Huge fan right here. Wanted to experience Somalian cuisine in a city that has so many of its residents - 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. read more

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I'm torn between rating it a 2 star or a 3, but I've decided on 3 stars for this local mom & pop restaurant. 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. read more

Tawakal Restaurant - Goat meat with rice - African Near Me - Burnsville, Minnesota

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Visiting from Chicago with the family. Very friendly staff that walked me thru the menu. Tasty food, prices were reasonable. Had lunch after Jummuah. Bottled water was on the house. We ordered a meat/chicken rice platter, philly sandwich with fries. Everything was fresh and flavorful. Alhamdullilah. read more

Fantastic food and friendly service! Every time we have visited, we are promptly greeted by regular visitors and staff. The food is made very quick (under 10 min) and the portions are HUGE! Prices are absolutely appropriate, if not slightly low, for the food you get. Every meal is served with a banana and drink from the cooler, but I highly recommend the warm chai tea to warm your throat. The spices used are well proportioned and create a beautiful symphony on flavor without the harsh "spicy" burn afterwards. However, if you wish for more of a kick, the meals come with a fragrant hot sauce. I really wish we had East African food back home. read more

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Best food i like how they cook amazing smell nice taste i would recomend here to everyone

It's such a treat to find authentic Somali food in Burnsville. It feels absolutely the same as my normal go to Somali spot in Minneapolis at Cairo Grill. IMHO their goat is actually better seasoned than Cairo Grill. It all tasted great. But buyer beware that prices have gone through the roof. We ordered Chicken Suqaar, Goat and Rice with 2 additional chicken legs and it came to almost $50. That's more than twice what I'm used to paying. This is why it was 4 stars for out-of-this-world prices. I guess you can charge whatever you want when when you're the only one within 20 miles. Summary: amazing food; Take out spot; off-street parking; friendly service; high price read more

I've had a few of their regular dishes, and really like the Kay Kay chicken. It's a small, diner like atmosphere, with people coming and going, TV on, and can be quiet or can be loud. read more

Visited this place twice in a two week time frame and just stumbled upon the place. So that should speak volumes! The amount of food is great. The service was good, the person who comes to clean the tables, was pleasant when asked to come clean where we sat. The ordering the first time around was a bit of a challenge (and no, not because of language barriers) BUT the second time around it was better. The gentlemen helped me ensure some items did not have the meat (I don't eat certain meats) in the appetizer(s)/deserts. Great food, the atmosphere is simple, petite, has a television for viewing pleasure but for ME, it will be a grab and go type place for me. read more

I'm not going to pretend to be an expert in Somali food, but I've always had great food and lots of it. Be sure and get the Kay Kay!

My friend had never had Somalian food, and we decided to scope out this place near her home. It's a nice homey place with really friendly service. I did use the bathroom, and it was quite dirty unfortunately... Onto the food, I ordered a beef wrap in the jabati which they were nice enough to do for me and that came with french fries. My friend got the goat with rice, which came with a mini pitcher of juice! It was watered down and not sweet at all, I really liked the mango juice here! The goat was really tender, and she totally enjoyed her huge meal! For me, the beef was a bit dry, and the jabati was pretty dry too. The fries tasted like they were fried in old oil, so I didn't enjoy it as much. Unfortunately I was so excited for the sambusa but it tasted like they refried it, and again, just some dryness and a little lack of flavor. Overall, my experience wasn't as good as I have had in San Jose, CA but my friend's meal seemed really good! Service was also really great too! read more

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Could hear yelling from parking lot. Came in and staff and someone else were blocking the door and yelling at each other. Almost left but was my first visit. Yelling continued as we ordered. Unprofessional. Food was expensive with large portions. Probably won't come back. read more

Ive eaten only the sambusas here, three different times now, and yes Tawakal is the truth!! I will be back cus the food looks absolutely delish whenever I come in. Next time I'm dining in with my wife!! read more

