El Puro Cuban Restaurant

★★★★☆ 4.2 (612) • $$

"Such a great dinner and Enrique was friendly and attentive server. From the minute we sat down we were able to put in a drink order and the vibes in the room were bright and fun for a girls night. This hidden gem is right behind a Panda Express so you can't really notice it during the day from the road but the minute you walk in, it's like being transported out of Charlotte to a delicious paradise. It was a wonderful backdrop to catch up with my friends but the only thing is, if you want the live music, book after 8pm. We missed the entertainment because the tables are booked solid for the later reservations. Looking forward to going back again. Thanks for a wonderful evening!"

Island Cuisine

★★★★☆ 4.2 (238) • $$

"I wanted some ackee and saltfish, so I decided to stop by and get some after my trader joes run. I ordered the ackee and saltfish with boiled yam, boiled banana, boiled dumplings, and a fried dumpling (the fried dumpling was fire). It's not the best that I've had, but I'm from Miami, so comparing food from the south to the food here isn't fair. But the food at island cuisine is solid. The new location is clean, with a bigger bar area. I always tell myself I should stop in for some drinks and just never made my way to it. The service like the food is inconsistent, but not bad. You just get the bare minimum. All things considered when the food is good it's really good. This is the only Jamaican restaurant I'll ever go to here in Charlotte!"

Soul Central

★★★★☆ 3.9 (248) • $

"I'm so thankful a coworker brought me here for lunch. A true hidden gem located along central on the outskirts of plaza midwood this place may not look like much on the outside but don't let appearances fool you they serve up some excellent soul food. I got the fried chicken while my coworkers got the smothered pork chops and the meatloaf. All served with very generous portions and the chicken is fried to order so you get it fresh. For sides I got mashed potatoes and Mac and cheese both I enjoyed tremendously. There is no seating inside so you will need to take it to go, but if you are in the mood for some good old fashioned no frills southern food then come on in and pick up a to go plate. Also I meant to get a picture of my food but it smelled so good I had to dive in before I remembered to snap one."

Quidleys Delight

★★★★☆ 3.9 (215) • $$

"Brother Quidley never disappoints!He got new seats and tables in the place too!I took my bestfriend with me and she LOVED it too!We're both very picky on our Caribbean food! She gave it 10 out of 10!As a Afro-Cubano, I know good (authentic) island food when I taste it! Blessed!"

Punta Cana

★★★★☆ 3.6 (205) • $$

"Good food, nice people, and island vibes. I like the arroz con gandules. They didn't have that so I tried the mixed rice with black beans. I didn't like it. Next time I will get the baked chicken instead of stew chicken. Some of the food wasn't served as hot as I would've liked. Overall , it was a good experience."

Caribbean Hut

★★★☆☆ 3.4 (207) • $$

"I didn't get the memo about Carribean Hut relocating and renovating. On December 29 me, my sister, and best friend visited Carribean hut. The restaurant is located in the same parking lot that it was once in before the building was torn down but now they are in tbe strip mall that was behind it. The place really looks nice and sophisticated. They have a full bar area, ample seating, and the decor is amazing. I was totally shocked when I walked in. Originally, we were going to a different restaurant in that area. The service was fast and friendly. I ordered like a shrimp stir fry, my best friend had oxtails and my sister ordered chicken. The food was delicious. Definitely stop by for some good Jamaican food. Thanks Michelle & staff!"

Caribbean Hut

★★★★☆ 3.7 (166) • $$

"With prices going up for food in many restaurant locations, it's nice to see some places still staying the same. You honestly can't beat a lunch special for 6.99. They had the option of curry chicken or jerk for todays lunch options. There is an upcharge for Mac instead of cabbage but I was okay with it. The portion sizes especially for a small were plenty. While the jerk chicken was good, I found the sauce to be a little more on the sweeter bbq side than jerk side. Then the Mac had a nice layer of bake chrese on top. However once you got to the core, it was a let down giving me Krafts Mac and cheese vibes. But overall, the plate was great especially for a lunch special. I just know next time to stick with the cabbage instead. Clean location and great customer service as well. Would definitely return again!"

Anntony's Caribbean Cafe

★★★★☆ 3.5 (179) • $$

"This place is delicious! The few times I've been it hasn't been busy. The food is always cooked to order. They have a stuffed flounder that takes 20 mins to cook, but worth the wait!"

Island Grill & Pub

★★★★☆ 4.4 (113)

"This food was soo good and flavorful! I love me some oxtails but can't eat them fromMost restaurants cause it's too spicy! This was just right! The rice was perfect not hard or too soogy! We live in Charlotte so it was not around the corner but we will most certainly be back!! Let me not forget the cabbage...it was perfection not over cooked at all!!"

