Good food .. first timer and really enjoyed the experience .. went for a lunch .. lunch specials are good for 5.99 but less qty.. and so we went for a small size lunch (8.99 I guess) .. we then realized smalll size was too much for us and we should have ordered lunch special :) Had jerk and stew chick.. jerk was amazing .. I loved stew too .. jerk could have been more spicy but that's just my taste bud . Stew was perfect .. rice was really really hot and freshly made .. it was kinda crowded with high schoolers .. so try going there before 12. Also loved the ginger sorrell.. home made was sold out unfortunately.. we hence got the bottled one .. They had a parking at the backside which helped us . Parking on streets is a pain.. Overall a good experience.. good service .. 4/5 read more

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Everything about this place is five stars! To start the food is delicious. If you go here and dont get the oxtails your missing out big time! The oxtails are amazingly tender the meat falls right off the bone. The next time I went I got the jerk chicken, fries and plantain special (extra jerk sauce of course) and wow. They give you so much chicken and the shoestring fries soaked in all that jerk sauce is incredible. The ladys who work the counter are very friendly too! I will definitely be back to try more of their food read more

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The food here is solid. I've tried the jerk chicken, stewed chicken, curry goat, and oxtail. They were all very good. The jerk chicken was nicely charred and had a nice smokey flavor. The goat and oxtail were fall off the bone tender. My only small complaint is the rice to protein ratio. I feel like the balance is a little off. There's just way too much rice compared to the amount of protein you get. read more

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Good good!!! Best in the area coming from a true Brooklyn person that knows about good Caribbean food!

This is a nice Jamaican owned restaurant. I walked in and ordered takeout... It did take a long time however the food was good... Not great. I ordered a Jamaican beef patty and oxtail. It was nothing really spectacular. However I wanted to go support a local black owned business. read more

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Very, very solid place for authentic Jamaican - unlike your typical restaurant experience. I came with a group of 5 and we split all the apps and entrees for the full, Yelp-certified experience. Here's a sampling of what came our way: * Pepper shrimp: We got the last 3. No problem, we passed them around. They're still in the shell but the spicy, saucy flavor permeates. Now I know why they came recommended by the waitress. 5 stars. * Jamaican patties: Eh. I think they're the frozen, commercial variety, not made in house. 1 star. Don't offer it if you don't make it. * Oxtail: Mind the bones. Sauce was a bit thick and cloying. 3 stars. * Curry goat: I love goat. This was easy. 4.5 stars. * Jerk chicken: Sort of like tandoori chicken with different spices. Not as "fall off the bone" as I expected, but still delicious. Also came with an extra bowl of jerk sauce that brought a LOT more heat than the dish itself. (It was brought out because of our sheer number and all the dishes we ordered - don't expect it if dining with 1 or 2.) But damn, that sauce bowl. 4+ stars. * Jerk shrimp: Didn't need extra sauce to feel this heat. One of the hottest dishes around, but succulent. Perfection of seafood. 5 stars. * Fish escoviche: You're asking me what this fish was, but I took home the leftover. You get two fish in a large, which is enough for two people or tomorrow's dinner. They come whole, so I hope you like your dinner staring at you while you eat and threatening you with its teeth. (The best meat's above the eyes. There, I said it.) Another perfect use of spices and dry-fried. 5- stars. * Rum cake: Only two of us brought this home for dessert, and the other 3 had to be jealous. You could taste all the rum and spices. It's not sweetened to American tastes, but it's addictive. 5- stars. Side note: I did find at least one hair in my food. That doesn't bother me as much as it does many people, but I feel the need to mention it. I just put it aside and kept eating. It does not factor into my rating, since it did not ruin my enjoyment. read more

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The food here is delicious! I get jerk chicken, rice and peas, plantains, cabbage (you can get salad too), with extra gravy and a side of gravy. The gravy (sauce) is spicy and delicious. I usually get a small, and it's enough for two meals. The beef patties and bun and cheese are also delicious. You have to park on the street, which can be a little difficult. Many Yelp reviews say the service is slow; I came here on a beautiful Saturday around 2 PM. My friend and I were in and out in less than 10 mins. For the amount of food you're getting, the prices are great. Overall, it's a wonderful place for your Jamaican food fix! read more

