We only catch First Caribbean Choice at the Troy Farmers Market (we have never been to the restaurant), and it's become a must-stop at least a few times throughout the summer! There's one gentleman (from Jamaica--the man behind the food!) cooking and serving, and his dishes are as warm and genuine as his service. I really need to learn his name--he deserves the shout-out. We usually order the combo platter, and it's fantastic value: three styles of chicken (fall-off-the-bone tender), stewed chickpeas, cabbage, fried plantains, and rice. Portions are generous, everything is hot and fresh, and each component has its own distinct flavor while still blending perfectly on the plate. The seasoning is layered and satisfying--comforting, savory, and balanced--so every bite feels like a complete meal, not just a pile of sides. Consistently delicious food, hearty portions, and friendly, efficient service. If you're at the Troy Farmers Market and craving real Caribbean comfort, this stand is the one. We will be back (and next time, I'm asking his name!). read more

-Delicious beef stew and awesome service!! I would definitely go back. Highly recommend this place if you're looking for carbine/ African cuisine . read more

This is a great spot in the Collar City for Caribbean food! I've ordered takeout here once before and decided to dine in before a show in Troy. Upon walking in, we were greeted by the owner. It was a one man show while we were there. The owner was cooking and taking care of customers, so that might be something you'll want to know before choosing to dine in as the food comes out in stages, not all together. We ordered two Jamaican beef patties, an order of Rasta Pasta and one jerk chicken, which comes with cabbage, rice, and plantains. The patties came out first, and they were great. They were super flavorful and flaky. Next was the Rasta Pasta, which was a nice size portion. It was flavorful, but just a tad too oily. I do still recommend it, though, based on the flavor alone. The jerk chicken entree was last, and it was really good! There was plenty of chicken on the plate and different parts, too - a wing, thigh, etc. It wasn't as spicy as I was hoping but still flavorful. The sides were also delicious. I'm not usually a fan of cabbage in general, but it was really good. Overall, I think most people would prefer taking the food to go so they can eat everything at once, but it's nice that they offer the option to dine in. The owner is great and constantly checks in to make sure you're satisfied with everything. Definitely recommend! read more

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My family is born and raised in Jamaica. The food makes me feel like I'm back at home. The owner is so kind and professional, you can taste the love and care in the food. read more

Got the large jerk chicken and beef Patty . Jerk chicken was seasoned very well and the jerk sauce had a good kick to it . I hate it when jerk chicken have that sweet bbq sauce on it and this was no where close to that. The only down side is that there wasn't enough on my plate. Jerk chicken portion needs to be bigger for a large. Want that roided up chicken with all the GMOs. Pretty good for $15 didn't cost an arm or a leg. Feels homey in the restaurant. Service was a little slow but I think it's because the food is fresh. read more

First Choice Caribbean - Large jerk chicken - Caribbean Near Me - Troy, New York

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First of all this space is beautiful, from the ceiling to the walls to the tables and pictures hung on the wall. Very comfortable and romantic. Priced super reasonably, and for delicious food. The beef patty was so flakey and savory, Mac n cheese was baked and buttery. And the ox tail w peas was so tender the meat melted in your mouth. Will be back! read more

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They fell off. I used to come here years ago almost everyday. I loved everything and would even get the lunch buffet often; which they no longer have. I came with someone the other day when I was in the area to introduce them to this spot. They ordered jerk chicken and I ordered Callaloo. The food took forever. The cabbage was kind of hard. The plantains were barely existent. They were sliced so thin and they were dry and flavorless. My Callaloo was barely there either (because the portion was about two bites). I mostly had a small bowl of rice and peas. Certainly not worth the amount of money I paid. I'm glad I stopped by after all these years to see that I'm not really missing anything worthwhile. Troy has a food desert for Caribbean food now smh. read more

I ordered the Jerk Chicken they give you a decent amount of food but it has no flavor very disappointed. read more

