This restaurant is located inside the South Shore Culture Center. We made reservations for a Friday night and were seated immediately. The menu is relatively limited, but the items available are pretty good. I think it's a little pricey given the portion sizes. I only ordered salmon which came with broccolini, a sprite and a slice of cake and the bill was over $60. Service was just ok, even though it was a light crowd. I needed to request a refill on my waters couple times (vs. our server being observant and automatically filling the water glasses) and the server wasn't as attentive to what else we might want, like asking if we wanted dessert. However, the server was very nice. The ambience is great and it's really a nice spot to connect with others. read more

See all

I really wanted to love Nafsi, especially as a Black-owned establishment that I genuinely wanted to support. They were initially accommodating when I increased my reservation from 15 to 25-30 people without requiring a deposit, and I appreciated that flexibility. Unfortunately, the experience went downhill from there. When I arrived, I was told there is a 90-minute seating limit. This was never communicated beforehand and is not advertised anywhere. For a large party, that is critical information. Once seated, our group was split up instead of being accommodated together. When we asked about rearranging, there was noticeable hesitation. We were also assigned only one server for a party of nearly 30 people. The server himself was not the issue, but that setup was unrealistic and set everyone up to struggle. The menu was inconsistent and disappointing. Items listed online and on the television outside were either unavailable or removed entirely. Portions did not match what was advertised. For example, shrimp empanadas were listed as three but only two were served. When we asked about it, we were told, "That's just what we're doing now." That response was dismissive and unprofessional. The kitchen was extremely slow. Food came out one by one instead of together, and one person in our party never received their meal at all. For the price point, the portions were shocking. One small piece of catfish for that cost feels unreasonable. The macaroni was bland. Overall, the pricing does not match the value. To add context, the table of 11 people that I was responsible for had a bill of $650+, plus an automatic $100 gratuity. Taxes alone were $55. For that amount of money, the experience and execution should have been significantly better. I will say, the drinks were good. And I do want to thank our server for the birthday shot, which was a thoughtful touch and appreciated. Again, the server himself was not the problem. The atmosphere is decent, but the bathrooms are not located within the restaurant. You have to walk out and down the hall to use the women's restroom. Keep in mind that when there are events at South Shore Cultural Center, the bathrooms are shared with the entire building, which can be inconvenient. I truly want to see Black-owned businesses thrive, and the food has potential. But the lack of preparedness in the kitchen and the disorganization in the front of house are very apparent. I likely will not return, and I definitely would not recommend this spot for large parties. If you go, keep it to one or two people. read more

We arrived on a Saturday night around 7pm and were seated immediately. The restaurant was not that busy but there were other parties there. However we waited over 30 minutes and no server came to the table to greet us or take a drink order. I mentioned to another staff member that we haven't been served and I saw them walk over to someone who may have been a manager to tell her. She seemed to understand the issue but didn't come over to the table to apologize, greet us, or anything. We waited a few more minutes and decided to leave because of the poor customer service. I really wanted to enjoy this! The food looks amazing and I want to support the community- but over 30 minutes with no service even after management awareness is unacceptable. I wish them the best. read more

The food was good, but the service could use some work. The online qr code ordering system was kind of confusing if you're ordering altogether for a big group so you're probably better off paying seperately. The ambiance of the place was nice and it looked well put together. read more

Nasty nasty nasty. Overly priced for what looks and tastes like 5 day old left overs. Never going. And word of mouth is powerful, my people are urged to say away. read more

Went for a birthday dinner it started at 6pm. Calls were made to inform them a large party was coming. . First didn't receive my first drink until 7pm. The host up front wonderful and our waiter nice but slow on his defense they only had 3 and the bears was playing. if they knew you were getting a larger party you should've had more people working. Second the food by this time I'm ready to go I order Mac and cheese and corn bread I was thinking I couldn't go wrong with that cause who doesn't know how to make cornbread and mac & cheese? Them Mac and cheese no seasoning and the noodles wasn't done. Cornbread now everyone pallet is different but I do not put oregano and parsle. On my cornbread. and if this is your thing. Put it in the menu. I didn't complain, but if you see everything that everybody ordered and no one wanted a takeout container, there's a problem.. read more

