The Cooking Pot Photos
You might also consider
More like The Cooking Pot
Recommended Reviews - The Cooking Pot
Start your review...
Reviews With Photos
Plenty Inside seating and parking outside. The lady behind the counter was very helpful with ordering the food. I ended with jollof and beef and chicken with side of plantain and Moi Moi. If anything, you have to try the moi moi. It's true, the moi moi was delicious and well done. It's my favorite! The jollof rice was definitely off and inconsistent at times with taste. This is fresh food, so don't expect same taste all the time, unless you want factory manufactured food. Definitely give this place a try and maybe you discover a new favorite.
I will give this place two stars because the egusi and red stew was actually good. Things needing improvement: 1. Customer service - the service here is absolutely horrible. The place was empty, but she still seemed grumpy for me to pay $17/plate!! She was beyond annoyed to have one customer enter the otherwise empty and quiet restaurant. 2. Price does not align with meal - at $17/plate for egusi and three small chunks (literally a party wing for chicken) of cheap of meat, I will definitely not be a returning. Not only was the chicken and tripe tough, but she refused to add enough red stew to taste it with the meat. She seemed offended that I asked for a little extra sauce. Was told that she can't put any sauce on the meat. There are certainly other food West African places in Charlotte to patronize.
Every time I visit Charlotte I come here. We always get the Egusi soup with fufu. We also tried the cassava leaf stew this time. This is always the highlight of our trip right here-- practically what we come for. You can just tell it's made with love. The lady who works there is usually by herself running the show and she is absolutely killing it. We love love love the food and would 100/10 recommend to anyone wanting to try some real good authentic African food!! I had to leave this review. Not only because I'm craving it so much right now that I'm back in my hometown, but because this woman deserves a good review. She is clearly really hard working and dedicated. I wish her good fortune in business. If I could send Keith Lee to this place I would. She deserves all the customers. I can't wait to come back!!
I have been to this place a few times. The quality of the food is consistently on point. Upon entering the restaurant you'll find updated interior designs. The interior of the restaurant has tv's and music playing. I usually go for the egusi soup with pounded yam. It comes with three pieces of meat, chicken, beef, or tripe ( or all three). It's been very good every time that I've had it. My wife loves the jollof rice. It's served with a meat and fried plantain. My only issue with this place is that the menu prices don't reflect the actual prices. The egusi and pounded yam is $12 on the menu, but it actually cost $17. Something to be aware of. Despite the above issue I would recommend this place.
down for almost 3 months....Rude customer service and miserable staff how is this even a business... must be a joke the lady working behind the counter yelled at me and told me that i couldn't talk to anyone in the store after I purchased my food and told me I was not allowed back into the store because I was talking with another customer about the experience I encountered with being shorted on a party jollof rice I ordered. I ordered a party jollof and plantains and was only served 2 spoons of rice. But wanted to give me gravy for free I did NOT request for gravy I requested for rice! lol if that the case why notú charge me for the gravy instead of UNDER portioning me on the rice that I paid for. Under portioning and rude and I wouldn't advise any one to eat here! The police was called out because she refused to refund me and made me pay for my food before serving me and they advise me to file a claim through the BBB & file a claim through my bank which im going to do ! U were yelling at me I wasn't yelling at all I was calm until the police came ! I was never escorted out by the police ! I even sat outside to file a claim ! All of your reviews say the same thing UNDER portion and rude SCAM ! U won't be open long and GOD don't like ugly u will see ! U are a compulsive liar all ur customers can't be lying it's literally repetitive complaints about your restaurant in
Just nooooo!!! We walked in with another customer and we spoke to the lady behind the counter first!! She acted like we were bothering her. As other people have said, the lady with the locs is indeed very rude!! She was talking to us while walking away, having served herself and going to the back....seriously??!!! Most of the things were unavailable. The jollof rice had lumps and looked like it was old. We saw her making a plate with only 3 pieces of meat, yet that was a large! We would have tried this place if she wasn't so withdrawn and taken time to explain the menu. This was our first time here and needless to say, our last!