First Choice Caribbean - Jerk Chicken - Caribbean Near Me - Troy, New York

Food was absolutely disgusting. My friend and I ordered from them off the app some jerk shrimp and grilled chicken. We received jerk chicken that was mostly fat and it had a gross gamey taste/smell to it. They didn't send the jerk shrimp. They sent a rotten piece of fish in some bland sauce. This was all $62 dollars. I was refunded all my money by the kind people on Doordash and extra for the garbage I had to go through. Guess what? this shady business put down their store so that the customer service of Doordash doesn't contact them for a refund. tHESE PEOPLE ARE CROOKS. I am livid. read more

Enjoyed the jerk chicken dinner for lunch which included rice and peas, cabbage and fried plantains. Fresh and delicious Ting soda topped it off. Very nice owner. We'll definitely return. read more

Never miss this place. The Curry Goat is a must-have. The place is clean and the food is delicious. What else can you ask for?

jerk chicken doesn't even taste like jerk chicken. on top of that I ordered a large and got 5 small pieces of jerk chicken. portion doesn't matter though because it's literally disgusting. ROYS is like the only place with actual jerk chicken that's not either dried or taste weird. read more

Another amazing meal from First Choice last night - fish and chips, fried plantains, a beef patty on cocoa bread and my favorite - the ackee platter. If you're debating trying, do it! You will be so glad you did! read more

First Choice Caribbean - Restaurant storefront - Caribbean Near Me - Troy, New York

The beef patties are bangin'. The jerk chicken was solid. Rasta Pasta was also a winner.

This was my first experience at caribbean food. We decided on ordering (medium) jerk chicken and curry chicken. It came with rice, cabbage and plantain. The flavor was 4 out of 5. There was only two slices of plantain on the rice, which was disappointing because they were really good. But i guess for the price, its understandable. I would like to try out other caribbean spots in the Albany area to compare. I really wanted to try the Beef patty but they were out of them. read more

First Choice Caribbean - jerk chicken and curry chicken (medium size) - Caribbean Near Me - Troy, New York

Great patties great service! Since we are new to the area we finally have a place that we can come and enjoy great Jamaican food. Mother approved! read more

Best jerk chicken in the 518. We get food from this place at the troy farmers market and its very good so we went to the actual restaurant for the first time. The guy who I think owns it, is a very nice guy. The jerk chicken is so flavorful and never dry. The plantains are our favorite thing here. Will definitely keep coming back. read more

My wife and I went here several years ago. I wouldn't normally rate something from so long ago, but the experience I had still lingers with me. I only hope that things have improved. When we got there, we asked the wait staff for help choosing things because we had never eaten at a Caribbean restaurant before. The waitress said she was new and it was only her second day, but the cook came out to talk to us. He recommended some items, including fried plantains and something with oxtails, along with jerk chicken. We agreed. He later came out to tell us that they had run out of plantains as well as the oxtail dish, and recommended a goat stew dish which we said was fine. During the long wait for our food to arrive, I walked back to the kitchen and could see through the window on their door that the cook was microwaving food. Admittedly, we were the only customers there during dinner time but they were doing a steady take-out business while we ate. If I wanted to eat something microwaved I could have done it at home. I remember the food being okay but not great. That the food was microwaved instead of cooked for us was very disappointing. Having the chef recommend something that he didn't actually have was surprising. Having wait staff that didn't know their menu and couldn't make recommendations was sad. We haven't been back, though I see on Yelp that their ratings are high so perhaps they improved or we caught them on a bad day. read more

I was introduced to jerk chicken here. Now, I'm a solid fan. I've never dined-in here, I usually get take-out. This place is homey and warm. The service can be a little slow, especially on busy nights. I suggest getting here early, as they've ran out on jerk chicken and rice and peas on me a couple of times. The jerk chicken here is stellar, although I admit I don't have another version to compare it to. There's a nice heat to the jerk seasoning, and the cabbage, and rice and peas go great with the chicken. The one time they ran out of jerk chicken on me, I had the stew chicken, which is remarkably similar to the jerk chicken without the heat. The people that work here are very friendly, and I've got nothing but great service. The one time I waited an extremely long time because there were a lot of people dining in that night, and the woman at the counter offered me a free drink. I make it a point to come here at least once a month, cause it's so good. Usually during the ski season, I come here once a weekend after a trip. A great meal to end a great day. read more

