I came to Island Express in Brooklyn really craving Caribbean food, especially the more common Jamaican dishes I'm used to. I didn't realize this was more of a Guyanese-style spot, so the flavors were very different from what I expected. Unfortunately, I personally didn't enjoy the curries :( they just weren't to my taste. The oxtail was much better in comparison, very tender and cooked well, though it leaned more on the sweet side than I prefer. The beef patty was pretty average, nothing particularly flavorful. I ended up not finishing my meal simply because it wasn't what I was hoping for, but I do want to highlight that the staff was genuinely wonderful!! They are super nice, helpful, and very sweet when taking our order. I really appreciated their kindness. If you enjoy Guyanese flavors, this may be a great spot for you, but for me it wasn't the right fit since I was looking for more traditional Jamaican-style dishes. read more

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I came for a chicken Jamaican patty. It was perfectly baked and warmed to perfection. It made it out the front door and into my mouth within seconds!! The ambiance is inviting. Stay for a minute but not awhile. Nice takeout location. read more

Island Express - Menu - Caribbean Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

The food was ok. The service was ok. This place has no ambiance because although it's supposed to be freshly made food that is prepared her, it stills gives off fast food vibes. My daughter purchased a lunch special here, and it was good pricing. My veggie patty, I did not like. It was filled with beans, and, corn, chickpeas, and other things. This should have been called a vegan patty. I'm used to the Jamaican kind, with some fresh filled cabbage or callaloo as it's filling. This is a Jamaican/Guyanese restaurant, so I guess all the patties may be of the guyanese style. I wish they would let you know this is advanced. Anyway I would not return here, but I wouldn't say if you went the result would be the same.- Happy Yelping read more

Island Express - Inside of veggie patty - Caribbean Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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My husband was in the neighborhood and picked up some patties: chicken & beef and some pastries with pineapple & currants. I really enjoyed the pastries especially the pineapple flavored because it reminds me of the Taiwanese pineapple cakes. It's not as much pineapple as a Taiwanese pineapple cake but just as good! read more

Island Express - Caribbean Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Our first of trying Guyanese flavors and we are so glad we chose the right place. Absolutely loved the beef and chicken patties. Next was Roti wrap with chicken curry. It was so delicious we couldn't wait to capture it. Flavorful, just the right consistency. Their Service is quick, place is neat and clean. Totally loved the food here. I would travel one n a half hour again to have food here. Delicious! read more

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The food, for the most part, was great! My friend and I each had the bbq chicken, veggie patti, and spinach. They were good. He had the base of white rice and I had the peas and rice. My friend liked his rice and I found mine bland. Same with the veggie patti, same different ratings from us. I wanted to try the veggie lo mein but they were out out of it. The bread pudding for dessert was very enjoyable. Counter service was friendly. Ambiance was basic with a long dining table for everyone. Restaurant was clean. read more

It's OK but not as good as it is hyped to be. I would give it 3.5 stars. The bad: The jerk chicken can be good but some days it's small portions and greasy. The fried roti is full of dry chickpeas which is like eating uncooked flour. The lo mein is very greasy like any fast food lo mein. I like their in-house drinks because they're unique but why are they always frozen solid? Also the drinks are different, but definitely an acquired taste. The beef patty is below average, cold, a little dry, and definitely not spicy. Cheese pastry you can barely taste any cheese. The good: Pineapple pastry is really good. Plantains are great. Service is fast. I will keep trying more things because the menu is interesting. read more

First time venturing out,...The establishment was clean and the smiles on the food servers and bakers were just as bright. Yet, none were as delectable as the nicely proportioned w/ raisin distributed evenly "Sweet Rolls". read more

We popped by here yesterday to get some food and were greeted promptly. They were out of a lot of things we wanted to try but we still managed to snag some jerk chicken patties and a guava tart. Female cashier was not as friendly but the rest of the staff was super helpful and kind. The jamaican chicken patty was so delicious! The crust was buttery and crispy and flaky, and the filling was ample and generous and well seasoned. Chicken tasted fresh and moist and the flavors were OUTSTANDING!! I will definitely be back to try more of their stuff! read more

Island Express - Jamaican Chicken Patty - Caribbean Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

I love the food ... I had to stop going inside the location because one of the workers offered me $250 for sex. So all I had left was Uber eats. You guys lost a customer for sure . I ordered 3 curry chicken roti and when I received my order . It was only sauce . No chicken in a small sauce container. No curry chicken smh. This will be my last time buying from this store . Sybils was way better !!! read more

The team here works together seamlessly to serve guests. The dish had fresh components but wasn't filling. If I'm in the area, this place is on my list. The person in charge here is friendly and reliable. We'll certainly visit again! read more

We love island express. We get it for all our events. Decent and dependable but weirdly closed on sundays now.

