The jerk chicken dinner was better than any I have had in the Caribbean itself. Everything on the…read moreplate was cooked to perfection! The Rasta Pasta has a special "zip " that sets it above anything I have ever had in the States. Excellent food and spectacular atmosphere!

Clean restaurant. Not big but can sit a few people. Parking is around the back. Staff met and…read moregreeted me right away. Had carribean music playing in the middle of the day. Will be trying the food to update this post.

OMG!!! I finally found a real Trini restaurant in New Jersey! The food tastes just like…read morehome--every bite was full of authentic Trinidad flavor. The customer service was warm, friendly, and exceptional, and the place was spotless. If you've been searching for genuine Trini food, this is the place! I'm already looking forward to my next visit. 10/10--highly recommended!Right here in Newark nj all this time mins away you guys don't understand how much money I wasted these different restaurants thank you Brennon and Erica

Food is amazing, service is friendly and ambiance is island like…read more Cow-foot soup is recommended

Yep, it's me again. Top Taste was my go to for Jerk Chicken when I lived in Irvington, NJ. Now that…read moreI've moved to Newark, NJ I hardly get over this way. Well, today I was able to re-visit and get me some Jerk Chicken. The service is still amazing and the food is still delicious and made to perfection. I'm so pleased that this location is still open and thriving. It's a community gem and if you're ever in the neighborhood and looking for some good Jerk Chicken, Top Taste comes highly recommended by me! Thank me later.

We get breakfast here pretty often. The ladies know the order once they see you so often. It's a…read moretakeout place for the most part. My go to: Ackee, salt fish, callaloo, dumpling, banana, and yam. Always good, always fresh.

I am impressed with this little spot in Irvington! I saw 5 stars but 2 reviews and just had to try…read moreas I am always on the hunt for great jerk :) I ordered a jerk chicken, veggies (cabbage, peas, carrot, corn and green bean mix), hardo bread and plantain. The Jerk chicken was really good but not phenomenal. It was well seasoned but missing the char from an actual jerk grill. The sauce was sweeter then most sweet jerk sauces in NJ and closer to the NY version of sweet jerk sauce. Which I personally don't mind. The veggies were good not too soggy or limp which is usually an issue that occurs in a jamaican spot. These veggies were very flavorful, they added curry which was simple but delicious addition to boost flavor. I really appreciated the thought. Plantains were slamming and hardo bread was fresh. Hubby ordered curry goat and said it was good. Not sure if good was just good or great good because he devoured it so quickly, I didn't get to taste it. I will definitely be back in for more jerk and those curry veggies. Service was nice too. Friendly people.

I found this spot by surfing Yelp, and was I amazed at the find. Ballos has excellent well smoked…read morejerk. I had both pork and chicken well seasoned and just enough heat. When I'm back in the area I will be back to eat again. Just finished eating... Nap time! Be careful parking off the main street is recommended.

This has officially become my go-to spot for authentic Jamaican food! Everything is freshly made,…read moremarinated, and seasoned to perfection. I ordered the sweet chili salmon meal with white rice, cabbage, and sweet plantains, along with a small oxtail meal with rice & peas, sweet plantains, and steamed cabbage. Top tier! The food is an absolute must-try. The portions are generous, especially considering the price of the meals--you definitely won't leave disappointed! The service was also excellent. Everyone was straight to the point, patient, and polite. We were able to watch the amazing staff prepare and serve our food, and they were happy to accommodate us if we wanted to add extra gravy or any additional items. The beef patty was delicious and fresh as well. Huge thank you to the amazing, hardworking staff! The restaurant is spacious with a few indoor seating options, making it a comfortable spot to enjoy your meal. Authentic flavors, generous portions, fresh food, and great service. Definitely worth trying! But be prepared to spend money

A 24-hour Jamaican spot? Yes, please! After an exhausting…read moreday of adulting, we ended up here around 2:38 a.m. and I'm so glad we did. This place was exactly what you hope for when you're looking for amazing food at an unexpected hour. The food was absolutely delicious: fresh, flavorful, and cooked with so much love. We had the oxtail, jerk chicken, peas and rice, and cabbage. Unfortunately, they were out of macaroni and cheese, but everything else was so good that it didn't even matter. The prices are fair for the portions and the convenience of having a 24-hour Jamaican spot available when you need it. That alone is a huge plus. The staff were friendly and welcoming and took our order with a smile!! The area is a little rough around the edges, but we felt fine grabbing our food and heading out. They offer takeout, which makes it even more convenient. I'll definitely be returning again and again. Great food, great flavors, and a true gem when you need a delicious meal at any hour.

Solid food on the plates, great tunes on the speakers, super sweet staff behind the counter. Great…read moreneighborhood spot to eat some AMAZING Jamaican food. Highly Recommend

From the owner: MacKariba Kitchen is an authentic Jamaican take-out restaurant located in Irvington, NJ. Known for…read moretheir flavorful braised oxtails and mouthwatering jerk chicken, this local gem offers a taste of the Caribbean right in your own neighborhood. Whether you're craving a hearty meal or looking to spice up your lunch routine, MacKariba Kitchen is the go-to spot for delicious Jamaican cuisine.

