Juba Restaurant & Cafe

No frills tasty Somalian food. Must try goat and rice. cCourteous to Indians.– Indian recommended

I went here on Eid for the first time. Serious nums. Try chicken kaati kaati and Somali coffee or tea. Ask low sugar in the tea so the staff doesn’t have to deal with a diabetic coma.
The place was packed with families and loud (in a happy, good way). Take out is an option if you’re on the go. Really good food and large portions.
Really nice experience.

We arrived at 9:45, 15 minutes before closing. We weren’t sure what the service would be like or if it would feel rushed. It was absolutely not a problem. They were friendly and attentive and in no way did we feel rushed.
I ordered the chicken suqaar with chapati and my husband ordered the BBQ chicken sandwich. The chicken suqaar was really good, though could have used a little more spice/​flavor. I got a pile of chapati, probably due to the fact that they were closing and were trying to get rid of leftovers. The serving was large enough so that I was able to have a decent lunch the next day. My husband liked the BBQ sandwich but I think he wished he ordered something different. There wasn’t anything really special/​unique about a BBQ chicken sandwich. A complimentary juice comes with the order. They bring out a big jug. My husband loved it but it tasted pretty sugar laden to me so I went with water. It tasted like tang.
Service was really good. Friendly, courteous and attentive.
The restaurant is pretty simple, but it’s big and clean and serves its purpose.
I couldn’t believe the price, it’s so inexpensive. I felt like that didn’t charge us the right price!
I want to go back but it’s a little far from home so we have to plan it for the next time we will be in the area.

I came here at 8am because it was the only place I could find that was highly rated to and open early in the morning. I ordered the breakfast #1 beef with injera. The portion was small but it was cheap only $ 8. I devoured it and was still hungry so I ordered #2 chicken and ate all of it also. Will be back here for sure. I was the only person in here that wasn’t African which means this place is authentic and not infested with touristy Unilocalers yet.

And another great meal! I chose the goat and rice this time, and it was as good as everyone has mentioned. They cook it bone-​in, making it a little chewier but very delicious. (Did not venture to try the green sauce on the table.) The dish is prepared with onions and green peppers and came with chopped romaine salad. The ‘side’ of rice is enough for a family of 3.
Will def return.

Ordered a goat dish. Very tender and natural taste. Not a lot of spice. Plenty of fresh vegetable come with the dish. And a separate plate of rice. Just the rice can fill you up. As mentioned, the complementary soup is exquisite. Not to mention the litre of free orange juice. This is more a family restaurant. Most of the visitors are Africans. All in all, it’s a great experience. Everything is just $ 15.

A friend of mines brings me food from this restaurant once a week at my job, I haven’t actually been to this place, but I love their food. To be honest I’ve never tried African dishes till I had theirs, and I love it! In the to go box is your choice of meat, a big portion of rice and a side salad.
The goat meat is very tender, and isn’t as gamey as I thought it would be. The first time I tried the goat I was so delighted by the flavors of seasoning it had. The rice is yellow, I don’t know what they put in it to make it yellow but it’s so good. Nothing like Asian rice, it’s so different, yet so good.
I’ve tried the chicken, that is totally different in color, its orange. It taste like smoked BBQ chicken. The spaghetti, is delicious. I had it with beef and the the combination was so fulfilling.
One place I would actually go to get more African food.

Juba Restaurant and Café has always been a warm welcome when needing a meal to remind me of home. Customer service is spot on. If ordering in our out you maybe instantly seated and provided soup while you wait for your meal. My favorite dish is Goat and Rice. It something I grew up eating and making as an adult. Food is well seasoned, portions are generous and appreciated, and price is what I expect. I look forward to making this place my go to spot. I recommend you try it.

Amazing food at reasonable prices !!! Chicken and Salmon was the best !!! Followed with complimentary Soup, Juice and Banana, would recommend this place to give a try

Incredible! The feel and taste seems very authentic. Of course I’m not African, but everyone who came to eat here was African and if they choose this spot over home-​cookin’, you know it’s a good one. This is the first time I’ve had African food so I was extremely excited, though nervous to be in a new culture/​environment.
At first we were confused. Go up and order or sit down and wait? We did the first and were greeted and helped! Their service is great here and they made us feel very welcomed! we were comfortable and we enjoyed the experience, but they were also very lax and chill. It seemed a majority of their customers were regulars, so it had a warm, homey feel. I like that about any restaurant.
I got the spiced lamb and it came with pasta or rice, but he also offered ⁵⁰⁄₅₀ so of course that’s what I chose. My boyfriend got the salmon kadaafi and it came piping hot. So many good flavors throughout. This place has the spices on lock.
The lamb had a good meaty flavor that wasn’t overpowered by the spices. The pasta and rice were SO easy to eat. I didn’t realize how fast I was scarfing them down. The flavors were all there but at the same time they were subtle enough to keep you coming back for more without getting tired of it. Mmm so simple so tasty.
The kadaafi was very flavorful. Kind of like a fishy fried rice which I really enjoyed.
Huge portions, great prices, great food, great service, chill atmosphere, open late on Saturdays, close to home… What more could you ask for?! African food is so underrated, and I can’t believe I slept on it for this long! But…
Unfortunately, I did find a couple hairs in a piece of lamb, and my dish didn’t come out as hot as the kadaafi so that was a little disappointing. It’s heartbreaking to give them a 4 because I enjoyed the food and experience so much… I wanted to give them the full five. I definitely want to come back, but I’ll hope the hairs won’t make a sequel next time :(

