This spot is closed. Drove by there this morning and everything is gone. Restaurant is empty! Did they move?

Came to Vonda's because I was craving some fried fish. I chose this spot because it had the most reviews. The place was very clean and wasn't crowded however my order about 25 min to come out. With this long a wait time I was expecting this meal to be amazing. My cornbread was cold and the fish wasn't flavorful. The Mac and cheese was above average; the yams where the best thing on the plate. I will try one more time because I believe everyone has a subpar performance to see if this is a constant issue. read more

Vonda's Kitchen - Fried whiting sides of Mac and cheese and yams with the complimentary cornbread - Soul Food Near Me - Newark, New Jersey

Probably would've been a good idea to update the site or yelp page that they were closed for repairs for a week before I came all the way here in pouring rain read more

This was a first time for all of us having this kind of food and we really liked it. The people were so nice and helped us figure out what to order. I've got to be honest, some of it tasted a little weird for me, but most of it was soooooo good! We will be back! read more

As usual I'm always happy when I leave here. The catfish was fried perfectly, the grits with parmesan were superbly creamy and the strawberry lemonade is always thirst quenching. A must go to place!!! read more

Food is awesome and the restaurant is very comfortable with great staff members. Tried out their breakfast and will definitely be back for their dinner menu. read more

I was there for late lunch on Saturday with a large group including adults and kids. I was immediately impressed with the Afrocentric artwork on walls, the ambiance, and the friendliness of the staff. We were treated to a stirring rendition of a spiritual song by visiting gospel singer. She was brilliant and enhanced the overall experience while we sipped lemonade and ginger lemonade. We then placed our lunch orders and received baskets of delicious corn bread. I ordered oxtails over rice and beans with green beans, collard greens, and cabbage. Good thing I was saving room starting the day before! The texture and taste of the oxtails was amazing. The portion size was just perfect. Others around the table seemed very happy with their meals as well. Vonda's has it all down-home atmosphere, great food, reasonable prices, pleasant service. I look forward to eating at Vonda's again. Not to be missed if you're in the area! read more

Vonda's Kitchen - Vonda's - Artwork for sale on display - Soul Food Near Me - Newark, New Jersey

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I ate here and enjoyed will be going back again I had breakfast scramble eggs with cheese home fried potatoes with fried whitings fish.

We were in, out, and well fed in under 30 minutes! The food was served quickly and was delicious. We had the fried whiting, collard greens, and yams for one order, and smothered turkey wings with rice, mac and cheese and collard/cabbage combo dishes and side dishes. The door was flavorful but not greasy. The fish was breaded and fried perfectly. read more

I love my soul food places. It's all about the sides. I had the fish and grits breakfast.They have the best grits, and I have tasted many. It was very nice to see the owner there. I will be returning often I have to try everything on the menu. read more

I've been to Vonda's three times; one time eat-in and twice for take out. Eat-in experience: they were out of several of the menu items offered but, I finally was able to put a meal together and it was good. Take out was the delicious Veggie Soul roll! :)) mmmm mmmm good! On a lesser note Customer service could be better. I do hope Vonda reads these reviews on her business. For now I will stick to take out. 2 stars due to the Customer Service read more

Good variety. Spinach ricotta pancakes were outstanding. Great service and price points

Can't wait to visit New Jersey again! This will be my first stop. I had the Oxtails, rice, cabbage and a side of mac n cheese. Delish! My friend had the catfish dinner. Big portions and fried to perfection taste like it's straight out of grandma's kitchen. read more

The service was awful we waited 40 min when the lady told us ten then they finally realized they never made the order went into a huddle then told us to come back for it u think i went back...... read more

Vonda's Kitchen - Just me - Soul Food Near Me - Newark, New Jersey

While visiting friends locally in Newark, I have ordered many times through GrubHub. The Food is Good when I can get what I want. Too many times I have wanted and ordered the Peach Cobbler, the order goes through and then I get a call saying we don't have that item today and you are left with choosing something else. I don't want something else, I WANT peach cobbler. If you don't take some other desert then you have to call Grubhub and make a change to the order to get your money back. If you don't have something TAKE IT OFF the menu. As much as I may like the food, I can't and won't put up with this kind of POOR CUSTOMER SERVICE. Many may over look this as a small item but I can't and thus I am NEVER going to order from this business again since I gave them MULTIPLE chances to get it right at all times of the day, even when they first OPEN for the day. AGAIN, if you DON'T HAVE an ITEM, take if OFF the MENU!!! Good FOOD, Poor Customer Service read more

The food tastes like your Mama fixed you a plate (if your Mama could cook) because you 'looked' hungry!! They serve breakfast ALL DAY, and it is so worth the trip!! The fish and grits gave me such joy in my life and the service was absolutely perfect!! Don't miss this one, you'll regret it if you do! read more

Vonda's Kitchen - Seasoned like it should be, fish was tender, moist and crispy on the outside. The grits were creamy, home fries were soooooo good!! - Soul Food Near Me - Newark, New Jersey