I'd rate Island Express four and a half stars. Great patty shop. I'm not sure if they're related to Sybil's on Liberty Ave, but it seems like they have the same (or a very similar) back story. Despite the name, it's rooted in Guyanese cuisine. I had the beef Patty and the veggie Patty. The pastry exterior was perfect. Warm and flakey. Light butteriness to it. Having it baked on premise makes a huge difference compared to other spots that reheat on site. The filling for each was hearty and delicious. Veggie was like a thick stew. I tasted some bean, mushroom, and pepper coming through. Beef Patty was delicious too. Service was ultra quick and friendly. It's a perfect spot for a quick lunch or snack. Clean communal table. The two patties were around $5 all together. read more

This is Sybil's 2.0! I was absolutely disappointed when Sybil's closed its location on Church And Flatbush Avenues but was elated to see the grandkids open up Island Express. I have only purchased the bread and a few pastries which have always been on point. The shining star is their bread especially Plat Bread which is solid while still being moist. It remains soft for several days after purchase and goes great with Pepper Pot around Christmas. I occasionally get a bag of Tennis Rolls or Salara just to change it up. A honorable mention goes out to their Pine Tart aka Pineapple Tart for being the perfect balance of a flaky crust and fresh pineapple filling. I must admit that I definitely don't visit here as much as I would like. I also never had their cooked food either because I'm very particular about my Guyanese food. Here are the items that I highly recommend: Any of their breads; Fudge; Pine Tart; Guyanese Patties; Cheese Roll. read more

Island Express - Powdered Milk Fudge... it's delicious! - Caribbean Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

I organize a weekly lunch for my office and the lunch from Island Express was the most popular so far. Many people asked where the food was from and/or told me how good it was. As a pescatarian I appreciated how many dishes I could try: shrimp curry, vegetable curry, peas and rice, and veggie curry cocktail patties. For the omnivores we had beef cocktail patties, oxtail, and jerk chicken as well. The only dish we ordered that wasn't a universal favorite were the fish cakes. 10 out of 10 would recommend Island Express, especially if you are looking for a crowd-pleaser. read more

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I used to live by here and one day felt the need to try the lunch special. It was filling for me as the portion size was perfect. Some people think the portion is small, but for the price it is fair. I got the curry stewed chicken which came with rice and channa masala. I also ordered a Jamaican beef patty ($2.50) which also hit the spot. I would come back if I was in the area as the food was delicious. Also the workers were super nice which is not always the case. I was overcharged ($6.90) for the lunch special, but I think the menu board was just not updated with the correct price. read more

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Was craving Caribbean food and saw this place online. Placed an order for delivery and the food came super fast and warm. The food was very flavorful and hit the spot. Cravings satisfied! Ordered the oxtail with rice and peas and plantain and the jerk chicken with rice and peas and channa (chickpeas). Both were very delicious, but my favorite was the oxtail, fall-off bone oxtail pieces! The jerk chicken was also very good. I also tried their beef patties. I love beef patties and this has to be one of the best beef patties I've ever had! I am definitely coming back for those patties and the oxtail!! read more

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SO GOOD! Nice service, delicious food, and all at an affordable price! Yum! Would eat here every week if I could.

If I could give 10 stars, I would! Not only was the food phenomenal, but the customer service was equally outstanding. I visited Island Express with a class of hungry adolescents, to experience Guyanese culture and cuisine. We were not disappointed! We sampled pepper pot with rice and peas, curry chicken with roti, pouri with salt fish, vegetable lo mein and vegan curry, fish cakes, sorrel, and (my students favorite) the peanut punch. Everything was flavorful and satisfying. I look forward to visiting again! read more

Food tastes great every time. Very good customer service. Small place for eating in but I believe most people takeout.

