After reading several reviews I decided to give this place a try. As many others have said the parking was not the best. Although there are lined spaces, it's just not enough parking and thus people make up there own. Inside, the eatery is spacious and there is seating for you to enjoy your meal as well as a tv for entertainment as you wait. The process to order food was quick although it was very difficult to look over the menu prior. They have a menu above the register with font so small it's not legible. So as a new customer when it was my turn to order, I needed time to look over the menu. I was politely asked to step to the side to review a paper menu as to not slow the line. I ordered the medium size jerk chicken and a friend ordered the curry. The serving sizes were adequate for both but the flavors were just not what we expected of authentic Caribbean cuisine. The jerk for example did not taste like jerk chicken. It was spicy which was good but the chicken skin was soggy and had a red hue to the meat. That was odd to me I'm used to it being brown and char grilled. Anyway, I was not excited or pleased by my experience and did not enjoy it and will not return. read more

The food was tasty and delicious. I enjoyed t and it was reasonably priced. I had the oxtails for my self and the shrimp pasta for my friend and both items were finished by me. Lol read more

Another black owned business! I am proud of this establishment. The food is reasonably priced and always amazing! Never a bad day for them!

I know this place for years but I haven't been here the last couple of years so when I pass by I stop for lunch and order jerk chicken, I know what jerk chicken taste like this is not jerk chicken. Eleni used to cook delicious jerk chicken years ago this one have a flavor I don't know how to describe should I say new car flavor something like kind of funky chemical flavor anyway. The cleanliness of the place the rudeness of the servers. I felt like I've been ripped off I didn't get a value of my money.with that I will never come back to this place read more

Food is awesome. My family is Jamaican and I'm from a city where you can get authentic Jamaican food at every corner. I recently moved and have been looking for an authentic Jamaican restaurant in rDallas and stumbled upon this Gem. I love the oxtail and curry goat combo. This is authentic Jamaican food. It's worth the drive. Update the jerk chicken is not authentic Jamaican jerk chicken. I'm actually not sure what it is lol read more

I didn't care for the jerk chicken plate the sauce taste different to me but i loved the the stew chicken it was very good. I got a small plate and they really stuff those plates. I heard the ox tales are really good so I'll be back for those. And they kool aid so sweet taste jus like home. read more

Sensational. Best Caribbean spot in town. The meat patties were bomb af. The oxtails and rice? THE TRUTH. Definitely recommend this place. The portions were also generous. This place did not disappoint at all. Anytime I'm in Dallas you have to make sure to stop by! read more

Elaine's Kitchen - Oxtails over Rice and Beans w/ Steamed Cabbage - Caribbean Near Me - Dallas, Texas

I been to Elaine's Kitchen about four times now and for the most part the food is a hit or miss. Unfortunately,my last visit was a miss ! I ordered the jerk chicken Rasta pasta and I had pieces of what seems like chicken cutlets definitely not jerk chicken. I also ordered the jerk shrimp, with rice and peas and cabbage and the food was extremely salty! The reason I was a return costumer was because their food was good but based on my last visit (price + wait time + underwhelming food) not sure if I will return again! read more

Any place off of a MLK boulevard is going to smack, let's just get that out there. Upon arriving there were several cars parked like they ran out of a vehicle during an apocalypse. I mean no order at all in the parking lot. Line: the line inside was long and the waiting room full. The menu is posted in front of the register in maybe a size 12 font so not much help there. Luckily I was with a group so had time to look over the single physical copy. Wait time: they have a flat screen posted to entertain guest who are most likely waiting 25+ minutes. Everyone seemed like a regular and pretty chill about the wait time(mostly). The community atmosphere was appreciated and added to the hole in the wall ambiance I know and love. Food: the curry chicken was superb! Cabbage and rice and peas were pretty standard but still delicious. The jerk chicken is SPICY no cap, we were pre warned by the waitress so proceed with caution. The Mac and cheese was Caribbean meaning slightly garlicy, probably prepped on the stove and baked for a little. Nothing to write home about but balanced out the flavors. They also have a wide variety of deserts and other Caribbean food. Locals raved about the oxtails so give those a try as well. All and all this this was the best Caribbean I've had in Texas to date. Long wait, trash parking but delicious authentic food. read more

Love,love, loved this spot. The place was busy on a Sat but the line moved quickly, there was plenty of seating and the customer service was cool. Came in for date day and I ordered the stewed chicken, rice&peas along with cabbage fiya aka fire I tell you! My love ordered the jerk chicken which was also fiya and I'm sure is nasal passage ways could agree because he was sniffing away but still tearing it up lol. Come through for some great eats, you get alot for your dollar and you will not be disappointed. Looking forward to trying those oxtails! read more

