Queen Trini Lisa

food was absolutely delicious. on a busy day, expect some items to be sold out. service was awesome, Queen Lisa is so kind and welcoming and we got to learn about how the restaurant started.

It says Trini, but it is not Trini. I don't want to knock anyone's hustle, especially if you are the only "Trini" place in the area. Who don't know, don't know. I don't expect anyone from New Orleans to know the difference because they don't have much to compare it with. There are not a ton of Trinidadian places to compare and contrast to in this area. There are more Trini places in California than Louisiana, and even more in New York and Florida. And of course the majority of Trini places are IN TRINIDAD, which is where we go VERY often. My husband is a Trini, he cooks Trini food regularly, there's a whole Trini community out where we live, and they are cooking and sharing food and selling. I read a few of the other reviews and saw a couple of people mentioning the Bahamas food and CARIBBEAN food; the Bahamas food is nothing like Trini food, and all Caribbean countries are different in accents, languages, cultures, music, and FOOD. Americans, especially those who do not travel always mention Jamaica, Africa, or if they live in a southern state like Louisiana or Florida they will mention Bahamas because it's close. They mention these places like this is the whole Caribbean, and Africa is not even in the Caribbean, it's a whole continent.The people at this restaurant, their service was nice and friendly but we did have to wait a while for doubles, which shouldn't take long, it's a very easy and quick street food, it was not busy when we got there either, and then we had to wait for the cabbage to get cooked.Now, the taste of this food: the doubles, first off all of their food is way too expensive, but again who don't know, don't know. The doubles channa doesn't have the body(texture) or taste of Trini, the barra was ok. When I say the channa didn't have a Trini taste I mean it taste like it was made with sazón Hispanic seasonings. It look like doubles but taste Hispanic. Let me give you an example. If you buy a Mexican style chicken burrito would you expect it to taste like curry chicken in roti?.. no, because Mexican ppl don't use curry as their base flavor in burritos. The point is you expect the traditional seasonings which make the flavors of that particular dish. The cabbage and spinach was just extremely salty, cabbage was spicy, rice was plain, my husband only liked the plantain and sorrel, the only thing I liked was the sorrel. I ate the rice because I was hungry, not because I liked it. I left the rest of my plate at the restaurant. My husband took a box to be nice, trying not to leave his entire plate as well, but he didn't eat the food he took in the box either. Again I can't knock anyone's hustle, but it's not the Trini taste you are looking for if you're looking for real Trini food. I saw a couple people talk about they have good crawfish bread, I can't say that's a Trini thing, more of a Louisiana thing, because where in Trinidad or any other Trini restaurant are you going to get crawfish bread, you won't...The food wasn't what we expected, but I do appreciate, applaud and give props to them for trying something different.

This is a must visit spot when you next find yourself in Nola! Queen Trini Lisa and her son, CJ, serve up some of the tastiest Caribbean food I've ever eaten. We had the specials of the day -- the most delicious, melt-in-your-mouth, fall-off-the-bone oxtails and a combo plate of curried and bbq jerk chicken that was the bomb.com. You will not want to miss their sides -- sweet plantains come with your meal and you get a choice of two additional sides. Our favs were the coconut peas and rice, the Caribbean spinach, and the sautéed cabbage. Bring an appetite and be prepared to taste the love that Miss Lisa pours into the food. Sit inside or out on one of the picnic tables in this quiet, sunny neighborhood. We will def be back.

Saw this place mentioned on social media so I knew I had to try it. I went with a friend who is originally from Trinidad so she has high standards for both doubles and sorrel and she loved them both (as did I). The BBQ jerk chicken didn't seem like a typical "jerk style" and more just tasted like regular BBQ chicken but it was tasty nonetheless. Definitely give this place a try if you're in the area!

My friend found this restaurant and I'm SO glad she did. As a native NYer visiting NOLA I would have never thought to look for a trini restaurant. As soon as you walk into this small restaurant, you're treated with exceptional service. CJ was our server, super friendly. The whole menu sounded so good, but I opted for curry chicken with double rice & peas, and doubles with sorrel to drink. First, this is Sorrel made right. My friend and I shared the doubles, so with my meal I had a decent amount of food. Everything was absolutely delicious and flavored to the T.Before we left for the night, we found out QTL is run by the family, and met Chef Lisa herself. Even if you've never tried west indies/trini food, RUN to Queen Trini Lisa!

