The fusion wasn't great for the price of the food which looked better than it tasted. The drinks had more ice than liquid.not a great birthday experience... honestly disappointed read more

See all

We had the best experience at Canje last night! Everything from the food to the service was impeccable. Every dish we tried was so thoughtfully created, from appetizers to desserts. We tried several things but the Jerk Chicken, Albacore Ceviche, Guyanese Roti, and Fried Sweet Plantains are not to be missed! The Chocolate Flan was the best of the two desserts we shared but it's relative because the Tres Leches was also delicious. You truly can't go wrong with anything on the menu here! Thank you for making my husband's birthday so special and yummy, Canje team!! read more

I went to Canje for my birthday and it was a great experience. Wife called ahead and informed them that it was my birthday. On arrival there was a card signed by all the staff sitting on our table. Also, several if not all the staff told me happy bday when servicing our table. The whole experience was very nice and I appreciate the staff for making our dinner a little extra special. Weirdly, it all meant more to me than I thought it would. read more

I would give 10 stars if I could! We found out about Canje through a YouTube video several months ago and knew we had to make it there and it certainly exceeded our expectations. The service from the front door to table service to the kitchen was excellent/superb. Hostesses and waiters were super engaging with a smile or back story about each food item and drink, we learned so much. The ambience married intricately with the food that's rooted in Caribbean and African traditions. We were fortunate enough to get the opportunity to meet the head chef, Harvard, a very warm and inviting gentleman. We enjoyed two fruit-infused cocktails, fried plantains, wild boar pepper pot, Trinidadian rice, and the best Jerk chicken we've ever had. We highly, recommend if you can get a reservation, even the bar had reservations . Overall, a phenomenal place, food, atmosphere, and people. read more

Canje - The Canje welcome committee, very nice people. - Caribbean Near Me - Austin, Texas

Looking for a quick escape to paradise? Canje is the place for you. This Caribbean inspired restaurant transports you with their aesthetic vibes, tropical drinks, and island inspired dishes. Dinner is recommended tapas style and there are some key dishes you do not want to miss. The plantain chips with mango calypso hot sauce and coconut lime aioli is the perfect way to start. My personal favorite dish was the rock shrimp. The savory shrimp combined with the charred papaya was amazing. For dessert I recommend the rum punch sorbet or the tres leches cake! read more

See all

Wow such good food and drink PLUS amazing staff! Molly was beyond great and the rest of the staff were so great as well with recommendations and knowledge read more

Amazing. Amazing. Amazing. Loved every moment. The food was spectacular. The service was great. Can't wait to come again!

I was skeptical about all of the hype with this place and initially a bit annoyed by the 45 minute wait for our meal - until it arrived at our table. Oh my goodness. There are no words to capture how delicious, succulent, amazing, and scrumptious this meal was. It was worth every second and every penny. My family ordered the jerk chicken (spicy with a kick because it's marinated 48 hrs), wild boar (the sauce steals the show as it's savory and sweet --perfect to sop the goti), pork quisado (sliced, tender pieces that are packed with flavors), beef curry (somebody in the kitchen needs to be slapped, this was so good), with sides of rice, callaloo (greens), and 3 goti (like a fluffy tortilla with melted butter but even better -- trust me). Each dish was our favorite until we tried the next. You simply can't go wrong. Everything was cooked to perfection. The service was friendly, informative, and attentive. This place is a must try. A great celebratory spot. The music is hype and the lights are dim and the vibe is just right. read more

See all

Beautiful ambiance! Flavorful dishes. Menu is pretty simple and small but everything was so good! We tried pretty much every app and it was great! read more

See all

Will not be back again and would never recommend it to anyone I know. Food was okay, nothing to write back again. Service was terrible. I (clearly female) and my husband and a male friend went in, and the waiter insisted on addressing our group as "gentlemen" the entire time. He was cold and distant and never actually looked at us. I finally asked him about this at the end of the meal, and his first excuse was "you were wearing a hoodie" -- which I corrected him that I, in fact, had no hoodie and my hair was uncovered. His second excuse was "they train me to say 'they' but I find it highly impersonal." So... addressing me as a gentleman the entire meal makes it any better? I never got a true apology from him, and the restaurant clearly doesn't care because I wrote feedback and NO ONE RESPONDED. I will never go back, and I wouldn't waste your money on the sub-par food at place either. read more

