I finally took the plunge into Somali food at Mama Safia's in Minneapolis--and I'll be real, I was nervous. Ok, maybe completely terrified is more accurate. I am admittedly a novice when it comes to east, west, or South African food! First time, didn't know what I was walking into. But turns out? Absolute gem. The space itself is clean, bright, and surprisingly spacious. And what came was heavy-hitting. Portions? Massive. The mango juice? Pure tropical sunshine. The goat? Tender, rich, full of flavor. The rice? Fragrant, fluffy, and this is coming from someone who's ruthless when it comes to rice standards. But the dish that stole my heart was the sambusa--crisp shell, soft pillow inside, savory meat bursting through. A perfect bite every time. Can I have a box of these to take home please?! Bottom line: Mama Safia's turned my nerves into a craving. Clean, comfortable, and food worth coming back for. Next visit, I'm bringing additional backup. read more

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After going to the dmv we stopped here around lunchtime. First time going and we will definitely be back soon. We ordered the beef suquaar with canjero and malawah. It was well spiced, delicious to bit and really went well with the different bread like options. I ordered a mango smoothie that was an absolute hit. Tasted like an elevated mango lassi. We also got the Somali tea which tasted similar to a chai latte and was exceptional as well and only $2. It was good service, quick and overall just had a very pleasant time being there. Vibe was great and it was a chill atmosphere. Only thing I would say is that one entree was definitely enough for two people in our experience. We got leftovers and it wasn't crazy expensive but next time. read more

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Friendly spot with decent Somali food. Stopped in late on a Monday night. Since it was near closing time, 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. read more

While in Minneapolis, I had to try Somalian food. While I've had East African cuisine before such as Doro Wat, Somalian was a first for me. I loved the sambusas (otherwise known as samosas)! I had one chicken and one beef and frankly would have enjoyed just having more of those for dinner. That green sauce, or Basbaas, had all my favorite things: chiles, cilantro, garlic, onion. I'd bathe in it if it wasn't so spicy! For an entree I ordered the goat biryani rice. Now I've never had goat before and it was like mutton, grisly with a lot of bone and not a ton of flavor on the meat, but maybe that's how goat is. The cardamom seeds in the rice literally popped with flavor. The vegetables weren't the freshest but they mixed well. I had a few bites of the chicken sugaar and bbq chicken, and neither had a ton of flavor. For a place that claims fame to spice, I didn't get much from the meats. I really liked the place, clearly family run and while I would go again to pick up a bunch of sambusas, I may or may not order another entree. But good work Mama Safia! read more

Mama Safia's Kitchen - 1 Beef & 1 Chicken Sambusa - Comfort Food Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

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I popped in for a snack to warm up after risking frostbite during the march on Lake St. I wasn't the only one doing that, and the cashier was graciously offering us free hot tea. She warned us it was sweet so I passed. She seemed to be genuinely enjoying her job, not something I see often in restaurants. I chose a Sambusa and a Mandazi since they looked like they would be easy to stuff in my coat. Mama Safia's looks like a tiny corner place from the outside but seems bigger on the inside. Bright and sunny with well spaced tables. I saw some full orders being served and they looked amazing. It didn't take long to get my order but the march had ended, so I went back to my car and bit into the Sambusa (aka Samosa in other cuisines) as soon as I was out of the wind. Best I've ever had! Lovely flakey crust with a mild curry taste in the chicken filling. The Mandazi is something like a donut but not overly sweet, and aromatic with warming spices. This could actually be a 5 star, but I feel I should return for a full meal experience. read more

I mean I had to try this place simply because it's rare to have a namesake restaurant--for me at least! The restaurant has plenty of street parking and a parking lot across the street from it. As soon as you enter, your are greeted by a warm, friendly staff member the menu is simple and the staff can explain it to you. I opted for the classic Somali bread with a meat dish comprised of beef cubes. I also got a beef Samosa. Everything was delicious. The inside is clean with plenty of seating .I was offered a water and a banana along with my meal. I did not know that this is typical of Somali meals.. all in all a great experience. read more

