This is the best African food you can find in the cities area. So far I've tried the egusi soup,…read morepepper soup (very spicy!), curry, fufu, jollof rice, plantains, and beef patties. It's all been consistently made fresh well and perfectly seasoned. Staff is always super helpful even though I butcher the pronunciation of some dishes. There's plenty of meat options but you can get them all vegetarian if you want. My personal favorites are the beef patties and sweet plantains. You'll find that this place gets extremely busy right around lunch and dinner time, but always stays clean despite it being small and seating maybe 7 groups at a time. If you're looking for an ethnic/home style option this is it!

My puff puff tasted very oniony which it's not supposed to. The goat meat in my jollof rice was so…read moretough I had to throw it away. Never again will I go there which makes me sad

I like Ethiopian food. I've gone to most of the restaurants in town this was our first time here…read moresnd the food was particularly good.

I really wanted to like this place. Ethiopian is my favorite kind of food. I ordered the veggie…read morecombo to go, listed on the menu for $19.99. When my box of food came out, I went to pay and was charged $27 for the dish. Surprised, as she had said nothing to me when I ordered, the response was unapologetic: "the price has gone up ". When I got home and opened the box of food, there were just four dishes: three types of lentils and one of split peas, instead of the usual 6+ salad in an Ethiopian veggie combo.

Before commenting on the food taste and quality, I want to emphasize how important it is for this…read moreestablishment to exist in such a neighborhood. Normally, daily Ethiopian food that's not in the US are vegan, so what is offered here is closer to what's authentically made in Ethiopian culture. I enjoyed pretty much all the dishes I had, and I would recommend this spot to anyone who wants good vegan food. My friends had the awaze tibs, which contained seitan, a high protein meat substitute, and it was seasoned very well, having an adequate amount of spice. I ordered the mushroom tibs, and it was okay, because it tasted as if the only seasoning was salt, and it was a bit dry, which indicated that the mushrooms were overcooked. In addition to such, we had a few veggies on the samplers, including miser, ater kik, gomen, fasolia, and keysir. They all had a good amount of seasoning and in general tasted good with the injera. I would say, though, that they may have all needed a bit more mekelesha, because I have had more vibrant-tasting versions of all of those veggies elsewhere. One thing worth noting was that shiro wasn't one of the options for the veggie sampler, so I had to order a separate portion of shiro, since I considered it necessary when consuming Ethiopian food in general, and it tasted good, in a conventional manner. It seems like per the menu that they have a shiro wot now, which indicates how popular it is among customers.

Lulu's is casual, family owned, and full of flavor! I visited for the first time with friends who…read moreare vegetarian - and it was such a treat to be able to order anything on the menu and know that nothing would contain meat! The Wot and rice are the definition of comfort food, the falafel were crispy, and the mushrooms came out of the kitchen sizzling. Service was quick and incredibly kind. Next time you're looking for a new, vegetarian/vegan bite - definitely come to Lulu's!

I live down the street from here. This place is beginning to become my go to spot for some of the…read morefood. It's African cuisine, primarily west African (Liberian/nigerian dishes). I'm hooked on cassava, palm butter, potato green and the chicken and beef kabobs. The food is very good and they hook you up with a large portion. Prices are fair for what they give you. You can eat on a plate for 2 days. The place is a small grocery store with a hot deli inside. The deli is where you can order your food at the hot bar. You tell them what you want and they get it to you. The service is fair. You may have to wait in a small line as it's busy and it can be a bit more organized but nothing too hectic or difficult.

They would have received 5 stars if they had prices and name labels for the delicious food they…read moreprepared! The jollof rice taste like love! Absolutely delicious! Received a warm greeting from the staff when they realized it was our first time! We tried the cassava leaves as well! Delicious too! Both dishes taste great on their own and delicious together! We will be back again!

The wife and I spent our date night at Ertale. The restaurant has a warm and cozy feel that makes…read moreit easy to relax and enjoy the evening without feeling rushed. We shared Kikil (slow braised bone in lamb) and Firfir (pieces of injera soaked with seasoned sauce and beef) both dishes a definition of comfort food. What stood out just as much as the food was how genuinely welcoming everyone was. They made us feel right at home from the time we arrived until we left. Whether you're introducing someone to Ethiopian cuisine or planning a special night out, Ertale is a place. We'll definitely be back with the kiddos soon.

As an Ethiopian, I have high expectations for Ethiopian food, and Erta Ale absolutely delivered…read more The food was incredibly authentic, fresh, and full of flavor. Every meal on my plate was outstanding. Specially the Kitfo and Doro Wot. Beyond the amazing food, the hospitality and atmosphere made the experience even better. Without a doubt, one of the best Ethiopian restaurant in the St.Paul, MN. Highly recommended!