Mac West Indian Restaurant & Ice Cream - Clockwise: bun and cheese, small jerk chicken with rice and peas, plantains, cabbage and extra gravy, beef patty - Caribbean Near Me - Hackensack, New Jersey

I have to give this spot 5 stars, no really.... I do! Ordered goat soup, curry goat entree and I'm so darn happy with my choose. The price matches the large food portions. Let's not even speak on favour...Yum Yum. After a totally hectic day at work and sucky traffic, I'm so happy I found this spot. This is a must try! read more

It says here they're open. But they are closed. They need to update their info. Don't wast people's time.

Paid my first visit to this spot for dinner this weekend and I have to say it's pretty solid. My friend got the jerk chicken. I'm not eating meat right now so I got the roti with curry shrimp (my friend told me it that roti was actually prepared like dahl puri because it had the chickpeas between the layers). I didn't taste the chicken (next time) but it smelled delicious and authentic. My roti was great and a really good portion. I had to take most of it home. A lot of people are complaining about the wait. My friend's jerk chicken was ready right away but my curry shrimp roti took a little longer. I mean, unless you're going to a Jamaican spot to buy a beef patty, you can't expect to walk out right away all the time. The food is real authentic food. It's not McDonald's. It is worth the wait. They're cool with me. read more

Its pretty simple, I live in Colorado and we don't have a strong West Indian presence out here. When I make my way to Hackensack, I MAKE SURE I pay a visit to Mac's. You can never go wrong with jerk chicken with rice and peas, anything curry is outstanding. This past time I went I had the jerk pork and it was just as good as the jerk chicken. I always ask for some extra sauce (oxtail gravy) or jerk sauce to put on top of my rice and peas. This takes the food to the next level! If you are in the area, stop buy. Even if you don't care too much for West Indian food (what in the hell is wrong with you) they have other options such as chicken wings, hamburgers, and a lot of other American fare options. Last but not least, be patient, when you get food here it isn't a sprint, its a marathon. If you want good food, cooked with love, then you have to wait :) Mac's... I don't know when I will be back, but if I have family come out to Colorado, I will make sure they will bring me some on the plane! That how you know a place is good... read more

My favorite Jamaican breakfast place!!! You gotta come before 10am if you wanna try their awesome ackee with boiled dumplings! It's a popular breakfast dish so make sure you come early if you want to secure your portion. The only complaint I have is the slow service but I'm willing to wait and even give 4 stars because their ackee really rocks!! read more

Mid at the very best. If you want authentic but mediocre Jamaican food then it is a good spot. I'm not sure what happened but when it comes to portion and taste, this place changed. I used to frequent it maybe ten years or so ago and recently moved back to the area and its not the same. decent, i guess. PATTIES ARE STILL AMAZING FROM HERE!! but thats it --as far as amazing goes read more

One of the best Jamaican spots in the north jersey area. Every weekend I get my ackee & saltfish or calaloo for breakfast. Fried dumpling nice to! read more

Delicious food! I ordered cornmeal Porridge and the Callaloo special and it was amazing, some of the best Jamaican food I had in a while. The service was really good as well. I definitely recommend read more

Mac's is legit and open for breakfast. I ordered salt fish with okra for pick up and it nearly brought tears to my eyes. Yes, it was that good. read more

Mac West Indian Restaurant & Ice Cream - Salt fish and Okra. Breakfast of champs - Caribbean Near Me - Hackensack, New Jersey

Real Jamaican food Their jerk chicken is the best I ever had and i believe it's smoked out back in there big smoker sign of real Jamaican bbq read more

