Afro Deli & Grill Saint Paul

Ordered the pita bread and hummus for a snack and it couldn’t have been better. Even better than the food was the outstanding service that I received from the second I walked in the door. I will definitely be back

Visiting from Boston and happened upon Afro Deli for lunch. What a great surprise! Chicken Fantastic was, well, fantastic! Service was lovely. Somali Rice is my new fave! Thanks, St. Paul!

Afro Deli? More like Afrodisiac Deli.
Okay, that didn’t work as great as I thought it would.
First, know that Bite Squad has made me lazy, so I didn’t venture out to this place. I just ordered it online from the comfort of my college furniture that I’m probably too old to have.
Secondly, know that if I didn’t have the luxury of ordering from home, I probably would have made some ramen and classed it up by throwing 2 tablespoons of butter on it and spent the rest of the night sweating grease from my pits and trying to hold back whatever my stomach decided to do.
Afro Deli’s menu is eclectic, which is awesome for me because I will eat anything. Not so awesome for someone who is craving a specific kind of dish. I ordered a massive gyro with fries, and a side of sweet plantains. I love plantains and I also love that I don’t have to share them because Sam hates them. More for me. The gyro was big, full, and pretty tasty. The fries had a good crisp to them. Sam ordered Sambusas which he dug into right away. He said they were awesome but I didn’t try them.
All of the food was good but my hangup is that I’ve had a better gyro elsewhere, and better plantains and better fries elsewhere. I’ll keep coming back and next time I will order something that I can’t compare to another restaurants efforts. Chicken Fantastic? Seriously, sounds terrifying but I will be putting it in my belly.

Very good! My only complaint is that I ordered the Somali steak sandwich and they didn’t say it had green pepper. Other than that delish! My friend’s gyros looked good also.

What a discovery! Spicy, savory, tasty — EXCELLENT!!! Downtown St. Paul — I live in Brooklyn, and I felt drawn to this amazing restaurant. Everything smells amazingly good. Somali Steak, Somali Sweet Tea — PERFECTION! The woman at the register, whose name is Essence, is exactly the right person to welcome you to this fantastic place. DO NOT MISS AFRO DELI AND GRILL — COMPELLINGLY, SPECTACULAR CUISINE!!!

Quality horrible service is decent and that’s why I gave the 1 star but also too much noises while I’m eating and the utensils looked like they have never been cleaned sorry to say wish I didn’t have to experience this joint as the way I did

Oh gosh… Afro Deli… The things that I can say about you. Even thinking about the food makes my mouth water now. Anywho. Afro Deli… Their chicken fantastic is amazing. Its like the perfect mixture of chicken with rice. You know; how sometime you buy food, and the ratio of meat to… nearly everything else is pretty much 1:100. Yes, afro deli blew my mind with giving more chicken than I could have ever asked for. Also, they are very good in terms of service. Which is something I can repromend. I honestly, cannot wait to return to Afro deli so I can try more delicious food!

I timed my first visit well: grand opening today of their larger space and they were celebrating with free appetizers! The sambusas and fried shrimp are flavorful without being heavy. The falafel sandwich was light and flavorful as well. I appreciate that the food focuses on letting the ingredients shine through and not just adding fat and salt. The atmosphere is very friendly– great customer service and everyone seems to enjoy working there. All in all, highly recommended!

My husband and I stopped in before a show at the Ordway, not quite knowing what to expect. I was a little surprised at how Mediterranean the meal was, but everything was good. (Africa’s a huge continent, I know, but I guess my point of reference has been Ethiopian restaurants, and this cuisine was definitely not that!)
The only disappointment was that the menu said my veggie plate came with tabbouli – but instead there was a simple lettuce salad with what seemed like commercial Italian dressing. The falafel was crispy and delicious and the sambusa was likewise hot, crisp, and freshly made. It came with a mean, spicy green sauce that was really fresh and cold and perfectly balanced the earthy taste of the sambusa’s lentil filling.
My husband was in the mood for meat so we ordered a large steak plate, figuring I’d have some of it. The thing was HUGE, with a ton of nicely seasoned rice and lots of sirloin slices with pepper, onion, and spices. Even with my help he had trouble finishing it.
This is an order-​at-​the-​counter place so service was minimal but employees were all super-​friendly and made us feel welcome. You pay on a tablet when you order, and the payment options include a selection of tip amounts. This is awkward, because there is very little service and in any event, at this point in the transaction you really don’t know how well they’ve done. We tipped anyway because we were newbies and the prices were so reasonable: the two huge dinners set us back less than $ 20.