This is my new favorite lunch spot in Brooklyn. I've been coming in for goat roti with okra on my lunch break and it's the best part of my day. I seriously woke up this morning thinking about this curry. All the staff are warm and attentive, the food is reasonably priced with generous portions, and everything is so flavorful. The interior and seating areas are spacious, clean, and comfortable. The salt fish and fish cakes are great too! I'm gonna try everything here before long. Gina, the owner, is a gem and incredibly kind. This is a family business with a lot of history that you can feel great about supporting. I always leave happy and full. Can't say enough positive things about Island Express. read more

Island Express - Goat curry Pouri Wrap - Caribbean Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Was here yesterday (9/4/21) for a day shopping trip to NY from Boston... Had to stop and get some Caribbean food cause I'm Trini and I'm in BROOKLYN! This spot was nice and clean. Loved how they still follow the COVID guidelines whether you're vaccinated or not (6ft markers + mask requirements). I ordered the shrimp curry pouri roti and my kiddo ordered the beef patty with coco bread (she wanted it with cheese but they don't have that way... maybe it's a Boston thing?!) My curry shrimp pouri roti tasted good, but honestly, didn't have much filling for the price so I deducted a star. It was good tho, just dry. I would say if you're visiting for the first time, definitely try this spot out. I'll definitely be back to Brooklyn, but want to try other spots! read more

Island Express - Shrimp curry pouri - Caribbean Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

I was craving curry goat and island express had excellent reviews both on yelp and grubhub. I have never ate food from them so I decided to see what all the hype was about. They allow you to choose a side with your food like plantains, channa, spinach or okra. I did love that besides white rice or rice & peas, you can get lo mein, dal pouri or roti for starch option. Plus they allow you to choose three different levels of spice. The food was delivered early and hot. It was well packaged and included napkins and utensils. I'm partial to Trinidadian curry and honestly never had Guyanese curry. The taste of the curry was not what I was used to. The spices were unfamiliar but it wasn't bad. Just different. My biggest issue was the goat itself. The first few bites didn't taste like goat. I couldn't discern what I was eating. I then took a piece of the meat out and ate and identify it as goat. However the meat itself was kind of bland like the seasoning didn't penetrate throughout. There were no potatoes. It was more bone and fat than meat. The meat that was there was very tough. For the price I would have like some more filling. They gave two pieces of plantain. That were so ripe and good. Wish I ordered a side of them. I opted for the hot pepper sauce which is supposed to be very hot. But there was no heat in the dish and no sauce included on the side to add to it. I would try them again. Just would avoid the curry goat. I did order pretty early in the day around 11:38 am. Maybe the goat wasn't completely finish cook. read more

Island Express - Goat Curry roti - Caribbean Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

I was so excited to try this restaurant out given its many positive reviews. Unfortunately my experience was not a positive one and I will breakdown the rationale below: Jerk chicken lunch special - This meal came in a small white container, one that usually holds dumplings to give you a perspective. Nonetheless, if the food was good, I would not have mind the small portion. The jerk chicken was by far the DRIEST jerk chicken I ever had. Not only were all the chicken white meat, which is fine, but it was extremely overcooked and rubbery. The best part of this lunch special was the plantains, which was cooked perfectly, soft and sweet. But unfortunately, the jerk chicken was not delicious at all...=/ Chicken stew with spinach and roti - You would think that a chicken stew would be moist, juicy, or at least tender. However, despite the sauce from the stew, the chicken was still incredibly dry. I was really looking forward to this dish for it sounded so delicious and heartwarming. Unfortunately, that was not my experience at all. Really wanted this first time experience to be amazing... Overall, the best part was probably the delivery person, who was nice and kind. If you do decide to give them a try, please try their other options because I'm sure they have some other more delicious selections! Just try to stay away from these two. Thank you for reading and good luck! read more

The good: Jamaican beef patties, plantains and guava/pineapple tarts! Definitely recommend these menu items. As everyone else mentioned, the beef patties are incredibly flaky in the best way possible and baked to perfection. The chicken curry w/ roti wrap wasn't too bad either. The disappointing: Jerk chicken, unfortunately. I was looking forward to this the most but it was waaay too salty for me and my family. We ordered a plate of jerk chicken with rice & peas and another with the chow mein. We needed much, much more of those sides in order to lighten up / balance out the overwhelming flavors a bit. We liked the spice level, but I had to add some plain, unsalted spaghetti to my leftovers to even out the salt levels. (Plain white rice would've worked too) Pretty extensive menu so there's bound to be some hits and misses. Don't think I'd get the jerk chicken again but down to try everything else! read more

Island Express - Jamaican Beef Patty ($6 for 2) - Caribbean Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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Friendly staff, greeted with a smile. Amazing authentic food. Family owned and run. Love the vibe. Delicious food. Must try. read more

Island Express - Sponge cake - Caribbean Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

