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Ruby's Jamaican Kitchen

4.2 (395 reviews)
ModerateCaribbean
Closed 11:00 am - 8:00 pm

Ruby's Jamaican Kitchen Photos

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RUBY'S JAMAICAN KITCHEN ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Casual
Outdoor seating
Dogs allowed

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Recommended Reviews - Ruby's Jamaican Kitchen

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Oxtail dinner with white rice, Mac & cheese and collards + ginger beer
Tiffany W.

Stopped in on a Saturday evening around 7pm. The whole time there were plenty of folks coming in and out and even a couple sitting at the table to eat. I ordered the oxtail dinner with white rice, mac and cheese, and collards. I also got a ginger beer. It took quite a while for the food because they were making the rice. Once it was ready, I was definitely surprised by the serving size. Well worth the price. Everything was tasty, but my favorites were the mac and cheese and collards! The Mac and cheese was made with fairly big shells (I'm used to elbow macaroni) and LOTS of cheese on top. I know this will sound bougie but the oxtail was difficult to eat because there was so much fat. It was easier for me to pick the meat off with my fingers. But I guess that's just how it is with oxtail! But the meat itself was tender and had just enough flavor (I ordered it because I'm not a huge spicy food eater and this was not spicy at all). If you're looking for Jamaican food in the area, this is a good spot to check out.

The best rum cake I ever had
Nikki R.

Yall!!!!!!! Woman....brothern, You have to show this black business some love. When I tell you they are doing tings right, its an understatement. Afterwork, I took a 30min drive to try their food and it was worth it. I ordered 2 dinners of the curry chicken because they had to make more brown stew chicken. So that must be a real crowd pleaser too. The curry chicken is good, moist, and full of flavor. The chocolate rum cake is TO DIE FOR. Especially if you're a chocolate lover its the perfect combo. Never had anything like it. The sorrel is on point too, spicy but still savory. I feel like it's knocking out any bacteria that I may have in my body with that kick of ginger. The customer service here is A1. Everyone that walks through that door is greeted as Miss and Mister. I appreciated that. Made me feel important. Lol they even have a bowl of complimentary candy set out and thats even good. The restaurant is clean and well organized. If you wanted to come here and sit down and eat, Its a really cozy spot if its just you and/or one other person. Its more like a carry out restaurant. Dont walk, dont run, drive your booty down route 1 to get some good tasty jamaican food, mon! Comment and thank me later! I'm shall return.

Photo showing the long waiting time. Unacceptable!
Omari B.

I gave this place a second chance, but unfortunately it was another disappointment. I ordered the oxtails online and still had to wait about 10 minutes after arriving. While the meat was tender, the seasoning was overwhelming--there was a strong cumin flavor that almost tasted like nutmeg and threw the whole dish off. I've had much better Jamaican food elsewhere.

Oxtail
Jerran N.

Another Instagram find and they did not disappoint. Drove 40 mins from DC and made it just before closing. To my surprise this place was packed with cars lined up outside waiting for food. Be prepared, you should probably order before you go as the wait was at least 20/25 minutes but I will say the food was hot, fresh and good. There isn't much for seating. One table with about 5/6 bar stools. Mostly everyone ordered to go. My wife ordered the oxtail which she said was hot, soft and pretty delicious. For $16 it was a lot of oxtail. I ordered the Jerk chicken wrap. This was far better than I expected. It was made with a combination of items inside the wrap. I couldn't tell what was what but it ended up being good. The chicken was seasoned well. We also added some coco bread and a side of festival. I missed the sugar on top of my festival so plain festival was ok. I wish there was some type of sauce. Overall this was a cool spot with solid prices and good food. Ill definitely be returning and now I know to order in advance.

Caramel Pound Cake
Leonardo C.

Food: Great Service: Great Ambiance: Great The Caramel pound cake was delicious and tasty.

Tank G.

