DELICIOUS!! Food was so flavorful and so good! Already craving it again! The curry shrimp sauce was amazing and the chimichurri steak was yummy and perfectly tender. Also got a Cupecoy Lemonade, and my husband and I are OBSESSED! This place is 5 mins from my house and I will be back like every week!!! We went a bit later into the evening so a lot of their main items were sold out and went with their recommendations, we were not disappointed! Service was so friendly and everything was made to order, just about a 15 min wait. Everything was clean. Can't wait to try other items on their menu! read more

The Smoking Kettle - Curry Coconut Shrimp - Caribbean Near Me - Upland, California

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Ok, I have to say that this rating does come with the caveat. Full transparency, I actually wanted to rate it 4.75 Stars, but I didn't have that option. And I'll explain that in a moment. I have to admit that this review is about a week overdue and full disclosure I visited them just as they were opening for the day for business. With that being said I have to say that the minute they opened they are PREPARED! The warm and welcoming greeting that I got from Miss Amaya was amazing. The decor and overall atmosphere was very welcoming and comfortable. On to the food I wanted to try a little bit of everything on the menu that I saw online however there were a few items that were no longer available, hence the .25 star deduction. However, the food was out of this world. It is a bit "pricey", but nothing that anyone shouldn't expect considering the cost of what food is today overall. Customers can't expect a privately owned small business to stay in business if they undercut the price of the food they sell. For example the oxtail lunch plate I got was approximately $19, but if I were to shop for everything that I got with that plate, (the rice, the peas, the plantains, the side cabbage, the ingredients for the side of cabbage, the oxtails, and not to mention the seasonings on top of everything else), I'd be putting out at least 4 to 5 times as much. For the amount of food I got for that $19, it was well worth it. Speaking of the amount of food, they are very generous. I ordered the fresh squeeze lemonade and the dragon fruit lemonade as well and let me tell you Miss Amaya squeezed them lemons within an inch of their life, lol. She gave me a few options/alternatives to my taste preference as well. Overall I had a very good experience with them and an even better experience when I got the food home. Being half Jamaican, I have considered them my new go to spot when I have a craving for some Caribbean food. I'll try to include some before and after but I'm not tech savvy so don't hold me to it. You may have to just go in and experience it for yourself. read more

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I decided to meet my cousin for lunch and to my surprise it was located right in the same lot as the Whole Foods that I shop at. The inside is small, but it's also cozy and gives you a "hole in the wall" vibe when we walked in (emphasis on vibe, since it's fairly new). We were greeted right away, which was really nice and the menu was easy to follow. I initially wanted to order a chicken plate, but that was only available on the weekends so I went ahead and ordered the oxtails because I saw how popular it was. I am someone who loves Caribbean food and I'm a pretty harsh critic of it. It seems to be nearly impossible to find good caribbean food outside of the East Coast and Miami. But on to the actual food. The oxtails were delicious. They were not fatty and were not cooked too hard either -- they were definitely fall off the bone. The rice and peas were flavorful, and the cabbage and plantain was good too. I do wish that the oxtails had a little bit more kick to it because I'm used to Caribbean food having more spice. I do appreciate that they brought out a spicy habanero sauce on the side to add. I love that there's outdoor seating because with the weather being so nice and since it's a bit small inside the restaurant. It was really sweet to be able to sit outside and enjoy time with my cousin. I will definitely be back to try some of their other options and hopefully get my hands on something a bit spicier. read more

The Smoking Kettle - Outdoor seating - Caribbean Near Me - Upland, California

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We had the coconut curry shrimp and really liked it! Great flavors and textures. We also got the deal of a chicken and a beef empanada. Also yummy! This is a counter service place. We had to wait at least 20 mins for our food, which was surprisingly long. Only other complaint is just the prices. At $22, we thought it might be big and we might be able to share the curry (with the empanadas), but no... It was a normal one person size. So... A big pricey. All in all, delicious food, but we won't be back often because of the prices. read more

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I was in the area for groceries and saw that they sold oxtails and I've been craving for some. Small dining area. I got their plate of oxtail ($30) with peas and rice, fried plantains, and sauteed cabbage with a beef patty ($6.25). They also had beef patties and various lemonades to their menu. The oxtail was tender and had a good amount of meat. The beef patty had a good amount of filling and seasoned nicely. Lemonade drink was good, it's in a large container that doesn't fit car cup holders. The staff is nice and the place is clean. read more

