Island Taste Caribbean Grill

food - 10/10. great portion sizes. quality authentic food. can't get enough i keep going back. service- 10/10. patient, accommodating, and overall kind. ambiance- 10/10. nicely decorated. creates a great vibe. great music. occasionally come here to get food and do homework. but they also have great comedy nights. would 100% recommend.

This place is amazing - a true hidden gem. I came here last week with my partner and while I rarely write reviews on yelp at all, I still felt compelled to write a glowing review a week after dining here - which attests to the great experience we had at here!This is a no-frills shop, but the place is clean and pleasant, with reggae music playing to add to the ambiance. The guy at the register recommended the goat curry, but my partner and I were torn between menu options and decided to get the jerk chicken and fried pork, and to try the goat curry next time. To our pleasant surprise, he was kind enough to bring us a generous sample of some goat curry and rice along with our actual orders, just so we could try it. And there was good reason he recommended it - the curry was intensely flavorful and delicious, and the goat meat was succulent and not tough or gamey in any way. It was on the saltier side, but it was not a problem when eaten with white rice; I would definitely get this next visit!The jerk chicken and fried pork were delicious, but surprisingly, what impressed both me and my partner the most was the bed of rice and beans the meats came nested on top of. The texture and taste of the rice was spot on; it was deliciously seasoned and the perfect accompaniment to the meats. The cucumber salad was refreshing, sweet, and crunchy, and exactly what the plate of rice and meats needed. Everything else was great as well, and the array of hot sauces available makes for an interesting dining experience. Take caution, as the hot sauces here are delicious but seriously spicy!Overall, everything about this place is a 5/5 - I'm shocked that this place isn't more hyped up. We had a really great experience here, and I highly recommend trying!

True Caribbean taste in the Bay Area. Aunties must be cooking in the back.I went in skeptical and left a believer. No roti though . Not enough buyers. I have to make own for takeout. Excellent plaintains. I wouldn't mind if you randomly stopped by with takeout. Go to - chicken curry, jerk chicken, patsies, hibiscus tea.

Ordered the dunn's river with steamed veggies for takeout this past weekend. Service wasn't the friendliest, but it was sufficient, and my order was ready in literally 2 minutes. The jamaican bbq chicken was delicious, even if a bit on the dry side. The rice and sweet plantains had great flavor as well, and were cooked perfectly. I wasn't too big a fan of the soggy veggies, but the taste wasn't bad. Would I return? Sure... maybe for one of their live entertainment events, as the restaurant interior has a casual and inviting setting great for enjoying a meal.

TIP: Remember To Check In ON Yelp to get your Free Jamaican Patty, (Choice Of Beef, Curry Chicken, or Vegetable Patty)This restaurant is located across the street from City Hall. There are metered parking spots around this restaurant. Upon entering the restaurant, we were greeted by the friendly cashier. We wanted to try their jerk pork and oxtail tail, but they were out of them. We were told that they had a big catering for the day and that's why they were out. We ordered the hisbicus ginger beverage, jerk chicken, and the curry chicken. Our food came out in a timely manner.The bisbicus ginger beverage was pretty concentrated. It had a very strong taste of ginger. The jerk chicken and the curry chicken were tender and very flavorful. The curry chicken was kind of spicy. The steamed veggies and cucumber salad were tasty.

Service was great food was tasty!!! I'll def return! I can't find the pics I took but when I come across or return I'll be sure to post them!

