I have my favorite soul food places in Durham. Never tried Nzingas til this morning. Got the Cajun grits, yams, collards, whiting. It was all seasoned perfectly. Grits were FIRE. They forgot my Mac and cheese and i was so excited about trying :( but still 5 stars. They were so friendly inside also so great customer service. But tbh one of the HUGE things that set Nzinga apart from Let's Eat, V's, Vittles, etc is that they open at 9 and serve breakfast AND lunch items. As a person who doesn't normally like breakfast foods, I was so stoked to get a square meal this early. read more

Nzinga's Kitchen - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

We had ordered the shrimp and grits with the French toast plate. We never been here before. The shrimp and grits were good but the actual French toast plate wasn't good at all. read more

Have moved away from Durham but still remember a Shrimp and Grits breakfast that was... fantastic! I remember I used to call ahead to make sure they hadn't run out of my favorite, but soon learned to just get there ahead of the crowd for my favorite dish! Homey atmosphere and down-home cooking. read more

I really really enjoyed the food here! I'm in love with local places so I decided to try this. I've heard so much about it, but every time I've been on the weekend it's been too packed. I was off on a weekday and my sister and one of my friends came through and we were NOT disappointed. I got the chicken and waffles! Can you say SEASONED to perfection? The chicken was seasoned all the way through. I chose the chicken tenders instead of the wings and it was so good. The waffle was delicious and you can tell it was made from scratch. And that sweet tea was sent down from heaven! It was by far THE BEST sweet tea I've had in a very long time. I tried my friends Cajun grits and they were amazing as well. If I'd gotten a savory meal, they would have definitely been my side dish. Highly recommended and I'm def looking forward to going back! I already know what I want. read more

Nzinga's Kitchen - Chicken and Waffles (sweet potato waffle) with a side of grits - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

When I first arrived, I wasn't so sure about this restaurant. It's not in the nicest part of town, so I parked really close to try out this place. However, it was during the middle of the day on a weekend so I don't know if things change at night. The food, however, was great. Really comforting soul food that I did enjoy. Really HUGE portions for what you pay - I ended up getting a little over 2 meals from one serving portion. Of particular note was the chipotle grits: the little bit of spice really lifted the often bland or over-buttery grits. However, the rest of the food can be cloying or overly buttery if you're not careful, but that's the risk you take when you eat soul food. If you're in the mood for some cheap comfort food, do try here (but maybe during the day)! read more

I really don't understand all the great reviews of this place. Maybe I ordered the wrong thing, the breakfast items are probably less likely to get screwed up. But I ordered the fish with a side of fries and mac and cheese. The fries were good, but they were so salty that I couldn't finish them. The fish was definitely the best part of the meal however I didn't really care for the seasoning that they use. The mac and cheese was just completely swimming in grease and had a very weird taste, almost like a strong black pepper flavor, but I really didn't see an excessive amount of pepper so I don't know what was causing it to taste like that. I took two bites and threw the rest away. I also ordered lemonade, it was so sickly sweet that I took one sip and threw the rest of it away. They should call it diabetes in a bottle! Also this place doesn't seem to be all that clean, and the 94 health score rating doesn't make me feel well that confident. Also they don't have any indoor dining (guessing they are still paranoid about covid), but it appears that they all have their kids there playing around inside the restaurant, which I found a bit odd. I really don't know if I would return here, maybe I would go back to try their French toast, it seems like it might be tasty. But I definitely would not order the fish or the mac and cheese again! read more

Nzinga's Kitchen - Fish - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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My food was good, I had great service and the ambiance was nice too. And the price was right.

Delicious food. The batter on fried items is delightful! Excellent service, staff always in good humor. Has neighborhood charm.

I went over the weekend and my food was terrible however the prices are affordable. I decided to try them out since they have changed their hours. I got the chicken wings mac and cheese with fries. I also got the shrimp and grits both dishes I received were really salty. I got my items to go and they actually held up well until I got home. The cornbread that I received as a side was hard as a brick. I really wanted to like the food especially the wings. However the wings seem like they are the frozen pre seasoned ones and they add the additional flavor sauce of your choice to them. I also think that they should ask you if you want them to come naked or breaded. I like my wings breaded and they were not. The shrimp and grits were waaay to salty and spicy and needed more of a sauce added. The shrimp were a nice size and the grits were ok. I don't think I will return bc it's not what I thought it was going to be. Inended up throwing both dishes away. I wish them all the luck and think they also need to revamp their decor and spruce up their cleanliness as well with a deep cleaning. It was so cold and drafty in there and does not feel welcoming. I noticed that they only had 1 waitress who was doing serving and take out. If shes going to serve she needs to have a hair net on. If my heart softens I may go back and try 1 more time... read more

