We hosted my husband's graduation party here and it was a spectacular experience. The venue is stunning. The staff attended to every detail. The food left our guests raving and wanting more. The beer selection showcased the best of local drafts and the wine and cocktail list featured delicious, unique and creative drinks that pair spectacularly with the menu. Cannot say enough things about this place. Highly recommend for dinner, drink or a buyout! read more

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Really just wonderful! The Carribean appetizer platter was beautifully plated, gorgeous to look at -- so many tastes, so many textures! Really, I just wish my wife and I had ordered two of these instead of the whole meal, no offense to the other dishes. The lamb shank was tender, had a nice sauce, big as a battleship on the plate. There were some potatoes on the plate with the shank, all smashed and crispy and sauced -- some kind of a lemony sauce -- I'm not kidding when I say the best potatoes I've had in my life. The village salad was a generous portion. The donuts (I forget the technical term for them) for dessert were just perfect. The service was friendly and helpful. Small bit of criticism: I wish the village salad went a little lighter on the raw onion. That's it -- that's all the criticism I have. I got a chance to chit-chat with the chef/owner. I own a food business of my own (organic grocery, take-out kitchen), so it was especially fun to hear what she does, and how she does it. In particular, some of the choices she makes around ingredient quality are highly unusual. Like using actual organic chicken, frying in avocado oil, using cashews instead of some generic dairy or starch as the base for this one dipping sauce. That stuff ain't cheap, and it probably doesn't make the food taste that much different. You do it because you care, and because you believe in it. Much respect. read more

We had a reservation for 6:30. Wasn't necessary at that hour. There was one person who's a hostess and a waitress. We got the table and waited. Waited and waited. Finally we ordered our drinks then waited, waited and waited. By now tables are 80% filled and still only one person doing everything. Our dinner finally arrived it was 40min since we sat down. My salmon was so salty I could not eat it. Mango salsa was so spice I had to drink two glasses of water. And my husband's chicken was lukewarm. Probably had been sitting in the kitchen for half an hour. My unwise decision to order a dessert. We waited, waited, and waited. Finally I gave up and try to get the one person staff's attention. Not easy. She is extremely busy sitting people, taking orders, dealing with online orders and Uber drivers. By the time she made to our table it has been 1 hr and 45 minutes since we came in. So Food was bad. Very overpriced. Service was very slow. No ambience. Oh. Yea. The lighting above our table was flickering for the whole time. We could not see our food well. So ambience ? None. Why is this place get high reviews ? I don't know. Surely we won't be returning. read more

I saw a few reviews referring to this place as an absolute gem - and I couldn't agree more! Everything on the menu was absolutely delicious. We started with the plantains and pork. The little kick in the spicy coleslaw that was on top initially caught me by surprise, but I was in love after one bite! I also had the jerk chicken as my entree, and was just in awe at the way the meat just melted off the bone. As far as service goes, it was fantastic. It was a freezing cold, gross, snowy day when I went. After seeing us walk in, our waitress brought us some complimentary lentil soups to help us warm up while we looked through the menu. It was so, so kind. As you can see from the photos, the decor was stunning. The pink neon lights and portraits are gorgeous. Overall, Nzuko is more than deserving of its five stars! read more

Nzuko Restaurant - Caribbean Near Me - Watertown, Massachusetts

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Bright and vibrant decor with authentic and flavorful cuisine. A stunning little restaurant that deserves attention! read more

Nzuko Restaurant - Caribbean Near Me - Watertown, Massachusetts

First time here, and I loved it! The owner was very friendly and talked us through which items are gluten and dairy-free. We had the plantain appetizer - the griot (spiced pork balls) was SOOO good - and the falafel (regular). The falafel were large and tasty but a bit dry, I would have appreciated more tahini sauce. My friend had the salmon entree and I had the kofta kebab. Both were excellent. No room for dessert - we'll have to come again. The only negative was the drinks list. There are only 3 red and 3 white wines on the menu and I can't drink red; they were out of the Sauvignon Blanc, and the (cheap) Pinot Grigio wasn't very nice. A shame, but did not detract from the experience overall - delicious and fun! read more

AMAZING! Phenomenal food, beautiful decor, and super-sweet staff. Everything was divinely delicious and you could feel every bit of love in each dish. I highly recommend this spot for anyone who loves flavorful food and creative drinks. Can't wait to come back again :) read more

