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    Nafsi

    3.3 (72 reviews)
    Closed 4:00 pm - 11:00 PM
    Updated 2 weeks ago

    Order Nafsi Takeout or Delivery

    Nafsi Photos

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    NAFSI ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Classy
    Outdoor seating
    Happy hour specials

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    Recommended Reviews - Nafsi

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    Reviews With Photos

    Cranberry Juice
    Gino W.

    For years, I lived in South Shore. I never bothered going to South Shore Cultural Center, although it was in walking distance. Only after being gone from South Shore for almost 20 years did I even know there was a restaurant in it. Albeit not the Parrot Cage of old, Nafsi is the new restaurant. I met a friend for a late lunch. For the first landing, I ordered charred Caesar salad, and my friend ordered creamy chicken bisque soup. The Caesar salad did not look charred, but there was a hint of smoke that made it pop. My friend commented that the bisque was delicious. For the second landing, I ordered their peri-peri chicken with dirty rice and asparagus, and my friend ordered the shrimp and lobster pasta. Per restaurant week, the rice was supposed to be jollof rice. Being half Ghanaian, it was better that the dish came with dirty rice instead because I would have been comparing it to Ghanaian. The server said the chicken was like at Nando's Peri-Peri. The chicken was very good, but it was nothing like Nando's. My friend stated that the pasta was outstanding and full of shrimp and lobster. The atmosphere is nice and vibrant. It's also loud, louder once the lights dim for the evening. There is a high price point. I won't complain about that. However, it is something to note because some people may expect Cheesecake Factory portions for the cost. Add to that paid parking, you may shell out more than expected for the entire experience. I may get back later in the year during the summer so I can enjoy patio seating while watching the waves on the beach.

    Chicken Tacos with onion and cilantro (extra $1)
    Golda D.

    Been wanting to try this spot for a while since it's literally a stone-throw away from where we live. We came in to a Taco Tuesday menu and the food is very disappointing. We paid $100+ for food that should have been $10 elsewhere. The $15 taco plate, literally have a tortilla with few pieces of chicken, a ring of onion, little drops of cream and a little cheese x 2. Cilantro and onion on the tacos is an extra dollar!!! It's like a kids meal that wasn't even good. The "loaded nachos" is supermarket-bought nacho chips with cheese sauce that I am sure is from the canned isle as well. The $10 Hibiscus lemonade is a tiny glass full of grenadine syrup. And on top of it, 18% service charge that is automatically charged on a very cold meal is wild! This is really sad because we always want to support local businesses and restaurants here at the south side but I really cannot recommend this.

    Artichoke Dip
    Andre W.

    Dope semi-new joint located in the South Shore Cultural Center!!! Came by not too long ago for a late lunch/early dinner with my mom and it was very good! Staff is really cool and attentive and are good with breaking down the goodies on the menu. We had Syeda as our server. I started out with the Happy Hour mezcal margarita and it was really good. I heard the Happy Hour Honey Hot wings were good also so i went with that and yeah they were on point. Oxtail Empanadas were decent. Southern Butter Cake for dessert was fire! My mom got the Artichoke Dip and the Rosemary Lamb Chops and they were all very good also. There is an outside seating area for those warmer al fresco months. Check this place out as it's worth the trip if you dont live south.

    Lavender mocktail - Lavender mocktail served in a tall glass with ice, garnished with a pink flower, on a wooden table at a restaurant.
    Felicia D.

    Beautiful restaurant signing south shore cultural center. I wish there was an entry point near the parking lot but you have to enter through the front of the building. The decor and artwork were beautiful and the hostess, our server and the person cleaning the table were all very nice. However, service was a little slow but not horrible. It took awhile for a server to come to us but we were forewarned that there was only one server. I'm not sure why when the restaurant was nearly full. We just had drinks, wings and brussel sprouts to share. The wings were overcooked unfortunately so not the best. The Brussels were great but some had more flavor than others. I wish they were evenly coated with the glaze they had on them but I would definitely reorder them. My friend had the lavender mocktail and said it was delicious. I had an Arnold Palmer. Overall, 3/5 experience but I'll go back and try more items next time. I enjoyed it here.

