Native wants to be considered upscale but its attitude and actions towards patrons say otherwise. I attended Kwanzaa Crawl last week and Native was a stop on the crawl. Before we were even greeted like normal guests, we were pat-down and told we needed to purchase at least one drink or food item to move past the bar area. The general manager said if we didn't like the rules we could leave. Another crawler even heard the GM say "we need to check their bank accounts to see if they even have money." 18% gratuity was also added to every bill this night. Greedy. Maybe on a less busy night the Native team may be more hospitable! But I won't return to find out. read more

I visited this establishment for a friend's surprise dinner. This was my second visit and the first one wasn't good either. But the joke was all on me. I arrived at 6:00pm an hour early was greeted by a ghost because there was no host present so I decided to take a walk to kill time. We can't be seated until the whole party is present mind you a table is already set up for us and it didn't seem like they get a lot of business. Fast forward to everyone arriving, before we sat we had a few happy hour drinks but my problem with that some of the wine was flat, but also they don't have a menu for happy hour specials. We sit down we order drinks and apps, the Drinks and Apps took FOREVER to come to the table my portion of the apps somehow took longer than the rest so now I'm hangry. The server was very passive and unattentive , lazy in a sense. Our drinks were spilling over on the tray when he was trying to distribute them. And to add insult to injury out of all the people they forgot my main dish so now I can't even break bread for the occasion. Server didn't even check to see if everyone had everything we had to wave him down to get his attention. When we finally did he didn't even know what I had. The manager tried to see if I wanted my plate but I said no because I knew it would take even longer and everybody has already finished there meal. Mind you a table behind us had my order so im even more upset . Bill comes and he suddenly has amnesia and can't split the bill but splits the bill for two people in our party. Overall he wasn't deserving of the automatic gratuity when the service wasn't good , 209.00 for a tip when you didn't do a good job, I'm disgusted. But not only that I thank they applied automatic gratuity when I ordered drinks before hand and I hat businesses that just want money but don't provide an experience. Overall it lacks hospitality, service , leadership and awareness and it's safe to say I will not be back! read more

Native - My cocktail on the glass - Lounges Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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The food is very good , but the service is very bad, it took over 1 hour to receive food. 18% tip is automatic in bill, that tip is too high for the service that was provided. read more

The aesthetic of this place is cool! The music was a vibe. I wish they didn't run out what I wanted to eat. The drinks were really good. read more

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I've been to this restaurant countless times in the past--the food was always good and the drinks were great. But when we went yesterday, the experience was completely different. They sat us at the wrong table, then moved us again for happy hour. The food took forever to come out, and while customers were waiting, the staff seemed more focused on having a meeting than attending to us. We ended up just paying for our drinks and leaving. I used to love Native, but this will probably be my last time coming. I think they've changed owners or management because the service now is absolutely terrible. read more

Went on a Monday night, it was karaoke night. The music was the dj did a great job including the guest. The food was 10/10 absolutely delicious. Not sure why there isn't better reviews. I will definitely be returning! read more

It is not in my best interest to belittle or talk about a restaurant, let alone an African/ black owned restaurant. It was my first time ordering from Native. After a few minutes of scrolling and reading the descriptions of dishes, and drooling over images with my partner, we found the items we would settled on. Eugunsi soup - I ordered an Egunsi soup, requesting no added proteins and I was given an ordered with cod fish. It was dry and not a soup. The container that we were given was less than 1/4 full and charged $25 for. Unacceptable. Asun - Braised goat meat that looks nothing it was online. Dry and chewy, mostly fatty pieces that weren't edible. So little of a portion was given it's hard to believe. An in house experience may be better but this has left me with no interest of sitting in restaurant. read more

I really want to give this place a zero. ordered food and never received it. Take for ever to get your food. Do t waste your time

It is wayyyy too loud in this restaurant. You need ear plugs when you sit in the back. I think most of the dishes are spicy. Our food came out relatively quickly. However, I let the server know that it was my father's bday and asked if they could bring out some cake. The lady came to let me know that they didn't have chocolate cake and I could pick something else. I chose red velvet. This was all after we had our meal. It was had to have been 30 minutes before they came out with the cake. Smdh. Then it took another 20 minutes to get the bill. It's crazy how slow this lady was moving. Too loud and too slow. I'm not going back. read more

