First time coming to Value foods and only second time trying African food. Overall great…read moreexperience. It's a grocery store with a butcher shop and then the deli counter in the back of the market. There was a line of about 6 people and after we lined up, more people waiting. The person ordering ahead of me was telling me that he was getting the whole fried tilapia and plantains, which was his favorite. Not gonna lie, sure did look good! We ordered the red okra stew, collard greens, and goat soup. They offer regular and large sizes and your choice of fufu or rice. Also ordered the fried plantains and a meat pie. The guy behind the counter was friendly and helpful. He let us know which ones contained peanuts (my son has a peanut allergy) and which ones were considered spicy (goat stew) but since I love spicy foods, I didn't mind. My review of the food: -Red Okra with fish and fufu: delicious, greasy, and flavorful. Be careful because the fish was a big chunk and still had bones. -Collard greens with meat and fufu: I think meat was chicken. Our favorite dish of all of them. Flavorful, greasy, and delicious. -Goat Stew and rice: so full of meat (with bones). The Goat chunks remind me of pork belly (fatty, chewy, flavorful). This stew was spicy. Strong goat flavor. Had habanero peppers. -plantains: they gave us so much! Starchy and sweet. Yummy -meat pie: was just ok. Felt a little dry. Overall good experience. Food was so flavorful and full of spices. A little more greasier than how I normally like to eat but the grease also helped with eating the fufu. Total bill was about $60. Was enough food to feed about 5-6 people. No seating area. Everything is packaged for to-go orders.

Choked on plastic. Distgusting. Turned my stomach and felt sick the entire day. Never coming back…read moreto this place.

Amazing food every time. Afro Deli won the small business owner of the year award for good reason…read more Those fries get me out of a slump instantly! I like to switch between getting a grilled chicken wrap and keke chicken most often. The indoor seating is a vibe, I love the mural and colorful furniture! It's a great spot to get a bite with friends, and have a chat. My favorite location is in the heart of the U of M campus, making it easy to take a walk after. This place is phenomenal, definitely worth the visit!

Hit or Miss. the Sampusas were SO delicious, I would absolutely order them again. However? The…read moreSomali Steak Sandwich was not so great. The meat was tough and chewy and the flavors were underwhelming. Service was friendly, but I could hardly understand what the server was saying. Ambiance was a typical fast food joint, with nothing special.

Dining here was a fun experience. The menu was full of traditional Persian and Turkish foods. I had…read moreamazing tea and baklava as well. The service was so friendly and welcoming to our large group! The ambience is relaxed. Definitely check out the marketplace to bring some cultural foods home with you.

I pass by this place from my hotel to school and wanted to try it. They have a little market inside…read moreand the restaurant at the side. The kebab looked really appetizing but was a little under seasoned for me. I saw two other tables with locals that seasoned their food with salt so perhaps it's more of a customer preference than a seasoned meat on the grill. I counted one guy who shook the salt shaker 21 times, which I thought was excessive. Maybe the salt isn't too salty. I added some on mine. I'm comparing this to another middle eastern place near my place. I may consider another dish to try if I go back.

This restaurant and its branch over in Vadnais Heights are both well-run. This is a family business…read morewhose initial owners I did meet in 2005 or so (Ali and wife currently in Turkey retired). All their food is recommended. I only wish that they had tahini and shawarma, which are not necessarily Turkish dishes. I recommend them without any reservations, although some of their personnel at times are not necessarily professional. Like always, whenever the owners' relatives are in the restaurant, you can tell because there is prompt attention. When the owners' relatives are not on duty, one can notice some lagging.

Used to go here a lot so this is an older late review- hoping this place still turns out good…read moreTurkish/ Mediterranean food The portion sizes were huge and lots to share Kebab Comb was our typical order (2 people) $28.95 Beef and lamb doner, chicken kebab, two kotte kebabs, spices topped with grilled green peppers, onions, and tomatoes and lots of salad- always had leftovers Very casual - order at the counter - small seating area in the back Staff efficient

10/10 amazing food and the service was top tier. the cook knows how to throw down for real! I would…read moredefinitely recommend all my people to check them out! You'll leave satisfied forsure!

