We recently visited this Nigerian restaurant and had a mixed experience overall. The restaurant itself is very simple, a little dated, and definitely not luxurious or modern. The service was also not what we expected -- it was slow, not very attentive, and the food took quite a long time to come out of the kitchen. That being said, the food itself did not disappoint at all. Everything we ordered was flavorful, authentic, and perfectly spicy. The Egusi soup with goat meat and pounded yam (fufu) was rich, hearty, and very satisfying. The assorted meat pepper pot was absolutely excellent, especially paired with fufu. We also had the Jollof rice with fish and chicken, and both dishes were delicious with great seasoning and taste. While the atmosphere and service could definitely improve, the quality of the food made up for many of the shortcomings. If you are looking for authentic Nigerian food with bold flavors and don't mind a more casual setting and slower service, this place is worth trying. read more

Literally delicious. Never had Nigerian food before but I would have it again and definitely try some other things as well. The ambiance was cute! Nice that they had a hand washing station. read more

Nigerian Kitchen - Egusi with Stew - African Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I have been wanting to try Egusi & fufu for a long time now & I'm glad I did! I got chicken in mine & I would 100% come back! Not only was the food SO good but the people who worked there were so nice! read more

Nigerian Kitchen - Egusi & fufu with chicken - African Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I am a regular at Nigerian kitchen, so I have tried a few of their dishes at this point. I typically order their jollof rice or egusi soup, but this time around I opted for the catfish pepper soup. I was feeling a bit under the weather and it was exactly what I needed! It was delicious, spicy and the catfish was perfectly tender. I believe the food is made to order so your best bet is to call your order in prior to arriving to the restaurant. read more

Nigerian Kitchen - Fish and Shrimps Pepper Soup - African Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Figured I'd finally try out some Nigerian food. Started with the Suya, which was super dry and overcooked. Not a big fan of the spices used, definitely the worst thing I had. Next up was the egusi soup which had very little liquid. The pounded yam itself wasn't very flavorful but was nice to soak up the melon seed and other ingredients in the egusi. The chicken and goat were both well seasoned, but the goat varied in tenderness. Finally, a side of jollof rice. So much rice, and while it was cold I couldn't stop eating it. Very good spice level and super flavorful. Overall, I thought the food was good but was incredibly oily. You could see pools of oil in the egusi and rice. Wish they cut back a little bit since I think the flavors are good enough on their own. With that being said, I probably wouldn't come back just due to the sheer amount of oil. read more

Nigerian Kitchen - Egusi with Stew, Pounded Yam, Goat, Chicken, Suya, and Jollof Rice - African Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I have been so excited to try their fufu and egusi but was extremely disappointed when I received my food from here. I ordered mine with chicken and the chicken was literally inedible. It was hard as a rock like it was old and had been sitting for days maybe even weeks it was that bad. The portion size of the actual egusi soup was literally about 4 tablespoons worth. I paid $20 for some old stale chicken with palm oil and barely any egusi . Absolutely unacceptable. I would definitely NOT recommend this place. read more

So much oil I felt my arteries closing. The bottom of the container is filled with oil I had to scoop it out so that I can eat the food

TERRIBLE EXPERIENCE. my driver waited for my food for 2 HOURS. and even when I tried calling their line , my call was getting declined. i also told my driver to give the sever the phone to understand what was going on , the server refused to communicate. 8 other ppl were also waiting for their food. they were understaffed and the staffs were rude ! read more

I had a taste for Nigerian food and enjoyed the meal. The food was traditional, hearty and filling. The food was spicy and ho, which made it even more delicious. The staff was friendly and attentive. I felt like I was getting a genuine experience of tasting Nigerian cuisine. read more

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With the recommendation of one of my Nigerian friends, I finally had the chance to try Nigerian Kitchen in Uptown. In the words of my friend, this is one of the best Nigerian restaurants in the Chicagoland area, and a place where you can get the most bang for buck. Overall, this restaurant is definitely a locally owned hole-in-the-wall restaurant. The interior is a little shabby, but looks can be deceiving, as is the case here. We ordered several Nigerian classics- Jollof Rice with Chicken gravy, Plantains, Fufu, Egusi Soup. On the note of service- definitely not the strength of this establishment. The staff were friendly, however, the food took 30 minutes to come out and they did not seem to be particularly busy at that time. In terms of the food itself, I really enjoyed what we ordered! The jollof rice was great, with a hearty, tomato based flavor to it. The chicken gravy definitely had some kick to it, and was a little oilier than I would've liked. The chicken itself was definitely not high quality meat, but was flavorful. All in all, Nigerian Kitchen is a must try if you are not a particularly picky eater in terms of quality and are looking for flavorful, off the beaten path, Nigerian cuisine. read more

