I've been here twice now and the food is wonderful. I've had the best plantains I've every tasted here and some of the best goat I've ever had. Vee Vee is a really great lady and has come and talk to me both times I've been there. The service is suspect and the second time I came the goat was a little tougher but these are things I'm willing to live with for the quality of the food. Also both times I've come at around 7 pm and no one else was in the restaurant which sort of through me off but the meal was great regardless. It's BYOB and service is slow so it's worth your while to bring something. The coconut rice tastes better than the jolloff in my opinion and the yam porridge is great. I'm going to continue going here because the food is delicious.
Review Source:We go for the Sunday buffet. It is a very casual, friendly place where you walk in and grab a plate and start eating, even though there is no one around to greet you. Â It is a good mix of food that you normally wouldn't find anywhere else. Â We always get plenty of good eats and you can't beat it for $10.
Review Source:I was anticipating a new flavor experience when I ordered at Vee Vee's booth at The Taste of Chicago this sumer. Â Plantains get me every time so I ordered the Goat Stew and Plantains. Â The plaintains were simply delicious. Â The goat stew had goat bones and goat gristle but no goat meat. Â I tell you, the sauce in the no goat meat stew was fantastic (a new flavor experience!) but the lack of meat only compounded my frustration as I realized that most of the stew was inedible.
Review Source:The first time I was in here was a Sunday afternoon during their buffet, and everyone eating there (all Africans) were sitting in a row with their back to the wall, and they all turned to stare at me. I promptly turned around and walked back out. I say this because, though I love ethnic food, I found the experience a little intimidating at first. But don't let that stop you!
I came back with an African friend the next day and ordered the goat stew with plantains. The plantains were great, one of my favorite dishes, and the seasonin was good overall. But as far as African food goes, I've had better (thanks to the aforementioned friend). I've never had goat but it tasted like tough beef, in case you're wondering. I'm not sure I'd come back, except maybe to try the jerk chicken, since all the other reviewers mention it.
Oh, yes. And to echo everyone else, yes the service is pretty nonexistent. Let someone know when you're ready to order or you'll be waiting forever. Same goes for getting the check.
Friday night is more like going to a party than a restaurant. Friday is the Friday Night International Club (or something like that) where a casual environment, music and good food make for a great time. The music was all over the restaurant and got the diners involved. The food was great and the portions were massive. I had the jerk chicken with coconut rice. Some adventurous people at our table had goat and cow foot...I didn't feel so adventurous... but it's there if your willing!
Review Source:I was first introduced to this spot at Taste of Chicago many years ago, and they never fail to impress me!
The red beans and rice with jerk chicken -- moist, flavorful, just the right kick. Woosah!
Every thing else is good too -- the jollof rice, the plaintains, the goat, all of it delicious. And I've never been greeted with anything less than a smile and great service.
Vee-Vee's might be the best West African/Caribbean food in Chicago!
Have not been to the actual restaurant, but the lunch trunk is a weekly ritual for me. The catfish and jollof rice is excellent! I was very surprised when I bit into a perfectly cooked piece of catfish. Not overcooked, still moist and very well spiced. This week I tried the egusi with pounded yam. A mix of different meats (goat, tripe, fish, etc) in a very flavorful sauce (spinach, egusi seeds, tomatoes)... An obscene amount of food for $10!
Review Source:Reading past reviews, I would like to offer some wisdom imparted by my dining partner when I asked "Why do you think there's two sinks in the bathroom (which has only one toilet and no stall)?" and she said "when you go to an ethnic place such as this, you have to just assume that you are actually in the country of origin." Â Good advice, for me and for all. Â That's what makes it authentic, no?
So this was both of our first experiences and as vegans, our choices were limited so we basically ordered everything which didn't contain animal. The kind waitress was pleasant about our questions revolving around meat, egg, and milk. Â What we got was DELISCIOUS. I won't remember the names except for foo-foo (because it's fun to say), but what it looked like was: the soup (which is really a bursting-with-flavor-and-not-a-little-spice mush that you dip pinched off peices of a bland, white-mush ball into - YUM (spicy, but yum). we got some spiced rice - tasty and some plantains and black beans with a red sauce - delish! Â Everything was very good. We, too, were the only ones in there for a while, until a group of what we're assuming were Nigerian men came in and then later on, another couple. Â The service was fine - the waitress was pleasant and we didn't wait for too long. It's just the style, if you need something, you may have to go hunt her down, but she'll be pleasant when you find her, so it's all good. Â It's BYOB so we brought our own and indulged.
