Dovi shrimp was so savory and tasty. My husband almost ran into the kitchen to get the chakalaka recipe! Love this restaurant.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Beef Samosas, Piri Piri Chips
adwoa t-koduah
I ate here three times last week, each time with a different group of friends, and they all loved it. That’s all I’m gonna say.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Piri Piri Chicken Leg, Braised Oxtail, Peri Peri Chicken Wing, Beef Samosas, Zimbabwean Peanut Butter Spiced Collard Greens
Beth Clifford
10000/10! Run here immediately!!!! Incredible flavors, beautiful atmosphere, the kindest service, and high, high quality food. Thank you Zweli’s for adding so much to Durham ❤️? and shoutout to Jason for providing us an awesome
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Lisa R.
Zweli's Ekhaya is quickly becoming one of my favorite restaurants in Durham! They have a really interesting and flavorful menu, and the space is intimate and lovely! The service is also top notch with waiters who are helpful and responsive to whatever you may need! Our waiter last night was Assad, and he was really great! This is a place we bring all our out of town guests to show off what Durham has to offer! Can't wait to go back!
Helen Conrad
I ate here a few times and then had my wedding rehearsal dinner here. The oxtails were amazing, and the collard greens were frankly some of the most delicious things I've ever eaten, but honestly anything on the menu will be good. This also makes for a really great date night option since the menu is varied enough to have something for everyone. I can't recommend this place highly enough, it's well worth a visit.Vegetarian options: They have some really good vegetarian options on the menu, both things with some spice and things without.Parking: The parking is really easy since the lot serves multiple businesses and there are always free spaces to be had.
Stacya Hendrickson
Huge room for improvement.Customer service: phenomenal Miss Yolanda was polite and attentive. She really ran the place.Food: The meal was a bit much for what I paid. The beans was a huge portion but tasted like baked beans with slices of carrots. I ordered the squash and zucchini but they were spicy. It was only described on the menu as grilled and I thought it would bring the heat down from the beans and chicken but it did not. So it was just a very spicy plate. Nothing to cool down your palate from all that spice but I felt the spicy was unnecessary on the zucchini and squash.Atmosphere: my chair and a few others needed the foot bar pit back in. The seat is wanky and all over the place. I had to grab another chair so I can get comfortable. The floors were a bit grubby, the tables could use a wipe down.I felt the connection with Zimbabwe is hugely missed because you see the African decor and some magazines up front but the logo yells pizza, the menu doesn't tie anything to Zimbabwe as far as visuals (show how the food looks, create a company voice) and was basic. Doesn't have photos or real ties to the owners and the culture. Kind of a bummer.Then I was in shock to hear the restaurant was opening another location. I feel like this establishment needs a little more fleshed out. We'll see.
Ashley
Great food, great presentation, and most of all, great people! The space itself is a little plain, but I like that you can see the kitchen and parking is easy. Will definitely be back! Dovi chicken and peri peri chicken pictured below. Beef samosas were yummy as well.
Dan dV
We stumbled upon this restaurant by chance. Both my friend and I have been to Zimbabwe, so this was a particular treat. We had oodles of questions but, unfortunately, the staff on duty were not from Zimbabwe. Still, we had a nice time, it has a nice atmosphere and good food.
Ddan7777
We were looking for a place to have coffee. Bojangles, in the same shopping center, had a sign on the door saying that their dining area was closed. So, we ended up at Zweli's. As both my friend and I have been to Zimbabwe, this was exciting. There are all kinds of ethnic artifacts and curios strewn around the restaurant, including the musical mbiras (something I had once bought as a souvenir while in Africa). This restaurant doesn't look like much from the outside, but there is lots of seating room inside, as well as an outdoor seating area in front (we chose to sit inside). There is a sign inside that proudly proclaims that the restaurant has been featured in the NY Times. That caught my eye and I asked the waitress about this, but she was unsure of the details. The restaurant is smoky inside and they were out of some of the dishes posted on the chalkboard above the counter (e.g., papaya and arugula salad), but it is still a very pleasant place to sit and talk. They were actually out of coffee, which I found surprising, so we ordered iced tea. We also ordered a salad. The food and drinks were good. We enjoyed talking to the waitresses. We will come back to try some more of their international food offerings.
Daniel A.
A really wonderful and unique dining experience in the triangle. The food was extremely flavorful. Piri piri chicken thighs had great seasoning and were perfectly cooked. Chakalaka were life-changing beans. Finally, Yolanda was an amazing server. She was super nice and had great suggestions for food.
