Vonda's kitchen is one of the best soul food experiences in the area outside Harlem. I had the fried chicken combo with Mac and cheese and potato salad. The serving was generous with 3 pieces of chicken, and the service was friendly and welcoming. You have a choice between white meat, dark meat, and wings, which is really nice. The potato salad is out of this world. I'll definitely be back! read more

Vonda's Kitchen - 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

Came here to support local business and get some good soul food. When we entered no one asked us to seat so we found a seat. It was pretty crowded for a Friday early afternoon. After waiting about 15 min the waitress came. Food took about 25 min to arrive. I had the blacken catfish, collard greens, mac and cheese, and rice and beans. The rice and beans were watery and disgusting but the waitress was nice enough to give me a mac and cheese to go instead. The food was good. The only issues i can see is that the people working there do not know how to work quickly. Also took a yellow and chocolate cake home and it was old and grainy. P.s the best things are the cornbread and mac and cheese read more

Vondas kitchen is a gem. PERIODT. I Normally leave lengthy reviews but there isn't much to say other than this... the decor is amazing, lots of cool art, and the staff was super helpful and happy. I had the shrimp and grits, which came with a piece of Texas toast that was a superb compliment to the gravy from the dish. I also had a strawberry lemonade as well that wasn't too sweet or sour. The parking situation is typical for Newark, find a spot and get to walking! I will say that it is worth it. It also seems to be a go to spot for the after church crowd so if you're planning to take my advice and go taste this scrumptious food, get in early Sunday or any other open day. Even though we visited during that Sunday rush, the wait time was not substantially long. I highly recommend taking a visit to this Black Owned restaurant and have a wonderful time. read more

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

See all

It's hard to find a soul food restaurant with quality foods and service. This place was clean and the food was fresh. Our server Tee was very accommodating. The food was seasoned well and strawberry lemonade was just right. I had the fried whiting, yams and collard greens and my boo had fried catfish, homefries and eggs. We both enjoyed our food and would return again! Cornbread was soft and hot with the right amount of sweet. The food is made when ordered so if u starving u will have to wait for the food to be prepared. I prefer fresh food cooked so I will wait. read more

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

See all

I definitely need to update this review after trying more stuff from this place, but for now, 3 stars for the food I did have from here. I came here on a Saturday morning, rather tired and hungover. I had to wake up way too early and was in Newark doing some errands so I figured comfort food was the best option. I ordered the biscuits and gravy and mac and cheese to go. The biscuits and gravy were okay, although they were kind of weirdly sweet. Not sure if it was the biscuit or the gravy (I think the biscuit) but something was really sweet and made the dish kind of odd. There also wasn't enough gravy so the biscuit wasn't totally covered. Although the sweetness did make this a weird thing to eat, it wasn't necessarily bad. The mac and cheese definitely hit the spot. This is baked mac and cheese, not the kind with a creamy sauce. I liked it a lot and found it to be quite good. I would say it is on par or better than other mac and cheese I've had in Newark. The place itself is bright, clean, and inviting. The people are really nice and you get the feeling they know many of their customers. They were also really nice about letting me use a credit card even though I didn't meet the minimum. The prices are pretty good too. I am sure I will find my way over here again and try more of their menu and actually eat there next time. read more

Vonda's Kitchen - Insane amount of food - Soul Food Near Me - Newark, New Jersey

The food is still great so I can't do them an injustice on the rating. The Shrimp & Grits still one of my favs and I am not a fan of grits. The wait time still needs work so come with patience and enjoy your conversations and company. If you like art they always have pieces for sale. read more

This is one of the best Soul food I've had in NewJersey the food is always fresh and flavorful, we've been back three times and we've ordered from door dash three times since we were introduced to Vondas Kitchen. The food is that good and the portions are generous. The service is prompt and the servers are attentive. In addition the ambience is cozy and the artsy decor gives this place a classy touch of culture. read more

Vonda's Kitchen - Blackened catfish, macaroni & cheese & collard greens delicious - 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