It was all good - I'd definitely recommend it for a good ethnic food experience and really, really tasty. Â Just go in with the right frame of mind and you'll love it. Cheers! We're already planning our next trip back.
Vee Vee's was an interesting experience. Â My husband and I eat a lot of ethnic food and love hole in the wall places... but when we walked in on a Friday night and were litterally the only ones in the restaurant (no servers, no one at the counter)... we were a little intimidated. Â We stood around for a minute or two until someone came from the back to seat us. Â Our chair were two plastic lawn chairs... interesting. Â
We waited ages before someone came to take our order. Â We looked over the menu for a while and my husband was pumped about ordering goat. Â The waiter comes... and when he orders... THAT'S when we were told they were out of goat. Â I dunno... that would have been much more helpful to know about in advance. Â Ok, back to the menu to pick something else...
We both agree that the fish soup was some of the best soup we have ever had. Â I would go back and eat that fish soup everyday if I could. Â However, the entrees we had were just... good. Â Nothing that blew our minds. Â
I'd go back... but I think I would do take out and just order the fish soup.
Does anybody know if the Vee Vee African Restaurant truck is still serving lunch in the Loop? When I used to work in the loop a few years ago I would stop by the Vee Vee African Restaurant truck in downtown Chicago for the goat in curry with rice. It was great and a nice change to the traditional places to eat in the area. For only $7 you get a lot of food that I would would not be able to eat the entire portion. The truck used to park  on Columbus just north of Randolph next to the Blue Cross Blue Shield building.
Todor Krecu
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5 stars for their plantains, 1 star for their service. Â
The last time I was there, I had called ahead for one order of their plantains. Â When I showed up 20 minutes later, I had to wait 45 minutes for my order! Â Ridiculous. Â Although their plantains are amazing, I don't appreciate being made to wait that long when I called ahead.
We had the goat meat in tomato sauce and plantains. Â OMG! Â So tender and so tasty. Â We were a little amazed because we never had goat meat before. Â Had a great favor and wasn't spicy. Â We hope to dine in sometime soon. Â Menu looks very interesting and one would need to have an open mind when eating the food. Â I also love that this place is not expensive.
Review Source:It always amuses me to see how people pan West African restaurants -- the complaints are always quite similar. Â West African food (Ghanian and Nigerian is the most available in Chicago) can be amazing and delicious, and going out for it can be really fun, but I think you have to know what to expect. Â
The first thing: don't expect American-style service, and know that the food will take a while. Â In West Africa, people take things slower, so relax, enjoy the company of your dining companion (bring two six packs instead of one), and don't be afraid to flag down your server if you need something.
The second thing: Â soup is not soup as in chicken noodle, soup is the sauce that is meant to be consumed with a starch such as pounded yam or foo-foo. Â Vee Vee's does an excellent pounded yam with spinich sauce and meat of your choice. Â If your not feeling too adventurous, their coconut rice is quite good, and the jollof rice is to die for if you can handle the spice.
No hyperbole here, I had the worst meal of my life at this (charming looking) little restaurant. I ordered something they called soup, but was more like a sticky syrupy dark gel with chunks of goat meat (still attached to the bone). I'm not a very picky eater, and have NEVER thrown away food, especially something that cost me over eight dollars. But this was the time and the place. Â I am not very knowledgable about West African food, but it doesn't matter because what I had there was terrible and I can't imagine going back.
Review Source:My favorite West African restaurant.
When I miss my mother's cooking I go to Vee Vee's
and order the Vegetable Egusi* with goat and foo-foo (pounded yam.)
*Egusi seeds, spinach, tomatoes, onion, garlic, hot pepper...
think of it as a rich stew and you can have it with any type of meat, stockfish or just plain.
I rarely dine in but always see a good mix of people eating there so do not be intimidated!
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(Here is an example of my FAVORITE dish)
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