Today I went inside to this wonderful establishment with my mother, we originally were going to iron bowl, but something in my stomach told me no, so we walked an we were met with the smell of braised meat and roasted veggies, the Staff member that we had encountered was so hospitable, as we we walked through the bar he had showed us each an every option we could have as this was a self serve restaurant and paid by the pound, the tropic decor was so comforting as bob Marley played in the background, the oxtails were lovely as for the spinach too, the plantains were as sweet as candy, the rice was warm and fluffy, and the lamb was tender as a spoon in ice cream, we will be returning as this was a exploration worth! read more

Tropical Bites - Trinidadian Near Me - Manassas, Virginia

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By the lb. so don't come to Some of the options are better than others. Was not the most helpful staff. But this is a lost post so it might be better. Ox tail are my favorite. Wanted to give them more love but memory serves that they gave no love back. Border line rude. read more

Tropical Bites - Ox tail rice and spinach - Trinidadian Near Me - Manassas, Virginia

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This place has definitely gone down bill. Bring back the original chef please. Overcooked, dry, no seasoning.

We used to go there a lot, years ago, before we went on plant-based diets to address health issues. We happen to go there for lunch take out in Jan 2026. The food was good, but the price was like $83 for two people's takeout containers and two drinks. I know inflation has set in but I believe it's just "way over-priced". At almost $18/lb, I can't do it anymore ... read more

Food was old, plantains dried out. OVERPRICED awful food. I don't recommend this place a waste of money.

I got the stewed chicken with rice, cabbage and Channa/potatoes and chickpeas. Service was good I ordered online and picked it up, it looked good but I got home and the chicken and rice was flavorless and watery. The potatoes and chickpeas were good and had that jerk flavor but overall I'd give my meal a 5 out of 10 wouldn't try again . Just my opinion read more

"Caribbean food" in Northern Virginia? *side eye* "Buffet style"? *Double side eye* Needless to say neither of these terms really resonate with any degree of relevance with most Carribean food enthusiasts, including self. But for the fact that I had another networking meeting with a group I recently joined, I would certainly never have found myself here. At this random strip mall - in Manassas, no less? No way, no how. They picked it so I showed up. Like others have mentioned here I was a little put off by the fact that it's "per pound" after I read the $10.99 and got excited. Too late, box loaded. The reality of what you've done hits as the cashier rests your gluttonous box atop the scale right next to the register. $26 comes up on the register. I got a Jamaican Kola Champagne soda pop, so now I'm up to $30 and change. The weighing of food harkens back to a couple of Chinese restaurants I used to go to back in day in DC during college. If nothing else it's a great reminder how greedy you're being. I had a nice sampling of rice 'n peas, stew chicken, jerk chicken, oxtails, curry goat. I even had a healthy portion of chicken pelau - which I'd never tasted before. A VERY tasty dish. Almost taste like chicken fried rice only more flavorful. The owners are Trinnie, so their take is a slight variation from the traditional Jamaican spin I'm used to. Another place I typically go to is owned by Guyanese, so theirs is another variation. Anyway, the food here is excellent. Oxtails are succulent and soft and all the food was well seasoned. Everything was fall off the bone tender. Owner said she slow cooked, not pressure cooked them. I expected a slight toughness like most people give you, so I was wrong. Apparently the owner's mother is in the kitchen cooking a lot of these dishes on the daily. Yup, granny is back there throwing down. I'm super impressed and delighted that the food here is as good as it is. I even had some sorrel to go. Since I cook all this stuff at home myself I'm very critical of it and I can say that this food deserves five stars. The sorrel here had (much) more ginger than the one I make and the oxtails are more brown gravy than curry (like mine) but I'd gladly come back here to dine - and I plan to soon. They even have gluten-free, paleo, and assorted vegetarian options. Update: Today; 6:14p I just consumed the other half of my meal so the 2 lbs that I felt guilty about ordering earlier really was only one because you end up taking leftovers home. Oh, and the jerk wings got some some nice goat pepper/habanero on them - if you're into spice. I am, so it was a nice surprise. read more

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disgrace to the Jamaican and Trini community idk wtf you put in that mauby and no jerk in the chicken just a bunch salt with browning please stop making Caribbean food I am highly upset and piss plus you send my order without utensils like who does that??? Wasted my good damn $60 read more

