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    Fatuma's Restaurant

    4.4 (64 reviews)
    InexpensiveAfrican, Halal

    Order Fatuma's Restaurant Takeout or Delivery

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    FATUMA'S RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for groups
    Dogs allowed

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    Recommended Reviews - Fatuma's Restaurant

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    Lamb. Saffron rice w East African raisins, salad, pita and hummus.  Somalian soft drink can and bottled water
    Jimmy H.

    I ate at the restaurant shop for my second time last night. Once again lamb. So much food is provided for a reasonable price. This out of the way, culturally different, for me, place is at least a monthly go to for dinner

    Keesha F.

    Goat was quite fatty and tough and there wasn't very much edible meat. I ordered half pasta, half rice. Pasta was super dry and tasted old. Plate also came with salad that contained iceberg lettuce that was pretty brown. Only thing that was tasty was the rice. Service was cool but I know I won't be back. After reading the reviews, I was very excited to try this place but they seriously let me down. I'm glad this wasn't my first Somalian food experience because I would've been very disappointed.

    Carmen V.

    I discovered this restaurant during African restaurant week in San Diego back in October, and I have been stopping by every time that I am around that part of University Ave. My friend Nima had been taking several paid cooking classes, so I convinced him to go with me to this one where we learned how to make sambusas. Sambusas are like the Indian samosas but mostly filled with grounded chicken or halal meats. We were around 20 people and learned a bit about the Somali culture (as the restaurant in question catered that food). The owner, a refugee living in San Diego for some years now, was very nice to all of us, serving tea and telling fun stories. Mostly Somalis go to this restaurant, although more food-curious are open to new flavors. To me is just different enough.

    RC S.

    Just exploring Somali cuisine. Ordered tilapia, rice, spaghetti combo and small salad. The fish was a little overcooked, but to my liking. The rice was delectable and the spaghetti was a nice complement. The price was a mere 10.99 USD, a real bargain to say the least! The only suggestion I would make is to include a cup or glass with beverages, not everyone likes to drink straight from the can or bottle... I will definitely return to try other dishes on the menu.

    Lamb plate GOOOOOOD !
    Mona O.

    Don't let the location and the atmosphere fool you, the food is DELICIOUS! And for you Saudis in SD this is the closest thing to Kabsa you can find in this side of Mississippi :))

    Samosa
    Shea B.

    1. The food is really good. 2. It's cold in the winter. I think their fixing the heat or something. Bring a jacket. 3. Read the menu up top first. It will save you playing 50 questions. 4. Customer service needs work.

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    2 years ago

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    8 years ago

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    9 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Highly recommend Fatuma's the banana with the sauce was so good had nice employees would recommend

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    13 years ago

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    11 years ago

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    4 years ago

    Great Somali restaurant and great place to eat. Brothers there are very kind and welcoming.

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    4 years ago

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    4 years ago

    Good enough to merit 4 stars considering how slim the pickings are for Indian food in the area.

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    12 years ago

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    8 years ago

    Had the quarter chicken, excellent flavor!! Was in and out within a few minutes. Epic food, epic service, epic price

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    9 years ago

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    Page 1 of 2

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    Flavors of East Africa

    4.3(1.3k reviews)
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    This was my first time here, and I loved it! The employees were the sweetest people, answered any…read morequestions we had about the menu, and gave us great suggestions. We ended up getting the lunch combos so we could get a taste of many different dishes! You can ask them for half & half for rice, meat and/or veggies to get the full experience((: My favorites were the sweet jerk chicken, beef stew, and curry lentils - DELISH.

    I have been here lots of times at the farmers market, but this was my first time actually visiting…read moretheir storefront. They offer soo many more options!! I was shocked! Our server was great and I was happy she let me try a sample of their Black Berry Juice because it was soo good! I loved how tarty it was. We got the following food to try: - Sambusas (spicy lentil and potato) - they were good, but not the best sambusas I've had. The shell was crunchy, but the filling had a more subtle flavor than I'm used to and I felt like I was missing the "wow" punch. I really liked the spicy mint sauce it came with. - Goat - this was really flavorful and the meat was soo tender! The size was a bit disappointing especially because we didn't get many goat pieces, but plenty of bones. I also wish there was more than 1 carrot in the whole bowl. It was mostly broth. A tasty broth, but still. - Beef Mbavu Choma (beef short ribs) w/ Dengu (lentils) and Ugali - this was insanely good! The meat was beyond perfectly cooked and we couldn't get enough of it. The ugali was good on its own and with the lentils, but I liked it best when dipping it in the soup broth. I would definitely get this dish again! I really like this place, but the small amount of goat in our curry dish left me a bit disappointed, which is the only reason I'm not giving 5 stars.

