Banadir Somali in Inglewood is a cozy, no-frills spot known for its generous portions of flavorful Somali dishes, making it a hit among locals and a must-visit for those craving authentic cuisine.
"Somali food isn’t common in Los Angeles, but Banadir Somali has been going strong for over a decade. The restaurant prepares halal meats that are marinated, slow-roasted for three hours, and served with rice, salad, and a bright and spicy bas bas sauce made with basil, jalapeno, and cilantro. The small dining room has less than a dozen wooden tables topped with patterned blue tablecloths, making the experience even more intimate. Find metered public parking across the street." - Mona Holmes
"Banadir in Inglewood, the only Somali restaurant in LA, is a hub for the area’s Somali community. For breakfast, there’s anjera, a fermented sorghum flour pancake similar to Ethiopian injera. The anjera is served with chicken suqar, a type of stir-fry. For lunch and dinner, find large rice platters with either goat, chicken, or fish. Both rice and spaghetti meals are served with bananas meant to be eaten with the meal." - Eater Staff
"Banadir Somali is a family-run restaurant just south of downtown Inglewood and a community institution. The bare-bones space feels like you’re in the basement of a neighborhood rec center, and everybody inside is treating it as such. Big groups gather around large tables, eating massive platters of tremendous Somali food. Goat is the house specialty here, and it’s so packed with flavor it’ll ruin most other versions of goat you’ve ever had. If you arrive around 11am, you’ll be able to order from both their breakfast and lunch menu, which is ideal, because the shakshuka, ful (bean stew), and crepe-like anjero bread is just as good as the goat." - brant cox, nikko duren
"Banadir resides on a mostly residential Inglewood street with a public parking lot across the street. Owner Hussein Mohamed will always recommend the marinated, slow-roasted goat or lamb. The electric green basbaas sauce made with basil, jalapeno, and cilantro has an ample kick and should be poured over everything." - Mona Holmes
"Banadir Somali is a family-run restaurant and community institution just south of downtown Inglewood. The bare-bones space feels like you’re in the basement of a neighborhood rec center, and everybody inside treats it as such. Big groups gather around large tables, eating massive platters of tremendous Somali food. Goat is the house specialty here, and it’s so packed with flavor it’ll ruin most other versions you’ve ever had. If you arrive around 11am, you’ll be able to order from both their breakfast and lunch menu, which is ideal, because the shakshuka, ful (bean stew), and crepe-like anjero bread are all just as good as the goat. " - nikko duren, garrett snyder