So it's evident that many people enjoy this spot. 4 stars is nothing to snooze at. However, this restaurant eas listednas a spotnfor this year's Kwanzaa Crawl. An event geared towards magnifying and patronizing Black businesses here in Brooklyn. Native might be the only venue that mandated groups from the Crawl to buy a drink before they were let into the rear of the venue where there wad more space for people to commune. We all found this mandate to be abhorrent, as it totally goes against the tenets of what this whole event is supposed to be about. It's unfortunate, but our group 7D collectively decided to leave and go to Cafe Erzulie. If you're looking for a cultured time out at night in Brooklyn, check them out. They're right across the street. As for Native, I don't care how good people find the Suya or whatever to be. They don't embody Umoja in the slightest. If you can help it, don't business with them. read more

I literally have nothing bad to say about this place . The vibes were great . Music was also cool and the food was amazing. So I've been trying a few west African spots this year and I was either underwhelmed or just not sure what the hype was about but this place has restored my faith in the cuisine. the Jollof rice was great . Enjoyed the Eba, the salmon was seasoned to perfection and the red stew although spicy was so flavorful . Our waitress took the time to explain all the things we were ordering and was very helpful with our questions. The place does have an automated 15% gratuity and 18% for parties larger than five while we were there they do have hookah for $50. A Photographer came by taking pictures and frames them for you for $20. read more

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I feel genuine pleasure eating here. Just incredible flavors from start to finish. Their service personnel's efficiency impressed us. Quiet location with first-class offerings. I suggest this place for anyone seeking variety. read more

Food is too spicy for me personally..But African food is spicy... Bartenders are on point.. The decor is nice.. And they have events there sometime read more

This restaurant did not disappoint!!! First off we drove in two hour traffic from Jersey to Brooklyn, which we didn't reach the destination until 11:15. When we arrived was told the kitchen was closed, but we called ahead of time and was told the restaurant stopped serving food at 1am. We advised the hostess of the phone call and she immediately took us in. She then told us what they had left on the menu. The chef did not disappoint. The lamb chops was delicious and flavorful, FuFu (first time trying) was so amazing, and the egusi stew w salmon was tasteful. Thanks to Fatima, not sure if she is the owner or manager but she was pleasant, attentive and caring. Her customer service was off the roof. Thank you to all the staff at NATIVE, everyone was pleasant. read more

Native - Egisu and Fufu - Lounges Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

The most horrendous restaurant experience I've ever had in my life--and I didn't even eat. Despite having a reservation for 8:30, we had to wait a good 45 minutes before being seated. The place is so cramped, you have to squeeze through groups of people standing around to even get to your seat. The blaring music in such a small venue doesn't allow for ANY conversation which is made evident by the amount of people with their faces in their phones the whole time. The waiter has to talk into your ear to take your order. About 40 minutes after being seated, the waiter comes out and tells us the kitchen is backed up and we'd have to wait about 20 minutes for him to take our order. 20 minutes later, he comes back out and says that even after we order, we'd have to wait a really long time to get our food! We didn't wanna stay there another minute and ended up leaving--and we weren't the only ones. I saw a couple other tables clearing out without ever getting to order, too. When we first got there, there were a few UberEats drivers by the door complaining about waiting more than 30 minutes for their orders. They bit off more than they could chew trying to service walk-ins, reservations, AND orders. This place is clearly POORLY managed! After reading some reviews I see other people have had the same experience. read more

My friend and I met up for dinner last weekend. It was our first time there. We were late for our reservation but they were able to seat us fairly quickly which we appreciated. Things started to go left once we sat down. No one approached us to take our order. My friend had to wave someone down to assist us. Our server ended up being the person on the mic that was standing near the DJ booth which I didn't understand. I couldn't tell if he was there to party or if he was on the clock. The music was also really loud and it was difficult for us to have a conversation. We waited at least an hour to get our food. My friend placed a second order and received it before I ever got my entree! Then we ordered another round of drinks that took at least 15+ min to receive, and when they brought it to us, we were missing a drink. Ambiance was nice but the service was highly disappointing. read more

Came here last night because my fiancé and I were starving and we wanted a solid West African meal and I must say we were blown away! Upon walking in, the restaurant is spotless and the ambience is very beautiful and welcoming. The staff was very attentive. THE FOOD! Oh my goodness. This sealed the deal. We ordered SUYA Mac and Cheese, Native Fried Rice, The Wing Platter (yesss to the Mambo Wings) and a wine cocktail. And every single thing was flavored perfectly!!!! We hate salty food, but we had no complaints with the salt and spice ratios. We will definitely come back! Excited for happy hour! I wish we took more pictures before devouring the food read more

Native - The Menu - Lounges Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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Food was great and drinks were amazing. Second time going there and I would go back. Music is a tad bit too loud at times.