Was in the mood for gyro and my buddy had suggested this place. Walked in, staff was very friendly. Clean and very nice atmosphere.
I got the lamb gyro, fries and a drink. It was $ 9.99. Big portion, lots of lamb meat, a good size order of fries. Lamb meat tasted outstanding, great flavor. Fresh veggies. Seasoned fries were hot, crispy, and delicious. I will definitely be back to try out some more exotic items on the menu.
My only complaint is that it was really cold in the restaurant. Not sure if the heater was broken, or turned off. But it was 40 degrees outside, and not much warmer inside. I had my winter coat on the entire meal. Please do something about the temperature. Otherwise 5 stars

Very tasty! Had the chicken sandwich and the bread was outstanding. Fries were good as well. If your in the area it is worth the trip. Quick friendly and good food.

First impression: YUM
I had DoorDash deliver from Afro and it is really delicious. The gyros are huge and the lamb was ultra tender. The «Chicken Fantastic» is the ultimate comfort food and I loved the spices in it– it almost smelled like Christmas, with hints of either cinnamon or nutmeg coming through in the smell and taste. The «spicy» wings are anything but, however, they were very moist and tender with a nice shake-​n-​bake style coating. The baklava? Ginormous and as good as it gets.
These folks are doing it right, and the prices are really reasonable. Check this place out!

Love the Somali tea. Very spicy. Good substitute for coffee.
Also if you ask for extra pita they’ll give you another four slices for a dollar or something if you need it!
Love that they’re open past 5 too.

Any day that I can make it over for lunch at Afro Deli is a good day.
The Chicken Fantastic isn’t just a clever name… it really is deliciously fantastic. It’s comfort food at its best. I buy the Large size and enjoy the leftovers for multiple lunches!
I’m also crazy in love with the sweet plantains. Treat yourself to a tasty dessert!
Every time I come in here, I’m greeted with a smile and a warm welcome. I really appreciate that.

Great service! I identified myself as a 1^st time visitor, and the woman at the counter gave a few recommendations and an overview. I was there during off hours (2:30pm), so it was slow enough to have a conversation at the counter.
I wanted to try a few things since I’m not local; it could be a while before I’m back. I ordered 1 beef sambusa, 1 veggie sambusa, baklava, and then asked her to choose for me from 3 options: Somali steak sandwich, Afro steak dinner, & Chicken fantastic. These were all things she recommended, but she had also suggested others and I narrowed the field a bit.
She chose the aptly named Chicken fantastic. The veggies, rice, chicken, and sauce were all cooked to perfection and combined for a delightful meal. The sambusas were the highlight, though; I still can’t decide which I like better, beef or veggie. She also gave me a small side of a spicy, green sauce, which was excellent on the chicken and the sambusas.
Another highlight: the baklava was larger than the 2-​bite portion that is often served at other restaurants. I’m actually taking it to-​go, as my meal was quite large, but there was no way I was passing on dessert.
The next time I’m in the area, I will be back. Looking forward to 1 sambusa, baklava, and probably trying the Afro steak dinner.
4 out of 4 stars for casual dining (I reserve the 5^th star for fine dining only).

