We came here for lunch and was pleasantly surprised at just how good this restaurant really is. We ordered the jerk chicken torta and the Mahi Mahi fish tacos. The jerk chicken torta had great flavor and just the right amount of spice. The Mahi Mahi Tacos were outstanding! These tasted like fish tacos I've had in Florida and the Caribbean! The Mahi was incredibly mild and perfectly grilled. Best fish tacos I've had in the Burgh. read more

We were in town visiting our friend in Pittsburg and she was ecstatic to take us to this restaurant! She has been here 4-5 times! Our friend is vegan and we were happy to know that they had several vegan options for her! She had the paella, mango salsa and tropical guacamole! I had the jerk chicken tacos and I LOVED THEM (especially all the cilantro on them )!! Great drinks too! Service was amazing and quick! The restaurant is also in a very cool part of Pittsburg! A lot of shops and other restaurants to check out! The only downside is the music was very loud which made chatting kind of difficult... read more

My friend and I stopped by Kaya in the Strip District and had a really nice experience overall. I ordered a pinot grigio and my friend got the blood orange hibiscus cosmo, both drinks were great and really well-balanced. The bartender was especially friendly and attentive, which made the visit even better. For food, I ordered the mussels. They were decent in flavor, but unfortunately came out a bit cold. Taste-wise they were just okay. Overall, it's a fun spot with great drinks and solid service, but the food didn't quite match the same level this time. read more

Kaya - pinot grigio and the orange hibiscus cosmo - Caribbean Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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I grabbed a bite at @kaya_pgh !! They incorporate culinary customs of the Caribbean Islands, South America, the Pacific and beyond. I ordered their grilled jerk chicken torta with sweet potato fries. Talk about yum!! With this being my first jerked chicken experience I'd say I can't wait to have it again. Their sweet potato fries were to die for. I sat at their bar. The bar tender was very attentive and my food came out in a reasonable amount of time. I found myself looking around quite frequently as the whole restaurant has very cool decorations. read more

Kaya - grilled Jerked Chicken Torta - Caribbean Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Kaya is a solid spot to go if you're in the Strip District. Staff is always welcoming and attentive. We got the mussels and the Cuban which were both delicious. Kaya has outdoor seating as well but we sat inside which is cozy and fun. read more

Kaya - Caribbean Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Wow, Kaya has become one of my favorites on the Strip! The food is all delicious, their birria Cuban, grilled chicken sandwich, they're delicious! Drinks were also great, with notes you could actually taste and fun unique flavors. Also the Kaya salad dressing is really great, honestly one of the best side salads I've ever had. The service was also super fast, atmosphere is nice and moody, with fun decorations that fit the vibe of the menu. It's also one of the better priced restaurants in the area with good portions too, really loved it and would definitely recommend! read more

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Three of us made brunch reservations for a Sunday at 1pm. We got there and were able to be seated right away. The inside is long and narrow with a long bar and a good amount of tables. We ordered beignets to share and a couple of times off the brunch menu. My friend who said he's always disappointed by chicken and waffles at restaurants said his was pretty good. I enjoyed my Sunday chicken sandwich and liked how the beignets had a kick to them. read more

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Had dinner tonight at Kaya .. We had the crispy tofu and poke bowl to get started. I am not a tofu person - but really like this! For dinner - the recommendation was to try the original chicken sandwich and it did not disappoint! Fantastic dinner and shout out to Sasha - our waitress - thank you again for great service! read more

Kaya - Tuna Poke Bowl - Caribbean Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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went here on a double date with these two ppl that are blessed by God with the gift of being good listeners. Busy place, came and put on a hour waitlist, but you can wait at the bar enjoying their cocktails & drinks. Menu was delicious, I love meat so the birria torta was freaking delicious and my wifes jerk chicken was perfect too. Will def come back for a upscaleish date night! Cool entrance as well : ) read more

