I ordered BBQ chicken and received a forensic investigation. The rice was mediocre at best, but the real star of the show was the chicken. I took one bite, looked down, and immediately lost my appetite. The piece had dark red discoloration around the bone that looked anything but appetizing. Maybe it's harmless, maybe it's normal near the bone, but customers shouldn't have to Google whether their dinner is safe to eat. Food should make you hungry, not make you question your survival instincts. I ended up throwing it away because I couldn't get past how it looked. Between the appearance and the overall quality, this was money wasted. I won't be ordering from here again. read more

Genesis - BBQ chicken - Caribbean Near Me - Jamaica, New York

The spot is small counter like eat on the go really more of a take out spot . Chef Garvin has been around a minute . If you want good Jamaican food this is the spot . I absolutely love the corn meal porridge . Be warned they don't have it everyday because they make a variety of porridge . The ackee and salt fish is also delish! The oxtail dinner comes in small, medium and large . Traditional dish with rice and peas,cabbage and plantain. Oxtail is fall of the bone good . They are expensive. Street parking in the area . read more

Genesis - Oxtail with rice and peas,cabbage, and plantain with extra gravy . - Caribbean Near Me - Jamaica, New York

Always delicious. I've never had a bad experience - the most reliable, authentic and delicious restaurant serving Jamaican food. The service is great. There are a few stools available for in-dining. I recommend their curry chicken, curry goat and oxtails. Delicious! read more

Genesis - Caribbean Near Me - Jamaica, New York

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Did not enjoy the food, even though it was open late, and I was grateful that it was open with the food was not delicious. The curry goat had a lot of bones and cartilage in it. The oxtail was not seasoned well and we only got like six pieces in a large Rice and peas. Flavor was excellent dish drinks that they made are OK. The pine and ginger was good, but the lemonade tasted like sugar and water and bottled lime. read more

Today was my first time getting jerk chicken from here. I usually get the oxtail. However the jerk chicken was good as well. Definitely has a kick to it. The small meal comes with a good amount of chicken as I didn't finish all of it. Would definitely get the jerk chicken from here again. read more

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Larger curry goat 1 and a half hours to deliver.$28 worth of about 1lb of rice and bones ..if you gonna charge that much ad some meat to it ..this the reason i stop ordering from jamaican restaurants..plus the goat used to be good not anymore read more

If you are looking for an amazing West Indian place to eat. This place is it. I only ordered 2 things from the menu, and that's only because I can't get past ordering the Oxtails, Rice, and Peas with Cabbage and Ackee and Salt Fish with Food(that's Dumplings, White Yams, And Potatoes) When I tell you it's like a party in your mouth. I ordered food for delivery. This place was recommended to me and I am glad I listened. It's a must-try. RUN DON'T WALK TO ORDER. read more

Genesis - ACKEE AND SALT FISH FOR BREAKFAST - Caribbean Near Me - Jamaica, New York

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The cornmeal porridge is the best I've had. The brown stewed snapper was huge, fresh and had so much flavor. Bread fruit was good, the fish soup might look a little suspect but it had good flavor, this soup was more fresh which is good if you're watching your pressure. But, their red pea soup was more like bean soup. Didn't like that at all! Ackee and Saltfish was so good, not too oily and perfectly seasoned. They give you a good amount of food for what you pay for. Definitely frequent here a lot. read more

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I tried my hardest to patronize this business. His workers do not respect his customers. I order my food at 6:15 pm it is now 8:39 still no delivery. I cannot spend my money with this business anymore. read more

Their oxtails, rice and peas and beef patty...just ONE WORD: DELICIOUS!!! You won't be disappointed at all and they always have oxtails!!! So go and get your dish and go to sleep happy! read more

So it's official! After years of trying this place they have greatly improved throughout the years. The portions are better, the oxtail doesn't have as much fat as it used to back then and everything I've had thus far has tasted great. I can wholeheartedly say this is my fave Jamaican restaurant over all others I've tried even in Brooklyn. Came here 2 weeks ago in person which is something I rarely do and the customer service was actually good which is shocking if you know about Jamaican restaurants lol. My top 2 favorite dishes from here are Oxtail and Curry Goat. I always get those with rice and peas and cabbage. Has yet to fail me. Once I ordered through Uber and they driver gave me the wrong order, so I kept it anyway and it was curry shrimp with white rice. It was good too! I've also had their breakfast of ackee and saltfish with provisions and was very satisfied. I've had a few other items but too many to mention. Haven't yet been let down. I hope they keep it up! read more

