What an amazing small business! Let's start with the owner---Bunmi! She is literally the nicest person EVER! She really is a believer of building community and that can be seen in the way that she treats her customers and also is visible by the people walking through the door of her cafe. I have never had such a positive experience in regard to feeling so welcome and so happy while somewhere. My friend Taylor and I chatted with the staff and every customer. What an experience! All of the food and beverages were freshly prepared. Allergies were taken care of along with other dietary restrictions and preferences. They have options for GF, dairy free, vegetarian, vegan and more. WOW! Everything we tried was amazing. It was my first time trying Nigerian food and I was super impressed! Everything was flavorful and unique. I will be back again for sure. This was an experience unlike any other! read more

See all

This place is so good! They recently closed and reopened with a new menu and updated interior. It is really nice inside and super clean! The woman working couldn't have been nicer and all of the customers were beyond friendly. For drinks my friend and I tried the Chapman and zobo, both were good on their own but the nice woman working convinced us to mix them together and WOW, highly recommend. We also tried a blueberry latte which was tasty. For food we ordered puff puff, plantain waffle, sardines and eggs, and vegan village rice bowl. We finished it off with a slice of banana bread. Everything was so flavorful and not overly salty and not oily. The puff puff were so light and fluffy! I can't wait to come back and try more things. We got a lot of recommendations from customers coming in... definitely coming back for jollof rice and pepper soup! Side note: there is construction going on in front of this business. Don't let it deter you, there is a lot of street parking nearby and you can park at the bank across the street while the construction is going on! read more

See all

Delicious food, super friendly staff, and a nice seating area! I love the tapioca with fruit here, it is delicious and perfectly creamy (: read more

Village Restaurant - African Near Me - Pawtucket, Rhode Island

The ladies working here could not be sweeter or more helpful. They explained all the different options and made sure I knew what was spicy, what kinds of meat I was getting, what ingredients were in the dishes and so on. They were happy to share their food culture with a newbie like me. The store front is easy to spot. Street parking only from what we could see. There is a sign on the door asking that you wear a mask while inside (unless seated). On the right as you enter is a counter with prepared foods in chafing dishes. There is a long menu board overhead on the wall. We placed the order and the staff dished it up. We grabbed a couple beverages from the cooler at the back and paid at the register, then sat to eat. Tips for those who prepared and served your food may be left in the tip jar by the register or added to your bank/credit card. They have goat as one of their meat choices, and when I have the chance, I get it. Some of their meat is cooked on the bone with a nice amount of fat, both of which add to the depth of flavors, but does make it a bit more difficult to eat, so just a heads up there. Both bone-in and boneless fish options are available also. Many of the dishes are cooked in a tomato base. If you are concerned about spice level, just ask. I had the idea that all the food options would be spicy. Some of it was, while some is not at all. The jollof rice for example is not spicy. I was given a red sauce on the side to put over my meal and boy howdy, that *was spicy! But as it was on the side, I was able to determine my level of heat. Good call by the young woman preparing our meals. The goat was cut in nice big tasty chunks. If you have never tried it, goat is a bit gamey, similar to lamb, but not quite the same. I was speaking to the owner about the baked options and suggested we try their new location in Providence. She tells me there are more food options there, including vegetarian/vegan as well as having a nice, new interior, over on Fountain Street. She also steamed a loaf of bread and brought it over to the table for us to try. Such a sweetheart! This is a mini loaf, and would probably be good for up to four people to share. She tells me you can eat it with chocolate or hot cocoa, cover it with butter, or use it to scoop up the beans or veg side dishes. Just depends on if you want sweet or savory. The loaf is extremely tasty, a bit sweet, dense as in this is one heavy loaf, but somehow also has a light texture. I'd eat this again for sure. I brought home another meal (and half that loaf) to eat later. I'm looking forward to sampling another dish and plan to check out their new location. We dined-in and this location has several large booth style seats. They also offer delivery through 3rd party providers or you can carry out. Even dining-in our meals were served in Styrofoam take out containers with plastic ware and paper towels for napkins. Cutting our meat choices with plastic ware is not easy and my dining companion gave up. It's very low key and family friendly here. The staff, who are mostly family here, placed our food on a table and they bus after ward. There are no condiments on the tables, or napkin holders. I've been to other restaurants that use this same format (order, pay, sit and eat or take out) and I don't mind the plastic ware, but it's not for everyone. There was a pretty brisk take out business happening so I guess there are plenty of folks who agree. The table and seat were clean as were the counters and other surfaces. The front window wall lets in a nice bit of sun, but on this cold day, it was chilly sitting nearby. Overall the food was good: not all of it is 'hot', although some is for sure and not overly spiced. The staff were extremely helpful and kind. If you have never tried this style food, come in and speak with the staff. They seem happy to help. read more

