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    Ava’s Island Cafe

    4.3 (46 reviews)
    ModerateCaribbean, Seafood, Soup
    Open 11:00 am - 6:00 pm
    Updated 3 months ago

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    AVA’S ISLAND CAFE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Outdoor seating
    Good for kids

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    a drawing of an octopus
    Arthur R.

    Great tasting Jamaican styled food. Surprised to see this place in Leavenworth but a wonderful surprise. Upon entering you'll see pictures and little paintings of Jamaica with background music as you prepare for your culinary delights. We received fast and courteous service with good suggestions in case you look doubtful.We definitely will be returning!

    Jerk Chicken
    Kayla D.

    Was in town for work so decided to try Avas. I ordered online which was extremely easy and highly recommend if you're doing pickup. I ordered the jerk chicken, which was tasty. This particular jerk chicken had a jerk barbecue taste to it which is different from what Im used to it but it was good. I ordered a side of sauce which ended up being 75 cents, very small portion but I guess you have to account for costs some way. Cabbage and rice was meh, I would definitely try to switch that out with something if you can. I love Ting so I was so happy to see they had it. If in the area I recommend trying for takeout.

    Menu
    Emily B.

    These people, rather this family is so sweet. Very genuine and want you to truly enjoy what they spend their time making. Order ahead if you're under a time crunch. Everything is made fresh. My favorite item was their cabbage/vegetable mix. It is buttery, not over cooked and has a great comforting flavor. The jerk chicken wasn't spicy or over flavored even, might even venture to say it was a little bland but not in a bad way. You can always add salt, but for those watching their sodium don't be afraid to try this dish!

    Curry Chicken
    Maraea F.

    Today I decided to do something different: try something I've never had before....the jerked pork. It was so delicious. As always, I receive the warm island hospitality and feel like a piece of Jamaica is right here in rural Kansas. Love it!!!

    I ate here for the first time today. we had meat pie, ox tail & pork jerk. ALL phenomenal and fresh. great service. highly recommend

    Curry chicken lunch special
    Gail W.

    Stopped here for lunch in downtown Levenworth and it's so convenient to make this a regular spot for meals and coffee. Ava is lovely and super friendly. She made me her special coffee to have with my lunch. Jamaican coffee w/collegen, ginger and turmeric... it's my favorite combination and so good over ice on these hot days. The curry chicken was one of the lunch specials, large portions of chicken w/ veg, rice and cabbage.

    Curry chicken
    Nicole S.

    I ordered the curry chicken which was good. No real complaints in the food but I can say when I called in my order the person on the other end of the phone seemed a bit rushed not very customer service friendly

    Jerk chicken
    david v.

    Very good food, but very small portions!!! We ordered the small oxtail and the jerk chicken special. They charged us for a medium oxtail ($14.99) instead of $10.99 for the small that we actually ordered and got just three oxtails! Can't imagine what the small order (what we ordered) even is, two oxtails? Seriously?! My jerk chicken was an equally tiny serving of one small leg and two other small pieces with barely any meat on them. If the value was better we'd go back but it was nearly $25 for the two small lunch plates and one ginger cookie. Greens, cabbage and red beans and rice were all a bit bland and so little actual meat, so next time we'll try Island Spice.

    Curry Shrimp with Plantain, rice and peas, and cabbage.

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    1 year ago

    Dude!!!!! Awesome jerk pork, tender and delicious with the perfect amount of spice. Great music playing. I will be back

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    2 years ago

    DELICIOUS! It is the real deal. Eva is so nice and friendly. It is a small place but soooo good! We will be back.

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    7 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Amazing food and the owners are so nice. A must go for anyone in town. The jerk chicken is fabulous

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    5 years ago

    Wow! Great service and great food! I felt like I was back visiting Jamaica, very authentic.

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    4 years ago

    Amazing family-owned gem. Oxtail and curry goat are best I've had. Great beer and dessert selections. Highly recommended!

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    4 years ago

    Best JAMAICAN food ever will go back without hesitation. the jersey chicken is spicy good

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    5 years ago

    Loved the oxtail. Also have had the curry goat stew and Jek Chicken. Excellent every time. Can't wait to go back.

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    Garfield And Ava H.

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    5 years ago

    Jerk chicken was amazing and so were the oxtail. Definitely one of the best spots in Leavenworth.

