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    King Barka

    3.3 (124 reviews)
    Open Open 24 hours
    Updated over 3 months ago

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    Brown Stew Chicken   No flavor. Packed poorly.
    Lisa J.

    I ordered the stew chicken off of Uber Eats. It was buy one get one and I got the collard greens. Everything was tasteless. The stew chicken came with rice and peas and steamed cabbage. The cabbage was old the rice taste like water the gravy for the brown stew chicken was Ronnie. I would never order from this place again I even got collard greens that were flavorless.

    A$6 fried chicken plate with cabbage, rice and peas
    Teddy S.

    I saw this on Instagram recently and knew I had to try it. Lo and behold I found myself in Harlem one day and I made a bee line! There was a short line in front of this take-out only spot. It truly is the definition of no frills. There is barely enough room for two customers to stand side by side. A menu is available above the counter otherwise everything is behind plexiglass. The cuisine is Jamaican - Caribbean. Stew peas, brown-stew chicken, curry goat and chicken, oxtail and more are on deck. I asked for the small curry chicken, but they were out! I panicked and got the fried chicken. It looked she was about to tell me they were out of that as well. But she went in the back and in about 5 minutes I was walking out the door with a nice heavy plate. I was shocked at how heavy it was considering I got the small $6 famous plate. No wonder Instagram was going crazy for this! I got three pieces of drums, a healthy amount of rice and peas and a smaller but equally healthy portion of steamed cabbage that also included corn and green beans. It was absolutely delicious. The chicken was moist and succulent, the cabbage was seasoned well and the rice and peas didn't have as much coconut flavor in it, which was pretty nice. I went back a second time and got curry chicken plate. To be honest I was not impressed at all. It had the right elements and the right colors but there is practically no flavor to it at all. I think it was rushed and didn't have much time to simmer. It was a little disappointing! I'm still giving it five stars for the fill up Factor alone. I'll update when I try the oxtail!

    3:30 on a Sunday, almost nothing available. 20 minute wait for Mac and other items.
    Simone H.

    You must be joking...This can't be the "must try" Jamaican food spot in Harlem? Absolutely not. The food was not fresh, they were out of a lot of things, it did not taste good and had little to no flavor and even though it was cheap, it still wasn't worth the the price for the taste. I do not recommend this place at all. As a Jamaican, I've experienced and had some great Jamaican Food, some mid Jamaican Food, and some awful Jamaican Food. This is less than mid, closer to awful if you ask me. No. The line? Makes no sense. These people literally have the most vanilla taste buds ever if they think this is good and authentic.

    Yasmine B.

    TRASH SERVICE. DISAPPOINTING SERVICE. RUDE SERVICE. IGNORANT SERVICE. I've dined at this place many times, but unfortunately, this recent experience was incredibly disappointing and overshadowed the quality of their food. We preordered our meal, took a rideshare to pick it up, and arrived prepared with our order confirmation. Despite providing all the necessary details--confirmation number, name, address, phone number, order contents, and time placed--the staff made it unnecessarily difficult for us to receive the food we had already paid for (at an overpriced rate, no less). To make matters worse, I ended up waiting over 40 minutes for my preorder while watching numerous people, who ordered after me, walk in and out of the store with their food. Adding insult to injury, I was hit with an overcharge from the rideshare service due to the delay. This wasn't a one-time issue, either--I've had a similar frustrating experience at both of their locations. The food is undeniably good, but the lack of organization and poor customer service make it hard to justify the hassle. If they can't improve their service, it's hard to imagine continuing to support this establishment!

    Shrimp Rasta pasta
    JoAnne C.

    The workers were very nice and kind. We got five different meals for $6 and most of it tasted bad & cheap. Rice and Peas with cabbage was okay. I think the cooks are African and not Jamaican. The food doesn't taste like authentic Jamaican food at all. I wouldn't go back again. My family didn't like the food at all. Tik Tok really hyped this place up.

    Oxtail
    Messiah T.

    Was around the neighborhood and was craving the delicious, tender, sweetness of some oxtails. This place popped up on google maps and onward I went. The location is absolutely tiny and you can surely expect to wait outside on the line that forms out there being that the location is so small. Service wise King Barka is decent, you can definitely tell that the employees there are overworked. I heard later on that social media gave this restaurant some visibility; so you can definitely imagine how busy it can get. Onto the oxtails. I am a bit of an oxtail connoisseur and I've developed an eye test skill that tells me whether or not im about to have good tails or not. With that being said these oxtails passed my eye test; I've grown to learn that the darker they are the more savory they are. Upon first bite the oxtail was falling off of the bone and was just so flavorful. After I finished my order of oxtails with rice and peas I was licking my face like scooby-doo and licking the aluminum plate the food came in. This is my go-to oxtail spot from now on. If I could give 20 stars I would

    Tonya H.