Genesis - Menu - Caribbean Near Me - Jamaica, New York

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I've nothing bad to say about this community staple. The food is good, the service is efficient and the restaurant clean. I used to get oxtail, but now I just can't afford it (market prices), so it's the Brown Stew Chicken for me! My mildest complaint is that I ask for extra gravy and I'm not sure I get it. "Extra" is subjective. Genesis stays in the rotation when I'm not in the mood to cook. read more

Best Jamaican take out restaurant in Queens. This has been my go to spot for Jamaican food for years. I always order the same things- goat curry or oxtail with rice and peas, both are delicious and cooked perfectly. The goat has just the right amount of spice and the oxtails is rich and flavorful. Large order is shareable, during the day they offer a lunch special for $8 which is the perfect size for 1. Fast service, the head chef is always present and visibly active in the customer service. I took away 1 star because the goat has A LOT of bones, I prefer the meatier pieces and they don't have good pepper sauce. read more

Genesis - Caribbean Near Me - Jamaica, New York

YES LAWD!!! I have ordered from here a few times and for some odd reason, each time the food gets more and more delicious. Lmao. Last night I ordered a SMALL curry chicken with rice and pease and steamed veggies. Small was not what them portions were CHILEEEE I ate good and I have leftovers- won't he do it. For my side, I had to order the Mac n cheese since I was staying home for the night (my lactose intolerant warriors know what I'm talking about lol) and that Mac was BUSSIN!!! I have leftovers from that side too! Portion control smortion control lol. This is definitely my go to Caribbean food restaurant in the area. I love ya'll! read more

Genesis - Macaroni & Cheese Curried Chicken - Caribbean Near Me - Jamaica, New York

I live around the corner on 161 Street I woke up to the Walgreens and there it is the restaurant it's now my favorite restaurant for oxtails and curry goat for the first time I had the curry rice and peas and cabbage, and I told my friends in Brooklyn I can't believe that this was the first time I ever Had the best curry rice and beans and cabbage in New York City. This place is meant to be recognizing when you order always order the curry go rice and peas and cabbage large read more

I have passed by this restaurant numerous times, it isn't that big at all.but the quality of food is really good. I ordered there oxtails with rice and peas along with a salad, plantains, and a small banana porridge. They give you a really nice size portions. This particular restaurant isn't stingy with there food at all ,plus the food is cooked. Not half cooked like some of the other Caribbean restaurants. The food taste like it really made back in the Caribbean,on the iland of Jamaica. My wait for my food wasn't long at all .their service was really fast.they have seats and tables inside, but do to the coronavirus, it is only take out. They also take cash or credit either one ,and they also have an atm inside . The staff was nice and the restaurant was clean, I would definitely go back there in the future. read more

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Not amazing but not bad. I got the Jerk chicken rice bean platter with vegetables and a jamaican beef patty. Also tried Jamaican soda for the first time. The jerk chicken was great and tender but the rice tasted kinda weird. The spice they used was too strong. It made me uncomfortable , I didn't request it to be spicy or add hot sauce. The beef patty was solid but the soda tasted like medicine and bitter. Overall I didn't dislike the experience but wouldn't come back. 3/5 for me. read more

Genesis - Beef patty with jerk chicken rice and plantain - Caribbean Near Me - Jamaica, New York

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Large oxtail plate is more like a small plate. They don't give you enough food and I spent $26. This place is not how it used to be years ago. read more

This place is the best Jamaican restaurant I have ever eaten from. I ordered here for lunch and my jerk chicken was so flavorful. They delivered all the way to Manhasset from Jamaica, Queens & thank goodness because there is no Jamaican food around here in Nassau County. They came fast and the food was affordable. The place only ACCEPTS CASH! Make sure you have cash on you. They have affordable lunch specials for $8 with free soda. I would absolutely order from this place again. Thank you for an incredible lunch Genesis! :) I highly recommend this place for lunch. read more

I wasn't going to write a review. Yesterday I went into the restaurant and brought two meals off the menu. I went home now meal was fine. goo which I ate that for lunch. I then decided to eat the other which was callaloo . After I took the second fork full I found a piece of wire in my food, which it could only the wire from the steel wool that is used to scrub pots and pans. Please be careful when eating from this restaurant.Other than that the food is good. read more