When I was in college I worked for a small business near Lake Nokomis. Nearby was a little mart or shop that served the most amazing gyros I’d ever had. Actually, I’d never had a gyro before that but I was hooked.
Unfortunately for me, I’ve been chasing that experience ever since. I’ve had good, even excellent gyros as the years went by, but none that matched that memory in my mind.
I’d seen Afro Deli a few times while visiting the little farmer’s market just outside its entrance and finally tried it a few weeks ago. I decided to go for the lamb gyro and my friend also ordered us some sambusas to share.
The sambusas (samosas) were delicious. Hot, fresh, and were served with a flavorful and spicy green sauce.
The gyro was, blissfully, as close to my memory of the gyro of summers past as I’ve found. The meat is well seasoned and not in skimpy, curled strips like you might find elsewhere. The pita/​flatbread was also fresh and warm and had a satisfying amount of crispness to the outside while staying soft in the middle. The tzatziki was refreshing and gladly not sour cream-​ish like I’ve experienced at other places. My friend and I thought we tasted cilantro which was a little surprising but good as I love cilantro, but something to note in case it’s not your favorite.
Will definitely be back, maybe to try the falafel sandwich or one of the dishes served with rice. Or maybe I’ll just eat three gyros a week and keep my mouth and memory happy.
Service was friendly and quick. One of the men working there seemed to know a lot of the customers and was happy to chat with them. The seating area inside is quite small, FYI, but the patio looked nice if the weather is cooperative.

This review is for their catering. I had one of their catered lunches at work the other day. Normally I skip them, but when I saw it was Afro Deli, I had to go!
Everything was good. We had yellow rice, chicken fantastic, chicken curry, a veggie option, salad, veggie sambusas. I had everything but the veggie dish. The chicken fantastic was truly fantastic, and so was the curry. The sambusas were a little greasy and soft, not crisp, but I suppose that’s because they weren’t just made. The salad was super fresh, not the iceberg junk. The green salsa was AWESOME, super hot. I put that ish on everything and inhaled my plate. Can’t wait to check out the actual deli.

What a sweet find the Afro Deli was!
We walked over for lunch today at around a quarter to 12. Twenty minutes later, the place was jammed with a line going out the door.
When you consider the menu, the pricing structure, the service, and the food quality, its easy to understand why the Afro is so popular.
Ever have a craving for a Somali Steak Sandwich with African spices? Here ya go pal, the Afro has it. Want an AfroSteak Dinner or an Afro Green House Salad? Check— the Afro delivers.
They have a very cool menu of sandwiches, wraps, burgers, entrees, and salads and you’ll get change back from your ten-​spot for anything on the menu!
My co-​worker and I had lunch here today– she ordered an AfroGreen Salad ($ 3.99) with a $ 2.49 up-​charge for some nice lamb gyro slices. It was a pretty big portion and looked great. I ordered the lunch sized Chicken Curry Bowl ($ 6.79) and it was a very satisfying portion of cubed chicken breast with peppers, onions, eggplant, carrots, garlic and African spices served over Somali rice. Trust me, it was excellent.
There is such a nice sweet laid back vibe here. The servers are nice as can be and reggae music plays in the background.
A great combo of soul and heart — go check it out.

Afro food offers ethnic food for the whole family. Although adventurous eaters can be satisfied, you don’t have to be one to enjoy food that Afro Deli offers. Many of their entrees are flavorful, but subtly spiced. For example, their Veggie Fantasic dish includes sauteed vegetables and saffron basmati rice with a light cream sauce and parmesan cheese, It’s the kind of dish that can please a picky eater as much as someone with a more courageous palate.
The menu includes lamb gyros, falafel, and coconut shrimp… as well as chicken quesadillas, cheeseburgers, and Caesar or Greek salads
Sambusa — deep fried pastries filled with your choice of beef or veggies, are one of their specialties. Although they appear among entrees on the menu, I tend to add them to every order as an appetizer. It’s a great beginning to other items on the menu.
Service at the Afro Deli is friendly x2. The first time I stopped, I was walking by with my dog and the chef waved. When I stopped to wave back, he brought be a menu, took my order, and brought food out to me so that I could enjoy dining outdoors at Rice Park with my dog.

Yesssss, my favorite lunch spot from school can now also be my favorite lunch spot for work. See the reviews for the Minneapolis location if you need more evidence that this place is worth your time.
This location has all your favorites from the Minneapolis location (gyro, chicken fantastic, sambusas, etc) and it looks like they’ll have a few different offerings soon (smoothies!?). And of course, the prices are good and the staff are super friendly.
And it’s not just a lunch place. They’re open until 7 on weekdays so you can pick something up on your way out of or into St. Paul, too!
This place isn’t huge, but when the weather is nice you can sit outside. Hopefully Afro Deli can help breathe some life into 7^th Place Plaza and downtown as a whole.