I really enjoyed my visit to Vonda's Kitchen, and the only reason I have to take a star off is because of the slow service. On a Sunday afternoon, you can imagine just how packed this place was and despite that, I still decided to dine in. I must admit, I am so happy I did. The food was extremely good! After going back and forth between breakfast and dinner, I finally decided to go with a dinner entree. For my meal, I had the catfish with two sides - mac and cheese & potato salad. OWWWW, it was SO good and flavorful. The mac was just as cheesy as it should be and the potato salad was made to perfection. Nothing says soul food than like feeling like you're back at your family's house for a Thanksgiving dinner and this is just how Vonda's Kitchen made me feel. The establishment is clean, you're given big portions for the price you pay and although the service is slow, the food certainly makes up for that. Vonda's Kitchen has earned a loyal customer. read more

Vonda's Kitchen - Catfish with two sides, Macaroni and Cheese and Potato Salad - Soul Food Near Me - Newark, New Jersey

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5 stars is not enough! We came here after picking up a relative from the Newark airport. Zero regrets. Would come back here a million times over. Clearly all the locals do because it was packed with a lot of pick up orders going out the door as well. So worth the wait for a table! All of the food was so good. The chicken and waffles are the best I have had in a long long time. The chicken was perfectly fried so it was flavorful and juicy. The waffle. The waffle folks. It was so delicious I was trying to steal the waffle from my other dining companion. It was the perfect level of savory with both lovely pull and crispy that it was just heaven in a bite and when combined with the syrup was just the right balance of savory and sweet. Heavenly. Do yourself a favor and eat here ASAP and get the waffle! read more

Vonda's Kitchen catered an event for my family member, and the food was out of this world! Fried chicken, potato salad, yams, whiting fish and cabbage! Everything I put in my mouth was SO GOOD, that I just had to visit her restaurant. Since I had already tried a few items from her dinner menu, I decided to pop in for brunch. I went on a Sunday around 11am and was immediately greeted as soon as I walked in. If you're looking for good ol' southern hospitality, look no further! The restaurant is really small, but we were lucky enough to get a table just minutes before the Sunday brunch rush! The waitress was attentive and extremely pleasant. Vonda came out several times to greet her guest and was friendly and funny as ever! The brunch was just okay. Everything was presented well, but for some reason the food wasn't hot. During our visit, Governor Phil Murphy came in to dine, followed by Senator Cory Booker! I think their appearances may have played apart in the room temperature food as they drew tons of attention. I had the fried chicken and waffles and I wasn't that impressed by it. The waffle was extremely thick and chewy, and the chicken was way over cooked & dry. My moms fried fish was amazing, but her home fries were cold- delicious as ever but cold! Again, I blame Phil Murphy and Cory Booker LOL! Although I can't rant and rave about the brunch, I can sure as heck testify about dinner! It's ALL good! Oh, and that fresh brewed sweet tea is worth more than gold! Visit Vonda's! read more

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Vonda's kitchen may be a little tricky to find, but you know you're in the right area if you're near the JFK recreation center. This is delicious hometown cooking, straight from the heart. It's a great place for brunch! :-) read more

I'm going to be honest, we were very underwhelmed with our experience at Vonda's. I was expecting it to be a lot better because we heard so much about it. Maybe we came on an off day? The staff is great and friendly, restaurant wasn't too crowded and it was clean. But let's talk about what's important, the food! We ordered: - Fried Catfish: 10/10 stars - Shrimp & Grits: 5/10 stars - Fried Chicken with Collard Greens and Mac & Cheese: 5/10 stars - Peach Cobbler: 1/10 stars - Cornbread: 10/10 stars Out of everything the Catfish was by far the best part of the meal. That is worth the hype, perfectly seasoned and crispy. Highly recommend. The Shrimp & Grits were greasy, the tails were still on and the shrimp itself was overcooked and rubbery. Fried Chicken wasn't crispy enough and tasted very bland, it tasted like they just seasoned the skin and not the chicken itself. The collard greens needed salt. The mac and cheese was bland and basic. For a soul food restaurant, I expect better. The cornbread was also a very good. We were disappointed and ready to go but we already ordered the Peach Cobbler with the food. Big mistake, HUGE. DO NOT ORDER THE PEACH COBBLER. I should've read the reviews first because I could have avoided this. It's literally canned peaches and mush. There is no "cobbler" part. Everything was wet mush. We didn't even finish it and threw it out. read more

