Went for karaoke Had salmon taco (okay) Rum punch (you only need 1- packs a punch) Lemon pepper wings (delish) Live band n karaoke night Good vibes and entertainment Server was friendly read more

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Yep! Amazing. I had a wonderful experience here & I can't wait to come back. We visited on a Friday evening. It was not too busy but definitely lively, music playing and karaoke about to start. When we walked in multiple workers greeted us right away. I noticed they did this as other customers came in as well. We sat at the bar and had wonderful service the whole time. Very attentive, personable, fun and kind. We ordered our food and a drink & it was ready in no time. We went with the empanadas (a must order in my opinion). They are crispy and flaky, the dipping sauce with it is so flavorful, the best combo! I crave them more than I'd like to admit lol. Our drink was a rum punch and it was potent indeed but definitely nice flavors throughout. For our meal we got the jerk chicken bowl & veggie Rasta pasta. That Rasta pasta was so creamy and cheesy but also with a kick - so good! Next time I'll ask for extra veggies and I'll love it even more. The jerk chicken bowl we enjoyed as well, I loved the mango pieces throughout. The prices were great too & they have specials during the week. Tons of events going on here, lots of fun energy. Wonderful food & service. I truly appreciated how welcoming & kind the staff was. Can't recommend enough! I will be back! read more

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Our server Ken was awesome , food was good as well as the cocktails , Karaoke night was fun, vibes is so friendly !

We tried the new soul food brunch. The food was very good. We did have to wait for dishes to refill. Overall very good.

Great staff and great oxtails! Very good experience overall and food was phenomenal! Only thing I'd change is the the price of the oxtails

Food was good. I ordered the oxtails which were a little on the salty side. My friend ordered the tacos because it was Taco Tuesday and they have those at a discount those days. The tacos could have had more meat in them than toppings. The plantains were cooked perfectly. The Mac and cheese was alright but I'd get another side on my next visit. Drinks were great, on the strong side. Service was awesome and would love to go next time to check out their brunch. They have daily specials and happenings so check out their website for more. read more

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I recently dined at Caribana Cafe, and as a vegetarian, I was delighted by their selection of vegetarian dishes. The Jerk sauce, in particular, was a standout, adding a burst of flavor to the dishes. The staff provided excellent service, making the dining experience even more enjoyable. The ambiance of the restaurant was pleasant, creating a relaxed and inviting atmosphere. However, there was one drawback that I couldn't ignore. While the vegetarian options were delicious, I felt that the menu was somewhat limited in terms of variety. I would have appreciated a broader range of vegetarian choices to explore. Despite this minor limitation, I had a positive overall experience at Caribana Cafe and would recommend it to fellow vegetarians who enjoy Caribbean cuisine. One thing I want add more , my friend along with me appreciated Jerk Chicken taco as he was non-vegetarian. read more

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Four stars, only because I'm holding on to that last star until I can visit again for some entrees. Stopped in last night after a Friday night football game for a drink and treat. The drinks are fantastic as was the apple empanada (I didn't try the plantains pictured). $12 for a good sized, delicious and strong drink seemed fair. But for an extra great value visit on Thirsty Thursday for half price specialty drinks. Hope to get back for musical trivia and the entrees! Also apologies to the staff we kept there late as we thought they were open later than they were supposed to be. They very graciously point it out but only after we were still there 40minutes after close. Hope to make up for the inconvenience by spreading the word on what they have going on there and getting more people to check it out! read more

Caribana - Blue Cosmo - Caribbean Near Me - Gurnee, Illinois

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The chicken was cold and not even grilled. It was boiled with the jerk marinade sauces on top. The ox tail was a watery mess. Not even stew like . The pasta Rasta was a joke. Paid extra for shrimp, and I got 3. Do not recommend this restaurant at all. Overly priced for the portions, and everything was meh. read more

Came in after a trip to six flags and had some great food and strong drinks. Food was fresh, drinks were strong. Space was clean and elegant. read more

Caribana - Drinks are famed fresh, strong & delicious - Caribbean Near Me - Gurnee, Illinois

1/22/25 *NOT PICTURED* Chicken and Shrimp Etouffee *PICTURED* Jerk Chicken Tacos and Jerk Chicken Salad with Coconut Dressing Heard about this place from a family member. Food was very delicious and flavorful. I'm a big fan of the jerk sauce so I had to try more than one option. Tried a couple bites of the Etouffee off my bfs plate and let me tell you the flavors were immaculate, definitely will be getting that next time! Enjoyed our meal, wish we had tried the drinks. Will definitely be coming again for their deals. Taco Tuesday, Thirsty Thirsday, and Karaoke Friday!!! Will definitely recommend coming to this place Thank you Caribeña read more