Village Restaurant - Mon - Sat 11-11, Sun 1 - 7 And please wear your mask inside. - African Near Me - Pawtucket, Rhode Island

See all

We're new to the area and were excited to see an African restaurant that delivered to us. I've had the occasional Ethiopian or Moroccan dish, but I've otherwise had very little opportunity to try foods from other countries in Africa. Definitely never Nigerian. I've always wanted to try jollof rice, so I ordered that with beef and some egusi. My wife had the designer rice with an extra brined egg, and we both had a sausage roll to start with. Neither of us have a great frame of reference for what these dishes should taste like, but we both enjoyed our meals and found the portions satisfying. I was a little surprised that the beef in my dish was bone-in--not a problem per se, just putting it out there for other customers who might not realize. The plantains were my favorite part, but they usually are. We'll definitely be ordering again to try more things. read more

I'm Nigerian and go to Brown nearby. My schedule and apartment kitchen don't allow me to dedicate entire days to cooking Nigerian meals so I was excited to see that this restaurant offered delivery. I ordered rice and stew with beef as well as puff puff. The rice: As soon as I put the rice and stew in my mouth I was like 'what??' Unfortunately, the rice itself was extremely mushy and unsalted! That was a complete first for me. I couldn't even taste the stew with how wet and bland the rice was. I don't understand how a restaurant can struggle with something so simple yet so vital to Nigerian food, especially when you get $2.50 plates in Nigeria that nail it every time. The stew: It was only when I tasted the stew alone that I discovered it was actually nice. It's not the best I've had but the seasonings were correct. As I should have expected, it was not spicy. Really disappointing but I understand needing to appease to different customers. Again, I wasn't allowed to enjoy it because of how bad the rice was. The beef: Cooked very well yet not seasoned as much as it should have been. Thankfully it was not nearly as bland as the rice. It became perfect when I ate it with the stew. The puff puff: This is my all-time favorite snack that I order wherever I go. The puff puff here was well-shaped, fresh, and sooo soft. Thumbs up. Anyone ordering should note this is one of those restaurants that don't put sugar in it, so you'll have to dip the puff puff in sugar yourself. It is also the type without nutmeg. This place would be 4 stars if not for their rice. What an experience... read more

Owners are extremely pleasant and the food is delicious! I highly recommend eating at this wonderful Nigerian restaurant.

I recently discovered Village's newest downtown Providence location while walking to meet a friend at the restaurant across the street. My first thought was, "Wow, Nigerian food would be infinitely more interesting" to me as a vegetarian than most of the American/Italian/ Bar and Grill places in the area. I promised the proprietor that I would return after I met my friend, and I couldn't have been happier with the care and attention he took with my order: from bringing out freshly prepared spinach stew (to replenish what had been in the steam table), to making fresh plaintains, to offering me some dessert treats gratis. The jollof rice was zingy and well cooked and the spinach in the stew was fresh and had an appealing texture. I was quite impressed with my first Village visit and I know Village will be one of my local favorites from here on out. read more

I really hate giving bad reviews, but the food preparation and delivery here is horrible, I ordered some jolly rice with goat meat and puff puff, the puff puff is slept over from previous days, dip in oil when order and deliver to you, it is very hard to bite right out of the delivery bag, the goat meat was undercooked. my food was even delivered in a black ripped plastic bag by Grubbhub.. Very very bad and horrible ordering experience but I will definitely learn from it.. And just to conclude the food ended up right in the dump/trash.. read more

I love this restaurant I live in Massachusetts it was great all the African restaurants in mass was closed. It very pleasant place and the owner was nice read more

Had delicious beef, rice and plantain plate. Staff was very helpful being it was my first visit.