The food was delicious. I had oxtail roti. They wrap it up nice so there was no mess when we reached home. The oxtails were tender and seasoned nicely. My roti was amazing but I absolutely love roti so I know good roti when I taste it. I would visit here again when in the area. read more

Expensive but delicious ox tail is the tl:dr version of this place. Came here to once again try one of the many carribean establishments by where I live, on the journey to find the most delicious jerk chicken and ox tail at a reasonable price for a go to place. Tried this place and while the jerk chicken was fairly average, it was the ox tail here that was stand out. Too bad this place is ridiculously overpriced though compared to the other options you'd get around the area otherwise this would be a go to for ox tail at least..... read more

Genesis - Jerk chicken - Caribbean Near Me - Jamaica, New York

The food there is not bad, but they should stop the practice of passing fried fish topped with brown stew sauce for "esco" fish disch.

I use to order from here all the time for the mac and cheese delivery takes long but today 2 hrs for some stew chicken that was supposed to come with the infamous mac. Food came cold. Hard of hearing placing the order it was a mess. Doing pickup from now on and even then thats a tough read more

Genesis - Caribbean Near Me - Jamaica, New York

The food is mostly good depending on if The owner is in the service is inconsistent .Attitude is a constant threat read more

Food is okay. I usually get patties from here and they are great taste fresh. However I was a bit disappointed with the amount of plantain I was given food was still good. A tad bit expensive. read more

Genesis - Expensive and I can't believe I asked for plantain and they put one lil piece. - Caribbean Near Me - Jamaica, New York

I've got to give a bad review as well... Pros, decent bathroom and beverage selection. That's it. Cons, Kinda gave the feeling of a soup nazi, know what you want, order quick and move aside. Food was mediocre, and not a great portion for the price. We were not told, not did we receive the free soda included with the lunch special. Yeah, it was on the sign, but this was our first time there and only found out after we had left. Chairs are SO TINY. they are attached to the tables and swivel, but only fit for a child at best. Maybe there are locals that enjoy this, but not for us, never again. read more

This use to be my go to spot for some great jamaican food but idk what has happened as of lately. The food just isn't what it use to be. I literally use to get the fried chicken & white rice allll the time lol. As of recently the food has been blah. Great staff with great personality tho i will say that.. just wish the food was still as good as it use to be! read more

Genesis - Oxtails white rice & plantains! - Caribbean Near Me - Jamaica, New York

I use to eat from this restaurant way before Yelp even existed. And not much changed, except the prices, which is a good thing. I recently ate here the other day while I was in the neighborhood and was so glad I did. The Curry Chicken, Ox Tails and beef patty with coco bread still taste the same. read more

As someone who travels quite a bit around Brooklyn and Queens for work, I always appreciate a place where I can get some great food quickly. Driving on Hillside ave, all you see is junkfood, chains and "delis". But if you keep driving long enough, you will reach Genesis. Do yourself a favor, park the car and go inside. The space is small but don't worry, place your order and have a seat. You may have to wait a few minutes but it's OK. The food is worth it. I always get either the chicken, the oxtail or both (don't hate). Sides like plantains and cabbage are good too. The portions are solid and the prices are fair. So skip the burger joints all over the place; you deserve better. Come here and have a real meal. read more

Genesis - Combo plate of oxtail and boneless chicken. - Caribbean Near Me - Jamaica, New York

imagine spending over 30$ for curry goat and the put nothing but bones in my order very disappointed won't be ordering delivery ever again

I been ordering oxtail with rice on/off from here since last year. The quality and quantity went down, to the point I need to write a review. I wont order from this place again. I ordered large oxtail with rice ($18 on ubereats), there was 5 pieces of meats!!! Ridiculously large amount of rice. Barely any sauce. Btw it was $16 before, I understand the inflation and the need to adjust price. However if you adjust the price, you shouldn't also adjust the quantity. read more

This restaurant has been a staple in the community. I usually order jerk chicken with rice and peas or oxtails. The flaky crisp of the beef patties bring a sensation to your senses and cure all hunger you may have had before taking your first bite. The coco bread is nice and thick and must have with the beef patty, fresh out the oven! read more

$7. W/soda. Stewed beef, with rice and peas*, cabbage, and bonus plain rain(!). *peas=beans if you are not high. Cabbage=smelly socks if you are not dead. Plantain= better substitute for cabbage if you can swing it. All around good cheap lunch read more

Genesis - Small, nice. Good lunch special - Caribbean Near Me - Jamaica, New York