This is must try Guyanese food at an affordable cost and great portions! I ordered chicken curry with roti, a Jamaican beef patty, and butter bread. I had to take a bite of the bright yellow beef patty. With flavorful ground beef with soft flaky crust, I wish I bought more. The chicken curry was so savory! It was full of tender boneless chicken, soft potatoes, and tons of sauce. The curry was cradled in roti so soft and supportive it's now an emergency contact. Plantains offered a burst of sweetness that I loved. I later put the leftovers on a bed of leafy greens without dressing and it still hit. I didn't know ordering the butter bread, that I would get a whole loaf of bread. I'm not mad! I would absolutely recommend this restaurant, especially $2 beef patties in Prospect Park. read more

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Ordered Island Express a few times now via UberEats & Im glad that Im able to get a taste of Caribbean foods in South Brooklyn! Love their pastries, its the kind of dry flaky pastries, the tamarind balls were too intense for my palette. Main entres are wonderful! Good portion for the price ($9ish), boneless meats. Jerk chicken wasnt that spicy; overall spice might be a bit salty to me. Definitely would order again. read more

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Jamaican Patty bombs! These Beef Patties just may be the best I've had ever! Not super greasy like other places, Island Express beef patties are really spiced well also. The curry chicken versions are also very good but take a slight back seat to the beef versions. Even though they are called curry chicken, they lack the strong spice that the beef has. I've been grabbing a dozen of the patties on each of my trips to Island and I'm not really all that disappointed by grabbing half and half of each. Sunday afternoons during NFL season with two of these in my hand watching football is almost as good as being in the stands especially since they open well before the games start. They have rice platters as well and I've got to give props for the tender oxtails. They also have other specials that are not listed such as Curry Goat. Definitely worth it to ask what else is available before placing your order. The service is really personable and friendly which I can't say is true of the other places I'll grab patties from. I'll be coming back here for sure for the best patties ever and the friendly service. read more

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Island Express serves a variety of different palates at a low price point. The menu is simplified in the format of most quick serve establishments, letting you pick a base, a protein, and a couple of sides. As a pescatarian I was pleased to see a couple of seafood options, including shrimp curry and fried fish. I ordered the fried fish over rice & peas with a side of plantains and veggies. Without the veggie stew, the rice, fish, and plantains would have been exceptionally dry, and my generous dousing of hot sauce over my dish only set my tongue on fire, which was not my intended effect. The fish was okay, but contained a lot of little bones that I found annoying to eat. I'm going to try the shrimp curry on my next visit. My partner really enjoyed her jerk chicken bowl and found it saucy enough to offset the dryness of the rice. They have several shelves full of different patties and pastries. I thought the guava tart was delicious with a perfectly flaky crust. I'm most excited to try the other pastries on return visits. read more

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I finally got to fill my craving for some Guyanese style chow mein at Island Express! I ordered the bbq chicken meal with a side of macaroni pie. Everything tasted just as I expected -- authentic! I wish the bbq chicken wasn't boneless, but still tasty nonetheless. What Island Express offers that most local West Indian shops in this area don't is their excellent customer service. The service and food will keep me coming back! Their prices are also very affordable. I will be back for some roti and curry! read more

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Walking my way to the best Guyanese food in Brooklyn. First the staff is amazingly friendly. That is sometimes a very rare find. Just super cool people (and cute). Then then the food is amazing. Veggie Lo Mein w/ curry shrimp - the shrimp is perfectly marinated and perfectly cooked. Non of that rubbery mess. And the curry hits the spot PERFECTLY. Guyanese patties - savory filling, flaky pies. Perfect way to tempt someone to break a fast. Coconut Drops - Don't remember if they are called drops or buns. But get one! You'll be blessed if you get it warm. Golden brown on the outside and soft and fluffy on the inside. Pone - omg I can't say "amazing" because I've already said it too much but it is "out of this world amazing". Cassava and coconut go beautifully together. read more

I've been here probably ten times - I'd say that it's consistently really good, but not amazing. While everything is cooked very well. For the curries, I'd say it could use a bit of an increase in the spice department. It's a few notes away from being incredible. For the desserts, they're often a bit flat -- I get a lot of generic pastry taste. It's a few steps away from being sweet, or savory. It's just kind of ::pastry:: (The patties, on the other hand, are a bit too heavy on the onion powder!) The bread - again, good - but nothing to go out of your way for. Also, while I know prices go up - a small side of rice was $5.50. Cringe! Should have sent that one back. Love the fast service, and it's very clean. And idea: labeling the food can go a long way. I don't know what salt fish is. Is this the beef, or the goat? Help me give you money. Anywho, I'll be back - but if I find another spot with some additional kick in the food I'll probably make that my spot. read more

