Second time at this place and again, the owner and employees neither look at you nor acknowledge you. Â
The place is dark, silent, no TV or music, chairs are from card tables and not exactly the cleanest place. You will find some random spices for sale (prices marked up) and don't expect any eye contact or help from the staff.
Plus, they now have an iPad register system which adds another 10 minutes to your stay as they try to figure out how to ring you up.
If you are not a regular then just skip it.
1st thing's 1st. My name is Jeremy and i'm an official Caribbean food addict. From Brixton (London)...to Toronto..to Vancouver....i'm talking weekly plates of jerk chicken, roti, channa, double orders of Doubles...daily doses of beef/chicken/veggie patties washed down with gallons of Sorrel, Ting, Ginger Beer....if that counts for anything.
It was a warm yet slightly brisk Friday night as I placed a to-go order about 20 minutes before closing time. As i arrived, the crowd for the comedy show was gathering right next door. Wha'gwan bredren, Pardon me i said...as i eased through the crowd making my way to the restaurant area. I ordered the Jerk Chicken w/ rice/peas/cabbage, 2 beef patties, 1 curried chicken patty and an order of Dahl (Friday's only).
The owner was very friendly, clean restaurant and the food was all well-priced..well-seasoned...oh..and delicious. I got a stamped "Buy 5 (or 6..can't remember) meals, get 1 free" card on the way out which was a nice touch and asked the owner, I guess this means i have to come back..? And she tells me "You'll be back, for the food you'll be back".....it's been a week..and i'll be going back...for the food, today even. Â
Daily Lunch specials are well-priced also. Â My new spot for Caribbean food in the Plano/Frisco area. Jah Bless Taste of the Islands and shoutout to my Yelpers for leading me to this place.
My husband and I love going to this spot. The owner is friendly. She knows her regulars.
We typically get the same thing, curry chicken. We've had it with rice and with roti and chick peas. The later way we think is the best way. We've never had an off plate (where the plate wasn't good that day).
The chairs are uncomfortable so it really isn't a setting where you could sit and lounge for a long time unless you are use to hard chairs. We typically do carryouts.
Their grocery store prices seem a little bit high. We've found tamarind and mint chutney cheaper next door at the Indian grocery.
I've never been to their nightclub so I'm unable to comment on that part of their business.
Had the goat stew - pretty tasty. Â Plantains were just ok. Â I will go back though and try more dishes. Â Have a feeling that my first impression was not the best, so I want to upgrade my review on my next visit (if warranted).
Have to say though, the owners were incredibly nice - I will always frequent a-ok restaurants that have friendly people.
These guys know how to get the most out of their space. Â They have a restaurant and grocery in one room and next door, they have a bar/ dance hall/ comedy club wow!
The place is stocked with imported spices and snacks that regulars can buy. Â They also have savory pastries for quick sale. Â I had a fish curry roti wrap for dinner and got a ginseng soda (they had lots of really unique imported sodas and beers in a cooler!). Â The fish was really flavorful and savory, the roti wrap was the perfect balance of crisp and chewy - what a great combination!! Â While we enjoyed our food, there was a comedy nice next door - the noise definitely carried over to the restaurant side, but it wasn't super invasive.
The staff is very friendly and the owner was eager to help us choose our entrees. Oh yeah- everything was really affordable! I had a really great first experience here since I've never tried Caribbean food before, and I would definitely like to come back to try something new!
I originally found this place on Yelp and thought wow, a Caribbean restaurant in Plano. When I got there I was delighted to find that they cater, had an island bar, and a restaurant. I had the curried  tilapia and was very impressed in what I got for eight bucks: a large fish with rice and spinach. It tasted amazing. I drank three bottles of Ginseng Up to wash it all down.
Review Source:After spending a week in the Bahamas, we decided to give the kids a little taste of what we had experienced.
They loved it and we did too!
We tried a little of everything. Â ALL Fantastic dishes. Â From the fried plantains to jerked chicken, fish and shrimp in between. Â The girls loved the hibiscus tea and ginger beer. Â There are spices & sauces you can buy and take home. Â The atmoshpere is fun with a little hole in the wall feel (like the Bahamas). Â There is a little reggae bar next door. Â The 2 are joined. Â There is music while you eat. Â If you are there at the right time, a comedy show. Â
We had a great time and will definitely go back. Â Good food and friendly folks.
so good! besides being a little grocery shoppe with what im assuming are african products, its a small restaurant on the side.
i paid 7 bucks for the jerk chicken, as did my friend for the shrimp roti. and like a dollar for the beef patty. it was rice with beans, lots of chicken, and cabbage on the side. superrr yumma.
the portions are huge ! i had a food baby going on.
cheap, good, authentic food (: would defff go again.
I'd love to review the food here. Â But I never got a chance to eat any of it.
I went in tonight for their Friday night comedy show. Â Grabbed a table, grabbed a beer from the bar. Â I noticed a waitress walking around taking orders from people and bringing them food and thought sweet, I'll get some food.
45 minutes later, I still had not been acknowledged by her. Â My every attempt to get her attention... nothing. Â My beer was empty. I debated getting another from the bar, then decided, why should I want to give this place any more of my money?
As much as I'd like to go back again for the comedy show, the service (or lack thereof) that I received means I won't be back.
What a find! This place brings memories of the Caribbean! The cooking here is as authentic as it gets. My husband and I shared the Jerk Chicken Plate (served with beans & rice and stewed cabbage) and the Tilapia Plate (served with beans & rice and kale). Both dishes were superb. We can't wait to go back!