The lamb shank literally fell off the bone when I picked it up! The meat here is steamed for 7…read morehours straight, hard work!! And don't forget to get dessert !! All the cakes are made fresh daily! Small spot that resembles a cafe.

Love this place and have been going for my whole life. Eritrean-owned restaurant with quality…read moredishes that are true to culture. It's definitely a spot for East Africans to hang out, and very reminiscent of back home. Service is great, usually the family working plus a few people. The coffee, food, and ambience combined make me feel like I'm back home, and I think that's what the owner was going for with this one. Soccer games are watched en masse here, pool in the back and plenty of parking. Good beer selections and honestly just a solid spot to hang with your people for an affordable price.

Snelling Cafe is an old-school Ethiopian hole-in-the-wall where regulars of all ages and…read morebackgrounds stop by, chat with the owner, and flip through the tv channels. Don't try to order anything from here online, because I don't think they accept online orders. We came because it's one of only 8 places in the Twin Cities where you can get foule (sometimes spelled "ful" and sometimes augmented with the word "medames"), a fava bean dish served with baguette. The foule ($10.50) can be made vegan if you omit the sour cream. Make sure to ask questions because the menu doesn't state any of the ingredients. This dish tasted good, albeit akin to refried beans with toasty baguette. That said, I liked it. The miser wat ($12) and ater kik ($12) are both vegan by default and tasted good. They were light, fresh and understated, but somehow still didn't wow me. But I liked them, don't get me wrong. We also had an Americano ($3) which was strong and tasty. I like Snelling Cafe. It's a throwback to the pre-internet era and a solid spot for Ethiopian food. I would rank it near the top, along with Agelgil in St. Paul and Katar River in Minneapolis. Fasika and Bole, in my opinion, have both declined in quality and are overrated.

I've been enjoying this wonderful spot since around 1979 and I've never had a bad meal…read more A must stop when I'm back in town from the San Francisco Bay area as there is nothing like this that I have found on the West Coast. Nice vegetarian options for me .The tabouli is fantastic, the spinach pie out of this world, and the kidney beans with onions and rice, simple and delicious. Did someone say baba ghanoush? Yum! And whenever I turn somebody onto it, they're equally as excited. No pomp and circumstance, just a family run business holding down the tradition year after year, generation after generation. I was super clean, nice ambience, friendly and cozy. Seek out the few places like Emily's left in any city throughout the country and avoid the corporate chains for the real deal.

Tabouli is some of the best around. If not the actual best!…read moreSmall & cute dinner inside. I don't recommend for large groups, it is just not set up for that. Stuffed zucchini is wonderful! Rice & tomato's seasoned very well. I wish i could have tried more but i was in a hurry & they were really busy. If you can call ahead and place an order to go. You will not be disappointed. I'm in the area once a every couple months & this is a must stop when I'm near by.

**** BANH MI GOAT ****…read more Authentic banh mi must have head cheese. If not, then you are getting ripped off. If other places do not have head cheese, I wouldn't be caught dead in there ordering banh mi. Quangs across the street does not have head cheese in their banh mi... because possibly a little more.... Definitely will not get your moneys worth there. So I basically skipped the other meats this time and only got the head cheese. Because that's my favorite on a banh mi. If they had pork belly or real roasted pork slices, I would definitely get that too, but this place does not have those two meats. I dream about this place all the time it is absolutely delicious. I get extra pate.

These days, a meal under $10 is nearly unheard of. Lu's is still keeping it real…read more This was my first time going to Lu's in Northeast! I've been to their Eat Street location. I was shocked how nice it was inside this location, with tons of seating. The counter is like Chipotle style for ordering, but I ordered for pickup online. They had it ready to go! Their banh mi is MASSIVE - very filling and cost effective! I got the bun cha and it was delicious - plenty of meat and toppings, fresh, and satiating. I'll definitely be back again!