One of the things I love about the Twin Cities is the varied and expansive presence of immigrant…read moreowned and operated restaurants. Any seasoned foodie will tell you that the ones tucked away, perhaps a bit more rough around the proverbial edges and missing bells and whistles are where you will find the most authentic (and delicious) cuisine. City Afrique was an INCREDIBLE experience in West African fare. I'm accustomed to food from this region, when cooked here, is often overly spiced, too salty or too hot. I ordered the okra sauce with fufu and it was the best I've ever eaten. And I've eaten a lot of okra sauce. The cook allowed you to add hot pepper as desired and the salt level was subtle and supportive of the sweet fufu and savory okra. I couldn't stop eating it- it was simply a perfect balance traditional flavors. Prices are very reasonable for home cooked West African dishes, which require extensive simmering and taste testing. Without rice, regular size dishes (they have large too) range around $11-16. With rice or fufu, prices range between $19-25. The ambiance and decor proudly displayed select traditional Liberian art and cultural pieces, along with other wall hangings reflective of bigger stores. The host greeted me warmly and shared it was his uncle's restaurant. When I shared my delight with the flavors, he brought out the cook. She was genuinely thrilled that her cooking was appreciated- the sign of a true culinary artist. They also have a small party room they rent out for $500 a night. You have to try this spot if you like West African fare. I will be back.

The food was so excellent! I got the cassava leaf and the fufu. It was so delicious. The portions…read morewere huge and the flavor was incredible. Fatu was such a friendly and kind server who went above and beyond! The restaurant was beautiful as well. I recommended it already to many friends! A friend did say they called once to order and the phone number didn't work? I'm unsure if that is still an issue. When I went I ordered to go at the restaurant and it was very quick.

Food 5/5 Service and ambience 3/5…read moreGlad we came today at 5. We were the only people eating in, several groups came and went with takeout. Portions are generous! We had lots of food to take home. Partly we didn't read carefully and thought the collard greens and okra were side dishes but they also have meat and are accompanied with rice. We had the Attieke with chicken, the Jollof rice with chicken, and the dry rice with fried fish (croaker). And a sour sop drink to share. The food took about 20 minutes and was very flavorful. I especially liked the okra and the fried plaintains.

If you love African cuisine, THIS is the spot! They are picking up and they are doing great! The…read moreinside is quaint, but coming up. The food is delicious, and the flavor fantastic. Great friendly service with broad smiles. Come on by!

Huge fan right here. Wanted to experience Somalian cuisine in a city that has so many of its…read moreresidents - this was definitely the place to do it (worth the drive out of downtown). Felt extremely welcomed into this restaurant, was even called sister! Dine in and take out kind of atmosphere, order at the counter food is brought over to the table. Mango juice is super sweet and addictive. Went for the CHICKEN KAYKAY as a lot of yelpers suggest, it is unlike anything I've ever tried before! I LOVED IT, such comfort food. It is made with the bread used typically in the cuisine, but the texture changes into something so different - you could even imagine it to be pasta. The flavors are so warm, mild, yet complex - I could eat this everyday. My husband got the chicken curry - the chicken was so tender - curry flavor spot on, and the portions were both HUGE! Plus you get a whole plate of rice with that. Interested in the fried options in the case at the counter, if I'm ever passing through again I'd want to try those. Plus you get a banana! Dessert, or breakfast memory the next morning. Easy parking in a strip mall.

I'm torn between rating it a 2 star or a 3, but I've decided on 3 stars for this local mom & pop…read morerestaurant. I was in Minneapolis visiting, and I noticed during my short time there that there's a large Somali community in the city. I've never had Somali food before, so I just looked up Somali restaurants with the highest ratings and the most reviews, which weren't many. The man working behind the register was incredibly nice. He saw we were trying to decide what dishes to try, and recommended the goat with rice. We went with his goat with rice recommendation and a dish call Kay Kay. However, when I was ordering at the register, there was so many flies just flying around the cashier guy and his register. Behind the serving counter, it is all boarded up so you can't see the workers cooking or how clean it is behind the counter divider. I went to the bathroom and I noticed a small random unlabeled bucket/small open bottle by the toilet that had liquid in it, which I honestly don't even know what it is. With the flies and the bathroom, I really questioned the entire restaurant's cleanliness. I told myself while I was eating that I wouldn't be surprised if I got food poisoning from here. The next day came and I actually suffered food poisoning. I don't want to knock down a hard working small family restaurant. I genuinely think their food is delicious, and the people are so kind. They just need to work on cleaning the place and getting rid of the flies.