Review Source:I've had the lunch buffet here several times, and I'm happy to say that they spend the money where it counts. Yeah, it's in an aging strip mall. No, the decor isn't fancy. No, the utensils and plates aren't fancy. But the price is right, and the food is good. There's not a huge selection, but the meats are consistently good (though you usually have to wade through the bones; most of them are served on the bone) as are the vegetables. The rice and beans are not like what I've had at other places; it's hard to describe the spice/flavor, but they're, well, good. :) They usually have some delicious greens (turnip, spinach, something like that) and on a recent visit, they had a fried fish dish that was very tasty.
There are a number of products, edible and non, that definitely bring the "island feel", ala Jamaica etc. Region specific bottled drinks, sweets are available as are flags and other nick-nacks.
Bottom line: It's a very serviceable place with good food at good prices, if you're not looking for serious ambiance.
This was the closest Jamaican restaurant to me, so I decided ti give it a try. Â Not the friendliest folks (older couple there when I went), so don't expect a warm welcome. Â Ordered carryout but eat-in diners didn't appear to get much love either.
The food was good; I had the jerk chicken, peas & rice and cabbage. Â Also had a beef patty. Â Good flavor, plenty of heat, especially in the patty.
I'm willing to try again...wondering if their curry chicken is good.  If it is, I'll use them to get my "jerk or curry" fix, but not likely to recommend or take a friend unless there's more courteous service.  (Don't be deceived by happy, smiling  faces on their website.)
Aha! FInally some authentic Caribbean cuisine!
Don't be deceived by the "shady" first impression. Their food is fresh and has very unique, strong flavors. I had the jerky chicken with cabbage. The meat was well blackened with pepper, giving it a very spicy kick (beware those w/ weak stomachs). The cooked vegetables were also fresh, hearty, though not too heavy. Portions were fairly large and priced reasonably.
The owners were very chill; they enjoyed sharing about their culture and invited my friend and I to listen to some live music later that evening.
Very interesting place. Â
The "Taste of the Islands" complex consists of a grocery store, restaurant and bar. Â I came in for a late lunch so I can't comment on the bar, but the grocery store had a few things that I have never seen before and the restaurant was really good. Â
The dining environment is really down to earth. Â The atmosphere is like a little hole in the wall in a working class neighborhood of a Caribbean island. Â The food is not expensive (but good,) the decor is not luxurious, and the reggae is loud enough to hear it well.
I would give it 4.5 stars. The food is worthy of 5 stars, without doubt. The ambience is extremely modest--this place is combo grocery store and "restaurant." Maybe 5 tables. You walk in, look at the menu on the wall, order at the "buffet line" and sit to wait for your order to arrive. But once it does, wow, the food is homemade excellence. I got the jerk chicken--very peppery and not the sweet/hot that is so common. The wife got curried goat. Both were succulent, soft, moist fall off the bone, and so flavorful. The portions are generous, I could not eat all of mine and took the rest home. We got curried potatoes with our dishes and I asked the cook how to make it because it was so delicious, and she gave me pointers! On the way out we picked up one chicken and one beef pastry--OMG--heaven on earth. How in the world they can make a pastry that is so incredibly flavorful, juicy, and not dry is beyond me. As an added bonus, they have Red Stripe beer for less than $3.50 a bottle. This is a must-do find. But don't go when I go because I want a table. It is quite a drive for us, but on the way home we were already plotting when we would return.
Review Source:I really should've discovered this place a while ago. Â I've never had Carribean food, and my brain had to do a double take when I walked in ("wait...this isn't an Indian restaurant? Â It sure smells like it"). Â I got the Roti Wrap, which was filled with chick peas and potatoes. Â It totally hit the spot.
The fried plantains were good, not as sweet as I like them, but that's a reflection on my personal taste, not the quality of the dish. Â I think this is one of those hidden "must try and try again" type of places in Dallas. Â It gets my vote!
As i walked in and was greeted by the very pleasant staff, the aroma of curry and stewed dishes signaled that i was in for a delicious meal, one that would make me feel nostalgic. Â Having grown up in the caribbean eating curry chicken and goat, roti, and doubles, it's great to have a place in Dallas to be able to get a very passable version of what is commonplace in the islands. Â I had bone-in curry chicken, which was delicious, and the gentleman behind the counter made me three doubles, which i didn't see on the menu anywhere but had heard were available. Â The doubles weren't as good as the curry chicken, and are honestly not as good as i have had in Trinidad on the street corner (the chick peas seem to retain their shape and are not cooked down as long, less of a mash and more individual chick peas with sauce), but why would they be? Â However, they were still very good, and the whole experience was delightful enough that i will be back many more times (especially since curry chicken, rice, vegetable, three doubles, and a Ting cost me all of $12)! Â It's also nice to be able to buy a Ting and a Vita Malt.
Review Source:Amazing island food! Â They have both Caribbean and western Indian food. Â We had the chicken curry and the ox tail. Â Both were out of this world. Â If you love spicy food, you need to experience this place. Â Their jerk chicken is yummy, even if it is spicier. Â The owner and his wife both came over to talk with us while we were eating. Â They both suggested the hot sauce for our dishes. Â The sauce is vinegar based so it is sneaky and hotter later on. Â It is a small restaurant with no frills in a strip mall. Â If you are looking for fancy, keep going. Â If you are looking for out of this world food and friendly family service, this is the place.
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