Island Roti Shop

Service was welcoming and friendly. Place is small and take out only. Off the beaten path from the nearby Liberty Ave area where the streets are lined with many choices of similar cuisine. I decided to avoid the long weekend lines at the more popular spots and try the common items .Doubles 7/10Aloo Pie 5/10Bake and Shark 3/10. Doubles was good,but dough not as fluffy as it should be. However the sauces accompanying it were good and made it enjoyable. The aloo pie's dough was stale ,not terrible but apparently fried way earlier that day. The potato filling was bland, unseasoned. These 2 items were remedied by me dousing it with lots of hot sauce .For someone else eating them as is (without sauces )would be pretty bland. These types of food need to be seasoned and not dependent on additional sauces. The Bake and Shark was the biggest let down. This is supposed to be served with an array of sauces and toppings which include lettuce, tomato, cucumber, onions,pineapple, shredded cabbage/carrot mix and generously seasoned fried shark all served inside a fried dough - aka Bake. This is a sandwich Andrew Zimmermann declared the Best Sandwich he'd ever had in his life after visiting Trinidad on Bizarre Foods. (Look it up)I've had it countless times elsewhere and it's a personal favorite. But at this location it was not nearly a true representation of this sandwich. The dough again was a bit stale and the shark seasoned with salt and pepper at most and over cooked ( it was dry )Then cooked cabbage was placed on the shark . At that point I just told her to add lots of hot sauce and paid and left and ate in the car. I will add that the steam table was filled with lots of West Indian dishes, they looked great. I just feel based on my level of taste and what is common to all the other types of places I've had this type of food from ,this one is not the same. Customer service was 10/10 , very sweet people.

There's a plethora of roti shops in the Little Guyana/South Ozone Park area offering a variation on similar menus. But Island Roti Shop has a slightly more extensive menu with some harder to find Trinidadian dishes, including a weekly rotating menu with specialties like pelau (aka pulav) and crab and dumplings.We had just finished gorging ourselves at nearby Trinciti, so just stopped for a snack. They had one of my favorite items, saheena, a split pea and spinach fritter served with a chutney of your choice (I opted for a layer of tamarind).

One of my favorite go to's for a quick meal. I was in the neighborhood and stopped in for some doubles with pumpkin. You are acknowledged the second you walk in with eye contact and a smile and receive the same once you are at the counter being waited on. What I love is they understand the meaning of just a little and it's always the perfect amount. The food is always fresh and delicious and the breads are never too sweet like other places. If you are in the neighborhood try this spot, you will not be disappointed! You can sit and eat if you like, but most people take their food to go and the prices are always good!

Great family owned Roti shop. Love their doubles and curry goat! Would highly recommend to anyone looking for good trini food

The parking situation is a bit tight. However, they are located at a major intersection that you can't miss. Upon entering, I was greeted with a smile. The lady who took my order was nice.The only thing I think would've made a difference between 4 And 5 stars, is the quantity of chicken. The roti itself was really good. But I think instead of pouring spoonfuls of chicken with bones into the wrap, a few extra seconds to strain out some of the bones would've been appreciated.I didn't enjoy it as much as I usually do because of that reason. I was picking away bones like crazy!But hey! $5 for a chicken roti? Why am I complaining? It was a great size for the price.

I only ended up here because Trinciti was closed today and I came from Brooklyn just for it. On the first bite into my bake and saltfish, there was a long curly strand of hair. There was no way I could finish that food. The place needs to be cleaned thoroughly, definitely a hole in the wall. I was better off driving back to Brooklyn without food. Just go a few blocks down to trinciti because this place is GRADE A TRASH.

Whenever I use to date a Trini woman I would bring them here, or bring them food from here. Never any complaints. One said the shop itself is authentic as compared to similar shops in Trinidad. (Very small, workers look "heated" during summer. Some of the food looks suspicious). So, about 15 years ago, I was patronizing the beverage shop next door, and when I came out, I threw some cardboard garbage into the parking lot dumpster. (I knew I shouldn't have). A dude, who I believe to be related to the owner of the roti shop came out charging and cursing like a madman. Just behind him was the a woman who I believe to be the owner of the roti shop. She was curing worse than dude and had a machete. I was able to back dude off, but crazy lady started chasing me around my car with the jammy. Somehow, the situation diffused, and needless to say, I stopped going into the shop, although I continued to frequent the beverage shop up until about five years ago. (Yeah, there's been a whooooooole lot of nasty stares exchanged over the years with the roti shop workers and owner(s)). So, with Covid and wearing masks, I popped back into the shop incognito, and their food is still solid as ever. My chicken roti was $6.50, and it was okay. One more piece of chicken would have been nice, but I don't think that is part of their plan. This is not the most visually appealing place, but they do good business for a reason. And yeah, the dude and woman still look angry. (Even with my mask, the dude did a double-take as I walked pass him). lol. The parking here can be good if you catch them at the perfect moment. Otherwise, expect a three-ring circus. Also, the shop is take-out. There's just enough room to walk in and order.

We always order Dhal puri without any issues. However, we placed an order as usual and at the time of pickup, I was told by the cashier that the price has increase by .50 cent per dhal puri BECAUSE ITS NEW YEAR'S EVE and that price will return to normal. I cannot believe we were rob on New Years Eve...My issue is that if they wanted to increase the price, let us know that the price had increased when the order was placed so we wont be blind sided.

"One of the glories of New York is its ethnic food, and only McDonald's and Burger King equalize us all."John Corry"Food is our common ground, a universal experience."James BeardIf you follow my reviews you know I am picky. This restaurant is a clean friendly restaurant (take out only) with an exotic blend of cuisines only available in the Caribbean usually. I disagree with the other reviews. This is not your typical NYC Caribbean restaurant.I do not understand the low reviews at all here! One reviewer complained about the OX Tail. I don't eat Ox Tail so maybe it is just what they ordered. The Doubles here are incredible and maybe the best I have had! The pastries and Roti here and everything I have had here is over the top delicious!Plus it is cleaner here than most I have been to. It is family owned and the service is friendly. They answer all of my questions and don't have an attitude like some of the Caribbean places I have been to. Lisa K one reviewer said The Doubles are good but gave other dishes a lower rating.I didn't take pictures but I got the Tamarind which is sold either spicy or sweet. It was delicious! It tasted like a Jolly Rancher fruit (if there was such a thing) rolled in sugar. They have a more extensive menu of goodies than most. http://www.allmenus.com/ny/queens/236630-island-cuisine-roti-shop/menu/The Mac cheese pie was delicious! We have been here many times and never reviewed it. It should at least be on the radar of those who like Doubles.I want to share what they say on their menu so you can get a feel for how delicious and exotic the food is."About Us' Island Roti Shop brings the exotic taste of the Caribbean to New York and is well known for treating customers like family. Dishes are prepared using auntie Chunkies wonderful recipes. We pride ourselves in creating delectable ,inexpensive prepared dishes. Caribbean cuisine is a unique blend of African , Indian ,Chinese , European and Latin American influences overlaid with those of countries as diverse as Syria , Lebanon and Italy. Prepare yourself for an extensive menu of tropical dishes in a warm atmosphere." The service is so warm and it comes across in the taste of the food. -"If you really want to make a friend, go to someone's house and eat with him... the people who give you their food give you their heart."Cesar Chavez

Smoke herring is the best there !!Have to get it every weekend. Breakfast menu is good.