Elaine's Kitchen - Stewed - Caribbean Near Me - Dallas, Texas

For meat Pattie's yes! Haven't tried the other dishes. Trying to get a taste of the crowfoot soup on Saturdays but they always have something different read more

I LOVE ELAIN'S KITCHEN! My sister and I used to come here and have lunch! They have great customer service and the food is DELICIOUS!! Whew wee! I had a meat patty(chicken) and the medium Jerk chicken with cabbage and rice and pea. It was worth the price and wait! It's big enough for two meals. I tell every person who isn't from here to try Elaine's. Y'all keep it up! read more

Food was flavorful customer service was great. Just wish the jerk chicken was spicy. Oxtails soooo good! read more

Elaine's Kitchen - Caribbean Near Me - Dallas, Texas

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First time having legit Jamaican/Caribbean food. I'm familiar with jerk chicken, but that's really all. You already know that it's a hole in a wall. 3.5 stars. The parking lot is small. At around 2 on a Saturday, it was full. Had to find street parking at a nearby neighborhood. A line soon piled up after we had stood to place our order. There's a choice of small/medium/large plates with the choice of rice & peas or rice & cabbage. Not all entrees have the choice of small. (Curry Goat and Oxtail isn't offered in small.) Decided to go with the oxtail with rice & peas ($11.50). Not exactly what I call hole in the wall prices, but the portion was decent. The oxtail was very flavorful. Someone came up to me and asked what I had probably because it looked so good. One gripe is that there was one "oxtail" that was thrown in there, but it was PURE FAT. Yeah don't think you need to toss that in the container. Give it a try. You'll probably enjoy. read more

Authentic Caribbean Food! I am a proud St.Lucian, this is genuine GOOD Caribbean food. Trust me i know my Caribbean food, Elaine had all the characteristics of an Aunthentic Caribbean Eatery. Driving into Elaine's parking lot, I noticed the first sign of good Caribbean food eateries, limited parking. There were soo many cars , the parking lot, was filled. We ended up parking on the grass. Second Authentic Caribbean restaurant characteristic was long lines. The line was not ridiculously long but, it seemed like it took us forever to order. The line was backed up and orders weren't being expedited as a result the sassy in a good way lady taking the order stopped at us and decided to switch roles and take on the previously open position of expediter. .........Finally we get to order the sassy in a good way lady opened up with a "yeeeees, ya ready ? Which leads me to the third and last characteristic The sassy in a good way lady, there is one in every good authentic Caribbean eatery. And oh yea the food was the bomb.!!! Spicy good and well seasoned . Will stop by on my next visit to Dallas to update read more

Elaine's Kitchen - Jerk chicken on the Go!!! - Caribbean Near Me - Dallas, Texas

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First off, with the parking situation being what it is, they'll never get a five star review from me. The parking lot it's a disaster waiting to happen. People blocking the entrance and exit, and creating additional parking lanes where the flow of traffic is supposed to be driving through. Whew, too much! Had I drove my car, I would have left. Food- I ordered the stew chicken, rice and peas. Cabbage and yams. They didn't have mac and cheese even though they had only been open about a hour at this point smh Stew Chicken and peas and rice were off the chain! Cabbage had a weird taste, I didn't like it nor had I ever had cabbage that tasted like that. Yams did not taste homemade. Bland and probably from a can My date had the curry shrimp and he loved his meal. I was tempted to get a piece of cake. But I resisted temptation. Generous portions. I would come back if someone else drives, fights for parking and risks THEIR car getting hit. Because my vehicle will NEVER touch the ground of this parking lot lol! read more

I love this place. I order the goat and the snapper with extra vegetables. I don't care too much for their version of Jamaican cabbage so I always order double rice and peas. read more

This place is in a sketchy area but hey who cares when they serve you food like this! That was the most flavorful Oxtail, rice, peas, and cabbage ever! The oxtail fell off the bone and that Mac and cheese was hittin baby! Will definitely be back when I'm on that side of town! And the customer service is what it is. I could care less about them smiling at me. Haha haha. Pure Jamaican awesomeness!! Lol! read more