I've never had West African food before, and I'm still working on getting my head around the menu at this place, but I recognize a good, authentic home-cooking joint when I see one. Try to flag down one of the younger staff to explain the typo-riddled menu to you, and how to eat the food once you get it. (You're supposed to dump the sauces on the plate first, rather than dipping...it's not entirely intuitive). Don't believe them when they say the food is not that spicy. That said, the fish was really good, and I really liked the different textures of okra and cassava, prepared in ways I'd never eaten them before. Definitely a place for the adventurous. read more

I come to this restaurant every time I'm in the area because it's the only Nigerian restaurant I know and it always seems to disappoint. I don't know how they are still in business. The last time I went they didn't have Garri, Egusi, or Moin-Moin. How is that even possible at a Nigerian restaurant?? Garri and Eba are staple foods. I was told that they only make Moin-Moin for "special occasions"....WHAT!?! When you order the food takes forever to come out. It's just an all around frustrating experience. On the upside, the jollof rice was good. The vegetable soup was terrible. Hope I can find a better place to go when I'm craving good Nigerian cooking because this isn't it. read more

Hey, This was my first Nigerian restaurant I have ever been too, and overall it was a ok experience. The restaurant was easy to find, but they did not have designated parking. The restaurant itself was clean but was a tad bit dated. I went there with a Nigerian (Ibo) and he was content wiith the food, except he wished they had Nwwobi on the menu. So we ordered the Rice and Boneless Fish with salad, the Pepper Soup with assorted meat, and Egunsi Stew with pounded Yam. (Don't judge us we can eat!! ) With a few shots! First off the Portions were huge! The fish and rice was perfect! The fish was well cooked, well seasoned and moist. The rice was ok, nothing special. The salad on the other hand was basically lettuce, and tomatoes in a bowl. Umm yeah.. it was somewhat fresh but it could have been stepped up a notch or two. The pepper soup was very spicy (But it is suppose to be) but good. I'm personally not a big fan on the assorted meat that was in the soup, but hey to each there own. The Egunsi Stew alone is a colorful, flavorful stew, and they SLAYED it.Pure Awe-Some-Sauce! read more

I put time frames since the main complaint was taking up too much time. I came in around 6:15 pm and it was dead, besides someone sitting down eatting in the dining area. I checked the menu on the wall and as I stepped up to the cashier to order I am looking around for someone to place my order. The person sitting gets up and asks if I want to order. I said yes and I wanted to dine in. So she tells me to sit and she will get me a menu. I guess she didn't see me read the menu on the wall... I sit and read the menu. Wait for a bit and another Lady came over and took my order: Fish & Chips with a side order of plantains and a coke. She says she has no coleslaw which was ok, I never eat it anyways. 6:31 pm Still no drink...but a guy came in, placed an order to go and left within a few minutes. 6:35 pm: Fish and chips arrived. Nice and hot. Can of coke even though they have a soda foundation. No salt or pepper on the tables but I got a basket of ketchup packets. Still waiting on plantains. It was decent, nothing to rave about. I asked for the large and I got three little fried fish which looks like it would go into the fish sandwich. For the same price I can get two huge pieces of fish from yovanni's and have tons left over. 6:49 pm Still waiting on plantains. 6:50 pm Lady return to check on me, seen that I finished already and said "I'll go get you the check" then goes to another table where two men walked in. Guess I am not getting my plantains... 7:02 pm No plantains but I got my check, charged me a middle price between the small and large order. Not sure if I want to order from here again. read more

