Zweli's Kitchen & Restaurant
Phone: (919) 454-9397
The first Zimbabwean restaurant in the United States is here, in Durham. Owners Leo and Chef Zweli have become a staple in Durham, offering meals to community members suffering hardship, and sharing their culinary talents with Durhamites – many for the first time. Apparently, garlic is the non-negotiable staple in their pantry. “This is one of my basic necessities to any meal," chef Zweli says. "It's one of the most potent flavor enhancers, period. I must have it!” To say you've been, make sure to get the sweet potato samosas and dovi collard greens.
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This location seems to have undergone a very nice remodel. The old photos don't look anything like what it looks like now, it's much nicer.
The staff was super friendly and helped us navigate the menu (which is minimal which I like). They said that in order to foster the tradition of family style sharing, you can pick two sides to be "bottomless" for the whole table. I like the idea of not just saying the food should be shared around the table, but actually helping make that happen by providing bottomless sides.
Now to the food - what an experience!! I haven't had food like this before, and was instantly in love with each thing I tried. This is a must visit for anyone who wants to expand their tastes.
Located just a few blocks from the bus station there's easy access. We hopped on the bus station near our house and took it to the terminal (I love Durham's free bus system, it's so easy) and then walked a few minutes to Zweli's. I recommend this restaurant for anyone who wants a unique experience and wants to support a great local restaurant doing things right! -
The food was fantastic. I was a little shy on the goat, but I was very surprised. The food was amazing. You must have the plantains also. The service was great also. They made you feel wanted and were happy you were there. Thank You all. Oh by the way they do add on the tip automaticly with an option to tip more when you pay.
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their peri peri shrimp skewers were pretty good and the cabbage was amazing (though I'm easy to please when it comes to cabbage, so take that as you will) but wasn't a huge fan of other dishes. everything was good but not great. peanut butter sauce was a little too sweet in my opinion and they really drowned the collards in it. definitely worth a try if you're coming through the area but I just can't justify the price enough to want to come back.
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There were great vibes from the moment we entered the space. Quick seating, engaging server who explained the inspiration behind the restaurant, and exciting menu options all contributed to an overall excellent experience. And dinner was delicious. Favorite items included the oxtails, curried cabbage, beef samosas, jollaf rice, and 'The Mayor' signature bourbon drink.
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I REALLY wanted to support and like this place but most of it just fell below the mark. The presentation and atmosphere are beautiful but the food leaves MUCH to be desired. I’m use to African food having spice, kick and full of flavor. The jallof rice was bland dry and hard. There was no flavor whatsoever almost as if someone just spritz color on top of some day old left out to dry rice. The chicken skin was nice and flavorful but the chicken underneath bland. Found myself rubbing the meet on the skin to try and get some flavor to no avail. My wife had the tofu. She didn’t even bother to bring it back home and ate half a piece of one. There’s no hot sauce. No seasoning on the tables. The collard greens are on. We got a sample but because the restaurant had no hot sauce we opted out of them but that was a mistake because the cabbage was hard and bland as well. The food seems to be catered for people with bland pallets. I wasn’t impressed. The “bill” came which is just the waiter with a screen never showed what I purchased or a breakdown so I have no idea why I paid $60 for this with a discount. The gratuity is automatically included and I’m fine with that but the blurb on the menu makes it seem like my obligation to pay it to ensure they have a living wage. Where is the owners responsibility to ensure they have a living wage? My wife waited 25 min for her Pepsi to come and had to ask for it. I won’t return.
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