Kaya - Caribbean Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

This was our second time visiting Kaya for dinner. We did make a reservation for early Saturday evening, which seemed necessary based on how busy it got. Our waiter was great and attentive even with the crowd. The addition of mango and pineapple in the guacamole was good but it needed some more salt and lime. The Jamaican jerk wings were very meaty and crispy. We also enjoyed the crispy fish tacos- probably our favorite dish we ordered. The original Cuban was ok, the homemade pickles were good and the bread was great, but the meat was not the softest or most flavorful. There were a lot of great sounding dishes on the menu, looking forward to finding some new favorites next time! read more

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Just had an excellent lunch at this longtime restaurant on The Strip. We went ages ago, and I don't remember thinking a lot of the food, but wow has it changed! Our server, Dustin, was a real treat - a total foodie who really knows his stuff and was equally funny. He made some excellent selections, most especially for dessert! YES - I'm starting there! If you don't have anything else - get the Key Lime Cheesecake! As Dustin said, "It's not dessert, it's an experience." He was SO right. The creativity/art, alone, that is lovingly poured into this fabulous dish is really standout. (Must see the pic!!) You take a bit of the "lime," slicing down into the thin cookie, and scoop up a bit of ice cream, and a dab of of lime coulis that's artfully swirled around the plate. WOW. I want some right now. Ok- the other food! We opted to have appetizers for our meal. The portions here are quite large (the woman next to me had a TROUGH of salad, I swear!). The tropical guacamole was so creamy and yummy with bits of pineapple & mango. We took Dustin's recommendation for conch fritters with habanero lime aioli. Flavor explosion! Def our fave dish - after dessert, of course. The sauce had a bit of a kick, and the fritters were cooked perfectly with yummy bits of conch and pepper. Another rec -- the corn lentil beignets - was good, but they were a little too similar in profile to the fritters. That said, the corn & lentil flavors were quite nice; the green curry dipping sauce was quite good, too, but wowzer definitely quite spicy! They should warn you. I also really loved my special tropical iced green tea. I forget what was in it, but it was citrusy and excellent. TOO expensive though ($10 and it was nonalcoholic!!). Hubs had a Brew Gentleman Hazy IPA (cheaper than my tea!). They have an excellent selection of drafts, wines, cocktails. Dustin said Kaya also has a great Happy Hour, AND - something we'll be back for -- a tasty, popular fried chicken first Thursdays! Great place. I can imagine the big outdoor patio is popular in warmer weather. Can't wait to return! read more

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Wonderful food, great service, nice atmosphere. Generous-sized portions too, on the Mahi Mahi and Jamaican Jerk chicken tacos. Local beers and Mexican coke too! read more

We had another amazing lunch at kaya. We got the steak tacos, and, they were some of the best tacos I've ever had. Really good steak, on a spread of guac with pickled veggies on top. And the second dish was red pipián vegetables, it's a peanut mole sauce with roasted cauliflower and sweet potatoes. We added shrimp, and it wasn't just 3, there were a bunch! Yummy!!!! We finished with a lime tart with merengue. Not too sweet, very flavorful. Another quality big burrito meal! read more

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The atmosphere inside was so cute and lively! For apps my friends and I shared the bean dip and that was sooooo good, I could definitely eat that all time if they sold it. The chips were super unique as they were a blend of sweet potatoes and regular russet potatoes seasoned with salt and pepper, I really enjoyed it! For my entire I got the steak tacos. It comes with three large tacos and it was yummy! Nothing crazyyy outstanding but good. Drinks here were great, and strong! I got two basil grapefruit margs (usually I am not a marg girl) but these were really really good! read more

Kaya - Yucatan Hot Bean Dip - Caribbean Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Best conch fritters in town. We go here when we are feeling some sick for good Caribbean food. The menu has delightful options including top class seafood. I also love their plaintaons-so sweet! read more

Kaya - Conch Fritters - Caribbean Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Food was great, poke was the best, devoured before photographs. The rest was so good, spicy but not too spicy that we would stop. The drinks were delicious even the NA IPA. Service was great for a new year eve gathering. Ambiance was right we were in good company and the mellow vibe was great. read more

Kaya - Playing with friends - Caribbean Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

This was our fourth time at Kaya, and we have loved it each time! We got the rainbow salad with mahi mahi and another with tofu and both were excellent (5/5)! It is a really big and filling salad, even if you do not add a protein. The service was great (4.5/5); our waitress was very nice and attentive! This was our first time sitting outside, which was pretty nice (4.5/5)! It was not super loud, which I was a little worried about. The outdoor seating is great on a nice day! read more