I loved it! This was my second time coming here and I must say, the macaroni was very good! The jollof rice with shrimp was even better. I don't eat meat but my friend had the macaroni with jerk chicken and she said it was amazing! Best dish on the menu! Courtesy of Malcolm the manager. He was great! Also our drinks were on point! They got us turnt and our bartender, mixed it very well! We will be back, next time we're in town! read more

The drinks were great! The bartenders were nice. As far as eating dinner, the music is unbearably loud. Maybe don't go here if you want to be able to hear the people at your table. And the ceiling was leaking and they had buckets out to catch the water. Everyone's food came out cool but it had a good taste. read more

Amazing dope spot. Good vibes great staff decor is amazing. The music was great. The food was great. read more

Native is very cute and has ample seating space, a dj and a dancer. The drinks are tasty. I had the native pasta with oxtail which could have been more tender, but pretty good flavor. Staff was attentive but more attention could have been paid to the cleanliness of the bathroom. I really enjoyed the suya beef mac. read more

Native - Zobo Kiss - Lounges Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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I really wanted some jollof rice, so I decided to try this place . Because it's a black owned businesses I won't say exactly what's on my mind but I won't be going back. You'd think they flew in the food from Nigeria! $12 for goat add on to a $22 bowl of rice and get $3 worth of goat is INSANE! AND $8 FOR FUFU IS RIDICULOUS!!! When I compared the prices t9 other restaurants I wanted to yell! And I've tasted way better rice and goat. read more

Experiencing The Food For The First Time Was Excellent. Staff Members Were Professional.

It's was great, the food was delicious, drinks were good, the service was excellent every staff was friendly the vibe was great they played great music. read more

Native - Lounges Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

HORRIBLE... My Friends And. I Went to go for happy hour and we was the only ones in native we order appetizers and Drinks the food and drinks took so long to come. my friend went to cancel the order and seen our drinks at the bar they was holding our drinks there so happy hour could be over so we wouldn't be able to order anything for happy hour the customer service was bad the bartender had a nasty attitude. we talked to the manager and it seem like she didn't care. how the service took long when we was the only ones in there will not be going back read more

I don't understand the lack of consistency. First time I ordered, it was very good. Second time, I've been given the wrong item,v the chicken is dry and lacking flavor and overall everything is cold. I'm tired. You charge premium prices and give subpar food. It's trifling. read more

Native - This was supposed to be loaded moi moi. Where is the load? It's plain. It's cold & has a tough skin on the outside. Yuck - Lounges Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

By far the worst service I've ever experienced today at native waited approximately 1:20 mins for food that never ever came and the place was not packed at all ! They had one private party section closed off to serve the guests and another section for regular guests ...the pace was not packed at all. Ended up leaving with no food at all after sitting at a table with just water for so long smh thumbs all the way down!!! read more

The food was really good, had the egusi and and pounded yam and the suya wings. Both were great. The pounded yam was a little weird from what Im used texture wise. Service was good as well, but I didn't have any issues. The small chops were not that great. The ambiance was ight nothing crazy, as it's in NY it is kinda small and cramped. Overall, I had a good time with no complaints. Side note if you come with a party, they do not split checks, which is annoying, but what can you do. read more

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David was such an amazing bartender! Great conversation and great drinks. Will definitely be back.

TikTok definitely got it wrong. I was so excited to try this place but the videos I've seen were clearly paid for. Also is this a restaurant or a club? They "bouncer" not hostess told my date as I went to the restroom we couldn't sit at the table but at the bar. When we told him we were there for dinner he still tried to push the bar until we both gave him a "WTF" look. We were then seated by the manger. We didn't even get to try the food as the waitress spilled a bottle of water on my date. This on top of the "false advertisement" we were more than ready to go. To make things even more comical the waitress was mad that we wanted to leave. She hadn't put our food order in yet seeing as though she spilled the bottle as soon as we were placing the order. I asked my date to go outside and I'll settle the glass of presseco I had. But I was certainly not paying for the $8 water spilled on my date. The manager was nice and understanding. While the waitress and bartender didn't understand why someone wouldn't enjoy sitting through dinner with a soaked shirt and pair of jeans. read more

Came here for a date last Saturday. Had reservations, was greeted and seated fairly quickly. There were a few other patrons it wasn't packed yet cause it was still early. My date recommended I get the jollof rice w/beef. Cause I told him I hadn't tried it yet. He was got fufu. We ordered our drinks. Got our drinks fairly quickly...my glass was sticky...umm okay. Drink was good though. We got our food quickly. It looked piping hot and was steaming but when I bit into the food it didn't burn my mouth...I didn't think nothing about that until my date started talking about Nigerian food takes a long time to make so that food was most likely heated up in the microwave (I've seen Bar Rescue before) I'm okay with that., food was good. We're enjoying the ambiance of the spot. It was dimmed lighting (romantico) they had Afro beats playing. They have hookah. The decor was cute. Anyway, I scooped up some beef and rice onto my fork...thought I was chewing on a bat leaf at first...until I realized I couldn't break it down with my teeth before swallowing. Pulled it out my mouth and it was a piece of plastic (wish I had a pictures it was the lenght of 2 quarters put together). Which really confirmed what my date said about them microwaving food . He started laughing. I'm like wtf. So you think they would comp that. Naw they just replaced it. I didn't make too much of a fuss cause I wasn't paying for it...my date was but on behalf of him I bought up they needed to comp it to him. But I don't think he wanted to press it. So I had a meal to go cause I was full by that time. Would I come back here??? Yea I would give them another try. They just need to make sure no foreign objects is in there food going forward. read more

