This place is literally SO good. It's like my taste buds explode each time!! Yum!! I've been coming here for YEARS. read more

Black Garlic - Caribbean Near Me - Kansas City, Missouri

Very nice atmosphere with comfy seats. Nicely made and smoked old fashioneds. Lamb bits were good, blueberry dessert even better. Service was quick and helpful. read more

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4 minutes ago New Was excited to try this restaurant as it has many great reviews but was very disappointed. We ordered our food and about 15 min later they came back and said they were out of oxtails. 2 people in our party had to order something else. Another 10-15min pass and they bring out only one order from our party of four and said everything else will be out soon. At this point more time has passed and they come back out saying they are out of ribs. Which again 2 people had ordered that in our party. I decided not to choose anything else to eat because they were probably going to be out of that also and we've already been waiting a long time. So I'm confused about what they were doing in the back that whole time for 20 plus min before saying something. They open at 5pm and our reservation was at 6:30 and it was not busy so no reason they should be out of a lot of things and not know that ahead of time before letting people order. For the two people in our party who did get to eat the portions are not worth the price. read more

-5 out of 5 if we could-- A Stunning Display of Neglect at Black Garlic I have never experienced anything quite like what happened at Black Garlic. What was supposed to be an enjoyable night out slowly transformed into something that felt surreal--almost like we were trapped in some strange social experiment about invisibility. We were seated quickly, and for a fleeting moment, I believed we were in good hands. But then the minutes began to stretch. Five minutes. Ten. Fifteen. By twenty, each passing moment felt heavier, more uncomfortable, more unbelievable. Around us, the restaurant buzzed with life--servers gliding by with plates, checking on tables, laughing with guests. It was like watching a world we weren't allowed to be part of. We sat there silent, waiting, hoping someone would notice us, while every other table around us was greeted, served, and cared for. The contrast was dramatic. Tables seated after us received menus, drinks, full service... while we sat there, untouched and unseen. It's astonishing how quickly a fun night can turn into something that feels deeply disrespectful and strangely isolating. By the 25‑minute mark--twenty‑five minutes of being ignored in plain sight--we realized the truth: we simply did not matter to them. And that realization hit harder than I expected. We stood up and walked out, not with anger, but with a kind of exhausted disbelief. No apology. No attempt to acknowledge the situation. Just a quiet exit from a place that made us feel invisible. Black Garlic didn't just fail to serve us-- they made us feel like ghosts in their dining room. And that's an experience I wouldn't wish on anyone. read more

The food is really good. The service was fast and I was very impressed by how personable the staff was. The place was big and spaced out. I would come back for happy hour. The items I wanted to try are on the happy hour menu. Also, the cocktails were sneaky good. Sip slow read more

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We came here after a comedy show. We wanted to try something new. Hubs made a reservation and when we got there, we were seated immediately. Hubs ordered the Rum punch and I had the Hibiscus Mojito. The drinks were very good. For starters, we had the crab cakes and the shrimp. Both were delicious. For our meals, we both ordered the Lamb Tibs. I'm not a fan of injera personally, but that didn't take away from the meal. It was so good and full of flavor. If I had to critique anything it was cabbage was a little mushy. I gather the potatoes made it that way since they basically disintegrated in my mouth. Not a bad place and I'm sure we will be back! read more

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Met some lady friends at this midtown restaurant on a week day evening. It was a good crowd. There was a DJ spinning and leading bingo. Which brought some fun and festive energy to the space. We started with drinks and apps. The jerk chicken bao buns were spicy and delicious. The conch fritters were good too. They came with a green sauce that was delightful. Now to the entrees: - the chicken jambalaya was served in a piping hot iron skillet full of chicken and sausage. -the branzino came with perfectly roasted Brussel sprouts and sweet potatoes. It was delicious. - 5) the lamb dibs were diced and spicy and slightly chewy, but not as spicy as the jerk chicken. It was served with lentils, green salad and injera (spongy bread). It was delicious. We didn't have room from dessert, next time. I love the fusion of carribean and African foods. Lots of seafood options. This location is much bigger than there former spot across the street when it was Mesob. Service was kinda slow but friendly. read more

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The happy hour jerk chicken is not worth it. The cocktails are good and those sweet plantains are amazing. Very cute. Not much has changed since the last name. Service was good. read more

Black Garlic - Caribbean Near Me - Kansas City, Missouri

Trying out this restaurant for the first time in midtown area. Lounge style atmosphere. Unique cuisine for the Kansas City area. They serve Caribbean and Ethiopian food. We just happens to be there on the first Friday where they have live Ragge music. Service seem a little slow when we arrived for dinner. They weren't completely packed but probably just busy. I opted for their Caribbean black garlic seafood pasta, which was exceptional. My friend had the Ethiopian Beef Tibs. It was unique and different in flavors. We both had not had Ethiopian food before. For dessert, we had their rum red velvet cake served over vanilla ice cream. It was really good. Both the entrees and dessert was nicely presented. Definitely recommend making a reservation if you want to eat dinner there. Otherwise there is seating around the bar. read more