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Wow, the flavors here are out of this world. Ordered a red velvet waffle with eggs and bacon. The waffle came with cream cheese icing and powdered sugar - I could eat these all day. I've had red velvet waffles from a few places but this is hands down THE BEST one I've ever tasted. It was almost exactly like a too-notch red velvet cake, only waffleized (new word!). Seriously, if you're a red velvet nut like I am, this is a must. Surprisingly the eggs were some of the best I've tasted as well. Got 'em scrambled with cheese, but they were buttery rich and probably more like 3 eggs than the advertised 2 - on point. Wife loved her chicken and waffles. I stole a drumlette from her and I'm pretty sure they were baked, but I'm damn sure they were lightly crisped on the outside, moist on the inside and seasoned to perfection. A little hot sauce and my mouth was singing. Service was fast and friendly and this is definitely a place you want to support. Love local spots like thisb especially when you can taste the love they put into the food. Go often and tip well - I'll be back next time I'm up this way! read more

Nzinga's Kitchen - Red velvet waffle - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

It doesn't seem like people are dining inside the small restaurant although it was kept very clean and a little dark. But don't let that fool you. I was greeted very professionally. I explained it was my first time so she offered the shrimp and grits which was half off on Thursday. I also ordered the banana pudding. I took my food to go and very eager to dig in. I must say the food was delicious. I wanted to do a dance. The grits were so flavorful and creamy, I couldn't get enough. I don't like overly spicy food but the heat on the shrimp and grits was perfect. Now the banana pudding didn't have any banana in it but it had the wafers and I think they whipped the pudding because the consistency was feather like. It was so so good. I will definitely be back and if you've never been there, you must! read more

We discovered this place in June through my boyfriend's Offline Durham membership. Really glad that Offline gets us to know more businesses in town since Nzinga's is kind of a hidden gem we didn't know before. I must say, though, we've had some of the best soul food in the area from here! We had their french toast combo (with sausage and eggs), (love the french toast! Large portions too) the best shrimp and grits we both agreed we've ever had (seriously, try em), some fried plantains and their house fries (both kinda overly greasy but that's okay since everything else we had were fantastic!). We did takeout since the place wasn't open for dine in, and we waited over 40 minutes for our food. They seemed very busy with all the pickup orders and there wasn't ample seating to wait inside. Overall, we were blown away by Nzinga's french toast and grits! Would love to come back when they reopen for dine in. read more

Nzinga's Kitchen - Rushed food pic-- we were VERY hungry after the long wait! Sorry! French toast combo Cajun shrimp & grits Home fries Fried plaintains - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

I went here during the summer time and the food was delicious but the wait to pick up the food was very long even with me calling in my order in advance. The French toast was insanely delicious though and the hot honey tenders were also amazing. I wasn't that impressed with the Mac and cheese, but I will definitely come back for the food again! read more

Nzinga's Kitchen - French Toast - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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Very disappointing visit. Came on a Saturday morning as they opened. There was one server. Our large party was accommodated. Environment: It gave me mom n pop vibes. But once they start playing music it ruined it for me. They had a big speaker on the corner and began playing rnb soul music. Which is fine, until you play it so loud I can not hear the people at my table. It was always the same songs over and over. Food: One word. HAIR. 2 out of 5 dishes came to out table with hair which we suspect came from the server. My red velvet pancakes were burnt, a waffle was served to the table completely in crumbs. Sweet potato biscuit was dry. When asked for replacements we got no apology, just attitude. We had to ask for refills, in which our cup was removed from the table, to the back to be refilled. Needless to say we were done drinking. Only positive we're the eggs. Overall: Don't waste your time ... read more

Nzinga's Kitchen - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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OK, so I try to support black owned businesses. I was in town this weekend visiting UNC Chapel Hill with my son. Ordered pick up from this restaurant. Breakfast. Again, I say breakfast. Most breakfast items require butter. They bring up my food and tell me I'm sorry we're out of butter. How in the world can you be out of butter? You're a freaking restaurant. Then when I said how can you be out of butter she says to me, we only include butter when you ask for it. So now you're contradicting yourself. I placed my order online there was no option to add butter. I asked her how could I have added butter online? She just continue to apologize to me. I should've listen to the other reviews when they mentioned that this place is always out of some thing. I won't return. Update: the owner responded to my review to apologize. I truly appreciate it when business owners take your concerns seriously. I hate that I had to drive around an unfamiliar town looking for butter when they had some in the back. The food was good, I will admit. I may return. read more

