West Bank Grocery

This isn’t just a convenience store – it has a deli where you can get cheap, hearty Somali and greasy American food! I got a gyro and fries there and it cost about $ 7.50 and was literally two meals worth of food. It came with about a pound of delicious fries and an enormous, tasty gyro, and seriously no human should eat it all in one sitting. I have this friend Brett who eats a lot, and even Brett shouldn’t eat the whole thing. Seriously, you will endanger yourself. Once in the morning I had excellent Somali tea and fresh sambusa, but another time in the afternoon the sambusa was sitting out and they heated it up in the microwave and it was… not good. So watch out for that.
Otherwise, it’s pretty much a standard convenience store. If you’re uncomfortable with people speaking a language other than English around you, a) go somewhere else, and b) SHUT UP. I have never felt unsafe or disrespected here, and the staff is always incredibly friendly. Go back to stormfront and miss out on gyros.

Another hole-​in-​the-​wall. A deli inside a grocery store. This neighborhood is known around the city as Little Somalia because of the population of that community that resides here.
The décor leaves much to be desired, then again, It is a deli inside a convenience store. Never had the expectation of finding a very well designed table linen establishment. The food is decent. I have only had to stop few times after much drunken stupor at Palmer’s Bar or after a show at the Cedar Cultural Center. The Sambusas are good. The Gyros and Falafels are okay. They also have frozen burgers on the menu.
This neighborhood like some of the others in the city has a reputation for being «Sketchy» and It has all to do with the fact that most of these residents are Africans or Native Americans. You know, the kinda people that look nothing like the residents of Milaca, Minnesota or the rest of the state. And of course what is fueling this perception more is having those scary kids in the neighborhood with the complicated finger gestures, the ones with the saggy pants to their ankles showing off their Gangsta Scooby-​Doo and Ned Flanders underwear themed when they lean over the counter to order. Yes, those sketchy kids.
Tip: Order what you want at the Deli. They will give you the receipt to pay at the grocery checkout.

Money. We were in a hurry to see a show and the deli delivered! Trad gyro is the way.

In the West Bank area for a show or night of drinking? This little convenience store may look like a place to walk on by… but the made-​to-​order Somali food smells very good. I have only had the fries on a Zombie Pub Crawl in 2010, but they were fresh, good, and cheap. Other visits we’ve had have been for bagged snacks and a pop. The cashier is very friendly, and there appears to be a fair amount of foot traffic through here. Certainly a nice little break from the restaurants and clubs nearby on a Friday or Saturday night.

Kind of dingy in there, but the guy behind the counter is always friendly. Every time we go in, he’s been surprisingly nice for a guy who works at a convenience store. They’re open pretty late, so if you’re out drinking in the Cedar-​Riverside area, this is the place to go for gatorade and cigarettes.
They also sell homemade Somali treats like sambusa, which are like samosa or empanadas. Spicy, beef-​filled balls of goodness. My friend Joe bought one for two bucks and was like «This is the best thing ever!» He ate the whole thing, too, which was kind of awesome since we had been eating all evening (pizza at Punch’s, pierogies at Kramarczuk’s, hummus platter at Arcadia’s).
Overall, a decent convenient store with friendly staff and interesting home-​made goods.