Blue Star Cafe

7/17/2016

Real authentic. Flavor with each bite. My family tried Beef with Pasta, goat meat with Kay Kay, chicken with rice and tilapia with rice platters.

Huge portions. Kay kay was a real surprise.

Price is $9 for any platter.

We had sambusa, and it is faaaantastic.

Chai was nice as well.

The nicest meal we had for quite a while. Rarely do I post a review, but this gem deserves a good one.

It is not a fancy place, but the food is really good and well worth it.

7/17/2016

Great place to eat, don't let the size of the returatnt fool you.

First time and it was a surprise. I would definitely come back and i recommend anyone who likes good food.

7/17/2016

Very delicious food, but it take a long time to make , but still delicious. Also, the smell will stick to your clothes. You have to take your food out side and order by phone before you arrive there

7/17/2016

This place is a gem. If you don't know whether or not you like Somalian food, you do. If you think you don't like Somalian food, go here.

7/17/2016

The steak sandwich was delicious and enough for two meals for the ladies, one meal for the guys. The goat meat with rice is the best!! My friends and I love to get that when we drop in on the weekend.

10/31/2016

Their food is extremely good.. and so is their chai tea. They give you BIG portions of food unlike a alot of restaurants! Me, my mom and my sister have been coming here since they first opened up. Were one of their known customers. The all are really sweet people... Yesterday when we ate out, the food was on point and it was seasoned right. I recommend everyone to try them but sometines they do have thier off days. Who doesn't? Besides that everything is fine. Love them

10/31/2016

I've been here 4 times and this is my first review... Because every time I go, I'm so fixated on the food that I forget to write a review!

The beef sambusa is amazing. My favorite dish is the tilapia with rice. I forego the raisins but others like them. The green sauce has a kick so be careful but luckily it's served on the side!

The owners are incredibly nice and helpful. The service can be a bit slow at times but well worth it!

10/31/2016

Tried here for the first time today. Excellent food and so much. Shared with three of my coworkers. Very, very good.

10/31/2016

Great! This place is so good I had to come again the next day. The kay kay with goat is phenomenal, especially with the green hot sauce.

12/1/2016

The food quality, taste, portion and price are all of excellent quality that is unbeatable anywhere. What else is there to look for? This family owned restaurant is worth every penny and second you spend here.

12/1/2016

When I lived on the east side this was the place I got my food from the most. They are higher-restaurant quality with the speed and cost of a fast food chain. Highly recommended!

1/2/2017

Love this place, great home cooked food. Amazing portions and wonderful taste. Definitely one of my go to spots.

1/2/2017

"Don't judge a book by its cover."

Never a more true statement to describe this lil MKE gem. This place is legit

2/3/2017

Once again, excellent food and service. Love these guys!

3/3/2017

I just moved my wig shop down the block and eat out daily I kept passing this up because of being afraid I wouldn't like it. OMG I'm so glad I did now I eat here almost daily the food is awesome fresh and big portion me and my daughter share a plate every day. I actually get sad when they are closed. The food is awesome allot like Arabic food love it

4/4/2017

The food here is absolutely excellent! The chicken and rice platter, the crepe platter, and the sambusas here are all amazing. The staff here are all very attentive and friendly. Would absolutely recommend anyone come here for a nice, cheap and filling meal.

4/4/2017

Delicious Somalian food. The goat is my recommendation. The fish dinner and the sandwiches are also delicious.

4/4/2017

Delicious, flavorful and inexpensive. Bottomless Chai for $.99, and it is GREAT chai.

5/6/2017

Excellent African food. Goat soup, sambusas, Jasmine rice, fish ECT. I love this restaurant.

6/7/2017

If you're sceptical about trying Somali food, go for it. Some of the tastiest there is.

8/10/2017

It's been over 2years since I tested the BLUE and still's good as -'&@;:$

8/10/2017

Tender rice is delicious. At the end mango lassi satisfies

9/11/2017

Blue Star is one of families absolute favorite restaurant. The chicken with rice, chicken Kay-Kay, veggie entrees and beef sandwiches are superb. Order some chai to go with it! They have a strong repeat customer base and word of mouth customers. The owner takes your order and then goes in the back to prepare it. Delicious!

9/11/2017

Delicious, genuine and extremely good food. Excellent service.

10/13/2017

This place is the best! The food is really good and so cheap! You can easily get two meals out of the giant sandwiches, especially if you order a samosa or two. Which you should, because they're delicious.

