Nawal Restaurant

know the owner and family personally! super awesome and kind people with incredible food, really cant miss it!

Had take out. Inside isn't much, but the sign on the window says best goat meat in town. Had to try it! Very delicious cooked with peppers and onions, served with jasmine rice and a small salad. I will be going back.

The food here is AMAZING!! A friend and I split the Chicken Suqaar and I honestly don’t have words to describe how good it was. SO FLAVORFUL!! Definitely will be back!

Amazing food. Best lamb stew I have ever had!

Great food, great staff. Nawal is a great spot for a quick, delicious meal

Extremely hospitable staff. The food tasted amazing with very little wait. We came back the next day to try other dishes and had another awesome experience. We felt very welcomed here and will definitely be back.

This place has poor hygiene, the rice was not good and the chicken tasted like half cooked.

Good service and nice test food

I came here in a recommendation and the food was disappointing. It was 2pm and they did not have any food ready. I ordered the goat and rice and we'll I had better. $20 was not worth the long drive. 3pcs of meat and the rest bones. Lacked flavor and luke warm food. I'll go back and try again and see if it it's any better the next time.

Very good food with a decent variety. We had the fish a plate, chicken suquar, and a sambusa; they were all full of flavor and spice (not spicey). The plates came with a large portion of fresh, flavored rice with the fish or chicken sautéed with onion on top. The meals also came with a side of green sauce. We were greeted and felt very welcome the entire time we waited for the food (less than 10 minutes). The fish was unbelievably fresh and delicious and is highly recommended. However, the only reason we didn't give them five stars is because every table had dirty dishes and the interior could definitely use a cleaning. We will be back soon and recommending this restaurant to our coworkers!

First of all, every plate was served with a banana, and I LOVE bananas as dessert, so that alone made me love this place. Also, the rice was delicious. And the gentlemen preparing our order were kind about explaining that some of the food we originally wanted to order wasn't available. If you visit, please keep your mind open. It's a counter service restaurant with limited tables/seating. You might be the only person there who isn't from East Africa. Not all of the menu items are always available. But what you do order will be deliciously prepared, and you'll get a LOT of it. Ask questions about the food, get the chicken suqaar with rice and the sambusas, and enjoy a banana with your meal!

Nawal offers what I believe to be mostly East African and Mediterranean fare, including sambusa, injera, Somali stews, gyros and falafel. The service at Nawal is wonderful. I believe it was the owners who greeted us and explained the menu. They were very informative and friendly, which I value. Then they pointed out several things that were not available on the menu... it was actually easier pointing out what WAS available... The #17 Chicken Suqar ("soo-kar" with a Q, not "sugar") was photographed and explained as chicken breast stew with seasoned rice, salad (with veggies, tomatoes, limes), bananas, and hot sauce. I immediately said "YES I WANT THAT" at the counter. After we ordered, it came up pretty fast, within ~10 mins. However, I was a little disappointed it only came with rice and hot sauce. I asked for the salad, which they happily whipped up, and I forgot to ask for the bananas too (and regretted it later). My chicken suqar/stew was a rather dry, but it had good flavor. And be warned: the hot sauce is veryyy hot, but tasty too, and it seemed fresh. The serving sizes were generous, and I was able to reserve some leftovers. Overall, the owner(s)/managers are friendly and passionate, which I love. But the food fell short of my expectations, especially according to the menu description & photos.