Really great restaurant on the east side! The jerk chicken was by far the best dish on the menu. So many great flavors and a little spicy. The service was on point and had a great dinner. Get a rezzie if you can! read more

Service, ambiance and food were all 5 ! Every person that brought a dish had something funny, witty to say and perfectly described the dish. Each dish was so complex with flavors and textures that it felt we were exploring and discovering with each bite. Lovely night!! read more

Cute concept and great atmosphere, very attentive staff. However we were not impressed with the food. Jerk chicken was extremely spicy. My spice tolerance is pretty high and it burnt my mouth and stomach. The best food of the night was fried plantain. If you want a cute date spot and people watch then come here, otherwise do not come here for the food. read more

Canje - Caribbean Near Me - Austin, Texas

I can't say enough good things about this place. went for my birthday and ordered everything off the menu. nothing disappointed. nothing. I wanted to take pictures but we devoured everything so quickly before I could! ha! if you want Amazing favors and something unique, this is the place for you! you will NOT be disappointed! read more

Wonderful experience. Wait staff was on it and great! Went for our anniversary and they gave us a special evening. The combo of flavors is like nothing in town. Will recommend and be back again! read more

I have never had such good Cajun food with Texas flare like I have here! The plantains are heavenly and the jerk chicken is out of the park better than any other I've had in Austin so far! If you are looking for a great friends dinner place or a date night, I recommend this place for sure! read more

Very good Jamaican and Caribbean cuisine! We got the beef curry, jerk chicken, and sides of rice and roti. I had never heard of roti. The best way to describe it is similar to naan but roti has its own style since its Caribbean. It was soooo good though, buttery and garlic-y (but not too much). The curry beef was tasty and tender, same with the chicken. We were also pleasantly surprised that the jerk chicken was actually spicy. Overall great restaurant with enjoyable atmosphere and good service. read more

I think Canje has become my new favorite restaurant in Austin. I first dined here about two weeks ago with my friends. We really enjoyed the ambience and the fact dishes were meant to be shared "family style". This allowed for us to order a variety, which we did. To start off with we ordered the Plantain Chips, which featured two well contrasting sauces: mango calypso hot sauce and pork fat mayo-ketchup. The chips were sliced thin and delicately fried, which made them not too greasy. I couldn't decide which sauce I enjoyed better. The mango calypso hot sauce was sweet, until it hit the back of the tongue and the heat of the calypso hot sauce presented itself. A delightful combination of flavor. The pork fat mayo was the perfect compliment to cool off the spiciness with its rich creaminess. As a second appetizer, we ordered the Hiramasa Ceviche, which featured sour orange, dragon fruit, ginger, and taro chips. Not only were the ingredients fresh, but you could taste each one individually with every bite. As a main course we ordered the Jerk Chicken and Curry Wagyu Beef. The beef paired really well with the Guyanese Style Roti. Rich flavor of potato, coconut milk, and cilantro were abundant in the dish. Only regret I had was that each of us didn't order our own order of roti. I would suggest that one order is meant for one person. The chicken was seasoned well and extremely moist and juicy on the inside. To top it all off we ordered a side of Fried Plantains, which were sweet, soft, and complimented the other main courses. For dessert, I ordered the Tres Leches cake. Let me just say, it's hard to find a good Tres Leches. Oftentimes it's way too sugary sweet, but this particular one was not! It was truly one of the best ones I've ever had. No matter how full you are, you won't regret ordering this. When it comes to ambience and service, I think they did a great job. Post COVID shut downs, the service industry is struggling to find good staff, so I try to keep my expectations realistic, however, they really knocked it out of the park. The server was friendly and attentive. The ambience and decor was simple, clean, and modern. Best of all it didn't feel pretentious. The ONLY complaint I could offer is that at one point they turned the music up a little, to the point it was difficult for me to talk with my friends. But I asked the server to adjust it and he did so immediately. For those wondering if Canje is dog friendly, the answer is yes! They have a modest size outdoor patio, so I regret that I didn't bring my beloved partner. I think she would have really enjoyed it as well. Fast forward to a week later, it was my birthday...... my same friends that I dined with the week prior arranged a reservation to have my birthday dinner at Canje. We had an equally beautiful meal, but this time we also ordered the Pork Lechon, which featured Berkshire pork belly, sweet plantain, and pineapple pique. Mmmmmm delicious. The pork belly melted in my mouth like butter and was complimented nicely with the sweet plantain and pineapple (I just wish there was more pineapple!). I plan to dine here many more times in the future. All in all an A+ and I can't say that about most restaurants in Austin nowadays. read more

