Banaadir

Nashville Restaurants and Food
Banaadir
1038 Murfreesboro Road
Nashville
615-360-0816

If you’re looking for an adventure I have a little place for you. It’s tucked away from the rest of the world, just off Murfreesboro Road on a side street called Philfre Court. Banaadir is not dressed for success. It is a hole in the wall in every sense of the word. A big sign proclaims the name at the top of the building and this can actually be spotted from Murfreesboro Road. Once you take the turn to find it, you’ll have to hunt for the door. I walked in and basically everyone stopped eating and gawked. At first they thought I was lost. When I made it clear that I was interested in eating they did their best. Banaadir is East African at heart. The menu ranges into some Middle Eastern and Greek foods, but it is Somali and Ethiopian food that brings in the crowd. That crowd seems to be predominantly cab drivers, their radios squawking every now and then. Once the owner recovered from the shock of having an Anglo customer walk in the door I was greeted by a kind Muslim woman who helped me navigate the menu and customs.
East African joints have been popping up on Murfreesboro Road for some time now. This particular stretch of Philfre Court is a mini-neighborhood, featuring an East African clothing store and recording studio owned by the same folks who run Banaadir.

The East African side of the menu includes goat, marinated fish, steak, Muufo (a cornbread dish) and Suqaar (a sautéed chicken and onion dish.) The meal starts with a big pitcher of Cambe, a sweet-tart mango juice, and a banana. The owner brought me silverware. By this time the room was filling up and I was one of the few people using silverware. In the Ethiopian tradition people eat a lot of food by scooping it up with the thin pancake like bread called Injera. The Somali version is Canjeero. I’m not sure which I got, but I think it was Canjeero. I went to pick up a piece and my helpful Muslim guide jumped in immediately, asking if I wanted to wash my hands first. I realized my faux pas and went to the sink, which is located behind the cash register. Everyone washes before eating and afterwards, which makes sense given the use of hands. It’s a pretty common practice at many Ethiopian and Somali restaurants.

The slightly sweet and a little sour Canjeero was the perfect complement to stewed goat, tomatoes and onions. The heaping plate of long grain, brown rice is light and savory. In a sense this is health food: not fried and big on vegetables. The plate has a simple salad of lettuce, tomato and onion and the only dressing is a lemon wedge. It actually tasted pretty good that way.
I’m not sure how much non-African business they are looking for, so you’ll have to decide if this is the place for you. There are other Somali and Ethiopian restaurants in town that might be more used to Anglo visitors. Still, everyone was very nice and it was a good meal. What can I say, I left happy. Everyone now and then a little adventure is just what the doctor ordered. I paid $10 with tax and tip.