Carmen's Restaurant and Catering 2280 Harris Ave NE Palm Bay, FL 32905…read more 4 Stars After what appeared to be a mistake in my last Jamaican joint review (whoa, that has a few connotations), I thought I was being punished by immediately being sent to another one by my random name generator. After smacking it on the side a few times and shaking it, I found it to be working correctly, so I proceeded to Carmen's Restaurant and Catering in Palm Bay, FL. What a world of difference! Carmen is the proprietor and a one-woman show and boyo, let me tell ya, she sure shines. I found Carmen's menu to be a joy to behold, as eclectic as my vinyl collection. As such, I decided to go in a different direction today and steered away from the traditional Jamaican fare such as Jerk Chicken and Curried Goat and went with an order of Carmen's Fried Chicken with sides of rice, beans and potato salad along with an order of her Bang Bang Fried Shrimp Tacos (the same name as the drek at the horrid Bonefish Grill) with fries. As Carmen got to work on my eats, I took in the interior. I found it to be open, welcoming, bright, and cheery, not unlike the owner! Carmen was out in no time with my foodstuffs. Taking a few before pictures, I got to work. I turned my attention and palate to the Fried Chicken. The first thing I noticed was the crunch of the coating. If you look at the picture I've attached, you can see what I mean. That coating was slathered on without care for conservation. It wasn't too much, it was just enough. The chicken, blanketed in a tender, juicy, succulent coating, tasted superb. The rice and beans were well-cooked and seasoned with love. The potato salad, like everything else, I assume was made by Carmen and if your Grandmother makes a better potato salad, I will eat these words! I can't speak for you, but when I hear or read the words, Bang Bang, I immediately think of three things. First, playing cops and robbers as a child and "shooting" the bad guy with my finger gun while shouting, "Bang! Bang!" The second is the Bollywood bad remake of a worse film, "Bang Bang!" The third thing I think of is Chinese Street Chicken. None of this has anything to do with Carmen's Bang Bang Fried Shrimp Tacos, other than the Bang Bang sauce is loosely based on the Chinese Street Chicken tossing sauce. Carmen's Bang Bang sauce was a mixture of mayo, spicy stuff and it was mahvalous, dahling! The shrimp were coated with the same love and care as the chicken and were just as tender and juicy. Got Dayum! Carmen knows her way around a kitchen. I can only assume these are her recipes as well. She should open a restaurant and share this with...oh, wait. Never mind. With this meal and the success of the Fried Chicken at Cajun Soul, my hopes have been raised considerably. The Big Boy says, "If you want good eats served with love and a friendly smile, visit Carmen. Tell her the Big Boy sent ya (it's safe this time)!"

This place just opened in May 2024. Their Jerk Chicken was fantastic. My mouth was on fire with the…read moreheat and flavors of the jerk seasoning. If you have ever been to Jamaica, then you would love the food here. I even got their beef patties with sauce. I could make a meal with those alone. They are so good. Well packed with meat and flavor, the sauce just adds to it and takes it over the top.When we finished, I had a very happy tummy. There is more I want to try, so I will definitely be going back. They have signs that they do a Sunday brunch and will have to give that a try. If you use credit or debit cards they do add a 4% fee. Have noticed a lot of places are doing that now. Just another reason to carry some cash. But even if you don't 4% really isn't that back as their food is worth it. Stop in give they a try.

Located just steps from the beach, Lily's Mediterranean Grill is a small seaside spot that delivers…read morebig Mediterranean flavor. They even have a few parking spaces out front, which is convenient. I ordered the lamb gyro, and it was absolutely delicious. The bread was soft and fresh, the tzatziki sauce had just the right tang, and the portion was generous. Everything about it was spot on. As a nice surprise, the chef sent out a sample of their spicy potatoes and they were excellent! Crispy, perfectly seasoned, and a great complement to the meal. If you're in the mood for a fantastic gyro with authentic flavor and friendly service, I highly recommend Lily's Mediterranean Grill.

Beautiful location and really nice people working here and taking orders, they bring your food to…read moreyour table and make sure you have what you need. My hubby and I chose the beef plate and chicken gyro, which sadly did not impress in the flavor profile, I will say the tzatziki sauce didn't have any of the usual flavor, and the pita was barely warm and difficult to chew. I wouldn't come again but I hope they are improving and I just experienced an off-day.

Food is a Hit every time! The food is done at the moment so it takes a bit to get to your table,…read morebut you can be sure is made fresh for you. The lady there is super friendly, and super nice, and cooks so deliciously. They also have an area with products that are always a go for me. The ambiance is always familiar and quiet. Never a missed point with the food.