Elaine's Kitchen - Beef patty - Caribbean Near Me - Dallas, Texas

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I'm downgrading my review. I tried this place out three times, only because someone else always wants to eat here. The oxtail is leays extremely fatty, often times too salty. The last time I ordered oxtail they gave me the entire end of the cows tail not cut up or anything. Just lying there in my plate, awful. I have to say this was distasteful, and lazy to say the least. Never again will I return. read more

Elaine's Kitchen - Oxtails too salty - Caribbean Near Me - Dallas, Texas

I've been anticipating my trip here for a few weeks. Took some time to gather folks from work to follow me on my hunch that this place would be good. Quick edit: I spoke with a real nice older lady before I left to tell her how much I enjoyed lunch. Salt and pepper hair with a Jamaica shirt on and a nice thick Island accent. Little old Jamaican ladies in the kitchen should clue you to how good this is! So, as anyone from around here can imagine, the neighborhood is a bit rough. I did feel a bit out of place but was treated well and service was friendly with a bit of a smile even. The restaurant is exceptionally clean, while I didn't use the restroom you can see the kitchen is shiny and looks pretty damn spotless as well. Lots of Caribbean favorites here (didn't see Red Stripe tho ;) ). The food comes in Sm, Med and Large along with patties and hot water cornbread on the menu. Sm - I'll estimate 14-20 oz of food Med - 20-24 oz of food Large - 24-36 On my plate (I got the small goat curry and a meat patty) I had half a potato about a quarter to half pound of succulent goat in a heavily spiced curry, 1 big helping of cabbage (yum) and beans and rice (also heavily spiced and yum). This was the small... Buddy A got a medium jerk chicken, slightly larger cabbage and rice portions but what I'd call half a chicken straight up. I tried the sauce and the chicken was very sweet and heavily spiced. Me personally I like it effin hot so it didn't do much for me. He proudly proclaimed this better than Caribbean Grill. Buddy B got the large jerk chicken and meat patty. He's a body builder/powerlifter so I figured how big could it be and will he kill it. Dude... this was a ton of food. He got a full platter split with cabbage and beans and a separate size bowl of just jerk chicken (same size as my entire entree for reference). I swear to you, it was a whole chick and maybe a few pieces more. Portions are LARGE. The to-go boxes as mentioned do screw you so I'll recommend you order it for there, have a bite then get a to-go ;). The patties by the way were DELICIOUS! They had some scotch bonnet sauce on the table little sweet, little vinegary and nice heat. Went good on everything I put it on. I'm debating next time just getting lots of patty's... those things are BAD ASS and for 1.85 not too pricey either. Beware, I burned the ever loving $#@! out of my mouth, the inside was like lava ;). Will definitely be back! read more

Was looking for a local restaurant with authentic food and happened upon Elaine's. I was quiet the whole time I was eating because every bite was just so good. You've got to try Elaine's! read more

Coming from New York I loved Caribbean food. We got the jerk chicken platter and oxtail. I have to say the oxtail is the way to go. The oxtail was fall off the bone and the flavor was really good. Everything else on the platter was just ok but the oxtail itself was amazing. The jerk chicken was a little disappointing. Normally I get dry jerk chicken which is oven roasted but they place a sweet sauce over their chicken which was a little weird for me. The chicken itself was kind of spicy too. I would get the curry chicken over the jerk chicken if you prefer chicken. I also got the beef patty which was really good. They also have a chicken patty if you prefer chicken. The neighborhood this place is in might seem a little off but I think it's worth it to try this place if you're craving some Jamaican food. read more

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So glad I wasn't the one who paid for the food. The beef patty looked disgusting inside (there's a picture below from someone else). The taste was just okay. The oxtail was fine as far as meat/fat ratio but I did not like that gravy at all. The rice and peas were on the dry side. But that cabbage?! What in the world! I have eaten a lot of Jamaican food, NEVER have I had Jamaican food with cauliflower, green beans, carrots, and corn in it! The flavor itself was terrible and those vegetables made it even worse. All around, yuck. No thanks, y'all can keep it. read more

YES! This place is as authentic as they come. Located in a private lot (extra private considering that it's fenced in). This restaurant is not to be judged by it's outside; barred windows, tons of dudes with dreadlocks rolling dice in the corner, and a little rasta gift shop outside of the doors. Rather, this restaurant deserves to be tried by everyone who loves spice and good food. I tried the Jerk chicken- delcious, sweet, savory, spicy but a bit cold. I found myself having to pop it into the microwave as the outside of the chicken was warm but it was cold down to the bone. Still, very very good. The oxtails- decadent and salty and oh so good. My favorite dish of the two i tried. I also had the Chicken patty which was perfectly seasoned and for $2 one of the best deals in Dallas. Next time i'm here, i'm going to try every ting! read more