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I feel like I've been here nearly once a week since it opened & I don't see myself stopping anytime soon! So freaking good. The $18 oxtail lunch special is an absolute steal, & it's melt-in-your mouth delicious. I've tried both the chicken & beef empanadas & they're both yummy. The fried cheese is a sleeper hit, & the mac & cheese is delightfully cheesy. The sauces they give for dipping are also great, I love that they give you both, it's a lovely touch. The in-house lemonades are a little expensive but they're also GIGANTIC so that feels worth it. On top of it all, the team is so wonderfully friendly & kind! I definitely recommend this spot, & am so glad they're here. read more

The Smoking Kettle - Friend cheese, empanada, lunch oxtail bowl with plantain. - Caribbean Near Me - Upland, California

Finally Upland brings something different!! Love this place, the wings, the oxtails, the Oxtail empanadas, the beef patties!! Love!! So much flavor. My whole family just loves it!! read more

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I was so happy to have discovered The Smoking Kettle after seeing a TikTok of some local food spots. I decided to give it a try because the food just looked so good and it was highly recommended. I got there an hour before closing and loved the vibes and décor inside. I let the lady helping me know it was my first time there and she went over the whole menu and their drinks and let me know everything was made fresh. I ended up ordering the Garlic Citrus Chicken which comes with garlic rice, beans and sweet plantations. Was also given sauces that are house made (cilantro, garlic and a spicy sauce) The garlic was soooooo good! Also ordered one of each empanada, beef and chicken, and an order of the fried cheese. The spicy sweet sauce on the fried cheese was delicious. The garlic chicken plate was the best chicken I've ever had! The taste, freshness, and cooked to literal perfection! The portion is also really good too, I had half and had the rest the following day for lunch. Their drinks look so tropical and pretty. They make their lemonade fresh in front of you. I got the Coconut Pineapple and it was so refreshing. This is going to be a problem for me now because the food at Smoking Kettle is one of the best and freshest I've ever had. Along with amazing customer service and fresh food and drinks, I will be going often and am so happy they're local! read more

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Boyyyy this food was FIRE! I'd recommend the Hot lemon pepper wings. The rice and Mac n Cheese was also super good! Favorite new spot glad we stopped in to try it! Definitely stop by and at least give it a try you most likely will love the food. read more

Lively atmosphere, personable service, home-cooked fresh plates, great tasting chicken. As soon as I saw the BBQ outside I knew it would be delicious. Empanadas and the dipping sauce was great! read more

The Smoking Kettle - Cubana Bowl. A citrus bbq chicken rice and plantains. Delicious! - Caribbean Near Me - Upland, California

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The food is amazing, very flavorful and filling. I got the La Cubana bowl and it was delicious, especially with the garlic sauce and extra pita chips. For my drink I got the Cupecoy Crush energy drink, I like the ombré going on, plus its delicious. Better than the dutch bros rebel. My experience was 10/10, everyone was so kind, great customer service. And the overall vibe is immaculate! Highly recommend read more

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Had the coconut shrimp curry bowl, chicken and beef empanadas and got 48 hour marinated wings because they were out of the Jamaican jerk chicken. Everything was so flavorful and delicious! The biscoff cheesecake was dangerously good! Will be back again to try all the other menu items very soon! read more

Food was overall delicious. I can with my sisters. We wanted to try something different and came upon this place. Oxtail plate was very good and they gave a generous amount of. Price was a little pricey but considering everything is expensive I'm Not surprised. The empanadas are good too. I wanted to try the oxtail empanadas and Mac n cheese but they didn't have it. The service was good. The ladies were very sweet. The ambiance is like a hole in the wall place. Which is nice. Will I be back yeah if I'm craving it. The only thing is it took almost an here to get our food. Maybe they need another cook. read more

First and Foremost, I have been desperately seeking a restaurant that understands the complexities of Caribbean and Latina flavors‼ I found it The Smoking Kettle is a hidden I've tried just about everything and I can tell you it's all great‼ their version of agua Fresca is of the charts‼ I could knit pic on a few things but what's the point. It's an awesome restaurantOwner is very friendly and so are the staff. Don't miss this hidden read more

The Smoking Kettle - The steak chimichurri bowl‼ - Caribbean Near Me - Upland, California

Great food and Service, small place few tables but Great Atmosphere. Ox Tails and wings where awesome. read more

The Food was amazing and the hospitality was great, the wings are a must try. The music was the cherry on top the atmosphere was just amazing read more

Their oxtail is so good!!! Fall off the bone tender. Definitely will need to go back for the jerk chicken on weekends.