Hands down this place was amazing !!! The food and hookah literally had me wrapped around their finger. I ordered a Caesar salad and macaroni and cheese with the chicken tacos and omg so flavorful and delicious. This place also has a great hookah. The service and atmosphere was great super cute for pictures . The music puts the cherry on top and definitely makes the vibes great. I would highly recommend trying Native. read more

A top ten meal I've had in New York. An employee suggested the Nigerian red stew with fish and pounded yam. We also got Jollof rice with goat. Both were so flavorful and satisfying and spicy. The goat meat was perfectly tender. Loved! read more

The food is great and the ambiance is amazing as well. My server was engaging for the most part. Overall a great place for a nice, fun hang with friends or intimate hang with a significant other. Note: they automatically include 18% gratuity in the bill read more

Joshua Hernandez is the epitome of what I look for in hospitality! I was blown away he engineered a phenomenal experience drinks were amazing and the food he recommended was great! I will be a regular for sure! read more

Reservation was at 830, got there at 831pm. Bouncer dude checked the wife and I for Id. Got asked to wait by the bar. Luckily bar wasn't crowded, just some ladies having a drink. Waiting area is cramped and folks gotta walk through you to exit. Waited by the bar for a cool 40-45 mins. Got seated. Ordered 2 glasses of red and 2 waters. Dj was decent. Couple next to us was smoking on some hookah and it smelled like ass. No problem Though...got our wine and water then waiter came 20 mins after saying the kitchen is backed up and even if he takes our order it's gonna be an additional 20 min wait. Looked at my wife and she looked back at me. Downed the wine and got the fuck outta there. Place is managed like Ass. Side note i tipped the waiter EXTRA ON TOP OF THE 18% GRATUITY THATS INCLUDED because I saw how embarrassed and reluctant he was to tell me that there was an additional wait for the food. It's sad , we really came for the food and dipped hungry. Never again. Shout out to all the bday girls that was there though. If you really care about your business and you're reading this.... you gotta do better. God bless..good luck.. read more

Seems as though this spot just opened recently so tried it out for dinner. When you walk in. It seems very tiny with a bar but once you walk to the back, it's a pretty big seating area. We started with a lemon drop and hibiscus margarita, both were better than expected in flavor but not as strong as I'd like. For food we got jerk wings, mac and cheese, Jollof rice and Rasta pasta. The wings were good but were fried and I prefer them baked but good jerk flavor. The jollof was really good, spicy with flavor. The Rasta pasta was also good, which I was surprised with as it's a Caribbean dish but an African restaurant. I'd skip the mac and cheese, wasn't anything special. read more

Came here with two friends on a Friday night. Upon walking in it looked small but there is a large dining area in the back. When we first got there, 1 person of our party wasn't there so we had to sit at the bar and wait for her before we could be sat which is fine and understandable. The hosts were really nice about it. While at the bar, my friend ordered rose and I ordered the strawberry lemon drop. I didn't realize when I ordered that the restaurant does not yet have their liquor license so the drink left much to be desired. Once our third person arrived, we were sat in the back near where the hookahs were being set up. It was intimate lighting in the restaurant. We ordered pretty quickly. I ordered a glass of wine. But the waitress seemed a bit overwhelmed. We had to remind her of things a few times. Our food all came out at different times which I get happens sometimes but one of us would get our appetizer the same time another was receiving their entree. We had wings for the table which were okay and sliders which were really juicy. My salmon was good, wish it had more of the lemon sauce that was on the plate. My friend said her egusi stew left something to be desired. My other friend really enjoyed her suya burger. All in all it was an okay experience. I think once they have a full bar, things will be better. read more

Native - Salmon - Lounges Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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Came here a few weeks ago with my adult son and young daughter. They were very accommodating and provided great service. The food was vey good and we will be back again. I recommend visiting. Beautiful decor also . read more

Native - Platter for 2. Jollaf was amazing so was the goat and snapper - Lounges Near Me - Brooklyn, New York