As Delray gets trendier and more full of chains and silly concepts, Bamboo Fire remains largely unchanged. Since it opened a few years back, the only difference now is that their daughter and one additional waitress have joined and they are open more predictably. This is a place where you can get amazing, authentic food on a Saturday night in your shorts and flip flops and be greeted as an old friend. The food is outstanding. Jerk meatballs, conch fritters, spicy fried chick peas, very fresh fish cooked in banana leaves. Sit outside with the tiki torches or inside with the corrugated aluminum walls....you'll feel like you've found a great spot on an island and forget that you are just one block off the Ave. read more

This is one of the best restaurants in Palm Beach County. Everything is amazing- try the oxtail, banana leaf fish & conch fritters.

Service and food are excellent. The meatballs are to die for and the curry goat is the best I've ever had! Thank you thank you thank you!!

One word: Awesome! This place is a must! Especially coming from a West Indian woman, don't leave Delray Beach (or anywhere even close) without eating here! read more

I have eaten at Bamboo Fire a half dozen times over the last 6 months, but it would have been more if we hadn't been turned away by the owners a few times. The best visit we had was when I went with my fiance and his mother. The owners were very attentive, lavishing free appetizers and drinks on us and making plenty of small talk. I noticed this had not happened on our first visit, but thought perhaps the owners were just having a good night and feeling extra sociable as a result. I also observed they were really only talking with my fiance's mother (she was very well-dressed and maybe they thought she was buying? She wasn't---we were). In any case, subsequent visits were never quite so friendly. A couple of months ago, we brought a neighbor who we had raving about the food to. We arrived to find the small place rather full and when I told the owner we had a party of three, he said it was not a good night because they had a large party already there. He gave me a voucher for an appetizer and told me to return the next night. We were disappointed, but I understood the restaurant is very small and could only accommodated so many. A couple of nights later, we returned on a night when the restaurant should have been open and they were inexplicably closed. The final straw was last night. We arrived on a Saturday night at 10 p.m. (in the past, the owners have advised us to come around 10 instead of 8 because the seating is so limited). I arrived to find the restaurant completely empty, save for a female waitress and the male owner. Each was sitting at a table in the empty restaurant staring at their respective cell phone. I requested an outside table for two and the owner looked hesitant before telling me it that it would depend on what I was going to order. At first I thought he was kidding around, but I realized he was serious when he passed me a menu. I am a lifelong vegetarian, so I said I would be ordering something off of the veggie section of the menu. He shook his head and said it would be too much prep work---we could only have a table if ordering pork or chicken or some other meat dish (Please note---he did not say he was out of the ingredients required to make my dish. It was "too much work" and the implication was that I would need to order a more expensive, meaty dish to make it worth his while). I was kind of stunned, but stayed polite and asked when the best time was to come for dinner. He passed me a business card and said to call first (FYI, in the past when I have called ahead I have never once had someone answer. Instead of having a telephone for the business, it is only the owner's cell phone). I thanked him and wished the owner and waitress a good night. As I was leaving, I glanced over at the very full, bustling restaurant located next door. I then looked back at the empty Bamboo Fire and saw both the waitress and the owner were looking back at me through the window, just.....staring. As though I were crazy for going into a restaurant and trying to order food! It seems clear this place is on the decline, as evidenced by the empty tables on what should be their busiest night. I'm not saying you shouldn't go, (the food really is good, but not so elaborate you couldn't make the same dishes at home). If you decide to try it, though, make sure you are not any of the following: extremely hungry, on a tight schedule, without a Plan B (as they may not serve you). Finally, a parting thought for the owners who are trying to run a restaurant (a business notorious for failure, even if you know what you're doing): 1. Don't assume you know who is picking up the check, and don't offer differing levels of service based on perceptions of wealth. I know my fiance and I look younger than we really are, but we're both professionals in our thirties and we do tip well when the food and service warrant it. 2. An empty restaurant on a Saturday night is the kiss of death. Last night, we had planned to sit outside. Don't you think that would have made the place look a little better? (especially since the place next door had so many customers dining outside). Also, even though my veggie dish wasn't worth your while, my fiance is not vegetarian and would have ordered a meat dish. We had also planned on ordering appetizers, drinks, and dessert. Would that have been worth cutting into the time you were spending with your phone? Bottom line: If you aren't going to serve people, shut off the lights and go home. What is the point of staying open to turn away customers? Maybe this is just a case of clashing cultures, but I'm pretty laid back and can handle a lot of quirkiness. This is too much, though, and I have doubts about others tolerating this sort of service. Not sure how long this place is going to last, but I hope they pull it together and make it work. read more

Local, friendly, and great food. The jerk chicken fell off the bone and my buddy enjoyed the ox tail. Owners treated us like very well and as I just moved here, I'll be back! read more