I would give an average 2.5 stars for two visits here--4 stars for the first time, 1 for the second. Food was great the first time (really!), and the ambiance was nice. Some drinks and dishes were overpriced, and service was a little slow, but we chalked that up to a busy night. Second night we did not even get to order. We arrived a few minutes early for our reservation and were told it would be 10-15 minutes. It ended up being about 30 minutes before we were seated. We then waited for another fifteen minutes and left after no one asked for our drink or appetizer order, and we had not even been served water. read more

I went to brunch at Nafsi with my girlfriends and we had a really good time. It's a really nicely decorated and over looking the lake. Everyone really enjoyed their food. I had the Grilled Rosemary Lamb Chops which were very flavorful and fell right off the bone. I also really enjoyed the breakfast potatoes. My friends had the Salmon Croquette Benedict and the Honey Lavender Poppy Seed Waffle & Chicken and they both really enjoyed their food. I can't wait to go back for happy hour and over the summer. read more

Nafsi - Rosemary Lamb Chops - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Went to Nafsi for happy hour on a Friday evening and had a great time! Our server Sai was great, she had recommendations and was attentive. We ordered the wings, sliders and fries. Everything was fresh and delicious, the wing sauce should be bottled and sold! A friend of ours did get the octopus, unpictured, and raved about it. Ambiance was nice, intimate. Overall, a great experience and it was great to have this quality of service and food right in South Shore, a neighborhood I grew up in and have loved my entire life. read more

See all

I am going to piggy back off of Elihu comment to hopefully help improve... We made a reservation and made it early because we wanted to be able to enjoy our dinner and enjoy the comedy show. We did explain we 1 from out of town. Visiting and LOVE to support black business and 2) it was my man's birthday, and he chose to come to support. There was no one in the establishment except another couple who was seated at a table and chairs, we were going to be sat by the door with the back to the door. They agreed to move us down 3 tables. Now seeing we were the ONLY ones that made reservations you would think we would be accomedated. The other couple asked to move to a booth. They got sat at a booth, however when my man asked for us to be moved to a booth we were told it was for a party of 4. Okay so then I said they are not staying for the comedy show. . So correct on that part, but when 2 women walked in to watch the show and eat they were sat at a booth, remember which was for a party of 4. Later that evening another couple of 2 came in and was sat at a booth. Now mind you we were the only ones with a reservation, and there was plenty of booths we could have sat at. I feel like as a establishment you itry to gain customes and service is important. The food we did enjoy even tho I lost my appetite after we were disregarded and we ended up only having appetisers. Yes and like the last person said we spent 100 dollars and didn't even eat dinner because we asked for something that was small. Oh and the table reservation for 11 only ended up being 5 and they were at table tops. So all together 2 reservation, in a room of 20 we couldn't get a booth, but thank you for the chocolate cake and ice cream. We would have rather had a intimate dinner and a comedy show. read more

Nafsi - The 2 ladies who were seated in a booth for 4 as we were told. - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Our party was cancelled by the park district. I have been there a couple of times before, though. The food is good and I like the bar area which is the only new area in the restaurant. Service is a little slow but not too bad. I will definitely go back. read more

This restaurant is located in the south shore cultural club which has a nice ambiance, that's really the only positive. The bar was located in the outside area so no drinks were cold and they tasted very imbalanced. I'm not sure if that was due to the melted ice or the warm ingredients. I had to ask for a cup of ice on the side. The food was just ok I saw some dishes that looked good but the portions were small. My food came out barely warm, but my bf food was hot. The cabbage was overcooked, wasn't hot, tasted like pickles or vinegar, and didn't seem like it was made that day. It reminded me of kimchi not what should've been fresh cabbage. The sweet potato cornbread was really good, hot, and made fresh. I had the rack of lamb, I do not recommend it. It's made like pot roast so very overcooked and it's the smallest skinniest lamb possible. My bf had the salmon it was good and seemed to have been cooked fresh. For the prices I really wasn't impressed, not to mention the gnats or fruit flies flying around while you try to eat. I think they may have a sewer issue or some other area of moisture where gnats like to breed. Needless to say I will not be returning. read more