My personal favorite is the goat platter. I don't know what they put in that rice, but when you get all the rice, veggies, and meat together it's a perfect bite every time.

10/13/2017

The food, no word can explain how amazing it is. The prices are really good. So worth it! And dont get me started on how nice and welcoming the staff are!!

11/14/2017

The chicken sandwich along with the spicy green sauce was fantastic!

12/15/2017

Try their goat platters and samosa so delicious. Lovely and kind chef

1/18/2018

Very good place to eat. Specially try its Tender goat, Kay Kay and Sambusas. And if it is important for you, all the foods are Halal.

1/18/2018

This family run restaurant serves as African dishes which are truly made with authentic ingredients. Your order will be taken, prepared & served by the family who own Blue Star. Diners are made to feel like they've been invited into the home of this friendly family run business. The menu changes often, giving diners a chance to experience various flavors of African Cuisine. Not sure what to order? The owners happily discuss what you enjoy eating and make recommendations. Break free of the ever growing cadre of nearby trendy hot spots & enjoy something truly memorable!

2/19/2018

Great food outstanding service peaceful atmosphere

2/19/2018

Always good food, good customer service and always with a smile.

3/20/2018

It's a very delicious food, great portion and cheap prices. The only problem is the place is small and a bit dirty. But we'll like their food and will come back for sure 😜

3/20/2018

Milwaukee severely lacks representation of other parts of the world in most aspects, but especially in cuisine. Regardless, sitting down with a nice homey serving of rice, meat, vegetables etc. after a long day is an unbeatable feeling.

4/20/2018

The food is so good! Flavorful, rich, and fresh, they got it all. Service is super fast, and staff is really nice. Also, portions are huge and cheap. I’m definitely gonna be here again.

4/20/2018

I found out about this place through a book about Milwaukee. I had never heard of it and I had never had Somalian food before. It is absolutely amazing! Instantly become one of my regular places now I’ve gone dozens of times. I always get the Tender Goat. Also the staff go above and beyond with the service. Wish I could give 10 stars.

4/20/2018

Love love love!!!!!! This place is awesome fresh food friendly staff. The watermelon water is a must try.

4/20/2018

It was the first time I had the food here. It was a great experience. I enjoyed the food here.

5/20/2018

This place might just seem like a little hole in the wall, but it is a Milwaukee hidden gem. The food is just wonderful and is very reasonably priced. You can get a huge sandwich for $6!! The platters are large and filled with rice and meats and are around $9. You can get 2 meals out of both of these easily. They also have some of the best hummus I've ever had. My favorites are the goat platter and the chicken sandwich. Go here! Oh and don't forget to get the homemade watermelon juice, it's magical.

5/20/2018

Delicious food. Many rice based dishes all with fresh healthful ingredients. Chai tea is tasty. Try the spicy green sauce.

6/20/2018

Very friendly staff and good food. You get good food with reasonable price at this place. And tipping is optional here. It is family run cafe and wait time is around 10-15 min on average depending on how busy they are.

6/20/2018

Loved the food. Beef with basmati rice and beef samosas are my favorite items. Very healthy food.

7/22/2018

The atmosphere was nice. The watermelon juice was delicious. Sadly, I did not like my entree. I ordered chicken with basmati and some veggies. The food was not as savory as I had hoped. While the food was indeed edible, it did not leave me wanting more. The service was friendly.

8/22/2018

One of the best meals I've had in awhile. Friendly, quick service, affordable. Ordered the goat and rice, delicious.

9/22/2018

Small place. Good service. The food was delicious. It’s also Halal.

10/23/2018

I was told this was a place I needed to try after moving into the area recently. I did, and was not disappointed. The tender goat platter was fantastic and the rice they serve with it is just as amazing. Every grain of rice separate from one another, not sticky at all... Not sure how they do it but man is it good. Also, do yourself a favor and get the watermelon juice. That was the Cherry on top of the whole experience

10/23/2018

The best chicken fillet sandwich I have ever had. Don't miss it. Very friendly staff and reasonable price!

10/23/2018

Great place to eat medium spiced food in reasonable price.

Quantity- I was full

Price- $10 a meal, what else can one ask

Food decoration- Looked Yummy.

10/23/2018

Great and very flavorful, healthy food. There is very little wait time for the food as well. Good prices

11/23/2018

I may be a bit biased on this review due to the fact that I had been craving non-fried fish for a while, and got to the place hungry, so that's like a ×4 multiplier, but the food (tilapia on a bed of rice plus lettuce, raisins and a mildly spicy green sauce) was, simply put, delicious. Plus a nice, hot chai tea, and a warm and cozy place.

