Best ogbono and and the most tender beef! The portions are great and are the fastest this far in preparations in LA! I love them! They r my family now Love Zoe read more

The jollof rice was good but everything else was mid including the egusi but good customer service

The food was unpleasant, the service was just ok. I would not recommend this restaurant to anyone

I went one time just to try and fell in love with the food and the service. It feels like home being a loyal customer!!! read more

Nkechi African Cafe - Okra Soup - African Near Me - Inglewood, California

Great Customer Service...The food was really good...my twin had to order for me...the goat was good...but next time I'm doing vegetarian... everything was so fresh, and I finally tried the Jollof rice my opinion it had so much flavor very good and I also had the Egusi which was my favorite...as promised I will be back and this is my new place for African food!!!! Thank you Family read more

Nkechi African Cafe - African Near Me - Inglewood, California

Drove all the way from carson and this spot is still closed. It's 12:48pm very unprofessional. So now I'm heading over to veronicas after trying to call multiple times. read more

Nkechi African Cafe - Bad buisness door says open at 12 it's 1248 still not open and won't answer phone - African Near Me - Inglewood, California

Fantastic dining experience! It was our first time eating at a Nigerian restaurant and the owner/chef was super kind and hospitable. It felt like we were guests in her home and enjoying food that felt home-cooked. She gave us recommendations for what to order as first-timers and even made the dish not spicy for our palates as we requested. The best part was that she explained to us about the food and sat down with us to demonstrate the proper way to eat the food, including how to dip the fufu (sweet potato dough) into the ngusi (African melon seed soup). We took her recommendations and ordered the jollof rice, which had a nice tomato flavor with spices. We ordered it with the combination of beef and goat meat. It came with a side of crispy lightly fried plantains. The ngusi (soup) had a strong, earthy aroma and flavors and was very delicious. We ordered it with fresh fish. Great value as the menu prices included the tax and tip already. Easy parking in the attached lot. read more

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One of the worst meals I've had in L.A. I ended up throwing almost all of it out. The jollof tasted like rice mixed with tomato paste and no added spice. I don't know if this is a regional variation, but it was unlike any jollof I've had before and it was terrible. Even worse was the goat meat which was dry, tough and underseasoned. Goat meat can be amazing when treated properly, but they don't know how to cook it here. The nicest thing i can say is the plantains were good. Avoid this place and head to Two Hommes nearby, their jollof is amazing. read more

I love Nkechi but the last time we went they changed the container size and the egusi was too salty.

Great place to eat Nigerian food . I think they're not Yoruba like me so there is some regional difference in some staples .... BUT it is like flying back and eating at a friends place and so a definite stop for comfort food . Also when I've dined in . The other people that may be loyal customers or friends of the patrons make the place feel incredibly homey and nice . read more

Excellent atmosphere first time trying Nigerian food. Excited with my brother-in-law great hospitality, excellent customer service. We are excited to dive in. Oh my, everything was extremely delicious I'm coming back! read more

Nkechi African Cafe - Egusi Soup, with fish and fufu - African Near Me - Inglewood, California

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As a fellow African, I was really hoping to enjoy this restaurant. I've tried different African restaurants in LA but never heard of this one so I decided to give a shot, and I absolutely regret it. The "food" I received simply wasn't edible. I ordered a plate of jollof rice, chicken, & plantain. The rice was soggy, wet, and so salty, it was painful to taste. The chicken wasn't completely cooked & was COVERED in tomato paste. The plantain were scary looking, I didn't even bother. After a couple unbearable bites, I threw the whole plate away. It seems there's an overall lack of effort in this establishment in general. There is almost nothing in front of the restaurant indicating this is an eatery. If I didn't have the restaurant on a GPS, I would never notice this place. Overall, I wish this establishment was a good representation of African culture but it simply isn't. read more

Excellent food!!!! I can't choose a favorite. Chicken and jollof rice ( rice and stew)is my go to. Ogbono soup with beef is amazing.Okra soup with chicken is delicious I like my dishes very spicy. My all time favorite it the eggs I soup the best I have ever tasted. read more

my boyfriend & i came here to try Nigerian food for the first time and honestly it is just so good. the atmosphere feels like i'm dining at somebody's house but there's really no better environment to eat at than what feels like home. our server was really nice and welcoming. even the people eating there were really nice. we asked for some recommendations and he was very nice to recommend the jollof rice with fish (which was my favorite) and the egusi soup with chicken (my boyfriend's favorite). of course, we got a side of pounded yam and our food came with a side of plantains which was the perfect side to pair with everything. they did not skimp on the meat and the flavor of everything was just perfect. i hope this place stays in business and doesn't just get attention just because fufu is trending. we'll definitely be visiting again. Nigerian food is now one of my top cuisines to keep exploring and i can't wait to try more. read more