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    Flavors of East Africa - A delicious meal fit for a foodie: Large Combo, African Jerk Chicken Sweet and Spicy,  Saffron Rice, Nyoyo,  Whole Chapati, Mango Black Tea

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    Taste of Africa Cuisine - Curry chicken, spicy jerk chicken, collard greens, lentil , veggies , yellow saffron rice

    Taste of Africa Cuisine

    4.5(53 reviews)
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    Quite the experience... We were looking for some food near Colina Del Sol Park. This was open and…read morewalking distance, we figured checking it out. Don't judge this spot by the outside--the food speaks for itself Pulled up to this spot and I'll be honest--it's super lowkey and easy to miss. But once you try the food, you understand why people keep coming back. Here was my experience: AMBIANCE: Parking: Street or small lot, it can get busy based on the time of day. Seating: Inside seating, good for small groups. Maybe room for a total of 20 people. Vibes: Welcome to Midcity/City Heights area! It's not the flashiest part of SD but its definitely a grit and grind gem of San Diego. The spot itself is a no-frill type of spot, all about the food and not the aesthetics. You go up to the window and they'll let you know if you have in the kitchen - chicken, pork, beef, or fish. Super no-frills. This is one of those spots where it's all about the food, not the aesthetic. It almost feels like a hidden kitchen more than a traditional restaurant--but that's part of the charm. Reviewers even note it's "unpretentious" and focused on flavor over presentation FOOD / DRINKS: Chicken Combo (Recommend) This is where it hits. The chicken was well-seasoned, tender, and packed with flavor. Complemented with the rice, it made it extra fulfilling. Salad was simple but nice to have. Well worth the $20~ CUSTOMER SERVICE: Straight business. There was a little bit of language barrier but we got things all squared. TL;DR OVERALL: 3.5 Stars. Good food, simple selections, and quite the memorable experience. It's not a place you come for ambiance--but definitely a place you come for authentic, flavorful food. If you're open to trying something new and keeping it lowkey, this is worth checking out. #SupportBlackOwned TIPS: * This is not your conventional restaurant so come with an open mind! * Cash helps!

    Foood was amazing. My girlfriend and I wanted to try something different so we found this place…read more Kinda run down, hole in the wall. They don't have a menu. You just tell the chef what kinda meat you want and he'll cook you up something good. Chef was really nice and recommended some dishes. I eventually went with the goat dish.. 10/10. Would definitely come back

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    Awash Ethiopian Restaurant - One vegetarian combo and one meat combo. Great for 3 people.

    Awash Ethiopian Restaurant

    4.5(614 reviews)
    2.5 miUniversity Heights, North Park
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    Every time I pass by Awash and smell the food, my mouth waters. It gives a mom and pop vibe, has a…read morelittle market in the back, and the service is always very attentive and kind. Came by on a Saturday mid-afternoon and the place was mostly empty, and we were able to just take any seat we liked in the front room. They came by and took our order and when I wasn't sure if the spicy tibs were going to be too spicy, he kindly offered to give me a sample including some of their delicious injera. It was delicious, and the spice only added flavor and wasn't too intense at all. We went with the Awash special spicy tibs and the meat combo and it came on the plate with injera as the base and a bunch of rolls on the side. It was a ton of food, and the tibs are always so amazing; I love even just dipping the injera in the sauce and soaking it up. If you've never had injera before, it's a super spongy sour bread that's made of some gluten-free flour. It's delicious and really light, and the way you eat is by picking up the meat or whatever you have in front of you with the injera and eating it all together. I'd say the meat combo wasn't my favorite since the Tibs blow all the other meats out of the water and in the future I'd stick with what my friends and I do usually: the Awash special spicy tibs and the Veggie Combo. Adding the Veggie combo adds the nice acidic and healthy balance that you need when consuming the sour injera and the savory tibs. Would recommend Awash to everyone I know. It's not necessarily a cutesy spot, but it's a place to go when you want to eat some delicious Ethiopian food and walk away with your tummies happy.

    Coming in, the restaurant is small, but has a charming and homey quality to it. The servers are so…read moresweet, and would check in on us throughout our meal. We ordered the meat and vegetarian combo platters, and the food was very delicious. The portions were sadly a little small compared to the amount of injura we got and the price we paid, but delicious nonetheless. Unfortunately, the day after my friend and I both got food poisoning from this restaurant. I want to love this place since the food and people were great, but from sifting through Yelp reviews, it seems like food poisoning is a common thing guests experience.

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    Muzita Abyssinian Bistro - Shiro & Beggie

    Muzita Abyssinian Bistro

    4.4(2.2k reviews)
    3.4 miUniversity Heights
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    Down in SD for a ladies weekend to see the Timbers v SD match. We were seated on the restaurant…read moreporch which had heaters and the friendly server asked if we wanted them turned on, but it was a lovely cool afternoon so we went with nature. The porch faced a busy tourist street buzzing with people and it was great seeing everyone come and go. We started with the vegetable sambusas which outstanding. The spice level and filling were perfection and the pastry divine! I had the Shiro + Beggie which was out of this world! My friends shared a mixed vegan plate and everything on it was delicious! Next time I'm here in San Diego I'll remember to return. Highly recommended!

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    Lucy Ethiopian Restaurant - Deliciousness!

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    Fatuma's Restaurant - african - Updated May 2026

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