Kaya - Rainbow salad with mahi mahi (bottom) and tofu (top) (5/5) - Caribbean Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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Kaya was a great last minute find during my trip to Pittsburgh. After work I was craving a Sangria which is how this place came up in my search. Although I didn't end up going with the Sangria, the dining experience was just as satisfying. Starting with the drinks, I came across a Mai Tai while looking at the Yelp photos that looked too good to pass up. Although it wasn't currently on the menu, the bartender was still able to make it for me. It was delicious, to the point where I couldn't settle with just one. It had to be a strong pour because I stared at the second one for a while before partaking. The food was good, but not outstanding. I had the pineapple tomatillo salsa, jerk wings, and carrot & cauliflower paella. The pineapple tomatillo salsa was the star of the show by a landslide!! It was so fresh and flavorful. The jerk wings could've been a little more seasoned and cooked longer but that's a personal preference, and my fault for not asking for well done. The paella was flavorful but after a 20 minute wait I was disappointed it arrived lukewarm and I had to send it back. The ambience of the restaurant was cozy and authentic. I appreciated they offered outdoor seating options if you wanted to enjoy the Pittsburgh Summer night. Overall 8/10. read more

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My best friend has been telling me to go here for years and MAN WAS I MISSING OUT. Omg it was delicious. Everything. She told me to get the tofu which we split. Best tofu I've ever had. Her husband had me get the chile rellenos and it was so good and incredibly filling. We each had a cocktail and were warned they were strong by the server and she was so right. Gorgeous interior. Amazing food. read more

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Excellent food. Service was friendly and fast. Ambiance was very hip. I tried a bit of everything and it was all tasty. We can't wait to go back for more. read more

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Kaya is one of our go-to spots when we want something consistently delicious. It never fails to deliver. One of our favorite things to do is grab a seat at the bar, enjoy a drink, and settle in for a great meal. The cocktails are solid--on our last visit, we had the pineapple and blood orange margaritas, and they were both absolutely delish. Our must-have appetizer is the queso fundido, which is rich, creamy, and loaded with chorizo--perfect for sharing. For dinner, we each had a variation of the fish tacos. I went with the crispy version, and my husband had the mahi mahi. Each order comes with three tacos, which meant leftovers and a light lunch the next day. Bonus! Kaya easily makes our top five places to sit at the bar and grab a drink and a bite. It's always a great experience read more

Kaya - blood orange and pineapple margaritas - Caribbean Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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Pro tip for the vegans: if you ask real nice, you can still get tofu tacos. They haven't been on the menu for a while, but the chef will make them by request. Delicious!! read more

Kaya - Secret crispy tofu tacos - Caribbean Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

I feel terrible because I didn't do my job of getting food/drink pictures outside of the appetizer lol! But that pineapple mango salsa was yummy! We also had the paella with shrimp, chicken, mussels, peppers, and rice. The rice was cooked perfectly and the flavors were amazing! I had the grapefruit-basil margarita. It was okay. The food was the star of the show to be honest. Our server was nice and checked on us throughout dinner. It is a quaint place with good vibes and good music. Perfect for a date night or girls night out. read more

Kaya - Pineapple salsa - Caribbean Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Service was cool- Dustin was great!! Chatted and was funny but was on his A game. I always tell myself to get something other than the rainbow salad but it's always so good I can never go wrong! read more

Kaya - Rainbow salad - Caribbean Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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Found this lovely place in the strip district. Great vibe, good music - not overwhelming and fast attentive service. I ordered the chili Rellenos. Flavorful, creamy and fresh! I do recommend! read more

Kaya - Chile Rellenos - Caribbean Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Their Ahi Tuna bowl is amazing every time. The best I've had in the city. Service is always great & they are knowledgeable about the menu if you have any questions. Such great vibrant colors inside too, love spending time here read more

Kaya - Ahi tuna bowl - Caribbean Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Friendly service and good food. We ordered the fried chicken sandwich and the vegetable paella. Both dishes were packed with flavor and were enjoyable. I wish the sandwiches still came with sweet potatoes. This was not an option online but no biggie. Also, there was no pineapple in the paella despite saying that was an ingredient. Chill vibes in the restaurant as well. read more