    Roxy H.

    This place is lovely! Located inside the Chicago Cultural Center is the beautiful restaurant Nafsi. It's very intimate but spacious at the same time. Loved the decor and recognized the art of the artist on the walls. Noted the beautiful floral installation on the ceiling. A vibe. We came on a special DJ night so it was kinda busy and loud. The drinks were great! We had a lemon martini, mezcal margarita, truffle fries and spinach artichoke dip. Everything was delicious. I tried the oysters and octopus compliments of the owner. They were delicious! Highly recommend. I will come back for dinner!

    Entrance to Restaurant
    Arielle J.

    This restaurant does not disappoint with food, ambiance and decor. I went during happy hour and I really enjoyed myself. The playlist of music was fun and a great atmosphere if you want to stop by after work. The food was good. I had the shrimp bucatini, roasted carrots and lavender spritzer with pineapple. I absolutely loved the shrimp bucatini. The sauce was full of flavor. The carrots were good too, but a few of mine were burnt at the very ends. The spritzer was just okay. The reason I didn't give it four stars was it was a little loud at the bar - which I understand they couldn't control. There was also a few fruit flies or some sort of flying insects around that I had to swat away. One even landed on my face. I think this is a great place, with immense potential. I still would highly recommend stoping by to support this new business.

    Chan C.

    I've been trying to make it to Nafsi for a year since I've seen it on social media. Let me start with the water tower cocktail, it was delicious and provided a nice buzz. The fried green tomatoes were sliced too thin and they used a short cut and didn't use the egg to better coat the cornmeal which was falling off. They were overcooked, greasy and not good. We ordered the lamb chops with dirty rice, mashed potatoes and greens. It took a minute to get our food and we were getting a little ansy. When the food finally came they were redeemed. The lamb chops were tender, flavorful and heavenly. The mashed potatoes; divine, the dirty rice; outstanding and the greens were like grandma. The cutie pie staff including host (Shalease) and server Miro were wonderful. The Ambiance is eclectic soulfulness. I love the clean lines decor and the special decorative touches. Overlooking the lake adds an extra layer of elegance. Overall, don't waste money on the fried green tomatoes but order everything else.

    Ann-Marie H.

    Great food and beautiful decor. The truffle fries were delicious. I got the salmon and it was a hearty portion size. So I have leftovers. We got the marg flights and they were delicious. Our waitress was nice but service was a little slow (our apps came out only a couple minutes before food so we rushed to finish them) and it was flies/nats that kept hovering. While we did enjoy our food it was a little on the salty side. I do want to try them out for brunch and on a cooler day.

    Peaches & Herb
    JenJenn S.

    So impressed! Food was good. Appetizers: Fried green tomatoes and sliders. Dinner: Peri-Peri chicken. With various sides: sweet potato cornbread, mashed potatoes, Cabbage. Drinks: WONDERFUL! Peaches & herb and Lemon drops. Dessert: Bread pudding was really good as well. Service: Amazing! Our server was classic! She was a class act! She made the special occasion SPECIAL! Real customer service. I appreciated the waitress that showed appreciation to us as guest! Ambiance:unmatched! We sat outside with the lakefront as the backdrop! It was great!! I definitely will recommend! I love this for the SouthShore area.

    Delores M.

    My cousin wanted to celebrate her birthday here and we are glad she did, the food was great as well as the drinks. The service was phenomenal and the ambiance was magnificent. We thought the macaroni was a bit salty and the chief came out and apologized and offered to replace with something else, he was grateful for the feedback and offered our party oysters. ( Excellent Customer service). The owner happened to be there that night and was super friendly and welcoming he even took a photo with the birthday girl, at the end of dinner they brought out dessert and we sang happy birthday. I recommend this place ten times over! Loved everything about it!

    Kat T.