Nkechi African Cafe - Egusi Soup and pounded yam - African Near Me - Inglewood, California

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The food was absolutely on point! Every dish we tried was delectable! The service was really nice too. The restaurant is old and not updated, so this place doesn't have a nice ambiance, however, the food will make up for it! I have been here twice with my husband and daughter. read more

Just rude! My son is 1/2 Nigerian so he loves African food. Being the American that I am I have not even the slightest clue about their meals . I do know my son loves fufu and the Ogbono soup. I was greeted by a shorter man asking what I wanted.... I'm sorry it wasn't even a greeting it was definitely " what do you want to order"? There was no menu to look at just a blank stare as if I've been here before and should know the menu. I asked the gentleman what type of meat is offered with the Ogbono soup and with the NASTIEST ATTITUDE I've ever encountered at a restaurant he read the list. Then I immediately gave him that same attitude back since that's probably all he understands. He didn't even say anything after I completed my order ... just walked away. I waited for upwards 20 minutes for my mediocre food. Please please please avoid this place at all costs. Unless you are African... this way you understand what you want before hand and can tolerate their demeanor. read more

The Egusi stew & pound yam I had Yesterday was amazing. I got it with tilapia & it was well seasoned(not salty). A lot of other places can't season fish & cook it plain. Nkechi knows what they're doing in the kitchen. Only problem was that the price is $7 more than last year. That's a wild increase. But I guess COVID caused this "inflation". But, we were satisfied & full so I guess it was not too bad paying $25 for the same thing we paid $18 for last year. Best egusi in Inglewood. I've tried the others. read more

Wonderful good especially spicy goat, Nigerian wine from the coconut tree and family atmosphere.

Owner is wonderful and makes sure you feel at home. The pepper soup was good with flavor. Looking forward to coming back again

Family owned place I've been coming to since I was a teenager. Love the jollof rice and chicken as well as the egusi. Fried plantains are amazing as well read more

Nkechi African Cafe - Jollof Rice and chicken - African Near Me - Inglewood, California

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Their food is so bland. Taste horrible and stale. First time I tried them in 2018, I vowed never to do it again. In 2021, I had a friend who came to visit and said, he wanted to try them. I warned him not to but he insisted and hence, we went. First off, the customer service started smoothly with their son until the owners, his parents, yelled at him in front of us not to interact friendly with us, that was definitely awkward and disrespectful. After we manage to get our food, the father served us and he literally threw the food in front of me, my friend looked at me in astonishment and so did I. We proceeded to eat but as usual, food still taste horrible as it did back in 2018. I don't know why people still patronize them. Not a good representation of Nigerian food. read more

We've been going here for years and love it! The fufu is always a go to favorite and the family who owns the restaurant are so welcoming and friendly! read more

I've been fortunate enough to have my boyfriend (a Nigerian) take me to the only two best Nigerian restaurants in LA.....Veronica's Kitchen and Nkechi African Cafe. Although I've enjoyed the food at both places, Nkechi's has a slightly better service and better plantains. We ordered the food to go and the wait was about 15 minutes, cooked fresh to order. I've had several large bites of my boyfriend's Jollof Rice with Chicken. OMG that is a flavorful combination of exotic and hearty mama's home cooking. It's his favorite dish and I can understand why. I LOVE their plantains, cooked to perfection and moist all around. Most plantains that I've had are on the chewy side. I tried the Pepper Soup with Fish for the first time. The dish is so spicy and rich. I could not eat it by itself. I had it with rice (although not traditional). I recommend that you eat the Peppered Soup with Rice or Pasta if you're new to these strong flavors. If you're feeling even more adventurous, I recommend that you try their Palm Wine. I was warned that it is super strong so I was afraid to drink the entire bottle. The restaurant is located in the sketchy part of LA. Once you step inside, you really feel like you're in someone's home. There are plenty of parking next to the restaurant. *RECOMMENDED* read more