When in San Jo, it's Viet or Mexican cuisine. Hello, orange sauce! It can make a foam cushion taste delicious. Ok, maybe not. But, it makes most things palatable. I usually go for Viet food when in the area but gotta change things up! In April 2022, a Brooklyn couple opened Island Taste Caribbean in DTSJ. Finally gave it a try over the weekend when I was in the area and saw they had outdoor seating. They're open for takeout, delivery, and indoor dining. There's two outdoor tables in front (dog-friendly). M E N UJamaican & Haitian Cuisine. Drinks: Array of bottled drinks and their housemade sorrel, a traditional Jamaican hibiscus + ginger drink. For dine-in, food is served in plastic takeout containers. Self-serve lemon infused water. Make sure to check out their bottled hot sauces on the counter! Yelp Check-In Deal: Free patty (didn't use it). F O O D* Beef Patty ($4.50) // 4.5 stars: http://tinyurl.com/yc4u4enuShatteringly crispy, deliciously buttery flaky pastry shell with a savory, juicy minced beef filling. Paired well with the scotch bonnet hot sauce (?). Wish the patty was warmer tho. Food spread: http://tinyurl.com/437phj86* Jerk Chicken Wings (6 pc-$10) // 4 stars Meaty, fall-off-the bone wings (mix of flats + drummettes) in a richly spiced jerk sauce that's savory, sweet, tangy and smoky with fruity notes. Menu says, "spicy" but it was mild. While the flavor was on-point, the wings weren't heated through so they were still cold in the middle. * Bang Bang: Griot/Fried Pork w/ white rice + beans, fried plantains, island salad ($20) // 4 stars --Griot/Fried Pork: Freshly fried, the morsels of pork were crispy and tender with the fatty pieces being the best. Fat = flavor! The Haitian spices (garlic, onions, thyme, etc) didn't really come through for me so I loved dipping it into the jerk sauce from the chicken.--Rice + Beans: Bomb! I think we were given the rice + peas tho (looked and tasted the same as the rice in the Jamrock). The rice was tender and flavorful with a whisper of sweetness from the coconut milk. Couldn't stop eating this. --Plantains: Nice sweetness but very dry. --Island Salad: The pickled cucumber, carrot, and red onion salad was crisp and punchy, a fresh counterpart to the meat and carbs. --Pikliz: Sour and mildly spicy fermented cabbage slaw.* Jamrock: Oxtails w/ rice + peas, fried plantains, island salad ($22) // 3.5 stars --Oxtails: Their signature dish, the all-spice (?) based sauce was rich, robust, and flavorful. I read other reviews that the oxtails are salty. They may have tweaked the seasoning because it wasn't overly salty on my visit (I prefer lightly salted food). Unfortunately, like the wings, the oxtails weren't heated through and was still cold in the middle. Also, the meat didn't easily pull off the bone. S E R V I C EFriendly and kind staff. Prompt food service; visited when they opened so it wasn't busy yet. A M B I A N C ECasual space with 8-10 tables and IG wall for photo ops. Reggae music playing. P A R K I N GMetered street parking was easy during Saturday lunch time (across from city hall). Overall, tasty Jamaican and Haitian food with flavors that were on-point but would have tasted better if it was served hot. I would return when I'm in the DTSJ area again and bring a thermal bag for 'em patties!

The oxtails and rice were good, but the portions were small with relation to the price. The plantains were extremely dry, and the fried chicken lacked flavor and was lukewarm. The festival bread was dry and hard.

Came to support the Brooklyn-born owner Marc who ventured out to bring a little taste of the Caribbean to San Jose and we were not disappointed. After opening two years ago he has transformed this local in downtown into a true Island Vibe. The ambiance has plenty of plants, greenery, natural daylight and island tunes to relax you before a delicious meal. Drinks: plenty of options to wash down the different tastes available here but I recommend the house made juices. We tried the hibiscus and ginger juice (5/5) which packs a nice flavorful punch that is quite refreshing. Food: Jerk Chicken and coconut rice & beans: (5/5) So many positives about this dish. The chicken is barbecue perfectly, extremely juicy and the jerk seasoning is not overpowering and skillfully layered so you can mix in with the rice. The rice has nice texture with the coconut milk and goes great with a bite of the plantains which are evenly cooked and very tender. Didn't know it also came with a cabbage salad with peas which was pleasant surprise. Curry goat and white rice: (4.5/5) literally the meat falls off the bone and I loved that they served the bone in because that's where all the flavor resides. Preferred with white rice to get a good balance of colors when eating it. Flavor was great but the spiciness was a bit much to get through in one sitting, otherwise a perfect option to get. Patties: curry chicken (5/5) and spinach (4/5) both had phenomenal crusts and texture inside. The curry chicken is nostalgic of east coast mom/pop restaurants and the chef executed well. The spinach is an interesting addition to the menu and a great alternative for the vegetarian guests, just didn't have the same level of flavor as the curry chicken. I always appreciate when a restaurant owner seeks insight to your experience and he was very personable and checked in how we liked the dish and how he could improve it. This makes me want to come back again in a couple months to see how much better the food can be because it's already superb and I highly recommend it.

The food is fantastic, the service friendly. So very similar to my home cooked Trinidadian food.