This restaurant is located at the beginning of a residential area. There is parking available in the back of the place and along the street in front, but it can get a bit tight. this place has excellent service and serves Jamaican favorites such as jerk chicken, curry shrimp, curry goat, Jamaican fruit cake, beef patties, and salmon. I ordered the ox tail dinner, which came with 3 sides. So, I got plantains, cabbage, and collard greens. I recommend calling your order in before you come. It takes a while for you to get your food. I waited 25 minutes. The restaurant has a small dining area with a table, that was used mostly by people waiting for their food. They have Caribbean vibes music playing throughout the restaurant and a live feed of a road in Jamaica is playing on a TV. There is also some tables and chairs outside the restaurant on the side. The food was delicious. The ox tail fell right off of the bone. The collard greens tasted fresh and homemade. Even though the cabbage was not like the cabbage that I was use to, this was more like slaw, I still liked it. All of the food was flavorful and I enjoyed every bite. There was a ton of food too. I was stuffed after eating the food. I highly recommend checking tghis place out for some top notch service and some of the best Jamaican food that you will find.

Jerk shrimp
Alexis H.

We picked up some food Togo. Jerk salmon,shrimp and snapper with rice&peas/cabbage. Was it spicy? YES lol. But it was delicious. The cabbage was tender and seasoned to perfection. The rice and peas was fluffy and the sauce soaked up the jerk seasoning. The onions and peppers were nice and had a slight crunch. (I hate soggy veggies) so these were perfect. We got the lunch specials and it was the perfect amount of food. It was arguably some of the best Caribbean food I've had out here ! * I already began enjoying my food but I had to snap a quick picture*

Menu
Zaria S.

Different but in a good way. I can't tell you when the last time I had Jamaican food, but I spotted this place on the way to the gym, looked it up, saw great reviews and I was intrigued. The young lady at the front register was pleasant and had a nice smile. It's not often you see young people smiling at a job, so she's honestly worth visiting this place. I grabbed simple bites like the Mac and cheese and jerk chicken patty . The Mac and cheese was definitely seasoned like I've never had before. Had a small, but it's really a nice sized filling portion. The jerk chicken patty had nothing going on, on the exterior, it wasn't a "looker" but it was tasty with a good kick! And the pastry was a bit flaky too! Place is small, generally looked clean with a comunal table. A good couple of people walking in to pick up/order food. I appreciated the music playing, and the overall simple surroundings. But they def "put their foot" in the food here. Worth another visit so I can try some other things on the menu.

Jerk chicken
Rashad K.

It's so hard to find good Jamaican food anywhere outside of Jamaica but this place definitely meets the standard. The only reason I'm not giving 5 stars is the wait time. I'm not sure if they need help or a better organization system but waiting over an hour and a half is insane. Especially with no warning it would take so long. I don't know if it's better to order ahead because everyone was waiting a long time. However the food was worth the wait. It was amazing. The beef Pattie was also very good. Probably some of the best jerk chicken I've had outside of actual Jamaica.

BBQ Jerk Chicken
Elizabeth E.

Customer service was great. The young lady that took my order was helpful and answered questions about the menu. We ordered the jerk chicken dinner and the oxtail dinner. The jerk chicken was good The oxtails were ok but very different from oxtails I've had many places. I feel like I tasted nutmeg and I didnt like that and it was a little rougher or tougher not sure if it was cause it was near closing or not. The cabbage wasn't tender like I'm used to either. I would like to go try the fish so I can give this place another try a just hoping it was the time of night we went and maybe lunch time will be better , tender and fresher.

All the foods in my review !
Dona P.

Fabulous! Order ahead on the weekend because it takes over an hour... a well oiled machine where they're wearing gloves / hairnets / masks and churning out high quality food... lots of flavor and spice and authentic tastes !! Clean and sparse interior- great easy to access location !

Fresh patties
Jaide A.