Caribana - jerk chicken tacos - Caribbean Near Me - Gurnee, Illinois

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The place to BE for the grown and sexy! Truly one of the best places/spots in Lake County for the truly grown. Good food & great drinks at a reasonable price! I attended on a night of live performances of talented performers. I've enjoyed myself every-time I've been there. Do yourself a favor and visit the Caribana ASAP... read more

Me and some friends came after leaving great American; Hanna (i think that's her name) was our server and bartender and she was excellent! Drinks was strong but not to strong. The Food was amazing i had the Rasta pasta, hubby had the salmon sliders. Overall even though we love a hour 10mins away we would come back! Service was top tier, atmosphere was clean and music was a vibe!! read more

Where to begin?? I made a dinner reservation (4 days in advance, and called to confirm afternoon of) for 9 people at 5:30pm this past Tuesday. I asked when reserving what their label of house Chardonnay was (with other varieties included), and was told Josh (nice enough!). I explained we were going to a movie just up the street at Marcus Gurnee Cinema, our timing of just over 1 hour, that some would need separate checks. I explained most of us would be ordering their "$2 Taco + $2 Tequila Tuesday" specials, as advertised on their FB page, so food should be simple. We arrived a bit early to an entirely empty restaurant, except for 1 couple sitting at the bar. Cool. Some of us tried ordering the Josh house Chardonnay and Cab, and were told the entire place was OUT OF WINE. Evidently 2 days earlier some folks ordered wine and used up their apparently always low supply, and they hadn't gotten any replaced. Bummer. We asked about the $2 Tequila Tuesday special and was told "there are no drink specials tonight." We ordered instead their sugary "tropical" drinks at $12 each. The bartender was also our server. It took 30 minutes for us to get our food orders in and get our drinks. By 50 minutes, a few of us had gotten our simple $2 tacos, and 2 ordered entrees. Laura ordered the Coconut Shrimp appetizer as her meal. It arrived with zero hint of coconut, and was just a handful of plain fried, breaded shrimp, with a bit of lettuce on the plate, and no dipping sauce. Laura explained to the server/bartender that this was plain shrimp (I tasted it and agreed with her), but the bartender said that is their coconut shrimp--end of discussion. Up until this point, we were still the ONLY table filled; then a family of 4 came in. By the time some of us had eaten our 2 small tacos, hurrying to not miss the beginning of our movie, 2 in our group still had NOT even gotten their simple $2 tacos. After being there 70 minutes, most of us tried to quickly pay and get to the theatre. Our friend Cindy went up to the bar and said, "Our movie is beginning NOW. Cancel my food order (3 tacos) I never got, here's payment for my 1 drink." The bartender said, "I lost that other table because of your group! They walked out because I didn't get time to serve them!" Cindy replied, "WE had reservations; they were walk-ins. Our timing was explained on the phone, payment explained, and that most of us were just getting the tacos, including me. You should have been prepared for us." That left only Noreen at the table, who'd also ordered 2 tacos she never received. She got her tab from the bar and saw her food was on it! She explained (remember--still---we were the ONLY table there) that she never got her 2 tacos, and to remove it from her bill so she could pay and get out. The frustrated bartender told her, "But your food has been in the kitchen for awhile now. I just have to go get it!" Noreen replied, "What good does it do me in the kitchen??" So both Noreen and Cindy never got dinner. All 9 of us mature adults who enjoy dining out together would recommend, unless you just want to guzzle $12 sugary drinks, find pretty much ANY other place in Gurnee to dine. No wine, no $2 tequilas, no service and, for some, even no FOOD. Major ugh. read more

Went there for the first time on Friday evening with the girls. All of us really liked our food. There were six of us. Great variety of flavors. We had the burger, jerk tacos, jerk wings and nachos Drinks a little pricey. $8 for a Red Stripe beer (: Server was very friendly. Will go back again for the food read more

This place is delicious! I had the creole Cajun chicken. It was so tasty I ordered the corn and the cabbage for my sides. I was confused by the corn first a bit but it had this wonderful barbecue flavor so all was good. The cabbage was well seasoned too. The empanadas were tasty. I tried a bit of oxtail too and that was lovely also. Our waitress was so nice too. I don't mind the service taking a bit of time. The food was made with love so I didn't mind the wait. Well done! read more

Jerk chicken was bland and burnt. Tasted like leather. No sauce on side. Rice and beans was just as bad. Fake jerk chicken. read more

Food is sooo good, love the fact that a lot of the food is dairy free. The reason I gave it a 4 is because there was only one vegetarian option. I would like to see maybe some Jerk Tofu or a Caribana style Black Bean Burger would be great. You know just a few more options for vegetarian or vegan options. read more