Food was AMAZING! Our waitress Tee was so sweet her & the rest of staff treated my family and I as if we were family. I had the omelette, waffle & turkey bacon. All fire! My cousin had fried fish Mac n cheese cabbage and enjoyed all her food as well. My cousin had the breakfast sandwich and loved his food too. Will absolutely be coming back!!! read more

So my food was a little hit and miss but overall, I'd be willing to come again. The meatloaf in smothered gravy is amazing and you should absolutely get it. The corn bread is decent. But the Mac and cheese and the black eyed peas were a bit disappointing. The veggie spring rolls come out HOT and they're not bad but not to die for. The prices are reasonable and the portions are pretty generous. read more

See all

Food was good. Our order for takeout Oxtail it comes with rice and beans. Our other two sides Mac and cheese and cabbage. The cabbage was amazing. The oxtail was food. The Mac n cheese was decent but I had better from here before. Rice and beans were good. But next time I will get them as an additional side too. Meatloaf with Mac n cheese and cabbage. Meatloaf was really good with the bbq sauce. A really nice serving. Honey Dipped Fried Chicken Salad. It was delicious. I am glad I called back to add it to make take out order. It is a nice portion of salad. It was very fresh. I ordered a side of sweet potatoes. I been here many times before so they weren't their beat but they were still good. I wanted something really sweet. The drinks are good. We did the ginger lemonade and uptown. Cornbread it looked good but I can't have corn. My husband wrapped it and I am sure he got midnight plans for it. There was a nice young gentleman behind the counter that was pretty attentive to hand me my food after I paid. My order was accurate and food was delicious. Job well done Vonda! It was my first time back in months. I plan to return for the food. Sorry no pictures I dived into it as soon as I got home after smelling the deliciousness for the 20 minute car ride home :) read more

Overall the restaurant gives you that family oriented feeling. My wife had oxtails, yams, collards and cornbread. I had turkey wings smothered in gravy over rice with collards and cornbread. M problem is I specifically asked our waitress is it a whole wing or flats. The waitress advised me it was a whole wing. I even went a little further and said is the drumstick on it and the response was yes. I told her I don't care for flats but if the drumstick is on it I am all in. So I get my plate and it's only flats. So of course I am not satisfied. The yams appeared to be from a can although I was assured they were from scratch. Overall the food was okay. I have definitely had better but my experience here was somewhat tainted because of the flats. If the waitress would have listened just a little bit I would have tried something different. The price for the flats which is basically fat is disturbing. read more

Vonda's Kitchen - Page 2 - Soul Food Near Me - Newark, New Jersey

My first experience in NJ was amazing because my first stop was at Vonda's. The food was delicious, the customer service was amazing and accommodating. They had everything we wanted and if you have any experience with Soul Food restaurants you know this is like unheard of usually. . read more

Food was very good. I ordered the Shrimp and Grits, my wife ordered the fried whiting, my children ordered leg quarters with barbecue sauce, catfish nuggets and fried wings. All the food was delicious. read more

Vonda's has good soul food! I loved the fried whiting, baked mac and cheese, and cornbread. The iced teas are really tasty too! It was really clean and comfortable inside when I dined. The staff was friendly and attentive! read more

I'm just gonna be honest Location: Not the best Decor: Below Average but okay Service: Horrible *Never service someone while on a personal call WTF! Food: The Food Looks Good but tasteless (How do you call yourself a Soul Food Restaurant and Mess-Up Fish & Chips.) The Fish and Season Fries had no Seasoning what's so ever the food just looked good. Over All Dining experience: Not Good At All ! The server was super inappropriate with here personal life conversation upon greeting us as well as our servers on going conversation(Not sure if she was engaging in a school lecture or not but she was having a full blown discussion the entire time. Oh In when I nicely reported my concerns/issues with server She asked me what would I like her to do? I then replied " What can you do? And she responded back to me with " I DONT KNOW WHAT TO DO HUHHHHHHH! Sooooooooooo yeah I'm never going back. read more

We spent three weekend in Newark, stayed at the Marriott Courtyard, which was a nice hotel and very close to Newark Penn Station and New York. We woke up on Sunday and wanted breakfast. Searched for a close place and saw Vonda's was close by with what seemed to be great reviews. We pulled up and were pleasantly surprised with both the outside and inside of the establishment. We met Tee! Wasup Tee. The food was good, all of it down to the toast. I would recommend Vonda's and will be back again soon. Another thing growing up in Irvington and always hanging out in Newark, I love the way Newark is changing and love that black businesses stay a staple within the changes! read more

