Are you kidding me? Duck, pork, beef, fish--every single dish was superbly prepared. I honestly…read morecan't think of one thing I didn't enjoy. We showed up on a Thursday evening without reservations, and they had no problem seating our party of three. For the level of flavor and execution, the portion sizes were surprisingly generous. It's been over two hours since we left, and I'm still thinking about the meal--that says everything. Great job, St. James. BB

St James - Modern Caribbean knows exactly what it's doing, and more importantly, it doesn't…read moreoverexplain it. Start with the Aloo and Channa pies and crab accras, order a cocktail early, and do not be surprised if your server is already one step ahead of you. We let Tim lead, which was the right decision. Not just knowledgeable, intuitive. The kind of service where you feel guided, not managed. He brought extra garlic aioli before we asked, we laughed, because he was absolutely right. That set the tone. The Aloo and Channa pies came out crisp and golden, with a filling that was warm, spiced, and balanced. Not heavy, not trying to prove anything, just well executed. The crab accras followed, light, clean fry, no grease, which matters. The sauces did their job. Each one added something instead of just sitting there looking pretty. Cocktails held their own. The West Indian Old Fashioned had depth without getting muddy. The Savannah was bright and easy in the best way. Together, they framed the food instead of competing with it. Then the Bake & Fish sandwiches. Solid on their own, but Tim brought lemon slices without prompting, and that was the move. That little hit of acid sharpened everything. Same intuition, twice. That's not luck. The kitchen shows restraint, which is where the confidence lives. This isn't "let's throw spice at it and call it Caribbean." The flavor is intentional, layered, and controlled. You can taste the difference. The only thing to know, the energy builds. What starts as dinner leans toward lounge as the night goes on. If you want quiet, time it right. If you want atmosphere, you're exactly where you should be. We will definitely be back.

I love her lunch specials! The curry chicken is my fave. Consistently good Jamaican food.read more

the best jerk chicken. she has got that down to perfection…read moreand everything is very consistent. disco razz recommends

I guess this place is just now reopening because the restaurant was empty. Although we were the…read moreonly patrons in there, the DJ was rockingggggggg!!! Every song he played was a bop. The food was . This was my first time trying Doubles and It was so good. If you're a fan of chickpeas and curry, it's a great starter. I had the mixed platter with curry chicken, curry shrimp and oxtail with basmati rice and spinach. It was sooooooo delicious. A healthy portion so I was able to take half home. Parking is horrible so brace yourself. I'm going back for sure!

So I have actually tasted this before and thought it was so amazing I need to go to the new…read morerestaurant! For me the service was excellent. I mean there was only another couple at the time I visited but also the food came out quickly so huge plus! And the restaurant is spacious and casual so enough space for large parties. Overall I enjoyed it but there are a couple things that fell short! I ordered the chicken roti platter. 1.The roti! It's a very small portion served in a small coconut shaped bowl compared to the amount of food you got on the platter. I thought more was coming and unfortunately it was balled up in shredded little pieces that were kind of dry and i couldn't eat it properly with my sides. I thought maybe I had a bad batch but my friend had the same portion and complaint. Unfortunately no pic of that. 2: Honestly the plating is meant to be aesthetically pleasing but it was very hard to eat bone-in chicken out of a bowl on a saucer full of more bowls with a knife and fork. It was better when I took it to go and had a plate at home. Please reconsider this for the diners experience. 3. The doubles was my fave! It's a small app but very delicious and had a slight kick to it.

Family owned spots are my thing!! Especially when those spots have been around for a good minute!!…read moreLet me show you a Trinidadian bakery that YOU need to know about!! Let's GO!! . Where I am: @crownbakerydc . Location Reviewed: 5409 Georgia Ave., N.W. Washington D.C. . Items Reviewed: LIKE THAT! Their Pies ($4.75 for their Trinidadian Beef Pie, $4.75 for their Trinidadian Curry Chicken Pie, $4.99 for their Salt Fish Roll). The fresh breading on these pies, & the flavorful STAMP!! Their Buss Up ($17.99 with curried chicken, chickpeas, with a curry mango sauce, a pepper sauce, & a kuchela sauce-with mangoes, hot peppers, & garlic-,& a soft flatbread to scoop up your food). Perfectly seasoned, plentiful, a super soft bread, & saucy!! STAMP!! Their Jerk Chicken Platter ($17.99 with jerk chicken, Callao, cabbage, rice & peas, & plantains). It didn't look like it, but that jerk chicken & rice had a delayed spicy hit! The callalo , plantains, & cabbage were LIKE THAT! STAMP!! Their Curry Goat Roll ($16.99 with curry goat, & chickpeas, with curry dusted flatbread). Tender goat meat, with a savory curry sauce, this will fill you up!! STAMP!! Their Doubles & Saltfish ($4.99 each for their chickpea, & curry filled doubles, $10.99 for their Salt Fish sandwich). Super flavorful doubles, get a napkin!! That had to be the BEST Salt Fish I've tried!! STAMP!! Their Desserts ($4.99 each for their signature Currant Roll with raisins, & a Coconut Roll with fresh coconut, & a Cassava Pone). The rolls weren't overly sweet, flaky, & tasty!! That one tasted like a bean pie!! . Customer Service: On Point! . Parking: Rough. . Recommendations: Just GO!! . Accessibility: It's wheelchair & differently abled persons friendly. 5 Stars=STAMP 4 1/2 Stars=LIKE THAT 4 Stars=DELICIOUS 3 Stars=DECENT 2 Stars=PASS 1 Star=NAH #Bigschlimsreviews