Shrimp sandwich with tails on is really hard to eat .. little food for money. Sandwich is bread and meat ... no lettuce, no tomatoes ... no nothing? Service lacking read more

$30 for 1 tough oxtail 1 under cooked plantain, rice for a toddler and a stolen appetite! Thieves and liars. There's no way that there is gold in this food to be worth that much money and to be so bad. In NY I spend close to that amount and can feed up to 4 people and then some. This is ridiculous and the worst experience I've ever had with food. Don't order from here. Period. read more

Tropical Bites - One Oxtail for $30 + dollars - Trinidadian Near Me - Manassas, Virginia

You don't see a lot of Caribbean restaurants around this area so I had to give it a try. The restaurant is small and somewhat dark, with the majority of the light coming in from the windows at the front and has limited seating if you decide to dine in vs. carryout. You are greeted by a staff member who will guide you though the buffet of different meats and sides and they will explain what is in the buffet. The buffet is charged by the pound at $11.99 per pound so with a lot of the meats having bones in them you will blow past a pound quickly. I built my meal with the spicy spare rib, jerk chicken, curry chicken, ox tails, and a spicy coconut shrimp, I also added on plantains and rice with beans as you run out of room quickly with the tray. The meats had great flavor and heat to them and the ox tail was awesome. The spicy shrimp was my favorite thing though in the meal. I washed it all down with a mango juice and peach Arizona tea. read more

Tropical Bites - Spicy spare rib, jerk chicken leg, curry chicken thigh, ox tail, spicy coconut shrimp, plantains , and white rice with beans. - Trinidadian Near Me - Manassas, Virginia

Large variety of cooked food! A bit pricey. No desserts or other Caribbean delicacies sold here. The ambiance was pleasant. I was very disappointed by the customer service because I spent almost $300 there on food I ordered by phone, and when I went to pick it up the (female) owner told me I couldn't accrue reward points because I placed the order by phone and not in person! I was not happy with her policy. I saw that as subpar customer service. Why should it matter if I patronize their business via phone or in person? Either way they were paid in full via credit card even before I arrived to pick up the food. This left me feeling like my business didn't matter to them. read more

I usually come here every few months when I don't feel to cook on a Sunday! today I got a chicken roti with extra potato. Really had chicken feathers in my food. the taste is very bland. i asked for a refund but Sean the manager didn't understand why I was upset. stating he is not there but would not allow the cashier to refund my money. I will not go back. the cashier was also very rude. read more

Tropical Bites - Trinidadian Near Me - Manassas, Virginia

First time here and the food is decent. Lots of choices and some authentic Caribbean dishes, all weight by pound for $13.99. Some were flavorful and some were a little bland but it's being catered to a variety of cultures so that's understandable.  This restaurant is a buffet style restaurant which is cool you serve yourself. Also the customer service was really nice. read more

Don't go to this place. Seriously. I paid $44 for 1 serving of jerk chicken, rice and peas, cabbage, a drink, and a beef patty. I could tell it wasn't gonna be good by the look of it. But I decided to still give it a chance since the worker was Caribbean. I barely put a dent in it. I should've told her never mind when she told me the price. And I still tipped 20% even though it was self serve. I just felt bad because there was nobody else in the restaurant. I came here after class, and was starving. I should've went to the Caribbean place by my house that would've charged me $20 or less for more/better tasting than what I got here. Or the Teriyaki restaurant right beside it. I was gonna grab a donut from Texas donuts next door, but after that $44 I couldn't spend another dollar on food. When I saw that rice that's when I knew. The rice tasted like 5 minute rice. The plantains were hard. The cabbage was not good. The jerk chicken wasn't very good just extremely spicy so you can't taste anything else but that. The best thing that I got from here was the beef patty that they probably didn't make there and ginger beer that I know they didn't make because they sell the same one all over. Trust me when I say to go somewhere else. Unless you don't mind flavorless non authentic Caribbean food that's overpriced. I got this food to have for lunch and dinner. But instead I'll be throwing my $44 in the trash read more

Tropical Bites - Jerk Chicken Jamaican Patties rice and peas - Trinidadian Near Me - Manassas, Virginia