Vonda's kitchen food is excellent. The food has flavor and it is so authentic. I've called once to place an order and the customer service was welcoming and patient. read more

Going to Newark, my daughter and I found this place off Yelp! The service was super friendly, food was hot and fresh and seasoned perfectly! I had the whiting dinner with spinach, mac n cheese. My daughter had shrimp, yams and cabbage. The fish was fresh, spinach was so good! Sautéed in garlic. The yams were ok, not sweet enough, but it worked. My favorite was the corn bread! Home made, buttery and just soft! We'll be back! read more

See all

We stopped by Vonda's kitchen in early September and had a phenomenal experience. So phenomenal that I've had it on my to do list for months to make sure she got the review she deserved. Vonda took our order personally. There was a large crowd and her and her crew still made sure we were more than taken care of. The food and atmosphere were wonderful. Her artwork is thought provoking. Her seating is comfortable and the ambience is kind and calm. read more

The food at Vondas 'a Kitchen was simply delicious! Our party of 6 had breakfast there, except for wife who opted for turkey wings with gravy (which was a generous portion and sooo good). I will definitely dine at Vonda's every single time I travel to Jersey from now on! read more

Outstanding soul food in Newark, NJ! The spicy chicken has with eggs was fantastic, as were the shrimp and grits and the omelet. Warm friendly staff...even met Vonda! Highly recommend! read more

Oh Vonda's, you make my heart sing. Get the fried fish, sweet potatoes, and greens. It is delicious- eat in or take out. If you do decide to stay parking is easy to come by on the street and free. No need to stress over finding a spot. Also, the staff is polite and warm, but be ready to wait for your food. Don't worry, you won't be sorry. read more

Came here yesterday for lunch and it was an ok experience. Found parking right out front which is always a plus. For food I had the fried catfish, baked Mac and cheese and yams. My friend had Mac and cheese rice and beans and fried catfish. Now at any southern restaurant the Mac and cheese and greens always have to be on point! The Mac and cheese here wasn't doing it for me at all. It was dry not as cheesy as I would have liked either.. my friend also didn't like it. She didn't like her rice and beans either. The catfish was good and the yams were the highlight of the meal. The cornbread was just ok. We ordered strawberry lemonades and they were terrible. Completely sour didn't taste like lemonade at all. We were going to send them back but we were in a bit of a rush and just dealt with it. Our waitress was just ok nothing was special about the interaction. She seemed more interested in talking to the other workers. Vonda made an appearance she was sweet. Very friendly and checked in on all the tables. Cool experience nice crowd of people . The prices were great but I'll honestly probably won't return. *update* just bit into the cornbread I took home and there was a piece of egg shell in it........ ...... read more

The catfish and the macaroni were delicious. The banana pudding was instant, the greens were so salty I couldn't eat them, and I'm pretty sure the black eyed peas were from a can. The peach cobbler was pre packaged. I'm from the south and was missing home cooked food but it was disappointing. I ordered several different things to try. I think the effort is there and if you can master Mac n cheese, you can master anything. Maybe I just caught them on a bad day. If I lived there I'd try it again but I wouldn't recommend it to anyone without a second trial. read more

I have been to Vonda's Kitchen when it first open its doors, some years back, and the food was amazing but in the recent years the food and service went down hill. I visited there every Sunday morning. I moved away two years ago and was in the area so my wife and I wanted to get some lunch. It took over an hour of waiting to get our food and to top off the experience, I recvd an ice tea that tasted spoiled and the fish was below the standards of when it first open. Truly disappointed. Never again. Former customer read more

Never ever can get a bad meal from here. Service is great and food is delicious. Everything is made homemade. read more

Food was good I had the French toast eggs and bacon. My wife had the fish and grits. Would definitely go back.