Came on a Sunday morning for brunch. There was no wait. Ordered the shrimp & grits, which was very good. My friend liked his grill combo also. Nice to find an African restaurant in Durham serving great food. read more

Nzinga's Kitchen - Shrimp & grits, red velvet waffle - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Food is delicious. I love how the owner of the restaurant Zuri is very personable. She always remembers my name like we grew up together. Great environment! In a very historical area in Durham! read more

I have no complaints about this place. The food was delicious, definitely coming back soon, and the music makes the ambience. I like that it's not overly crowded and it's not a huge space. Our server was really nice & took great care of us. There are a couple of things that hold me up from giving this place 5 stars. 1. Would be the bathrooms. Toilets barley flush and they look filthy. The ladies bathroom is out of order while the men's bathroom could use some work. 2. I'm allergic to dairy. If the menu says that you can have the eggs "any style" you should be able to order eggs cooked in oil with no butter. 3. If the place is not super busy, a to-go order should not take 20 mins or longer. Considering that the place was not over crowded and most people have already received their orders. read more

Nzinga's Kitchen - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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HERE IS THE PHRASE FOR THIS AMAZING PLACE "AFFORDABLE, GREAT FOOD" will probably rate his higher on my next visit. Here's the break down of my visit: Seated immediately, got our waters pretty quickly. Ordered food with strong recommendations. I got chicken and waffles and subbed for the French toast. And holy moly people. The French toast was SO DAMN FLUFFY-- best I've had honestly. They were like clouds. I also had chicken wings with it instead of tenders. But I should have gotten the tenders! (Never make that mistake again! My boyfriend also got chicken and waffles, but got red velvet waffles. They were amazing. Overall very pleasant experience. I paid for three people, it cost about $30 for all of us. Just so you know how affordable this place is. read more

This was my first time visiting Nzinga's and when I'm back in Durham, I'll be back. The place was a little hard to find, I wasn't really expecting so many other businesses to be surrounding it. When we walked in we were greeted and seated immediately. The place is very casual and laid back. The waiter was nice, not fake customer service nice, but really a nice guy. I had the French toast and the portion size was bigger than expected. It was delicious. My friend ordered the three meat omelette and enjoyed it. Home fries were hot and fresh. This place was a gem and moderately priced. $9.49 for my French toast combo. 8.99 for a meat trio omelette. I'd recommend giving this place a try. read more

Nzinga's Kitchen - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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I CAN'T BELIEVE I HAVEN'T REVIEWED THIS PLACE YET. If you don't want to wait around and spend 20 minutes looking for parking to enjoy phenomenal brunch or pay $20+ (even +$15!!), this is your spot! This is a low key, but amazing, comfort food restaurant tucked away in the historically Black part of Durham. Highlights: one of the few places you can get Red Velvet Chicken & Waffles (or cookies and cream, or strawberry --- you name it), French toast with fried chicken, spiced shrimp and grits, SWEET POTATO BISCUITS --- oh and for a really, really low cost. I have brought friends and family from out of town here and they have LOVED it, too! My favorite is the Red Velvet Chicken & Waffle. SO SO good. I have never had chicken in the area that was so perfectly seasoned. Their cookies and cream pancakes are excellent as well. I've had friends say the shrimp and grits and the french toast are also the best they've ever had. I LOVE to start with complimentary sweet potato biscuits with honey which they offer for weekend brunch, but you have to ask for them. There are so many things on the menu that I want to try, but I'm so hooked on the above listed menu items to branch out!! Ambiance - cute, light wood and brick, well-lit, diner-like feel. There are paintings and portraits of icons on the walls. Not fancy, just comfortable, which is just what you need some weekends! read more

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Located in a very unassuming complex in Durham, Nzinga blew all my expectations out of the park. The food here is incredible, and with some unique brunch items. This was my first time trying Red Velvet Waffles and they're soooo good! I came here for brunch on a Saturday and got a Ham, Egg & Cheese breakfast sandwich on a Sweet Potato Biscuit, with Home Fries on the side. Also got an order of Red Velvet Waffles to share. The sandwich was delicious, and at only $4.50 it's a steal. I've never had a Sweet Potato Biscuit before and I'm glad I got to try it here. The home fries were also good, albeit unexpected. They were your traditional home fries except tossed with some sauteed peppers and onions. An unexpected, but welcome, take on a traditional breakfast item! My server was very helpful in helping us decide what to order and the food came out quick, probably in about 10 minutes. With a fun ambience, great service, and delicious food, Nzinga's is a must try! read more