I gave one star because I have been to this place on multiple occasions. Each time I left slightly disatisfied. Today was the worst. I drove across town to get a dish (Akara) that she posted on Facebook this morning. When I arrived, I was informed by the gentleman behind the counter, that dish is only for special order. Disappointed, I explained that I don't eat meat. I was willing to purchase vegetables. He told me what was available. Okra Spinach Stew & Bean Stew. I asked for a bowl of each. He attempted to charge me $16 each because he claimed those dishes aren't sold separately, only with meat & other items. After a bit of arguing back & forth, he decided to sell me a bowl of the Bean Stew. But he charged me $4.99 instead of $3.99 listed on the menu. On Facebook I replied to the post with my complaint. I also sent a private message in attempt to get further clarification. The owner (I suppose) responded by accusing me of "not looking closely at the menu" for the disclaimer that prices are subject to change. She also accused me of "not looking closely at the Facebook post" where she encourages people to call for event catering. Nowhere in the post does it mention Akara is not on the menu. But who distributes a menu & charges more than what's listed? Is that legal. I don't want to do business with a place like this. Every time I have been there (3 or 4 times in the past 2 years) the place is empty. They never have any customers. Makes me wonder how they afford to stay open. I never post bad reviews. But the response to my questions by the owner regarding my experience today was despicable. The food is ok, if you're willing to pay an unreasonable amount of money. And the service is terrible. They basically say "What you see is what you get. Pay whatever we say, not what we advertise. And if you don't like it, go somewhere else." Mind you, none of the food looks appealing either. So if you've never had authentic East African food, NOTHING you find here will compel you to take a risk & try it. I'll never dine here again. And I'll never recommend this place either.
If you are a lover of international cuisine and haven't been to Cooking Pot yet, stop what you're doing, get in your car and head to East Independence Blvd. right now! A large group from my office visited for lunch on Wednesday, unsure what we were getting ourselves into. The owner, Esther, greeted us warmly and took the time to explain all the food. It's clear she loves her country and introducing diners to Nigerian cuisine. I really appreciated the time she took to explain jollof ("a party in Nigeria without this rice is just a meeting"), the right way to eat fufu ("place a piece on your spoon with soup and swallow; only newbies chew") and all the ingredients in moi-moi. As much as I wanted to try the fufu, the beautiful jollof rice and grass-fed beef in a tomato sauce/stew was too tempting. I told myself, "I'll get the fufu next time." But, it's going to be hard not to order the rice and meat combo every time. The rice is comforting and full of flavor. The beef was good but the real show stopper for me was the sauce it was in. Rich and hearty with layers and layers of flavor. If Nigeria has a comfort food, this has got to be it! In case all that wasn't enough, this "small" combo comes with a heaping portion of fried plantains. The Yelp world may not know this about me, but I am SUCH a sucker for plantains. And, these did not disappoint. No matter what I order on future visits, rest assured I will always be requesting a side of these plantains. The restaurant is beautiful and spotlessly clean. Tucked off East Independence Blvd. it can be a little tricky to find -- we actually got there from Conference Drive -- so use your GPS for help. Can't wait for my next visit to Esther's place!
Today was my second visit since 9 months ago. Before I wanted ordered the jolof rice but this time I sought out Egusi with fufu (yam style). I got two pieces of chicken and 1 beef since I didn't want any tripe. I like this meal better. It wasn't spicy much and I like the egusi a lot more. My meal on the last visit didn't include any type of veggie. I was worried it wasn't going to be enough of food based on photos I've seen of other patrons but it was plenty. The beef was well cooked. The chicken was a bit tough in places as it may have stayed heated too long. The owner served me right away as he noticed me at the counter. Afrobeats music videos played on the tv to keep it lively inside.
We were so excited about visiting this restaurant! And then we found it... (I hope these emoji's can be seen by all.) One word: Disappointed. I created this account just to share this review. Which by the way, made me even more upset when I saw the quality of my food vs. the pics/reviews of those that actually enjoyed their food/visit. See pics below. Shy $45 (for 3 plates)... The prices quoted were seemingly not the ones I saw listed on the menu photographed on Yelp (maybe a 5% tip was automatically added). Customer service was very poor. How can you carry on a conversation using your headphones and take 5 orders simultaneously? Then act like WE were getting on YOUR nerves asking questions... Wow. We had to inquire about each dish because the lighting over the food was very dim. I gave you 2 stars for the overall experience (first time eating fufu).