    The food was not as expected. I spent around $100 and I tried a lot of things on the menu. The best thing about this restaurant was the parking and also the atmosphere and the serve the service.

    Outside bar
    Jacqueline B.

    We came here to celebrate Easter. This was our first time here since the Parrot Cage closed. Brunch is not cheap, my party was smart to give up eating out for Lent! This was economical compared to some places, but still. I studied the menu online before arriving, only to order 2 things that were not on the menu, but special for Easter. We arrived after our reserved time but sat right away. The outside terrace was full, and it was cool and rainy out but they had a covering and heat lamps. Next time I go I will see about sitting outside, even if for just drinks. The coat rack outside is very helpful, but I kept mine with me. I like to see my coat unless there's a coat check. We got flavored mimosas (passionfruit and lavender) and crawfish hushpuppies. They were so good moist but not greasy, and with some creamy-spicy sauce. Our waitress was informative and friendly. For my brunch entree I got salmon with grits and eggs (egg whites). My party got the Creole Shakshuka with poached eggs, a kind of African dish like stew with eggs, tomatoes, spices and herbs. She requested non-runny eggs but they were kind of runny anyway. A side salad and toasted bread came with it. It was good, and my salmon was big so I took some of it home. 2 things I did not care for: a photographer went around asking to take our picture, and after a while, she would frame them and ask if you want to buy any. Now they were in cute frames, and they were nice pictures, but $25? If you really want to capture an occasion, you can pay for it but otherwise I'd say no. The other thing was wine. We ordered white wine with the entrees and paid $13 for barely a half glass or mediocre wine. It tasted ok but the brands were not what I would select. We wanted the vegan chocolate cheesecake listed but they only had fruit flavor, so we got the chocolate layer cake! OMG it was so good; I declined coffee, but my party ordered tea which took 10 minutes to arrive. We had given up, but the waitress explained that the kettle was not working well. I hope they fix it, there are a lot of cool days/nights between now and July. There is a small tasting room off the dining room made for private wine tastings and dining. I may consider that, check out the picture. I'd go again for lunch. It has a romantic menu, but the setting is not very romantic or intimate unless you sit outside alone, away from the bartender.

    Nafsi sign

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    Ask the Community - Nafsi

    How is the parking?

    Easy peasy. There's a lot out front and you pay on an app. Spots were plentiful when we went

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

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    We had been talking about the absence of REAL soul food in the city. Sure, you have those upscale…read moresoul food "inspired" places now but they just don't have the same soul to it. So glad we stopped. We were having a hard time finding a place in the neighborhood that just had good food and a place to sit down. I'll be honest, this is not without the neighborhood charm but that's REAL Chicago. It takes me back though. It was nice to see folks coming in and patiently waiting for their orders. As for the food. My god. Everything was spot on. The Mac and cheese was real Mac and cheese. It wasn't hiding behind an overload of cheese. It reminded me of my mom saying get that block of cheese out and get to shredding. It was the real deal. I don't even like cornbread like that but the muffins were banging! Portions were a good size. Prices were reasonable for what you are getting. The sweet potatoes had a special ingredient that I won't share. You gotta go try it. Again, not a huge sweet potato fan but this was like good sweet potato pie. Nothing but good eating here!

    Amazing food and service peach cobbler was the best I have ever had for a restaurant all most like…read morehome made. Cat fish was great nice and flaky and crunchy and very lo salt. The greens mustard and turps were very good. They add ham hocks in there greens. Corn muffins were very good.. Now the ladies that took my order were very nice. I challenged one lady, to prove to me that her peach cobbler was good... she won the bet I gave both ladies tips. A true test is to me is too reheat there food in the microwave the next day... the taste of the food held up too my Expectations. Oh the chicken wing are the best I have ever had because (get ready) they have the nerve too drip there chicken wing's fresh I swear un-f-ing believable.. Anyway I think this one better Soul food establishment... Thanks for reading Stephen

    Nafsi - newamerican - Updated May 2026

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