Wonderful food and service ! The lamb shank on smoked rice was delicious. I have eaten there…read moreseveral times and everything was delicious

The Chipotle Chicken & Avocado panini came with a side of blue chips and salsa. The salsa was…read moreblended up nicely and had the slightest kick! The Chipotle Chicken & Avocado panini was delicious and was made up of grilled chicken, avocado, lemon crema, pepper jack, chipotle aioli, pickled red onion, on telera bread. To my ginger ale peeps, they have it on the fountain! The service was quick and the girl at the register was kind and efficient. Looks like they recently redid the side a bit and it was pretty clean. Playing overhead was a decent mix of music and loud enough to make it so I didn't hear other tables conversations.

Haven't been here in years and it hasn't changed much. Very basic decor and could use an update,…read morebut doesn't impact the food. We both had the salad bar and everything was fresh, well stocked and clean. Lots of great choices, especially in salad dressing. And those seeded crackers...yum! We also shared the Reuben sandwich and it was exactly like the picture in the menu. Lots of meat, warm and delicious. The staff was super friendly and attentive. Lots of workers always cleaning and checking on our table. Not a fancy place, but we left full and happy, with half of that Reuben in a box.

Ribs were excellent, taste was great. Service was awesome. Bartender gave me excellent…read morerecommendations. Remember, Wednesdays have bottles of wine at half the price.

This is the best meal we have had in a long time. We have lived here for years and never heard of…read moreHemingways Tavern, until friends asked us to join them. There were 4 of us and we all enjoyed our experience from first walking in we were greeted immediately and taken to our table. We requested to sit on the patio. As we walked through the restaurant, there is a bakery/ espresso area and small gift area. We ordered the Hibiscus margaritas and they were spot on. From there we ordered the smoked wings and conch fritters both were delicious. Although, we are from Tampa home of the original"Cuban" sandwich we all decided to give theirs a try, and we were not disappointed. There are walls filled with pictures and memories of Hemingway throughout the restaurant. After dinner we had the double espresso with whipped cream and chocolate ..... and once again we were not disappointed! Hemingways Tavern is a must!

**INITIAL REVIEW**…read more Out of all the sub and hoagie restaurants located within southern Brevard County, specifically Palm Bay, Malabar, and Bayside Lakes, the one location that is both historic and iconic is Mash Hoagies (which I will shorthand simply to Mash for the remainder of this review). Mash has been in the same location for literal decades in the Palm Bay West just north of Winn Dixie (soon to be Aldi) and Little Ceasar's. First and foremost, Mash isn't the most visually-appealing place to eat. The dining room setup and colors are definitely out of the 70s, the time when the show the restaurant is based on, M*A*S*H*, came out. The walls right above each both showcases handdrawn charicaures of the actors in character. The cleanliness of the restaurant is up-to-par but more on the lines of better than fast food but just as good as fast casual. What makes Mash one of the best places to get your hoagies are three things: the family friendliness, the better-than-fair prices, and the overall deliciousness of the food. As an example, I will describe one of my orders with them, the "Italian Special" known as the Hawkeye. Named after the character, Hawkeye Pierce, played by Alan Alda and Donald Sutherland, the footlong sandwich consists of ham, capicola, salami, and provolone. You can load any sandwich to the brim with basic ingredients with premium ingredients costing a little bit more. But for $12 for a homemade behometh of a sandwich that is sure to feed a regular person three meals a day, it is a delicous steal. Add on top that the staff is friendly and sometimes will have a nice conversation with you while they make your sandwich. As mentioned earlier, Mash is homegrown with multiple decades serving the community. They have developed a family feel that has kept them more than alive and kicking through the highest highs like when Palm Bay West was the "it strip mall" for Palm Bay (because it was the only major strip mall in Palm Bay) to downward slumps like the (illegal?) pandemic. My suggestion is Carissa. She is very kind and she's been the one to make my sandwich almost every single time I have been there since I started Yelp (Eliting!). I must stress that overall, Mash does not have "the best" particular sandwich I can think of off the top of my head, but they are more than satisfactory and acceptable. For example, I can name a couple of Cuban restaurants that do better Cuban sandwiches than Mash (Hemingway's Tavern and El Ambia for example), but you can't go wrong if you want a Cuban from them either for convenience, price, etc. Given the many times I have been here pre-Yelp as well during my Yelp career, I am going to give Mash a five-out-five star rating. They've always been delicious with good food, good prices, and good service. As for restaurants within Palm Bay West, you can't go any better.

I hadn't been here in a while. I ordered the meatball parm hoagie and a side of fries. I would pass…read moreon the meatball parm. The bread was super fresh and the cheese was great. The meatballs are bland and the sauce is also. The tips of the fries were burnt. If you want to take the time and cut off the tips, then the fries will be good. They also have curly fries. I will try an Italian next time.

We were greeted by Sam, who was incredibly friendly and accommodating from the moment we walked in…read more We ordered the fried chicken and the fajitas, and both were absolutely delicious. The chicken was perfectly crispy, and the fajitas came out sizzling with amazing flavor. Overall, it was a wonderful experience -- great atmosphere, great food, and excellent service. Highly recommend!