Let's just say that though the prices are a little higher on the lunch/dinner food margins, the portion is huge, and well worth it. I got a to-go order of goat meat with rice, which came with a choice of drink (I opted for mango juice), a side salad, and usually a soup (I think they were out of soup so I was given a banana as a replacement). Overall, the goat meat was tender and flavorful but I felt like it was missing the usual heat I'm used to whenever I have goat meat and rice (it did come with a green hot sauce that I would say is more of a mild than a hot sauce). Overall, I was satisfied with my choice and may return to try other dishes. read more

Tawakal Restaurant - African Near Me - Burnsville, Minnesota

Yummy! Portions are large they will feed at least 2-3ppl so make sure to bring a friend! We usually order the Kay Kay which is like a bread with all sorts of toppings then you also have the sucar which is like a curry rice. All meats are extremely tender and full of flavor. Everytime I've gone they made food fresh and fast. Order then wait for the food then you pay. Don't forget the mango smoothie, it's fruity and creamy. read more

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Nooo I went there and the employee was so rude in fact tell this to your friends they didn't even serve me but not only that the employees didn't even say if they were serving or not terrible read more

The service the atmosphere the food was all of what I expected. I will be returning I was so amazed at how welcoming they were and too see all walks of life come in and feel apart of something was great. The chai tea/somali tea was excellent. I had the chicken curry and it was every bit of what I expected. Think I found my new favorite dish. read more

Tawakal Restaurant - African Near Me - Burnsville, Minnesota

Everything is delicious, from the lamb and rice, to the sombosa and chai! Honestly, the sombosa alone is worth the trip!

Paying $17.25 for a plate is crazy. Not coming here again. The food is not worth the money spent.

Came here thanks the the recommendation of our Uber driver from Somalia. It was so dang good! We way loved the goat and the chicken + injera. Great job! read more

I'm sorry. The people there were super friendly and nice but this Chicken Suqaar is not hitting at all. It's so plain and different than what I'm used to. read more

I just started working in the area so I decided to go exploring. They greeted me with a smile and a how are you today. The menu was large and easy to see with prices clearly marked. I ordered the Curry Chicken with Ethiopian Infra unfortunately they were out of Infra. They were very quick to offer an alternative. I got rice. The rice was moist and tasty with slivers of carrots and some spice I can not put my finger on. The chicken was delicious. It has bitesized potatoes, carrots, onion and bell peppers. Seasoned very well. Very healthy portion. Filled to the brim a large clam Styrofoam take type container. A corner section with a salad. It also came with a soda of my choice. The food was out in less than 5 minutes piping hot. I would highly recommend this restaurant. read more

Now I'm not really familiar with African food. I've on been to 2 Ethiopian places before this place. I know this place isn't just Ethiopian food. This place was going to be my last visit to an African food place if I didn't like it because I figured if I didn't like this place maybe African food just isn't for me. Well I've been back here several times. Since I don't know much about African food all I can say is that in 4 visits with different dish each time nothing has been under or over cooked, nothing had an old meat or spoiled food flavor, and nothing has been bland there was a green sauce I had once that was stupid spicy but overall no crazy spicy dishes. A lot of the flavors I had where unique to anything I've had before. Overall I had no issues with the food. Now the biggest problem I had with this place is they need to keep it cleaner in there. For example the glass door for the soda was just covered in finger prints from bottom to top. When it's like that you know they haven't cleaned it for at least a week or longer. In general everything wasn't as clean as it should be but not offensively dirty either. PS they where very friendly. read more

Tawakal Restaurant - Store front in strip mall - African Near Me - Burnsville, Minnesota