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I ordered the large chicken soup with dumplings as a special order, and macaroni and cheese all were so tasty and so hearty. I was nursing a flu and the chicken soup hit the spot ... tasty and delicious, I will definitely return. read more

When one thinks of the word Genesis, what comes to mind? Answer: The origin or mode of formation of something. At this restaurant, they sure back up the name by representing true Jamaican roots of caribbean flavor through their authentic recipes and savory dishes. Located in Hillside, Genesis is just a few blocks away from the heart of Jamaica Avenue, Queens. It is one of the well known Jamaican restaurants in Southeast Queens, so you are sure to come across it or at least hear about it. Yes finally! A Jamaican restaurant close to my home that is true to taste and has a broad menu to choose from. Walking into Genesis restaurant for the first time the smell had me reassured with that voice in my head saying, "this might just be it." Needless to say, it is defintely it and furthermore tastes just like it smells. So, upon my first visit I did call my order in, just because it was a hot Summer day and I did not feel like waiting around for my food. I decided on the large boneless jerk chicken dinner with rice and peas, which come with cabbage and plaintain. I would usually opt for bone-in chicken, but for some reason I was tempted to try something a little different than what is offered in most other caribbean restaurants. Plus after browsing the menu, my mind decided "boneless jerk, boneless it is then lol." The inside of the restaurant is a bit small with available high top seating if dining were allowed had we weren't going through the Covid-19 pandemic. There is a cut out window on your left side for ordering and a small door on your right side for pick up. Flyers are offered on the tables for your leisure. Also, there seems to be a lot of servers in the back to prepare food, so service is usually fast and efficient. I had to call about three times before someone finally answered the phone so that had me a bit impatient, but otherwise no big deal. I finally put in my order to the woman over the phone who sounded a little agitated however, taking my order with patience. After about 15 minutes I went and picked it up and continued on my way home to see what my taste buds were in for. My first dish from Genesis was not photo friendly, so I proceeded to take a bite. The chicken was a tad too salty and almost soup like in texture. The rice and peas were good with a strong taste of coconut milk in the rice almost cutting down the saltiness of the chicken. The cabbage was steamed well with added vegetables to compliment. The fried plaintain was cut thick which made it a little dry when bit into. I was almost certain that maybe I didn't get the right dish and was sure to give it another try. A few weeks later oxtails were echoing my name....Serrriinnnaaaaa and from the looks of other recommendations, Genesis happened to come to mind. They are best known for their oxtails and bone-in jerk chicken, so I knew hands down this was my go to for that night. When I say that I was extremely satisfied with the taste of these oxtails, I WAS. Suckling bone sounds and all. The gravy was rich and thick, so much so that even the bones had flavor, and the meat was braised like a Jamaican oxtail should be with the perfect caramelization. In addition to great rice and peas and perfectly steamed cabbage, they were redeemed from that last dinner I ate. Just browse my photos below and you will see why Genesis remains one of my top visited caribbean restaurants in all of Queens thus far. read more

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I'm speechless. I'm really speechless. The best oxtail I've had in years. Wow. The meat just falls of the bone and the gravy just adds so much depth. I'm still trying to process just how good it was. The veggies could use some seasoning and they could be less mushier..but oxtails blinded me to any of the cons. read more

I really wanted to like this place. It was #1 when searching for oxtails and has a lot of really good reviews. There is usually only one place in Jamaica I'll eat oxtails but it was farther than I wanted to drive so I searched my handy dandy Yelp to find something close to where I was. Should have taken the extra time to drive to my usual spot. $18 for large oxtail and I ordered Mac n cheese with cabbage and got rice and peas instead. I'm okay with the price when it's good and I could have even overlooked the wrong side but the gravy on the oxtail was awful. Way too much allspice. Idk if this is normal for this particular spot or if someone dropped the whole jar of allspice in the pot while cooking but no one who tasted it liked it. The Mac n cheese was ok but the rice also had a funny spice taste to it. Maybe whoever cooked this morning is just heavy handed with the spices. They shouldn't be allowed in the kitchen. The portions are great so one star for that. read more

The customer service here is terrible. Most of the women here have terrible attitudes and expect for you to tolerate it. I recently placed an order over the phone & went to pick it up. I gave specific instructions and asked if it was possible to place my order that way and she said yes then continued with my order. When I arrived I was rudely informed that I would not receive my food the way I was told and there would be no substitutions. I would not have had a problem if I was explained this beforehand when I placed the order. However, I was spoken to with pure disrespect once I got there to collect my food. This isn't the first time I've been having problems with these people & I'm never coming back. read more