Went yesterday for lunch after visiting six flags across the street. We were seated promptly and noticed how the floor was very filthy and sticky. Upon being seated, we were basically ignored for 15mins and no one came up to bring water or anything. We noticed the table next to us had been finished eating since we had sat down and they were looking around for a waiter nowhere to be found. We just decided to get up and go next-door to get something to eat. We knew this was gonna be a long process and didn't want to put up with the wait. It's not a good sign when you've been ignored from the get-go. read more

Where do I start? We got there and we had a large table and then there were four people eating at the buffet. I kid you not it took them three hours to get our food. The restaurant was literally empty besides us for two of the three hours. Everyone gets served their food at different times. There was no soap in the washroom, which was the big. Oh no I'm hoping that the people cooking the food and serving it had to clean hands. I'm not sure what kind of kitchen was behind there. That was just sort of a curtain and we heard was sounded like all the dishes falling. If you like waiting three hours for your food to come everyone at your table, getting their food at different times and questioning whether the cook is washing his hands after he goes to the washroom then this is the place for you! read more

My friend and I were at six flags so we thought we'd give this restaurant a try. I was super excited but very disappointed in the end. I ordered a steak rice bowl. The food was cold and had this weird refrigerated taste. The rice was undercooked, and the steak was pieces of ground beef-like meat instead of an actual chopped up steak. The rice had some tomatoes, salsa, corn, and tasted like canned items thrown together. Seriously, I have not had worse food in a long time. I started thinking to myself why would I pay $14 for a food item I can do much better at home? My friend got a jerk chicken with corn on the cob. The jerk chicken tasted like boiled chicken with jerk sauce poured on top (it wasn't seasoned on the inside at all), and the corn was literally plain water boiled. No butter, no salt and pepper--nothing. The drinks were mid and was probably the only part I enjoyed. The service felt unorganized. We didn't get water or utensils until we asked for them after the food came. But the worse is yet to come. I woke up that night with horrible food poisoning. The last time I experienced something like that to that degree was in elementary school as I generally have a strong stomach and try a lot of different food, so I have no idea what was in that steak rice bowl. I like to support new restaurants, but I really can't for this one. Everything about it besides the rainbow lava lamp and drink were not up to any restaurant standard in my opinion. Maybe it was an off day for them, but I'll never be coming back again. read more

This was by far one of the strangest restaurant experiences I've ever had. Upon walking in, the music was blaring in such a way they were not expecting customers. I picked out our own table. None of our party received their food at the same time. The temperature of the food was inconsistent. The appetizer came after the entree. Never have I ever had jerk chicken like this. The wings were overcooked and sweet. I overheard another server saying they didn't have inventory because they were closing for a while. I was told they had a very busy brunch. The staff were pleasant and accommodating. Two of my party were very happy with their choices. Upon leaving, there were more people outside than inside. Strangest restaurant experience ever!! It's like it isn't even a restaurant at all. I will add the server was lovely. That was the positive. read more

I've tried this place a few times, hoping my opinion would change but I just didn't like the food either time. Jerk wings were rubbery, at best. Sorry but yall can have it. read more

Glad to find a Caribbean joint nearby where we were staying with a 4 star in Yelp...sorry to say that although the service was good and the place was nice, the food was horrible. Both dishes and appetizers super salty and the beef was dry and more like jerky, probably left over from lunch. read more

Amazing food with amazing service, lovely music and environment and also great after going to six flags. definitely recommend read more

Caribana - Caribbean Near Me - Gurnee, Illinois

I visited for a Yelp event. Let me just say, this was not the best yelp event. While promised that we will get a taste of dishes served at the restaurant, all we got was 2 tacos and a mini burger. The cocktails served in thimble sized cups (I'm guessing one regular cocktail divided into 20 was the portion). The 2 tacos served were salmon and jerk pork, and had a very similar taste due to the mango salsa. Both were fairly tasty. The mini burger was jerk chicken, I think, so a similar taste profile to the jerk pork taco. I wish we would have gotten a taste of other dishes on the menu, which promises a diverse Caribbean cuisine experience. The place is cute, and well located right by the highway. They have a catering menu which I was excited about. The servers were friendly, but the food came out super slowly. My table mate ordered the oxtail dish and said it was kind of bland. I was hungry when done. Will have to try some other dishes on my next visit! read more

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The food was really good. Its hard to find around here but the jerk chicken and the oxtail were fantastic. I brought some to a family and it was a hit. I should have got more of the apple empanadas because those were gone before i could try em but i heard they were great! read more