Today I walked in to grab a snack while waiting to get the car to get detailed and I'm so glad I did!! The patties were fresh out the oven and piping hot. The patties were exceptionally good. I'm still thinking about the curry chicken patty and how perfectly seasoned it was! They were so good that I was done eating BOTH in 10-15 minutes. Curry chicken Patty: 10/10 Beef Patty: 9/10 The patties would be the best in the world if they contained a little bit more filling. The crust was the perfect amount of flakiness. I will definitely be back to have the curry chicken as a dish!

BBQ Jerk Chicken
Devon M.

Definitely a solid Jamaican food spot but a little far from us. It was about a 50 min drive for us to get here. We also learned it gets crazyyy busy here. We didn't mind waiting but be prepared that it can be around a 30 min wait or so if you don't put in an online order. But the wait was worth it. The jerk chicken was bussin . The meat patty and jerk chicken patty were also both delicious. The dinner portion comes stacked too. It costs a little more than the lunch but you get your money's worth. The Mac and cheese and the cabbage were both great sides. The ginger beer here is spicy and I love it. The service here was friendly and as fast as they could be given how busy it was when we visited. The restaurant is small but it does have a little bit of seating if you choose to eat there. Or if you want to wait inside.

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3 months ago

Very clean place and very nice people, the plates are a really good price and the food is amazing, best mac and cheese i've had in my life

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4 months ago

Amazing and authentic. You will not be disappointed. Skip the fast casual chains. This place is great!

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Que Rico - The pincho de carne (grilled marinated beef kabob)

Que Rico

4.4(69 reviews)
5.0 mi
$$
Family-owned & operated
Locally owned & operated

This place is just like Wonder. You order either online or via a kiosk for the restaurant you're…read moreinterested in. They have 7 pages of restaurants. A nice variety of different foods and cultures. I went with Que Rico, with Puerto Rican inspired cuisine. I ordered grandmas favorite or Abuelas Favorito which was rice with ham and grilled chicken. You get 2 options. I opted for red beans and fried plantains. The rice was very tasty and the smoked ham was plentiful. The grilled chicken tasted great and has many pieces. The beans were flavorful with some potatoes. The plantains were crispy and great. The sweet bread or pan sobao, was soft, large, and reminded me of food in Puerto Rico. All the ingredients and food tasted fresh and so good. Would definitely go back and try a different restaurant choice but this one was A-One.

Pretty good food if you have a craving for Puerto Rican food…read more The Pastelillos were delish. I ordered a ground beef and a chicken with cheese. They were crispy, good amount of filling and nice flavor overall. Fantastic. I think they should serve the meal with a bit more rice. The Pernil, pulled pork was sort of dry and unfortunately the large side of garilc mojo sauce (garlic oil) was sideways in the bag and by time I got it home, the oil had all leaked out into the paper bag and onto the floor mat inside my car. The mofongo bites listed as 5 bites, however I only received 4. They were on the sweet side. The masa from the plantain taste too ripe for my liking. I prefer more green plantains in my mofongo. The tostones were pretty good. The pictures made them look a bit larger, but oh well. This was my first time ordering from a ghost kitchen, and the concept is a brilliant idea because you can order from so many cuisines! You can try so many restaurants in one place. Quite amazing.

Photos
Que Rico - The pick up entrance.

The pick up entrance.

Que Rico - Burnt balls of not mofongo.

Burnt balls of not mofongo.

Que Rico - Chicken Kabob (Pincho de Pollo)

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Chicken Kabob (Pincho de Pollo)

Jerks of the Caribbean - Inside of the beef patty

Jerks of the Caribbean

4.5(64 reviews)
8.7 mi

So I honestly wavered between 4 and 5 stars, but it was the friendliness of the staff that pushed…read moreme to a 5. The food was great though! Jerk Chicken - very tender and delicious! The heat doesn't hit you right away, kinda sneaks up on you at the end, but not too hot at all. Great flavor though! Black Beans - A little on the salty side, but, holy delicious! Greens - Best greens I've ever had with no meat. Again, a little salty, but absolutely would get again. Potato salad - A+! So good! Sweet potatoes- like the candied yams style. These were more like a desert than a side. They were good though. Lemonade- the lemonade is made with dark sugar, so it almost resembles an Arnold Palmer, but it was great! The place was very clean, but the staff was A++! Almost went somewhere else, so happy I decided to come here instead!

