Looking forward to serving you!
Looking forward to serving you!
At the heart of Olaide’s Kitchen is Chef Olaide, whose passion for West African cuisine shines through in every dish she creates. As the restaurant’s namesake, she brings the flavors of her Nigerian heritage to life by bringing traditional recipes.
Chef Olaide Tella, born in Nigeria, honed her culinary skills at her mother’s streetside restaurant and at a vocational culinary school, mastering the art of perfect smoky Jollof rice. Inspired by her mother’s philosophy to “feed every person as if they were your family,” Chef Olaide brings this ethos to Olaide’s Kitchen.
In December 1998, Chef Olaide and her young family immigrated to New Jersey. Despite leaving behind their support system, this move has immensely enriched their lives and allowed her to share her passion for authentic Nigerian cuisine with the community.
Chef Olaide balanced her work while building a successful catering business over 15 years. The challenges were immense, but word-of-mouth praise and her family’s unwavering support helped her succeed. “My family shopped, made deliveries, and supported me through it all. We built something beyond us together,” she recalls.
In 2017, with savings from her catering business, Chef Olaide opened her dream restaurant, Olaide’s Kitchen, in Sayreville’s Parlin section. Recognizing the lack of Nigerian and African restaurants in Middlesex County, she brought her vision to life, creating a 30-seat eatery serving homestyle Nigerian cuisine with a modern twist.
Jollof Rice, Efo Elegusi, Grilled Tilapia, Peppered Snail, Goat Meat Pepper Soup, Asaro, and Ewedu and Gbegiri.
Small Chops: Appetizers like fried yam sticks, fish rolls, moin moin, and Suya beef or chicken.
Chef Olaide has no single favorite Nigerian dish.
“I like them all equally,” she says, “I recommend whatever I’m in the mood for, and you’ll enjoy it.”
Her fondest memories revolve around cooking with her sisters in Nigeria. “Cooking together during holidays brings back those cherished memories,” she shares.
About one-third of Olaide’s customers are not African, and servers encourage everyone to try new dishes. Chef Olaide’s passion is for customers to love Nigerian cuisine and appreciate traditional recipes passed down through generations.
Her three children are dedicated to the restaurant’s success, with her daughter Abigail Lemo serving as the director of operations.
One of three restaurants honored in 2024 for representing the best of New Jersey cuisine (NJ Division of Travel & Tourism, James Beard Foundation).
Listed among the “15 Greatest African Restaurants in New Jersey” by NJ.com in 2023.
Named one of the “11 Best Nigerian & West African Restaurants in the U.S.” by BlackRestaurantWeeks.com, the only New Jersey restaurant to receive this honor.
Featured as one of the top female-owned and operated restaurants in Central Jersey in 2024 by MyCentralJersey.com.
Google Rating: 4.5 STARS
Jersey City
infojc@olaideskitchen.com
Coming Soon
Parlin
Monday: Closed
Tuesday-Friday: 11am-9pm
Saturday: 12pm-8pm
Sunday: 1pm-8pm
Website by New Frontier StoreFront