Wow!!!! What a fantastic treat. My husband and me sought out this little gem of a place after reading a review in a local magazine. We were in search of some home made caribbean soul food and we got that and then some more. The place is tiny but charming with bright colors to go with its bold flavors. The chef Beverly and her husband run this establishment. They were so hospitable that at one point we were disillusioned enough to feel like guests at their home. The service was fantastic. A few minutes into us sitting down, we were served jerk meatballs - DELISH - moist. juicy and bursting with flavor. Following this they brought out a plate of garlic bread with a roasted garlic eggplant dip - simple home made goodness - i had to stop myself from licking the bowl. Following this we had our appetizer of codfish fritters with a delicious sweet and spicy caribbean sauce. The fritters were crispy on the outside, moist and airy inside - melting in your mouth. My " not so exotic food eating husband" gobbled them up. I ordered the jerk pork and he ordered the curried chicken. The pork was delectable - with a side of the most delicious kallaloo, rice and sweet plantains. The sweet plantains were just slightly crisp - flash fried firm but ripe. My husband gave his entree a 2 thumbs up as well. We didn't have room for dessert much to our dismay. Talking to the owners was fun and enlightening as Beverly shared her recipes for the eggplant dip. The meal left us so stuffed and satisfied,we left promising to be back for dinner the next day. I highly recommend this place for anyone visiting this area. read more

i have been in elite few locations and the food was top notch as well as a awesome staff! i been in the one in: nyc, up state ny, all over nj, all in oh, sf ca, napa ca, all in marin ca, east bay ca, south bay ca, sac ca, tx, tahoe (not the suv) nv, chicargo il as well in fl! read more

While in Delray Beach with my wife, we decided to eat dinner here based on the Yelp reviews. The food was good, but the service was some of the worst I've ever experienced. Lauren, our server, was surly and did not exactly make us feel welcome. We had the jerk meatballs to start, which were tasty, but came out lukewarm. Lauren was such a grump that we decided not to mention this to her. For main courses, I had the braised oxtail and my wife ordered the fish cooked in banana leafs. We waited about an hour for our food to come out, and when it did, Lauren had forgotten to bring the sides that came with my meal. She told me they'd be right out, but fifteen minutes passed without her ever coming back to our table or us being able to get her attention and I just ate my oxtail without the rice and veggies it was supposed to come with. When I finally informed Lauren, she didn't really seem to care about her negligence and offered me the sides to go. I declined because I just wanted to get out of there, but then it took another ten minutes of sitting around waiting for the bill before I finally went up to the bar and took matters into my own hands. I told the manager/owner about our awful experience and he also gave me a halfhearted apology. The food was good, but I have had meals at Per Se that were served more quickly than this. Despite the tasty food, I cannot recommend this place to anyone because they obviously do not care about providing a good dining experience for their customers. read more

If you've ever been on a Caribbean island and sought out the back alley cafe where all the locals eat, this is that place. Service is homey but a little funky. The food preparation is the same. This is not the place for the D-Bag set on Atlantic ave. It's awesome and let's keep it for us locals only. read more

Cute and fun vibe with delicious food and great service. Perfect beach environment. I really had a great time. It's rare to find a nice atmosphere with food to match and it's here. Keep up the good work! read more

Absolutely amazing!! The fish wrapped in palm leaf was a delight. The ambiance is South Beach casual with a "beer garden" next door.

The food was delicious and we will go back again to try different food. The place is really small but cozy. The price is a little high but still good anyway. read more

Very good Caribbean food in delay and it's nice that his restaurant is not on Atlantic avenue. We enjoyed the jerked chicken and oxtail. Foods are nicely spiced and can be seasoned for your taste. Note that the restaurant is closed on Monday and Tuesday. read more

We ate at the place for a friends of mine b day party. I didn't care for the food but I am a very picky eater. The waitress were rude at times. The tried over charging us on our bill which they corrected when we brought it to there attention. We will not return. read more

Great service, spectacular food. We had the pork and the lobster. It was great! We loved it! Thank you!

Bamboo fire never disappoints. We are Delray locals and our neighbors took us to this hidden gem when we first moved here. Needless to say, we come back every chance we get. The grilled conch and the lobster Mac are our favorites. It is not your typical Delray experience but it is one you will not forget. 100%recommended read more

I had high expectations for this place after reading all the reviews. Went with a group and shared a few dishes. The coconut shrimp was simply fried with little taste. The grilled conch is a better choice than the conch fritters. Best dish we tasted was the Jerk Chicken. Service was very slow and they were not busy when we were there. Overall it was a nice break from the Atlantic Ave scene ... but no way was this a four or five star experience. read more

awesome food. awesome friendly staff. best conch fritters ever! i had the curry oxtail special which was delish as well. definitely going back! read more

Everything was delicious. Great family owned restaurant that was friendly and very helpful. One of the best dinners I've had in Delray in 10 years! read more

Awesome!!! We went with a group of friends and everyone loved their food. Okra fried rice was delicious and you should not skip the garbonzo fritos appetizer. There was so much flavor. The coconut tofu was excellent along with the curry vegetables. Great place for vegetarians. Other people in our party had the fish and cleaned their plate. It is family owned and run and the folks are extremely nice. Will definitely go back. read more

Found out about this place from a friend. Very very good food here. Our table had grilled conch, curry chicken, jerk chicken, conch salad and it was all A+. The coconut rice was great as a side and the mac and cheese was even better. Chick pea appetizer (or maybe it was garbanzo?) was great too. Service here was very good too. I would put this place up against any restaurant on Atlantic. read more

Great food! The owners are from Guyana so the rice and curry has slightly different flavor than the local Jamaican spots I'm used to. Prices are excellent. The only thing I would improve upon is the dessert. We had the rum cake. It tasted like a store bought, previously frozen bun with no rum taste and the fake cream that comes from the can. I recommend homemade with homemade cream. Aside from that, we enjoyed all the dishes very much. read more

Forgot to mention they have several vegetarian options. All that I have tried are very good!