I'm always happy to see a place sprout out of a small vending situation. I first tried The Smoking Kettle at a farmers market years ago, so it was cool to see them make the jump to a brick-and-mortar. The food feels authentic, and there are a lot of good things going on. Their empanadas are great, especially with the sauces they come with. I do wish they offered a baked option, though, since they're currently only fried. The jerk beef patty was also really good. We were excited to see jerk chicken had recently been added to the menu. It was good, but I wanted a stronger jerk flavor, a little more spice, and definitely more sauce. The sides were a highlight: steamed vegetables, rice with red beans, and fried plantains. The garlic lemon pepper wings were also nice and crispy. The fried cheese with hot honey was a nice touch, too. They also have specialty lemonades, but they were a little too sweet for me--almost more of a theme park/night market-style lemonade. Service was pretty straightforward. The dining area is very small, and even though we planned to eat inside, everything came out in bulky to-go boxes, which made the already tight space feel even smaller. Overall, I'm glad to have a place like this in the area. There are a few things I'd like to see tweaked, but the food is good, the flavors feel authentic, and I'll definitely be back to pick up some stuff to go. read more

We discovered this gem at the Terra Vista farmers market this weekend and wow. Just wow. The food here is fire! We noticed there was a huge line for The Smoking Kettle, but it was worth the wait. We ordered the chicken empanadas and oxtail empanadas and could not get over the flavor! Both were delicious, but the chicken was outstanding. They were also freshly fried, the outer part of the empanadas were super crispy. 10/10, will definitely drop by again! read more

The Smoking Kettle - Oxtail Empanada with mild sauce - Caribbean Near Me - Upland, California

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So today i tried this restaurant. I'm glad I did, it was so delicious. Very nice and clean. Nice and cool and the customer service was excellent. So they have a lunch special, even on a Saturday until 4. I tried the oxtail bowl. it comes with oxtails. rice and peas and they give you a decent amount of. It also comes with an empanada ( beef or chicken ) or a free soda 1. I'm very picky about my oxtails but these were tender and flavorful. 2. The empanada was so good and it comes with a habanero sauce and this cilantro sauce. The cilantro sauce was . my friend said the habanero was too spicy 3. I had a peach lemonade that was refreshing I tried my friends beef patty and it was good too Finally she let us sample the banana pudding with biscoff cookies. It was so good i had to buy one. So overall. a must try. and I will be back read more

We go every week! We love the wings! My can't stop sipping on that lemonade either. The entire staff is friendly and they are very welcoming! If you haven't tried it you must stop in! I'm already looking forward to the weekend! read more

If i could give 10 i would! We stumbled upon this gem on accident. The oxtail plate was a big portion. But the flavor was even bigger! The oxtail empanada makes me want to cryyyy. It's perfectly crisp and the meat inside is absolutely delicious. All i know is they didn't skimp out on their portions and their flavors and we will definitely be regulars! read more

The Smoking Kettle - Oxtail Plate - Caribbean Near Me - Upland, California

I popped into this location for a quick bite on my drive through Upland, and man do I wish I lived closer because it was delicious! The mango passionfruit lemonade was great with fresh fruit chunks, and it was fun to watch it be squeezed right in front of me. My only complaint, if it can even be called that, is making sure the lemon seeds are taken out because I did accidentally chew them after they came up the straw but meh that's also how you know it's fresh fruit. I got a beef empanada and a beef Jamaican pattie (I like beef!) and both were uniquely different in texture and flavor profiles. The real star of my meal shockingly was the mild sauce, which I forgot to snag a picture. I don't even know what's in it but it's like a creamy almost sweet barely spicy sauce and it's so yummy! The empanada and pattie were great to begin with but they were made even more incredible with the sauce poured on top. read more

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Followed them from the farmers market to now their own restaurant. It was nice and clean good music was playing. We walked in and walked right up to order. We got both of the lunch specials and since we saw people outside we figured it would take a while, it didn't at all. Wait time was less than 10 minutes. The oxtail plate was tender and had plantains just the way I like them. The curry shrimp dish was great in flavor. I love the fact that you can get an empanada with the meal, I got beef, and got a bite of the chicken they were both so good. Please DO NOT bypass the lemonade. I got the colada my guest got what the person behind the counter recommended it was mango pineapple. Both drinks were refreshing. Not too sweet just right and they had several flavors to choose from and you can have more than 1 flavor. Would definitely come back here. read more

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We were excited to try this place and were extremely DISAPPOINTED. For 3 people, only 2 entries (oxtail and jerk chicken), 4 empanadas, 3 lemonade and 1 order of fried cheese, IT WAS $100!!! I am not exaggerating. The food was not great, and for that price should have been served with real plates and silverware, since we dined in, but came in plastic containers with plastic silverware. WOULD NOT RECOMMEND! read more

Great food. Friendly staff. Dine in and take out options. Nice relaxing vibe. I would definitely return and bring a friend or two.

