Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Baarakallah Restaurant

    4.1 (19 reviews)
    InexpensiveAfrican, Somali
    Open 6:00 am - 10:00 pm

    Baarakallah Restaurant Photos

    BAARAKALLAH RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Good for groups
    Good for kids

    You might also consider

    More like Baarakallah Restaurant

    Recommended Reviews - Baarakallah Restaurant

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    a plate of food
    Austin L.

    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.

    Mischa J.

    Had a good first-time experience with Somalian food here. I had goat with rice, and some kind of meat pie. I also had Vimto, which is some kind of very sweet fruit drink. The people who work here were hospitable, too. The only thing that might be good to add in the future is a recycling bin. Other than that, this is a nice little hole-in-the-wall-type place with authentic food overall...

    K.K. (keke) in foreground and sabaayad/broth/Beef Suqaar in background.
    Alan S.

    An excellent and inexpensive Somali cafe. A somewhat limited menu - but the basics are all very good - highly recommended for large portions of well-spiced food. Go in through the set of double doors just past the sign (to the right of the fabric shop that shares a wall with the business). I had the keke (k.k.) - which came in a generous portion for 8 dollars, was hearty and full of flavor. Again, a fast and basic rendition, but they were healthy and handmade to order, with lots of veggies and a surprising amount of meat. My friend had the Beef Suqaar which came with a very large piece of Sabaayad flatbread and a rich homemade broth on the side - also 8 dollars - the menu offers "full" or "half" but it seems the "half" is a large portion intended as a dinner for one person.

    Delicious milky coffee and completely eaten food.

    If I could give this place 10/5 stars I would. Very nice server. I had rice with meat (I'm not sure what meat, he just said meat, but I'm thinking goat). It was delicious. My girlfriend had keke with chicken. I'd never had keke before and we were both very impressed. Super tasty. They had great coffee too, very milky. Milky chai tea too. Sadly, we didn't know before ordering it because my girlfriend can't handle milk, but it was still great.

    The KK and seasoned meats with rice.

    This was the most delicious food of my trip to Minneapolis. The Kay Kay and seasoned meats were amazing. The home made rice and the warm cardamon tea were perfect on a cold evening. The owners were so kind and welcoming to us.

    Steak at the Baarakallah.  Comes with jooti (if I remember correctly) bread.  1/28/15
    Dave R.

    Filled with friendly Ethiopians (I think) and serving West African food, Baarakallah is in the same location as the Odaa was many years ago, but in a small portion of the area. I've been meaning to go there for years, and finally made it. I wasn't disappointed. I wasn't familiar with some of the dishes or breads, but it was filling and tasty. A worthy addition to Cedar-Riverside.

    Suqar beef with Japatti.

    See all

    1 year ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 1

    3 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1
    Photo of Steve P.
    277
    142
    35

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 1

    4 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 3
    Oh no 1

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1
    Photo of Lauren W.
    113
    10
    4

    3 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    8 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 1

    4 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Maybe the menu prices are not updated, but they ended up overcharging us almost twice the price on the menu. Better ask before ordering.

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Alan S.
    8
    64
    17

    11 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Alexa K.
    149
    31
    0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    5 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    12 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Emma D.
    1
    106
    0

    5 years ago

    Pretty good, honestly thought chicken was going to be better but still decent food that was ready fast.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    9 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    Ask the Community - Baarakallah Restaurant

    You might also consider

    Verify this business for free

    People searched for African 1,537 times last month within 15 miles of this business.

    Verify this business

    Hamdi Restaurant

    Hamdi Restaurant

    4.0
    (33 reviews)
    1.6 mi
    $

    We're in the area to support a neighboring Somali eatery. ICE protest going in full force on the…read morestreet, taking up an intersection with cries of the community. We got to that door just as the owners were closing up shop, so we asked for a nearby suggestion and were directed down the block, to the other side of the protest. My friend promptly forgot the name of the suggested eatery, and I was busy focusing on the protest and feeling so deeply proud of our community, so we simply meandered before arriving at Hamdi. Abdiladif had such a bright, warm grin spread across his face as he welcomed us into the space and led us to a back table that you wouldn't think there was a fight for human rights occurring right beyond the walls. Or rather, it's possible that he realizes that, yes, there was, and every voice outside and every visitor inside is proof of where this community stands in this fight. Yeah, okay, that'd be reason for me to grin, too. The menu was simple. A few protein options. A few vegetarian dishes. A few drinks. A complimentary cup of Somalian tea that you could refill at will at a station conveniently located at the middle corner between the two dining rooms. No prices beside the menu items, which was puzzling. Abdiladif was so friendly and happy to answer our many curious questions, offer clarifications and suggestions. We ordered the two goat dishes. One ended up being out of a key component, likely the happy result of several tables filling up before ours, so we ended up with two of the same goat dish. They weren't really named, so "goat" was all we went off of on the menu. My friend paired his with the spaghetti, while mine was with chapati, hummus, and creamed veggies. My friend ordered mango juice. The sweetened Somalian tea was plenty delightful for me. We both preferred the creamed veggies in the same bite as the hummus. The chapati seemed somewhat dry and needed the hummus. The goat was decently flavorful and tender, though not juicy. My friend struggled a bit with the larger bones on his pieces. We both loved the tea so much that we continued chatting while sipping on one last sweet refill, after learning that a dessert menu no longer existed. Before we leave, I leave my jacket and to-go container of lamb meat at our table to use the restroom. I return to my jacket missing. Baffled, I figure my friend had grabbed it. I turn to grab the to-go box and go pay on my way out. As I turn back towards the main dining room, a diner from a neighboring table within the room runs back in and makes a beeline for me. He's holding my jacket, folded tidily. Sheepish, he explained that he thought I'd forgotten it and had run out of the restaurant with it to look for me. It's unfortunate that painful times like these exist, but it's also beautiful to see community come together in light of that dark. There are several Somali places in this area, many other ethnic spaces to support in the Twin Cities. My friends and I look forward to getting to know a great many more.

