Jubba Restaurant

This place is more than exceptional! While there’s no outdoor seating, and it’s a bit tucked away, it offered the best lunch we’ve had in a very long time. It was our first experience with Somali cuisine, and it lived up to the hype we heard on the PBS show featuring favorite restaurant reviews. We started with mandazi, which I didn’t find overly sweet as some other reviewers did, but I agree it’s just delicious dough. The sambuso was equally delightful, especially when paired with that incredible green sauce! It’s quite spicy, but next time, I’ll ask for more because it adds a delightful kick to everything we ate. Our other dishes were the beef suqaar with rice and the Jubba chicken wrap. Both were absolutely fantastic and HUGE! We ended up with two fully satisfying meals. In fact, it might have been even better the next day! I’m tempted to drive down there again just for the food. I want to try everything on the menu, including the goat!

The ambiance here is fantastic, with the light rail passing in the background. The sound of cars rushing on the freeway adds to the experience, and the samosas are mouthwatering, paired with delicious hot tea that you won’t find anywhere else.

We discovered this hidden gem through a local who works nearby. It wasn’t listed on TripAdvisor, but we enjoyed it so much that we wanted to introduce this little gem to TripAdvisor readers. What an amazing little eatery! It’s family-run and offers very authentic Somali food. While the menu isn’t extensive, we came for the goat and fish. The goat was incredibly delicious—flavorful, tender, juicy, perfectly cooked, and just the right texture and taste. Perhaps we would have liked it a touch spicier, as we’re from Malaysia and accustomed to very spicy food, but it’s probably just right for most customers! The fish was also flavorful, though it had a slightly stronger char than we would have preferred.

Most of the starters are good too but I would save my stomach next time so that I can have two portion of the main meal, yay!

Service was a little slow but because the food are freshly done there and then.

Great meal and how I wish we live nearby and can visit every week or so!

I had never been to an East African restaurant before trying Jubba. And now, I doubt I’ll ever go to another one. This place is so delicious. The first time, my husband and I shared the sports platter, and the flavors were amazing. Since then, I’ve ordered the chicken wrap every time. I just can’t get enough of the chibati bread. It’s the best bread I’ve ever had—somewhere between a tortilla and a flatbread. Just pure deliciousness. I highly recommend Jubba to anyone looking for delicious food.

This was my first time trying East African food (or any African food besides Moroccan). This halal Somali restaurant is conveniently located next to the light rail station (VTA Ohlone-Chynoweth) and serves incredibly flavorful and generous portions of meaty dishes at surprisingly low prices. We ordered the goat cutlet with seasoned rice and beef steak slices with chapatti. Keep in mind that their meat and “steak” dishes are traditionally prepared in East African style, which means they’ll be well done with a bit of charring. Don’t expect “medium/rare” meat here, as it’s not your typical “Western” grillhouse. The green chili sauce is spicy and tangy, adding a great kick to the meal. We loved everything; it was bursting with flavor. We’ll definitely return to try other dishes.