Nigerian Kitchen - Jollof Rice, Fried Plantain, Chicken, Egusi with Stew, Fufu - African Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I was extremely underwhelmed, the goat in my soup was tough,the rice and beans had very little flavor, was just white rice and black eyed peas. The only saving grace was the fish in my other dish. She over charged me and did not give me an itemized receipt. It just said custom. I did not feel like arguing so I paid it and left. Too hyped up. I will not be going back. read more

This is my first time ordering from yeah, and I must say, as an African, they did not disappoint me at all. The pounded yam was perfect, and the goat meat pepper was perfect. I was delighted with the fact that it came hot and fresh. I could tell they just made it fresh, and I was craving it cuz I am pregnant and this is exactly. what I wanted, and it hit the spot for spot read more

NEVER EAT FROM HERE! I See why it's empty and they needed social media promotion.This is the WORST EXPERIENCE I HAVE EVER HAD. I order a in person meal with a lady with shaved hair, class & skin irritation in the face food ORDER. (classless, rude & nasty attitude). It wasn't any staff in the front for pick up orders consistently waiting . After waiting and received my food the lady decides to fight with the staff too because she told her she didn't not provide me utensils for my food. Even that staff had an attitude with the Lady. So 25min drive I get home to discover my order was wrong. I order fish & rice and only received the fish. I called and they were aggressive arguing utmost each other about who took the order! Then when the lady kept denying she didn't service me had the audacity to start yelling & screaming at me. Clearly she needs to be fired! I spent 11mins on the phone listen to them go back and then 5mins of the lady tell until I hung up on her rude disrespectful little drama girl. What a waste of time! I have NEVER wrote a post but this today was despicable. Service was disgusting Aug 9,2024 @6:55pm Abimbola Receipt:ZUlu Auth:05142D read more

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Amazing!! We ordered through Uber eats and got the Egusi with yam and goat. This was our first time eating Nigerian food and it did not disappoint! Perfect blend of seasoning and beyond filling. I'm excited to try out more on the menu. read more

I've been coming here for a while and LOVE their food but hate their wait times. For the last 3 times I've ordered, I've had to wait less than 20 minutes (in comparison to 40+ that I've waited before). This is dangerous for me because now I have no excuse not to get delicious food. I'm not nigerian so I have no idea about the authenticity but I do know that this food is so delicious I have waited over an hour for it and could wait longer. But now that wait times are down, I am so happy I could cry. read more

Nigerian Kitchen - Egusi with Stew Fried Fish Pounded Yam - African Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Okay here's the thing... I ordered the fufu with egusi stew with goat and fish and the flavor was really delicious. However, the meat is DRY DRY DRY and tougher than Tough. I couldn't even tear the goat apart it was so tough. A few bites and that's really all I could do. Again the flavor was good, but not good enough for me to return ever again. They need to give their customers fresh food that hasn't been sitting all day in the crockpot. I would've preferred to wait longer for fresh food than to picking up yesterdays fish and goat( that's how stale it was). Dry and Tough are the words for today. I'll definitely be trying this dish a different Nigerian restaurant. read more

Nigerian Kitchen - Egusi Stew with fish and goat - African Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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The meat was really really dry and i am upset that they didnt give mre fresh food. Took 30 minutes to get overcooked fish and dried beef. I was disappointed and i would not recommend even though i liked the spices that they used. read more

Unfortunately, this was a huge miss for us. While the smells and flavors were enticing, the goat with the jollof rice was cooked to within an inch of its life. I don't think I've ever had tougher, drier meat. Similarly, the plantains, one of our favorite foods, were similarly bland and tough. Sad that this was our introduction to Nigerian food. read more

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If I lived in Uptown or nearby, this restaurant would get my dollars all the time. The goat pepper soup was outstanding. The coconut rice with fish in a tomato sauce was also delicious. Service is slow and I am quite okay with that because what came to the table was fresh. So glad I took a chance coming here. read more

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Horrible customer service...very very rude...orka soup was very bland...no flavor at all..waste of money read more

Nigerian Kitchen - Okra soup - African Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Ordered almost $90 worth of food, drove an hour away, (crazy pregnant cravings) just to end up waiting an additional 40 minutes. Got home and about 30% of my order was missing. Called to reality the issue but kept being told to call back when manager was there. Eventually I got fed up and requested fir a refund for the difference back to my card. They refused which is the dumbest thing any business owner can do because they've now lost a customer, plus my entire house hold, and I did a charge back with my bank and now got 100% of my money back. Yeah yeah yeah I know it sucks but that's what happens when businesses don't appreciate their customers. Plus they give suck a small amount of stew it's so ridiculous. Food wasn't even worth the drive. read more