    Good every time and all the time. You need oxtails come here Asap! You need Jerk? Come! You need snapper? Come! You need some good Jamaican meal??? Come!!!!

    The brown is the burnt cheese

    I went to get mac & cheese and before I left, I was feeling grateful to the hospitality and offered a tip. it wasn't until I reached back to my destination that I realized I was served a burnt piece that was barely edible. Upon my discovery I decided to go back to get an exchange for a better piece. It was shared with me that all the pieces were the same, and I wouldn't get a piece without any burnt areas.

    Yams, Mac and cheese, red velvet cake with butter cream frosting

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    18 days ago

    Good food, good prices and nice girls working there, no attitude. Wish there was one in queens

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    1 year ago

    Fantastic Jamaican food to go only. The place is small, but the food is great. The service is good. The folks are considerate.

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    9 months ago

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    5 months ago

    best authentic jamaican cuisine. jerk chicken always gone quick so if it's available get it with the jerk sauce.

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    3 years ago

    Awesome. Got some curried chicken with cabbage & rice and some macaroni. Super flavorful, legit food, and good service. Highly recommended!

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    4 years ago

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    Page 1 of 4

    Ask the Community - King Barka

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    Jasmine's Caribbean Cuisine

    Jasmine's Caribbean Cuisine

    4.2
    (523 reviews)
    4.5 mi
    $$
    Minority-owned & operated
    Vegetarian friendly

    Hey Foodies, If…read moreyou're ever in the Times Square area and looking for some great Caribbean food and vibes.. this place has exactly that. They check off all the boxes. Friendly welcoming smiles as soon as you walk in, clean, great music, tasty drinks, and the food?! ..A1! No misses! I will definitely be coming back to dine again. To the owners.. whoever you are, you did your thing w. this restaurant! Fellow Foodies, you won't be disappointed if you give this place a try.

    Jasmine's is super colorful and vibrant. We walked there from our hotel in Times Square, so super…read moreconvenient location on restaurant row. We went on Sunday at about 5:30/45 and the host said there was a wait as he was waiting for parties with reservations. So we found a reservation on open table for 6pm. Still, we waited about an hour to be seated. There shouldn't have been open reservations without table availability. The host was super nice so no blame to him but still, this was a miss for the restaurant. Others left due to the wait time. I ordered the stew chicken, my friend had the curry chicken and my sister the oxtail. They enjoyed their meals, but my chicken was overcooked and chewy. The flavor was great, however. The cabbage and rice and peas were just ok. I had the mango mojito mocktail. That was tasty and was a good amount. Lastly, we ordered the bread pudding. When we saw it, it didn't look like traditional bread pudding nor did it look very appetizing. The taste was worse than the look. It tasted like it was downed in alcohol and was hard. I couldn't eat the bite I took. We sent this back, unfortunately. So, there were good and not so good parts of my experience here.

    Photos
    Dinner and appetizers
    Dinner and appetizers
    Front Entrance at Jasmine's Caribbean Cuisine
    Front Entrance at Jasmine's Caribbean Cuisine
    Chef Basil Jones and Owner Jasmine Gerald

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    Chef Basil Jones and Owner Jasmine Gerald
    S'Aimer

    S'Aimer

    4.6
    (81 reviews)
    4.5 mi

    We were able to get a last-minute reservation at 7p on the Sunday before Memorial Day and entered…read morewhat was a pretty empty establishment. There were only 2 other parties seated and we were seated immediately upon arrival. It's fairly dark inside and the decor reminds me a bit of New Orleans. I enjoyed the ambiance. The drinks were great! I had the cocobella while he had margaritas. The table bread was hot and fresh, so make sure they bring it to the table for you. We had the mussels for an appetizer, lamb chops and bass. EVERYTHING was excellent! The flavor of the broth for the mussels was Devine, so much so my husband used his bread to sop up all he could. The bass had great flavor and came with sautéed spinach that was well cooked. It initially looked like a small portion but turned out to be plenty. The lamb chops were cooked to the requested temp and seasoned well. We left no crumbs. This one is definitely worth a try!

