OMGGGGG! I've visited many Jamaican restaurants but this one is on top of the list. This place is…read morenear my job and they are literally taking all of my money the food is delicious, heavenly and authentic. My favorite is the jerk chicken and the beef patties. Unfortunately they only take cash but it's worth the visit. The vibe and service is always . And they always pack your tray with a good amount of food like a good amount! Highly suggestion!

I just had one of the best oxtail dinner at this restaurant. The quantity of food on the plate was…read morealso gratifying. (Big Up to The Chef)

SODIUM CENTRAL Avoid…read morethe fish an all cost, including your life. We ordered the fish and after we paying was told they had no tartar sauce. Went home and could not enjoy the fish at all. It was intolerable salty. Ended up throwing it out and getting Thai food instead. Called to let them know and they just said sorry.

Always get the large platters of fried chicken for special occasions. Tender, crispy, juicy and…read moreseasoned just right.

I had them for dinner. I ordered the jerk chicken, Mac and cheese and yellow rice.. it was…read moredelicious.

Amazing Taste is genuinely good food. Takeout is the main way I enjoy it, and it's always fresh…read morewith a wide variety of treats and entrees. Anything fried is amazing, and the veggies are well maintained and taste great. The establishment always hooks me up with utensils and has everything ready to go. It's a staple in the central Jersey area, and I definitely recommend it to anyone who wants soul food. It's Black-owned and delivers great comfort food, service is good, and it seems to keep growing.

The lady & I wanted some authentic BBQ. So we decided to try this spot. Wasn't far away so we gave…read moreit a shot. It did not disappoint not one second. We both were so happy we gave it a try. The ribs you can tell were smoked like a real griller !!! The ribs were so tender and every bite you can taste the smoke from the grill. We also had catfish nuggets that so super juicy and fried to perfection. He was a nice guy as well. His energy was great. You knkw some people want you to buy there food but have bad energy about you being there. Not Rodger!! He was very welcoming and polite! I will definitely be back!

Note: this place only accepts cash or cash app…read more Ordered spicy bbq chicken with all the sides. The chicken was ok, but the sides did not taste good. Mac was mushy, beans were ok, Spanish rice was crunchy, and the greens had zero flavor.

I bumped into this spot on a whim cuz the wife was in the mood for yams after scrolling and seeing…read morea few soul food posts. So I decided to venture here since it was closest in the area at the time. The inside was cozy and quaint, I took my food to go but had to wait a bit even though I ordered ahead, but dude DID say it would take 25-30 min for my order. Polite young man I should add. I don't mind the wait cause I could hear the fryer heavy at work in the back, and I've learned not to rush the process. I will say for it to be a soul food spot, I would've expected a bit more of variety besides fish and wings. I also hate that they were out of a lot of stuff, from whiting to collard greens, and while I'm waiting I overheard dude tell another customer they were out of Mac & cheese. Soooo.. fingers crossed on how this meal goes.. Sure enough... They messed up the order... I ordered double mac and unfortunately, since they're out of it, there's nothing that can be done ... Not to mention, they forgot to give me my shrimp so I had to turn around for that .. hopefully the food is good, again fingers crossed.. I'll update shortly when I get back to the crib Ok, let's get to the food, cause that's the main reason we're here... Yams - 10.. These were clearly the star of the meal!! they were cooked down to perfection, with a beautiful sweet glaze, and I have zero complaints at all!! Wings - 8.. I got the Thai chili wings, which were good and fried well, and nice size wings, I just expected a little bit of spice. But again no complaints. I'd order them again. I had one of My Son's honey barbecue wings, and those were pretty good too. Mac - best of MID! The Mac wasn't bad. The problem is, there was no successful marriage between the macaroni noodles and the cheese itself. There were several times where I would have a fork full of cheese and two noodles, which was a pretty unpleasant bite. Yes I love cheesy mac & cheese for sure, but I like it to be GELLED together in Harmony This seemed like they took chunks of cheese and mixed it into the boiled macaroni and baked it. Again, it didn't taste bad, the ingredients just didn't merge. Shrimp - 9. I'm glad I turned around to get these shrimp that they initially forgot. But shrimp were very nice sized, plump, seasoned very well and crisp but not over fried. Great job here, no complaints at all. I actually am looking forward to having their shrimp again next time I come. Overall, I enjoyed the food. And unfortunately, Yelp doesn't give half stars. But I would be remiss to give them a three, being that these were just human errors and that's OK in my opinion. As I said, the young man was very polite that helped me with my order, and again the food was very good. So yes, I hated that my order wasn't accurate, but they did their best to rectify it and served good food. That said, I'll definitely come back and suggest this spot to others.