When you think of the E/F line in Eastern Queens, you don't think of it as indicative of racial makeup in the area - it is, but only if you know local history. The E is the little stub line that abruptly terminate at Parsons before it reached the commercial heart of Jamaica, while the F goes to 179th on Hillside, skimming the top of the commercial area. The E was supposed to surface and run further southward reaching Hollis, Springfield Gardens and Rosedale. The F tunnel extends all the way to 184th and was supposed to reach Springfield Blvd in the original plans. When the F was built in the 50s the extension eastward was promised to be "within months" once the E has been extended. When the E stub line (Archer Avenue Subway) were built in the 70s, the area was not doing so hot - white flight and stagflation depressed the area, and the tunneling in the project went severely over budget (Southeast Queens is prone to flooding and the tunnel leaks like a broken sieve). The promised extensions were never built. Since the 179th street station was overbuilt in anticipation for the extension east, most trains tend to terminate there due to higher capacity. Why was it reflective of ethnic divides? South Jamaica below Archer Avenue and the area southeast are predominantly black, so your commute on the E is to Parsons/Archer and hop on a bus (or the dollar vans in the area). If you live in north / northeast of Hillside Avenue (predominantly Asian or Hispanic) your commute is to hop on a bus after the F, and you can see the ethnic differences on the E/F train passengers in Forest Hills. Jamaica Center and its downtown area is predominantly black and a bit latino, while Hillside Avenue is an area with a large Bangladeshi population There was formerly a West Indian community in the area - vestiges of storefronts advertised palouries and rotis, but they were gone and replaced by kebab joints. The only thing left is Sybil's (which is more Paki-Trini) and Genesis, both found in the area between Parsons and 169th on the F. In a way, Hillside Avenue serves as a de-facto northern limit to where you can find a Jamaican restaurant in Southeastern Queens, and that's written in half-jest as the only Jamaican place I am aware of in Northern Queens (Markie B's) moved from Junction / Northern down to Hollis in late 2017. So, what can you expect out of Genesis? Well, gruff acknowledgement of presence that can barely be counted as service. They know that they and Sybil's are the only game in this part of town, so it's either put-up or shut-up. They've never been friendly to any of their customers walking through their doors, it's just a single "whaddahave?!". The dining room (if it even qualifies for that) is just a bunch of messy tables that you can plop down and eat your takeout order, and as for the counter, it's just a small window next to a bunch of fridges packing the usual Jamaican standards of peanut punch, Irish moss, ginger beer, or pre-made bottle beverages from Grace. Now, what about their food? Here's a pro-tip - avoid the jerked chicken here. Most people consider jerked chicken to be a spicy griddled product, but after sampling it from many sources (I did go to school in Flatbush and frequent the joints on Church Avenue), I would have to say that smokiness is not negotiable. That's one of the major benefits of the prototypical jerk pan - it's supposed to give you that wrap-around smokiness from the firewood that works well with the garlic, ginger, scotch bonnet, allspice, bay leave and the thyme. Any idiot can open up a jar of Grace jerk rub, slather it all over the chicken, and dump it on a frying pan, but only a master can harness the smoky essence in an enclosed kitchen, and chef Garfield...couldn't do it. However, what I can tell you is that the man has the culinary magic with the oxtail - see, normal brown sauce stewed oxtail is usually kinda "meh" in most places, and there's not much distinctive about it. In chef Garfield's version, there's a certain brown sugar/caramel note to the sauce that makes the oxtail irresistible - a complexity that makes you probe further and further in, and works very well with the fall-off-the-bone tenderness. Now, the side dishes are about what you will expect from a Jamaican takeout joint, that is, rice-n-peas (decent and solid), the veggies (usually cabbage and carrots cut thin and steamed, and in the case of Genesis are not overdone), and the fried plantains (which is soft sweet and not greasy) are handled well. Now, if I really want Jamaican food and is willing to put up with a 2 hour round-trip on the subway to Brooklyn for it, I'll hit places like Fisherman's Cove, Peppa's or Dougie's. If I am lazy and don't want to go too far for Jamaican, I guess this place is an okay choice...provided that I don't hit Markie B's first. read more

Genesis - Small jerk chicken, small oxtail stew, takeout. - Caribbean Near Me - Jamaica, New York

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