Wow! The food here is amazing! Try the oxtail and the shrimp are also incredible!! I'm trying to stay away from carbohydrates are for me this was exactly what the doctor ordered! Highly recommend!! read more

Tropical Bites - Oxtail and lamb - Trinidadian Near Me - Manassas, Virginia

Yes they allow you to self serve and choose your own variety of different sides, meats, and deserts. BUT.. for $10.99/lb and ZERO flavor in anything, y'all have completely lost your minds. This is the hospital version of Jamaican food. If you have high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, on a strict diet that require you to have no salt whatsoever, this is the "seasonless" place for you. How is even possible to take the Jerk outta Jerk and the Curry out of Curry And another thing.. WHO THE HELL OUTS CELERY IN RICE AND BEANS?? I tell you who!!! The same people who don't use mawfuck'n seasoning Oxtails, Jerk Wings, Jerk Chicken, "Rice and Beans," Cabbage, Curry Shrimp, and Macaroni and Cheese $23 that I should dispute on my card read more

Tropical Bites - Oxtails, Jerk Wings, Jerk Chicken, "Rice and Beans," Cabbage, Curry Shrimp, and Macaroni and Cheese - Trinidadian Near Me - Manassas, Virginia

The food wasn't bad. Then I got to dessert and I was surprised there were pistachios on it. Wait...That's MOLD! Then of course you start wondering about the food you just ate and was it really fresh or just masked by spices? I don't think I want to know. Obviously won't be returning here. Really disgusting. read more

Tropical Bites - Moldy dessert - Trinidadian Near Me - Manassas, Virginia

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Not sure if it was the dish that I got yesterday, but being from T&T, I was very disappointed with the dish. I had a side of macaroni pie and the stew chicken with rice and peas. Absolutely had NO taste and was watery. Service was fast as I ordered by way of DD pickup. Staff were friendly and courteous, but that particular dish was not good at all guys. read more

This is a hidden gem in manassas. The first time I had it, I ordered through ubereats and I got the jerk chicken w/ rice and plantains. The jerk chicken is so flavorful with a nice spicy kick to it and the plantains are sweet and delicious. I've been to the actual restaurant several times since then and it's a very casual place, but the food is so comforting and delicious. I like how it's pay by weight so you can choose how many/ which foods you want. The price is not bad at $10 per pound. My favorite is the ox tail because the meat is so tender and seasoned slightly. The chickpea/potato side is also delicious, reminding me slightly of Indian food with the spices. I would definitely recommend trying this place out for yummy food! read more

Tropical Bites - Ox tail!! Plantain - Trinidadian Near Me - Manassas, Virginia

This is the smallest plate of oxtails I have received from any Jamaican restaurant ever. $35 for this and Mac and cheese is insane. read more

Tropical Bites - Caribbean Stew Oxtail - Trinidadian Near Me - Manassas, Virginia

I usually do not leave reviews with negative feedback however Tropical Bites and their pricing is insane. The pay by weight pricing is ridiculous. Also they have separate pricing for special items, specifically oxtail. I paid $75 for a plate of oxtail, mac, rice/beans which was 3.45lbs. They have a sign that says oxtail is $17.99/pound. I put my container on the scale, the cashier then opened my container, saw it was pieces of oxtail, typed in something on her screen and that price was computed. Oxtail is a lot of bone, heavy bone which adds to the weight. Mentioning again that the oxtail was not all the 3.45/lbs as I got multiple sides. I am confused as to how the scale works with their pricing + the charge for oxtail by pound, but that'll be my last time. I wish them the best. read more

If you're looking for tasty Caribbean food in Manassas this should be your new go-to. Located in the new strip mall across from Costco (next to Texas Donuts) Tropical Bites serves up such delicious dishes as jerk chicken, curry goat, stewed oxtail, peas and rice and more with good humor at a great price. Service is buffet style and you pay by weight not by item. There's a nice tropical theme going with fake palm trees lining the dining area. There's not a huge number of tables but they do a brisk business in take-away so finding seats wasn't difficult. Best of all, these ladies are just so darn nice! They're happy to engage in conversation about anything at all and will be able to tell you if something is keto friendly, lactose free, etc. Bottom line, if you love Caribbean (Jamaican) food you need to check this place out. You won't be sorry! read more