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Initially, I had high expectations for this establishment; however, my overall experience was somewhat disappointing. The staff was courteous but seemed preoccupied with other matters, which may have delayed taking our order. The food was of good quality, and the young blonde hostess who seated us was exemplary. On the other hand, our server appeared somewhat displeased and described the food as "O.K." I generally prefer to be served by waitstaff who are enthusiastic about their offerings and willing to engage positively with customers. Nonetheless, I did enjoy the food once we received it and would consider recommending the dorotibs. read more

This location has free street parking around it. It is a little dark but has a cool vibe and good music playing. The service was great, our waitress was lovely. The food was really good. My husband really liked the snapper but thought the coleslaw was spicy. I got the beef tibs and it was really good not super spicy. I got the red lentils as my side. The jambalaya was good. The cocktails were yummy as well. This restaurant is worth a visit. read more

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I tried a new place for restaurant week and for me was a hit! Black Garlic has a cool vibe where you might end up in a conversation with the people beside you. Eden our server was incredible. Very knowledgeable about the food and her suggestions were on point. I had the jerk bao bun which was incredible. Then I took on the Spinach salad. It was very refreshing. Next was the Short Rib with green beans and mashed potatoes. Meat tender, green beans flavorful and mashed potatoes a hit! Ended with a great dessert upside down cake! Warm and delightful. The old fashioned was great. I will definitely go back!! read more

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This first visit made a great impression on me. The service was the best and the environment was so chill. A perfect place to meet up with friends or for a date night. The food and drinks were amazing. I'm looking forward to going back for an experience of their regular menu items. read more

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Food was good; but be prepared for long wait times during date night weekends. I would give them another chance.

Food was delicious! We had ribs and they were flavorful and fall off the bone tender. Mac and cheese was also tasty. Chefs Special salmon was super delicious. I would go back to order that again. The bartender is heavy handed with his pour so you get your money's worth. The black garlic old fashioned was a fun presentation with the smoke. We played bingo and I won a prize. We had a good time. Service started a little slow but then ended up very attentive. read more

Stopped in with friends before a show and we had a pretty decent meal. We ordered 3 appetizers. I loved the Caribbean fritters and my friends enjoyed the others. All 4 of us enjoyed our entrees. One friend really really loved hers. Mine was good but overpriced for what it was. The other two liked theirs but didn't love them. The restaurant was cute and I loved the plant wall. Server was friendly enough but didn't go out of her way to make us feel comfy. They had an alcohol menu and are called Black Garlick and rum bar. They didn't serve alcohol. Not a huge deal but I was excited about some of the drinks on the menu and bummed I didn't get to try them. I'd go back again. read more

Black Garlic - Caribbean Near Me - Kansas City, Missouri

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I got the mojito here I believe in a raspberry flavor and it was absolutely amazing! The service was also great I enjoyed myself. read more

Black Garlic - Mojito - Caribbean Near Me - Kansas City, Missouri

Went for dinner before a show at the Uptown. We were seated immediately and offered drinks. Our server offered suggestions when we asked what was popular and also offered her favorites. We had the oxtails- AMAZING! Others at our table had lamb Excited to go back and try other things. read more

If you're up for an adventure, both Ethiopian and Caribbean food are always a good choice. The floor plan is centered on the bar, but the seating is nice although personally the environment is a bit dark with dark walls and dark floor, shades drawn - but hey I'm here for it. Might be a good romantic date night spot. I had the lamb ribs - boneless lamb on Ethiopian flat bread. Tender and delicious. Service was excellent! They had a drippy ac vent but who cares! read more

Black Garlic - Lamb tibs and side salad. - Caribbean Near Me - Kansas City, Missouri

Amazing service and the food was delicious. The short rib was soft and tender. I tried the salmon and it was soft flavorful. Very relax environment and good date spot. Definitely will be back again! read more

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I attended this restaurant for restaurant week and it was a great experience. The ambiance was great with a live band and lively atmosphere, the service was friendly and didn't take too long and the food was all delicious!!! read more

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We went to this restaurant with a large group (15+) and had an amazing time. Every dish was delicious, the servers were so gracious, and the drinks were delicious. The mussels and brussel sprouts were amazing but we didn't have anything we didn't like. Free parking behind the restaurant. This place is totally under-rated and hidden gem! read more

Went to this location a few times and both times even under the old ownership the food and service was mediocre. Had issues with the server being non attentive to the women but very flirtatious with the male customers and very inattentive to me...would not return read more

