Outstanding! Came from some distance away and just happened on this place as it was opening. Had…read moregood coffee and tea, and ordered the ugali. So much food! And so tasty! The owner was most gracious and very informative about Somali food. If you haven't tried it, this is a great place to get your first experience. A very homey place.

Food good. Good service I'll be back for sure for the next party and Sambusas. Service was friendly.read more

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

We stayed at the intercontinental St. Paul riverside. Used yelp to find a nearby place to eat. So…read moreglad this restaurant came up because it was delicious! It was a nice walk over the Mississippi River. The place is cozy and very clean. We were welcomed with so much warmth it was like having home cooking. We started out with the bread with feta. It was so good with the right amount of seasonings. I wanted to try the dowjic soup so I ordered a cup. I loved it! Yes it's lemony and has a lot of garlic which you could think is a lot of salt but these bright tangy flavors were right up my alley. Not to mention that with all that lemon and garlic it's great for your immune system. After a long flight this hit the spot. For entrees I had the bakla with chicken. So healthy and fresh. The rice had dill. Very tasty. My dad and his girlfriend had the Sheik Babani. They loved it. We enjoyed our meal so much that we went back on a Saturday in order to try the chicken Tawa which is only available Fridays and Saturdays. We had first gone there on Thursday. So glad we got a chance to try that too because the chicken was so tender and flavorful. Wish we were able to go again but they were closed Monday on our last day. Congrats to all the staff and owners for making this family restaurant a special place to eat.

Babani's is the first Kurdish restaurant in MN. The interior is lovely. No matter where you look…read morethere is something worth seeing. Every bite of food I have had from here has be very good. I always start with the Dowjic soup. The first time I tasted it would be a favorite for life. The service is always kind and welcoming. You won't happy with anything you order, but start with the soup.

A rare absolute perfect 5. Oh my. You NEED to come here and grab the chicken shawarma. It's saucy,…read morejuicy, zesty, zingy, and the best bite you'll have. I was not anticipating it. My partner and I were super tired and needed a quick dinner. This wrap brought us up, and levitated us. We both were upset we hadn't tried this place sooner! From what I heard from him, the shop is cozy and cute, family-owned vibes. Definitely check it out! We had it to go, and will be going again.

Let's start with the positives! The atmosphere is cute and very clean. I like that they have games…read moreto play while you wait for food. The server was nice. The crispy chicken shawarma was good as well. I wasn't a a big fan of chicken 65 ( which were boneless buffalo wings), za'atar fries ( maybe could have added feta or lemon zest to it), and the garlic naan was sad and floppy. Overall cute place with okay food.

We have really missed having a Middle Eastern restaurant of good quality on the east side ever…read moresince Beirut left. Was great food and attentive staff.A small family run place it seems, but clean bright decor, nice bathrooms, it looks like (I hope) a back patio in the future. Check your map and follow driving directions because the road work is major and I can't imagine it will be less than all summer. It was easy to get to on the side street. Even though it says you can't get through there across Rice, clearly people have been driving through. But if you follow the map right to the place, there is parking off hours across the street and there appears to be street parking also. We will be back

I've had great middle eastern food before but let me tell you when I say Ali Baba Grill has the…read morebest and freshest dishes you'll ever get your hands and mouth on in St Paul!!! We were warmly welcomed in and greeted by the owner, Ali. Placed our order in and went to sit at one of their many tables. The restaurant is nice and bright with good open space. Soft music playing in the background so conversations are easily made. The food was great and so tasty. You can really taste the quality of the food. Everything was made fresh and cooked perfectly well. I'll be coming back to try the owner's recommendation: Ali Baba Plate.

This new hidden jem caught my attention in the Harrison neighborhood. They have a broad menu but…read morespecialize in Somali dishes. Let me start by saying they have THE BEST sambusas I've ever had. I'm ready to go back for more at dinner! Do your self a favor and add one to your order, only $1.50! From the menu my husband and I ordered goat and rice and the quarter chicken with rice. Both were perfectly cooked, juicy cuts of meat on a bed of cardamon and saffron spiced rice. So good! It also came with a banana and a bottle of water included in the price! I'm very excited to try more from the main menu. They are a new business and are still working out the kinks between the kitchen and the register, but the food still came out faster than we expected and piping hot! While we were there, another person was waiting for their order and it was taking longer (burger and fries). Those items are not pre made, like the rice and whole chicken, and take longer to prepare (freshness is fine by me!). So if you're looking for fast food style food, expect a wait. Very excited to have this place in my neighborhood, well be back soon!

Finally went in for the first time tonight and was unsure what to order. The man behind the counter…read morewas extremely friendly and helped me pick out the quarter chicken and rice and a beef sambusa. The chicken was so tender and fell off the bone and was seasoned perfectly. The beef sambusa was delicious! Rice was great. Can't wait to try more!

If you're craving to transport yourself to Central Asia, to imagine the ancient world of the Great…read moreSilk Road, and to taste what kind of food Aladdin would eat, then "Samarkand" restaurant is your must go destination. The traditional Uzbek plov is highly praised throughout Central Asia. You will not be disappointed here. I also highly recommend their tamdori samsa. The owners are ethic Uzbek family from the ancient city of Samarkand. Hence the restaurant name. The restaurant is cozy and yet spacious enough to host special events. This restaurant is a genuine representation of the Uzbek culture Central Asian hospitality. Everyone is welcome!

I was excited to try this place as it is one of the only known Uzbek food in MN and I wish I could…read moregive this a higher rating. There was a problem with one of the dishes, so that's why it's only at a 3. My friend and I got the lagman, tandoori bread, assorted shish kebabs , and small plov to share. Overall, the food was flavorful and portions were generous. We really enjoyed the lagman's deep flavor. The bread was just okay, as well as the plov. We got a small size, but it was still pretty big. The assorted shish kebabs came with lula, lamb, and chicken. The lula and lamb were great! However, I took a bite of the chicken skewer and it was cold and ended up being raw. We checked the rest of the chicken kebab and found that while the middle pieces were cooked, then ends weren't. We brought this to the server's attention and he was very apologetic and immediately took it away for us. It was not the server's fault for sure. He informed us that he would let the cooks know and offered some alternatives (1. they remake the chicken skewers, 2. remake the whole dish (and I guess we would still be charged?), or 3. just remove it from our check). We chose the third option. Overall, service was friendly and nice. They were just swamped because there was also a banquet that was going on. I wonder if that also contributed to what happened with our food. While I was disappointed, I am willing to give this another try some time later. I would just be hyperaware of how meats are cooked.

Classic spot! I love grabbing takeout from here, or going…read morehere with my partner. We had the garlic naan and chicken tikka. The service was incredibly fast, and our hanger was well resolved! I liked being inside the restaurant, it's very colorful and it's easy to spend a while in here. The menu is so large, I want to try something new each time I try something new.

We were there for a late lunch and had the place to ourselves. We ordered a tikka masala and a…read morechicken biryani with naan to share. It came with basmati rice. It was so good that we ordered another tikka masala to enjoy there! We really enjoyed our meal and we will definitely return the next time we're in town.