Tropical Bites - Jerk chicken - Trinidadian Near Me - Manassas, Virginia

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This place is a disgrace representation of Jamaican food. Me and my wife gave this place a chance got two plates of food charged $13 a pound total of $60 and just got a little bit of some of each dishes . Everything that we ate was awful and I should have known, because you have Chinese people cooking Jamaican food I was at least expecting Jamaican accent. We will never eat there again, but if you want to pay a lot of money for fake Jamaican food be my guess. If I could give this place a 0 I will give it a 0000. read more

People may complain about this lace because if you got to get food, it has to be weighed. They may end up paying $20-$50. But it clearly says the food is $12 per pound. So if you overload your take out plate then you will pay. The store has to make a profit too. Especially for good quality food purchases. Goat and oxtails are not cheap. I purchased the oxtail with rice and mac&chz and spinach. The macaroni and cheese was good but the portion I got was maybe worth $3.00. Not $6. The meat was falling off the bone and the seasoning was ok. I've had better , but that's not to say I won't go back. I will because Overall, the food was good and the staff were kind. I forgot to take a photo though. read more

The restaurant is in the Bull Run area of Manassas, VA. I was out and about and decided to stop and check the place out. It's a buffet-style restaurant where you can eat in or take your food to go. They have quite a few menu options, including chicken, goat, ribs, sides, vegetables, and desserts. I had the Jerk Chicken over rice. Some food items were pretty spicy and others were unseasoned. Overall, it was a good experience with very kind wait staff and customer service. If you're in the area, I would definitely suggest stopping in. read more

I visited Tropical Bites today to try them out as I always can eat some good Caribbean food. The establishment is very clean and organized...except for the menu. It was little confusing, I didn't realize it was a buffet at first as COVID has turned me off from all buffets. I believe it was the owner/ manager who took the time to explain the setup for me which was helpful. The oxtails were really good, also the seasoned rice, cabbage and green beans. However the curried potatoes and chickpeas were cold. I also had the sorrel which was also good, but could have been a little spicier. I will come back. SBB read more

Tropical Bites - Oxtail, seasoned rice, cabbage, green beans, curried potato and chickpeas. - Trinidadian Near Me - Manassas, Virginia

Bottom line, this place is amazing, I highly recommend Tropical Bites! As a Caribbean family that moved to VA from New York City, we have had amazing West Indian food both locally and from our family. All this to say, Tropical Bites truly gave us an authentic taste of the Caribbean after years in Northern Virginia. Don't be mislead about the buffet-style; this is just how many amazing caribbean restaurants are; fresh tasty food for all. Lots of soul in the kitchen. Worth the quick drive. I loved the food; it tastes like my mother-in-law's grandma, and the crew was back in the kitchen. The owner was friendly and great to talk to. Felt like being back home with likeminded caribbean foodie. read more

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Food is okay. I've had better but good enough to come back. Overpriced in my opinion.

I really wanted to love this place. I'm from the Caribbean and I love me some good Jamaican food. When you walk in, the ambiance is nice, the staff is also super friendly. But it doesn't matter how friendly you are if the food isn't good. :( This is a self-serve, buffet style restaurant. You grab a foam box, and fill it up. Each pound is 10.99. That in itself is so crazy to me, because it's not hard to fill up your plate, and have a box that weighs 2lbs. 2x10.99=$22 for one plate! I wouldnt mind the price of the food was perfect, but it wasn't. The macaroni pie was gross and slimy, the rice and sides, like the potatoes and spinach were bland. The meat was pretty good, but still not enough to charge so much. Me and my bf got 2 boxes, 4 Jamaican patties, 2 drinks and a coco bread for $68! $68!! We could've gone to a sit down steak house for that amount. I also never got my coco bread. His salmon was dry and a couple bites into out meals we started to feel sick, so we left. My advice to the owner is to lower the price points. You have the advantage of being one of the few carribean restaurants in the area, so people are gonna come check you out, but I wont be returning just because it wasn't worth it at all. Also don't be afraid to add some salt because the food was bland af as I just mentioned. read more