Loved it

12/23/2018

Very tasty food and a friendly family run operation. A great addition to the Brady st area.

1/24/2019

Awesome family owned establishment. I've never tried African food before and I was pleasantly surprised! They serve halal meat which I know is held to higher standards than regular meats. From the outside it does not look very appealing but the flavors are on point. I tried the beef plate, but next time I want to try the goat. It's my new favorite east side cheap eats!

1/24/2019

My spot great food at reasonable prices. Highly recommend!

1/24/2019

Love this place. Owners are beautiful patient people. Food is great quality, and you can't beat the prices!

2/25/2019

A small almost unnoticeable location that puts out fantastic food. The service can be a bit slow for bigger groups, but its worth the wait. I can't recommend the beef sambusa strongly enough, and all of their platters are delicious and big enough for a couple meals.

2/25/2019

I eat here maybe 5 times a month and it's always great. Very fresh and healthy food and made when you order so expect to wait 15 minutes. My favorite dish is the Kay Kay aka Crepe with the Philly thin slice beef with a couple Sambusas and Humus.

2/25/2019

This is the best place where you want to eat/dine and feel like you are at home.

Don't miss out the Eastern African food

2/25/2019

Very authentic food. They serve an Amazing home made Buklava.

The chi chai is very refreshing and rich.

The staff are very friendly and down to earth.

3/26/2019

This gem of a restaurant is tucked into a pretty bland building that you might just zoom by. Glad I finally stopped in! Had a delicious salmon platter that came with an interesting and spicy green sauce. The service is great and the staff is friendly. An excellent local business to support!

3/26/2019

Delicious food with great flavors and attentive service. Definitely going back!

4/26/2019

The Blue Star Cafe is one of my new favorite spots in Milwaukee.

The Somalian food was amazing and cheap! Apparently the owner started cooking in her house and expanded to this location.

It's all halal and with the large portion sizes for just $9 it not hard to see why it's so popular with the locals and the college kids.

It's just a typical cafe but the food more then makes up for the atmosphere. I will definitely be coming back.

4/26/2019

Truly one of the best African cuisine in point-blank fine cuisine the Milwaukee family-owned authentic food almost done comparable to any type of food in in Milwaukee affordable at the same time large proportions and The Taste and flavor of the food is better than any of the food in some of these places that are charging $50 a plate it deserves more credit and people should become aware of this because it deserves more advertisement people to recognize what a contribution to the city this restaurant is thank you Blue Star for the great food and all the hard work and Hospitality that you give to the city

5/26/2019

very good food!!! I highly recommend the salmon sandwich. overall 10/10

6/26/2019

This was both mine and my loves first time visiting, the owner was both patient and very helpful. The environment was warm, inviting & clean! The menu was not hard to follow, and our food arrived absolutely fresh, aromatic and delicious! I had a combo of goat, chicken & steak, while my husband had just chicken. Both were served on top of a bed of Basmati Rice with fresh seasoned veggies, and raisins! My apologies, I'm not certain of how to upload the pics, if I figure it out, I’ll edit this post so that I can share! Trust me you while not be sorry! We will be returning very soon!

7/27/2019

Awesome place. Amazing host. Definitely supporting this restaurant and coming back here. The sambusas are also worth it and very large. Platters are generous so you’ll definitely be taking food home as well.

7/27/2019

I’ve eaten here twice now and both times were delicious. I usually get the beef plate with jasmine rice. The beef is always super soft and flavorful. In addition their sambusas are amazing; flavorful, crust is amazing and perfectly cooked. Everything also comes with a bright green salsa which is not only incredibly spicey, but refreshing and flavorful. Lastly, they are always friendly and quick service.

8/29/2019

Good experience. Menu was limited but everything tasted great and was halal. Ordered the basmati rice with beef, chicken sub and chicken samosa. The owner was friendly and service was quick.

9/30/2019

Attentive staff and delicious food. I had the goat and rice. Hearty portions plus affordable

9/30/2019

Homemade food with the right spices. Dish portions are filling. I love the rice.

12/1/2019

Best food ever, prices are also so good. People in here are wonderful.

12/1/2019

It's a great Somali restaurant place people need to try that cuisine style

12/1/2019

Amazing food and also the service was top. I would recommend this restaurant.

