Island Soul Rum Bar & Soul Shack

Ordered to go for 5 people through Toast and it was a seamless process. Their location was in the heart of Columbia City with plenty of street parking. Upon entry, I was instantly greeted by the bartender as it was their happy hour but will have to try it out next time. The inside is cozy and has limited seating so do expect to plan accordingly if you plan on going during peak. The music was bumping which I personally enjoyed.The food was very delicious and still tasted just as fresh when I brought it home. The Pork Rib Tips had a nice flavor to it where even though it was covered in sauce, it wasn't over powering the flavor from the meat. The Ox Tail Stew was very tender and succulent but wish there were more pieces as the portion was a bit small for the price and each person only got to try one. The catfish had a nice ratio of batter being crispy while still having the delicate catfish inside. We got both Calypso and Habanero Wings and I liked how the wings were just sauced enough and not overly sauced. The mango glaze on the Calypso wings was really good. The Whole Snapper was very easy to break apart and eat which I enjoyed. The fish was cooked perfectly and not dry. Pairing that with the pickled veggies gave it a perfect bite. Would love to try more things on their menu whenever I get a chance to swing by for a happy hour.

The tostones! I'm a dude that loves plantains. The tostones were this fried starch plate for you to shovel more delicious alliums and other veggies on top. First thing that came out and really stole the show.My friend got the gumbo and it was a clean plate club moment for her.I got the curry chicken and it was good, hearty didn't totally blow me away.Bf got the smoked chicken. This was the money maker. Omg the glaze was so dark and rich licking and then it was sweet and Smokey and just utter yum at the same time.Service was awesome. Our server was super attentive and kind. The music is loud just FYI.Definitely give it a try! It's some hearty soulful food.

Solid food and friendly service. Came here on a Friday night and ate with 3 friends. Glad we got here when we did because after 8 people started pouring in. It's a small establishment with a pretty big bar. I got the shrimp po boy and the mac n cheese. The po boy was pretty average and was a little light on shrimp but the mac n cheese was seasoned well and different from many other places. Rum punch was mediocre, atmosphere was good.

After trying their restaurant in Kirkland we knew we had to eat here. We came for dinner recently and walked in without a reservation. We had a short wait before we were seated. The service is excellent.We got Jamaican patties with chicken, Curry goat, Fried Shrimp PoBoy + Fries. We loved the Jamaican patties, the filling was delicious. We loved it so much we got another order of it to go. The Curry Goat was good, absolutely loved the Fried Shrimp PoBoy, the right size with delicious, fresh shrimp. The fries were great.We will be back soon for more.

My friend and I dropped by here late on a Friday night for our last drinks of the night and a little snack. We were seated soon after arriving. The place was dimly lit (appropriate) with island decor around. Food & Drinks:We each ordered a drink and a side of fries. The fries were under-seasoned unfortunately. My drink tasted fine, but felt overpowered by the alcohol. I got the peach me I'm dreaming and my friend got the watermelon cooler. We couldn't taste the watermelon in her drink at all. Service:Service was ultimately just okay. Our server came quickly to take our order, and our food/drinks came out promptly. Our server was a little off, I would say. My friend tried to ask for recommendations, and they were not helpful. TL;DR - heavy pour drinks with average service

We were at Island Soul last Monday for dinner. We had been many times before but it had been awhile and the menu was a bit paired down. We had the Coconut Muffins, which were terrific as always. We intended to start with them but they arrived after our meal -- we had to remind the wait staff it was missing. My wife and my mother-in-law split the shrimp po-boy. They both enjoyed it but it was small for one person -- let alone two people. I had the dry-rubbed chicken. It is spicy but very good! The chicken was cooked perfectly. We didn't get any sides.The only complaints were the ambiance and service. It is really loud -- it was hard to hear ourselves talk even though we were at a relatively small table. The service was not great. The food took awhile to come out (even though it was not that busy) and it was hard to find waitstaff to refill our water or (as mentioned above) remind them to bring us our Cocunut Muffins. I'll chalk it up to an off-night.

I love the customer service here but not the customer service food policy once ordered and left the store. I like the decor and the music vibe wish the place were bigger in capacity space.

Island Soul in Columbia City had been on my radar for a while. There isn't much parking along the main street but right behind the bar is a residential area with plenty of free on street parking. Service could be a bit slow when they got busy but it was never too hard to get someone's attention.I went during March Madness so they were doing a Rum Madness special with a rum flight and you could rate your favorite on a bracket. It was quite fun and I got to experience a lot of different rums I had never tried before. All the food I had here was amazing. Checking in on Yelp got me a free coconut corn muffin and it was great. We ordered the goat curry, Soul n Bowl, and gumbo. The jerk chicken was so amazing we ended up getting a separate order of it, but more importantly, their jerk is soooooo good. I kept adding it to all the rice and sides. We even kept the plate of sauce even after the chicken was gone! My personal favorite though was the goat curry. It really hit the spot in terms of flavor. Portions were huge and we all walked away full and content afterwards. I am looking forward to my next trip back!

Island Soul is a fantastic local Caribbean restaurant. The service is friendly, the rum drinks are excellent, and the food is tasty. The oxtail stew with rice and peas (actually red rice and red beans) are my go-to meal. The richness of the stew is absolutely amazing. I like the moist, sweet coconut muffins for a dessert. This time I made it to the Happy Hour, Mon-Th 3-6, which is less of a deal than it was before COVID but will still save you a few bucks on drinks and a limited set of food items. I decided to try the catfish po'boy, to compare it to the fish and chips I got at Marination Station a block away last week. The double layer of catfish in the sandwich is nicely prepared, and the crunch and flavor of the soul slaw hidden inside the bun compliments it perfectly. The tartar sauce has a little bit of a spicy kick to it, which I really enjoyed. I paid extra for some extra tartar sauce for the bits of fish that fall out when I ate it, as well as the fries. Island Soul also has a variety of hot sauces available - ask your sever and try some!In comparison to Marination Station, I'd say the fish was better at Island Soul, the fries not quite as good. I would pick Island Soul for the atmosphere and the alcoholic beverages, Marination Station for saving a few dollars, especially if you missed Happy Hour. Both are great restaurants, and I'm glad we have them here in Columbia City!

First time having dinner in Columbia City and I'm so glad we chose Island Soul! We had about a 15 minute wait but walked around since there is a lot to explore on this street. The time estimate was pretty accurate and we came back to a high top table in the bar. They were busy! This was already a sign to me that the food and drinks must be good. We visited on a Friday night. The bartender took our order and while he had a little bit of help with someone bringing out the food he took care of us, a full bar and a handful of other tables. He was amazing. Even though he was busy, he was engaging and friendly and made sure we had everything we needed. The food and drinks were great. Everything we had was delicious. I can't wait to go back!