    If you're going to see a Broadway show, plan on stopping here to enjoy some delicious food. This…read moreplace has such a smooth, sexy vibe. Staff are lovely. Decide is classy cool. The food is perfection. The pulled oxtails are delicious. Gave me goosebumps. The fish was cooked to perfection. The sweet plantains were perfect. The drinks were done very well too. It's a bit expensive, but you get what you pay for! YUMMY

    Photos
    Greenery in The Garden at S'Aimer NYC
    Greenery in The Garden at S'Aimer NYC
    The Garden at S'Aimer NYC. A place for quiet conversation in the heart of Restaurant Row.
    The Garden at S'Aimer NYC. A place for quiet conversation in the heart of Restaurant Row.
    Set up for private event at S'Aimer NYC.

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    Set up for private event at S'Aimer NYC.
    Jumieka Grand

    Jumieka Grand

    4.4
    (51 reviews)
    4.9 mi

    Just arrived and was ready for a late lunch about three and walked down the street to see the…read moreJamaica flag waving at us. Got to the front and was surprised at the spelling of Jamaica. Immediately was intrigued and figured the menu would be just as interesting. The best thing about the place was our phenomenal hostess, waiter, bartender and maître d', Janiel. She has like 6 jobs and I know she somebody boss. The menu had great choices and the presentation was excellent. The place was decorated on the higher end of Caribbean tastes and drew in a diverse crowd. Will definitely be back. Chef was on point! Thanks guys!

    I had just come back from my sister's wedding in Jamaica and was craving some good Caribbean food,…read moreso I was excited to find Jumeika Restaurant--the name alone already had me hopeful. We stopped in before heading to a concert, and overall the food really hit the spot. We ordered the rasta pasta with chicken and the oxtails with rice and peas, plus patties as appetizers. Everything was flavorful, well-seasoned, and honestly reminded me of the food I had in Jamaica. Definitely satisfied my craving. The ambiance was cute and had a nice vibe, and the drinks were good as well. The only downside was the service--it was a bit slow since there seemed to be only one waiter covering the entire restaurant. Because of that, I'd probably avoid coming here if I'm on a tight schedule. That said, I'd definitely come back again when I have more time to relax and enjoy the experience.

    Photos
    Our upper level dining area
    Our upper level dining area
    Beef Patty
    Beef Patty
    Jamaican Rum Punch

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    Jamaican Rum Punch
    Margon

    Margon

    4.2
    (903 reviews)
    4.5 mi
    $$

    Sometimes you don't need a fancy reservation... you just need a tiny spot, loud kitchen, and food…read morethat hits like a heavyweight champ. Walked into Margon Restaurant in Midtown and instantly felt like I found one of NYC's secret cheat codes. Small space, big flavors, zero nonsense. The kind of place where you're elbow-to-elbow with strangers but everyone's united by one thing... serious hunger. Ordered the Cuban sandwich -- pressed, crispy, loaded with roast pork, glazed ham, Swiss, pickles, and mustard. One bite in and I stopped talking... which never happens. This thing didn't just deliver... it showed up early and over-prepared. Then came La Bandera Dominicana Braised beef swimming in savory gravy, yellow rice piled like a mountain, black beans doing their thing, and sweet maduros sitting on top like the victory flag. Simple. Comforting. Dangerous... because now I want it every week. Place gets busy, gets loud, gets chaotic... but it moves like a well-oiled machine. Years of experience and zero attitude. Just good people making great food. In a neighborhood full of tourist traps, this hole-in-the-wall is throwing haymakers. Sometimes the best escape in NYC isn't a rooftop... It's a Cuban sandwich and a plastic tray. And honestly... I'd pick that every time. #nycfood #hiddennyc #midtowneats

    Got here just before the lunch crowd - this place is a hole in the wall in the middle of Times…read moreSquare. There were lots of choices available - we chose the fried chicken chunks and the Cuban sandwich. All were very tasty - would have been awesome if the chicken pieces were boneless but it was still good regardless. We were able to sit down and ate the food there to keep it nice and fresh.

    Photos
    Margon
    Maybe mold on corner piece of Flan. Something go me ill an hour later.
    Maybe mold on corner piece of Flan. Something go me ill an hour later.
    Closeup of the Cuban Sandwich.

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    Closeup of the Cuban Sandwich.

    King Barka - caribbean - Updated July 2026

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