This place is amazing. The food, the service, the atmosphere. It was all superb. The food has such incredible flavor I'm definitely going back.Wheelchair accessibility: While the parking lot was handicap friendly and so was the restaurant the bathroom needed a little bit of work to widen out one of the doors which was suggested to the owners and they said they would take care of it future.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Nik B
Zweli's was a great experience. The food was fresh and delicious. Jollof rice was a bit dry but still flavourful. The samosas were crispy and seasoned well. The plantain was also good. My braised oxtail was tender and juicy. Some people in the party didn't want spicy food and the staff was very accommodating with the request. The food took a while to come out but everything seemed fresh.Kid-friendliness: This is probably not a good choice for children or picky eaters.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Nik Bachman
Zweli's was a great experience. The food was fresh and delicious. Jollof rice was a bit dry but still flavourful. The samosas were crispy and seasoned well. The plantain was also good. My braised oxtail was tender and juicy. Some people in the party didn't want spicy food and the staff was very accommodating with the request. The food took a while to come out but everything seemed fresh.Kid-friendliness: This is probably not a good choice for children or picky eaters.
turtleveg
Some day I will give Zweli's another chance but unfortunately I didn't have a great first experience there. After being very explicit with the server that we were ordering vegan, our food was delivered with meat in it. We sent it back and they brought out another order and it STILL had meat in it. The wait time from the time we ordered until they started bringing out food was almost unbearable.
I've heard from a couple other vegans that they had a positive experience though. They do promote their vegan options regularly, so I hope they learn to be more consistent and accurate.
Updated from previous review on 2019-10-01
CharonMoon
We gave this restaurant 3 chances and have given up. The first time we were told they were out of half the items on the menu. My only option as a vegan was the dovi tofu, which just tasted like chili peppers and not much else.
The second time we met friends there. We waited for an hour after ordering before we realized tables sat after us were getting food before us. No one checked in on us either. We flagged down a server and she told us our ticket got lost and now they were out of some of the food we had ordered, so we had to reorder. The food was not bad that time, but definitely not worth the wait.
The last time, we brought my sister. We ordered right away. An hour goes by with no one checking in, yet again. However, no tables or to-go orders were getting any food. About 15 minutes later we see the owner come out to join the line and food started to come out of the kitchen. Again other tables that came in after us started to get food before us. Our waitress is nowhere to be found. My husband went up to the kitchen window to ask when we'd get our food and was told "we're working on it now." Another 30 minutes goes by(now 1 hr 45 minutes since we arrived) with no food. Since we had only ordered water, we flagged down a random waitress(ours was still nowhere to be seen) and told her we were leaving because it took too long to get our food. She looked shocked.
No one ever even apologized for any of it or bothered to let us know the kitchen was backed up.
Dovi shrimp was so savory and tasty. My husband almost ran into the kitchen to get the chakalaka recipe! Love this restaurant.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Beef Samosas, Piri Piri Chips
I ate here three times last week, each time with a different group of friends, and they all loved it. That’s all I’m gonna say.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Piri Piri Chicken Leg, Braised Oxtail, Peri Peri Chicken Wing, Beef Samosas, Zimbabwean Peanut Butter Spiced Collard Greens
10000/10! Run here immediately!!!! Incredible flavors, beautiful atmosphere, the kindest service, and high, high quality food. Thank you Zweli’s for adding so much to Durham ❤️? and shoutout to Jason for providing us an awesome
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Zweli's Ekhaya is quickly becoming one of my favorite restaurants in Durham! They have a really interesting and flavorful menu, and the space is intimate and lovely! The service is also top notch with waiters who are helpful and responsive to whatever you may need! Our waiter last night was Assad, and he was really great! This is a place we bring all our out of town guests to show off what Durham has to offer! Can't wait to go back!
I ate here a few times and then had my wedding rehearsal dinner here. The oxtails were amazing, and the collard greens were frankly some of the most delicious things I've ever eaten, but honestly anything on the menu will be good. This also makes for a really great date night option since the menu is varied enough to have something for everyone. I can't recommend this place highly enough, it's well worth a visit.Vegetarian options: They have some really good vegetarian options on the menu, both things with some spice and things without.Parking: The parking is really easy since the lot serves multiple businesses and there are always free spaces to be had.
Huge room for improvement.Customer service: phenomenal Miss Yolanda was polite and attentive. She really ran the place.Food: The meal was a bit much for what I paid. The beans was a huge portion but tasted like baked beans with slices of carrots. I ordered the squash and zucchini but they were spicy. It was only described on the menu as grilled and I thought it would bring the heat down from the beans and chicken but it did not. So it was just a very spicy plate. Nothing to cool down your palate from all that spice but I felt the spicy was unnecessary on the zucchini and squash.Atmosphere: my chair and a few others needed the foot bar pit back in. The seat is wanky and all over the place. I had to grab another chair so I can get comfortable. The floors were a bit grubby, the tables could use a wipe down.I felt the connection with Zimbabwe is hugely missed because you see the African decor and some magazines up front but the logo yells pizza, the menu doesn't tie anything to Zimbabwe as far as visuals (show how the food looks, create a company voice) and was basic. Doesn't have photos or real ties to the owners and the culture. Kind of a bummer.Then I was in shock to hear the restaurant was opening another location. I feel like this establishment needs a little more fleshed out. We'll see.