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The last time I had Jamaican food this good I was in Jamaica!!! It doesn't get any more authentic than this!!! I will literally be dreaming about this food until the next time I go back!! They have lunch specials until 2pm but for $14 (not during the lunch special) you get more than enough food!! The jerk sauce is so flavorful and the oxtails were tender!! So good! read more

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Listennnnnn don't waste your time,money or gas. I'm visiting from NYC and wanted to try out the Caribbean food in this area. I have NEVER seen red jerk chicken in my life. It tasted like bbq chicken with red sauce. I also ordered oxtails and beef patties. The oxtails lacked flavor, the gravy was watery and the meat was so tough. The only thing that was decent was the beef patties. I wanted to support this restaurant but the quality of the food was not up to par. read more

The food is really good. The location is usually always pretty busy. Maybe a good idea to order your food in advance. The seafood pasta is amazing and the portions are huge. You will not be disappointed and the food is worth the wait. read more

Elaine's Kitchen - Curry chicken and cabbage - Caribbean Near Me - Dallas, Texas

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Third time here. Food is amazing and the prices are reasonable for a very authentic place. If you come before 12, parking is easy to find. If you come after 12, good luck finding a spot. I tried jerk chicken the first two time times and they were amazing. Spicy but delicious. read more

Elaine's Kitchen - Jerk Chicken lunch portion! - Caribbean Near Me - Dallas, Texas

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total trash...oxtails are tougher than leather, peas & rice are dry as sand and who puts broccoli in caribbean style cabbage?... read more

Elaine's Kitchen - TOTAL TRASH...OXTAILS ARE TOUGHER THAN LEATHER, THE PEAS & RICE ARE DRY AS SAND AND THE WHO PUTS BROCCOLI IN CARIBBEAN STYLE CABBAGE?... - Caribbean Near Me - Dallas, Texas

Great food! My husband and I were looking for a place to have dinner, and I suggested him this place as he's Jamaican and has been trying to find a decent Jamaican restaurant. When we arrived here, we were a little skeptical as the restaurant is located in the area where we didn't want to be in at night. The parking was packed, so I was thinking this must be good. We waited about 10 minutes to order our food and another 15 minutes to get food. We ordered Jerk chicken entree (medium), two beef patties, one coco bread, side of plantain, and ting. Jerk chicken was very tasty. It had enough seasoning, and chicken was very tender and flavorful. The Jerk chicken entree came with rice and peas and cabbage. Both cabbage and rice and peas were very good. Beef patties are a little smaller than what we have had in the past, but they were still good. The service was okay. The staff was nice and friendly. The portions were big. The prices are reasonable. People kept coming in while we were here. I'm glad I mentioned this place to my husband. I think we found the place for Jamaican food! We will be coming back soon. read more

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The lady had no customer service, she was very rude, even argued with a customer across the restaurant. But the food was so good read more

Elaine's Kitchen - Jerk chicken, rice and cabbage - Caribbean Near Me - Dallas, Texas

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This was our first experience at Elaine's and we intended to eat in, but the weather forced us to take it with us. I had the large oxtails/jerk chicken plate w/ cabbage and Mac & cheese. Even after a 20 minute ride home the food was still hot. The serving sizes were huge and everything was fresh. We will definitely be back SOON. read more

Elaine's Kitchen - Large of tails/jerk chicken plate with cabbage and Mac & cheese. - Caribbean Near Me - Dallas, Texas

The staff are very friendly and helpful. It was busy the wait was a bit long 20-30 minutes. Food was great. It was my first time trying them and I will be back for sure. I had the curry chicken & mac plate ! read more

Elaine's Kitchen - Curry chicken and Mac! Busy but professional. Great food - Caribbean Near Me - Dallas, Texas

Clean place to dine in. Looks very popular. Came in at 11:30 am, their opening time, they opened 10 mins late and people were already lined up outside. Within 20 mins of opening, they've served more than 30 customers. By the time I left, there was maybe one parking spot left (and its not a very small lot). Got to meet Elaine, she was sweet and humble. The ordering process could be a little intimidating for the first-timers because the line behind is so long and there are different food names written in so many places. I got their vegetable pasta and vegetable patties, my friends got goat-curry and veggie plate. A medium is a huge serving. All our plates had cabbage on one side. Mine was a super creamy and saucy alfredo pasta with finely chopped carrots, onions and scallions? It was delicious! (But not very healthy, mind you). Goat-curry came with a heaping amount of red meat and rice. The veggie plate was kind of a disappointment though, as it was basically dirty rice with goat/beef/whatever gravy and 2 whole potatoes cooked in the gravy. This is a soul-food place with rich flavors and hearty sizes. This wouldn't be a go-to place for me because they don't offer many plant-based foods. But they get a well-deserved 4 star for the quality and taste (according to 5 of my friends) of their food. read more

