The Most Delicious African in Minneapolis

Gedi Grill

★★★★☆ 4.4 (5)

"I stopped by Gedi Grill. There's a kitchen in the back of a nice little grocery store. I ordered the Hilib Ari. It was very generous. You might want to plan on two meals. Some of the meat was tough but some was tender. It was tasty and came with a drink and a banana."

Sambusa King

★★★★☆ 3.9 (35) • $

"So much love for my beloved Sambusa King. My go-to for all things: lazy nights when I don't feel like cooking (take-out on fleek) and a worthy appetizer companion for when I'm hosting (sambusa's on FUHLEEK). Literally love this place for all it is - flaws and all. I think other commenters are right. There's definitely a family/friend dynamic in the shop always but it shouldn't bother you if all you want is the food. Tables are a hit or miss with wipe-downs and sometimes you have to tell them to wipe a table for you which they'll do. Just like any high-volume food place, they do run out of some things but they always allow you to substitute for something else. E.g. I wanted the suqaar (beef cubes sautéed in carrots and peppers) with chapati but today they had run out of chapatti and they let me substitute with baasto (spaghetti bolognese's Somali cousin). Food: always so flavorful! Meats and entrees are always made to order so they come out piping hot and super yummy. I've never had problems with their food and the extra banana gives any dietitian a smile! Would I come back: ALWAYS! I love the food! Not a giant fan of the atmosphere so I'd never eat there but I'll always go back for that yumminess"

Waterside African Kitchen

★★★★☆ 4 (7)

"I went on a Monday evening after work since a friend of mine suggested it. It was busy. The service was quick. I got my food to go. The food comes in 3 sizes with or w/o rice. It very good and a reasonable price. Excited to try more of the menu."

Sambusa Samosa

★★★★★ 5 (2)

"Was able to catch them when they were in town and am glad that I did.Food was absolutely stellar! The samosas were perfectly seasoned and the right amount of crisp.Seems like a mom and kids operation so hopefully everyone can support that. The young girl taking the order was patient and shared answers to the questions that I had. Would highly recommend this place if your able to catch them"

Jambo Africa Restaurant

★★★☆☆ 3.1 (37) • $$

"Oh, boy, where to begin?In summary, a general state of DISREPAIR throughout, SLOW service, BORING food.GOOD:1) The restaurant seemed clean.2) Our server was friendly.BAD:1) Confusing when you enter: no sign at the front desk to say you should either wait to be seated or to seat yourself. No staff appeared, and a customer (waiting for takeout) actually told us you can sit anywhere. In hind sight, this is when we should have turned around and left.2) The server was SLOW, SLOW, SLOW. We waited for a long time to be acknowledged and greeted (even though there was only one other occupied table).3) The menu is very goofy. The funniest thing is a full page (in the MIDDLE) that advertises a Chiropractic service. I've never seen this before in the United States--too funny! Can they at least put this crap on the back page?4) The server was dressed very unprofessional (not in a charming way) in a baseball hat, blue jeans, and tennis shoes, making it hard to identify him as staff.5) There was a SEVERE communication problem. We could hardly understand his accent and he seemed to have a very hard time understanding both of us. It was somewhat comical.6) Appetizers took half an hour to arrive. And when we finally got them, they were pretty boring and not worth the wait...and we were already irritated.7) Never refilled our water or soda...sitting empty.8) Disrepair... The backs of the booths are all floppy and don't seem to be attached correctly. The tables are mostly all wobbly and not balanced. The room divider between the restroom entrance and the closest table is simply a large (stained) piece of corrugated cardboard with a section of cloth draped over it. The divider behind the front desk looked similar. Where did they get this stuff--the Salvation Army?9) The rest of the decor is similarly tacky and possibly, suspiciously, against some sort of health code. For example, is it okay to have a thin Rayon window curtain as the door to your kitchen???10) The African Chai Tea arrived 40 minutes after ordering. Plus, it was mostly milk or cream and you could hardly taste the tea. Again, not worth the wait. At this point, my wife (who LOVES tea) was totally pissed off.11) They were still trying to figure out the coffee at 45 minutes, when we told them to forget it...we'd just square up on the bill and leave. I was looking forward to at least having a nice strong African Coffee. Oh, well.SOOO disappointing! I was really hoping this place would be good. I don't understand all of the four and five star reviews at all. I work hard for my money so I won't be spending any more of it at Jambo Africa.-Daddy Maxx RetroP.S. I apologize for the crappy quality of the photos. I only had a cheap cell phone with me. But I think they make my point."