We were driving home from south Florida and decided to stop in Palm Bay for dinner tonight. This…read moreplace had pretty good reviews so we decided to give it a try. The menu offered appetizers, sandwiches, and entrees. I opted for the Cuban sandwich and it was a good choice. The portion and taste were both good. My husband had the fried pork entree. It also came with rice and beans, salad and plantains. He really liked it. Service was quick and friendly from the owner, Sam. The music was good. My only suggestion is updated or matching furniture.

The service was nice. I ordered allot when I was here. The food was good. I think I had the pretzel…read moreand pot pie. The ambiance is nice. Next time I plan on ordering something different though.

My wife ordered what we call a blooming onion but they call an onion Patel. She also ordered season…read morepotato and ordered boneless wings bit. She loved everything that she ordered which I was happy for. I however, ordered something that I haven't tried, which was smoked barbecue wings, which I will not try again then I wouldn't have decided to barbecue egg roll which I will never do again. The only thing that I like was the blooming onionPatel. I let the waiter know I will never eat it again. Then he asked if we wanted to eat some bread pudding and I was very reluctant at first but then when it came and I took my first bite and it was absolutely delicious. Robert C was a very good server. He made sure to ask is everything ok and that's when I let him know what I didn't like. He also was accommodating to my needs and if I wanted something different and I told him no. As you would expect for a sports bar it was a little noisy, but at least my wife and I were able to have a conversation. When we come back to eat, I will definitely order what my wife ate. No more smoked wings or barbecue egg roll for this guy.

So good and nice people and I love it. Super good and good food if my name was James I would say…read moremooood

Kona Poke! Where do I begin? This was my first time ever having Poke and it was 10/10 amazing! The…read moreemployees were so helpful describing everything to me and explaining the different options. Kona has plenty of variety to choose from, all seems super yummy! I had a Build Your Own Poke Bowl with Ahi Tuna alongside some Salmon and it was jaw dropping delicious! The vibe in here is very peaceful, good music, good vibes, happy energy! I will definitely be back here again very soon! Keep up the amazing work Kona! You earned yourself a new customer!

The food was delicious! The appetizer taster provided a tantalizing array of delicacies. Ziad's…read morespecial chicken was an exceptional dish with such amazing flavors. I am excited to come back to try more. The ambiance is really cute I like how you can see the chefs in the first room. If thats not your speed they have a second room that is separate. The service was great! They are super nice and family owned. They included a delicious Lebanese coffee on the house.

**INITIAL REVIEW** I…read moream currently on a Greek/Mediterranean food kick after eating it, which was fantastically made and indulged in, when I was at the Sponge Docks in Tarpon Springs, FL. To my delight, Melbourne Main Street a.k.a. Historic Downtown Melbourne finally had such food added to its food scene when Aya Mediterranean Cuisine (which I will shorthand simply to Aya for the remainder of this review) opened up. Eventually, I got to try Aya out albeit their lunch menu initially. What I got was a fantastic meal in which I long to try more of their fare. Aya is located on the northern side of New Haven Blvd. in Historic Downtown Melbourne. It is the last business on the west side of the train tracks, which used to be Continental Flambe if anyone remembers that. I went in at the latter end of Aya's lunch hours as they close around 2 p.m. to prepare for the dinner rush. The decor looks more like a rustic upscale tavern flanked by fine dining decor, both from the 1980s. Aya was clean with the space optimized to fit the most patrons during a rush, but the restaurant does need some TLC. Almost all the ceiling's tiles had water damage and the carpet was frayed. Not sure if this is something Aya can fix or if the landlord of the building is blocking them from doing renovations, but it is noticeable. To keep things simple, I ordered the Gyro Wrap ($13.99), which was seasoned beef and lamb with feta cheese, onions, lettuce, tomatoes and tzatziki sauce. Side options can be more traditional sit-down with rice or a salad (I assume it is a feta salad), but more of the "fast food" route with fries. I like how they deconstructed the wrap with the slices of beef and lamb, veggies, and sauce being separate, but assembled with pita cut into corners/chips. Yet, all the lamb and beef are on top of one small pita so you can add the veggies and sauce. And if you ordered fries, you can add them in too for the "food truck" experience. Not sure if Aya will allow you to use ketchup on a gyro wrap though. On a sidenote, there was a back "bar" area where alcoholic beverages are sold, and the restrooms - at least the men's restroom - was clean. Ultimately, Aya blends class with a family-feeling when eating at their restaurant. They even give more specification to their food as the generalization may be Greek/Mediterranean, but they have specialization in Lebanese and Moroccan cuisine, something I am sure the family whom owns it, spearheaded by the owner and chef Ziad Aseid, envisioned when they opened this restaurant. Despite the visual issues I found with the restaurant itself, Aya is a solid four-out-of-five stars for their initial review. If they are consistent with their food and service, I will give them their fifth star for consistency in an updated review.