Crown Bakery was a Yelp find. I walked in planning to grab takeout and leave. I was craving real…read morehome cooked Caribbean food, the Sunday spread from my Trini childhood: rice & peas, mac & cheese, callaloo, stewed chicken. You know, home. Nearly a year in DC, and every expensive or hole-di-wall Caribbean spot had been a disappointment. So my expectations were low. I walk in while my fiancé waits in the car. Downstairs of the restaurant looks dead, empty cases, one guy at a register. I ask about roti. "No, but check the buffet upstairs." I go up and, wow. A full spread that made me want to cry happy tears. Felt like walking into your grandmother's dining room on Sunday. The owner, Jennifer, walks me through everything. I literally run back downstairs. The man looks at me: "You might wanna call your husband." I did. "Park the car. We're staying." He protested. I won. Best decision ever. The walls were covered in photos paired with classic Caribbean song titles, Kas's "Savannah Grass" and others. The music, the accents of other patrons, every detail screamed nostalgia. I was home. The food: white rice, rice & peas, proper Caribbean mac and cheese (not that cheese-bomb American style), perfect callaloo, stewed red beans, jerk-chicken, stew-chicken (too sweet for me, but well-made), plantains (some a touch too green), appetizers :fried & roast bakes, salt fish, smoked herring and chickpeas salad, Drinks: mango, orange, nectar and champagne for DIY mimosas. Here's the real magic though: we met this incredible couple, the Butts, and stayed three hours just talking and laughing. A quick takeout run turned into one of those unexpectedly perfect Sundays. Sunday brunch: $39.99 per person. Now we know where to find home in DC. If you're missing real Sunday's island food, skip downstairs and go straight up.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

The food reminded me of home and the portions and relative price were great. The customer service…read moreis always friendly. There are a few reviews commenting about skin-on or bones; my impression is that they're likely less familiar with Caribbean food since that is commonplace to enhance the flavor. I hope they feel on home here and looking forward to giving them more of our business!

I was craving for Caribbean food in the area a couple of weeks ago. This place came up as one of…read morethe highly recommended places on Yelp. I am glad I tried this as I am hooked to this place now. I have gone back here three weekends in a row to try different things. On my first visit, I tried chicken roti wrap and oxtails with rice, cabbage and peas. They were both so delicious. The portions were great. Lasted for 4 meals. Definitely get the hot sauce on the side. Adds nice kick to it if you like it extra spicy. The next time I ordered buss up roti with oxtail stew and buss up roti with lamb stew. They both come with chicken peas and potato curry. Blend so well together. So delicious. Kinda addicting. It's a small place to dine in. They have about 5 tables. I recommend take out. Servers are great. They have so much patience in explaining some of their dishes if you're new to the Caribbean cuisine.

Was craving some oxtail and decided to give this spot a try--I ordered it for delivery. It smelled…read moreamazing right out of the bag and tasted even better. The sauce on the oxtail had a nice tang to it, which paired really well with the rice and cabbage. My only minor complaint is that the portion of oxtail felt a bit skimpy, but honestly, in this economy, I get it.so it didn't affect my overall rating. Definitely would order again.

This was a good reminder that reviews are all subjective and I miss out if I only judge restaurants…read moreby yelp stars. I tend to be a 4+ stars dining go-er, but my husband and I came across this restaurant while attending Pentworth Porch fest. This is a grab and go establishment with a just a couple sitting areas. Food is prepped already, though seafood was cook to order. I had slim to no expectations for a random Jamaican spot I found on the block (I'm Caribbean, so I take our food serious!) but I will say everything was delicious! We had the ox tail and goat with rice and beans, cabbage and plantains. A friend of ours had the shrimp platter. I was pleasantly surprised by the portions and the costs. This area is a bit out my way, but if I'm ever in the neighborhood I would certainly visit again. (And am wondering if they do catering!)