I have been wanting to try the smoking kettle for a while now, and I think they used to only be open on Saturday's somewhere in Rancho and was never able to make it. Thankfully they now have a permanent spot in Upland! So far, we've tried the oxtails, chicken wings, empanadas (that just have the perfect crust, light and crunchy without being oily) and beef patties and everything is absolutely tasty. The star for us has to be the garlic lemon pepper wings!!! Even the gristle is seasoned! it's just the perfect amount of everything, my husband starts to dance after taking the first bite of the wing and through some magic, it tastes even better the next day. Please keep doing whatever it is you do to the wings. I'm excited to keep going back and exploring more of the menu, and the wings will always be on the list! read more

Excellent food and service. The lunch specials come with a drink or a sides. Lemonade is handmade. Inside seating is limited. Definitely try it. I read more

I stopped in for dinner and ordered the shrimp curry for $22. I was extremely disappointed in the amount of food and the bland taste. There were maybe six shrimp and two cuts of white rice with not enough curry sauce to flavor all the rice. I won't be going back. read more

We tried the oxtail and jerk chicken plate. The flavor and seasoning were perfect, the hot sauce amazing. I highly recommend their food and the customer service was excellent. read more

thank you, saved my life. drinks, immaculate. garlic lemon pepper wings, delectable. elote chicken bowl, amazing. 11/10 read more

This restaurant delivers excellent Caribbean comfort food. The oxtail is slow-braised to perfection, and the curry shrimp is vibrant, well seasoned, and satisfying. read more

Everything was goooood!!! Oxtails Empanadas Curry Shrimp Bowl Veggies Customer Service Will definitely be back over and over again

This place is soo good! Not only the food but the customer service is amazing! They make you feel welcomed the moment you walk in. You cannot go wrong with this place! Me and my husband have had their wings, oxtail, rice & peas, their specialty plates, and the drinks and it is all absolutely DELICIOUS! read more

Everything was gooood juicy, flavorful & filling. Definatly coming back. I got the oxtail plate & that was the best idea!! They even brought the food out to me on the patio before the buzzer went off great service!!! read more

The Smoking Kettle - 2 oxtail plates & 2 POG drinks (Pineapple, Orange, & Guava) fresh fruit - Caribbean Near Me - Upland, California

First and foremost, the customer service is OUTSTANDING!!! I felt like I was at my aunts house having dinner. This is a mother/daughter owned business and they were both so sweet and you can tell they're very passionate about their food. The food was absolutely AMAZING!! I left stuffed and ready for a nap. Everything came out hot and full of flavor. I will 1000% be coming back and I highly recommend to give them a try. It will be worth it. Thank you so much for such a great experience! I can't wait to return! read more

The Smoking Kettle - Oxtail plate, beef patty and passion fruit watermelon lemonade - Caribbean Near Me - Upland, California

This is a great addition to our local food choices. My husband and I visited at lunchtime, and we ordered the two lunch special bowls. I had the oxtail, because I can never resist oxtail, and my husband had the shrimp with curry sauce. Oxtail is now such an expensive ingredient, so I was impressed at the amount of oxtail in my lunch, and it was succulent, tender, and tasty. The proprietors and employees were friendly and courteous. There are only a few tables inside, with several more outside. We ate inside, but saw that many people were getting takeout. We will be returning soon to try more of the food. read more

Shannon was so lovely and provide great customer service with recommendations! She is so kind! The restaurant is also very clean and lively. I loved their empanadas as well as the oxtail plate! I'll definitely be back read more

you guys are killing it. oxtail empanadas were so bomb, habanero sauce addicting. so excited to have a place like this to come back to

Food, service, and the whole vibe was just amazing the food is so good every was so so flavorful tender and juicy and the customer service everyone is so nice here honestly my new go to spot for getting faded and eating read more