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    Luigi's 418

    Luigi's 418

    3.7(83 reviews)
    0.3 mi

    I see why Luigi's 418 is one of my uncles and friends go to place! Do not let the small sign and…read moredark windows fool you, this is the spot for authentic and delicious Italian cuisine--and in all places, yes, Leavenworth, KS! We had to wait for about 20 minutes for a table, but it went quick. We were sat with the best server that kept our water glasses full and checked on us regularly. I checked out the menu and decided to go with the spinach lasagna and minestrone to start. If I would have known how large the soup was I would have just gone with the lasagna! The minestrone was very healthy on the tomato, but topped with tons of vegetables! It was pipping hot, so it made it difficult to eat right away. Once it cooled down it was so delicious! This was not your canned Minestrone soup! So full of flavor and not super salty. I could have just had this as a meal, so I tried to save some room for my spinach lasagna. Wow and wow and wow! Again a very large portion that did not skip on flavor or seasoning. Every bite was so amazing! I only got a few bites in before my stomach told me to stop! I did manage to try my uncle's seafood pasta which was super rich and heavy; but again super flavorful. I liked that the portions were generous, but they did not skip on the seasoning. Again I see why this is a favorite! I will be back when I am in the area again!! A must!!

    We have tried really hard to keep giving this restaurant chances because the food itself is…read moreactually very good, and my mom genuinely loves this place. We order takeout because she's older and has difficulty getting around, so takeout is easier for her. Unfortunately, almost every single takeout order we've placed has had an issue -- missing items, wrong items, forgotten desserts, etc. Tonight was the final straw. Once again, we got home and realized an item we paid for (our cake) was missing, so my husband had to drive all the way back to the restaurant while the rest of our food sat at home getting cold. My mom called to politely explain that this has been an ongoing issue, but the owner repeatedly talked over her instead of listening. I then got on the phone myself and stayed calm and respectful while trying to explain that this wasn't an isolated incident. While I was still speaking to her on the phone, my husband arrived at the restaurant to pick up the missing cake. According to him, after he walked in and explained he was there for the missing item, the owner tossed the phone onto the counter and told him to talk to me while she went to get the cake. Rather than finishing the conversation professionally, she walked away and left an employee to continue the call instead. I even respectfully asked the employee if I could please continue speaking with the owner because I genuinely wanted to calmly explain our concerns as long-time customers. I was not yelling or being disrespectful. However, I was repeatedly refused and the owner would not come back to the phone. When my husband received the cake, the interaction became even more unprofessional. According to him, the cake was tossed onto the counter from several feet away hard enough that the lid popped open. At that point, tensions were understandably high on both sides. The frustrating part is that we were never calling looking for handouts, free food, or anything extra. We genuinely wanted to make the owner aware of recurring problems that continue happening with takeout orders because we actually liked supporting this restaurant and wanted things to improve. I fully understand restaurants get busy and mistakes happen sometimes. But when the same issues happen repeatedly, and customer concerns are met with defensiveness, avoidance, and hostility instead of accountability or even a simple apology, it becomes extremely frustrating. We truly wanted to continue supporting this place because we did enjoy the food, but after tonight's experience, we won't be returning. *UPDATE* I would like to respectfully clarify a few inaccuracies in your response. This is actually my first time ever leaving a review for your restaurant. I also checked my Google review history, and there are no Google reviews from me for your business. Additionally, the situation you referenced from four months ago involving sauce was not me either. I consistently order the same meal each time - the Tour with extra fettuccine, extra rolls, and dessert, so I believe there may be confusion with another customer. My mother was polite during the phone call and was simply trying to explain that we have experienced repeated issues with missing items from our takeout orders over time. From the beginning of the conversation, however, the interaction immediately felt defensive, and we were repeatedly talked over instead of being allowed to explain the concern. When I got on the phone, I also remained respectful and calm. I repeatedly tried to explain that this was not simply about one dessert, but about a recurring pattern of issues with our takeout orders. I even politely asked multiple times to please let me explain because I genuinely felt unheard during the conversation. I also want to clarify that the employee did not sound as though he was "almost in tears," nor did my husband observe that while he was inside the restaurant. Throughout the interaction, I even offered to call back later or wait until you were available because I genuinely wanted to have a calm and respectful conversation regarding the ongoing concerns. At no point were we looking for free food, compensation, or handouts. We were simply trying to make you aware of recurring issues because we genuinely enjoyed supporting your restaurant and hoped those issues would improve. I fully understand mistakes happen in restaurants. What made this experience disappointing was not just the missing item itself, but the way the concerns were handled afterward. Being talked over, having the phone abruptly handed off, and being refused the opportunity to continue the conversation respectfully made the interaction feel very unprofessional and dismissive.

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    Luigi's 418 - Catering options for in house and Togo available

    Catering options for in house and Togo available

    Luigi's 418 - Sliced Italian sausage appetizer

    Sliced Italian sausage appetizer

    Luigi's 418 - Mario's meatball pizza

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    Mario's meatball pizza

    Ava’s Island Cafe - caribbean - Updated May 2026

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