I go to Denver for business a few times a year. Every time I go, I will drop by Mandeeq on my way…read morefrom the airport to my hotel. I love their goat meat and lamb dishes. The prices are extremely reasonable but the food is super delicious. The folks are very friendly and kind.

Love love love!! It's a MUST EAT and a place that definitely deserves more recognition! Every dish…read morewas so GOOD and FULL OF FLAVOR. I really enjoyed the fried fish of the day, chicken tikka, chicken shawarma, goat, lamb shank, and the rice was so memorable. Every bite was giving me the happy food dance! There were some language challenges with the server, but the chef came out, and he was so kind and friendly. We were very excited and couldn't wait to try all of the dishes after ordering. This East African and halal restaurant has had multiple owners and the current ownership has done an incredible job with the menu. It is very simple with wonderful signature dishes but all of the dishes are a must order. We enjoyed every single one, but the fried fish of the day and moist and flavorful chicken definitely stood out and had an amazing green chili sauce served with it. The hot sauce was a light green colored chili sauce was such a great compliment to each dish and totally elevated the burst of flavor. I think it's the basbaas hot sauce. So good! I could eat it on everything! Another note was that the chicken dishes were so moist and perfectly cooked. Most of the meat dishes fell off the bone. I really hope to go back with friends so they can explain and share more details about some of the amazing halal dishes that we had. I'm not so sure what was in the "veggie" soup but it was so yummy and I would go there just for coffee, the soup and a sambusa for a quick lunch or snack. The spices and flavors were incredible! The chef shared that there were lots of different types of veggies in the soup, but it definitely had some sort of flavor of lamb or goat in addition to the amazing veggies and spices. After leaving we also stopped at the Mandeeq Cafe for some STRONG and bold coffee. I have been to the restaurant over the years and one of the best features about the restaurant is that there are so many elements of Chinese design and decor throughout the space. Prior to being a destination halal restaurant in a diverse corridor it was a Chinese restaurant for a very long time. I love enjoying the African delicious entrées from Mandeeq and looking at the ceiling tiles with lots of Asian influence. Makes my heart happy that this incredible restaurant exists and occupies a space with elements of Asian decor too. The restaurant is definitely a no-frills and could use some upgrades, but that's part of the charm. I also love that it's a very busy community space and you see lots of different members of the community going in for lunch or a snack or even just a quick coffee. Another note is that sometimes there is a language barrier, but the service and staff is just so incredibly friendly and kind. Be patient, open minded and kind. Please be respectful of the halal restaurant and enjoy the amazing cuisine that Mandeeq has been serving our global community since 2008.

Wowee! A few doors…read moredown from Maandeeq East African Cafe (previously reviewed by yours truly) is another Somali gem, Ifka Cafe (no relation to the now-deceased Iftin Cafe which was a different (but also Somali) eatery further down Havana. But I digress). "Now Mark", I hear you ask, "how can two Somali food joints coexist in such close proximity?" Well, if you'll just hush for a minute, I'll fill you right in. Whereas Maandeeq focuses on full, sit-down meals, Ifka is more of a coffeeshop serving Somali snacks (wow, try saying that several times in succession!) Among the items offered - Sambusa (fried pastries stuffed with ground chicken, beef, or veggies, these are indeed reminiscent of South Asian Samosas), Maandazi (think of a slightly sweet Somali sopaipilla - oh, there I go with the alliteration again), Bajiye (lentil fritters), Bur Somali (another fried-bread item), and so on. Stop by early (as early as 8:30 am in fact) for the best selection! Wash it down with a delicious Shaah (spiced tea). Or maybe a Qahwo (coffee) is closer to what you have in mind? Then, finish it off with that dark, gelatinously sugary sweet called Xalwo, or the white, coconut-flavored one called Qumbe. Oh, just point - you'll know them when you see them. Ah, I get it. You want a full meal, but you just ate at Maandeeq yesterday. Well, if you come early enough you can try Fouel (thick tomato-bean stew usually served with Canjeero/Anjera - see my Maandeeq review for more about this bready item). Or stop by later and partake in a Steak Sandwich. Yes, you read that correctly. Think of Maandeeq's thin beef steak dish, stick it on a bun, add lettuce, tomato, onion and Bisbaas (hot green pepper sauce) and there you are! And there's more! From Odkac (the breakfast favorite of chopped meat slow-cooked in butter) to Kalluun (a moist fish fillet) to even Cambuulo (sweet red-bean porridge, traditionally consumed at dinner). For its tasty morsels and general uniqueness, it gives me enormous pleasure (fanfare, please!) to award Ifka with 5 stars. Yes, 5ive, like the Jacksons. Well, there were actually 9 of them but you see what I mean. NB: Once again, per Somali custom, this is an alcohol-free establishment. Please do not ask for beer, wine, etc., as this is considered insulting.