    This place has GREAT food, and very attentive service. Very vegetarian-friendly, there were several…read moreoptions to pick from if you don't eat meat or fish. We will be back

    Photos
    Private family seating area
    Private family seating area
    Hamdi Restaurant
    Hamdi Restaurant

    See all

    Mama Safia's Kitchen

    Mama Safia's Kitchen

    4.7
    (30 reviews)
    1.7 mi

    We were craving beef sambusas and googled this place which was on the way home. We ordered over the…read morephone with Mama Safia and tried to get wings but she said they were sold out and recommended the drumsticks with the same marinade. We ordered 8 freshly fried beef sambusas with their house green sauce and chicken drumsticks with fries. We were greeted to take a seat and was served a banana and a water bottle. Probably THE best chicken drumsticks we've ever had! Whatever that orange colored dry rub was, was so flavorful with a little kick. It was not oily and the meat fell off the bone at first bite. The fries were hot and crispy, not soggy. The beef sambusas were so delicious, generously seasoned, and a larger triangle size, paired with their house green sauce that we could literally drink. We totally forgot to take a pic of the chicken because it was just that good

    Friendly spot with decent Somali food. Stopped in late on a Monday night. Since it was near closing…read moretime, they were out of several items. Ordered the chicken suqqar and my friend got the beef suqqar with ugali. The meats were a little dry and didn't have a lot of flavor. I asked for some of the green sauce that helped, but it would have been nice if the dishes had more flavor on their own. The spinach dish that came with the ugali had a lot of flavor, and the ugali had nice texture. It was a very cozy space and the service was friendly, but I was also overcharged for my dish (didn't notice it until I paid). I wanted to love this place, but found it only OK. I will try it one more time since they didn't have the dishes I wanted to order.

    Photos
    Mama Safia's Kitchen
    Mama Safia's Kitchen
    Mama Safia's Kitchen

    See all

    Dilla's

    Dilla's

    4.1
    (169 reviews)
    0.1 mi
    $$

    It has been a very long while since I have had Ethiopian, and I heard that Dilla's was the place to…read moretry in the Twin Cities. After a brief adventure thanks to Apple Maps, we arrived. There is a large paid lot right next to the restaurant, so parking was easy. We did arrive early--right at 5, so that probably helped. We were seated pretty quickly as well. As others have noticed, the service is quite slow (there seems to be only one person working the front of the house), though that felt like it was part of the experience--there was a distinct "gathering place" vibe, and there were plenty of regulars who were engrossed in conversation... it seemed like everyone was family there. The decor added to the family/community feel, with art, textiles, and wicker ware all contributing to a homey feel. Of course what you're really wondering about is the food. It's quite tasty. We started with the veggie sambusas, which were hot and crispy and came with a spicy tomato chutney that was just delicious. We also ordered the fule, which was quite tasty and filling. I loved the seasonings and textures. My favorite dish, though, was Dilla's Mix. It was absolutely beautiful to behold thanks to the jewel-toned beets and golden squash, and the juices of the veggies combined with the spices to create a glorious sauce. It was very comforting and oh-so-satisfying. Of course, all was served with springy injera to scoop it up with. Their injera is a bit lighter and milder than some that I have had elsewhere, but it does the trick nicely. As others have mentioned, Dilla's serves entrees in their own dishes, which is great if you are a group that likes to share.

    Small spot for good Ethiopian food. Pros: Good flavors, friendly servers and appreciated they were…read morewilling to create a veggie+meat combo for me - the menu only has veggie or meat combos. Cons: only 4 parking spots and their catering van was in one of them. Server disappeared for long periods of time though there were few tables. The injera was very cold, which made the food get cold fast. Especially since the room was very cold (the server was wearing a down coat).

    Photos
    1. Sambusa with Veggies
    1. Sambusa with Veggies
    9. Fule and 45 Dilla's Mix
    9. Fule and 45 Dilla's Mix
    Dilla's

    See all

    Baarakallah Restaurant - african - Updated August 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...