This place is a hidden gem in the Seattle
Area. My friend and I happened to be in the Tukwila yesterday. I heard that this area had a large population of Somalians. As two
gals who enjoy adventure and aren’t scared of trying new things, we thought we could try our Somalian food. As a new muslim I like halal restaurants. Based on scanning Unilocal reviews we decided to check this place out.
We went to lunch at 2:30 and it was packed full of people. We were the only non-​Somalians in the place. Both are always a good sign in trying out a new «ethnic» food. To be more specific we were sitting with room filled with men. The server was friendly, and provided recommendations. As we were waiting for food it dawned on us that we were the only females in the building: no Grandmas, no babies, no moms and no kids. I asked the server if it was okay for us to be here. He explained that there is another «family room» that a lot of women use, however families/​women eat in this section all the time.
I had goat which came with a plate of rice and banana. I think this was my first time eating goat. It was moist and delicious. My friend got a platter of sauces and thin like pancake bread. Rarely do I love vegetarian food. Her dish was the best in my opinion.
The price was very affordable. The goat was $ 12 and the massive vegetarian dish was
$ 10. We will be returning! Next time we will go to the family section.
Do not go here if you’re uncomfortable with a different culture, or cannot handle amazing tasting food.

What an experience!
The food is delicious and the portions are huge. The atmosphere is inviting and the staff and fellow diners are friendly. If you come in a group, try to snag the family seating room in the very back. I’ll be back soon, their goat dish misses me dearly.

As I read in other review, I also have no clue how they make money here since there is so much per meal and it is cheap!!! My husband and I were looking for a good and quick lunch around and we found this place on Unilocal.They were busy and we just seated there and waited.
The food is extremely cheap and the portion is huge. I got the beef plate and my husband got the chicken plate. Both meals came with a huge portion of a very well seasoned rice, lots of thin slices of the meat, median size salad, a delicious thin soup, banana, and free HUGE jar of Tang juice. All of it for $ 10.00. Yes just $ 10 dollars. My husband and I do not eat a lot and we could have shared the meal and we might not be able to finish either.
I will definitely come back here if I am around the area and I recommend this restaurant indeed. Not counting that they are very nice and friendly over there. What a great experience. I am very happy I found this place :)

I honestly do not know how they make money. Great prices! Great food!
I recommend the chapati and definitely the meat lovers plate combo called «Sports». The goat meat is to die for.

as others have pointed out, I’ll testify to the same. This place is popular with fellow Somalians, and it was obvious to us why.
1. Price… cheap. A free goat soup with lunch! Its taste is mostly cabbage and was very good.
2. Tastes great! Everything looks great but the goat shank seems to be their favorite.
3. Service was great. Free Tang like drink with lunch.
Seat yourself and pay at the counter, like Europe. I wish them great success.

When I get a hankering for Ethiopian food near my house, I will always think of Juba first.
This place is legit– I mean when you see cabbies hanging out here you know you hit a sweet spot. All of them had cups of tea.
The tea, It is such a simple tea, but it is so tasty. Make sure to add ginger! It was suggested the first time I stopped in.
I generally stick with the combo plate: Injera with stewed veggies and meat on top. The portions will fill you up and I always have left overs. The injera is warm and has the right amount of sour. The beriberi seasoning is very good– not over powering and not weak.
The goat broth soup is amazing it isn’t insanely salty. I also like the pitcher of juice and the banana on the side.
Juba is very friendly and I am a huge fan of this place. The staff always makes me feel welcome in their restaurant.

ATTENTION! Legit ethnic food alert. The food here tastes like it was made from someone who is actually from the east African region in question, because it is. Don’t hesitate about eating African food, just go here. It’s awesome.
We went for lunch and got the Sport Platter. I think it’s called the sport platter because it can feed a small sports team. Have at least 3 – 4 people if you are going to get that, but if you do, you’re in for a treat. It’s got the goat, beef, chicken, salmon with sauteed vegetables in an unbelievable sauce served with actual saffron yellow rice and pasta (a LOT of it). It also came with soup, also great, and some salad greens (nothing special).
Portions here are not the kind you get in overpriced Seattle restaurants that think too much of themselves. This is home cooking. You will not leave here hungry. We had plenty of leftovers to take home with us, and to top it all off, it’s not expensive at all. We will definitely be back.
IMPORTANT WARNING; They close during lunch at 12:30 for prayer time and reopen some time after 1 pm. Make sure you get here early if it’s lunch.