Great service, easy parking, and delicious food! Had the Spanish omelette and extra crispy house fries. Husband had the French toast and pork sausage. YUMMO! Definitely going to be another go-to breakfast place for us. read more

Nzinga's Kitchen - Spanish omelette - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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This hidden gem is surely worth every penny spent! Decided to go here for brunch after craving some red velvet waffles. After a quick Yelp search for red velvet waffles, we were quickly on our way! From the time we entered the restaurant until the time we left, we received superior customer service. Before ordering, I couldn't decide if I wanted grits or not so the waitress gave us the option of cheese or Cajun grits. Since I've never had Cajun grits before, out waitress let me sample them and OMG they were out of this world! I just knew I had to get the shrimp and grits! Btw, I'm usually a sugar in my grits type of girl, but these were honestly the BEST grits I've ever tasted! I ended up ordering a red velvet waffle, shrimp and grits and a side salmon cake. Everything, I mean everything was delicious! Of course since the portions were so plentiful, I had a good amount of leftovers to take home. The waffles even came with a cream cheese spread which made them taste even better. Everything had so much flavor, even the salmon cakes. I HIGHLY recommend Nzingas if you're looking for amazing food with awesome customer service. Looking forward to my next visit! read more

Nzinga's Kitchen - Red velvet waffle, shrimp n grits and a side salmon cake. So flavorful and delicious! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Great Food! The owner was very pleasant and very accomodating .The restaurant was very clean.

My first time!! The service was on point!! I had the shrimp and grits, a side of bacon and a single buttermilk pancake. I am used to my shrimp and grits being a little more colorful and textured, ex:...green peppers, onions, andouille sausage, but this was delicious even with the omissions. The shrimp were perfection. They were succulent, tender and seasoned to wonderfully atop some delicious cheesy grits. My breakfast companion ordered the salmon cakes, cheese eggs, grits and sweet potato biscuit. I cannot wait to go back. read more

This was my first time coming here for lunch. It offered a nice atmosphere inside. We were seated by the speakers and the stage. Our server Malcolm, was great. He was really attentive to me and my friend's needs. He made the experience better.... and he was attractive The food came out in good time and I had no complaints. I had double chocolate chip pancakes, eggs, and sausage. I would recommend this spot. The prices were reasonable and the food was good. read more

Nzinga's Kitchen - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Stopped by for Sunday brunch after reading some favorable reviews. Wish I hadn't. While I was waiting for our food I noticed that there was a string of lights wrapped around a painting on the wall and some half-ass window tint job on the windows. I went to the bathroom and one light out of five was working and they didn't even bother to tape off the floor when painting, it looked terrible. Since they don't care about the appearance of their restaurant I figured the food would follow suit, and it surely did. They served the cheapest store-bought orange juice that you can buy. Very thick and syruppy. I got the red velvet pancakes. They were super thin and rubbery, like a crepe, and served with a side of what tasted like Betty Crocker cream cheese frosting. The eggs had no flavor. The biscuit was like a hockey puck and super dense. Avoid at all costs. read more

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I came on my lunch break as a group of 4, and I really enjoyed my meal and the service. The only complaint I have would be the wait time. I had gone on an hour lunch break, and had to rush to eat. I would recommend coming here when you're not pressed for time. read more

Nzinga's Kitchen - French Toast & Chicken - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Good food overall. We particularly liked the shrimp and grits. Hush puppies were not our favorite style, rather small and bland flavored. Also their branded bottled drinks are way too sweet. read more

Such an amazing place for a southern breakfast. My favorite was the red velvet waffle. This places also has one of the most hearty shrimp and grits dishes I've ever tasted. I love that the woman who owns place is community oriented. She was actually there when I went and came out to greet the customers. It's a cute little restaurant. I would honestly consider it one of Durham's best kept secrets. read more

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The location is pretty obscure, but I'm glad we came here. My mom and I ordered an omelette and shrimp and grits. The shrimp was cooked perfectly, but the grits were a little runny and under seasoned. The omelette was good, especially the side of potatoes. The service was excellent. I'd definitely recommend this restaurant for a casual and inexpensive brunch. read more

