I really, really wanted to support this Jamaican restaurant and give them a fair chance, especially…read moresince it was my first visit after living in the area for over a year.
According to my receipt, I placed my order at 12:43 PM. I ordered 3 curry chicken Jamaican patties, 2 cocoa bread, 1 fresh carrot juice, 1 pound cake, and a medium jerk chicken meal with white rice, sweet plantains, cabbage, and brown stew gravy on the rice. My total came to a little over $40, which I felt was reasonable, and I even left a tip.
At first, everything seemed fine. However, as time passed, I noticed customer after customer receiving their food and leaving. Many of them had ordered dishes such as oxtail and curry goat, with rice and peas, while I was still waiting on a jerk chicken meal with white rice. After approximately 6 customers came and went, I went to the counter to ask about my order. I was told it was coming another 5 customers came and went.
After waiting even longer, I went back up a second time. The employee looked at me and said, "Oh yes, you did come here. I looked at your face and said it was coming." She went to the back, and another 20 more minutes passed. Eventually, she returned with a container and handed it to me. I immediately realized it wasn't my order because I had ordered a medium meal, and what she handed me was clearly a small.
I had to pull out my receipt to show her. She checked it, confirmed I had indeed ordered a medium, and went back to correct it. Another 10 minutes passed before she finally returned with the correct size meal. When she handed it to me, there was no bag, no utensils, and no apology for the mix up or the excessive wait.
I finally left the restaurant at 2:12 PM. That means I waited approximately 1 hour and 29 minutes for what I considered a relatively straightforward order.
What made the experience even more disappointing was the customer service throughout the restaurant. One employee appeared visibly annoyed when customers approached. At one point, customers came in simply asking to purchase water and were told, "No, I'm not taking orders," instead of being directed to someone who could assist them. As a result, those customers simply left.
As for the food itself, I did eat it, but it was not what I expected. The jerk chicken was disappointing because it wasn't grilled, smoked, or even baked the way jerk chicken is traditionally prepared. Instead, it tasted more like a spicy brown stew chicken. The flavor wasn't terrible, but it definitely wasn't the jerk chicken I was expecting when I placed my order. I was also surprised to find that my meal came with only one sweet plantain.
My original plan was actually just to stop by for patties because they were less expensive than another Jamaican restaurant I frequently visit. I decided to give this place a chance and order a full meal because I believe in supporting Caribbean-owned businesses and trying new places. Unfortunately, this experience reminded me why I usually stick with the restaurants I already know and trust.
The issue wasn't the price I thought the food was reasonably priced. The problem was the excessive wait time, lack of organization, poor communication, and disappointing customer service. For a first time customer, this was not a good experience, and based on this visit, I don't see myself returning.