We were in the neighborhood and decided to stop in. I'm *so* glad we did. I knew the food was good, because I've had it from DoorDash. Needless to say, my expectations were high. And let me tell you, they were met. Upon entry, we were greeted by friendly staff and the cheery decor. The walls, painted in sea greens, reminded me of the Caribbean Sea. The artwork depicts scenes of the beautiful people and nature of the islands. I also loved the big shop windows that let in lots of natural light. We ordered the Caribbean fish sandwich, the bbq jerk chicken plate, and enjoyed the Rice & Peas, Island Stir Fry Cabbage, Caribbean Style Spinach, and fried plantain. Everything was super yummy, though the fish sandwich was a standout with its inventive toppings of mayonnaise, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, pineapples, and plantains. The bbq jerk chicken is swimming in a sweet sauce that tastes more like a sweet bbq than jerk, which is fine by me. The portions are generous and the prices are fair. I highly recommend Queen Trini Lisa.

We arrived at 12:00 for lunch, the food came at 1:15 pm. In the meantime, no water no nothing. The bbq jerk chicken was not good. It tasted like a rotisserie chicken covered in store-bought bbq sauce. There was way too much bbq sauce and it was way too sweet. The curry chickpeas were good, the spinach was not.

We tried Queen Trini Lisa's Caribbean/Trinbagonian Island restaurant for the first time this weekend and we LOVED it! This is a small casual eatery in mid-city, where "the Queen" comes to work every day to personally cook for you, ensuring flavorful, perfectly cooked dishes!We tried the BBQ Jerk Chicken ($17) and the Goat Curry ($18? Not sure about the price, they were out of the chicken, so it was a substitution). They both come with 2 sides of your choice along with fried plantains. For sides, we tried the Caribbean-style spinach and the rice & peas. Everything was DELICIOUS! Every single item was bursting with flavor. The proteins were tender, juicy and perfectly cooked. I don't usually enjoy goat as much as other meats, but it was fantastic with none of that gamey-farm smell that you get sometimes with goat meat. The sides were amazing too, each excellently seasoned. Those rice & peas were sooooo good, I could seriously eat it every day!The Doubles Box ($12) is a must try, especially if you don't want to dine in and you're looking for something quick and yummy! Apparently, "doubles" is a vegan street food in Trinidad which is very much like a taco. It's made with the softest fluffy turmeric flatbread holding curried chickpeas, and it also comes with some chutneys. The box comes with 2 of them, which are very filling and enough for a whole meal, if not two meals! Of course, as with every other item, this was also terrifically cooked.If you're in the mood for a drink, I recommend trying the can of tamarind juice ($3), it's sweet and tangy. I didn't love the hibiscus tea ($6) personally because it had a strong dose of cinnamon (to be fair, I don't even like cinnamon rolls very much), but to each their own.My only complaint was that the drinks could have been served initially when we first ordered everything, but they came out with the food instead. Not a big deal though. (Notice this one small complaint is not enough for me to detract a star from my 5-star review. That's how great the food was here!) The service here was a little bit slow, but the food itself does comes out fairly quickly, and the staff are friendly. You'll just have to remember that it's a small operation with few staff members.Overall, the food is amazing and I'll be coming back again soon!! With everything PACKED with flavor, you will definitely not be asking for salt or extra condiments here!

An unassuming corner gem hidden on the edge of mid-city near I-10. I've passed through the area a couple times on my bike or walking, made a mental note but never went inside. How could I have been so foolish? As I write this review I'm wishing it were open on Sundays. The owner and her family are friendly dedicated people who love what they do like so many small family owned businesses. It was like eating a friend's home that can really really cook. I immediately ordered sorrel but there is a plethora of beverage options. We had the fish basket, a vegan platter, curry goat, and the "Doubles" flatbread. I would have been embarrassed the way we dug in however the flavors were too good and delicious for such villainous emotions. Seriously, I've have plenty of Caribbean and East Indian food. Having lived in Brooklyn and grown up with many Barbados and Trinidad friends it's like comfort food to me and Trini Queen Lisa hit the spot. It was almost sinful. The food was spiced to perfection. The goat fell off the bone. The plantains were soft and warm on the inside but firm and crunchy at the edges. MmmmMm. Hear me when I say you will not regret it. This will be a definite go to spot for my family. My daughter has already vowed to go back several times a week. This is a great place to eat in or grab and go if you don't want others to see you lick your fingers. It's off the beaten path and a great place to surprise friends from out of town with the diversity of New Orleans eateries. This is a great spot for vegans and vegetarians as they have many options available to suit every appetite. You will love this place. They are closed Sunday and Monday so meet me there Tuesday.

Amazing food (I had oxtails with rice and peas and cabbage), the service was A1, and the ambience was very warm and welcoming. I even got to speak to the chef who came out to ask how my meal was. I'll be back