Definitely felt like we were expanding our worlds. Our server was knowledgeable and friendly and patient! The food was definitely different but tasty (which is why we tried it). The place had a worldly feel to it. We had a good time and a good meal. It wasn't my favorite kind of food, but I'd definitely go back next time I have an itch for something different! read more

We waited 30 minutes and no one came to our table. We left. The restaurant was not even half full. We even had a reservation and was there 10 minutes early. We would recommend not going here if you are looking for good service. read more

The food was good, but quite expensive for what is offered. For 3 appetizers and 1 dessert plus 2 half price Happy Hour drinks the bill was $90. Our server was friendly but either incompetent or poorly trained. She brought out dessert and left all of the dirty dishes from our meal on the table. Won't be returning. read more

First the good, the cocktails were pretty good, the injera and oxtail were OK. They did forget to bring my rice with the oxtails and by the time we got the attention of a server and got the rice I was already finished eating. My wife got the salmon tibs. Overcooked and bland. Bland is a word seldom used with Ethiopian food. The worst part was the service. Horrible from start to finish. Don't waste your time or money on this place. read more

What an adventure! Delicious fresh food spiced and seasoned to perfection. Our server Terry explained the dishes and spices well! I'll be back! read more

5 star experience no doubt best appetizer I had was the conch fish omg I would go back everyday if I could

Tell Uncle Ben to come out the kitchen. Not impressed at all. Looking at the pictures and reading the reviews one would think the food is about to be exquisite.... Wrong. I had the Chicken Jambalaya and my guy had the Braised Oxtails. The chicken jambalaya tasted like Uncle Ben straight out the box with some tomatoes, bell peppers, and sausage tossed in. No real, authentic, or cultural flavor to it at all. Not to mention it was warm not hot as if though it just came out the skillet more like it's been sitting in the kitchen in a pot waiting for somebody to order it SMH. My guys oxtails was a disgrace. He had one and a half oxtails which came out warm as if though they've been sitting in the kitchen, waiting to be ordered and served, had no real flavor to them, and were a bit tough considering they were supposed to be braised. His mushroom rice was warm not hot as if though it had been sitting waiting to be served to somebody and not made to order. The only things tasty about the whole experience was the drinks. Not to mention the waiter for the other table continued to bump my chair all night long with no apology or care given. To top it off our waiter knew that the food and experience sucked because she mentioned that she knew we weren't going to order anything extra so there was no need to even ask LOL! Overall, the experience sucked, the food sucked, and it's definitely not on the go back list. But I felt like we should've known because for a Saturday night it was extremely empty. read more

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Restaurant week, so decided to try this. 4 courses for 65.00. They didn't offer their reg menu at all this week and each guest had to choose the restaurant week menu which was fine. Side note: several items that were on the restaurant week menu they don't even offer on their regular menu. Portions were super small. Taste was just ok. We were expected to pass around silverware and dishes to each person vs the waitress/ waiter walking around and handing out individually. We were asked to stack plates to make it easier for the waiter to carry when cleaning up. Waitress never refilled soft drinks, but another waiter kept coming around to refill water. When I asked him for a juice he rudely asked me who my waiter was and to ask them. Apparently he was only the water boy. We were expected to use the same silverware used for dinner on dessert. We had to specially request new silverware for dessert. Straws were gatekept like gold and we had to use one water straw on all beverages. Absolutely no substitutions with the menu when we asked, and after begging 3 people finally got pineapple juice as they only offer soda and water. They said all their juice is used for alcoholic drinks.... We expected gratuity with our party of 7 but were shocked when we saw a 23% surcharge for gratuity. We are normally big tippers when the service and food are on point and when each person was charged a 23% gratuity, you expect the level of service to be impeccable. This was not. Nowhere does it mention that a gratuity would be added to parties of a certain number and absolutely nowhere is it written that a 23% gratuity would be added. This really needs to be advertised so people are aware of what they are paying for. What started out as a 65.00 meal turned into a 91.80 bill. Not to mention they tax the food at a higher rate as well. We asked about the amount for gratuity and the waitress "checked" as we watched her walk over and nonchalantly laugh about it. They shrugged it off saying it was right. They know they are getting over on people and don't care. What else can you do while you're there but pay? For our table the waitress made over 120.00 tip and only came by twice. Never refilled our drinks and wasn't even the one to bring our food out. I expected more from this restaurant as I had been wanting to come here for a while, unfortunately I won't be returning and will be telling everyone about our experience. The restaurant asked us before we got our bill to please leave a review after we got our bill and tried to talk to them we certainly advised that we would be leaving this very detailed negative review. Food was sub par, service was sub par and I don't like being forced to pay for poor service. Wouldn't recommend you going out of your to come here... read more

Went on Wed and they had Bingo which was a neat surprise. Nice atmosphere and excellent food.