Wow!! This place is amazing! If you're looking for a taste of the Caribbean, you can find it right in Gurnee! Hubby and I started with drinks... I think I transported right to a beach in Jamaica 'mon!! We started with the coconut shrimp - delic!!! I had jerk tacos - what!!! My picky son had their chicken tenders and said "I think I want to come to this place again!" Jerk chicken tacos are FIRE!!! I wasn't a fan of jerk.. but I think I might be converted. Hubby loved the short ribs!! Fall of the bones!! Finally the service was amazing! And the ambiance nothing short of beach vibes. Don't sleep on this one. read more

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I will definitely be returning here next time I'm in Gurnee. My husband loves Caribbean food, so we had to check it out. While I do wish the flavors were a little stronger, I tend to like my food very intensely flavored, which is a personal preference. The jerk chicken dinner and rasta burger were both cooked perfectly and delicious. The empanada app may have been my favorite part of the meal though - the dough and filling were spot on! read more

The karaoke was good. They had some sound issues but everything about the music selection was on point. Now we got to the restaurant around 930 they close at 11pm. They told us the kitchen close at 9pm and that they only serve appetizers after 9pm. Then when we ordered they allowed us to order off the full menu. The server told us to sit wherever. She took her sweet time coming to get our order. We ordered three of the same mixed drink. The Jungle Juice. It tasted like dish water. Then we order $120 worth or food the Jerk Chicken Dinner, Jerk Chicken Tacos, Cabbage, Rice and Beans, and a desert. Everything was terrible. The tacos tasted like they belonged to someone else. The food had seasoning and nothing was hot. I feared I would get sick eating it so I didn't. I shall never go back. read more

Critters dirty dishes crusty forks, waitresses with stained clothing and rude behavior. Tomatoes smelled spoiled

I want to start by saying I really enjoy the ambience of the new Bar and Grill compared to the old location. The new location is more accessible and the decor is more up to date and inviting. They have revamped the menu, lowered the prices, and added many delicious signature cocktails. I have been here a total of three times. The first during the soft opening, second for a comedy show, and third for brunch. The service is great for having all new staff some more experienced then others!! The food is great and light balanced compared to traditional island meals. I have sampled the jerk chicken bowl, steak tacos, short rib bowl, and jerk chicken burger with a side of sweet potatoes. The comedy show was a great touch to the area. Caribana offers the city vibes without the city commute. If you are in need of a quick meal or drink definitely check out Candy behind the bar and check out a signature drink or a $5 shot!! read more

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Outstanding food and service! Great drinks and the jerk chicken and coconut shrimp were wonderful.

I've been here a few times and loved the atmosphere however I just left a Mother's Day brunch and as we were sitting there waiting for our check the manager came and told us that the next party was there and our 90 minutes were up. We were unaware the reservation was 90 minutes as it was nowhere advertised that the reservations were 90 minutes. I assumed it was 2 hours. However that wasn't an issue since we were done eating already and just waiting on the check. The waitress still took several minutes to come bring us the check. She finally brought the check and As we were waiting for the waitress to come bring back my card the manager came back and told us we had to get up and wait for the check at the bar. Very rude. We usually choose to do our Mother's Day brunches in Chicago but chose to do something local. Big mistake. The correct thing to do was rush the waitress and not tell us we had to get up and leave. Please work on your customer service. Will not be back read more

Stopp d here while waiting for the kids to finish at Six Flags and absolutely loved it. Food and drinks were great. Nice intimate place. Owner was super cool and friendly. We had the jerk wings, Rasta Pasta, oxtails, beef Pattie's and everyone loved their food. Prices were super reasonable for the portion sizes. The drinks were to die for super potent, yet not over powering. read more

Our waitress for the comedy show was very rude. I simply ordered a gin and juice and she had to confirm that's what I wanted 5 times. She then comes back 30 minutes later with the smallest cups I've ever seen. Comedy show was supposed to start at 7 and didn't start until 830. Very unhappy about my experience, won't come back again. read more

Caribana - Tiny - Caribbean Near Me - Gurnee, Illinois

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Great food! We really enjoyed the jerk chicken wings and salads. Great rum punch too!

The food is amazing, the service is great, the restaurant is super clean and the owner is such a nice guy... my family and I will definitely be back. read more

We went there for our 12years anniversary... On a Monday night mind you. The waitress wish I knew her name, but she was the best ever!!! She fixed me a rum punch with cinnamon, rosemary.... Mmmmmmm!!!! We ordered and the food felt like the Bahamas... The vibe is all that...I would travel again to Gurnee just to come there...and enjoy one of the nicest experiences, I've ever had !!!!!!! read more

Great service and vibe. My favorite thing to get is the empanadas. Simone helped us order and was nice.