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Today was my second visit to Vonda's. I start off by saying that it's nice to see an African American established thriving! This restaurant is clean, the decor nice, and overall the atmosphere was inviting. My first visit was with a friend (due to a yelp search) and I had two takeout orders of the meatloaf (for hubby and me), sweet potato cheesecake, and the ginger lemonade. All was pretty good. As others have stated the mac and cheese is very good. My second visit was today and I ordered the tilapia, mac and cheese, and garlic string beans. Again good but I'll make this one side note regarding the take out experience - I think the portions are a little small. I've noticed that if you are eating in you receive a full portion but for takeout orders - not so much. Plus had I known that I would receive only one small little piece of tilapia I might have ordered something else. Knowing that this is a business where the goal is to make a profit, as a customer I would be happy to spend a couple of dollars more in order to feel full. But I digress... One the positive side, my husband ordered the honey dipped fried chicken (which I wish that I had ordered) salad and BOY OH BOY it was really good. Chicken, beef bacon (which made the dish), cheese, tomatoes and romaine lettuce - whew I was jealous! Overall both experiences have been pleasant and I suggest that you try for yourself. read more

Today I had the WORST experience in a restaurant, Vonda's Kitchen. Walking into the place should have made me turn around. If my sneakers were not tied on they would have come off my feet! The floor was so sticky it felt like someone mopped the floor with sugar water. The young lady who served us was dirty. If you are a server, serve and stay out of the kitchen. Her shirt had so many stains on it and she didn't look clean. The salt and pepper shakers were so sticky that I had to use a paper towel to hold them and screw the tops off to use them!!!! Just because we can take our masks off doesn't mean you don't have to disinfect the tables after each customer leaves a table, especially since you have to wait to be seated. For $15 for breakfast, I didn't appreciate being served grits in a chipped cup or my other food in a plastic plate. People go out and eat to have a good experience and comfort food. You don't get that there. I know the pandemic hit a lot of restaurants hard but that is no excuse for the paltry amount of food you get for the money you pay. I ordered the catfish w/ grits breakfast. When the server brought me my plate, I would have walk right out of there but my "homie" said " No, just don't come back." Menu said catfish, Parmesan grits, 2 slices of toast and potatoes $15.00. That alone was too high for breakfast when coffee is extra, $1.49 for a cup and my friend's little mason jar of Uptown tea was $4.00. We received 1 piece of catfish, it looked like the cook took 1 catfish, split it and gave us each a piece. The toast was 1 slice of bread cut in half to give you "2 slices". The potatoes were cut so thin that the pieces had no potato inside, just "greasy" skin like squares. I understand the restaurant is trying to make a comeback after the pandemic but serving such small amounts of food and over pricing isn't the way to do it. Haven't you ever heard of Getting your money's worth? You get more returning customers when they are satisfied than when disappointed. I can judge Vonda's Kitchen because I have been there on more than one occasion. I've been there approximately three five times and each time I say "Just give it another try" because it was a new restaurant in the "hood" but no more. Between the dirty atmosphere and the small serving size it's not worth the trip. You know how you can eat Chinese food and wonder if you had eaten after a hour later; Vonda's Kitchen is way worst. Not only does your stomach feel empty, so is your pocket. The servings are so small you have to buy extras to feel like you had a meal. Two fish w/grits orders, one coffee and 1 Uptown tea cost $40. For $40 you'd think you would have a doggie bag. No way. This place is going to the dog's read more

I can eat Vonda's everyday except Monday's cuz they don't open lol!! Really great chicken and waffle. Mac and cheese is bomb.

We are from California visiting Newark. By far Vonda's is one of the best eateries for soul food. We had a variety off of the menu from Grits, collard greens, mac n cheese, chicken, waffles, biscuits and gravy, and French toast. It was all delicious and filling! And it was the one place there was actually parking. The hospitality was great. Vonda is a great cook! Can't say enough. Gotta visit this place if you have never been. I grew up on soul food and it beats some of the places in California hands down. read more

Vonda's Kitchen - Omelette speaks for itself :) - Soul Food Near Me - Newark, New Jersey

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Went around 10am,Nice and empty ,parking on the street which wasn't bad at the time but I can see being a problem if it was rush hour.Now to the food I had the Balckend Whiting ,grits ,eggs and cheese,also tried the French toast,The Fish was well seasoned, Grits was really good and French Toast was on Wheat bread and very good Banana Walnut, Overall Nice place but go early! read more

Vonda's Kitchen - Soul Food Near Me - Newark, New Jersey

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I don't believe the bad reviews at all. I've been here more times than I'd like to admit! Blackend catfish with collards oh my God is it good! The mac and cheese will be the best you ever had! Fried catfish has a great light not greesy crispy coating...seriously the best place around. Vonda's Kitchen is nicely decorated, serves their drinks in mason jars and is super clean with a wall of glass you can see into the kitchen. DON'T BELIEVE the bogus bad reviews ...they simply aren't true! read more

This week i decided to only support BLACK OWNED RESTAURANTS! Yesterday i ordered from @vondaskitchen and there was a slight hiccup with the delivery platform . Ms. Vonda reached out to me HERSELF and rectified the situation delivering my food today. THANK YOU for the amazing customer service you have gained Yourself a loyal customer - As well as being the owner of @atelias_virtual_assistants i would like to offer you a week free of our services to help grow and promote your business better on social media platforms! Please call me and lets set up a consultation read more

Delicious! Too bad they don't deliver. Their grits are perfection. Great menu options.