Daily Cairo Grill

★★★★☆ 4.3 (22) • $

"I went from hooked to addict after my second visit to this hole in the wall 10 years ago.It was the Sambusa that keeps me coming back.I saw staff come and go while the non-existent decor slip south. I live and went as the staff went form owner/operator 5 star courtesy to rude-care-less-we-don't-have-time-for-your-additional-instructions, to good and acceptable again."

Lulu's EthioVegan Cuisine

★★★★★ 4.8 (32)

"On a warm October Saturday morning, we met up with a friend for breakfast. She has food restrictions so we chose Lulu's Ethio Vegan Cuisine on Franklin and 1st Ave. I was apprehensive as this was only my second time trying Ethiopian food but it turned out to be a good choice. We didn't know they serve breakfast as their website didn't list a breakfast menu and we assumed we were going to order breakfast from the lunch/dinner menu so it was a delightfully delectable surprise! We asked Owner/Chef TG about it and she said it got missed but would be updated soon along with other changes they still have to do to the website.Located on Franklin, you turn into the alley then park in the back which is where we entered the restaurant. They also have a front entrance but there is no street parking on Franklin. As you open the restaurant doors, you're greeted warmly by the sun and the bright and lively colors of the decor while being embraced by the seductive smells of coffee and warm spices. There were palm fronds on the tables. We noticed there is more seating in a covered patio adjacent to the alley but the fall weather was not conducive to outside eating. Lulu's is coming up on its one-year anniversary in November. It's a family establishment, not a chain, so the chef's own family is involved throughout the week. Some days you'll be waited on by the chef's husband, children, or herself. We were served by the children who were very friendly and worked hard at their job but had trouble answering our questions about ingredients in the dishes and cultural traditions for the items we ordered. They referred us to Chef TG who was most helpful and knowledgeable. We ordered Ginger Tea, Spiced Tea, and Jebena Coffee to start. The Ginger Tea is made with fresh ginger yet it's not overpowering with its spiciness and the Spiced Tea had a warming effect from the blends of spices. My wife said she tasted subtle notes of cardamom, anise, and cinnamon but thinks there are more spices in it. Jebena Coffee is traditional Ethiopian coffee and Chef TG says she roasts the beans daily in the kitchen. It is presented in a ceramic carafe on an elevated platter accompanied by smokey incense and your cup. The faint smell of incense adds to the experience and taste of the coffee which looked thick and dark so I worried I would be over-caffeinated for the day, but it didn't happen. It tasted smooth and delicate with a light coffee aroma. It was an exciting and unique coffee experience for this Midwest dad who is a lifelong coffee drinker!Chef TG's skillful use of spices and herbs maximized the flavors and umami of her dishes which are also low in sodium. We discovered we didn't miss the salt at all because our meals were so well balanced with spices. For breakfast we ordered Ful, the Breakfast Combo, and Chechebsa. Our friend had the Ful which was creamy (from the fava beans) and slightly tart (from the tomatoes) which paired well with the pita and mini baguette. The side coconut yogurt cuts some of the creamy flavor in the Ful but it's a tasty palate cleanser on its own. Chef TG said this dish is traditionally eaten with bread but she offers pita as well because Americans are more familiar with this pairing. My wife had the Breakfast Combo (Firfir, Chechebsa, & Kinche) and enjoyed the range of flavors from the smokey sourness of the injera bread in the Firfir to the chewy bites in the Chechebsa. The Kinche was light and buttery which made for a nice palate cleanser with the other two dishes. She was so taken by the berbere, which is a spiced hot pepper powder, used in the Firfir that she asked for it alone so she can taste it to get the full smokey, savory umami of the chili confection. It's mildly spicey but all the flavors work well with each other. My wife took the small berbere sample home and made the most delicious simple tomato sandwich with it. Chef TG said she will offer it for retail purchase in the near future so look for it if you enjoy hot peppers!I had the Chechebsa which was also included in the Breakfast Combo my wife selected. The pieces of flatbread were chewy and well seasoned and not overly salty. My wife really enjoyed it and wished it had a little bit more sauce as it seems the bread soaked it all up. Given my MN upbringing, I am still teaching my taste buds to understand spices so my favorite dish was the Ful which I thought had flavors reminiscent of Pork and Beans, but while it did appear to have beans as an ingredient there was obviously no pork. I ordered Ful to go. In all, the flavors of the Ethiopian dishes were savory, delicate, and not overpowering. We liked the fact that there wasn't too much salt and oil in the recipes. Also, as a meat-eater I personally at no point missed meat and I came away from this meal full and very satisfied. We'll be back to try the lunch/dinner menu and we highly recommend this place!"