First Choice Caribbean - Jerk Chicken Regular Dinner to go - Caribbean Near Me - Troy, New York

The food was horrible. It should be called last choice. I order stew chicken with extra gravy on the rice and it came out extra dry. I then asked for the extra gravy on the side and the guy went in the back and never came out. The cabbage was Bland with no seasoning at all over all experience was Trash!!!! read more

Love the food! The jerk chicken is so moist and flavorful. We love the stewed beef and goat also.. I reduced one star because the place looks run down and they don't care to repair the door even- hasn't affected us much because we have always got take-out only read more

First Choice Caribbean - Caribbean Near Me - Troy, New York

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Picked up food and had no taste at all . Rice was soggy plantain weren't cooked all the way ... never will I go there again ...

I went by the restaurant today, but they were closed. The hours of operation stated open from 12-9pm, and I arrived at 12:10. So much for business... read more

First Choice Caribbean is my first choice outside of Albany in the capital region. It's consistent Caribbean food done well. The venue itself is a dive - definitely a good sign for Caribbean food in Upstate. I've only had the chicken dishes, so that's my basis of review, but I've had them plenty of times. The Curry Chicken was fairly good. Hearty and a little spicy, but should have been spicier. Also not as rich as I would have liked it to been, but I enjoy good depth in the flavor. The chicken itself was done right. The Jerk Chicken was full of warm spices, but nothing spicy. Could be much smokier, but the chicken was moist and spot on. Order both with rice and beans and you'll be set. I'll be back most certainly to get my Caribbean fix and try some more menu items. Hopefully a stellar item pops out in the process! read more

I ordered two plates of oxtails which came up to $36 and received nothing but bones no meat. It was very disappointing.

This place has the most delicious meat patties you cannot find anywhere else. The pastry is super flaky and delicious and the meat (beef is my favorite) has a low heat and great spice. The staff is great, the prices are great and I stop here every time I visit. read more

Absolutely amazing, awesome experience awesome environment in downtown! The food was perfect served super quick too #enjoytroy read more

First Choice Caribbean - Caribbean Near Me - Troy, New York

I recently tried their food at the Troy Waterfront Farmer's Market. I have to say, it was pretty darn good for street food! I understand that it's basically what is served at the restaurant a couple blocks away. I had the jerk chicken with the fixings--rice and beans, cabbage, fried plaintains, etc. Compared to the Hot Spot on Central, the food was better in flavor, and the jerked chicken was moist and flavorful, with a nice kick. I'll visit the restaurant in the near future and provide an update, but I would assume it would be more or less the same, since this style of cooking requires everything to be premade anyway and not cooked to order. A lunch buffet sounds like a great deal to me! :) read more

I'm in it for the veggies, oddly enough. I absolutely love their callaloo. Spicy, soft but not mushy, just the right level of salty, and not at all bitter. I also really love their cabbage and plantains. I've never been a huge fan of jerk seasoning or other Jamaican spices, really, so I'm the worst person to ask. But those who know better say their jerk chicken is quite good. Check them out for the lunch buffet. Worth the ~$7.50 for sure. read more

The lunch buffet is great, cheap flavourful and interesting. The interesting point would be ital and chunks stews. The other selections are good, there are no weak spots in the lineup ... even the curry chicken is good. First choice does have a problem with service, and it is probable that the counter person may not be at the counter for long periods of time. As a result, First Choice has a more do it yourself approach with respect to drinks etc. This can be disconcerting to new users, and a pain when you wish to check out. The non-buffet options are more varied, and I can vouch for the Oxtail and Jerk chicken. Very good. First Choice also has a stall at the Troy Farmer's market but i've never visited it as yet. [Updated16 October 2010] First Choice has slipped, once it was a surprisingly good restaurant in Troy, it is now probably not the best on Fulton St. The oxtail stew, which was once divine is now, no longer worth the price. And if not for awesome oxtail, what is the point of a Jamaican restaurant. The buffet hasn't changed much over the last 4 years, so now I find it quite boring. read more