TLDR: Excellent food, warm and lovely service. The music and volume was a bit too loud for our taste and we had to shout to be heard but oh well We went for dinner at Canje with our toddler and loved the experience. Bacalaita was delicious, the pink pineapple in aji sauce was fresh and light. Roti was tender and flaky, very much a desi paratha, if you will. Grouper was perfectly cooked and the jerk chicken was just perfect! We even tried the tres leches and it did not disappoint. Looking forward to many more date nights! read more

We went out to Canje for a family members birthday and had an amazing time. The menu was super creative and it all packed serious flavor. The staff seemed like they genuinely loved their work and the food they were delivering throughout the night. Definitely worth checking out! read more

The most amazing meal I have had in ages. It was a like a trip in a time machine, the food memories each dish invoked were heartwarming! Every aspect of the meal complimented each other perfectly, from the thyme infused cocktails to the beef curry and sada roti and of course the BLACK CAKE (get the black cake). If you are West Indian, you will love this fine dining experience chock-full of childhood favorites only Auntie So&So or Granny could make! If you aren't West Indian and want to experience the taste and flavors of the region presented perfectly, this is the place. Bravo!! read more

The service here is second to none and the ambiance is great, Caribbean vibes. The food excellent- we got the wagyu beef and the jerk chicken, they were excellent!! Highly recommend if you're visiting Austin. read more

Canje - Wagyu beef - Caribbean Near Me - Austin, Texas

I am so happy to see an authentic Caribbean restaurant come to rest in Austin. Dinner here transported me back to St. Lucia and Grenada where only fresh seasonal fruits and vegetables were served; where nobody complained about how long it took for food to arrive, because it was cooked to order. I could have eaten a second order of the incredibly seasoned crisp, fresh okra, with its dusting of shrimp powder, resting in a little pool of XO sauce; and that Roti that arrived with the melt-in-your-mouth curried Waygu stew? Ridiculous. As in ridiculously transporting in its complex flavor goodness. As you might imagine, all of this comes at a price point above the ordinary. But when you factor in the service, the ambiance and Lord have mercy, the food, the whole package is worth every pennyroyal. There is a respectable wine list, but I'm all about the Red Stripe Jamaican beer. Drank it straight from the bottle. No need to put on airs here. And then some. Can't wait to return for the jerk chicken. And the grouper. Or maybe it will be the tilefish. Who cares. Bring it! read more

The food is so good it brought tears to my eyes along with the most endearing smile. I love Caribbean food anyway, BUT Canje has shifted my appreciation for the cuisine to a higher level. On this second time, Tavel, the Guyanese owner, Andre, who was my server this time and Harvard, the executive chef were extremely accessible and hospitable during this extraordinary meal. I don't do pictures or food reviews and told them this on my first visit but was moved to do so then in June 2023 but didn't. However, I would be very remissed and unappreciative not to do so now. The atmosphere is electric and eclectic! The cocktails are searingly tasty. I had the Pan Daiquri with rum, genepy, Pandan and pineapple. Closed with the Rum Punch Sorbet, which is to die for; with sorrel, peach, tamarind & El Dorado 12 yr rum over the top!! Ahhhhh!!!!!!! Me taste buds a burning wit pleasure mon!! They were so kind to treat me with Wah Gwaan appetizer of Pink Pineapple, a dandy opener of watermelon, passion fruit and Ají Amarillo, which is what kicked off the tears and smiles of joy. My 'Suppa', main course tonight was the jerk chicken with Wild garlic chutney, sided with Texas braised greens- Callaloo and Carolina Gold rice (and peas) Djon Djon. Last time I had fish, which was grand. This was a heavenly meal on earth!! Me so happy after dis delicious meal, starting an evening with Dave Chappelle in Austin. Austin is a foodie paradise, but I suggest you START Always at Canje!!! read more

Don't worry about the location,or do worry because it's off a busy highway/street,the food was great try the jerk chicken of course .The pork was good as well. read more