Nzinga's Kitchen - Omelette with potatoes and a biscuit and shrimp and grits. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

I love supporting black owned businesses. This one was decent, the food (red velvet waffle and chicken wings) was just ok. What bothered me most was the unprofessionalism of some employees who had a loud conversation in the back of the restaurant where we were sitting. I felt the convo was loud and inappropriate for guests to hear while dining. I'm not a prude, just saying maybe take the convo to the back away from where customers are located. I will go here again, hope to have a better experience next time. read more

Nzinga's Kitchen - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

We get brunch here often. It's usually pretty empty inside because people order out. We love the French toast! It's perfect and full of flavor. They also have good omelets! read more

This food was AHHHHHHMAZING!! The service was just as good! The salmon cakes were the star of my breakfast! You don't need a waffle or pancakes if you get the sweet potato biscuits, which were beyond delicious! My girl had an omelet which was mediocre. I couldn't keep her away from my salmon cakes LOL! I would give them 5 stars, however, we both left out smelling as if we actually cooked the food. We literally had to come home and wash our clothes. So if you eat in odds are you'll walk out smelling like all sorts of food and grease! If you're in the Durham area please check out this gem! It will be well worth your time and your tummy will thank you! read more

Nzinga's Kitchen - Omelet, Fried Chicken Thigh, Home Fries, Salmon Cakes, Grits, Sweet Potato Biscuits and Eggs! YUMMMYYYY - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Delicious breakfast food for the soul. We had the waffle combo and an omelette with potatoes. We loved it and can't wait to try the rest of the menu. Oh, and everyone was so friendly at pick up! read more

This spot is offering take out during COVID. I ordered the fish meal with 2 sides; mac & cheese and yams. It also came with a yeast roll and cole slaw. Since I grabbed it on my way home from work the fish was a tad soggy from how it was packaged togo. But it was still delicious, I would love to try eating here once they open the inside. I'm sure the food is better when its pipping hot. read more

Today I went to Nzinga's and had the shrimp & cajun grits! It was amazing. The restaurant is only 3 minutes away from NCCU's campus so it's convenient for me. The wait was a little lengthy but I'm sure it's because the food is cooked fresh. I loved the waitress, she was very nice. I'll be coming back for more !! read more

Nzinga's Kitchen - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

This a hidden gem that I'm glad we found. My family and I visited this place for brunch and after only being there for 10 minutes we all agreed that we'd more than likely return. The music was A WHOLE VIBE on a Sunday. There were 9 of us, so they had to put a couple of tables together, not a lot of elbow room, but we made it work! Back to the music.... I sang and bopped with every song, in between sips of coffee. I would go again just for the playlist alone. I ordered a waffle combo with a side of eggs and red hot sausage. I will say, the one thing that was noticed was how long it took for the food to arrive to the table. Everything is made to order, but I'm going to hope that there is more help in the kitchen on the next visit because it took about 30-40 minutes for the food to be made. However, once the food arrived, it was really good. The waffles are softer than my preference but they were hot and cooked all the way through (trust me, this cannot be said for every place). When it was time to check out, the cashier informed us of the desserts and I gladly got some banana pudding to go. However, once I got a chance to eat it, I was a little disappointed with the small amount I got for the price. If you have in the restaurant, you may receive more of a serving; so try and let me know. Overall, it was a decent brunch for $20 (just my meal cost).e As always... my experience is mine alone, so PLEASE DO NOT be discouraged and go try them out for yourself! Your taste buds and tummy will thank you! read more

So, coming off the road driving for Uber, you need a good place to stop for energy food. One of my driver friends suggested this spot, and since I'd never been here before, I figured I'd try it... First and foremost...PORTIONS. When you come in here, they feed you just like any Southern grandmother would - one plate should have you good for the rest of the day. In the spirit of trying something new and different, I opted for the French toast and chicken (waffles have been done already, you know)...and the plate that came out was steaming, and sumptuous. I was almost afraid that I wouldn't finish - except that I was starving... So, the French toast was made with Italian bread in a cross-cultural mashup - with great results. I haven't had it that light and fluffy inside, ever. And the chicken was fried lightly enough to crunch, but well enough for you to see the spices poking through. You know, I wish I'd taken pictures, but the food came out so quickly after I ordered, hunger just took over my hands. Forgive me. Even better, come here and take your own pictures...if you can keep your hands off the food... read more