Olaide’s Kitchen - Parlin — Restaurant in Sayreville

Turned out to be nothing different from your typical African restaurant; rude and zero customer service.

I recently discovered this restaurant which is lees than 5 miles from my house. I have visited on two different occasions after work to order take out and the service was excellent and the food tasted great too. But today (11/17/2018), I was shocked to discover it's nothing different from typical African restaurant with zero customer service and rude mannerism.

I had my wife placed an order over the phone for me to pickup on my way from work. She placed the order around 3:55 pm and she was told it will take roughly 30 mins to be ready. She mentioned the lady that took the order was rude and was wondering if it's the same Olaide's Kitchen I have commended for excellent customer service that she just called. I got to the restaurant around 4:20 pm and asked the gentleman at the desk about my order. He told me it will be ready in a few minutes. Around 5 pm the gentleman was no longer at the desk but a lady, I asked the new lady about my order and she went to the kitchen to check. She came back and did not not say anything which I found weird. She went through her cashier's system and printed out a new slip which she took to the kitchen like she is just submitting my order. On her way back from the kitchen, I asked about my order again and she said it will be ready in 15 mins. This is after waiting for almost an hour. I told her to cancel the order that I am no longer interested. It was so obvious that she missed my order and my order never reached the kitchen and she did not have the common courtesy to be truthful about it and apologize for the omission. Even after telling her to cancel the order she didn't say anything, this is the worst experience so far with any African restaurant I have ever had.

I only gave 2 stars because of previous positive experience and from reading other bad experiences on this review platform, I am inclined to believe this is a regular pattern.

"Response from the owner 37 minutes ago Oluwamayowa, thank you for your review. We sincerely appreciate you taking the time to let us know how we can improve."

I am no longer surprised at the terrible experience I had at the restaurant today given the response by the owner to my complain.

Still no apology, like owner like employees. it's...

Terrible customer service. I placed an order 2 weeks in advance because I was having a small number of guests (women and children) from town. I called 2 days before pickup to remind them and they couldn’t find my order. Then I spoke to the manager Ms. Tosin, explaining to her the nature of my order, she promised me that my order will be ready on the day of pick up. I called on the day of pick up and told her that I will send my husband for pick up, she told me that my order was ready and I can send anybody. Then, I sent my husband to pick up my order and to my horror they refused to give him my order because they had issues with his sister (a customer) who was ordering large number of food well over $1,000.00 each time (No joke). My husband came home without my order! I have never ordered from this place before! My sister in law did and I was going to try them out for my guests, but they left me with nothing to serve my guest! I could not believe what they did to me a new customer, my guests and children! I had to go and get KFC for my guests! A couple of days later, I called to speak to the manager Ms. Tosin, she answered the phone and kept me on hold until the line disconnected, without any explanation whatsoever! What a terrible, terrible place it is there! Zero customer service in a hospitality business! To do such horrible thing to a new customer with children was really mean! Come to find out that they also did the same thing to my sister in law!! My question is, What has the problem they had with my relative got to do with me and my children? Plus, I believe that you should always be nice to your customers no matter what, not sending them away! We don’t even live local, we come all the way from Trenton! We newly moved to NJ from another State. If there was zero star, I will give it, but there’s no option...

The only reason I am not giving a 5-star review is because of the wait time.

I actually quite enjoy the food from here. Over 20+yrs in America, and this was legit the first time I had Naija food in America that transported me back to my childhood in Lagos. The ewa agoyin is EXACTLY how I remember it from the 90s in Lagos. The suya is EXACTLY how I remember the suya I grew up on. The ayamase is EXACTLY how I remember it from decades ago!! The first time I tried the food, I almost cried, it was that nostalgic!

Now, for the negative 1-star. The wait time is RIDICULOUS!!! Like they literally transported the food and service from Lagos. Like dang homie, how am I placing my order 1hr+ ahead of time, and I arrive 1hr 15mins later, and I still gotta wait like 20mins+. Like HOW???!!! Are y'all killing the goat fresh for every order back there?? I appreciate the authentic experience, but, I don't want the authentic Lagos service abeg!

Unfortunately I haven't found a spot in America that can give me the authentic food from my childhood, so I will inevitably make that 1hr drive to this place in the foreseeable future, but the moment I find someone closer who matches the quality of food at Olaide's, I will not be back. Seriously, even in Houston I haven't found Naija food this true to form.

Everyone I have gotten to try their food loves it, but the wait time to pick up your food needs a lot of work! It's like the African/Naija restaurants I have tried in NYC, PA, NJ, TX, etc, are doing their own attempt at Naija food, but Olaide's is making the real deal! I definitely will recommend them, but plan ahead because you gon have to wait for your order longer than you have ever had to wait in your life....