Canje - Caribbean Near Me - Austin, Texas

Overly salty, crazy flavor combinations that don't work. Pretentious and extremely overpriced. Bad sweet plantains, somehow. Lechon was all wrong, skin was overcooked and had burnt flavor instead of crispy and shattery. Served with sketchy pineapple and some type of Mayo abomination. The eggplant was too sour, too salty and the raw onions were the opposite of a nice touch. Did I mention this place managed to make bad plantains? The roti was nice and flaky, but everything else was really bad, i can't believe that anyone who has eaten here and enjoyed it has ever eaten Caribbean food before. My wife ordered a mocktail that I think was just pure lemon juice mixed with citric acid. It was so unbelievably sour that I couldn't take another sip. I love sour things. What the heck is going on with this place? Nobody asked whether we were enjoying the food, I think on purpose. Go here only to see if your date is fooled by price tags into saying that something obviously disgusting is good. read more

This place was a bit of a let-down on *almost* all counts. The biggest grievance I had was the price-to-portion ratio. The plates are priced as family-style and they're quite expensive. We ordered 6 different items for a table of four and left feeling hungry. It was a drag because the bill did not corroborate our empty-belly claims. Not to mention, I was disappointed to find that most of our family-style dishes were soups or soup-y, making them hard to split. Perhaps I would have been more prepared for the soup-style dishes, but (please welcome my second grievance) our waiter did not care to give us any details of the dishes or what we were ordering. The one thing that totally blew me away was the dessert. We ordered the sorbet, the rum & ice cream, and the tres leches with guava. All three desserts were outstanding. I could honestly see myself coming back, sitting at the bar, and ordering a sole dessert. Other than that, I think this was a single-visit restaurant for me. read more

Great food, if you like salty food with lots of flavor, which I do. The service was great. The music was WAY too loud though. I don't like being unable to hear the person sitting right across from me all night, and leaving a restaurant with a hoarse throat. Clearly they don't need my business anyways, they were packed on a Monday night, but I won't be back. read more

The food was amazing. Especially the jerk chicken. So many great flavors in every bite. The cocktails were good too. Service is great, and the atmosphere was lively but still relaxed. This is probably my top restaurant in Austin for date night. read more

Canje - Grilled prawns - Caribbean Near Me - Austin, Texas

See all

If you like bold authentic flavors this place is for you. Hands down the best restaurant in Austin. The eggplant dish, well it's a sin for it to taste that amazing and not tell the whole town of Austin to try it. I tried a lot of the menu and I could go on and on but just go try it and thank me later. It's amazing. Not only was the food melt in your mouth good the whole dinner service was outstanding!!! I can't wait to come back. Side note: If you like this place try their other restaurant TLV. You will not be disappointed. read more

Excellent meal! We went in recently for a date night, hostess was super friendly. For starters we shared the Hiramasa Ceviche and Bacalaíto. The ceviche was by far my favorite, so fresh and so flavorful, and a generous portion for two people. For the mains we shared the Curry Wagyu Beef and Jerk Chicken, with sides of the Fried Sweet Plantains and Guyanese Style Roti. The chicken definitely has a kick to it, and as someone who isn't the biggest fan of spice, it was perfectly season with just the right amount of kick. Loved it. The curry was phenomenal - I can eat that all day, everyday with the roti, which was like crack. The roti is a MUST! and you can't go wrong with sweet plantains. We ended up getting a few glasses of the sauv but will definitely have to try a cocktail next time, they looked incredible. All around good vibe, fun decor, and great service - will be back for sure! read more

Canje - Hiramasa Ceviche - Caribbean Near Me - Austin, Texas

See all

Excellent food, excellent wine, friendly and attentive service, and good music... what more do you need to know? But seriously, we got: - Pink pineapple with guava, passion fruit, lemongrass and basil - this was outrageously good, albeit small (probably just that I could've eaten a mountain of this because it was so delicious) - Albacore ceviche with sour orange, sweet peppers, peanuts and taro chips - fish was super fresh, sauce was great, and tons of contrasting textures. Would order this again. - Curry wagyu beef - super rich, comfort food type dish. Would order this again. - Wild boar pepper pot - another excellent dish, great flavor and super tender meat. - Jerk chicken - SO SPICY. I mean don't get me wrong, it's good, but way too spicy for me. - Roti - super delicious and necessary for wiping up the curry and pepper pot We really enjoyed our meal and completely understand why this was on the NYTimes and Bon Appetite lists. read more

We've got bacaloito(salt fish), grouper, roti, and curry wagyu beef. Among them, I'd recommend curry which is unique and an interesting taste. The service was so friendly and the ambiance was gorgeous. But I feel like it's overpriced considering the foods. read more