I've finally got to experience a Jamaican buffet. I found that I'm not really used to the flavors of coconut, pineapple and certain spices in the vegetables and meats. It just wasn't my thing. BUT I will say the Jerk Chicken they were serving up here was THE BOMB. I would go back just for this Jamaican staple. It was dark, spicy, saucy and sooo soo delicious. I can see myself ordering the jerk chicken take-out pretty frequently. read more

The lunch buffet is always a good bet. The oxtails, curry, and jerk are great. To be kind, it's a, how to put it, cozy space. Super affordable. Oh, one annoying thing, and it might have changed since I was there last, but there was no real place to put the tops of the buffet pans which is difficult to hold while also holding a heaping pile of Caribbean food. read more

Fist choice is a restaurant with two sides of the tape. If you are looking for ambiance this is not the place. But if you want real authentic jamaican food this is the place. The oxtails might be the best dish on the menu. Others like the curry and jerk are also amazing. The peas and rice can be over cook sometimes. Have only eating here about 5 time, but every time I have come my food have been really good. 3 stars are due to the fact I would consider this restaurant strictly take out. read more

Weekday lunch buffet is a great deal. The food here is really good too. All you can eat. Nothing like rolling in, filling a plate and listening to the sweet sounds of reggae as you eat. The only con is that the service is kind of weak, literally one person on staff. so when your done eating and the guys out back preparing the next batch of chicken, you gotta wait for him to come back. I recommend the Ital Stew. read more

Yum! it's a fun little dive in which to enjoy all manner of spicy chicken dishes! i love the lunch buffet, with the rice/beans, ital stew, cabbage, fried plantains & all the chicken dishes. it's a fun place to pig out while reggae music blares. good times. read more

I tried their lunch buffet, which doesn't offer much variety. You get chicken in three flavors stewed ( brown chicken), Curry and Jerk. In addition to a choice of white rice or rice with peas. The flavors are okay , but the sauce for the jerk and curry are watery, with an almost soup like consistency. As it relates to spice, the spice levels increase from stew ( mild) , Curry (medium) to Jerk ( spicy) . The environment isn't really convenient for a buffet as the drinks aren't include and you don't have a server, but after awhile you will understand you can go behind the counter to the cooler, which isn't immediately apparent . There is no wait staff , it's do it your self service. What to expect, it's a friendly and welcoming environment but you have to ask for what you need, if you want something on the menu or not available in the buffet. Even when you ask , service will not be prompt. I also wouldn't categorize this as authentic Jamaican food but I only tried the buffet, recently . I am hoping for a better experience with the more traditional dishes like Curry Goat or Ox Tails. I would go back, it's a typical laid back Caribbean environment with friendly folks , lots of reggae music and regulars chatting it up. read more

This place is great! Went for lunch on a Saturday for the first time (the lunch buffet is only Mon-Fri) and was pleasantly surprised. I got the jerk chicken while my girlfriend got the curry chicken. I got a large, she got a small and we both had leftovers. The fried plantains were nice and sweet, but not the most fresh, and we both got plenty of rice (more beans next time please!). Most importantly, we both had plenty of juicy stewed-til-the-bones-fall-apart chicken. Yum. Check this place out. It is what it is, and it's pretty darn good. read more

Really disappointed. How can you screw up cabbage? It tasted... Idk, like no other cabbage I've ever had and that's not a good thing. The plantains were barely ripe & lacking their signature sweetness (& there was only 3 small sized ones :/ ) The curry chicken was "okay". I'm going to stick to Roy's & Dutch pot in Albany from now on. read more

I loved the buffet. Great for vegans and vegetarians. Fresh homemade food. Deeply satisfying.

The best carribean food in the area. It definitely ranks as one of my favorite restaurants in Troy.