1/5/2020

Made this account just to leave this review. Truly fantastic. Have had about half the menu thus far and it only seems to get better and better. Service is prompt, you get your food fast, and its super reasonably priced. The food delivers incredible flavors every time. Love this place. Dont be fooled by the quaint appearance, this is one of the best restaurants in the city.

1/5/2020

The goat platter is amazing. Super tender, great flavor, and very well priced. Also, be sure to order yourself some fresh mango juice!

1/5/2020

I came with my husband and our friend and everything was incredible. The food was so flavorful and mouth wateringly delicious. The goat platter was one of the best things I've eaten in a while. An amazing value for $8.99. the rice was so good with it too. We got some beef and vegetable sambusas and they were also really tasty. I would definitely come back many more times in the future. The inside is surprisingly welcoming and cozy. It feel homey like I was in a family member's dining room. The colors, decor, and furniture are all comfortable and charming.

1/5/2020

Their food is always fresh and tasty if you like less spice and healthy food. It's really good!😊

2/8/2020

The Chicken filet sandwich is hands-down the best Chicken sandwich I've ever had, maybe best sandwich ever. The salmon sandwich comes with the same toppings and is also delicious, just a little different texture. Sambusas are a steal, I like the Chicken more than the beef. Their deserts are also next-level amazing.

2/8/2020

Wow. Seriously some of the best food you can get for under $10. Flavorful, generous portions, the goat platter was so, so good.

6/5/2020

This is literally some of the best, if not the best food I've had living in Milwaukee. No matter which meat you choose, it is always seasoned and cooked perfectly. I highly recommend the goat. The meat practically melts when you bite into it and the flavor is incredible. Not to mention you get enough meat for an entire meal PLUS enough rice to fill an entire takeout box to the brim. For $10 it is an absolute steal.

6/5/2020

First time visit! Won't be my last! Had the beef crepes which were awesome, especially the texture and taste of the crepe! The sambusas were large and tasty. Great prices, outstanding flavors! Quick service.

7/5/2020

NEVER been disappointed when I've gone. I always buy a bunch of their chicken and beef samosas, and get extra of their jalapenos-vinegar sauce for it. I also recommend the goat sandwich and I can't recall what my friend had, but everything was absolutely phenomenal!!!!

7/5/2020

My favorite restaurant so far

The service is very good

The food is great

Try their chai and baklava👌👌 after u eat

7/5/2020

This food is incredible. My go to’s are the goat platter or the veggie platter. Both taste great and are huge! The staff is very friendly and make me feel very welcome.

8/5/2020

I would give Blue Star Cafe more than the five stars if I could! I love trying different ethnic foods and I will voice that this cafe is so worthwhile for your palette. The owners are incredibly kind, the service was speedy, the prices are great for the servings you receive, AND man the food is rockin. The mango smoothie that I ordered was fresh and my meal was so flavorful - I can’t wait to go back and try all of the different menu items soon. A new favorite spot of mine for sure. 💛💛

8/5/2020

I was too excited to try out this place but was disappointed. Food was too bland. Serving was generous but what's the point if it lacks taste. It looked better then it tasted.

8/5/2020

A must try in Milwaukee.

Food is really good with many choices, prices are cheap, portions are huge and the staff is very welcoming, especially the great Chef Um Ahmed. Been there 50 times at least, never been disappointed.

9/7/2020

I love this place. Food is amazing....We ordered platter of goat, beef and chicken dishes. The meat and rice was very well seasoned, tasted amazing. The food was spiced appropriately to make it delicious.

We got sambusa and mango juice too. Owners are really nice and helpful people.

This place is featured in newspaper and magazine and also about 400 reviews on Google with 4.8 star rating does mean something....

9/7/2020

Food was good. Particularly the sambusas. Reasonable prices. Was fairly quick too. I will be back.

9/7/2020

This food belongs in a Michelin restaurant. It is so delicious and authentic. Their spicy sauce is actually spicy. Some of the best spiced rice Ive eaten. Authentic and so well priced.

10/7/2020

Love this place. I've been going there for about 5 years. Every meal has great flavor, tender meat. I love the steak sandwich, goat, sambusas, hummus, and chicken. Owners are friendly and the prices are fantastic, you can get a hearty meal for $10 or less

11/9/2020

Small, chill place. The goat was amazing and the staff was friendly. Will definitely be back in the future.

6/25/2018

Blue Star Cafe is quickly becoming one of my favorite places to grab a bite in the entire Milwaukee area. First things first, this is a hole-in-the-wall...read this and 91 more