Vonda's came through with that good southern home cooking we were wanting for brunch. They have a great selection of dishes, so much so it was hard to decide what to get! We landed on the catfish and grits, pan seared salmon cakes, and shrimp and grits. Everything was on point! The grits were cooked with all that good southern love and the catfish was fried to perfection. And those salmon cakes were everything. Don't worry about not getting enough food because the portions are more than enough. A couple of us definitely needed to-go containers. And you certainly get your money's worth, the prices are very reasonable. The service isn't the fastest (just tap into that southern state of mind), but it's worth the wait. If you haven't tried Vonda's Kitchen, you are missing out.....support black business! read more

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Passing through and wanted soul food I will say this is in my top 5 BAD RESTAURANTS I would never recommend this place watch your receipt they will over charge you if you don't pay attention the bbq chicken is dry as hell the Mac and cheese has no flavor and is very oily the cornbread was burnt and the lemonade was like drinking sugar in cup if you don't want to waste money I would not go here read more

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

1)Catfish was very good 2) Wife loved rice and beans 3)Cornbread was very good 4)Now, Mac and cheese, we were very disappointed. I understand that mac and cheese is pricey to make if you use top-notch ingredients and restaurants are into turning a profit. However, when I think of soul food, I think mac and cheese. 5) Next to may flies flying around that need to be tightened up! I have always heard good things about Vondas over the years, Overall decent Tighten up mac and cheese and get flies under control. read more

What an amazing place. The art alone will draw you in. This family owned place feels homey with encouraging words everywhere. Their menu: breakfast and lunch is served all day. I had the spinach and ricotta pancake. This was a little salty but was really good. The savory pancake you need in your life. A little bit of maple syrup makes this complete. Highly recommended. Staff are nice and friendly. read more

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If you are in Newark New Jersey, this place is a must stop. This was one of the best breakfasts that I've had in a long while. Service did take a little bit because the place was packed with customers, but the food came out quick and delicious! read more

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Never a disappoint!!! I was greeted as soon as I walked in the door anThis is one of the best!! Highly recommended!! read more

Vonda's Kitchen - Catfish and Grits Ginger Root Lemonade Hot Tea - Soul Food Near Me - Newark, New Jersey

The catfish was awesome but I was a bit disappointed with the mac and cheese. The ambiance is very plain yet still pleasant. The service was good, quick and friendly. read more

Breakfast was horrible! Cups have stains. We asked for apple juice and the server never bought it. My sister had to ask for something else. Worst place I've been to since iHop. read more

My reason for giving vondas kitchen one star is because her food ain't all that great anymore.everything taste like burnt ,dirty cooking oil.the way they lay your food on your plate makes you not even wanna pay for it.she needs to stop making harsh comments about black people because from eye sight,we the only ones paying for that mess.boy,do she have some nerve.looks like her business is kinda slowing down,I wonder why.when you be mean to the wrong people,karma has its way of returning ms vonda. read more

Well. Was here yesterday ( Tuesday) around noon. It was empty but as we were eating people came in. Tons of staff were there and the kitchen was full of people. Food came out piping hot, no issues what so ever so maybe the trick is coming during the week when people are at work. The space was VERY clean, waitress T was fun. Artwork and decor a nice touch but the food? BEST PART. Everything on my plate was delicoous, flavorful and worth the price. Had fried catfish, mac and cheese and yams. Catfish was fried perfectly, nicely seasoned. Huge piece. Mac and cheese DID NOT have seasoning in it. Thank you!! Mac and cheese isn't suppose to be seasoned to the max. Yuck. It was cheesy and good. Like your mama would make for thanksgiving. Yams WERE PERFECT. Not too sweet, but more spiced. Loved it. And the cornbread was super hot and yummy and I HATE cornbread. Had the strawberry lemonade. No idea how that tasted as I had just brushed my teeth so all I could taste was my toothpaste but it hit the spot. Super glad my exoerince was top notch. read more

Vonda's Kitchen - Empty. My type of place!! Came before the rush. - Soul Food Near Me - Newark, New Jersey

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I really enjoyed the food. Tasted amazing. Macaroni was cheesy and delicious. Fried chicken breast was fried perfectly. Crispy and seasoned good. Fries were great and amazing. 10/10. Thank you. read more

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

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Love love love Vondas. The food is rich in culture, vibrant in taste and just made out of love and soul. read more

Vonda's Kitchen - a view of the dining area - Soul Food Near Me - Newark, New Jersey

Food is great. I'm from Florida and a clerk at the hotel recommended you. Worth the try!!