Great food! I usually order spinach, red sauce, with boneless fish and white rice or pounded yam. Always taste great and fresh! Customer service is also very good. Best Nigerian food in Rhode Island. read more

Village Restaurant - African Near Me - Pawtucket, Rhode Island

Nigerian Food is great. Service is aggressive- typical 9ja stuff. Appearance is just there. Poundo with Abono and/or ego riro (spinach) is on point. Had it two days in a row - three meals in a row. Stewed Beef is sweeeeeeet. Lol. Also abono is cooked with a lot of palm oil. I'm not used to that so it really rubbed me the wrong way initiatially but once you get over it, that abono get potential . Efo (Spinach) is great! read more

Yummy food and family owned! Yesterday I ordered food for a group of 10+ people and the portions were perfect, and everything cooked well - rice, plantains, spinach, chicken stew, okra stew - Everyone loved it! And the order was ready to be picked up at the right time and wasnt too expensive at all. Support local businesses! read more

Although I am no expert on Nigerian food, I have really enjoyed my meals every time I've gone. I've seen other people note long wait times for food, and I can confirm that, but I've still found it worth it. If you expect to wait a while, it's not so bad. I've waited longer at other restaurants. I think they're just a little understaffed. The portions are large and the taste and smell are great. The jollof rice is fabulous, I can't get enough of the plantains, and the service is very friendly. I wish they were in Providence so it was more convenient for me to stop in. read more

This place was recommended to me. I ate here... chicken wasn't fresh and it was rubbery. Place was completely empty and the woman working the restaurant was the most rude person I've ever met like she was doing me a favor by giving me my food; despite how nice I was trying to be which usually isn't my style to stay quiet when I'm spending my money. Will never go back to this place. On top of that I didn't eat all day and I took a few bites and threw my food in the trash to get better food elsewhere. Waste of $15 which isn't much. But you couldn't pay me $15 to go back here!!!! If I could give a -1 rating, I would give it to them! read more

do.not.have her cater your wedding/celebration of.any.kind. There are just too many reasons and she and her staff mortified me. Her food is excellent, and you should have her drop off and deliver, THATS IT read more

My boyfriend is Nigerian and he loves this place. I think it's the worst example of African food I've ever tried. The assorted meats make me want to throw up. The jaloof rice is awful and undercooked most of the time. I actually witnessed a pot of food on the floor when I was picking up my boyfriend to go food. Awful! read more

EDIT (From 5stars to 4stars): Went a second time, and the food was great. Sadly however, the wait to get my food was 1 hour (the restaurant had other people, but wasn't especially busy). I'll check out VR again, and if the wait is consistently an issue the rating may drop again. We'll see. --- I did my homework before going to Village. The yelp reviews were not promising. However, elsewhere on the internet there lie 5star reviews. (And as I do for restaurants nowadays, I checked on their health inspection record, which is relatively solid.) So I treated this trip as a bit of a gamble. As my first west African meal, the food was delicious. And the portions were huge. The medium meal was definitely large, so I can only imagine how staggering the size of the large meal would be. The service was great. Very helpful in navigating the menu, and very friendly. (As a side note, for those comparing to other reviews, it was a younger gentleman.) Sadly (or fortunately for my limited stomach space), they couldn't make the appetizer I wanted as their oven seemed to be malfunctioning. All in all, a very good experience. A solid 4.5 stars - 5 for now. Will definitely go again, and with any luck the 5stars will stick. read more

The food was just bad, I got a rice dish with meat and there was barely any meat.They gave the worst cuts of meat possible.

I walked in around 3 pm - an odd hour of the day, really; couldn't help that - the place was clean, pleasant and comfortable. A Nigerian woman explained what one of the items was - mashed cassava. I had boneless fish, cassava and spinach. It was very well prepared, delicious and filling. I very much look forward to going back there and bringing friends. The woman said the place is packed at night and there would be desserts then! Definite going back! read more