Great food, great presentation, and most of all, great people! The space itself is a little plain, but I like that you can see the kitchen and parking is easy. Will definitely be back! Dovi chicken and peri peri chicken pictured below. Beef samosas were yummy as well.
We stumbled upon this restaurant by chance. Both my friend and I have been to Zimbabwe, so this was a particular treat. We had oodles of questions but, unfortunately, the staff on duty were not from Zimbabwe. Still, we had a nice time, it has a nice atmosphere and good food.
We were looking for a place to have coffee. Bojangles, in the same shopping center, had a sign on the door saying that their dining area was closed. So, we ended up at Zweli's. As both my friend and I have been to Zimbabwe, this was exciting. There are all kinds of ethnic artifacts and curios strewn around the restaurant, including the musical mbiras (something I had once bought as a souvenir while in Africa). This restaurant doesn't look like much from the outside, but there is lots of seating room inside, as well as an outdoor seating area in front (we chose to sit inside). There is a sign inside that proudly proclaims that the restaurant has been featured in the NY Times. That caught my eye and I asked the waitress about this, but she was unsure of the details. The restaurant is smoky inside and they were out of some of the dishes posted on the chalkboard above the counter (e.g., papaya and arugula salad), but it is still a very pleasant place to sit and talk. They were actually out of coffee, which I found surprising, so we ordered iced tea. We also ordered a salad. The food and drinks were good. We enjoyed talking to the waitresses. We will come back to try some more of their international food offerings.
A really wonderful and unique dining experience in the triangle. The food was extremely flavorful. Piri piri chicken thighs had great seasoning and were perfectly cooked. Chakalaka were life-changing beans. Finally, Yolanda was an amazing server. She was super nice and had great suggestions for food.
Restaurantji Recommends
This place is amazing. The food, the service, the atmosphere. It was all superb. The food has such incredible flavor I'm definitely going back.Wheelchair accessibility: While the parking lot was handicap friendly and so was the restaurant the bathroom needed a little bit of work to widen out one of the doors which was suggested to the owners and they said they would take care of it future.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Zweli's was a great experience. The food was fresh and delicious. Jollof rice was a bit dry but still flavourful. The samosas were crispy and seasoned well. The plantain was also good. My braised oxtail was tender and juicy. Some people in the party didn't want spicy food and the staff was very accommodating with the request. The food took a while to come out but everything seemed fresh.Kid-friendliness: This is probably not a good choice for children or picky eaters.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Zweli's was a great experience. The food was fresh and delicious. Jollof rice was a bit dry but still flavourful. The samosas were crispy and seasoned well. The plantain was also good. My braised oxtail was tender and juicy. Some people in the party didn't want spicy food and the staff was very accommodating with the request. The food took a while to come out but everything seemed fresh.Kid-friendliness: This is probably not a good choice for children or picky eaters.
Some day I will give Zweli's another chance but unfortunately I didn't have a great first experience there. After being very explicit with the server that we were ordering vegan, our food was delivered with meat in it. We sent it back and they brought out another order and it STILL had meat in it. The wait time from the time we ordered until they started bringing out food was almost unbearable. I've heard from a couple other vegans that they had a positive experience though. They do promote their vegan options regularly, so I hope they learn to be more consistent and accurate. Updated from previous review on 2019-10-01
We gave this restaurant 3 chances and have given up. The first time we were told they were out of half the items on the menu. My only option as a vegan was the dovi tofu, which just tasted like chili peppers and not much else. The second time we met friends there. We waited for an hour after ordering before we realized tables sat after us were getting food before us. No one checked in on us either. We flagged down a server and she told us our ticket got lost and now they were out of some of the food we had ordered, so we had to reorder. The food was not bad that time, but definitely not worth the wait. The last time, we brought my sister. We ordered right away. An hour goes by with no one checking in, yet again. However, no tables or to-go orders were getting any food. About 15 minutes later we see the owner come out to join the line and food started to come out of the kitchen. Again other tables that came in after us started to get food before us. Our waitress is nowhere to be found. My husband went up to the kitchen window to ask when we'd get our food and was told "we're working on it now." Another 30 minutes goes by(now 1 hr 45 minutes since we arrived) with no food. Since we had only ordered water, we flagged down a random waitress(ours was still nowhere to be seen) and told her we were leaving because it took too long to get our food. She looked shocked. No one ever even apologized for any of it or bothered to let us know the kitchen was backed up.