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We were craving beef sambusas and googled this place which was on the way home. We ordered over the phone 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 read more

Mama Safia's Kitchen - Drinkable delicious green sauce and flavorful sambusa filling - Comfort Food Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

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First time to eat Somali food! I ordered the tilapia with pasta (comes with salad) and the vimto juice )raspberry, grape, black currant). The juice was refreshing and the meal very satisfying. They bring a bottle of ranch dressing and a green spicy sauce to your table. Service is quick. The portion is generous and can make for good leftovers if you plan ahead. read more

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This part of downtown's a bit quiet on a Sunday so I definitely lucked out by finding Mama Safia's via Uber Eats. The "most frequently ordered" feature was spot on, leading me to the excellent goat. You'll have a choice between pasta and rice, the pasta was awesome. The fiery green sauce goes with the sambusa; I'm not sure if the reddish sauce belongs to the entree, but both were great. On Uber Eats there's a "half" or "full" option, if you're one person the half is huge. read more

Essentially standard Somali food, from what I can tell. They have the usual stewed-goat-on-bone and beef-cut-up-small dishes, both done pretty well. Eating at breakfast time, I had it with canjero, which was a sweet flatbread that was quite tasty. It was made fresh, as I could tell with how stale it was the next morning when I had leftovers. Somali tea was also tasty, although very sweet (which I think is authentic). Overall, it's not the absolute best Somali food I've had, but a very tasty and authentic option, and also a friendly and normal restaurant experience (which has been unusual in my experience with this cuisine before). read more

My granddaughter Remington introduced me to Sambusas (they serve them at her school) and they are so darn good! I need to learn how to make them! Great food, great service! read more

I paid for an Uber to take me here and arrived at 8:30pm. Yelp and Google both said they were open until 10pm but they were closed and would not let me in. I walked down the street and ate at Hamdi instead. Was it better food than Mama Safia? I will never know. But they stood by their schedule, their food was good, and they were very happy to have me. read more

I had a one day layover in MSP and wanted to try something different. I knew the area had a large Somalian population so I sought out an establishments to try. Mama Safia's did not disappoint. I had the goat with biryani rice and it was delicious. The goat was a little on the dry side but the portion was large. The rice was my favorite part. It was savory and moist, yet had good bite to it. The entree came with a salad and a banana. I also ordered the mango juice which was refreshing. Will definitely go back when in MSP. read more

Mama Safia's Kitchen - Goat and biryani rice - Comfort Food Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

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The wasala was amazing. I do feel like you get more rice when you eat in. But it was definitely worth. Fresh chicken and beef sambusa. Make sure you eat the rice with a banana. Will definitely change ya life read more

Tried for the first time and was impressed with the warm and friendly service and delicious food!

This is the PERFECT comfort food. We came in late at night after a long drive and it was very quiet and peaceful. Wonderful Ambiance! The waiter we had was very helpful and gave us suggestions since we hadn't had the food before. He also helped us pronounce some of the dishes which was very nice. The dishes we got were so good that i wasnt able to get a picture because we ate it so fast. The Tea here warms you up so quick its perfect for how cold it is right now. PLEASE get the tea! read more

Mother of pearl. Ordered for the first time from Mama Safia's. I got the lamb shoulder and four sambosas. First of all, the sambosas were GIANT. They were flaky and really well seasoned and had a sauce for dipping to add extra heat. The lamb shoulder with rice was massive. It could have fed two people. The lamb was tender and well roasted and the rice and veggies were a solid compliment to the meat. The whole meal was amazing and I am GRATEFUL that they are here. I solidly recommend Mama Safia's to everyone down for some solid food. I will be back again, hopefully to try their breakfast. read more