Let's get the positive stuff out the way first. The food here is very good. It's on par with the other Jamaican restaurants I've patronized. I've been going to Mac's since they opened and I was in high school. It used to be a small, extremely crowded place. But over the years, they bought out the building and expanded. I always get take out, but they have table service and on Sundays I believe there is a buffet. Okay.... So, my main issue is the service. 90% of the time I feel as though I'm bothering the person behind the counter. There's always this annoyed and exasperated "Can I help you?" It's not just me, they do it with other customers (unless their friends come in). But it's like, whatever. This isn't a fine dining experience. But if I come in, and give you a chipper hello, please be somewhat courteous. We also used to order food by phone a lot. We would tell them we'd pick it up in about 15-20 minutes. Every time, without fail, the food is never ready. In a way I understand, because I'm sure people have placed orders and never picked up. But then I have to wait there for like 25-30 minutes. It's a good thing I never have anything planned after going there, or I'd always be late. Other than that, the place is clean. The food is good. However, I'm now a fan of the new kid on the block, 14 Parish on Anderson Street. The food is better, VERY plentiful, and the staff is really polite and helpful. So, I'll still go to Mac if I can't make it to 14 Parish. read more

I love this place! Good portions, good price and the food is alway on point. It's like good authentic home cooked West Indian food. The owner and staff are nice and it is one of my favorite places to order from when I need a good meal to feed my family but don't have time to cook. read more

My husband and I went on a Wednesday night for dinner and we really enjoyed ourselves. I had the curried goat, which came with rice and peas and a salad. My husband had the oxtail, also with rice and peas and salad. Both meals were perfect, meat so juicy and tender! Along side our meals some pink ting. Dawn and the rest of her staff were very friendly and always made sure we were ok. We left with a smile on our faces and our bellies full. Big up Mac! read more

Mac West Indian Restaurant & Ice Cream - Oxtail, rice and peas and salad. - Caribbean Near Me - Hackensack, New Jersey

Jerk chicken with the rice & peas + cabbage & plaintains is OFFICIAL. read more

Mac West Indian Restaurant & Ice Cream - Jerk Chicken, Rice & Peas, Plantains, Cabbage. OFFICIAL. - Caribbean Near Me - Hackensack, New Jersey

The food is good however not consistent love the beef patties for sure though when they work on the in consistency of serving good food Mac will surely be a five star restaurant. read more

Great little shop, this is my go-to spot when im Jonesing for some West Indian food. I'm from Queens and always used to pop in for West Indian food by Liberty Ave, so the bar has been set high and this place is up to par. Serving sizes are tremendous and the food is consistently good, fresh ingredients. Def pop into this little gem if you in the neighborhood! read more

Mac West Indian Restaurant & Ice Cream - Menu... - Caribbean Near Me - Hackensack, New Jersey

late post from July 18 dinner - always wanted to try jerk chicken since I'm a huge spicy fan. stopped off here & picked up small size extra spicy jerk chicken w sweet plantains, salad over rice & beans. at first, lady behind the counter was like blah but she lit up & smiled after I told her, never had jerk chicken and am super excited. she even gave me a side of the extra spicy sauce! the jerk chicken was tender & semi moist, sweet plantains weren't bad if you're a fan (took a small bite for taste), salad was crisp & minimum, rice/beans had great texture. the chicken/rice can use a little more seasoning but the side of extra spicy sauce made up for it. read more

Mac West Indian Restaurant & Ice Cream - small order of jerk chicken w rice/beans - Caribbean Near Me - Hackensack, New Jersey

Best West Indian food in Hackensack with some good ole island service charm! We order their breakfast and oxtails. Always good for 5 plus years I've serviced this family establishment. The run out of food fast is my only complaint but that shows how they are a stable in Hackensack for really good Caribbean cuisine. read more

My mom and I went in on a Saturday. It was not busy, but when we came in, no one welcomed us. The ladies who were working acted like we were not even there. One walked in the kitchen and started talking and laughing with someone else. We finally was able to place out order. It did not take too long to get our food, and we left. We both ordered the oxtails meal. I found them to be a little fatty and not a lot of meat but my mother said hers were fine. We got the small size, which was a nice size portion. It totaled about $15 for each. I think next time I will stick with the jerk chicken though. read more

The curry chicken roti was the best I ever had. I also loved their rice and oxtails it had a lot of meat on it.