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I cannot wait until we go back to this restaurant! The food was fabulous. We shared dishes because we wanted to try everything. The ambiance is warm and inviting! Bright lights! Great displays of decorations. The tables are separated from each other. Very clean. The wait staff is knowledgable and friendly. I highly recommend this hidden gem. read more

We walked in on a Sunday for dinner and were seated right away. Food was delicious, the playlist was fun, and the decor inside is really cute. Great Watertown hidden gem! read more

Nice place and people but food wasn't very good. Jerk chicken was disappointing, bland like sauce was poured on from a jar. Several things tasted oily or reheated, not freshly cooked. Plantains were dry. Was not terrible but wouldn't go back either. read more

Soo good! Staff is amazing and super sweet. They even made the effort to go get Falafel that was previously out of stock in their kitchen. Food is even better than the service. We ordered Pari Pari Chicken which is amazing. Not a single bad dish. Dessert is to die for! An absolute must. read more

Nzuko Restaurant - Loukoumades and Mango Pie - Caribbean Near Me - Watertown, Massachusetts

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I am pausing my meal to write about how delicious this place is. Meze Caribbean plate and kofta kebab. Both fire. Wish I had more room in my tummy for more. Does not taste like anywhere else I have been. Ambience was low key and perfect. Service was caring and personal. No notes. read more

This place will change your life. Delicious, creative food with amazing flavor and freshness. Such a cool ambiance with music on some nights. You can tell they put a priority on fresh and healthy foods, which are also comforting and rich. The Caribbean-Mediterranean fusion is a brilliant combination. read more

Nzuko Restaurant - Leg of lamb. - Caribbean Near Me - Watertown, Massachusetts

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We went here for dinner. The food was delicious, service was great (hard to find good service in Boston, but these people were very polite and nice). the place was clean and neat. Will be back again. read more

My wife and I came here for lunch, and the food is amazing! We ordered the Caribbean mezza plate and the spiced lamb shank. Meza plate had and assortment of bites all generous in size. Chunks of stewed meat, fried plantains, conch fritters, and more. Lamb shank was tender without being too soggy, and the potatoes that came with it soaked up all the good flavor but was still crispy. Will definitely be coming back for more. read more

Food was very disappointing. Expected a lot better quality food with such highly rated restaurant but every one of us was underwhelmed. We had reservation and were offered the worst table with sun in face. No shades in the place. We then were placed at a table outside the bathroom with minimal to no air conditioning. The meat in the appetizer was chewy. We had to spit out few pieces and left rest untouched. They essentially robbed us $180 for a terrible meal that none of us enjoyed. The only good thing is we didn't get sick from the food. Hence the 1 star. Very suspicious how it gets its high rating on Yelp. read more

All I can say is ...WOW!! There were 5 of us. We all ordered different dishes. And all of us loved every bite! How often does that happen?!?! read more

Great food, super tasty! Would definitely recommend. Staff are friendly. Give it a try if you never been there. A+++++++

Great, flavorful food, simply put-fingerlicious food. Everything was delicious and presentable. Portions are huge. The service was below average ! Extremely slow for not a very busy night but the food made up for lack of service. read more

All I can is WOW! This is phenomenal food. Everything we had tasted amazing. The plantains with pork, falafels, sea bass, village salad, and Fattoush salad were all flavorfully balanced and vibrant. I preferred my meal here to many meals I've had on Newbury Street in Boston. It's just great quality food. In addition, the service was great with kind waitstaff and the ambiance was fun and cool with modern, natural design. Highly recommend!! I hope Nzuko stays around for a long, long time! read more

The food was amazing! The taste was fantastic, and the quality was perfect. Highly recommended!

The food was fantastic. Had the falafel, hummus and shrimp. The falafel was just the right texture, not dry, and delicious. Beautiful presentation also. We were there late on a wed so it was very very quiet. Friendly service, read more

Really great falafel! Everything was good but falafel was my favorite. Next favorite were the dips and mushroom rice read more

Nzuko Restaurant - Caribbean Near Me - Watertown, Massachusetts

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This place is SO good!! The food is excellent and you can tell the chef really put his/her heart on it. Service was good. Drinks excellent. Beautiful decor. Can't wait to be back!! read more

The food is delicious, the restaurant is beautiful and the owner deeply cares about her clientele. Lolette, thank you for a wonderful evening. Run don't walk. read more

The ambience is amazing and it's kind of hidden, which I love. The service is great and every time I've gone, there's never much of a crowd, so I haven't experienced wait time. The food is good, the cocktails are as well. I think the only reason I can't give a five star is that I believe the prices are a bit too high for portion size and quality of food. Overall great spot for friends, a date, or even lunch with co-workers. read more

The lamb shank was so good it melts in your mouth. The service was great the staff were amazing Very clean place new fresh and the art works are very inviting. read more

Wonderful service. Very interesting flavors and fresh food. Over all a great experience!