Ty's Wings & Tings

★★★★☆ 4 (121) • $$

"Ok so let's start with the shop owner. It's a Wednesday morning and this man is JAMMING to killing me softly while in the back cooking up something the smelled heavenly!I'm a Mac and cheese person, and not a wing person at all, but when thing smell that good you have to give them a shot. I got the veggie platter with 3 macs, I know I'm extra but mac is mac; as well as the 10 piece which you can split the flavors in.The Henny Barbecue-Must try (Smokey herbal and not overwhelmingly sweet )The lemon pepper- on par with chex ( bold punch of lemon for brightness and the pepper rounds it up so nicely)The food tastes like love.You can taste the passion the owner has and did I mention they also have fresh lemonade and pound cake.Give it a shot-before the blow up!Wish I could give y'all pictures but this time, the camera did not eat first."

Mama's Caribbean Grill

★★★☆☆ 3.4 (155) • $$

"Nice atmosphere feel w the stage up front Reggae music pumping out stereo. We had jerk chicken & curry goat. Jerk was more of stew chicken but good, goat was ok, patti ok.Prime location but parking scarce, food ok, customer service good."

Caribbean Hut

★★★★☆ 4.2 (72) • $$

"My dad was working in Gastonia and brought home a couple of the lunch specials from Caribbean Hut. The deal is amazing. It's so much food and you get a drink for around $7. He got the the Jerk Chicken, Curry Chicken and I believe the BBQ chicken. All the meals came with a mix of rice and beans and yellow rice, cabbage and plantains. The food was so delicious. Everything was well seasoned and the flavors all mixed well. The food does have a little spice to it. So be prepared. My favorites were the Curry chicken and the Jerk chicken. Portions are amazing and the food is filling. I want to try their Beef Patties. Glad they have 2 locations in Charlotte so I can try more of their menu. Caribbean Hut 2932 E Franklin BlvdGastonia, NC 28056(Review 720 overall and 65 in 2022)"

Crav’n Caribbean

★★★★☆ 4.2 (66)

"Idk how there is anything less than 5 stars on here. Always plan on carry out as city kitchen isn't exactly the vibe for sitting down. Know this food is cooked hot and it takes time. Be patient!We've had a little bit of everything here, the rice and peas, salmon bites, Mac, collards, plantains, oxtails, fries, and oxtail cheesesteak. You really can't pick a bad side, in fact that's the hardest part. My fav is definitely the oxtail cheesesteak, incredible melt in your mouth goodness. They also package it with each component separate, so nothing gets soggy. All in all, you're going to pay a bit more than other lunch spots but the food is quality and unique."

Panzu Brewery

★★★★☆ 4.4 (50)

"We love Panzu. The food and beer is great and the seasonal cocktails are the bomb. We love Cady: the best server! Pint of sunshine is our favorite beer and the bees knees cocktail is fantastic"

Cocoa's Jamaican Jerk

★★★☆☆ 2.5 (115) • $$

"I live within a reasonable distance of Cocoa's and did not know it existed! I'm happy I stumbled upon this spot. When you park in the lot you immediately hear the music blasting outside the restaurant (I love it). I can definitely see this being a vibe in warmer weather. The inside isn't too big for sitting down but me personally, I'm here for the food! I decided to get a jerk chicken meal which came with the standard cabbage, plantains, and rice and peas. I enjoyed everything except for the cabbage. For me, I prefer a balance between crunchy and soft cabbage and theirs was too soft (for me). I also thought the cabbage was a bit salty. However, that jerk chicken, rice and peas and plantains?! The best I've had in Charlotte thus far. I'll definitely be back but I'll try something else to get a true feeling of the cooking."

Durty Thumbs

★★★★★ 4.5 (28)

"Unassuming place right off the highway, but I've heard the food truck was good. Ended up having a great meal here, very tasty and unique for the area.I thought the meal had the perfect amount of spice, but YMMV. I got the cabbage which was great for throwing on top of the Rasta pasta, which seems to be a go to order here. Some people thought this place was slow, but food came out fast for us. The place doesn't have many tables and does run the A/C a little high, but that is not even 1% of the experience. Looking forward to going back"

JERK & JUICE

★★★★☆ 3.8 (25)

"Jerk and Juice was more like Jerk and Dry! We ordered 3 plates of Jerk chicken to go and every last piece of chicken on those plates were dry or sat way too long on a hot oven. none of us could even enjoy our chicken. I've had this location before and don't recall the food tasting or the chicken being dried out. I can't give a decent review of the chicken other than it being dry. Even the thigh part was dried out. I had chicken and cabbage with my food which was decent but not enough for me to return. I think their focus has shifted to the bar in the back."

