All About Food | April 13th, 2016
By Payton Berger
Rugsan Cuisine is in a strip mall at 2424 13th Ave S. The exterior and interior are both simple and hint at the presence of simple, well-cooked food.
What isn’t simple is the embracing and delicious smell of food and spices. There were a few people working behind the counter and it was busy, even some time later than traditional lunchtime.
The menu is brief and easy to decipher. The dishes in the lunch and dinner section are goat meat, chicken stew, fried chicken drum, beef steak and fried fish. I’m sure the traditional names are a lot more interesting than the simplistic English translation on the menu.
There is a great option called the “Sport for 2”, which is good if you’re trying Rugsan with a friend (we weren’t the only ones).The Sport could very well be named the Sport for 3 or even 4. It includes your choice of two or three meats (goat, chicken and/or beef). The Sport also includes an extremely generous portion of rice and a light lettuce salad.
Goat meat is often overlooked. Rugsan shows how much flavor can come from goat if prepared properly. Our goat was cooked with the bones in; the flavor filled the tender and well-seasoned meat. The Sport included good-tasting chicken stew and a pair of drumsticks with the meat peeling off the bones, and also came with a couple of bananas.
Rugsan offers a few options for breakfast and I’m sure they’re just as tasty as the lunch and dinner options. They also have a few sides and sandwich options. We tried the sambusa which was a light fried pastry filled with ground beef and sweet onions. The flavors were good and simple with a flakey crunch from the outside, and came with a light minty sauce that is sweet then spicy.
Rugsan is growing into a role of connecting people and dispersing cultural differences. It’s a great way for locals to try something new or be reminded of the flavors of home.
IF YOU GO
Rugsan Cuisine
2424 13th Ave S, Fargo
9 a.m. 9 p.m. daily
January 12th 2026
November 18th 2025
November 12th 2025
September 16th 2025
August 19th 2025
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