I wanted to bring my wife for a while but finally was able to make it. The interior is tastefully decorated and the food looks beautiful. We got the lamb, jerk chicken, and Mac cheese. It was delicious! The meat was tender and flavorful. The best part, the staff provided excellent and personal service. Would def come back! read more

Love this place! Wasn't sure what to expect as the location is a little strange but the food and atmosphere are fantastic. The owner is warm and welcoming, and the prices are reasonable if you're thinking about popping in for dinner stop thinking and just go. I hope this place is around for a long time. read more

Sorry to have to write such a negative review of a new Watertown restaurant since I like to support our neighborhood businesses. Nevertheless we were quite disappointed with this restaurant especially after reading the glowing reviews. The lamb was overcooked and very dry and as a result not very tasty. My friend had the salmon which was also somewhat dry and basically lacking much flavor. We had hoped that the falafel which, one person had said was the best he ever had, would at least be tasty but even that seemed dry and tasteless. The rice was pretty good as were the vegetables but the plantains were again dry and without much flavor. We picked up the food on time so it should not have dried out so quickly or been so lukewarm. As you can tell by now the meal was very disappointing. Probably one of the least enjoyable meals we've taken out since the pandemic began. read more

Absolutely blew us away. Great atmosphere, wonderfully delicious food! The chonch fritters were outstanding, I was transported back to a little island in the northern bahamas, Ordered the lamb shank for dinner and wasn't let down. Steeped in spices and rich flavor over crisped potatoes, it was sensational. We finished our meal with a key lime pie. All scrumptious! What a hidden gem! read more

Delicious food, mixing Caribbean and Mediterranean influences with great balance of flavors. A hidden gem.

No wonder this place has 5 star reviews. Agree with all the comments on how delicious the food is - across the board. From start to finish everything was perfectly seasoned (which is hard to find since often restaurant food can be quite over seasoned), and the dishes paired so well. Highly recommend the Mediterranean mezze platter (rice pilaf was perfectly cooked), which is enough food for two, and you get a great sampling. We also ordered the spiced lamb shank and it was fall of the bone . As were the accompanying crispy smashed potatoes. The homemade iced ginger tea with all its fall spices hit the spot. Finished the meal with the passion fruit cheesecake, which was not heavy at all. Instead, it was light (almost flan like) and the passion fruit sauce on the top was fresh and tart. Felt great after the meal despite eating a feast with how healthy and well-prepared the food was. To top it off, the staff and service were attentive, including the lovely owner who clearly has put so much thought and care into the restaurant. Clean, bright and airy ambiance. Highly recommend and love supporting a locally owned business! read more

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Spectacular new flavors, friendly soft-spoken service, delightful staff, my companion and I could actually talk and be heard without yelling and cupping our ears. All-around home run! read more

The roasted jerk chicken and the lamb shank were phenomenal--really vibrant flavors and great texture. The palm wine martini had a great balance of flavors and was the perfect accompaniment to dinner. Many thanks to everyone for a wonderful evening! read more

Went here last night for dinner with my colleagues and was blown away by the quality of the food and the restaurant overall! This place feels like a true hidden gem but I'm confident this place will be hard to get a table at very soon once people catch on to the amazing menu here. Appetizers: chicken wings, plantains, crispy eggplant were all 10/10 flavor. Main: Kofta (lamb) with rice and tzatziki - craving it again already. Dessert: We finished with the loukoumades and rice pudding. Cannot wait to come back here! Side note - the décor is also stunning and so well executed. Could see it being great for a buy out for a party too. Big fan! read more

Food is amazing! The ambience and light fixtures inside really had me feeling so homely and comfortable.

We are from San Diego and were in Boston visiting family. Our daughter found Nzuko on Yelp and it did not disappoint. We shared the Caribbean Meze Board, an order of Falafel and Hummus. All of the different flavors danced on our tongues. The Hummus plate offered 3 different flavors including pumpkin. What a tasty surprise on a cool fall evening. All staff were kind and helpful. read more

Amazing fusion of Jamaican and Mediterranean food! Great service and pleasantly serene atmosphere!