Took a chance after wanting something different and fye, and lo and behold... CONTEXT: A ONE TIME food delivery and I'm writing a review, so it's real. The only reason I cannot give them a five off principal but one mo' time like this, and FIVE like Dylan. PROS: Options, portions, and price CONS: n/a OVERALL/VALUE: 5/5 if you order a side of jollof rice, its a side side lol MY RECOMMENDS: Jollof Rice w/ Goat Fried Plantain Egusi Soup w/ Goat (FYE) Beef Kebab (Suya) (least favorite, wouldn't get again) Oxtail Pepper Soup (HOT, like nah for real hot.) I'm looking forward to ordering from this place again and hopefully visiting in person one day. Until next time Yelpers, love, live, and EAT! read more

First time having Nigerian food and it was amazing. We got egusi with goat and fufu, jollof rice with chicken, fried rice and plantains. Everything was absolutely delicious. So much flavor in every dish. Pick up time was delayed a bit because they were very short staffed (they are hiring if anyone is looking) but the customer service was amazing. read more

This place sucks. Moi moi taste like the put mayonnaise in it or spoiled beans. Jellof is dry, plantain was also spoiled

I wanted to order some food to give a try, walking in the restaurant look dirty, then you straight up you can see the kitchen with a bag of rice on the floor. Which is not normal if some people have knowledge in this industry. Then start to spoke with a lady to order, start to be rude and unpleasant. Long story short end up to order a cheeseburger at McDonald's thanks next. read more

I wanted to go on a culinary adventure so I decided to finally give this spot a try after passing it by for years. The jollof rice with goat is the TRUTH. You know the food is going to be good if the service isn't all that great at an ethnic mom-and-pop spot such as this. So worth a trip! read more

No matter how early you call a head you gonna wait for them to bring you your food This is my last time ordering read more

Okay, to be honest, I know very little about Nigerian food. But I have been to Nigerian Kitchen several times now, and everything I have had is SO tasty. Just really great flavors, big hunks of goat or fish in some glorious sauce. Love it. Picked some up last night for my Friday treat yo'self. There is usually not too many people in the restaurant and service can be a little slow, but so friendly and helpful. They make great recommendations for this Nigerian food novice. Big portions, reasonable prices. Hope that they get a lot more business, especially since they are in a great location across from the Target. BYOB. No highchairs available, but very nice when my daughter left a trail of fallen cheerios. read more

Omg!!!! Traveled from Milwaukee, Wisconsin and definitely didn't disappoint! We've been dying to try African food, and since we were in the area picking up family from O'hare, we decided to kill two birds with one stone. Luckily we read the reviews and started early, so we followed the advice and ordered about an hour in advance. The timing was perfect! We received updates on anticipated time for pickup, and it was done right on time. We ordered egusi soup, fufu, and jollof rice with oxtails. It was sooooo good! The jollof rice was our favorite, but everything was amazing! We will definitely make that 1.5 hour drive again! read more

If you are seeking authentic West African or Nigerian food this place is where it is! It's a nicely managed family-owned restaurant that has very reasonable prices and a great selection. Unlike some of the restaurants in this area, the staff at the Nigerian Kitchen go above and beyond to explain the menu options as well as make sure that you are enjoying your meal. They were extremely welcoming and polite. We walked by a few times a bit skeptical if we should go in because it was completely empty, but it was a Wednesday evening about an hour before closing. During our dining experience, people were coming in and out buying food to go so they were relatively busy even though they didn't appear that way through the window. The portion sizes were big enough that my date and I sampled each other's food and still had plenty left to take home to eat for lunch the next day. This area is full of options for West African food, but you won't find better service than the Nigerian Kitchen. If you are American and you get excited about good service and trying something new this is a great place to go! read more

I've eaten at most Nigerian restaurants around the city and none can really compare to the quality of food that Nigerian kitchen offers . My favorite dish is the jollof rice it's cooked to perfection every time . read more

New Nigerian restaurant on the block! So good! I have the ayamashe usually and it always hits the spot. Egusi is good as well! The wait time for the food isn't too long and the meat is not too tough which is great for me. Will keep returning for more! read more

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Love love love this restaurant. The egusi and fufu is amazing and consistent. Each time I get it, it's the same. Please stay in business

Soooooo delicious I ordered egusi soup with goat and fried plantain the portions were huge and it was a 10/10 experience

My new favorite Nigerian restaurant..... I do wish they had more items on the menu though . read more

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I ordered online, when I came to pick it up they tried to say I didn't order anything. when that finally got sorted they gave me the wrong food and my online receipt showed exactly what I ordered. read more

Slow service, delivery cancels every time. Their was food used to be good. Wil not order from them again.

I just got the egusi stew and fufu to go and it blew me away. Cant wait to order again.

I walked into this place and the people just stared at me. I smiled and spoke and the 2 ladies just walked to the back. A man that had an African accent walked in and they acknowledged him. I just walked out and went up the street to another African restaurant. read more

Went here for the first time last week and the food to die for. I had jollof rice and stew and it was like a little taste of heaven lol.