City Afrique

★★★★☆ 3.6 (17) • $$

"Mmmmm...Liberian comfort food and warm, kind service. Based on the reviews here I was expecting a long wait for food, but at quarter to six on Saturday evening we were the only sit-down customers, with several deliveries and takeouts. The chef greeted us personally, and patiently waited while we worked out the menu. When I ordered togborgee she kindly brought out a sample for us to taste. "It's bitter," she warned. It had a bitter aftertaste, but not nearly as bitter as (for example) bitter melon you find in Southeast Asian foods. We ordered two stews, togborgee with rice and okra with fufu. Both stews were hearty and well seasoned with chicken and goat. I don't what else was in the stews, but we really enjoyed them. The spicy food went well with Jamaican ginger beer. We could barely eat half of each of our dishes--lots of leftovers for later! (Note to vegetarians: none of the menu descriptions mentioned the meats in the stews, and I don't know if meatless is an option.) Other than that, the space was spare but tastefully decorated with a combination of African art and silk flowers with colorful water glasses. The one downside to our visit was the sticky table. I suppose we could have been proactive and asked for a rag to wipe it down. The food was delicious and served with a lot of heart. A nice accidental find. We'll definitely be back!"

Glamaur African kitchen

★★★☆☆ 2.5 (4)

"Now I have lives in this country for some years and it has taken a lot to actually find good Nigerian food but all that changed between late last year and this year. The owner of this store puts a lot of thought into their meals. Jollof rice has always been a struggle for Nigerian restaurants except for Dinner Table Naija with their banging Jollof and goat meat, but the jollof is spicy, smoky, and tasty as hell. The most amazing thing. The fried rice is amazing. This has been another struggle for Nigerian restaurants too, but I love how the complete ingredients are in the there (apart from liver which would be nice to have too), the fried meat is so so good, soft and juicy, the sauced fish is also tasty. Not dry and the right amount of stew. Just amazing. Also there are a variety of meals you can choose from and the prices for the meals are super affordable. I spent almost fifty bucks here and I don't regret it. Only thing was that I waited too long. They can improve their online services too, but the meal is super great. I am so happy!! Lool."