Hillside Caribbean Cuisine

★★★★☆ 3.7 (22)

"The small little Belmont neighborhood tucked between Plaza Midwood and NoDA gained another amazing restaurant. Only steps away from Ace No 3 and Bottle and Bloom, you can now get authentic Jamaican food. We have been twice in the last 2 weeks because the food and service is just that good. The jerk sauce is out of this world. The cabbage and greens are flavorful, the Mac and cheese is juicy and the Patties are to die for! I tried the curry chicken and the beef Patty and I couldn't tell you which one was better. They also have a back patio and a popular take out counter. Add this delicious new place to your list of places to eat!"

Caribbean Island Cafe

★★★☆☆ 3.1 (25)

"I took my tropical tour to Salisbury today and the Caribbean Island Cafe.They allow mixed plates, which is nice, so I ordered curry chicken and jerk chicken along with rice and collards.Chicken: both the curry and the jerk were good, not great--just good. Neither was spicy enough. The chicken was chopped in the authentic Jamaican way and was moist. I really don't like the word moist, but there it is. As I said, it was good, but it didn't blow me away.Rice: I opted for yellow and, again, it was just okay--not seasoned enough. I'm going to throw out a comparison here: Colombian Cravings in Burlington blows this out of the water--they have some of the best yellow rice I've ever had.Collards: these were nicely seasoned and very good.So if you're in Salisbury craving some island food, CIC may satisfy it. But just barely. I would strongly suggest you head on up to Greensboro to Paradise West Indian American Restaurant where you can find truly outstanding Jamaican food, especially the jerk chicken. Check out my review of Paradise for more details."

Top Taste Grill

★★★★★ 4.9 (10)

"10/10!! I stopped by for the curry chicken Saturday. I had the collard greens and the Mac and cheese!! Oh my goodness!! So good I drove an hour back there yesterday! This place is amazing. The young lady at the register was so sweet and helpful!"

El Bohio Tipico Restaurant

★★★★☆ 3.9 (15) • $

"I had the ribs and white rice. Food was fresh (but it was 10:30am and taste was good. Clean atmosphere. atmosphere. Good place to go for some Spanish food."

Hummingbird Jamaican Restaurant

★★★★☆ 4.3 (12)

"This was my first time coming to this restaurant. This is the beginning of a great relationship. I will be back. Mike helped us. He was as nice as the food. We ordered a few things. Everything was great. My husband loves the Rasta Pasta. He ordered a side of Jerk Chicken. It was seasoned to perfection. However, it gets hotter with each delicious bite. I ordered Curry Chicken, Rice and Peas, and Plantains. Good, all good. We got a side of Brown Stew Chicken, I'm so happy we did that. I think the Brown Stew Chicken is my favorite."

Irie Nation Restaurant - South

★★★☆☆ 2.8 (23)

"I stopped by Irie Nation in Charlotte with a friend and ordered the Jerk Chicken with rice and beans, plus a side of steamed cabbage. The food was flavorful and well-prepared--the chicken was tender and falling off the bone, which I loved! My only critique is that there were a lot of back pieces, making it a bit tricky to navigate all the small bones. Still, the rich flavors more than made up for it. The service was quick and friendly, and the prices were very reasonable. I'll definitely be returning to try the oxtails next time!"

Caribbean Hut

★★★★★ 4.6 (8)

"Oh my damn ........ I think I found my spot when i have to come into Charlotte ! Yup Caribbean hut hits every freaking delicious mark out there ! 1st off.. can I tell you how clean and nice and open this place is . 2nd... the staff here is pretty damn amazing and the chef here cooks with his heart and soul ! The food here is freaking amazing and fire!!!!! I came and concurred the generous portion of oxtail here which is tender and very flavorful. Wish the cow or fish soup was served on a more frequent basis but damn I can tell you now that the next time I'm in town... I'm making it a mission to have some ! Definitely go to Caribbean hit if you need some island love."

Cocoa's Octails & Jerk

★★☆☆☆ 1.8 (12)

"This location used to be on Statesville Avenue, now they have moved into a bigger space. So far what I've tasted, the food is less than average. I wish that they would step up their game! This has the potential to be a nice restaurant since they have a bigger, cleaner space. Butif they can't get the food tasting better, they will be closed again."

K&Js Kitchen

★☆☆☆☆ 1 (1)

"Customer service is terrible... if you call ahead and order food it won't be ready when you get there because they take so long to start making the food it's ridiculous. No one greets you when you walk in. If i could give 0 stars i would. They need to run they're business better."