This is such a good place for great Jamaican food and vibes…read more I usually get jerk chicken or pork with white rice & mac and cheese but this time i was just swinging by for a beef patty... OMG I forgot how great they were! I got them super quickly since they're pre-made and sitting in a warmer but make sure to order ahead if you want something cooked. Forever a fave!

Here's a combined, detailed review for both:…read more The experience at Jerk Pit was really disappointing. I ordered the curry chicken and a jerk chicken sandwich, and neither lived up to expectations. The curry chicken lacked the rich, bold flavor you'd expect from a Caribbean dish. The sauce was thin and didn't have that deep, well-seasoned taste, and the chicken wasn't as tender as it should have been. It just tasted bland and underwhelming overall. The jerk chicken sandwich was no better. It didn't have that signature smoky, spicy jerk flavor--it was dull and poorly seasoned. The chicken wasn't juicy, and the sandwich as a whole just fell flat. What made the experience even worse was the wait time--it was absolutely atrocious. For such a long wait, I expected fresh, flavorful food, but it definitely didn't deliver. Overall, the combination of bland food and excessive wait time made this visit not worth it at all. Definitely not the quality I was expecting.

Not a fan! I tried them as a food truck years ago and it wasn't great then but wanted to give them…read morea chance since it had been awhile. I've seen great reviews! I came last year during a homecoming event for a party and that was fun. Had a beef patty. Parking isn't the most convenient. I had to park across the street. Stopped by for lunch today. I placed an online order and it was ready when I arrived. The server was not friendly at all! I was thinking well since the service isn't good, the food will be good. Not in this case. Service wasn't great and food wasn't good. Ordered the Di Yaddie (jerk chicken with cabbage, rice and peas). I even ordered extra jerk sauce on the side. Not spicy at all. The food didn't taste fresh. Sad! I really wanted to like this place. I know where to go next time for my jerk chicken fix. It certainly won't be here!

This has to be one of the best mac and cheeses I've ever had. I'm not even kidding. This is the…read moresecond time I've ordered from here, the first time I ordered for pick up, and the second time through Uber Eats, so I can't speak about the service and vibe. However, let's get into this food. Both times, I have ordered the wings and tingz. I know I need to try something different next time :). My food was so good that I had to eat in silence. I didn't even have the energy to put on a show; I just needed a moment alone with my platter to savor every bite. I think the mac and cheese has the perfect consistency of creamy, crusted cheese and flavor. The wings are really good, too! You don't really need a sauce to pair them with; they are good on their own and super tasty. I hope the chef has a fantastic weekend; they deserve whatever they want for how good this food is. I hope this establishment receives all the love it deserves. I would definitely come here again, and I would bring my family in person for a family dinner. Next time, I will definitely try the Rasta pasta or some of their other dishes.

The angry jerk is definitely the Jamaican version of chipotle, but better…read more Jerk chicken: check Brown stewed chicken: check Plantains, tropical coleslaw, Jamaican mac & cheese, rice and peas: check You can build your own bowl for a quick lunch option, or order a 1/2 jerk chicken to take home and make your own sides. Long story short, the angry jerk is definitely giving a 10/10.

Food had great flavors. Quite similar to Chipotle where you select your protein, base and sides…read more Menu takes a few minutes to read and figure out which way to proceed. I was going to order 1/2 Jerk Chicken and 2 sides, however they explained that they did not have a chef on hand, so there were only build your own bowls available. That was sort of a bummer. I ordered a Jerk Chicken bowl with Lo Mein noodles, and a few veggie toppings. The plantain was too overcooked on the outside, and slightly undercooked on the inside. So whomever cooked it, the heat was up too high because it blackened the plantain too fast. They should be golden, not charred. The Mac and cheese was absolutely phenomenal. I think they make it with smoked gouda?? I don't know, but whatever the secret ingredient is, it was amazing. The lady that made my bowl was friendly. If I'm around DuPont Circle again, and don't feel like cooking, I will return.

If you're in the area and want to grab a quick Caribbean meal then this is the place for you! It's…read morea walk up Jamaican "experience" ;therefore, you just walk up and order at the window. Very convenient and efficient!!

FINALLYYYYY! Authentic Jamaican cuisine!! Omggg!! True flavorful island food! By far the best curry…read morein the DMV!!! Negril please take note!!