I've always seen Nawal any time I've gone to Indigo Tea, which is about three doors down in the same mini strip mall. However, I've never tried it until today. To my knowledge, I haven't tried African food before either and I was pleasantly surprised by how good it was! The space is small, with about five or so tables. I'd consider this place quick service. You order at the counter, pick your own seat, and then they bring your order to you. The host and owner (?) were very friendly and more than helpful in answering any questions we had about the dishes. I ordered the Beef Suqar (with a "q" and not a "g", which was what we thought it said) with Jabati - similar to Indian naan but thinner. The dish was so flavorful and aromatic! The beef was very tender and cut up into small cubes which made it so easy to eat. It was also mixed with sautéed onions and green pepper which I'm normally opposed to but I actually ate almost all of it and LIKED IT! That's saying something. I loved the spicy green sauce that came on the side. It gave it that extra kick but boy was I glad I didn't just pour all of it onto my dish because it was HOT! A couple other notes: - I appreciated that a drink (either soda or bottled water) was free with the meal. - The portion size was perfect for me! I felt satisfied afterwards but not uncomfortably full. Considering it's so close to my favorite tea place, I'll most likely be back again! I'm also really curious about the goat meat dish as it seems to be popular among African cuisine... we'll see if I'm brave enough to try it.

This place replaced the panda wok that only lasted 6 months this one seems to be a keeper whenever I drive by they always have cars parked out front meaning it's a favorite among locals already. Everything seems to be under $10 with big portions I was craving sambusa to eat and ordered a few take out. The cashier fried some up fresh before taking our cash. There's a tv and about 5 small tables if you want to eat in.

For $11 I got the goat combo to go. It came with loads of deliciously seasoned rice topped with roasted and sauteed goat and onions. A little salad with ranch (very little but enough), a banana, and a soda. It's super affordable and SO delicious! They have a ton of different combos to choose from but the goat is one of their most popular dishes and one of the cashier's favorites. They are quick to serve, so I ordered and got my order within 10 minutes. Everything is super flavorful, spices are on point and just enough for a good balance with the rice. I didn't get a banana but it was supposed to come with it, and that's used to cleanse the palate between bites of goat and rice. The fact that the goat is roasted and sauteed bone-in makes it all the more delicious - you can suck some of the marrow out and it's the yummiest, fattiest marrow ever. This place is more of a fast food type of place - you order and can eat there, but it isn't a restaurant, if that's what you're looking for. The people here are very friendly, the place is clean, they have a couple tables outside, and all in all I would definitely come back if I'm in the area.

First time at Nawal and ordered Sambusa and sugar chicken with rice. First, the portion size was huuuge!! Me and wife ate the rice and still was enough for one more adult.. The food was great and the basmati rice was very aromatic and tasty.. The chicken combined with rice was really good.. The green sauce on the side was great as well. The wait was rather long and was about 20 minutes and there was 2 only people ahead of us.. I live in Woodbury but if I ever come to Eagan/Burnsville for any reason I will definitely come back to eat from Nawal

First time here and I think I found a new place to eat at! Very reasonable prices, fresh food and excellent customer service! Sugar = small cube meat.... Learn something new every day!

The food took over 40 minutes but we were the only ones waiting initially. The Kay Kay was bland and the Jabati was not homemade. The beef suqar looked nothing like the picture. The falafel was burnt, so 90mina later we left pretty disappointed. Underwhelming was our description

I usually wait to review a place until I've been there at least twice. This restaurant just opened last fall in an unassuming strip mall in Burnsville, and we decided to try it for takeout. The employee/chef on duty was extremely friendly and enthusiastic, offering us samples of what he was cooking as we waited for our food. We received very large portions, and the price was reasonable for what we ordered (around $11 for a gyro plate that easily serves 2) and came with rice and a few different sauces. Beware, the yellow sauce is spicier than it looks! They also offer sides, and lunch plates with fries instead of rice (for around $7-8). The rice is fabulous, though - I highly recommend it. The gyro meat is flavorful and juicy, and the chicken is seasoned with African spices that are just delicious. Our second visit I accidentally ordered the lunch combo (fries) instead of the platter (rice) and when out food was ready, I realized my mistake... Not only did the chef add a larger than normal portion of rice to our order, he didn't charge us any extra for it. I don't expect this to happen every time someone orders the wrong thing, but it's a great way for a new restaurant to keep customers coming back!

