Vonda's Kitchen

4 1/2 stars

Several years ago, I came here with a friend and had a perfect experience. It didn't get any better - the food was out of this world and at one point Vonda herself came out to chat with us for a few minutes. It just checked off all the boxes, and I recommended this place to tons of people. Shortly after this meal, I actually had Vonda's cater my Oscar party. I couldn't have loved this place more. This was my first visit in a while, and while the food was still amazing, some of the magic is gone, which is a shame.

Vonda's is not in the best neighborhood, but I've been in worse. We found street parking very close by, probably a hundred yards or so from the entrance. As with my last visit, my chum and I were the only white visitors, but I definitely didn't feel like we were being eyeballed or anything - we were treated just like anyone else (and I go out of my way to mention this because I know some people WOULD be nervous coming into an area like this; it is what it is. Also, I stick out like a sore thumb in all-white neighborhoods too). We stopped by around noonish this past Sunday. There were a few tables to choose from, but you could also tell Vonda's was slammed with to-go orders based on the frenetic activity behind the counter. Throughout our meal, there was definitely heavy foot traffic in and out, and I'd guess our food was delayed by 10 minutes or so because of that. Not a huge deal, especially since this is made-to-order goodness and you should expect a slightly longer wait time as a result.

I opted for the fried catfish entree ($12.50), which came with two sides - I went with the mac and cheese and the candied yams. Vonda's has the best mac and cheese I've ever had. It's not up for debate. I LOVE it, and like basically any warm-blooded American, I've had my share. It's just scrumptious on all levels. The candied yams are amazing. I definitely haven't had nearly as much of that particular dish for comparison purposes, but I feel like it's a good way to get dessert without actually getting dessert, if that makes sense. Perfect candied taste and texture. The fried catfish was also amongst the best I've ever had. I think it was supposed to come with some type of sauce but it was so juicy I didn't bother to follow up with the waitress.

My chum ordered the chicken and waffles ($13.50), as well as the kitchen mac bowl ($11.50). She liked the food but wasn't as over the moon about it as much as I was. That's probably at least partially on me since I talked this place up massively ahead of time, but what actually prompted this visit was a March meal that we had at Sweet T's in Montclair. They serve very similar food, and during that meal I told her that I thought Vonda's was better. (For the record, I really liked Sweet T's but I had concerns about their service and an oppressive reservation policy.) She still thinks Sweet T's is better, but she can write her own review if she feels that passionately about it. The price point here is excellent (WAY lower than Sweet T's), and the food is noticeably yummier.

So why can't I commit to the full five stars here? It came down to the staff. Everyone we interacted with seemed super stressed and overwhelmed (though I wouldn't say anyone was unpleasant to us). Our young pup waitress was very nice but also seemed to be in charge of manning the phone, which rang constantly. There were a few little things that slipped through the cracks. For instance, she forgot to take our menus off the table after we gave our orders, which prompted one of the other employees to ask us if we had been helped yet, and my catfish entree was supposed to come with corn bread and didn't. Huge problem? Absolutely not, but some of those tiny issues can add up over the course of the meal.

This is still a recommendation for sure, but my enthusiasm has diminished a bit. I think the problems can be rectified fairly easily, especially since they've mastered the food.