A review based on one visit, but I did get takeout, so it almost counts as two. Most of the Somali/East African restaurant menus are very similar. Tawakal's selection is smaller than average. And, as is common in these restaurants, they didn't have everything listed. So... I asked the cook what he recommended, and had that. Delicious. One plate was filled with a nice -sized main dish portion with a salad, and a second plate was filled by a large dish of yellow spiced rice, and the meal came with a banana and a drink. You can choose from an array of standard sodas or juices; I usually go with the mango juice. Both the chicken dish I had in the restaurant and the goat meat dish I had to go were large, filling, and very tasty. Comes with a small container of hot sauce, which was sufficient for the meal. The restaurant is located next to a Somali grocery store of the same name, which I didn't go into, but probably has halal meats and other similar products in addition to grocery store items. The strip mall parking lot is large, even if you don't find a spot right in front of the restaurant. read more

Don't let the simple interior fool you - this place has delicious food! I had beef curry with rice and my hubby had Kay-Kay. There was a lot of food and it all had such full flavors - I even ate all my rice - I've never had such good tasting rice! Even the dressing on my salad was fresh and delicious. Oh, and their soup - it warms my soul and takes me away from the bitter Minnesota cold. The service is fantastic and welcoming which makes the Tawakal Restaurant at the top of my favorites! **** oh and someone gave it 1 star... they obviously confused this restaurant with the Chinese restaurant two doors down - Lo Mein & canned fruit is NOT what you would find at Tawakal! Tawakal's food is fresh and delicious! read more

A friendly, approachable atmosphere and attentive service coupled with interesting and tasty food make this a great choice for a casual meal. We were greeted warmly and given menu explanations and recommendations from the server, who we later found out was the owner. He provided honest guidance and even gave us complimentary soup. The soup was warning and flavorful and the chicken curry was very good and different from other Indian, Thai, or other African varieties. All in all- a very pleasing meal. Bonus points for being able to shock your very close-minded grandparents with your successful lunch choice. read more

I've tried Tawakal a few times and each visit has been good, but my most recent experience was the best. We decided to stop in and get an order of takeout; we didn't know what we were going to "take out", but as with my other visits, the employees are always very helpful and more than happy to help people who aren't familiar with these dishes. My wife and I probably looked a little confused, so the kid working the register offered us menus since they'd have pictures, which was very helpful. We decided to get an order of chicken kay kay since it seemed to be one of their most popular items. The portions are huge! We split that order and each ordered a sambusa and a fry bread. All three were good or great. The sambusas were as good as described in the other reviews and pretty good sized. The fry bread was warm and crispy but without a ton of flavor, which made it perfect to soak in the gravy from the kay kay. We finished it with a dessert flatbread that was very sweet, and I'd definitely order again. I was a little unsure how my wife would like the food, but she wanted to try something new. Before we finished our meals, she told me that we need to come back; I agreed. The four things we shared were great; they were filling, flavorful, unique, and the portions were huge for the price. The staff is always friendly and able to help answer my questions. I could re-order that same meal regularly and be satisfied every time. read more

Excellent authentic African food - particularly Somalian. Not super busy, but a great place to meet a lot of local East African residents of the Twin Cities. The portions for lunch are huge - well worth the price. Their Somalian tea is outstanding. read more

First time trying this cuisine and we were very impressed! We had the soup, salad, sambusa for appetizers and the sampler platter. All food was super fresh and super yummy. We will definitely go back! And the portions were generous. read more

Tawakal Restaurant - African Near Me - Burnsville, Minnesota

The food was absolutely amazing and the portions are HUGE! We had Sambusas, Kay Kay, and Chicken Suqaar and it was all perfect! read more

This restaurant is delicious. The portions are huge and the staff is friendly. I got the special goat with rice the side of Angela and sambusa all of it was really good the sambusa or not fresh they are sitting in a warming box they still taste good though it's the only thing I would change. The portions are enough to feed at least two people they come with a drink and a banana. Definitely try it!! read more

I was a Peace corps volunteer in East Africa, and have been looking for authentic meat stuffed sambusas in the Twin Cities. Eureka, I've found them, but surprising enough in Burnsville. Tawakal Restaurant is in a strip mall along with a Mexican and Vietnamese Restaurants, alongside a Papa Murphy's and Subway. While waiting for my wife, I had a couple of hours to spare. I initially was heading for the Mexican restaurant, but diverted to Tawakal instead. Great choice! For lunch I had the goat meat with rice (other option was with spaghetti). The goat meat was roasted, and was very flavourful and tender. It came on a plate of salad, with a large separate plate of what appeared to be saffron rice with onions. De-lish. The sambusas is served with spiced tea, East African style. I normally frequent twin cities restaurants, but Burnsville is now on my list. read more