Best place in Newark for soul food! I remember going there once and waited in line behind Mayor Ras Baraka!

The atmosphere is very warm and nice. The food is just "ok". I had an omelette and my friend got the French toast. The food is nothing to die for but I'll do. The customers service was very welcoming. read more

Vonda's Kitchen - Omelet - Soul Food Near Me - Newark, New Jersey

Came to Vonda's by the recommendation of a friend. I was surprised how big the seating area is. I love all of the abstract and colorful art on the wall. Everything looked extremely clean and I love that there's a window to see straight into the kitchen. The service was beautiful and the food was even better. I got the smothered turkey wings with sautéed spinach and collard greens. My friend got fried chicken wings with candied yams and Mac and cheese. Another friend for friend catfish with garlic string beans and black beans and rice. Everything was sooo good! But the best was definitely the candied yams, turkey wings and catfish! Oh and the strawberry lemonade! Now that I know Vonda's is here, I'll be back many times! read more

Vonda's Kitchen - Smothered turkey wings over rice with collard greens and sautéed spinach. - Soul Food Near Me - Newark, New Jersey

I was greeted upon arrival by many of the staff members. They made me feel welcomed and provided great service. Once I got the menu I wasn't sure what to order everything looked so good. I decided to go with a healthy choice although I really wanted fish and grits. I was very satisfied with my food choice. I look forward to coming back and trying the dinner menu. read more

Vonda's Kitchen - Egg White Omlet - Soul Food Near Me - Newark, New Jersey

Came here to eat to by pass the time. Great food and great staff. I ordered a sausage egg and cheese on a roll. It was very good. My girlfriend got a classic egg panini and she enjoyed it as well. I would definitely recommend this place to anybody in the neighborhood. Great culture and decor also!!! read more

Ordered the Catfish dinner and got 1 piece of catfish, me and my wife. For the price, should have gotten more. Shame tho, food was good. First and last time until something improves. read more

Now this is SOULFOOD!!! mac and cheese, potato salad,collards, cabbage, yams, fried fish, chicken, smothered short ribs, oxtails, fried chicken salad ALL REALLY Really GOOD. I come here every other sunday after church and haven't been disappointed yet read more

The food has no taste, mac and cheese was dry with no taste, and I'm pretty sure the collards are from the can.. I definitely have had wayyy better soul food read more

Service at Vonda's cannot be beat. The staff is both friendly and genuine. The food was good overall, but the standout was the roasted string beans. The BBQ sauce was a little tart and the rice a tad underdone, but neither enough so as to take away from the rest of the meal. Also to be had is the delicious cornbread. read more

I strongly recommend anyone in or near the City of Newark to venture into a little spot called Vonda's Kitchen. If you're looking for quality souls food, this is the place to come. I encourage my friends to get past any concerns they may have about coming to Newark...you won't be disappointed! TRUST ME!!! read more

Be prepared to wait. Service is slow but the food is delicious. A lot of familiar southern favorites but with a twist. The restaurant is clean, bright, and airy and you're always greeted at the door. I've only eaten here for breakfast/brunch and everything was on point - the cheese grits, ssalmon cakes, hash sliders, fried fish...I'm going to eat my way through the entire menu! read more

In town for a graduation - it's been a while since I've eaten at an establishment In Newark....We gave it a try based on yelp reviews... we were not disappointed. Walked in at 9:20 am on a Friday - seating was open. Our waitress Barbara was very friend and attentive. The place has nice decor, clean and nice restrooms. Food was really good. read more

Delicious and Personable!!!! I had shrimp and grits, YUMMY! Hubby had fish and grits. Fish was lightly fried and cooked to order. We didn't wait long at all. Our waitress, Barbara, was 5-Star too! read more

DISCLAIMER: THIS IS A TO-GO ORDER REVIEW: The food is very good here. I went on two different occasions with very different experiences. On my first experience, I ordered for pick up on a Sunday afternoon. It was extremely busy and took almost an hour and a half to get our food, albeit the staff was very nice and the food was still hot. The second time I went was for pick up on a Wednesday evening. Everything went seamlessly. The food was splendid each time. I would recommend, if you want a nice soul food experience, but expect a wait on the weekends, pick up or not. read more

I had the lightly fried whiting with macaroni and collard greens. I would have to rate the macaroni 3 on a scale of 1-5. It lacked some seasoning and was extremely oily. I would rate everything else a 5. Each guest is served warm cornbread when they eat-in and it is to die for! The reason that I gave 4 stars is because we were shuffled around the store until they found permanent seating for us and there was only one server/waitress (Extremely communicative, friendly and funny) who cleaned the tables around us before taking our order. It's a small restaurant so you can see all activity. We waited almost 20 minutes before our order taken. Apart from that, we all loved our food and agreed to return. read more

Great wholesome soul and traditional foods made to order abundant menu good atmosphere in the heart of Newark love it