Somali Tea in Minneapolis

Somali Shaah is one of the Twin Cities’ best-kept café discoveries: a warm, spiced black tea that carries a deep sense of hospitality. For anyone in Minneapolis curious about Somali tea culture, here’s where to start.

The drink at the center of it all

Shaah is brewed from black tea with milk, a gentle sweetness and warm spices like cardamom and ginger. It’s aromatic, comforting and made for sharing, the classic Somali tea experience. Because recipes vary from household to household, no single version represents every family, but warm, spiced and generously poured is a good way to describe most.

Shaah is more than a beverage. It’s often the first thing offered when someone visits, and it carries a tradition of welcome that has traveled with the Somali community to cities like Minneapolis. Understanding the drink means understanding that sense of hospitality behind it.

Why Somali tea culture matters

In many Somali households, tea is the centerpiece of gathering. It’s how visits begin, how news is shared and how people are made to feel at home. The pot is usually generous, the cups are passed around and the conversation is allowed to take its time.

That tradition lives on in cafés across the community. At its best, Somali tea culture is hospitality in its most genuine form: a drink offered without condition, a reason to slow down and a welcome made real. It’s a tradition we’re proud to be part of and to share in Minneapolis. You can read more about it in our guide to Somali tea culture & hospitality.

Finding authentic Shaah in Minneapolis

Hamdi Coffee serves Somali Shaah fresh. We’re a welcoming place to try the real thing, whether you’ve grown up with it or are discovering it for the first time.

When you visit, you can also pair your Shaah with a bite from our breakfast & food menu. Soft breads like Malawax and Canbulo, or something crisp and savory like Sambusa, all sit naturally beside a warm cup.

A neighborhood gathering place

Hamdi Coffee is at Karmel Mall in Minneapolis. It’s a place where the tradition of Somali tea as welcome is available to everyone, every day of the week, a genuine neighborhood gathering spot built around the warmth of a shared cup.

Whether you’re spending an hour working, meeting a friend or just wanting a quiet moment, the rhythm at Hamdi is the same: tea poured generously, seats left open and no one made to feel like a stranger.

Bring the taste home

Want to enjoy Somali Shaah beyond the café? Our Hamdi Shaah blend lets you brew the experience at home, and you can read more in our guide to Somali Shaah.

Try Somali tea at Hamdi

The very best way to discover Somali tea in Minneapolis is to sit down with a cup. Explore our Tea & Coffee menu, then stop by Hamdi and enjoy it fresh, served the way it’s meant to be shared.