Leslie B.

Oh my!!! This place is soo cute inside. There is a beautiful inside and a covered outside where we watched the game. There were 2 televisions to watch football. The menu was standard but the food was absolutely delicious!!! We had the lamb chops and potatoes with. Side of grits and our other party had the platter. Everything came timely and hot. Staff were very attentive and service was excellent. Definitely recommend!!!

Samantha M.

Nafsi was the perfect restaurant to visit after golfing in South Shore. Their girl dinner special included sliders, fries, a salad and cocktail and was an excellent deal. I've always been afraid of oysters and theirs were delicious! I would go back to try them again. We loved the hospitality of their team too.

Samuel S.

I was shocked this place was so empty on a Friday. Perhaps it was because I went the weekend of Lollapoolza, but it seemed there were more staff than customers. The Veggie garden bowl was delicious as well as the fried calamari. The staff was pleasant and the restaurant appears to have a good vibe when more people are dining. I would recommend this restaurant for happy hour, a date, or a social gathering.

Jasmine U.

I struggled between 2 or 3 stars because there's potential here but ultimately this place needs work. The food we had was good and the happy hour deals are decent. Service is a huge misstep here, we arrived a few mins after they opened and had a reservation, there was barely anyone there and yet our service was insanely slow. Again they had just opened but a lot of menu items were not available. Getting our drinks was so slow we started going the patio bar to get our own drinks that were sitting out just waiting. The hot honey catfish sliders were delicious, truffle fries and fried green tomatoes were good too. I have friends who experienced the same issue with service so this wasn't just a one off. They charge 18% auto gratuity which I don't mind when the service is good, they also charge a fee to use cards which I find annoying. The decor is nice and they have cool events here too, the potential is there but service and menu availability needs to significantly improve.

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.

Rachelle G.

I met some friends for an early dinner and there was an issue with the reservation. After being seated, the website states that vegan dishes are available, however that was not the case. After talking to management we were able to have a vegan dish created. I and another guest ordered the blackened catfish and grits, that was very good. I also placed a to go order, which was bought out to me before my entrée, which is always given towards the end of the meal. However, they took it back and cooked a fresh meal. I ordered the cheese burger with fries. It was very good. Overall the ambience was great and the drinks were tasty.

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.

Ckasha R.

So right now we had a reservation for 7:00 we were seated by 7:07.. we ordered drinks mine didn't come until 20mins later and my guy didn't get a drink because they ran out of beer. Our server Jason was good even got my guy a rink for the inconvenience. The oysters didn't come with any fixings, the cooke oysters just had old bay on top. Not impressed. My lemon drop was good. The vibe is cool we sat outside. Our entrees were good my guy said the lamb chops were okay. I ordered another drink but never got it.... Its okay not sure if i would be back though

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!

This was my husband and my second time at Nafsi. The first time was fine. This second time, it was an apology to say the less. We had reservations for 5pm on a Sunday. They close at 7pm. Which should not be a problem. However because their kitchen closes at 6pm, it was a problem because our server who was also tending the bar didn't come over to take our drink order until 5:20 and our meal order until 5:45. Sunday is the brunch all day menu. Everything we order our waitress was coming back to tell us these they ran out of things( and they had to sub with something else). Not her fault just an observation. And then they rushed and brought out dessert and the appetizer at the same time. The food was underwhelming and bland because they rushed. The potatoes we undercook and breading of the chicken was soggy. By the time we finished our appetizer the ice cream that was already melting was ice cream soup. The food was not as good as the first time because they were clearly rushing. If your kitchen closes at 6 maybe for the 5pm reservations you should take their order within the the first 15 minutes of them sitting down or don't take 5pm reservations if it's going to rush the experience for your customers. Food cost entirely too much money to waste people's hard earned dollars on such abysmal service. I'm very disappointed. If you want to give Nafsi a try and have a the best chance at a good experience, go at a time WAY before they close.

Kara K.

I was surprised and happy when I found out there was a new restaurant in town...Nafsi! I put it on my to-do list and when my cousin's birthday came up, I figured it was the perfect opportunity to see what the hype was all about. Nafsi is a beautiful restaurant located inside the South Shore Cultural Center inhabiting the space that was once the Parrot Cage (backstory; PC was the training restaurant for students attending Washburn Culinary Institute). My cousin and I came on a Wednesday for the happy hour from 4-7 and to groove to the sounds of the popular house music djs who were performing on the patio. We arrived about 6:45 and were immediately seated with no reservation. We wanted to dine on the patio, but unfortunately, that area was full. The friendly host took us to the area to check it out anyway and we observed a grown and sexy crowd enjoying themselves in a chill atmosphere. The host instructed us to view the menu via a QR code and said our server would be right over. Our server sauntered over and asked about our drink orders since happy hour was over at 7. We placed our orders (2 mezcal margaritas) and then about 5 minutes later, she came and slapped down paper menus saying that was the real menu with way more menu items than the digital version. It was kinda confusing, but we figured out we'd share several apps. When I tried to get her attention to place the order before 7, she conveniently didn't notice us, but then magically appeared at 7:01 to take our orders. When I inquired about the happy hour menu she said it wasn't available anymore. Yeah, ok...anyway. We ordered several apps: the garlic wings, cabbage, jollof rice and the oxtail empanadas. I just HAVE to say this: I've worked as a line and prep cook in many restaurants and I know if prep work is done correctly, I know how long it takes to produce any dish. Yes, the drinks were strong and delicious, we were deep in conversation, catching and cracking up so we weren't looking around impatiently demanding to know where our food was. But there is no reason why it should take 30 minutes for apps to be delivered to our table and not be perfect. The wings and cabbage were WAY too salty and the jollof rice was dry. The oxtail empanadas, however, were a standout. These fritters were seasoned and fried to perfection and we to' those suckas up! The ambience at Nafsi, is warm and inviting, with light and airy colors, soft lighting and groovy, relaxing music. However, midway through our meal, they blasted this loud, unfamiliar birthday song through the speakers and the servers came marching out with sparklers and a cake. Kind of a vibe-killer, but it was...cute. Nafsi is a much-needed and welcome addition to the area and the fact they have house music DJs on Wednesday is a definite draw . I'm hoping they work on creating a more cohesive menu with a distinct cuisine. It was Chicago Steakhouse, but oh yeah, here are a couple Southern/African dishes to appease its demographic. However, I like the vibe and will definitely be back.

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.