4 years ago
Was really empty and the food was reheated. However the lady was very friendly. I went in with an open mind and we decided to dine in. Perhaps due to a lack in customers, I felt the meat could have been more fresh. I had no idea what to expect when I got the egusi stew with the tri meat option. Definitely not for the faint of heart, but edible on my end. I would like to try more and I would be open to trying the cooking pot a second time. read more
4 years ago
Never had African food until today. I had no clue what to get, so the employee was very helpful in helping me decide. What I had was delicious, I got the beef. The spices were very flavorful and food piping hot. I will definitely be back. read more
4 years ago
Plenty Inside seating and parking outside. The lady behind the counter was very helpful with ordering the food. I ended with jollof and beef and chicken with side of plantain and Moi Moi. If anything, you have to try the moi moi. It's true, the moi moi was delicious and well done. It's my favorite! The jollof rice was definitely off and inconsistent at times with taste. This is fresh food, so don't expect same taste all the time, unless you want factory manufactured food. Definitely give this place a try and maybe you discover a new favorite. read more
2 years ago
6 years ago
I will give this place two stars because the egusi and red stew was actually good. Things needing improvement: 1. Customer service - the service here is absolutely horrible. The place was empty, but she still seemed grumpy for me to pay $17/plate!! She was beyond annoyed to have one customer enter the otherwise empty and quiet restaurant. 2. Price does not align with meal - at $17/plate for egusi and three small chunks (literally a party wing for chicken) of cheap of meat, I will definitely not be a returning. Not only was the chicken and tripe tough, but she refused to add enough red stew to taste it with the meat. She seemed offended that I asked for a little extra sauce. Was told that she can't put any sauce on the meat. There are certainly other food West African places in Charlotte to patronize. read more
4 years ago
Every time I visit Charlotte I come here. We always get the Egusi soup with fufu. We also tried the cassava leaf stew this time. This is always the highlight of our trip right here-- practically what we come for. You can just tell it's made with love. The lady who works there is usually by herself running the show and she is absolutely killing it. We love love love the food and would 100/10 recommend to anyone wanting to try some real good authentic African food!! I had to leave this review. Not only because I'm craving it so much right now that I'm back in my hometown, but because this woman deserves a good review. She is clearly really hard working and dedicated. I wish her good fortune in business. If I could send Keith Lee to this place I would. She deserves all the customers. I can't wait to come back!! read more
6 years ago
I have been to this place a few times. The quality of the food is consistently on point. Upon entering the restaurant you'll find updated interior designs. The interior of the restaurant has tv's and music playing. I usually go for the egusi soup with pounded yam. It comes with three pieces of meat, chicken, beef, or tripe ( or all three). It's been very good every time that I've had it. My wife loves the jollof rice. It's served with a meat and fried plantain. My only issue with this place is that the menu prices don't reflect the actual prices. The egusi and pounded yam is $12 on the menu, but it actually cost $17. Something to be aware of. Despite the above issue I would recommend this place. read more
3 years ago
2 years ago
down for almost 3 months....Rude customer service and miserable staff how is this even a business... must be a joke the lady working behind the counter yelled at me and told me that i couldn't talk to anyone in the store after I purchased my food and told me I was not allowed back into the store because I was talking with another customer about the experience I encountered with being shorted on a party jollof rice I ordered. I ordered a party jollof and plantains and was only served 2 spoons of rice. But wanted to give me gravy for free I did NOT request for gravy I requested for rice! lol if that the case why notú charge me for the gravy instead of UNDER portioning me on the rice that I paid for. Under portioning and rude and I wouldn't advise any one to eat here! The police was called out because she refused to refund me and made me pay for my food before serving me and they advise me to file a claim through the BBB & file a claim through my bank which im going to do ! U were yelling at me I wasn't yelling at all I was calm until the police came ! I was never escorted out by the police ! I even sat outside to file a claim ! All of your reviews say the same thing UNDER portion and rude SCAM ! U won't be open long and GOD don't like ugly u will see ! U are a compulsive liar all ur customers can't be lying it's literally repetitive complaints about your restaurant in read more
