Safari Restaurant

The more traditional Somali cafés, with their sex-segregated seating and all-Somali clientele, can feel a bit uninviting to outsiders, but owner Sade Hashi makes everybody feel welcome at Safari Restaurant, just south of downtown Minneapolis. The original location, a few doors away, was friendly but frumpy; the new space is downright stylish, with an espresso bar, fieldstone fireplace, and a décor of African arts and crafts. Adventuresome diners can try the curried goat, but most of the menu is well within the average Midwesterner’s comfort zone: grilled beef or chicken and sautéed vegetables served with mango juice, a ripe banana, and a generous portion of rice pilaf or lightly sauced spaghetti (a legacy of the Italian colonizers). Most entrées are $8-$10. The espresso bar offers a big selection of coffee drinks to make up for the lack of alcohol—Hashi says the Somali community wouldn’t stand for it. 1424 Nicollet Ave., Minneapolis; 612-872-4604; www.safarirestaurantmn.com