I wanted to try something different so I figured I'd give this place a try. The people working here were nice and very helpful explaining the menu. The place wasn't anything fancy but nice enough. I wasn't impressed with the food I tried the beef sugar, gyro, and the falafels. The falafels were the best part. The beef was very mediocre; tough and uninspiring seasonings is probably the best way to describe it. The gyro was ok but I've definitely had better. The price was good but I probably won't come back.

I love this restaurant. The staff is amazing and the food is outstanding. Every time I stop in, they suggest something I should order and give me a small sample of food or sauce to try. I can't say enough good things about the staff, they are so friendly and helpful every time I'm there. The food is delicious and very inexpensive. I've tried most of the items on the menu and everything has a ton of flavor and good spice levels. The portions are huge no matter what you order, so you really get a lot for your money. Don't let the seemingly exotic menu scare you. You will love the food and you will be treated well by the entire staff. I recently moved further away from Nawal, but that won't stop me from traveling a little further to continue eating their food. This place deserves your attention, even if you just want to stop in on a cold day for a tea with milk and some soft, warm mulawah.

Order: Beef Sugar w. Jabati, sambusa, Kay Kay, chicken drumstick with rice, and goat with rice Loved this place - good food in large portions. My favs were beef sugar and Kay Kay. The sambusa was well stuffed with meat - no skimping here at all. I was a little disappointed by the fat on the goat as there were visible thick white strips on each piece, but the rest was quite good. Will definitely be back to try more.

Stopped by Nawal in the evening and ordered sambousa and Beef sugar. The sambousa is right on the spot and the beef sugar was very flavorful. I will definitely stop by and try the liver plate and falafel. Highly recommend.

Nawal Restaurant's Somalian and Mediterranean food is consistently excellent. The food is cooked to order, fresh, and attractively presented. The submitted photo captures not only the beauty of the flavorful food, but also the warmth and kindness of the chef who prepared it and brought it to the table. You'll be amazed at the excellent food value, particularly because the sauces, dips, and dressings are homemade and preservative free. The highest quality of rice is used. Every bite is pure delight!

So far I'm loving this place! The staff is so nice. We walk out with take-out and free samples with speedy service! I can't complain about that! They have the menu with picture off all items, wich is so useful becuase it's great to know what you are ordering when it is unfamiliar food. My goal is to try everything at least once. I love the goat they prepare here, definitely one of my favorites. Stop by and give them a try.

For less than $20 bucks I ate forever. I love the rice,goat meat, the sauces. Yum

I love the food here until I actually went into the restaurant to eat . Usually my husband takes food to go but we decided to actually eat in. I was so excited to get our yummy plates till I saw one of the cooks start picking his nose out in the open like it was such a normal thing to do. He picked and picked while talking to the female working with him and flicked his buggers right by the cooking/ serving area . I was so disgusted by seeing this. So the food is great but maybe next time I'll ask for the cook to please wash his hands before cooking my food. That is if I order food from here ever again.

Excellent food! Prices are very reasonable. Service is also very very good. The men that work at this restaurant are very friendly, wonderful to talk to and provide excellent service. The Sambusa is the best!

Very good experience. Daughter and I stopped in after basketball tournament and food was wonderful. Extremely welcoming and attentive staff. Food quality and quantities exceeded expectation. Will be back with rest of family!

Stopped for lunch with a buddy. It was very good. The staff were very helpful, making good suggestions. We ordered some sort of platter for two, which could have (and should have) served a family. Far too much for lunch. But amazing leftovers! Lamb, goat and barbecued chicken. Very savory. Very tasty. And the rice was exceptional. So was the salad. I'm going back.

Extremely friendly and accommodating staff. They walked us through the whole menu and made recommendations before we ordered. Food was unique and excellent! We will be going back.

We had an amazing experience at the restaurant. The owner was extremely friendly and have us samples "on the house" and provides for an excellent visiting experience for our first time in the area! I would definitely return and we highly recommend anyone in the area to try the restaurant!