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I came in with Tom N. and the group of 23 international travelers for dinner last week and really enjoyed our experience. Jennifer and the whole Nkechi family were so welcoming and patient, especially since our group kept growing as the night went on! We all shared several dishes including the jollof rice (a flavorful tomato rice) with beef and fish. The beef was a little dry, but I liked the lightly fried pieces of fish. We also got plantains and I think our entire group was just absolutely in love with these. It was funny trying to explain the difference between plantains and bananas to German & Russian guests :) We also tried the egusi soup, it's thick, not really soupy, it seemed like it had pieces of greens in it? Jennifer explained that it's made from melon seeds. You eat it with fufu, the pounded white yams which are like bland mashed potatoes. It's...different. Not something I'd crave, but I'm really happy I got to try it out. I had such a nice time in this family establishment, I'd recommend it if you are looking to try something new and feel at home! read more

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The food was good but the customer service was terrible. The young man that helped us had no business working there. We didn't feel comfortable at all in that restaurant on top of the restaurant being in a super sketchy location (Inglewood is practically all sketchy). We asked the young man what kind of drinks do you have and his response was "it's on the back of the menu". We ordered our food not really knowing anything about the entrees and the server didn't bother to try and help us through it. As we were waiting for our food, the kid is throwing a bottle into the trash can as if he's playing basketball and then horse plays with another kid in the seat right behind me. Mind you, these are employees. WTF----I'm sure there is a hidden camera somewhere because this cannot be real. Sad to say, it was totally real. I definitely won't be coming back. read more

Nkechi African Cafe - Egusi Soup with Fufu - African Near Me - Inglewood, California

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I like this spot. The food is good and it's prepared in a timely fashion. Will definitely be visiting again when I am in the LA area. read more

I stumbled into this place because I wanted to try Nigerian and was passing by. I sat with KeChee the owner and was treated like family while the order was prepared. The stewed goat, rice, joloff, dodo and fufu was delicious. They even walked me to my car on the way out. read more

Was good can't say great because they forgot my jollofrice, and had to add a little spice. Will try again but very far drive. read more

Nkechi African Cafe - Was good can't say great had to added alittle spice and they forgot my jollofrice. - African Near Me - Inglewood, California

The good is pretty good. I drive there from the OC at least twice a month. Authentic food with great seasoning read more

Nkechi African Cafe - Mutton Salad is the best - African Near Me - Inglewood, California

I had been looking for good authentic Egusi in LA, I was referred here and it was AMAZING!! I had chicken Egusi & okra soup mix and it was so flavorful! I have found my favorite spot!!! Thank you again! SOO GOOD! read more

Fancied some African food and was recommended to head here. Plantain is one my favorite dishes which i ordered 2 servings off, some soup and moi moi. I asked if the plantain was soft as it usually means its over ripe which i was clear that i do not like. Was told no. I should have checked my order 45 mins later once it was ready. Picture of the plantain is. attached. Dark, slimey and cut into cubes it tastes horribly and i ended up throwing it away. The soup was thick and tasted like dish soap and although the moi moi tasted ok it did give my stomach a turn. Total waste of 33 usd! I wont be back. read more

Nkechi African Cafe - This is the plantain - African Near Me - Inglewood, California

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Check the price before you order here. There is no price list of each item breakdown or how much the tax is? The price on here is wrong and not updated. read more

Nice enough spot aesthetically, clean and spatious. Large portions of food for the price and good presentation. However, the food was lacking in flavor. Egusi was a bit salty and no other flavors apparent although the beef was nice and tender. Plantains were either unripe or under cooked as they were too firm for my taste. Jollof rice just tasted like rice with tomatoe sauce mixed in and pounded yam was bland. More importantly, I suspect the food is either prepared on a different day and rewarmed or is from cans and packages as there were no aromas as hint of food cooking or kitchen sounds of preparation and the food did not taste fresh made. read more

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Me Personally Did Not Like The Goat Egusi. Tasted Like Catfood. People Were Saying It Was Spicy But Not At All. Just Very Bland Catfood.

I ordered egusi soup and bitter leaf soup combined in one. They said it was possible. This was my first time ordering to bring to my Nigerian friend. OMG!!! THEY LITERALLY ASK ME WHO MADE THIS?! I was so embraced. The soup wasn't mix and it was so SALTY with knorr seasoning it was impossible for them to eat! They threw it straight in the trash! I had to apologize for the bad food and felt so bad I ordered from this place. Never again. read more

This place is a ripoff the woman with the curly wig is the owner. Poor quality and expensive prices! She's money hungry charged $10 dollars for one little ball of fufu! read more