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I think this spot is really great! There is really something for everyone here since they have everything from larger entrees to sandwiches and salads and a large variety of apps. I love that they do special themed nights like vegetarian night and fried chicken night. I really liked my jerk chicken torta this time and my friends liked their Cuban and tropical paella. They have a great happy hour and their drinks are really good. Service is also really great and the staff is super nice and attentive. The vibes are always good here too and everyone looks like they're enjoying their meal. Honestly a great place to go with friends or have a nice low key dinner out. read more

Kaya - Jerked Chicken Torta Sandwich - Caribbean Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

I can't believe I have been here sooner! To start, although the restaurant was busy, the hostess was really nice to us and let us sit at a big table, as long as we were done eating by a specific time since that table was reserved for that specific time. The food came out in a timely manner so I was happy that I didn't have to rush to eat my food. The tropical guacamole was delicious! I didn't realize mango and pineapple could go well into guacamole. The black bean burger was also really good and I recommend getting the waffle fries as a side! The fries were seasoned really well. Will be coming back to try the other, plentiful, vegetarian options here! read more

Kaya - Tropical Guacamole (Vegan) - Caribbean Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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Came back to Kaya again! We waited for about 10 minutes and were able to get a table outside. I ordered mussels as appetizer and Vegetables with Mahi-mahi for myself. Mussels are a little small and not as fresh. It did take a while for the entree to come and we were not presented the dessert menu - that's why I gave four instead of five. The entree is very flavorful though. read more

Kaya - Seared Salmon - Caribbean Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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Kaya is a great spot for Caribbean inspired comfort foods like jerk chicken and fried fishes. They also do a great tropical paella which has chicken, chorizo, and the typical seafood (scallop, mussels, shrimp). Coming from someone who doesn't really tolerate spices - it definitely has a kick to it. The bean dip is a great starter for the table. I couldn't get enough of it! They use to have an amazing mango buratta appetizer, and I hope they bring that back one day. Overall the food is good. The service was just okay. We also got some cocktails but the drinks seemed slightly diluted. read more

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I had a lovely time at Kaya! It was fairly busy even though it was a Monday night. The service was quick and attentive. We sat at a table for eight near the front window that was well-spaced. All of the food was delicious. Everything tasted very fresh. I got the rainbow salad which was absolutely gorgeous and contained some of the most delicious mangoes I've ever had. I had a jerk chicken taco as well and it was tasty but it was a little light on the chicken and could have had more toppings too. We shared the queso and again it was tasty but the consistency was a little watery for my liking. I also got the Over the Rainbow cocktail (I guess I was in a colorful mood). I loved it. It was fruity and delicious. I will absolutely be coming back! read more

Kaya - Over the Rainbow cocktail - Caribbean Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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Another fantastic night at Kaya! Brian took great care of us as we enjoyed our favorite, the rainbow salad. We were seated in a private booth in the back that had plenty of space to be comfy. Can't wait to come back again soon! read more

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I was in college when Kaya first opened, and I have been there several times over the years when traveling home. However, it's probably been over ten years since the last time we ate there, so now that we have moved back to the Pgh area we made a point of checking it out. My wife and I went for lunch on a Friday, and the place was about half full. I will say that one major negative regarding anything in the Strip is parking. I have no idea why some of the local gravel lots have not been converted to parking decks, but for now it just sucks going down there. Anyway, the interior of Kaya is much as I remembered it, but obviously refreshed and kept very clean. The staff was very friendly, and our waiter was super nice and efficient. We decided to make this our big meal for the day, and also to take home some doggie bags as provisions for the big snow storm due on Sunday. We started with the Yucatan hot bean dip. It was a tasty take on refritos served with potato and taro chips. We then ordered two hot appetizers: corn & lentil beignets with green curry sauce, and the hearts of palm fritters. We each had our favorite. My wife liked the fritters, but I found them a little greasy. I enjoyed the beignets, though they were heavier than expected. The curry sauce was fantastic. Next, we each had a bowl of butternut & sage soup. It was really good and was perfect for a cold January day. For entrees I went with the Jamaican jerk chicken tacos, and my wife ordered the chiles rellenos. The tacos were simple, but fantastic with multiple layers of flavors, and even the one I ate like a cold wrap the next day was super tasty - it really held up well. My wife's meal was large, with two chiles and a huge amount of beans and rice. She ate one and we packed up the rest. She enjoyed it very much, and everything heated up well the next day. Finally, we took an order of the chocolate-banana bread pudding home with us. It was sooooo good heated up while we watched the snow. Overall a great experience, and we'll be back for sure. read more