Another small, hole in the wall place that you can easily miss if you blink, but don't blink, make…read moresure you get in there and at the very least grab a patty or two for lunch, beef, chicken, oxtail, pulled pork, just to start. That was enough to hook me the smells when you walk in could hold you there all day. Next up will be a nice platter so I can properly taste everything. Get there!!!!!

Overall the food was delicious. Ordered the oxtails and the curry goat to go. Both dishes were…read moredelicious and served hot, even made it all the way home to enjoy. My only complaint was the plantains, they were overdone. Despite this I would still come back.

The joy I'm feeling as I type this review is indescribable. FINALLY, I have found a PROPER Jamaican…read morerestaurant with PROPER JERK food and for a reasonable price. The chef is in the back GRILLINGGGGG that meat- oxtail, chicken, goat meat, beef ribs. Meat, that I as a Jamaican, never imagined could be jerked, they jerk and it's delicious. The flavors and the tender meat- just wow. This is literally a gem in for the state of NJ for sure. I'm telling ya'll, I have been to MANYYYYY restaurants and the jerk is always baked. People are out here eating baked chicken, calling it jerk and NO THANKS. I'm so grateful to R'SZN Jerk Center. If you want real, authentic, Jamaican jerk, this is the place to go. I promise you won't be disappointed. I wish I had pictures to attach but, it's gone, finished, and eaten lol

Unfortunately I cannot speak to the in person service and ambiance because I ordered my food…read more However, the quality taste and presentation was 9/10. I ordered the jerk salmon with a side of cabbage and Rasta pasta and let me tell you it was chefs kiss. I tore my food up it was so good. The salmon was seasoned exceptionally well and the pasta was great , I tried the cabbage first and it was so good I ate it all before diving into the rest of my meal. My daughter got jerk chicken and Rasta pasta and my Dad got jerk chicken with rice and peas. My daughter lovesld her food with no complaints and my Dad enjoyed his jerk chicken the most noting , the rice was dry but the jerk sauce from the chicken helped. If you are getting the rice ask for sauce on the rice to help with the dryness. Also the portion sizes were very generous, they had left overs and we ordered a medium. I will definitely get this again and the next time I'm in town I will go in person! I have to see where such great food came from!

Don't let the ambiance fool you…read more Macaroni Au Gratin is bland with consistency of imitation cheese whiz? I can't put my finger on it but it didn't have a flavor of ANY blend of natural cheeses. I'd know, I'm a cheese connoisseur! Perhaps they use imitation cheese. Simply put, their macaroni au gratin is inauthentic as in no veggies (onions, bell peppers) nor ham or ground beef used either. At least the Diri Djon Djon and Lalo was decent. I've had better Salad Russe. It was either missing onions or salt. The condiment cup of Pikliz is shorter and smaller than the usual 1.5 oz. Most restaurants provide sizes 2 oz and larger and that's how I was able to tell the difference. I never even knew those solo dipping cups came any smaller! Probably so you can ask for more so they can charge extra. Not only do they make sure to cut corners on the Pikliz. Which wasn't even enough to mask their thick, brown, over-fried, DRY and STALE bannann peze that has been sitting out. After they cut the plantains they don't soak in salted water. Bannann peze SHOULD NOT be so thick, should be made-to-order and served hot, fresh, golden and crispy. Just look at their photos and see for yourselves compared to other bannann peze / tostones you've eaten / seen. Then to ask if I need utensils for a to-go order? No ma'am, I'll be using my fingers and eating out of my hands today, thanks for asking. Don't ask, just automatically include utensils in the bag for the astronomic amount you charge for your food. Chain restaurants or even mom & pops all simply include utensils and napkins when preparing to-go orders. Only time to get away with that is when delivering. At which most times customer may decline since they're home / work and may already have those items. Price point - garbage for side of macaroni au gratin I'll let you all be surprised for yourselves on the rest on menu. * If anyone gave this restaurant 5 stars... they're obviously not Haitian and/or their tastebuds are shot.

Came here just to pick up black rice as I've been craving black rice. Upon entry the stagf was not…read morefriendly at all. The rice also did not taste like true black rice. Wanted to like this place but unfortunately didnt.

Fresh patties. My whole family of all ages loves them. Highly recommend. The owner is a wonderful…read morelady as well. Grateful to have this establishment in our community.

Have been coming here since high school. Mrs. Joy is the sweetest lady. The best patties in town in…read moremy opinion (for the best price)! I have been loving the spinach patty lately but you can't go wrong with any of them. Used to always get the beef cheese patty on coco bread back in the day which is delicious as well. Have heard great things about the other food, too (oxtail, etc)!