8 years ago
Just nooooo!!! We walked in with another customer and we spoke to the lady behind the counter first!! She acted like we were bothering her. As other people have said, the lady with the locs is indeed very rude!! She was talking to us while walking away, having served herself and going to the back....seriously??!!! Most of the things were unavailable. The jollof rice had lumps and looked like it was old. We saw her making a plate with only 3 pieces of meat, yet that was a large! We would have tried this place if she wasn't so withdrawn and taken time to explain the menu. This was our first time here and needless to say, our last! read more
7 years ago
I gave one star because I have been to this place on multiple occasions. Each time I left slightly disatisfied. Today was the worst. I drove across town to get a dish (Akara) that she posted on Facebook this morning. When I arrived, I was informed by the gentleman behind the counter, that dish is only for special order. Disappointed, I explained that I don't eat meat. I was willing to purchase vegetables. He told me what was available. Okra Spinach Stew & Bean Stew. I asked for a bowl of each. He attempted to charge me $16 each because he claimed those dishes aren't sold separately, only with meat & other items. After a bit of arguing back & forth, he decided to sell me a bowl of the Bean Stew. But he charged me $4.99 instead of $3.99 listed on the menu. On Facebook I replied to the post with my complaint. I also sent a private message in attempt to get further clarification. The owner (I suppose) responded by accusing me of "not looking closely at the menu" for the disclaimer that prices are subject to change. She also accused me of "not looking closely at the Facebook post" where she encourages people to call for event catering. Nowhere in the post does it mention Akara is not on the menu. But who distributes a menu & charges more than what's listed? Is that legal. I don't want to do business with a place like this. Every time I have been there (3 or 4 times in the past 2 years) the place is empty. They never have any customers. Makes me wonder how they afford to stay open. I never post bad reviews. But the response to my questions by the owner regarding my experience today was despicable. The food is ok, if you're willing to pay an unreasonable amount of money. And the service is terrible. They basically say "What you see is what you get. Pay whatever we say, not what we advertise. And if you don't like it, go somewhere else." Mind you, none of the food looks appealing either. So if you've never had authentic East African food, NOTHING you find here will compel you to take a risk & try it. I'll never dine here again. And I'll never recommend this place either. read more
If you are a lover of international cuisine and haven't been to Cooking Pot yet, stop what you're doing, get in your car and head to East Independence Blvd. right now! A large group from my office visited for lunch on Wednesday, unsure what we were getting ourselves into. The owner, Esther, greeted us warmly and took the time to explain all the food. It's clear she loves her country and introducing diners to Nigerian cuisine. I really appreciated the time she took to explain jollof ("a party in Nigeria without this rice is just a meeting"), the right way to eat fufu ("place a piece on your spoon with soup and swallow; only newbies chew") and all the ingredients in moi-moi. As much as I wanted to try the fufu, the beautiful jollof rice and grass-fed beef in a tomato sauce/stew was too tempting. I told myself, "I'll get the fufu next time." But, it's going to be hard not to order the rice and meat combo every time. The rice is comforting and full of flavor. The beef was good but the real show stopper for me was the sauce it was in. Rich and hearty with layers and layers of flavor. If Nigeria has a comfort food, this has got to be it! In case all that wasn't enough, this "small" combo comes with a heaping portion of fried plantains. The Yelp world may not know this about me, but I am SUCH a sucker for plantains. And, these did not disappoint. No matter what I order on future visits, rest assured I will always be requesting a side of these plantains. The restaurant is beautiful and spotlessly clean. Tucked off East Independence Blvd. it can be a little tricky to find -- we actually got there from Conference Drive -- so use your GPS for help. Can't wait for my next visit to Esther's place! read more
Today was my second visit since 9 months ago. Before I wanted ordered the jolof rice but this time I sought out Egusi with fufu (yam style). I got two pieces of chicken and 1 beef since I didn't want any tripe. I like this meal better. It wasn't spicy much and I like the egusi a lot more. My meal on the last visit didn't include any type of veggie. I was worried it wasn't going to be enough of food based on photos I've seen of other patrons but it was plenty. The beef was well cooked. The chicken was a bit tough in places as it may have stayed heated too long. The owner served me right away as he noticed me at the counter. Afrobeats music videos played on the tv to keep it lively inside. read more
