West African kitchens have taken hold in Brooklyn Center and Brooklyn Park, with a Minneapolis room in the mix, and the menus run wide: egusi, fufu, jollof rice, doro wat, kitfo. Portions run generous and the soups carry real heat, so come hungry and ask before you order if pepper soup means what you think it means.
№ 01
African Deli
Brooklyn Center $$
6930 Brooklyn Blvd, Ste 13, Brooklyn Center, MN 55429 · +17635610086
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Egusi soup, pepper soup, and jollof rice anchor a broad West African menu at this Brooklyn Center room, with fufu and curry rounding out the list. The pepper soup runs genuinely spicy, and the goat meat in the jollof rice draws mixed marks depending on the day. A big menu with real range, best approached by starting with the soups.
What to orderegusi soup, pepper soup, jollof rice
№ 02
Joe & Nya African Restaurant
1831 Nicollet Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55403 · +16124055439
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Fufu and jollof rice are the draw at this Minneapolis room, with fish pepper soup as the wildcard order. Regulars with long-standing West African family ties return often, a sign the core plates land. The pepper soup is inconsistent, sometimes closer to a plain oily broth than a proper pepper soup, so it is worth asking what is fresh that day.
What to orderfufu, jollof rice, fish pepper soup
№ 03
Milah's Royal Bistro
Brooklyn Park
7648 Humboldt Ave N, Minneapolis, MN 55444 · +17634322100
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Doro wat, injera, and kitfo make the case at this Brooklyn Park spot, which has held its regulars for years. Portions run large, service moves at its own pace, and takeout gets steady traffic even when the dining room sits quiet. The dining room is modest, but the plates are the reason to go.
What to orderdoro wat, injera, kitfo
№ 04
Glamaur African Kitchen
Brooklyn Park
8527 Zane Ave N, Brooklyn Park, MN 55443 · +17637107982
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Egusi, fufu, and doro wat cover multiple West African and Ethiopian threads under one roof in Brooklyn Park. Water comes free with meals, a small touch regulars mention, and the egusi has fans who return specifically for it. Quality swings by visit, with the fufu landing cold on off days, so this is a spot for the curious rather than the cautious.
What to orderegusi, fufu, doro wat
№ 05
Taste of Africa The Best of African Cuisines
Brooklyn Center
6838 Humboldt Ave N, Brooklyn Center, MN 55430 · +17634326646
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Spinach stew, injera, and doro wat make this Brooklyn Center kitchen a solid entry point for diners new to African cuisine, with staff known for steering first timers toward the right dish. Families return for the doro wat specifically. The room draws steady local support, and the spinach stew is the one to start with if nothing else.
What to orderspinach stew, injera, doro wat
Frequently asked
What is the best West African restaurant near me in the Minneapolis area?
It depends which suburb or neighborhood you are in. Brooklyn Center and Brooklyn Park hold most of this list, with one Minneapolis room. Check the Insider Score on each listing, which reflects the review record and nothing else. No restaurant pays to be included here.
What is egusi and where should I try it first?
Egusi is a West African soup thickened with ground melon seeds, usually served with a starch like fufu for scooping. African Deli and Glamaur African Kitchen both list it as a signature dish, though quality has been inconsistent at Glamaur according to the review record.
Is fufu the same at every restaurant on this list?
No. Fufu is a starchy dough, typically cassava or a blend, meant to be torn and used to scoop soup or stew. Texture and temperature vary by kitchen, and the review record for a couple of these rooms flags fufu served cold, which is worth asking about before ordering.
How are these restaurants ranked?
By the Insider Score, which is built from the review record for each restaurant, not from any payment or partnership. No restaurant on this list or any guide on this site pays for placement or for a better ranking.
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The data first, then the verdict
We start with the review record, not a press release. Every room here is a real kitchen with a strong rating across a meaningful number of reviews, ranked on our 10-point Insider Score. We weight consistency over time and the rooms locals return to, not the ones tourists pass through once. The list updates as the data does. How we work →
Hodan Abdi
Staff Writer · Top of Minneapolis
Hodan Abdi is a Staff Writer at Top of Minneapolis. Raised in Cedar-Riverside two floors above the Somali mall her aunt worked in, she now lives in Eagan and covers the whole metro ring. She writes the guides, sweeps the suburbs, and covers the Somali and East African tables as the beat she knows best.
