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

The Cooking Pot - African Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

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

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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

The Cooking Pot - Inside - African Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

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The food was good, but they also don't deliver to 2700 World Cup.It would be so much easier.I'm in a nursing home and I can't get to this right read more

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

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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

The Cooking Pot - Egusi with party wing chicken , tripe, and beef. - African Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

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

The Cooking Pot - African Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

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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

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Food expensive but worth it whenever you decide to spoil yourself. Customer service is in all that.

Good takeout for the area. Need to try more things on the menu! Egusi soup was OK. read more

Came to this restaurant and tried the Egusi soup for the first time it was so delicious I definitely plan on going back since it's right up the street from me and they specialize in western African dishes and I look to get their casably suit as that is one of my favorite western African dishes I highly recommend this location and I think you may want to bring a mask as the last time I went they had a sign that stated you are not allowed in the restaurant unless you wear a mask and this is as of July 2023 read more

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

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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

The Cooking Pot - African Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

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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

The Cooking Pot - Jollof (seasoned rice) with grass fed beef (in the most amazing tomato based sauce) and plantains. Yum! - African Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

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

The Cooking Pot - Jollof combination plate - African Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

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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

The Cooking Pot - Fufu/Egusi/Beef/Chicken - African Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

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Gosh! We went because of the reviews and it was awful! The only good thing in this gloomy mostly vacant restaurant was the bottled beer. The Jollof Rice with beef was dry rice with tough hunks of beef, which were not obviously beef. Hard to determine. Having been in parts of Africa, like Ethiopia, Ghana, Nigeria, Botswana and South Africa I have experienced authentic African food. The Cooking Pot has the right ingredients, but they don't put them together in the savory, well-cooked manner of the natives. To that point the goat meat, a staple across Africa was terrible. What is going on here? Don't ask me to try again. My wife and I were terribly disappointed. read more

They do business backward at this place. You can never just come and eat or get your food here, It has to be a long drawn out process. If you order at the counter it's an automatic 30 minutes to an hour wait. The man that works at the front counter is rude and just not about customer satisfaction. His tone is too harsh and critical. It sad because I really want to like and support this place. Try it at your own risk read more

The food is good but the service is HORRIBLE! There is always one person working and she's on her phone the entire time and makes you feel like a bother. It's really sad considering we drove super far to get her food and both times the service was piss pore. Not to mention the location. It's not a safe area. read more

The food was amazing and the service was great! The owner showed us how to eat fufu as newcomers and gave us a bunch of cultural background on the dishes. Overall a great experience and one of the better meals I've had in the Charlotte area! read more

Absolutely great. I explained to her ive never eaten anything like this. She hooked me up. She said spicy? I said i like spice. And bam.

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

The Cooking Pot - Beef, chicken Jollof rice with fried plantains. - African Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

The food was too spicy even the kids meals and the prices on their menu/ website is not the prices they ring you up for. When I received my bill It was $90 for four fufu and red stew (no plantains, okra,etc...) just yam and sauce and four water came out to $90+ dollars when asked about the drastic price jump the lady stated that they changed their prices and had not updated the website nor had any menus to show us proof of the price she rung up. We paid and left and I will NEVER RETURN. My family was the only one present at the time and we still never received refills on our drinks nor were we checked on by the server. $90 for Bullshit service and too hot of food. read more

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

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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

The Cooking Pot - Cassava leaf stew and fufu - African Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

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

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I enjoyed the plantains. They had a nice flavor to them. I didn't like the fact that half of them weee drenched in the beef sauce. The guy that took my order wasn't pleasant at all. I explained to him that I was a first time customer and he gave me a menu. No recommendations, no smile, no type of encouragement at all. I really wanted the fish but $10.99 for one piece and no sides wasn't a good buy in my opinion. Def wouldn't return. read more

A little off the beaten path, but more than worth the effort! This is a one-of-kind restaurant for Charlotte and a must if you like new ethnic/cultural cuisine. After some help from the gentleman working the register, since I really had no idea what anything was, I ended up with jollof rice, ox tail, and plantains. Serving size was plentiful, and not to mention, delicious and pretty inexpensive. There are plenty of other dishes to choose from. Get yourself over here! read more