This review is coming to you from an actual JAMAICAN. This…read moreis NOT authentic Jamaican cuisine. The menu selection was a hint: what kind of Jamaican restaurant doesn't serve plantain? In addition, there were a number of items that aren't even considered ethnic staples. I was not a fan of how the curry or brown stew looked. With that being said, not only was I disappointed with the food, I was also disappointed with the service. The things I initially ordered were not available but rather than tell me that they disappeared into the back without telling me if or when they would be ready. After playing the waiting game, I decided to order something that was already out. The oxtail was pretty good (8/10) but nothing else on my plate was worth eating, including the rice. The callaloo wasn't nasty it just wasn't right (6/10), but the cabbage was the worst (4/10). It was too much ginger? And it didn't seem cooked down all the way. I would only recommend this spot to Americans (who've never had Jamaican food).

Photos
Jerks of the Caribbean - Interior

Interior

Jerks of the Caribbean - Oxtail, Mac and cheese, callaloo greens

Oxtail, Mac and cheese, callaloo greens

Jerks of the Caribbean - Interior

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Interior

Sapodilla’s - Jerk charbroiled oysters

Sapodilla’s

4.2(95 reviews)
8.3 miAnacostia

Sapodillas came correct with all plates served. I had the jerk oysters, mango wings, oxtail and…read moresnapper dish. I cant grouse about a single matter. Each dish was cooked with tender love and care. I prefer my wings fried hard but nonetheless no crumbs were left. The jerk oysters will have you begging for more. Being that sapodillas is Guyanese owned I thought the music Played would have been culture based, I was surprised to hear commercial pop music but they changed the genre at our request. CANT WAIT TO RETURN FOR THOSE JERK OYSTERS. On my Daddy!!

Friday night in Southeast and I needed somewhere to land. Sapadillas did not disappoint…read more I walked in and the DJ was already going, the place was packed, and there were still people waiting to be seated. That's the kind of energy that tells you something before you even sit down. Two levels, a bar on the first floor, plenty of seating once things moved along. Here's the part that made me smile: happy hour is all day on Fridays. ALL day. I got a margarita with Sorrow in it (yes, that's the liqueur and yes it was delicious), brussels sprouts, and char grilled oysters. Everything on the happy hour menu was $12. Twelve dollars. I ordered the tamarind BBQ wings to go and I need you to understand that once I got home and opened that bag, it was over. Fried perfectly, sweet, sticky, and absolutely worth whatever guilt you're carrying. I'm already plotting a return visit for the oxtails. Now, Lamar. The bartender on duty that evening deserves his flowers. Within two minutes of me sitting down, I had water and a placemat in front of me. He stayed attentive the entire time without hovering, checked in on everyone around him, and genuinely made the experience feel cared for. The rest of the staff that came around were just as friendly and on point. If you're in Southeast DC and looking for a spot with good vibes, good food, and staff that actually shows up, Sapadillas is it. I will be back.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Photos
Sapodilla’s - Bar