We are here from Chicago and wanted to try Somali food. What a great experience and so delicious. We had the Isbeso, traditional tea (very, very sweet) and the Sambusas. Yum! We ordered another Sambusa for our meal and got some to go. Highly recommend this restaurant. read more

This was a very hearty and welcoming introduction to Somali food. Actually, hearty is probably an understatement, as my dish alone was large enough to feed at least two people. Outside of that, the chicken and rice dish was pretty good; the green sauce that is served with it compliments and enhances the dish's flavor considerably. Some of my chicken chunks were a bit tough and dried out, but the flavor was still present. I also ordered a sambusa and Mandazi for appetizers, as it's hard to beat a $2/piece price point. Of the two, I liked the Mandazi (think sweet bread) better; the sambusa was good, but the red onion overpowered the remaining ingredients in the savory pastry. Again, the green sauce tastes really well with the sambusa, so don't forget to ask for it if they don't remember to serve it. Lastly, the clean restaurant atmosphere and employees were really welcoming and accommodating. All in all, I had a good experience here. read more

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We were visiting Minneapolis and wanted to try a Somali meal. We stopped in and ordered food to go. Wonderful! I give it five stars Food was tasty, clean, and fresh. When our order arrived, they gave us bananas to go with the meal. And bottled water. Nice touch! The people there were so friendly and welcoming. Highly recommend. read more

Delicious. I ate here a while ago but didn't have a yelp account. Very flavourful and perfectly cooked meet

Great food. Quick service fair pricing. I always look forward to new places to eat. When it goes well. What else can you say. Thanks y'all.

I was visiting from LA and decided to try Somali food for the first time while exploring Minneapolis. Mama Safia's Kitchen did not disappoint with the food, quality, and service!! I ordered the goat meat with rice, sambusa, and mango juice. The goat was tender and tasty, the rice was well seasoned, the sambusa was perfectly crispy and flavorful, and the mango juice was refreshing! The customer service was on point, staff was very friendly and welcoming! Definitely check them out!! read more

Mama Safia's Kitchen - Goat meat and rice; sambusa - Comfort Food Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

Everything on the menu is so tasty! I would recommend the chicken kuteleti with rice or the chapati wrap. This is a very relaxing place and I love doing homework here. Very friendly people and quick service. read more

Mama Safia's Kitchen - Outside the restaurant - Comfort Food Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

We visited Mama Safias Kitchen because of a YouTube we saw. The food was EVERYTHING! Fried chicken tasted as good as it looked, lamb was tender. We had plenty of rice and salad. Service was good. The server was very attentive and helpful. Will definitely visit again next time we come to Minneapolis. read more

The food is just amazing cozy and comfortable. Mama Safia Goat meat and rice are on point. Lovely service read more

Mama Safia's Kitchen - Mama Safia Kitchen - Comfort Food Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

Best service, best food, and if you are not familiar with Somali food, they will explain everything for you. We had a great experience!

Yo hands down the BEST, most authentic, somali cuisine I had in ages. Tastes like home Prices are very reasonable, servings are filling, and the atmosphere is very inviting! I will most definitely be coming back for seconds, thirds, fourths - YOU NAME IT! read more

food was so amazing, the best Somali food I had in long time. the goat meat was delicious. the customer service was amazing, they had toys for my little brother and books while we waited for our food. Their hospitality was excellent. they made me feel comfortable loved and welcomed. The ambiance was very relaxed, welcoming. It had a good vibe. recommend it 10 out 10! read more

Mama Safia's Kitchen - Goat meat with rice - Comfort Food Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

Delicous food. The Somali dishes, especially the Goat meat dishes are tasty. Excellent service. The place is family owned, they are very welcoming and happy people. Definately the best somali restaurant in minneapolis. Ambiance is excellent. The restaurant is clean, well dacorated. Simple but beautiful. They have private place for families and women dining. Excellent place to go if you want to exprience amazing somali hospitality. read more