Toni's African Deli

★★★☆☆ 3 (12)

"I was really excited to try Toni's African Deli. I've only had West African food once before, so take this review however you see fit.I ordered the beef stew with fufu. I thought the fufu was good in terms of texture. While I think this is intentional, but the beef stew was extremely oily and more watery than what I'd expect from a "stew". That part wasn't disappointing; it was more so the deep-fried pieces of beef that was in the stew. The beef was so chewy and really hard to eat.We ordered plantains as well, which were generally pretty good but nothing too special. My SO got the jollof rice with chicken. The rice seemed old. The flavor was fine. The chicken was also really tough. It seemed old as well.I'm not sure if we'd order again, unfortunately. I feel like it was adequate and that was it."

African Foods & Gifts

★★★★☆ 3.9 (16)

"My grandfather is from Liberia, so I've had the pleasure of tasting delicious homemade West African cuisine. Mid 2021- I was in this strip mall getting my hair done when a hairstylist from Liberia walked in with this delicious smelling food. I asked her where she got it from, and explained to her that I have been unable to find a Liberian restaurant that taste like "home" here in the Twin Cities, and she vouched that this place was pretty good. It's been a wrap ever since. I order the same thing every single time, which is a bit costly. I think my entire order usually comes between $50 - $65, depending on if I get a small or large. I order the Whole Fish with Jolof Rice, & Collard Greens with No Meat (which you can order by size, S M L XL) The Whole Fish is nicely coated with this delicious seasoning and cooked to perfection! The Jolof Rice is delicious.The Collard Greens are so good, I've never tasted greens like it! Very original taste and I love that it's served with white rice. There is a young man who is always working, and he is very pleasant and easy to talk to. They don't have a lot of beverage options, but they do have a small grocer isle for you to purchase miscellaneous things like rice, beans, bouyon's, beverages, etc. There is a large parking lot, so parking should never be an issue. This is located in a strip mall so you are surrounded by many other merchants. If you are quickly picking up, there is space for you to pull up briefly close to their entrance. I plan to keep supporting this place. I think the food is amazing, the staff is kind, and I always have a pleasant experience."

Karibu Grocery & Deli

★★★★★ 4.8 (44)

"This little eatery and grocery has really yummy East African takeout food (they also have eat-in normally, but have suspended it for COVID). We ordered sambusas, as well as the "Chooza Chicken" and "Suqaar Beef" meals. All were pretty good. We especially liked the sambusas; the red dipping sauce that came with them was delicious. The chicken was also really, really yummy. However, the beef itself was just so/so, sort of tough and with lots of tendons. The rice and veggies that came with both were very good. Service was fast and very friendly (took less than 10 minutes after ordering to get our takeout), parking was easy, and prices are super reasonable!"

Empire Cuisine and Market

★★★★☆ 4.3 (14)

"I just moved to Shakopee and havent found that one restaurant that will be my go to. I might have just found it. Ive actually been here twice now and let me say the best part of this restaurant is the service. The first time I went they were closing soon. I wanted to try the rice after i got fried with my meal. They gave me a side free of charge. He forgot to charge me for my samosa and when i reminded him he also gave that to me. The second time i went i had family at home and wanted to bring a family style meal home. He helped me customize it, gave us a whopping portion and wrapped it very well.For the food. The first time i went i had wings and fries. Both were really good. Crispy wings, fries were a little soggy but tasted good. For the family meal we had rice, spaghetti, philly cheesesteak meat, salmon, fried chicken and a side salad. The spaghetti was great as was the salad. The meats were decent. The chicken was a tad soggy, but to be expected how it was packaged. The salmon and philly cheesesteak had a little flavor but could have used more seasoning.All in all a great experience and the family loved the food also. I will be back to make this place my dukedom"

Snelling Cafe

★★★★☆ 3.9 (14)

"Having eaten here twice, I really like it, as the food was good and the people very nice. I've had some sort of chicken pancake thing, and a lentil type dish.It's a bit of a hole in the wall, with friends/family of the proprietor hanging out. It's a good place for anyone to hang out."