I found this restaurant on Yelp because we were looking for something different since we have been vacationing in Delray for over 20 years. I am glad we tried it! The curry goat was delicious and the roti was soft and fresh. The cracked conch was awesome and we enjoyed talking to the owner. The restaurant has a nice cozy feel and we will definitely make this one of our regular stops from now on! read more

I saw this on Yelp before heading to Delray for the night, thinking it would be my backup in case everything on Atlantic Ave was full. I should have gone right here to begin with. What a refreshing change of pace from the all-look-the-same restaurants on Atlantic. Bamboo Fire Cafe was quiet, cozy, and best of all the food was delicious! The service was fantastic too...attentive without being disruptive--it was just right. I had curried goat and my bf had oxtail. Both were phenomenal. I will definitely go back the next time I'm in Delray Beach. read more

DELICIOUS!!! great place and great owners!!!!! Treat you like family. Wife sure can cook. Donald is a great host. Go early or you wont get a table. Small read more

We were here in February. Cute little place off Atlantic Ave but within walking distance. Tiny. Only about a half dozen tables. But probably the best meal we had in two weeks. The owner and his daughter served us. She was a hoot. My husband had the Oxtail at her recommendation. I would NEVER have ordered that because it sounds scary but it was fantastic. I wanted the jerk pork but she said they couldn't give it to me because her mom wasn't there that day to make it. She gave us a free appetizer of meatballs because we were chatting with her. We actually came back a couple days later to have the rum cake for dessert. read more

Amazing food! Conch, red snapper prepares in a banana leaf, and goat curry was amazing. Super nice people and nice island vibe. Loved it!

Food is super. I had the pork roti, my wife the jerk chicken. Both were excellent. The plantains that we had with the dishes were perfectly done - and the fact that they were not mushy shows that everything is cooked to order here. I am giving it five stars, but four and a half might be more accurate if you are not a patient soul. We came after a large table that ordered a lot of food. This apparently delayed our meal - although they gave us some meatballs to keep us happy - yum. read more

The server was HORRIBLE! She behaved as if she was doing us a favor and had a scowl on her face the entire time. I will never return because of that. read more

We had a great experience the food was wonderful we ate goat curry, oxtail, plantin, fried conch, jerk Chicken and meatball and the dessert was a rum cake and goyava cheese cake so yummy everything was sooooo delicious . Our waiter and the owner were really nice and welcoming. I recommend this restaurant to every body. Thanx for the great time and food read more

We visited for the first time based on Yelp reviews, and we were very much in agreement with the best reviews -- Extremely pleasant owners, very personal and personable service, well-made, delightful food that was not only tasty but well-presented (esp. the fish in the banana leaf). The owners offered to serve our meal family-style so we could pass plates and thus sample everything more easily. We want to return on our next trip! We were feeling sorry for the folks at the next restaurant as we thought they couldn't possibly enjoy themselves as much as we did. read more

Always my first choice for food in Delray. Wish they were open every night!

The food was excellent! Very nice, small, family run restaurant. We asked for recommendations and were not disappointed - meatballs were very good, conch fritters were tasty and very light, Sangria was excellent - nice subtle flavors to it, we ordered a fish entree - cooked very nicely with very nice herbs and other flavors - again very light and shrimp with curry - very tasty. We ordered too much food, but it was all very, very good. We were stuffed but had to try the rum cake - very big and full of rum! covered in ice cream which cut some of the rum a bit (a good thing) and then whipped cream (from the can - could leave this off). We will definitely return on our next visit to Delray. One of the better meals we had on this trip. read more

The cooking is exceptional and the presentation first-class. You need to cut some slack for Caribbean service, but the food is certainly worth it. Pity their hours are so constrained. Please open many more hours. read more

While the food is very good, the kitchen and service was very slow. Would not recommend going on a weekend.

Small. Homey service. Excellent food. Recommend making a reservation. We were lucky to get a table as walk-ins.

Very Nice food, Excellent attention. I usually go there with my wife and the Restaurant is one of our favorite place to eat.

Went there loved it. Enjoyed teh laid back, cozy atmosphere, and the food is TO DIE FOR! I'm from the Caribbean and I've had all kinds of so called Caribbean food. The food at Bamboo Fire Cafe is the closest you will get to Real Caribbean food. I look forward to going there again the next time I visit Delray Beach, Florida. read more