Drinks are always good, obsessed with their fish tacos, service is great, never any complaints. Must get the pineapple tomatillo salsa read more

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Sensational experience at Kaya, so glad I finally tried! We started with mojitos (mango and passion fruit) which were excellent. We got the tropical guacamole as an appetizer which was so fantastic, we ate every last drop! The real star of the show was the rainbow salad with salmon. Talk about a flavor explosion! The salmon was seasoned to perfection and I could taste each individual ingredient in the salad yet they all blended together beautifully. Not pictured was a side of waffle fries which were crispy and fresh. I would say this is easily one of my top restaurants in Pittsburgh! read more

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I went here with my buddies and we all ordered sandwiches, they were pretty good However My watermelon soup was STRANGE.... It tasted like cold tomato soup...Don't order that soup.... My friend asked for NO CHEESE and they still gave her cheese. Clearly these people aren't that good at directions Also they have "premade" sandwiches. Nothing here is fresh Ths place is beautiful however the table had interesting way of showing trash ... i thought we had a dirty table but its just trash inside of the resin.. SO UGLEHH!!!! overall good food we cleared! And good music read more

Kaya - Our food is cleared - Caribbean Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

This was our first time at Kaya and we really enjoyed our experience! We had reservations but had to wait about ten minutes to get seated. We did not mind, and we got a drink at the bar. We ordered conch fritters for an appetizer...amazing choice! I then tried to order a Cuban with no cheese but I was told that could not happen??? I was very confused why it couldn't. If it was premade they could just pick it off, and I highly doubt they would already have been in the press and just wait for someone to order one...who knows? I ended up ordering the chicken sandwich, which was really good, with fries, and my husband ordered the fish tacos. After drinking several beers and having an appetizer, he did not even finish them! We did think it was odd that they came with no side but the sandwiches did. read more

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Kaya was a great for lunch in The Strip District. Kaya has a flavorful menu that accommodates vegans and non vegans. The restaurant is conveniently located on The Strip and easy to access. The staff were friendly and attentive. Kaya has a had Caribbean decor and accents around the restaurant. They offered both indoor and outdoor seating. The pineapple mango tomatillos salsa was a light and tangy start to the meal. The crispy tofu was slight spicy and sweet and a very generous portion. Both chicken sandwiches were cooked well and tasty. Waffle fries are always awesome! The dining room seemed very busy for a Sunday afternoon. We would stop by again next time we are in town. read more

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I've known about this place forever but never tried it. I guess Caribbean food is never top on my list of things I want to eat. Now I wish I had come here sooner! They have many dishes that sound really yummy. My daughter and I ended up sharing the queso fundido, the fried fish tacos and the jerk chicken sandwich. The queso was possibly the best I've ever had. I sometimes find queso with chorizo to be too heavy and greasy for me, but not this version. It had a lightness too it and the flavor was spectacular. We also really liked the jerk chicken sandwich. In fact, the sandwich reminded me of a trip to the Caribbean. We were at a beach and locals were grilling jerk chicken. It smelled so good! And this sandwich tasted just like that smell. The one slight disappointment was the fried fish tacos. They were good, but maybe lacked a little flavor. The menu doesn't identify the type of fish they use, but if I had to guess, I'd say it was catfish. I thought it had a touch of a muddy flavor. It didn't ruin the dish, but it's something I noticed. Of course, I could be completely wrong about the catfish. Whatever it was, it wasn't my favorite fish. Nonetheless, my daughter and I really enjoyed our lunch and will definitely be back to try some other things. read more

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