Terrible experience!! Went there and waited 2 hours for my food!! Why? Most of the kitchen staff took off!! The appetizer was good but we left because of the long wait for them to bring the food. Then we gave them the okay to bring out what was ready, waiter dropped burger on the floor. Don't go if you're hungry. Bad decision! Won't be going back. read more

I'm happy there is a sit down, table cloth restaurant in the area again; Nafsi in the South Shore Cultural Center hopefully will do well. My friend in the neighborhood & I dined there on a Thursday evening for the first time and found the experience - satisfactory. The service was good , our cocktails well made but pricey and the food good. The pre- added gratuity,18%, on the check surprised me a bit - but then I realized some people aren't versed well in how to tip. I wish the establishment well and will be back in the future to better assess their progress . read more

The ambience is very nice! The service was AWFUL!!! The fried green tomatoes- the crust fell completely off, the mashed potatoes and the lamb chops weren't bad, the two teaspoons of spinach that was my veggies tasted like someone dropped the salt shaker. My daughters entree was shrimp(5), dirty rice was literally about a tablespoon and a half and 3 hard to chew asparagus. I DEFINITELY, wont be back! read more

The food was very good but pricey. I was there for brunch. The service is lacking. It took 40 mins to get a glass of water on the table. The waitress would disappear often. The manager was helpful. If the service gets better I'll come back. read more

I went to Nafsi on 1/17/2026, my experience was great the food was great. But the service was a little slow. But overall, it was good. The she came out herself and asked how was my food? And I told her everything was delicious. But I just visited again and everything was bad. The food was different, everything was different. I had greens and mac cheese i also had Cajun pasta it all tasted different. Clearly, they must have changed chefs within the last 30 days because everything tasted different from my last visit. The food was very salty, and it was cold. Nothing tasted the same I was very disappointed. And definitely won't be returning. read more

So much went WRONG!! I ordered my food to find out later that they were out of ALL FISH items on the menu!! The waitress did not inform us when we placed the order. Then after waiting an hour our order finally arrived. I just ordered wings which were$15.00 on only received 6!! fried green tomatoes. Will never go back!! read more

Ambiance was great! it's a nice looking place, not very big, but adds a level of intimacy. The service was not bad, that particular night they had a full house and the server was stretched thin - but she was nice, and got our orders in a reasonable amount of time. Best for last - the food was outstanding ; I ordered the oysters to start, and had the pork chop with the cannellini beans ; very good and highly recommended! I will definitely be back! read more

The entire experience was traumatic!!! Reservations were @2pm, seated at 248, the manager Z; a complete bafoon; lacks customer service on every level; zero people skills and lacks intelligence; my 10yr old grandson would run rings around him. Our server was the opitime of kindness and kept apilohibzing, bless her heart she should be the manager she kept us there with her kindness. The service was so bad that by the time the food came out; an hour late, we could not even enjoy it. The food was good, but for the spoon full of grits you get, baby take your money elsewhere, like the soul food kitchen. We will never be back there, but will continue to support the cultural center through their amazing events. Z the manager needs training and since he did not want to give us his name here and a great pic of him read more

Nafsi - The manager who did not want to give us his name, other than Z; or do his job - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Kenzi! You are that girl! Thank you for making the experience wonderful again! I really appreciate that you love what you do. Keep up the amazing service. We really enjoyed our bestie date yesterday read more

I have heard so many mixed reviews about Nafsi and finally tried it for myself. I would say the ambiance and atmosphere were pleasant. The catfish & grits were great and the honey hot wings were tasty. The drinks were on point but the service was a little unhurried due to they were short staffed. I will go back and try their brunch. Overall, I left satisfied. read more