I visited out of town 4 years ago and returned again while I'm temporarily out here for work. Food is amazing, but the wait staff was down to earth, personal and had a great temperament. I tipped 40%, because the experience was as exceptional as it was 4 years ago. #lovefromHouston read more

The food was absolutely delicious, fresh, and well seasoned. I am so happy we came here. Our sever Janeyah was so nice, welcoming, and pleasant. I definitely recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for delicious soul food. I will definitely be back when I'm in the area. The whiting was so fresh, the Mac n cheese was cheesy and delicious, the grits were so flavorful, and the fried chicken was fried to perfection! We also took a banana pudding home and omg. DELICIOUS!! Simply put, the food was great, the prices are great, and the service was great! Ohhhh and the corn bread was soooo good. It came out nice and warm too!! read more

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Great,cozy, spot with delicious soul food. The staff was pleasant and the service was fast. read more

Vonda's Kitchen - Catfish and Grits combo - Soul Food Near Me - Newark, New Jersey

OMG! Soooooo goood!! I originally went there on a Tuesday because it says they are open in google but they are closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. Got my hopes down but decided to go back and I am so glad I went back. I got fried wings with potato salad and garlic spinach. My man got fried dark meat with Mac and cheese and collard greens. We split a side of yams. The good was finger licking good. Not a huge fan of the potato salad it was a bit sweet for my taste. The spinach was good but nothing special same as the collard greens (wish they used smoked turkey in it). EVERYTHING else was AMAZINGGGGGGG! Our server was Nae. She was awesome took great care of us. Made us some BOMB strawberry lemonades and even gave us to go cups when we left. We will def be back. Hidden gem!! read more

I must've missed something. I'm going to be honest and fair. I was reluctant for a long time to try Vonda's because I didn't want to be let down. But after having read enough of the great reviews and having been told great things, I said, let's give it a try. Sunday, January 24, 2022. 930am; I place an order. Fried Whiting and Grits. Whiting, previously frozen. Heavily breaded. Under seasoned. Over fried - extremely hard. Grits; creamy, salted well. It also came with Home Fries; roasted perfectly, but extremely under seasoned. Scrambled Eggs; had cheese in them and I didn't ask for cheese. It's not mentioned on the menu as being served with cheese. I'm the one person in the world who LOATHES cheese in eggs. Shrimp and Grits; Shrimp previously frozen and small. I mention that specifically because that essentially determines the texture of the shrimp in the dish... or lack thereof. With effort to not over cook the shrimp, there's no texture to the shrimp. They were just shy of mush. The grits were runny, perhaps due to the gravy from the shrimp, which had nice flavor. But no peppers, onions diced tomatoes to help with the flavor and texture. Side of Macaroni and Cheese; WHOA! it was literally swimming in a oily milky puddle. No flavor and overcooked pasta. BIG opportunity missed. At last, Potato Salad!!! My grandma made that potato salad and it's banging!!! It's the only thing that didn't go directly in the trash. I'm so disappointed. Definitely feel like I wasted money. Horrible experience. No pride in the food put out. Sad. Really sad. read more

I rode South Orange Avenue until i hit Newark. I got there in 30 minutes! i was famished after a 5 mile ride. luckily I found Vonda's Kitchen. There was some happy gospel music playing. lots of good vibes and people wishing each other happy Easter. It was so friendly! read more

Vonda's Kitchen - Easter at Vonda's Kitchen. This place has good vibes and good music. - Soul Food Near Me - Newark, New Jersey

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Great food excellent taste, I would recommend this restaurant to anyone, been there several times never disappointed

We were getting hungry and went t o the closest restaurant to us. The atmosphere is unique and pleasant. The food was unbelievable. The sauteed garlic spinach was the best I've ever had. Simply the best meal I've had in a while! Don't miss it! read more

I ordered the Spicy Chicken Hash to go. It was delicious and I ate it over several meals. It was perfect comfort food on a cold, rainy day. The restaurant has beautiful decor and decoration on the walls, it would be a lovely place to dine in. The staff were all very kind. read more

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

the food was good me and my wife walk was greeted by a nice young lady as we sitting a rude worker came and drop the menu on the table didn't give us no spoon or fork or say good morning but the young lady that serve us was very respectful and nice I think she was the waitress now that other lady was rude and don't know customer service read more