My Mom and I were going to be in Newark for the day (visiting from NY) .... I pretty much go with the flow but my mom is super picky . Two days before the trip I did a little research and based on reviews and the pictures I settled on Vonda's Kitchen. It was a great choice . We were immediately greeted when we walked in . Our waitress was knowledgeable about all the menu items . Any one that know anything about southern food knows that you don't mess with just anyone's meatloaf ....... I took my chances and it was so good !!! The gravy was on point , the Mac and cheese was cheesy and the cabbage reminded me of my grandma, lol. The Uptown (Arnold Palmer ) was refreshing . There was a light crowd so my waitress was a little busy . Usually when you go to restaurants they other wait staff is not too willing to go out of their way if you are not their table . There was a waiter named Terence that went above an beyond ( I even tipped him and he wasn't my waiter , lol) overall I had a great experience. A cute little eatery in Newark , surrounded by new developments .... a great addition to the future up and coming Newark . P.s. the bathrooms were clean!!! read more

See all

Delicious comfort food! Fries are amazing (not pictured) but they make it themselves here and seem like they're coated in the same seasoning and batter as their fried chicken. I got the shrimp and grits and it was delicious. The Texas toast was perfectly buttery. Grits were a liiiiiittttle too cheesy but still delicious. Good shrimp to grits ratio as well. Friend got the chicken and waffles which he said we're amazing as well. Full wings were fried and not some wimpy nuggets. Would definitely want to come back and try their Mac and cheese! read more

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

It's Friday, June 3, 2022. Rather than go to Tops, I talk a group into having a 9:15 breakfast meeting at Vonda's. Nobody wanted to go to West Kinney street. All perception. The web site says open at 9:00. Of course we get there and it's not open. Just an FYI, 9 is 9. Not 9:15, 9:20 or 9:30. I was advised after knocking on the door it would be 9:30. If you're early you're on time, if you're in time your late, if you're late, (you know the rest) Hello breakfast meeting at Tops! Change the time on your site or open on time. Thank you. read more

My favorite soul food spot around! First of all the service is great. No attitude here! Now to the food...Oxtails!!!!! Friggin Amazing! Fried Chicken....GggggrrrrreeeeaaaaaaTttttt! read more

I visited a friend in Newark and decided to try a new restaurant. This restaurant has a very relaxed feel as you walk in. The staff provides great energy once you walk in. They don't rush you to make an order. So that was really nice. But the menu felt a little limited to me. I wanted to see something unique. I had the salmon cakes with grits. The salmon cakes were fried well. The grits with cheese was good. The only downside for me was that my lemonade was way too sweet. I had to get water to help water down the drink. read more

This place is really good with some serious portions. My girlfriend and I came here for brunch and I'd recommend the chicken and waffles. I also got some sliders--they aren't as good as the chicken and waffles, primarily because I thought they were overly salty. (I did enjoy them as leftovers later in the week, with smaller portions accompanying my eggs for breakfast.) Good food + friendly service + very reasonable prices = happy times. read more

I wish consistency was their main goal. I've been coming here off and on for 3 years. I took a long break in between and recently returned. Last time I was here the food was AMAZING. This time, not so much. The flavor seems to have been misplaced. Fish and grist with potatoes Fish... bland Potatoes and grits are just okay. I've had to add additional salt and pepper to almost everything. read more

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

Service was amazing!! I definitely recommend everyone to try the candied yams, they're to die for.

Child pull up a seat .... The Shrimp and Grits is What ????? To Die for. I've been away for awhile but when I returned to the State I returned to Vonda's Yessss read more

I've been craving turkey wings and searching for spot that will deliver. I found the spot.. i ordered Mac and cheese, cabbage and greens with smothered turkey wings.. Also, side of potato salad.. First let me say, they give you a lot of food for your money. The turkey wings was so delicious, the meat was falling off the bone just way I like it.. greens and cabbage was so good and Mac and cheese was so cheesy.. Potato salad was delicious as well.. I wasn't fan of the cornbread as it was dry and hard; however, everything else was so good.. I love their strawberry lemonade; it was just right not too sweet.. I will definitely go again and tell my family and friends about this place.. A must try!!! read more

Great customer service and food was great not expensive. Would definitely go back to try more food.