flavorful. I would have it again. My sister was disappointed that the coffee and her dessert both had cardamom in them. She asked specifically if cardamom was in them and she was told there wasn't. So, she was not happy to pay for these items that she knew she wouldn't like because of the spice being in them. When she mentioned it to the server, the server merely shrugged - like there was nothing she could do about it. There was no offer to not charge her for the items or give her something in exchange that didn't have cardamom. Other than those issues, it was a good dining experience.

I've never been to a Kurdish restaurant but I will definitely be back to this one. Food had tons of flavor and the service was great!! Never would've thought of this place, a real hidden gemI had the Chicken Tawa: Chicken sauteed in lemon and other spices then baked in layers of potato, green pepper, onion, and dried limes. Served with basmati rice. It was flavor explosion and was just the right amount of food. Appetizer I had: Naska Nan We Panir - Our Kurdish bread comes with a special blend of feta cheese, pure olive oil, oregano, garlic. Served with cucumber, tomato, olives & lemon. The bread was amazing! I would come in just for that!Parking is easy and it's just across the Wabasha bridge so your really close to downtown St. Paul!

There were few vegetarian options. They would not substitute biryani for regular rice. What I ordered was just meh, okay. I thought what we ate was overpriced, or maybe we were overcharged. Two entrees and an order of hummus cost over $60. We drank water. I treated my friend and added a tip, then learned later that my friend had also left a tip; no one told her they had already received a tip. I wanted to like this place, but don't see a reason to go back.

Awesome family owned place. Great food and a unique atmosphere, not like everyplace else in town

Excellent!!! Highly recommend. We had stuffed eggplant. Exquisite spices. savory and memorable. Both soups, a red lentil and lemon were a great start. The feta cheese was so fresh, unlike any one can buy. The tomato's were nicely ripe and it was winter in MN. And the baklava was fragrant with cardamom. Definitely authentic and handmade. The dining room transported us to Kurdistan....lattice work overhead, beautifully woven rugs on the wall. and a photo of the restaurant owners home city of 5,000. It sits on a shocking rock outcropping. Definitely treat yourself to dinner here.

We arrived at 7:10 pm on a Friday night and requested a table for 4. We were told we were too late - but I replied that their website said they closed at 8 and we would be quick. She said that the kitchen closes at 7:30 - but I said it was only 7:10. We were told they were closing early since they weren't busy.Perhaps they are not busy because they aren't willing to be open during their published business hours?We won't be back - and I can't recommend a restaurant that closes early on a Friday night and thinks that is ok.

This place is a gem and I can't wait to keep coming here for years to come - great service, lovely decorations, and the food can't be beat - the bread is absolutely fantastic and the soups are both just about impossible to top!