I give Monai's Soul Food 3.5 stars, but rounded up to 4. Considering black-owned businesses are few…read morea far between in the Central NJ area, I made it a point to go support one for Juneteenth. After trying to decide between a handful of places, I decided on Monai's mostly because I saw they have a parking lot and I just simply wasn't in the mood to be searching around for street parking that day. When I arrived, I asked for a menu and after looking it over, I decided on the sweet chili wings with mac & cheese and green beans. I was told the wait would be 20-25 minutes. It did take a little bit longer than that. It was probably more like 30-35 minutes. I sat at one of the empty tables while I waited. They had a good playlist of r&b music playing which made the wait a little more favorable. Once my food was ready, I took my food to go. My favorite part of my meal was the chicken wings. They were cooked and seasoned well. The sweet chili sauce was the icing on the cake. The sides were just okay to me. The mac & cheese could use a little more of something...maybe a little touch of salt or seasoning. The green beans were nothing special and tasted like they came from a can. The sides weren't terrible or inedible, but could use a little more of something. With that being said, it was good enough that I'd return. I would like try some of their other entrees.

I travel for work once a month from North Carolina and every trip I stopped at the family soul…read morespot. the atmosphere is always warm, inviting, and full of energy. The staff always goes above and beyond to make sure everything is perfect, offering friendly service that makes me feel like a valued guest rather than just another customer. The food is always absolutely incredible--fresh, flavorful, and beautifully presented. Every bite is memorable and keeps you wanting more, you can really tell they put care and passion into their dishes. I've traveled to a lot of places, and it's rare to find a spot that delivers this level of consistency and quality. What makes this place even more special is that it's not just a meal--it's an experience. I find myself looking forward to my next visit before I've even left. --Five stars all the way!

This soul food spot is pretty tasty. I ordered the golden fried catfish. The catfish was crispy and…read moretheir homemade batter was delicious. For my sides I got the candied yams and the collard greens. The candied yams were so good! I definitely enjoyed that side and the collard greens were okay. The meal came with a side of cornbread. My mother ordered their fried pork chop and got the collard greens and mac & cheese. She did mentioned that the mac & cheese was a little dry and could have been a little more creamy.

Another small, hole in the wall place that you can easily miss if you blink, but don't blink, make…read moresure you get in there and at the very least grab a patty or two for lunch, beef, chicken, oxtail, pulled pork, just to start. That was enough to hook me the smells when you walk in could hold you there all day. Next up will be a nice platter so I can properly taste everything. Get there!!!!!

Overall the food was delicious. Ordered the oxtails and the curry goat to go. Both dishes were…read moredelicious and served hot, even made it all the way home to enjoy. My only complaint was the plantains, they were overdone. Despite this I would still come back.

I grew to pride myself on my ability to practice extreme amounts of restraint and discipline in…read morerecent years, and, like with many of the habits I fixate on, I did not practice this in moderation and allowed it to bleed into most spheres of my life. This included my dining habits. I used to frequently deny myself small pleasures like baked goods, coffees, and restaurant outings, prioritizing my outrageous savings goals every time I felt the urge to indulge in an "unnecessary spend". Over time, I became quite the expert at pointing to sidewalk sandwich boards with enticing menu items, saying "that sounds so good!", and continuing onward, the thought of actually purchasing the food never crossing my mind. I've since met my original savings goals and grown as a person (ever so slightly). And I am now knee-deep in the obligatory quarter-life crisis that seems to hit every over-achieving asshole 2 years post-grad. It is a phase that I can only describe as both invigorating and soul-crushing. I am finding myself growing bolder and more inquisitive with every passing day. I'm registering for lessons in extreme sports I only learned about mere hours before, I'm saying yes to impromptu cross-country and international trips, and I'm also finally allowing myself to get a plate of jerk chicken when I want some damn jerk chicken. My mother and I happened to park right by this small Caribbean joint in New Brunswick while meeting with my sister earlier today, and I kept staring at the restaurant, marveling at the menu items painted on the black sandwich board by its front door: "Oxtail, curried chicken, plantains, jerk chicken, rice and peas, stew beef...That sounds so good" "Go get it!" My mother said. Now, I would previously have come up with an excuse to avoid making the purchase. But as I have just explained, I've entered a very Bourdainian time of my life. So I wasted no time--I sprang out of my seat and walked into Cool Runnin's with a smile plastered to my face. Everything inside just felt *right*. It was a tiny restaurant with harsh, white lighting and no seating inside. The walls were painted a buttery yellow with touches of coral and green throughout. There were two fridges that were packed with small slices of rum cake and an assortment of juices. The counter at the front was small and adjacent to a wire frame shelf that was lined with several brands of plantain chips. It felt like I had wandered into a small, roadside store in Kerala. The woman who took my order was lively and warm and had a thick Jamaican accent that made every exchange feel like a hug. She was operating on island time; she moved slowly, joking with me as she poured the rice, chicken, cabbage, and sauce into my takeout container. And she paused, several times, to take bites of a cinnamon apple cake she had just baked. The container was wrapped in a plastic bag, which she sealed with a small pink sticker: "Here ya go, babygirl", she said, handing me the bag. I don't think I could have smiled any wider. I skipped back into my car, beaming. The food was, to no one's surprise, incredible. The chicken was sweet and a bit spicy. The meat was practically falling off the bone. The sauce and rice complemented each other beautifully, and the simplicity of the cabbage balanced out the otherwise heavy dish. My parents loved it too. I will be back to try more menu items. Or perhaps to get this jerk chicken again but on mac and cheese next time...

Real Jamaican cuisine. Love the Goat roti…read more They also have baked goods which are delicious