This food is soo tasty. The Rasta pasta has a little kick. The plantains are warm and sweet. The sorrel is sweet with a good splash of ginger. The Sorrel is quite similar to a drink I loved while living in Ghana called bissap. I almost forgot to mention the coco bread is just swell on its own or alongside and with the Rasta pasta. Delivery was very quick and there is a $5 discount for your first order. The Sorrel and the paper bag with the coco bread both came with a sticker to discourage tampering. This way you know the food is arriving well and safe. Can't wait to order again :) read more

Tropical Bites - Sorrell (Hibiscus Flower Juices) - Trinidadian Near Me - Manassas, Virginia

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This place is ok but, sorry to say, it's Not authentic Jamaican food. The food is pretty bland. And the oxtail stew was very watery and bland. Also the oxtails were pretty rough. The peas were a little hard still. There's another Jamaican restaurant in the area and that one is soooooooooo good. So because of that I had high hopes for this one. Sad to say I am very disappointed in this. The beef pattie was really good so that's why I am giving Two stars. Thanks read more

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The restaurant is clean and the food is great. I recommend the doubles on Fridays. There are two things I would recommend the restaurant to change. Reduce the self-serve buffet due to COVID and provide more cooked dishes. There are so many more trinidadian dishes. The last recommendation is that staff and the owner to wear there masks and gloves. Keep up the great work. read more

Tropical bites has great potential. The ambience is great and the service is good, but the food left me wanting more. During my first visit, I had the curry goat with Coco Rice, chickpeas and plantains, while my better half opted for stewed oxtail with rice and peas, plantains and cabbage. I then took another container and sampled a variety of the buffet items. The food needs more spice. I am not talking about heat. The food was bland. It needed proper Caribbean seasoning/spices. The beef patties were decent. read more

Full disclosure- I thought the food was ok. My girlfriend thought the food was in her words a travesty. That the food lacked flavor and authenticity. Rice and peas was more rice than peas. Plantains she had no words. The rest I couldn't understand because she switched to her native tongue. All I know is we won't be ordering from them again. read more

Tropical Bites - Side of Plantains - Trinidadian Near Me - Manassas, Virginia

Food is delicious I've ordered it take out and picked up at restaurant. Today I went in and wanted to eat in but the AC was either broken or they enjoy being in 86 degree weather with no AC I couldn't stay in there. I got my food as fast as possible and got out of there it was as hot as the tropics and idk about you but eating spicy and sweating in the hot isn't for me. Other than this food is excellent reminds me of home. read more

My first time! I got green beans, coconut rice, spinach, curry chickpeas, plantains, and a dollop of Mac and cheese. It was $13. The green beans and chickpeas were great...very flavorful! The spinach was bland. I also got a beef patty, since I don't frequent the area I wanted to sample as many things as possible. The crust was delicious, as was the spicy beef filling. Lastly, the fresh a sorrel/ginger drink was good...very strong on the ginger! read more

Spoke with Sean who I thought was the owner until I saw a different owner name here. Very helpful and cordial. The food? Delicious! I took a box with a piece of jerk chicken, curry chicken, and an ox tail. With that I also got the spiced rice (don't remember the name) and plantains. All were amazingly flavorful and obviously fresh since I saw him ladling the food into the serving area from big pots. The jerk is a spicy but more on the milder side and certainly not overly spiced. In fact I thought they could kick up the heat just a bit more on all the dishes. But I'm not complaining and will surely return there soon to try other offerings. I look forward to it. Happy dining folks! read more

Horrible MOLDY BREAD, the 2 star is for the chicken it was good and the rice was cooked well. WHEN WE CALLED ABOUT TEN MINUTES AGO. WE GOT NO APOLOGY. We were also told the Manager just left how convenient. They said thank you for letting us know. Smh horrible customer service. The bread and Roti cost almost 8 dollars in total. Definitely not worried. I wouldn't recommend them at all. I'm scared ifnthe bread was moldy what other time temperature control issues they have. read more

Tropical Bites - Crumbly over seasoned roti - Trinidadian Near Me - Manassas, Virginia

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the food was amazing, the staff and owner was super friendly too they even gave us samples as it was our first time there. it's a cute little spot to sit and eat too, they have bird calls in the background which is super relaxing. this is a MUST go to spot. read more

Tropical Bites - ox tail, jerk chicken, mac pie and spinach all for about $20?? - Trinidadian Near Me - Manassas, Virginia