See all

Would recommend to anyone visiting or living in Austin. A staple of great Caribbean food with countless different flavors you can't stop eating. The owner's uncle has cassareep root delivered every week to the restaurant. There's a reason it's rated as high as it is. Vibes are high, food is great, cant beat it. read more

Canje - Wild Boar Pepperpot, Curry Wagyu Beef, Guyanese Style Roti - Caribbean Near Me - Austin, Texas

Food was fantastic. Flavors were memorable. Perhaps slightly a bit too loud indoors for our taste -- we weren't expecting the noise level. read more

Let me start by saying that if it seems I am being a tough critic it is because I am born and raised in the Caribbean and my expectations were high. The food here was great, but there were a few things that could have been better. The waitress recommended we order at least 10 dishes for our party of four. It seemed like a lot so we opted for 3 entrees and 4 side dishes. We ordered the tilefish, the curry wagyu beef, the jerk chicken, sweet plantains, Carolina gold rice with black eyed peas and two orders of the Guyanese style roti. The beef curry was amazing. I really appreciated the level of spice and the silkiness of the dish. The rutabaga was the perfect root vegetable to use in this dish. The tilefish was my second favorite entree. It was light and I loved hints of sweetness from the green mango. I'm not a tamarind fan and almost did not order it based on the description but I could not really taste it at all. The jerk chicken was a tiny bit undercooked. Best part of it was the cabbage it comes with. In the menu it said it comes with charred tomato, but there was not a tomato in sight. Spice level was fine, but I've had better tasting not bloody jerk chicken before. The roti is probably the best thing in the whole menu. It felt like mashup of naan and tortillas with a heap of butter. I wanted to have a million of those. Each order only brings one, so plan accordingly. The rice was very similar to the "arroz con gandules" that I grew up eating. The only difference was they used black eyed peas instead of green pigeon peas. All the fresh herbs made it feel so homey... definitely felt like comfort food to me. The sweet plantains were a disappointment. Small, burned and crushed. They looked like leftovers which was a real turn off. Sweet plantains are my jam, so I was sad these ones left so much to be desired. I ordered the Green Thumb cocktail and it was delicious. I was unsure of what cocktail I should have and wish the waitress was more knowledgeable and could answer the questions I had. I ended up ordering what one of my friends recommended and I'm glad I did. We were stuffed and did not have room for dessert, so I was glad we did not order as many dishes as we were recommended. Overall, a good dining experience and I think people that do not have ties with Caribbean cuisine will definitely enjoy Canje. read more

See all

Amazing dinner with husband and daughter. Fantastic ceviche!!! The food and service exceeded my expectations. A little loud but had a table in the corner and had a great evening. read more

One of the best culinary experiences I've had in a while. David was amazing as our server recommending dishes and also describing each ingredient and the way they were prepared. Highly recommend the octopus for appetizer and chicken with roti for the main course. We will definitely be back. read more

Second trip to Canje. First trip was a year ago and we were thrilled with the ingenuity of the Caribbean food and cocktails. This time it was just good. We started with the avocado escabeche and the pink pineapple. Both were very nice. Mains were fish and jerk chicken. Both were meh. The fish was rather muddled. Didn't really excite. The chicken was no better than I've had at roadside stands. Actually, less interesting. We also had roti and greens. Good. Service was a bit overbearing. Two in the group ordered cocktails and the second pair wanted wine. The server wouldn't take the wine order until the food was ordered so He could pair. Just weird. Canje has had lots of press and can wow but not last night. read more

Tavel Bristol-Joseph does it again. He's brilliant. The place is chic yet inviting, on the smaller side for sure but the tables aren't crammed together. It's a good menu, not over the top (waiter recommended 2 appetisers, 2 mains + 2 sides for the two of us). Started with escabeche and yellowtail ceviche, both were refreshing and vibrant, served elegantly in colourful shallow bowls. Jerk chicken was moist and paired beautifully with the rice and beans. Curry wagyu was phenomenal.. so rich and savoury. Okra with xo sauce were delicious, had a bite to them which I really appreciated (I've had way too many soggy, stringy okra dishes in my lifetime). Achar was the perfect little accompaniment you'll need on your plate to bind everything together. Roti was gorgeous, just like an Indian or Malay style roti. Another perfect carb. The desserts... oh man the desserts... sweet meets salty, decadent, the results of a true mastermind! If you're a big group I recommend just getting one of each. Thank you for a truly wonderful experience. read more