Elaine's Kitchen - Outside view. Waiting for it to open. smells amazing - Caribbean Near Me - Dallas, Texas

I love this place! The ox tail and the jerk chicken are the best I've tasted in years! The parking isn't the best here but the food makes up for it! And the lunch specials are very affordable so it's worth the price read more

Elaine's Kitchen - Caribbean Near Me - Dallas, Texas

This is a STRONG 3 Pretty pricey for the amount of meat you are receiving. But the meat is actually pretty tasty. In fact, I think it tasted even better as leftovers! The rice they serve is not worth eating. Get cabbage instead of the peas The jerk chicken is great, although it reminds me alot of BBQ. The oxtail was also good, although you dont get much. The jerk shrimp was the highlight of the meal. I could have ate an entire barrel of that stuff. The fried plaintan was good, but not amazing. I would eat here again, but I would order light and eat something beforehand. read more

Amazing jerk chicken!! This is a must if you are in the area and are looking for flavor town. Had my taste buds jumping for joy. Authentic as well! read more

So I've just killed my oxtails, rice & peas and cabbage, now I can write this review. The first time I went, I found myself comparing it to other establishments, but I was hungry and I DO NOT waste food. Let me tell you, I ate in my truck...the whole meal! I ordered the brown stew chicken with rice & peas and cabbage lunch special (small to go tray size). The chicken had a sweet flavor to it that I was not expecting for brown stew chicken and the cabbage had other vegetables in it that I'm not accustomed to, but overall a great dish. I give it a 3.8 out of 5. Today I ordered a medium size portion (usual to go tray size) of oxtails, rice & peas and cabbage. I'm glad they put it in a brown paper bag then a plastic bag so I didn't have to smell it for 30 minutes going home. On the medium portion I got like 7 or 8 oxtails. They were not as tender as I'd like, but still good. The cabbage had broccoli, cauliflower, green peas and carrots cooked with it and the flavor was amazing! Almost better than what I can cook. The rice & peas...meh, they had a sweet flavor to them, and just ok. I give it a 4 out of 5. I'll have to try other menu items to see if they can get a 5 from me, but that's not too easy. The neighborhood is not in the best of places and the inside is not fancy by no means, but the kitchen puts in that work and produces great food! You will not leave disappointed, give them a try. read more

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Well, as a new visitor to the town of Hutchins I can tell you there isn't anything good to choose from there, so heading back into D-Town get off at MLK and just off highway a bit is Elaine's. Need your car wash outside- Check. Rastaman outside has table of stuff for sale- Check Place was crowded for lunch which is a good sign, and since they been here for like 25 years its a great sign that they are consistently putting out good food. Most of crowd did seem to be seated awaiting takeout orders like myself. Whether its the norm to wait this long cause the way the do orders and payment, or its the quality of fresh food I can say it was worth the wait. I had the Curry Chicken, Rice and Peas, Cabbage, Plantains, Irish moss to wash it down - Yes nire. I would quickly agree with another review, the plantains were just ok, however everything else was fantastic. Mostly I have had Jerk chicken or beef patties in past in other Jamaican restaurants as well in Jamaica 20 years ago, but first time trying Jamaican style curry dish and was a very happy camper. Flavor profile was delicious, texture differences were easily noticed, and ingredients really shined through in whole plate. read more

Elaine's Kitchen - Curry Chicken, Peas and Rice, Cabbage - Caribbean Near Me - Dallas, Texas

Just had a bad experience with Elaine kitchen i wasn't satisfied with the portion nor the price of my order IAM a senior citizen my grandfather called in a order for us one plate was 20:00by it's self WHICH was a bit much for ME the other one was 13:00 which was ok I am dissatisfied customer and on top of that the person i talked to he was RUDE TALKING LOUD TRYING TO OUT TALK ME SAD DAY WE HAVE TO DO BETTER BY THE WAY WE TREAT EACH OTHER NO MORE elaine for me #dont force something on PEOPLE that you don't want on yrselfs read more