The whole experience was wonderful!!! We were a party of 3 and we went for dinner after a play. The food was extremely tasty, every thing hit for all us...I wish I had taken pics!!! Our server was very pleasant, attentive and careful about getting our orders correct. There was hardly any wait time after we ordered. Plates to try: Honey Roasted Carrots, Calamari, Salmon with sweet potato puree and wilted spinach, Wings, Catfish and Grits (dish is outstanding), Desserts- Vegan chocolate cheesecake and Banana's Foster....this was truly a PLEASANT SURPRISE!!! Nafsi, you live up to your name's meaning of SOUL!!!! read more

The food here presents beautifully and the menu options made us want to try as much as possible. Unfortunately, the service lacked and after receiving our food, it took literally 10 minutes to get forks and knives and we had grits and catfish, so it isn't hard to imagine we were not pleased about having to eat those stiff grits. That's after we spoke to two separate servers and ultimately had to get up to get them ourselves. The food was well cooked and tasty once we were able to eat, but there was definitely an issue with gnats or fruit flies circling around. I wanted to enjoy the restaurant, which is lovely, but I cannot recommend them based on this first experience. We may try again, but it won't be anytime soon. read more

Nafsi - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Located in the historic South Shore Cultural Center, this is a lovely space - we were on the patio. I was served hors d'oeuvres for a kind of happy hour prelude to an event - Day of the Girl. The food (hot honey wings and roasted carrots) was fantastic, the service was top-notch, and the drinks were sublime. I hope to return to update this review for a full meal experience. I don't like carrots but I loved theirs. I could not stop eating them. From my light experience, seems like a spot to add to your list. I know I am. read more

My mom chose this place for her birthday, but I was hesitant due to mixed reviews. I'm glad we gave it a try because everything was great, and I'm very picky, having worked as a server myself. We started with two appetizers: grilled shrimp and ceviche with chips. The shrimp was large and perfectly grilled, served with a cocktail-hot sauce mix that added great flavor. The ceviche was good but not the best we've had, and the homemade chips were a bit oily and soft, lacking crunch. This was our least favorite item. For entrees, we had catfish and grits and pan-seared salmon. My mom and sister loved the grits, and I thought they were tasty. My salmon was cooked perfectly to medium with a delicious honey sesame glaze. However, I didn't care for the rice and broccolini--the rice was undercooked. We shared roasted red potatoes and collard greens with kale, both of which were excellent, so we ordered a second side of collard greens to go. I also ordered mac and cheese, which took a while since they make it fresh. By the time it came, we were ready for to-go boxes, but they gave me a larger portion to make up for the wait. It was good, and I'm looking forward to leftovers. For dessert, we ordered German chocolate cake for my mom's birthday, but they had run out. Instead, the server brought a brownie with ice cream and a candle, which was a sweet gesture. We enjoyed it. Dominique was our server, and she was fantastic--attentive and friendly. There was also a gentleman who helped her, and he was excellent as well. The ambiance was nice, though it was a bit chilly when we first sat down due to the open windows. We had to keep our coats on for the first 20 minutes. I agree with other reviewers that it can be a bit loud, and we had a fruit fly at our table. These are the only reasons I wouldn't give it 5 stars, but it's definitely a solid 4.5. read more

Fantastic service. Very personable. I can't say enough about our server, Dominique. Additionally the food was delicious-- it arrived piping hot and freshly made. I'd recommend the shrimp and grits (it comes with eggs too!), maple glazed beef bacon and the Brulle French Toast read more

Food was great. Service was excellent. Atmosphere was loud, likely due to a birthday celebration. Highly recommend!