The breakfast here is ALWAYS a 5....but honestly...the lunch is almost never that.Im not sure if the chefs are different but it there is a major difference in taste and quality.The sides are awesome! Festivals and plantains are a must & food is packaged really well for delivery. read more

Where to start? Okay, if you're looking for a place to run in and out this is NOT the place. I've been told people from the Caribbean are slow but damn they take the cake. I go in often and order Jerk Chicken w/ Rice and Peas and Plantain (I'll get to this shortly) and it usually take me almost half an hour to get out of the place. If you guys are reading this you should learn to acknowledge a customer when they walk to the door with phrases such as "Hello, Hi, Please give me a minute, etc". Instead of the latter they look at you and carry on bagging someones food in what seems to take almost 6.4 minutes. That's not including the 5 minutes it takes them to ring you up followed by the 2.23 minutes it takes them to walk less than 2 feet to hand you back your change. If you walk in and order to take out you're looking at 25 to 30 minutes by the time they look at you, take your order, come out with it, bag it up, ring you up, walk back with your change. Now on to the next thing: The Plantains. There's no reason that you only give two small pieces of plantain with a large order. Really? I decided on my last visit to order a side order of plantain for the extra $2 which brings 4 pieces. I open my food and I get 4 medium sized ones and two small tiny pieces (you know the end of the banana). You know you are messing up when you even have Jamaicans in there complaining about the amount of plantain in their native tongue (patois). Aside from these inconveniences I have NEVER been disappointed by the food. The following are tips I have learned to shave off at least 6 minutes from this excruciating wait time. 1. Place your order and whip out your wallet immediately so you can pay and get that out of the way. 2. Bag your own food. 3. Make sure you order your drink immediately as well because if you forget you're in for an additional wait of at least 5-8 minutes. 4. If you can call it in that may help but you will need to fight to the death to make it to the front and get your food. Make sure you wear some elbow protection. 5. If possible carry a Plaintain with you and have them fry it for you. I'm sure they'll charge you at least $2 to use their oil. If not, I usually carry some Coconut Oil with me they could use to fry them. I kid, I kid but the thought had crossed my mind. Pros: Good food and very flavorful. Cons: - Staff takes their sweet time completing every task. - Might need play some games on your phone while you wait. read more

I've tried most of the caribbean spots in my area. Their oxtail was by far my favorite. Everything else is great too. Steamed fish, jerk chicken, etc. Staff is awesome as well! read more

Food is great. Customer service is poor. I've waited once at the counter without receiving service for about 20 mins. Other than that no complaints. read more

My wonderful Jamaican coworker highly recommended this place, so I figured it was worth taking a shot. WOW. The Jerk Chicken was ON THE MONEY. Wonderful seasoning, smokiness, and tang. The rice and peas were ladled with Jerk Gravy per my request. YUM. Steamed Cabbage and Coco bread, and a side of Oxtail which was utterly succulent and tender. This was my dinner and breakfast the following day. GONE!!! The staff was friendly and helpful. I am looking forward to many more delicious meals. :) read more

This restaurant is obviously not equipped to take delivery orders. I ordered my food at 11:50am through grubhub, they called me at 12:08pm to tell me they were out of something I ordered, I missed their call and called them back at 12:23pm. I was pleased they called me to let me know they were out but it's now 1:34pm and I had to call them to ask them where my order was. With an attitude, they lady on the phone asked if she can call me back. I asked her why? is the food on the way. She proceeded to tell me she doesn't know the guy is out that's why she has to call me back. I have never heard of anything like that before in my life. I will NEVER order from them again. If you cannot handle delivery orders, you shouldn't. It is now 1:46pm and she has yet to call me back. FURIOUS! read more