6 years ago
We were so excited about visiting this restaurant! And then we found it... (I hope these emoji's can be seen by all.) One word: Disappointed. I created this account just to share this review. Which by the way, made me even more upset when I saw the quality of my food vs. the pics/reviews of those that actually enjoyed their food/visit. See pics below. Shy $45 (for 3 plates)... The prices quoted were seemingly not the ones I saw listed on the menu photographed on Yelp (maybe a 5% tip was automatically added). Customer service was very poor. How can you carry on a conversation using your headphones and take 5 orders simultaneously? Then act like WE were getting on YOUR nerves asking questions... Wow. We had to inquire about each dish because the lighting over the food was very dim. I gave you 2 stars for the overall experience (first time eating fufu). read more
4 years ago
3 years ago
Decor was upscale. Restrooms were very tidy and clean. We enjoy trying new cultures cuisines and this would be our first to try African. I must say, it's really tasty. I especially enjoy their Jollof rice and plantain. The fried mackerel looked really appealing. I'll save it for next time. The seasoning is similar to Cajun. Very spacious restaurant and I'm very surprised at the location. If it wasn't for is wanting to try something new, we probably wouldn't have stopped in. I must say though, it was 7pm and they close at 9pm, their menu shows more items which wasn't available to us. Maybe I'll stop by and update this review after I do. Do try them out. read more
3 years ago
6 years ago
I had the moi moi and egusi sauce, traditionally these are not typically eaten together, but hey. .. that's what I wanted. Boy, am I glad I did. The food is aunthetic and delicious. The ambiance is nice, though casual. Certain items are available daily, but may want to call ahead if you're itching for a specific dish your grandma' sister's neighbor's best friend made. read more
5 years ago
One of my favorite places to go. The cassava leaf stew is the best. Every time I go I make sure to get two orders of it read more
8 years ago
The food was amazing if you don't like spicy beware, I got the egusi soup with chicken and beef with pounded yam. They gave me some nut thingy they sweet kinda than very spicy. Plantains are amazing. read more
7 years ago
10 years ago
4 years ago
9 years ago
A friend from Lagos recommended I try some Nigerian food. So, I lucked up a found this place 5 minites from my house. It was meant to be. The jollof rice was everything I heard it would be. The beef was delicious, although the chicken was very dry. I know next time to get an extra order of plantain. They were amazing. I also got a side of shaki to have with the rest of my rice. I will be back. read more
7 years ago
8 years ago
This was by far the best african food i have had. I read the reviews before going and to be honest i think they are wrong. This is the true african culture coming to life on your plate. The jollof rice, chicken and plantains were amazing. So much flavor. Cooked with true culture. The only thing i can tell you is to go and experience it for yourself. The owners are not mean and they are very humble and sweet. They care. I looooved this place!! The restuarant was clean and decorated to help you better experience yhe African culture! read more
7 years ago
8 years ago
The excitement of something new and international, with the complements of a warm and friendly grace, offered a meal that is not easily forgotten. The office's lunch bunch group wandered our way to Cooking Pot and found a dazzling gem hidden in the dust and grime of Independence Blvd. We arrived early and were quickly greeted by the owner, Esther. Sweet and silly, she guided us down the line of all her offerings. She tells us jullof rice is a staple in Nigeria and that "a party without jullof rice is not a party, it's just a meeting!" Loved her from that moment on and of course I had to try the jullof rice! I opted for the $0.75 up-charge to get half jullof and half "regular" rice. The "regular" rice - not so regular after all! Both delicious and simmering in flavor! I picked the beef stewed in tomato sauce (choice of fish and chicken are also available) which was poured over the bed of rice and squeezed beside a side of plantains. Not only did every dish radiate flavor and happiness, Cooking Pot is incredibly reasonably priced with a hefty portion to devour! Thank you Ms. Esther. This will be a new regular stop for our office lunch! read more
5 years ago
10 years ago
That's what I'm talking about! #Delicious. Got the small plate: rice, melt in your mouth #chicken, and plantains. #thecookingpot #falcorwine read more
9 years ago
Page 1 of 2
