Ordered this place on DoorDash, as someone who loves Somalian food, chapati and beef saqaar the…read morefact that I could enjoy it at home made my mouth begin to water. We ordered the fried fish and halal beef dinner plate and both were really tasty. The food tastes homey and flavorful. Ask for extra green sauce. They had a really interesting red spicy sauce which I can't quite put my finger on it was a chili, Fish sauce mixed with a jam of sorts. Can't speak for the ambiance but know I will continue to order this place and that you should too.

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.

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.

The service was really good, great recommendations from the ladies. The restaurant is clean and…read morewell decorated. The food took a LONG time, we got there when they opened and the food took a little over an hour to arrive. We were the first party in and maybe the 4th party to get our food. There were more lamb and beef options, most items are jalapeños based and spicy. They do make items not as spicy if needed. We ordered the vegetarian combo plate to share with the Beef Derek Tibs and Beef Lega Tibs. Lots of African customers in the restaurant for birthday celebration so I'm sure they are legit. We were told that they were the best Ethiopian food in Denver. The Ethiopian spiced tea was also yummy. Definitely a treat!

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.