Tawakal Restaurant

Huge fan right here. Wanted to experience Somalian cuisine in a city that has so many of its residents - this was definitely the place to do it (worth the drive out of downtown). Felt extremely welcomed into this restaurant, was even called sister! Dine in and take out kind of atmosphere, order at the counter food is brought over to the table.
Mango juice is super sweet and addictive.
Went for the CHICKEN KAYKAY as a lot of yelpers suggest, it is unlike anything I've ever tried before! I LOVED IT, such comfort food. It is made with the bread used typically in the cuisine, but the texture changes into something so different - you could even imagine it to be pasta. The flavors are so warm, mild, yet complex - I could eat this everyday.
My husband got the chicken curry - the chicken was so tender - curry flavor spot on, and the portions were both HUGE! Plus you get a whole plate of rice with that.
Interested in the fried options in the case at the counter, if I'm ever passing through again I'd want to try those.
Plus you get a banana! Dessert, or breakfast memory the next morning.
Easy parking in a strip mall.

Could hear yelling from parking lot. Came in and staff and someone else were blocking the door and yelling at each other. Almost left but was my first visit. Yelling continued as we ordered. Unprofessional. Food was expensive with large portions. Probably won't come back.

Fantastic food and friendly service! Every time we have visited, we are promptly greeted by regular visitors and staff. The food is made very quick (under 10 min) and the portions are HUGE! Prices are absolutely appropriate, if not slightly low, for the food you get. Every meal is served with a banana and drink from the cooler, but I highly recommend the warm chai tea to warm your throat. The spices used are well proportioned and create a beautiful symphony on flavor without the harsh "spicy" burn afterwards. However, if you wish for more of a kick, the meals come with a fragrant hot sauce. I really wish we had East African food back home.

Visited this place twice in a two week time frame and just stumbled upon the place. So that should speak volumes! The amount of food is great. The service was good, the person who comes to clean the tables, was pleasant when asked to come clean where we sat. The ordering the first time around was a bit of a challenge (and no, not because of language barriers) BUT the second time around it was better. The gentlemen helped me ensure some items did not have the meat (I don't eat certain meats) in the appetizer(s)/deserts. Great food, the atmosphere is simple, petite, has a television for viewing pleasure but for ME, it will be a grab and go type place for me.

It's such a treat to find authentic Somali food in Burnsville. It feels absolutely the same as my normal go to Somali spot in Minneapolis at Cairo Grill. IMHO their goat is actually better seasoned than Cairo Grill. It all tasted great. But buyer beware that prices have gone through the roof. We ordered Chicken Suqaar, Goat and Rice with 2 additional chicken legs and it came to almost $50. That's more than twice what I'm used to paying. This is why it was 4 stars for out-of-this-world prices. I guess you can charge whatever you want when when you're the only one within 20 miles.

Summary: amazing food; Take out spot; off-street parking; friendly service; high price

Ive eaten only the sambusas here, three different times now, and yes Tawakal is the truth!! I will be back cus the food looks absolutely delish whenever I come in. Next time I'm dining in with my wife!!

I've had a few of their regular dishes, and really like the Kay Kay chicken.

It's a small, diner like atmosphere, with people coming and going, TV on, and can be quiet or can be loud.

Nooo I went there and the employee was so rude in fact tell this to your friends they didn't even serve me but not only that the employees didn't even say if they were serving or not terrible

My friend had never had Somalian food, and we decided to scope out this place near her home. It's a nice homey place with really friendly service. I did use the bathroom, and it was quite dirty unfortunately...

Onto the food, I ordered a beef wrap in the jabati which they were nice enough to do for me and that came with french fries. My friend got the goat with rice, which came with a mini pitcher of juice! It was watered down and not sweet at all, I really liked the mango juice here! The goat was really tender, and she totally enjoyed her huge meal! For me, the beef was a bit dry, and the jabati was pretty dry too. The fries tasted like they were fried in old oil, so I didn't enjoy it as much. Unfortunately I was so excited for the sambusa but it tasted like they refried it, and again, just some dryness and a little lack of flavor.

Overall, my experience wasn't as good as I have had in San Jose, CA but my friend's meal seemed really good! Service was also really great too!

Let's just say that though the prices are a little higher on the lunch/dinner food margins, the portion is huge, and well worth it.

I got a to-go order of goat meat with rice, which came with a choice of drink (I opted for mango juice), a side salad, and usually a soup (I think they were out of soup so I was given a banana as a replacement). Overall, the goat meat was tender and flavorful but I felt like it was missing the usual heat I'm used to whenever I have goat meat and rice (it did come with a green hot sauce that I would say is more of a mild than a hot sauce). Overall, I was satisfied with my choice and may return to try other dishes.