Minneapolis has a new restaurant bringing the bold flavors of Southern Africa to the Lyn-Lake neighborhood. Vuka Peri Peri Chicken is putting flame-grilled chicken, signature sauces, and Zimbabwean culinary influences at the center of its menu. From five heat levels to chicken burgers, rice bowls, and flavorful sides, the restaurant offers plenty of ways to explore peri-peri cooking. Here’s what to know about Vuka, the brothers behind the business, and what makes this new Minneapolis restaurant stand out.
Vuka Peri Peri Chicken Brings a New Southern African-Inspired Restaurant to Lyn-Lake
Minneapolis has a new spot for diners looking to try something different from the usual chicken joints. Vuka Peri Peri Chicken began its soft opening on October 8, 2026, at 626 West Lake Street, near the intersection of Lake Street and Lyndale Avenue in the city’s Lyn-Lake neighborhood. The restaurant focuses on flame-grilled chicken inspired by Southern African food traditions, with a menu built around bold sauces and customizable flavors. Although the restaurant has started welcoming customers, its owners have not yet announced an official grand opening date. The team is still completing finishing touches to the space as it prepares for a fuller launch.
The Restaurant Draws on Southern African Cuisine Through a Zimbabwean Perspective
Peri-peri chicken has a culinary history shaped by the food traditions of Southern Africa, where chiles, garlic, citrus, herbs, and open-flame cooking contribute to its distinctive flavor. Vuka embraces that heritage while bringing its own Zimbabwean perspective to the table. Co-owner Taz Nzara, who originally comes from Zimbabwe, is part of the team behind the restaurant, which also includes his brothers Dominic and Shepherd. The name Vuka means wake up in Shona, a language spoken in Zimbabwe and other parts of Southern Africa. That connection gives the restaurant a cultural identity beyond its signature chicken, introducing Minneapolis diners to flavors and influences that are not always easy to find at neighborhood restaurants.
Flame-Grilled Chicken and Five Signature Flavors Define the Menu
At Vuka, the sauce is just as important as the chicken itself. The restaurant marinates its chicken and finishes it over an open flame, creating the charred exterior and smoky flavor that make grilled peri-peri chicken so appealing. Diners can choose from five house flavors: Lemon & Herb, Mild, Medium, Hot, and Extra Hot. Lemon & Herb offers a gentler citrus-and-herb profile, while the hotter options bring progressively more chile intensity. The restaurant serves its chicken in several formats, including quarter, half, and whole portions, as well as flame-grilled wings. This range makes it possible for diners to choose a meal that suits their appetite and preferred level of heat without losing sight of the restaurant’s central focus.
Burgers, Bowls, and Sides Give Diners More Ways to Enjoy Peri-Peri Flavors
Chicken may be the main attraction, but Vuka’s menu offers several alternatives for people who want something beyond a traditional grilled chicken plate. The Peri-Peri Chicken Burger pairs grilled chicken with lettuce, tomato, and peri-mayo on a brioche bun. Diners can also order a chicken bowl served with seasoned rice, creamy slaw, and grilled corn. One of the more distinctive options is the Fire-Roasted Mushroom and Chickpea Bowl, which combines mushrooms, peri-spiced chickpeas, rice, corn, and cabbage with a vegan Vuka flavor. The sides include peri-peri fries, flame-grilled corn, coleslaw, and spiced rice. Together, these choices give the restaurant a broader appeal while keeping its signature seasoning and sauces at the heart of the menu.
Three Brothers Are Behind Vuka’s Sauce-Focused Restaurant Concept
Vuka’s identity reflects a simple idea: the sauce should be a major part of the dining experience, not just an afterthought. Taz Nzara co-owns the business with his brothers Dominic and Shepherd, and the team has built the restaurant around its signature flavors and flame-grilled chicken. Taz described the company to the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal as a sauce company that happens to make really good chicken. That approach helps explain the menu’s emphasis on choosing a flavor and applying it across different dishes. Rather than limiting the sauces to one particular chicken preparation, Vuka lets diners explore the same flavor profiles through burgers, bowls, wings, and sides. The family-led business is introducing a specific culinary concept to Minneapolis while making the menu accessible to diners who may be new to peri-peri food.
Vuka Takes Over a Former Neighborhood Restaurant Space on Lake Street
The restaurant’s location carries its own history. Vuka occupies 626 West Lake Street, a space previously home to It’s Greek to Me, a longtime neighborhood restaurant that closed in 2019 after nearly four decades in the building. Casablanca Restaurant and Lounge later operated at the address from 2023 to 2025. Vuka’s arrival introduces a different cuisine to a familiar corner of Lyn-Lake, an area known for its mix of restaurants, shops, and neighborhood businesses. Its focus on Southern African-inspired food gives local diners another option beyond the cuisines traditionally associated with the Twin Cities. With its soft opening underway and final preparations continuing, Vuka is positioning itself as a new destination for flame-grilled chicken and bold sauces in the Minneapolis dining scene.