Not consistent with their meal some day it's okay and on some days its off. The staff for some reason take your order then bring the very same stuff you ask them to exclude. Overall they need to pay more attention and cut down on the salt as the jerk chickien is way too salty thats like high blood pressure in the making. I stop going there as i ordered a large B.B.Q chicken meal n i waited for more than ten minutes then they brought out a small meal instead and when i ask why a small rather than the large i order he told me thats the serving they had left. Thats not good customer service as i could have order something else during that waiting period n what made the matter worst as i know something was odd as it seems that meal was back there for some time and giving them the benefit of the dought i still took it. I almost had was to go to the emegency room that night as it was infact not fresh at all my stomach was upset and was in flame i took a few over the counter meds and got relief a few hours after. My point is they rather to loose a cutomer than to loose a sale and it seems that they rather income over individuals heath. For me never again and i will not recommend anyone to go there. they should be close down and out of business . life do matter and health comes first!!! read more

They have the rudest and nastiest women working in this restaurant. Their faces are always screwed up and the food is not that great. I rarely go in here now. I travel 25 minutes to go to a west indian restaurant in Teaneck because they are more pleasant. . I went in today and was ignored and had to deal with looks that were not appropriate to be on the faces of people working with the public. I lfet. I refuse to spend my money in places like this. I will not go back. read more

Delicious Jamaican food: oxtail, jerk chicken, peas and rice, cabbage. Excellent service.

I cannot say enough about this fabulous restaurant I have been a patron there for over 15 years and the quality has not changed. They consistently cook up exquisitely cooked meals with a Jamaican flair that warms the heart. Many cultures from far and wide even as far as New York , come to check out this little gem. you will not be disappointed. I particularly like the curried shrimp. Just note that because it is delicacy you have to special order it 20 minutes in advanced; but it is well worth the wait. read more

Every time I visit or order for delivery my food is hot and fresh! Very flavorful and seasoned. Portions are always on point with a great price point. Everything from breakfast to dinner. You will not be disappointed. My favorite is the jerk chicken, rice and peas, and steamed cabbage. Head over and get your Caribbean fix ! read more

I've been going to Mac's for over 10 years and customer service and food haven't been consistent these past few years. When I first started going Ms. Joan, Nikki and the crew were amazing as far as customer service, these new young ladies have the worst attitudes. However Junior and another young man are super friendly and helpful. Came here a few weeks ago and asked for a curry chicken patty and a young lady immediately told me "it's no more" another worker turned around and said "yes we do", that was strike 1. I came in a few days ago and order a chicken soup and asked what exactly was in the soup .. i couldn't believe this woman said "chicken" and looked at me like i was asking a ridiculous question. Pretty sure they have more than just chicken in the damn soup, I immediately walked out. Overall the curry chicken patties, brown stew snapper, beef patty with cheese and a couple other dishes are amazing. The customer service is horrible. read more

Where do I begin? First, don't expect to be acknowledged when you walk in. I went in after lunch time on my way back to work after an appointment. It's close to 2 p.m. and there are maybe 4 customers at the counter. Great, I'll be in and out, I'm thinking.The woman behind the counter clearly cannot multitask. I'm waiting about 6 minutes for her to finish up with ONE customer. Not because the order was large, but because she was that slow. The woman only asked for a drink to compete her order and that took six minutes. Then she disappears to the back and I'm noticing the gentleman next to me checking his phone to see the time since he was there before I was. Also, there's a guy behind the counter chit chatting with a girl at the end of the counter and doing ABSOLUTELY nothing. Okay. Then, the woman comes back and announces "who's next?" Maybe if you acknowledged your customers when they came in, you'd know. She takes the man's order and disappears to the back. After a few minutes, she reappears, not with his food, but pulling up something on her phone to show to another customer WHO ALREADY HAS THEIR FOOD. 2 more customers walk in and they're not acknowledged either. I saw 5 people working and no one acknowledged a single customer. One woman was on the phone taking an orders, so I can't knock her, but I doubt she would have been any more cordial. Finally, I had to leave and as I'm walking out, I hear her asking "next customer?" I continued walking. Who knows how long it would have been before I even got my food. There are no menus anywhere. You have no idea what they have that day. I will never patronize such rude behavior. Maybe it's cultural, but inappropriate nonetheless. read more