Finally tried this place and wish I had known about them sooner. Went on a Saturday afternoon and had no problem getting a seat. You seat yourself. Decor is cute and eccentric. Nice and brightly lit. Music is at appropriate level. We had the ginger lemonade to drink...it's made fresh at the restaurant and very refreshing. It's a perfect blend of tangy,sweet, and sour. We tried the catfish dinner with greens and candied yams and the jumbo shrimp dinner with black eyed peas and green beans. Catfish cooked to perfection and seasoned well. Greens were great! Candied yams not too sweet which I liked. The cornbread was hot fresh and not too sweet. It was delicious with butter. The shrimp was supposed to be grilled but looked and tasted like sautéed. So after alerting the waitress to the issue, she happily exchanged the sautéed shrimp for fried shrimp which was nice. Our waitress was Yvette, and she was great. She was attentive and genuinely concerned about our experience at the restaurant. Only reason I give 4 stars and not 5 is because I think you get atleast 2 pieces of catfish with a meal not one. Will definitely go back again!!!! read more

Vonda's Kitchen - Catfish dinner $15.50 (cornbread not in photo). - Soul Food Near Me - Newark, New Jersey

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Great food and service it gets a little crowded but we'll worth it. Will definitely go back!

Pros 1. Cornbread is Cakey and Moist! 2. Rice and Beans was cooked Well and Flavorful. Cons 1. Oxtails was Tender but needed more Flavor. 2. Mac n Cheese had an Acidic, Vinegar Taste. 3. Black Eyed Peas was cooked well but needed more Flavor. read more

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

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I had some of the best soul food outside of New Orleans. The breakfast catfish and grits were perfect in every way and had a great portion size. I really needed a fix and this place delivered. Thank you again. read more

This was our first visit to Vonda's but it will not be our last. The food was "soul" good and very filling. We ordered from the breakfast menu salmon cakes and whiting fish plates. Both meals satisfied our taste buds to the point that we ordered for take-out the Beef Short Ribs with sides for our dinner. If you decide to visit on a Sunday, than arrive early or you might have to wait for a table. The waitress, Terae was friendly, kept a smile on her face with a sense of humor despite being very busy waiting on other tables. The owner was present and she was making sure the restaurant was running smoothly. I now understand why Vonda's is a popular restaurant. read more

The soul food that I needed. So tasty and the staff is very friendly! The whiting is so good and the ginger root lemonade read more

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

The quality of food here is the best. This is the 4-5th time I've ordered from them. Twice in the restaurant before Covid and today on Uber Eats. Their Salmon Omelet is amazing and today I got the catfish. So good and worth the next order! I will definitely be ordering again. read more

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

Visited for the first time last Tuesday afternoon. When we walked in we were not greeted. We went and sat ourselves down...table,seat, and floors were dirty. The guy came over and apologize for the mess. The young lady came over with menus didn't introduce herself (menus need to be wiped after each customer). We received our food but as we started eating my friend had hair in his yams. The young lady never said I apologize, never offered a resolution or what she could do. She came back with more yams and that was it. We had to say to her we don't want to pay for this I don't want more yams and still there was no customer service. The service was horrible the place could have been cleaner but the food was good. read more

Vonda's Kitchen - Fried cat fish cabbage and Mac and cheese corn bread not shown. - Soul Food Near Me - Newark, New Jersey

Been here quite a few times food is great certain days then others the food just be average but over all good food just know when to go

We found this place on Yelp, and wow we were so glad we did. This is a neighborhood spot, the kind of place where people know each other's names and ask how your day is going. I ordered the shrimp and grits, and it was perfect. The shrimp, the grits, the tomatoes on top were all great. There were also some salted shrimp tails in there for some extra flavor. My husband ordered the grilled cheese, and it really hit the spot for him. The Texas toast was the cherry on top :) If you're flying in or out of EWR, this place is just a 10-minute drive away, and you won't regret it! read more

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We arrived on a Sunday afternoon; we were seated very quickly. But we waited an eternity for our food. So did may other patrons. When the food arrived, it was cold. Our waitress apologized and told us it was bc they were busy. They heated up the food, but when it came back, we realized they had put it in the microwave. Oh the horror! What's worse is that they nuked the waffles too. We were super disappointed bc we were excited to support a small black business. The best part of the meal were our berry lemonades. Probably won't be coming back. {This review is almost a year old, so hopefully things have changed....} read more

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Soul food Heaven! Came here on Sunday for mid morning brunch and was not disappointed. It's cute spot, that gets busy at times. Very attentive service, and everyone is super friendly. The food was nice and fresh. Chicken and waffles were spot on! Nice crispy buttermilk waffles, and fried to perfection chicken. We also had the spicy chicken hash. It was equally as good. Not too spicy, but definitely flavorful. Quaint little place, perfect for Sunday breakfasts read more

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