Bar

Sapodilla’s - Branzino, Guyanese fried rice and broccolini

Branzino, Guyanese fried rice and broccolini

Sapodilla’s - Sorrel-tini

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Sorrel-tini

Bammy's Modern Caribbean - Jerk chicken wings

Bammy's Modern Caribbean

3.9(285 reviews)
8.3 miNavy Yard
$$

Food and cocktails with a KICK!!…read more I went on a slow night when it was raining. Outside seating was closed for obvious reasons and it was seated immediately inside. Decor was simple nice and neat. They're sitting at the bar and the tables. I noticed the bar seats have those little purse hooks under the table, which are nice for those so inclined. Jamaican music playing at nice volume that permitted conversation while keeping a bouncy vibe. Service was quick and friendly. I ask for recommendation between two drinks and he recommended the purple dolphin. GREAT choice, I mix a bourbon elderflower and Plum infused syrup. Headed nice flavor profile of sweet with still the bourbon kick. Jerk chicken rasta pasta was OUTSTANDING with plenty of creamy, peppery KICK. It was honestly more spicy than other rasta pastas I have had but in an excellent way. EXCELLENT experience. Will add to heavy rotation when in the Navy Yard.

Glad they served us close to closing time BUT better service practices need to be displayed…read more Greeting hostess was friendly. Bartender said he was the manager as well but did not act as so. Left the bar for several minutes while fetching "free" food for friend. Meanwhile my guest and I were still waiting on to-go boxes we requested. I did order a second drink but never got it. Ordered to go food as well was told "rice & peas" would take 25min to make I agreed to take to go along with cabbage and coco bread. Oh I also witnessed an off duty worker come in to assemble his marijuana at an open view table. Worker from the back noticed and told "manager/bartender" he was busy with other customers. That worker who noticed was able to get him to leave but he did return and left again. It was just a lot of unprofessional behavior going on. Even had to ask for my check amongst all the nonsense. Now concerning my food I ordered chicken Rasta pasta.....spicy dish. No flavor just spice. Update 13hrs later: my stomach hurtssss!! But let's talk about the side dishes to got to go: the rice was stiff. Cabbage has an overpowering vinegar taste (kinda like pickled peppers) I threw it away. First and last time for me.

Photos
Bammy's Modern Caribbean - Seating area

Seating area

Bammy's Modern Caribbean - Jerk Wings

Jerk Wings

Bammy's Modern Caribbean - Strawberry long island

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Strawberry long island

Dōgon - Smoked collard greens and cornbread

Dōgon

4.3(323 reviews)
8.3 mi
$$$$

Dogon gave my wife and me one of the best dining experiences we've ever had in our lives, and we've…read morebeen to a lot of restaurants. We came yesterday for our anniversary, and from start to finish, everything was exceptional. First, our waiter Rafael was superb. He truly made the entire experience feel top tier. Every recommendation he gave us -- from the dishes to the drinks -- was absolutely on point. His service, attention, and energy took an already amazing meal to another level. We've been to their sister restaurant, Tatiana, and really enjoyed it, but I have to say Dogon completely blew us away. The flavors, the spices, and the textures were all perfect. We had the charbroiled oysters, Benne's Bowl, Mom Dukes Shrimp, the coconut curry branzino, and finished with the rum cake. Every single dish was outstanding. The food tasted so rich, soulful, and layered -- it honestly felt like I was eating in a friend's Caribbean grandmother's home. A huge thank you to Kwame, Michael, and Rafael for making our anniversary dinner so special. We are not DMV locals, but we will absolutely be back this summer.

Celebrated my birthday here earlier this year. The food, service, and music were all fantastic…read more Additionally there was a delay with our oxtail dish in the kitchen, after our greens dish had already been brought out and got cold because we wanted to enjoy the dishes together. I say this to say our server was very attentive and made sure to have the kitchen bring us out another hot greens dish at the same time as our oxtail dish, WITHOUT us asking. Top notch customer service and attention to detail. Definitely a great experience with the ambiance to match.

Photos
Dōgon - Entry

Entry

Dōgon - Wagyu, smoked collard greens, cornbread

Wagyu, smoked collard greens, cornbread

Dōgon - Chargrilled oysters

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Chargrilled oysters

Ruby's Jamaican Kitchen - caribbean - Updated May 2026

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