The food is very very good, I ordered a big pan of Jollof Rice for my husband party and everyone loved it. I wish they would give you more for the price. My husband and I been there many times but we slowed down because of the quality of the food we received after the prices was raised. I know thats every where since the Covid came. I'm glad the young lady is back because she is so friendly and her hospitality is amazing. We will go back to eat again. You have to go and get the Egusi Soup and fufu and the Jollof Rice and Goat Meat read more

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

The Cooking Pot - Shaki and jollof rice w/chicken and beef w/a side of plantain. - African Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

Do not waste the time or money. Terrible experience was sick for 2 days after eating here. On top of that while there i saw several roaches crawling around. And was not happy with any of my experiences at this establishment. read more

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

The Cooking Pot - Jollof rice and plantains - African Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

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stood around waiting for 5 mins to greet me and get food. Had to leave because they were so rude and didn't acknowledge me. Never going there again read more

I will start by saying that the restaurant was very clean. Behind the counter, there was a lady on the phone who took our order. She was very neat, dreadlocks, mid thirties but a bit standoffish... -I thought the idea was to give customers a reason to come back. We waited on her to have a personal conversation, to laugh and talk, then place the caller on speaker before she took our order, then money. It was a bit later that she placed the already prepared food from behind the glass, into containers. -$24.00 for two plates of jollof rice with beef choice of meat. The main problem is there was only 1 piece of meat on each plate vs. the 3 per plate that was paid for. So instead of beef, there were 8 pieces of plantain covered in the smallest amount of pepper soup that we've ever seen! Yep, she purposely swapped out the beef for plantain, because who covers plantain in pepper soup? We were furious, but it goes to show that clearly these owners can't possibly value their business nor repeat customers. I advise customers to watch the staff make your plate if you order food to go, or check it before you leave. We unfortunately sat down while she prepared our to go order. Again, supposedly we had beef but it was plantain disguised as beef. Shame on the Cooking Pot! After making sure that you in fact get the meat you ordered, make sure that you get actual soup on your meat. In America, we call this sauce ...but anyhow make sure they give it to you because it's where all of the flavor is. Take home message: I wouldn't advise wasting your time and money here. Who needs trickery concerning what you eat? In closing, our dear friends are Yoruba Tribe (Nigerian) and the others are Igbo. I know what we had here was make believe "Authentic African food". We've had much better food for free, from our friend's kitchen(s). *Thanks YELP read more

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

The Cooking Pot - Beef over a bed of Half Jullof, half "regular" rice and a side of plantains! - African Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

This place is good.. food was way better than I thought. Had the chicken rice combo, will definitely come back again. You won't be disappointed read more

I've been going to the Cooking Pot for a few years now but I think I've finally had enough. I always get the egusi soup with fufu and it's great every time, minus the overcooked chicken. My reason for discontinuing my patronage here is the terrible service. I walked into the restaurant and instead of being greeted I was met with stares from the women behind the counter. I, being the polite person I am, greeted them and they barely spoke back. A lady with dreads just walked to the back. The other woman then literally said "Do you want something?" Like..... uh duh, I'm coming to order food, TF. Usually I get a pleasant experience when the guy who works is there, he's always been polite to me. However I refuse to continue to spend my money somewhere that they act like I'm some kind of nuisance for placing an order. As I was waiting for my order, the woman with dreads came back to the front, she was rolling her eyes while taking an order over the phone. I guess annoyed because the woman (who was on speakerphone) had questions about the selection of fish available and the price. How is a business run like this!? There is another West African restaurant that is pretty good in Charlotte that I will go to, and the prices are more reasonable and I can get fish with the egusi soup and not be overcharged. The menu here is very limited, seems like everything is a la carte. read more

We went to visit a hour before closing but even so the service was great. We got stewed beef, oxtails, plantains and rice jollof yummmm! Everything was great place has nice decor and is very clean. read more

The Cooking Pot - Nice decor, food was delicious!! - African Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

I went here with my boyfriend and some really great mackerel, jollof rice, and plantains. The service was great and the hibiscus juice was great! read more

The food is fire and they helped us navigate the menu! Would definitely go back and suggest ordering beef chicken combo !!!