This place reminds me of one of my favorite Ethiopian cafes/restaurants. Per one of my friend…read moreElites, this is a Somali place. Well, I love African food in general so when this place came up in my search (even though I wasn't necessarily looking for that specific cuisine), I wasted no time to rush to it. I just needed a late morning cup of joe and something light to eat so that's what I got today. First of all, this place is not for coffee in my opinion. I asked for a cappuccino but the guy behind the counter made me a coffee (with cream; I could call that a latte maybe??) He did put some sort of a spice in it which definitively enhanced the quality of it and it didn't taste bad to be frank but it definitely wasn't a gourmet coffee or super delicious. I wasn't unhappy or anything. However, I let it sit for about 15 min or so as it was super hot when I got it, it tasted a bit better. Like a wine has to breathe a bit after opening its bottle, my coffee had to sit until the spice was well mixed in it. Now let's move on to the sambusas. Both Beef and Veggie ones were delicious. I couldn't remember which one but one of them had a little kick in it so the spiciness lingered in my mouth for good 10 minutes after I ate it. Also, the menu had some delicious looking food on it so next time I go here, I'll definitely get a lunch plate (and it looks like they can serve you quickly so if you are looking for a quick/yummy Ethiopian food, this might be your place.) Overall, today's visit was pretty good.

This was (INDEED) a nice discovery…read more I gathered with friends at City Park Jazz tonight (July 23, 2023) and Taste of Soweto caught my attention so I gave it a shot. By the way, its name is an English syllabic abbreviation for South Western Townships which I didn't know until today. This south African cuisine is something new to my palette. I've had Ethiopian and Somali dishes in the past when it comes to African food but I didn't know what to expect from Soweto. What I got me was a curry/stew that is so thick and stout; I've never had a curry/stew this thick before so it shocked me in a very surprising way. When I got my food, I thought it didn't quite like the picture on the menu but once I took a bite of it, it simply didn't matter anymore. It's got a lot of spices in it but was mild to a point where it didn't burn my mouth so it's not spicy hot in any way. And the volume of it is simply astounding. When I picked it off the window of the truck, it was quite the weight. For $16, you'll definitely get the value you pay for. People inside the truck were pleasant so you'll have no issues with service either. A few minutes before my food was up, the guy came out and covered #3 on the menu. Got lucky to get the last one for the night. Must be the most popular item on the menu!!

I was looking for something different on a Friday night and was stoked to see that Taste of Soweto…read morewas parked at a nearby brewery. South African food isn't exactly commonplace in Denver. If this is representative, it should be. While others were ordering, I checked out the menu board. While there was only a handful of options, choosing one was not easy. The curries in a bread bowl looked good, but basmati rice sounded better to host the saucy protein. Kalahari sausage sounds interesting, and they offer wings with either peri-peri or Kalahari sauce. A friendly greeting led to my ordering the beef Kota bowl. I sat down to wait--but not for long. Most food trucks seem to take longer than expected. These guys had my food ready and well-packaged in no time! The curry sauce offered a unique flavor more akin to that at Urban Burma than a Thai or Indian joint--excellent. Sizable chunks of tender beef screamed quality ingredients. This was addictive stuff and it disappeared in minutes. I say 4.5 stars for quality ingredients, and fast, friendly service, rounded up to five stars for uniqueness in this area.

Nile Ethiopian is AMAZING! The atmosphere is calm and relaxing, the service is friendly and…read moreattentive, and the food... wow. We ordered the Lamb Tibs and the Veggie Combo, and both were out of this world. The lamb was perfectly seasoned and tender, the veggie combo was full of flavor, and of course everything was scooped up with plenty of that soft, spongy injera bread. Honestly, the injera alone is worth the trip -- it ties all the flavors together and makes the whole meal feel like an experience. The restaurant is spotless, cozy, and welcoming, and the staff made us feel right at home. If you've never had Ethiopian food before, this is the place to try it -- and if you have, you'll be blown away by how good it is here.

One of the first Ethiopian restaurants we tried after moving to Denver. The first night we came,…read morethere were no vegetable sides available so we decided to come back another night - and glad we did. Lamb tibs were delicious (though low meat to sauce ratio). Veggie sides all tasty too. Service may seem slow to some, so allow plenty of time and patience. More expensive than a few other spots we've tried. (FYI closed on wednesdays)