NZINGAS KITCHEN — Restaurant in Durham

The fish sandwich was bomb! However, it could have used more of the special sauce. The drizzle, and I do mean drizzle, was cute but didn't make a big difference. The flavor of the fish fry was very good though; also the size of the whiting filets was very good. As far as condiments, not having mustard for fried fish was a bit puzzling. At least offer more of the secret sauce as a condiment.

The side items: Not good. We had three - spicy collards, Mac & cheese and Cajun grits. The spicy collards were not spiced at all. Actually, they lacked flavour overall. I expected them to be cooked in a chicken or smoked turkey broth with adequate season, all I could see (but not taste) was garlic, like the pre-minced kind in a jar and not fresh garlic. We added salt and pepper to try and lift the flavour, but it didn't help. Disappointing.

Mac & Cheese: firstly, it was pale in color. Secondly, it too lacked depth of flavor. Could benefit from cooking the noodles in chicken broth and making a cheese sauce of sharp cheddar and Monterey Jack (for creaminess).

Cajun grits: they were just black pepper grits. I ordered them 'cause they were described as being cooked with tomatoes, onions and other rich flavors. Sadly, the dish did not deliver any of that, only black pepper.

Lemonade: 5$ for that size bottle? Shameful.

All in all, it is a cute establishment with a good flow of customers, friendly staff, and a good ambiance. The color scheme is a bit moody, but I do love teal, so it was nice to sit in...

I have been wanting to try this spot since moving to the area. I finally had the chance today and was pleased. I was greeted immediately upon entry by a nice man, who even asked if it was my first time and provided instructions on how to order. He was very welcoming! I then placed my order with another man who was also nice. He came to check on me and even offered a sample of their version of cabbage, made with spices from his home country of Zimbabwe. I appreciated that especially since the cabbage was vegan and tasty! I decided to get the shrimp and grits, a side of eggs with cheddar and a strawberry lemonade. The eggs were scrambled well, hot and exactly how I like them. The shrimp and grits were hot, seasoned well, and the perfect consistency. The lemonade was delicious also. If I had to leave one critique I would omit the additional season salt sprinkled atop the shrimp. It made the dish a bit more salty than I like but without it, chef's kiss! The restaurant itself was clean, had afobeats playing and an overall great atmosphere. I would definitely be back to try their other selections because their soul food looks...

I tried to place an order online and when I tried to pay, my order was deleted. I called the restaurant and inform the young man that I was unable to place an order. He said he just cut it back on. I went back online to place my order and now half of the things I wanted were off the menu. I called back and the same young man said he couldn't help me. He told me to go directly to the restaurant's website. I ordered 2 orders of shrimp and grits, 2 orders of 5 piece wings, and a hot honey chicken sandwich. The wings which were fried too hard were wing pieces, not whole wings and they cost $10 and $12 for all flats. So basically $5 per whole wing. The shrimp and grits were okay, but not enough for $17. The chicken sandwich was salty and fried too hard. I ordered greens as the side for the sandwich which were inedible and were thrown away because they were extremely spicy and filled with stems. My bill was over $75. I will not be going back. I reached out to the owner regarding the price of the Chicken wings, and her excuse was due to inflation, but on Wednesdays, these same wings are $.75. $7 is a heck of...