Nawal Restaurant Llc

★★★★☆ 4.2 (24) • $

"Nawal offers what I believe to be mostly East African and Mediterranean fare, including sambusa, injera, Somali stews, gyros and falafel. The service at Nawal is wonderful. I believe it was the owners who greeted us and explained the menu. They were very informative and friendly, which I value. Then they pointed out several things that were not available on the menu... it was actually easier pointing out what WAS available...The #17 Chicken Suqar ("soo-kar" with a Q, not "sugar") was photographed and explained as chicken breast stew with seasoned rice, salad (with veggies, tomatoes, limes), bananas, and hot sauce. I immediately said "YES I WANT THAT" at the counter. After we ordered, it came up pretty fast, within ~10 mins. However, I was a little disappointed it only came with rice and hot sauce. I asked for the salad, which they happily whipped up, and I forgot to ask for the bananas too (and regretted it later). My chicken suqar/stew was a rather dry, but it had good flavor. And be warned: the hot sauce is veryyy hot, but tasty too, and it seemed fresh. The serving sizes were generous, and I was able to reserve some leftovers.Overall, the owner(s)/managers are friendly and passionate, which I love. But the food fell short of my expectations, especially according to the menu description & photos."

Agelgil Ethiopian Restaurant

★★★★☆ 4.3 (52)

"I usually eat my Ethiopian in NYC, but this restaurant is better! We ordered the Agelgil combo, which included two beef dishes, one lamb, one chicken, and collard greens & cheese. Plus plentiful and fluffy injera. The lamb was our favorite, the collard greens our least favorite, but everything was fantastic. But don't get me wrong; we ate every single bite! Our combo dish was about $30, but it was hearty & hefty and served us for three meals before we were licking our plates. Great value plus bellies full of delicious food: enthusiastic 5 star!"

Afro Deli

★★★★☆ 4.3 (15)

"I met up with a friend downtown for lunch and she suggested this restaurant since it had just opened up a few months back. There are several other locations though so if you don't want to make the trek downtown - you got options! :) Metered street parking was pretty easy for me to find but I think I just got lucky and came at 11:10am - a little before the lunch rush. The restaurant itself is pretty colorful and has more seating than I expected for a skyway restaurant. It's also a quick bite so even if you can't find a seat right away, another is sure to open up! I did notice that it started getting really packed around 12 so be forewarned.My friend and I both got the lamb gyro plate and it was sooo delicious! Lots of thick pieces of lamb gyro were the stars of this restaurant. It came with lettuce, tomato, onions, tzatziki sauce all on a pita and a side of spicy garlic mayo dipping sauce for the fries. We loved everything especially how big, juicy, and tender the meat was. For $8.29, it was a great deal. A larger portion than other similar restaurants in the skyway. I had enough leftovers for another meal. I also absolutely loved the fries. They really know how to make them right because they tasted fresh and were perfectly crispy. Just the way I like them!"

A Taste Of Africa

★★★★☆ 3.7 (7)

"My daughter loves African food, she's tried many different restaurants and yet prefers to come back to this one. We used to live few miles away and never stopped by to eat. This restaurant is in the strip Plaza next to the New Horizon childcare. Colorful decorated restaurant and the owners super nice. I've always thought they served breakfast because I've seen breakfast items on their menu, but there's more. My daughter loves the egusi and fufu. I asked if they have any sambusa left and they did not but recommended I try the meat pie which has the same filling. That was delicious. The serving size for the egusi is big and good price. Tasty and spicy!"

Afro Deli & Grill - Saint Paul

★★★★☆ 4.3 (193) • $

"First time staying in St. Paul! Normally I'd pick a hotel in Downtown Minneapolis (more interesting bars & restaurants on average) but I found something right next to the venue I was working an event at, so I decided to give it a try. I saw Afro Deli on Yelp, with a highly rated Afro Steak Dinner. Took a short walk to try it out, taking my meal back to my hotel. Service was quiet and courteous, as I walked down the "Chipotle line" and specified what I wanted in my bowl. Hearty and delicious meal. I've never had food like this before, partly why I picked the place. Glad I satisfied my craving for the notorious Afro Steak Dinner! Will explore other places around St. Paul next time and glad this will always be a reliable quick to-go option."