I really wanted this to deliver a solid Nigerian food offering for us in LA, but from entry it Iimped across the "you'd be rude to just walk out" finish line. No greeting. Sticky stuff on the table. Things on the menu not available. Cold food. Tough meat. Poorly seasoned. A lack of attention. You nammmmmeeee it! I hope this place gets a facelift. Our quest continues. read more

Most African restaurants in LA serve Ethiopian cuisine. Food from the Western regions of Africa are more difficult to find. Veronica's Kitchen and Nkechi African Cafe, both family-owned restaurants in Inglewood, are the only restaurants in LA that offer a taste of Nigeria. Staples of Nigerian cuisine appear to be heavy flavored dry soups and very spicy meat stews, eaten with a starchy mound of yam dough called fufu. On a Friday evening, we ordered two very traditional Nigerian specialties: isi-ewu also known as a spicy goat casserole and an egusi soup which is a viscous soup prepared with ground melon seeds. Nkechi's offering of isi-ewu was critical in my decision to try Nkechi instead Veronica's Kitchen, which only has nkwobi (cow leg) on the menu. I wanted to eat something exotic that night. Isi-ewu is a unique and impressive stew for adventurous eaters. The main component of this dish is the goat head and the stew includes the brain! The preparation process is extremely tedious, as all the goat hairs have to be removed and the head needs to be thoroughly washed. The head is steamed/boiled, cut into smaller pieces, and then the meat stock is simmered in a sauce that contains a blend of chili spices and seasoning. This Nigerian delicacy is extremely spicy, and the sauce was a bit overwhelming compared to the flavors of the meat, so be prepared to order some water or a palm wine if you need to relieve the overwhelming heat. On the other hand, egusi soup is more mellow. It is a viscous soup consisting of melon seeds, spinach, and a choice of meat (fish, chicken, mutton, cow leg). The preparation of this most popular Nigerian soup is also labor intensive, requiring melon seeds to be ground and made into a paste before the paste is mixed with spices stir-fried, and then the product is boiled with meat stock. We chose tilapia as the stock, which was dry and had bones. The taste was slightly bitter but also very rich, which was not expected for a soup with similar consistency of Chinese porridge. The soup is very nutritious and many Nigerians enjoy it with fufu, a firm white ball pounded from from yam flour. Fufu is generally flavorless so it is used to scoop up soup or stew (similar function to injera in Ethiopian cuisine, I think). Portions at Nkechi are generous and two hungry diners can easily share a soup and meat stew, then bring home leftovers. Service was prompt and the server was extremely patient. Everyone else at the restaurant were native-Africans, so this seems to be the place to find local African food. The damage for this dinner was $45 not including tip, which is expensive for only 2 dishes but understandable considering the native spices and fresh ingredients used, as well as the amount of labor required to prepare each dish. Tips: 1. I don't think tap water is available. It costs $2 for bottled water. 2. The area outside the restaurant on Manchester Blvd is well-lit, appears to be safe even during the evening. 3. There is street parking or you can park in the same lot as the laundrymat next door, I don't think they care. read more

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This is a place African people *go* to eat, to have the food they know and love, rathen than a place Americans like me go to have African food, which makes it special indeed. Nkechi was the second stop in our non-Ethiopian African food adventure of last weekend. My g/f gave me a book on Africa for Xmas, knowing my fascination for the continent. If you'll pardon the overhead flourescent lighting (which didn't bother me, but my girlfriend said was less charming than Bamboo Cafe), you'll love the minimalist, lo-fi ambience and the people chattering away in Nigerian and other assorted tongues at nearby tables. We had "chicken parts over rice," which seemed scary, but as we were already half-full from Bamboo Cafe, was one of the cheaper offerings and had plantains and jollof rice. The "chicken parts" ended up being drumsticks (whew -- okay, gizzards might have been pretty good, too), boiled and then deep-fried, with a savory, non-spicy-hot red sauce. (Mm, thinking about it is making me hungry right now.) The sauce was great. The way it was cooked made the meat inside a little dry, but the outside was crunchy and excellent. The plantains were perfect. Our waiter was nice, but as my girlfriend said, in a very interesting way. There was a distinct, "you're a member of the family" vibe that's hard to describe, in a way that didn't seem like there was a material motive behind it. (Side note: We were the only people speaking English in this restaurant!) There was soft 80s-African pop on the stereo, and overall (again, fluorescent lighting aside), I really liked the vibe here. Yet another authentic African restaurant in Inglewood for all us "usually-stick-to-West LA-to-Silverlake" hipster doofi. read more

Fantastic options, friendly staff. Very tasty food. Isiewu is my favorite. Been going here for over 10 years. read more