My extremely cute picky nephew smelled my husband eating the rice and chicken from here stole his meal from him ran off, hid and finished it. The "Sambusa" are addicting. The "Chicken Suqaar" and rice are my husband's favorite especially with the accompanying banana chopped into it. My son is addicted to the "Beef Suqaar". My daughter always wants to share "the Sport for two" because she likes everything and honestly it's big enough for 4 regular eaters (two big eaters.) which is no problem because leftover are awesome! The employees and Owner are all nice and welcoming. read more

I like Somali food, especially their rice and goat dish. We have tried few Somali restaurants in twin cities and this has the best goat and rice.. huge portions enough for 3 people.. I have not tried any of their other dishes as I've always got the goat dish.. read more

A really good spot for Somali food! Mon beau and I always stop here when visiting Minneapolis. The quality of their food is superb and they are always willing to go the extra mile to make customers happy. As per Somali tradition (note: I don't claim to know the culture well), they always serve a banana with your meal. The bananas are always in perfect condition. The store is pretty clean with plenty of seating available. There is parking lot right outside the store, so plenty of parking available too. If you're in/or around the area, I would highly recommend a stop here! read more

We had chicken suqaar, which is a curry dish served over some seasoned rice with vegetables. It was excellent! The chicken Kay Kay, with deliciously seasoned chicken, mixed with pieces of chapati bread, peppers, and onions, was very good as well. We also enjoyed a sambusa, which is a smallish triangular pastry, filled with seasoned ground beef and onions. It was very good as an accompaniment to our other food. The portions are very generous. The owner, Yousef, is very nice and helpful when ordering. We'll definitely be back! read more

Food was great. Our server was very helpful too. The Kay Kay is amazing and the beef curry was good. read more

Tawakal Restaurant - African Near Me - Burnsville, Minnesota

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The server was super helpful and pleasant. I had the Kay Kay, and it was delicious, full flavor with a tablespoon cup of chilly spice if I wanted to kick up the heat. The bread strips in the dish are comparative to the delectableness of naan. Never had carrots tasted so good. My fiancee had average beef curry, which did not have as strong of flavors and the green chilli sauce had to be added to bring in some kick. His spaghetti side dish was taken up a notch by some chopped onions and peppers. read more

First time eating Tawakal. I had the Chicken Suqaar (Chicken curry) with Rice. A large portion! I liked it a lot! And will definitely go again! read more

My good friend Yussuf recently opened Tawakal with high hopes of bringing the culture and authenticity of Eastern African food alongside American cuisine to the twin city area. And he has done just that and more. When it comes to dining out, my friends and I love to find little holes in the wall that stray away from the boring, American dish with it's expected bland taste. Tawakal allows you to experience African cuisine at it's finest. The portions are tremendous for what you pay which is usually no more than $10 a plate. The variety and options are also very generous with anything from spaghetti and fried chicken to goat and beef suqar (an African curry dish). The spices used in the traditional, African dishes are plentiful and will keep you coming back to try more. Not only are the dishes tasteful, the atmosphere is fun and lively. I also enjoy studying there from time to time with the free wifi or just relaxing and hanging out with some friends for a late night meal. The best part about Tawakal is that it is family owned so you know the meals come from the heart and soul. You have to check this place out! :) read more

Food delicious and well priced. Lots of tasty dishes to choose from. Family tried Kay Kay, Tilapia, and Chicken Sugar. Dishes came with biryani rice, salad, soup, and mango juice! Serious eats! Don't forget the bananas. If I lived in Minnesota, I would come often. Everyone was well feed and satisfied. read more