wow! what a find! I asked my Lyft driver which is the best and most authentic Somalian restaurant in Seattle area. Without hesitation he told me it was Juba Restaurant down in Tukwila. I stopped by here during my last trip to SeaTac.
I’ve only had Sambusa before (Somalian version of samosas) but other than that, have no experience with Somalian food. My initial impression is that it is very goat centric (yummy!). This is reflected in the number of goat meat dishes on menu. They also have some cross over with Ethiopian cuisine (injera bread) as well as some indian staples on menu. I would stick with the Somalian stuff!
I got the goat meat plate ($ 15). You get a big hunk of roasted bone in goat meat (the best way to serve meat!). I think it was goat shoulder but hard to tell. I agree with other reviews in that it almost looked like it might be too dry but it was not! very flavorful well seasoned and not gamey at all!
The rice you get is basmati long grain and was incredible! huge mound of it and so well seasoned, very garlicky!
you also get complimentary side salad and bowl of goat soup which is more like goat broth which was very very nice!
The setting is bare bones and no frills which is very much my kind of place! portions are very generous. My $ 15 meal was good for two meals. I will be back to sample more of the menu!
next time you are at airport check them out!!!

I was in Tukwila for some work and checked for a place to eat, this restaurant happened to have the highest ratings on Unilocal of all places nearby.
So I walked in at 10:30 AM for an early lunch. I got strange looks as I was alone, a woman clad in business attire and the entire restaurant was full of only men. The only women I saw were in the kitchen area in the back and in a store next door and they looked Somalian from their attire. All of the men seemed to be from Africa as they were all talking in a language I could not identify. Many were cabbies as the cabs were parked outside. That was fairly reassuring as cabbies always know the best places to eat.
It’s a plain and simple restaurant with no frills, just a lot of tables and chairs. There was Al-​Jazeera playing on the television in an Arabic language and all the news seemed to be about bomb blasts and war in the Middle East during the one hour I watched it.
Not sure what to do I walked up straight to the counter and ordered a goat dish based on Unilocal reviews. Apparently, it was too early as the guy taking the order grumbled that it wasn’t ready but then changed his mind and said I could order it. I should have taken his cue however, as when I went back and sat down at a table I saw every one of the 45 – 50 odd men there was having what looked more like breakfast. It was some kind of pancakes with some curry and other breakfast items.
I was soon served a basic lettuce salad, mainly lettuce and tomato and came with a bottle of ranch dressing in the squeeze bottle. Also a jug of what looked like Sunny-​D and a blackish banana. Then came some fragrant rice, looked like basmati and a huge platter of dry roasted and seasoned goat on the bone. It was too late to go back and order a curry, which would have been better with rice. The goat was well cooked but a little tough and oily like it had been cooked the previous day. Which it probably was, I really should have ordered breakfast at 10:30 AM.
I had 45 – 50 pairs of eyes watching me as the guys watched me sitting with a mound of goat, trying to valiantly chew through the first piece. Whatever I ate was well seasoned and seemed like it would have been perfect the night before. The rice was really tasty. I could only eat ¹⁄₁₀^th of my food as it was a little too much meat and too dry for that time of the day.
Based on this experience, I would rate it 3 stars but since it wasn’t a typical one I will give them 4 stars for the food vs. the price. I would have liked them to have told me it’s better to order breakfast at 10:30 AM since I did ask for suggestions. But overall, apart from the slightly intimidating atmosphere of only men and everyone speaking in another language, it seemed like a place one would want to try again in the evening. I am sure the food will be pretty good as I got a little preview.

This was my first experience eating African food and first but not last, time at Jooba. I decided to be creative for our Friday date night and searched Unilocal for «Somalian»; Unilocalers did not disappoint by suggesting Jooba! If there was a rating higher than 5 stars, this place would be one of the very few who deserve it.
The food and dining experience left us with a WOW moment. Being new to the restaurant and cuisine, we went with the house recommendations of goat with basmati rice dinner and the #19 dinner. We were pleasantly surprised to receive complimentary as part of the dinner: rich goat meat broth soup infused with tomatoes, onions and bits left over from boiling goat; a full pitcher of orange/​mango juice; and 2 large bananas. The soup was excellent and got our appetites ready for the main entrée. The juice was very refreshing on a hot evening.
The goat and rice dish is served on 2 separate LARGE plates, accompanied with a fresh salad. The goat looks like it will be dry but it is so tender, the most tender goat I ever ate. Don’t be shy and use your hands to pick up the goat with some rice. There is a great green chili sauce on the table and a few drops on the goat makes it even better. The basmati rice is very tender and full of flavor.
The #19 dish was out of this world; I wish I remembered the actual name of it. The dish comes with an option of steak or chicken suqaar. I opted for the chicken and no regrets. The dish is presented on a 14 inch round tray. A warm flatbread (injera) covers the tray. A tomato chutney is in a serving dish, spicy mashed chickpeas, diced cooked spinach, chicken with onions and another flatbread is on a separate plate. The flatbread is something I’ve never had before. It is thin like a crêpe but spongy to help soak all of the flavors of the dish. Eating the flatbread yields a slightly sour flavor but mixing it with all the plate items results in a party in your mouth!
The atmosphere and service were great. It is very casual and clean. I noticed there were prayer mats and some patrons praying. Out of respect for the religious individuals, I would suggest that people dress modestly.
I will certainly be back soon to Jooba!