Famena’s Famous Roti

Walking down the street you will begin smelling the spice aromas coming from Famena and Mohammed Ally’s fantastic little diner. If you weren’t planning on going in the first place you probably will alter your plans. Whether you’re alone or with others the setup of one long counter facing the food prep area allows you to feel at home when the owners actively engage you in conversation.
The food is fresh and full of flavor. I had the chicken and vegetable roti which was huge portion. Add a splash of the homemade hot sauce to give your food a little kick. The diner has the whole package, great food and friendly owners. You can’t help but have a good time.

My office just relocated to downtown and I wanted to find a veg friendly place within walking distance. Had the Chick Pea and Potato roti and it was fantastic! By itself, it was flavourful but not overpowering. The roti was nice and soft, easy to eat. The hot sauce they have in bottles on the counter is delicious but beware, it is VERY spicy. It’s that west indian spice too, not mexican. Just a drop is definitely enough.
Next main point, the owners. How great is it to go into a place with a bunch of co-​workers and immediately get into light, funny conversation with the owners of a restaurant? Talked to us about how they make everything from scratch and had chit chat the whole time we were there. I’d go for them almost as much as the food.
Definitely give this place a try, awesome food!

The food is so delicious and fresh. Made right in front of your eyes. The couple who works there are so sweet and hospitable, totally worth stopping by for the roti and oxtail.

I had never had a roti, it was great! I went for a goat roti and a chicken roti Togo. The owners were friendly and chatted with us about the area, where they were from and the types of food they made. Definitely worth making a stop and trying it out if you’re in the area.
It’s a small circular space, located at the entrance of the parking garage, so park on the street and walk in.

Literally a «hole in the wall». This place is THE BUSINESS! They don’t play! Their Jamaican beef patties have nothing but real shredded beef. Their rotis are huge! But the real dish that takes the cake is their OXTAIL w/​peas and rice. You’ve never tasted oxtail till you try it at Famena’s. I used to order the rotis until they brought back their oxtail recently for thu/​fri/​sat only. Aside from the food, the owners are funny and nice people. I definitely recommend this restaurant to everyone.

Came here alone while travelling and left feeling like I’d had dinner with family. Fantastic food cooked with care and served by a fun, cheery couple. This is the kind of easily-​missed mom-​and-​pop restaurant you look for on Unilocal

Amazing food served by generous and funny couple, made my trip to Winnipeg. I will definitely be visiting the next time I’m in town. If you’re around Thursday or Friday make sure to get the oxtail. Delicious!

I recently went here for lunch. I had chicken roti and a double, both of which were excellent! The food was very flavorful and the portions were large. I couldn’t finish either and brought them home. The roti wrapper was very good and the chicken was very high quality. The food came very quickly and the couple (the owners, I assume) were very friendly. I would highly recommend this restaurant for anyone looking for a quick lunch or wonderful take out food.

The cooking and conversation are wonderful. Roti are delicious. Don’t miss this experience.

I do a lot of traveling for work, and eat at more than my share of restaurants, and I have to say that this one will be in my top 5, anywhere, for a long time.
The owner obviously takes great pride in his choice of ingredients, and prepares everything with a great amount of attention, and each item is from scratch. The attention to quality is very obvious, and the freshness and taste are spectacular.
Not a fancy place, but the portions and flavors are generous. Service is wonderful and if you were in a hurry, you can get in and out quickly if needed, but you will want to stay for the conversation and (on my visit) the people you meet.
I had the Lamb Roti, and a Ginger Beer. Even as it was served, it was delightful. I added a bit of their home made hot sauce, a wonderful creation that has great flavor with a heat the sneaks up on you, and it made for a perfectly spicy treat.
Almost worth the travel to Winnipeg just to eat here…

Really interesting little family run place. Not much to look at, but the food is flavourful, fresh and fast. I really enjoyed the chicken roti. The owners are kind and funny. This place is great.

Exceptional food, exceptional conversation.

Farmena and her husband are just amazing people. I would go back just to see them.
I ordered a vegetable potato roti. The roti was clearly the star of the dish. The vegetables were delicious. My only suggestion would be to make the curry less spicy and more flavourful. Other than that, full points! :)

Famena’s is a fantastic little spot run by a couple from Guyana. Located in the middle of the bottom floor of a parking garage, the space is shaped in a semicircle, with a curvilinear counter functioning as seating. There are no tables.
The counter makes this a great place for dining solo, but the curved shape helps enable conversation among patrons. Famena, the restaurant’s namesake, and her husband are incredibly friendly and tend to encourage this.
But in addition to the cool, mid-​20^th century décor and the friendly service, Famena’s serves awesome Caribbean-​spiced curries wrapped up in homemade Roti bread, which is flat and not leavened. It’s slightly different from an Indian Roti, but essentially the same. I found this roti to be a bit flakier than what I’m used to.
But everything is made from scratch and absolutely delicious.

The best roti I’ve ever had! Famena’s roti shells are light and buttery delicious and filled with the most succulent items. I’ve had the curry shrimp roti, the curry goat and the curry chicken so far… all fantastic! I like it «mix up» with both chick pea and potatoes but you can have it either or. The shrimp were cooked to perfection, plump and perfectly seasoned! The chicken melted in your mouth and the goat was tender and flavorful with very few bones (which is rare for goat curry). Everything is made from scratch by this lovely, warm, and friendly couple who make you feel like part of their family! Hot sauce lovers rejoice with their homemade sauce that actually packs some heat without compromising flavor!