The Most Delicious African in Saint Paul

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."

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!"

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!"

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!"

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!"

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!"

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."

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."

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."

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."

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."

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."

Sana Restaurant

★★★★☆ 4.2 (9)

"Loved the goat dish. You know East Africans don't use silverware and we weren't offered any. That was just fine with me. Kind of like eating burritos. We daintily drank unique and strong Ethiopian coffee in small cups like the elitist British. Our very own chunk of burning incense kept us entranced. The gold and silver display is unusual and adds to the ambiance."

Daalo Grill

★★★★☆ 4.3 (7)

"Owned and run by a family from Djibouti, this has an air of informality melded with friendliness that is common at many new Sub-Saharan African restaurants. The food was okay, but I give 4 stars because the owner's son, who served me, was so kind. Next time I will arrive earlier before the goat stew disappears."

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."

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."