Akwaaba Restaurant

★★★☆☆ 3.4 (27) • $$

"Don't forget about the northern half of Eat Street! Just because it's not trendy doesn't mean it's not good. In fact, I'd argue that since none of their time or budget goes into bells and whistles, the good is actually better than the fancy places.The Jolof Rice with chicken is solid and I'd recommend it highly. If you're here in the summer, you might see his two little daughters running around, it's pretty cute. FYI, he makes the food from scratch, so if you're short on time, I'd advise ordering ahead otherwise it's about 15 mins of waiting."

Milah's Royal Bistro

★★★★★ 4.8 (8)

"We got takeout from Milah's, a Liberian restaurant located in Brooklyn Park (it's Black owned, and we have been trying to support as many of these businesses as we can lately). The cuisine here is West African, and while neither of us have ever been to Liberia, my wife said the dishes were pretty close to the ones she used to enjoy eating in Ghana. The Jollof Rice was absolutely amazing, it's a definite must-order item (it's also HUGE). The fufu was also really good, and if you have never had it, definitely at least get a side of it to try. The sweet potato greens were so/so; the dish was sort of on the smaller side and the taste was just ok (it's also spicy). We really wanted the peanut butter soup, but they were out of it (at 4PM!). We also wish they were a bit more cognizant of the COVID guidelines; most of the workers were not wearing masks, and they were not encouraging social distancing inside. All in all, I would recommend this place, but know that they might be out of one of your first choices, and they are not really following the social distancing recommendations."

African Deli

★★★★☆ 4 (35) • $$

"This is the best African food you can find in the cities area. So far I've tried the egusi soup, pepper soup (very spicy!), curry, fufu, jollof rice, plantains, and beef patties. It's all been consistently made fresh well and perfectly seasoned. Staff is always super helpful even though I butcher the pronunciation of some dishes. There's plenty of meat options but you can get them all vegetarian if you want. My personal favorites are the beef patties and sweet plantains. You'll find that this place gets extremely busy right around lunch and dinner time, but always stays clean despite it being small and seating maybe 7 groups at a time. If you're looking for an ethnic/home style option this is it!"

Baarakallah Restaurant

★★★★☆ 4.2 (19) • $

"Wow, what a unique experience and one of the best meals I've ever had! Please don't be turned off by the run-down/hole in the wall appearance of this place inside or outside. As soon as I walked in the door I knew I was in for something very different. I was the only person speaking English here and the menu was full of stuff I'd never heard of but thankfully my phone came in handy for figuring out what was what.I ordered the Chicken Suqar with bread and it turns out the bread is actually some kind of thin flatbread that's shredded and cooked with the chicken so it absorbs all the juices and flavor. The person taking my order explained that it's a uniquely Somali way of using bread. It was mind-blowing, the flavor and spice profile was unlike anything I've ever had. I only wish I could have eaten more! If I'm ever visiting again I will 100% come back here."

Irie Vybz Jamaican Restaurant

★★★★☆ 4.2 (37)

"The service here is great! They answered all of our questions about ingredients, flavors, and portion sizes. I played it safe with French Chicken and rice and beans plus a veggie Rasta pasta! It did not disappoint! Crunchy, juicy chicken w a tasty sauce. I also really enjoyed their mango sauce with a bit of heat on the tail end!The Rasta pasta was saucy with good flavor and broccoli, peppers, and onions. My friends had the goat curry which is delicious! And the oxtail also good, but not my first choice. The beef patty was good too! Loved the plantains for dessert that came with my meal.The restaurant itself was nice enough with lots of room to eat in! Most of the orders that night were to go so we had the space to ourselves! Definitely want to stop back again!"