Went for Sunday brunch. The food was delicious and the ambiance was pleasant. But the noise level was such that you can't hear yourself think. The service was outstanding because the manager asked her best waitstaff to serve us out on the patio. Will definitely check it out again. read more

The food was really good and the portions were large. The cocktails were tasty. The service was lacking. The ambiance was great with nice music that wasnt too loud. I would go back for sure. The octopus is a must have, so tender and flavorful. read more

This is an amazing establishment top to bottom. Nafsi is the old Parrot Cage and is a South Side restaurant with a Downtown feel. Parking, availability, food, service and ambiance exceeds all expectations of this South Shore gem. I've frequented the South Shore area for decades and Nafsi has taken the lead on fine dining in just a matter of months. Please support this establishment and support all other South Side entrepreneurs that provide an experience like Nafsi. Thanks to them, the bar for for food and service has finally risen to a respectable level. read more

We had an excellent meal on a Sunday evening. The venue is beautiful, take a little stroll around. We were particularly impressed with the vegan chocolate cheesecake -- hope I'm not insulting any vegans when I say that I couldn't tell it was vegan. And a special shout-out to our server Jaycen who drove to our house later that evening to deliver the credit which we had left at the restaurant! read more

Food was excellent! Service was friendly. Vibe was upscale, hip and cool. Definitely would dine here again!

I came with my husband for an early anniversary dinner. We had reservations and were sat near the patio area and the bar, which is heated and nice. The bartender took our order. Took forever to bring drinks, like at least 20 min. Then kept giving us attitude. And then, she didn't put my husbands food in and the kitchen never made it. So my food came out and he asked the food runner about his food and they said it will come out as soon as it's ready. We waited another 25 min, we had to go up to the bar to ask her about his food. She was ignoring us at our table so we had to physically get up to seek things. We also ordered more drinks, 2 drinks that never were made or came. His food was forgotten about. And when my husband was trying to order, she kept being rude and walked away on him before he could order the rest of his meal. He ended up sharing my salmon. I understand if she's busy and things take time, but flat out walking away when someone is ordering is beyond rude. Idk how she holds a job. She definitely was aggressive towards us. My food tasted great, it's a shame that the bartender treats people like garbage. We were expecting to spend a lot of money because it's our anniversary and we ended up only buying $50 in food bc she didn't put his entree in and walked away as he was trying to order other things. And before we left, when she brought the check, she told my husband to just not leave her a tip. He still left a 15% tip. I said bye as I left and she flat out ignored me walking past. Staff needs retraining or people who actually like their job. I'm not mad, it's just a shame. I ended up not finishing my food, we split some of it but the bartenders attitude was horrible and really ruined it all, my hubs never did get his food read more

Interesting, good menu at moderate prices. Can't wait to experience Nafsi's good food wiith the Lake's breezy ambiance.

The chef Dundee was exceptional In making an exclusive grilled catfish (delicious!!!) instead of fried. Waiter Micah exceptional service, wealth of knowledge regarding alternative dishes. Ceviche Great! Calamari Really Great! Grilled Catfish & Grits Delicious! read more

The service was excellent: food absolutely delicious, ambience was on point. Very chill restaurant. Highly recommend.

The food and ambiance were great but the service was top notch. We went for dinner and Jason made our experience feel like we were the only people in the room. It was my friend's birthday and he's still talking about the entire experience. Nafsi will become on the list of my go-to restaurants for casual dining and celebrations. read more

The atmosphere is refreshing! This is my return visit with friends! The staff and service was good! The food was delicious! We had a little trouble and wait with our orders. The manager came out to speak with us. We had good customer service he compensated us with appetizers as we waited. We were not disappointed when we received our food! Our food was delicious! The chef came out to apologize for the delay and to see if we were satisfied? I still recommend Nafsi! A good dining experience! read more

The service and food were good. The prices for drinks are a rip off. It was 6 of us and we each paid over $100. The reason being we ordered a signature fruit drink with liquor and wasn't informed the drink would be $10 plus $18 for the liquor part. And we were unable to taste the liquor in the drink. Spoke with management who cared less about our concerns. I plus my friend will not return again.This place is a rip off. read more