Safari Restaurant (Somali)

We are always interested in new ethnic cuisine in Grand Rapids. When we heard about the Safari restaurant , I headed off with a couple my college students in tow to broaden their horizons.

It located in the strip mall on the southeast corner of Breton and 44th St. DO NOT confuse it with the African Safari Coffee bar nearby. I spoke to the owners about their need for a web presence, but still no action there.

It is pretty basic décor.

The food is a mixture of Somali, Indian and Ethiopian. However, the injera (flat bread) is not made on site and is pretty uninspiring. Stick with the Somali and Indian offerings. The menu is a little confusing. What they call lamb turned out to be goat ! They said, it’s pretty much the same . Well…. no…. it’s not, but hey it was the first time I tried goat and it was quite good! I expected a wild taste or something, but it was tender and mild. Their dishes are all in the pretty good but not great range. Definitely worth a stop to broaden your horizons, but not likely to be your new favorite spot.

no alcohol license. They have some nice spicy teas.

Prices are great.

Nice, very friendly owners and fun place to try. With a little work it could be really good.