Rounded up one star because both ladies working the counter were quite patient and kind . Food though was nothing short of disappointing . And that is after trying both a meal and a couple pastries . The meal : Jerk chicken with lo mein and spinach . The jerk chicken was super well seasoned with occasional clumps of seasonings very visible on several pieces of the meat. I never thought meat could be over seasoned particularly jerk chicken, but here they definitely did . It didn't help that they choose to cut the chicken into tiny bits and pieces which was no match for the clumps of seasonings that ultimately smothered it . Bad move on their part for sure . The lo mein fared worse . It was not very flavorful and drenched in oil . The spinach was good I'd admit but it's spinach. I ultimately didn't finish my meal after being thoroughly dissatisfied so went into trying the pastries . The pastries I tried were the coconut drops and the pineapple tart (raves about by one of the cashiers ) . The coconut drop had good flavor on the outside but felt sorta under-baked on the inside . Looking at its color , you can see it's not a normal look for the popular Caribbean pastry. The pineapple tart also had a ultra light -sorta under baked tone to it as well . The pineapple tart had the thinnest of crusts I've ever had on a pastry and it was almost like eating pineapple jam versus eating a pastry . I did enjoy the jam filling but wanted a pastry. Overall my experience was not as exceptional like many on here but I'd try again because the ladies were nice and they have afew more options that can sway my view. read more

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Food was amazing. Very friendly staff. Got the chicken curry. Would going again, and again!

We were around the area & this shop caught our attention (great yelp ratings, had asian influence in their foods). We also never tried Guyanese food so we came here and ordered a few items to take home to eat. We ordered: 1) Jerk Chicken, 2) Oxtail with rice & sweet plantains, 3) 2 beef patties & 4) Pineapple tart. Our most favorite item was that beef patty. That beef patty was one of the best we had in NYC. It was savory, meaty, nicely seasoned and the outer layer was flakey and crunchy. The oxtail with rice and sweet plantain was definitely my 2nd fav. The oxtail was well seasoned & tender, rice tasted like it had some coconut in it & the sweet plantain was delicious and not too sweet. The pineapple tart was very delicious - it was flakey, buttery and the pineapple jam was fresh. The pineapple tart tasted like something I ate in Taiwan. The jerk chicken was our least favorite - it was not very tender, tasted salty and odd with diff spice flavors. I prefer Jamaican jerk chicken more. Nonetheless, loved the beef patty, oxtail entree & pineapple tart! read more

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I came in right before the COVID shutdown--they had a huge jug of hand sanitizer at the front. I had a taste for some curry chicken and salara--the reviews looked good so I decided to try them out. First, I noticed that the restaurant is spacious and well lit--this made it very inviting. Second, the service was good--that's always what you look for. There wasn't much of a line--I ordered the curry chicken with rice and salara. They only had the ends left but that was okay with my--I'm not too picky. My meal was delicious--I have no complaints. My salara was good too--I love all things coconut. I really want to try their beef patties and they have so many pastries that I want to try. read more

Came in a few hours ago to order curry chicken and roti. The portion was perfect, chicken boneless and it came with a couple of nice pieces of potatoes and the flavor was spectacular. Service itself fast and up to the point but not super friendly. Regardless the food was amazing and I'll be checking out more food from here soon.. read more

Island Express - Chicken Curry with Roti Wrap - Caribbean Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

I just moved in area, so exploring numerous restaurants, Saw this was affiliated with Sybil's so knew it was for me! Wrong! I've had the privilege of experiencing the Linden/Liberty/Lefferts trinity in Queens for amazing Caribbean food, so my standards are high. Reviews posted for IE received a great response from restaurant manager. I ordered a goat curry today and the same issue of fatty goat with little flavor remains. When I asked why no boned chicken I was told boneless chicken is easier for kitchen staff. I guess leaving the fat on the goat is easier. I'm glad I didn't order the shrimp because that requires prep too! Is there good roti anywhere in Brooklyn? Sadly, I'm still looking read more

First off I must say customer service is amazing and there fast to. The food is great I come here all the time I used to live near by. But I don't mind traveling to come here it's worth the wait. The baked good are soooo fresh and honey the sorrel omg. I love getting it when in the summer because they give it to you a little frozen that way it stay cold. You can cool down as you walk these hot Flatbush streets in the summer. The bread pudding is to die for just try everything you won't be disappointed trust me. read more