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    Caribbean Queen

    3.9 (51 reviews)
    InexpensiveCaribbean
    Closed 10:30 am - 6:30 pm

    Caribbean Queen Photos

    Business Info

    CARIBBEAN QUEEN ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Quiet
    Good for kids
    Outdoor seating

    Recommended Reviews - Caribbean Queen

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    Jerk chicken meal. Rice and peas, mix veggies and fried plantains. All for $9.99.
    Xavier L.

    Smells good. Taste good. Not the best but so far the best Jamaican food I had in Gainesville.

    Menu
    Delia S.

    Wow, yall, just wow. I found this place by accident and was delighted I did. The food is definitely better than R.S. I had both curry chicken and mild beef patties, and I couldn't for the life of me decide which one was better. After she explained the sizes of the meals, I opted for medium which was more than enough food and lasted me two sittings. It comes with a meat over rice, three plantains and cabbage. This was the best curry goat I've had in years. It's perfectly seasoned, tender, juicy, and not a lot of fat. She makes the food everyday, so you know it's fresh. The cabbage and plantains were delicious too, although the rice was a little mushy for my taste.

    Menu

    The curry goat was succulent and delicious. It's a 1 woman operation and maaaan she does some good work, you can taste the love in the food. Really enjoyed my meal, definitely coming back.

    Jerk Chicken. Yum!
    Thao N.

    The BEST Jamaican food in Gville! Carribbean Queen is my top 5 favorite places to eat in town and it never disappoints. Ive tried almost everything on the menu.. it's seriously good home cooking and large portions. But cash only! A must try here is the Jerk Chicken of course. It is WAY better than Reggae Shack, trust me. The chicken is beautifully seasoned and has a smoky flavor- so yummy. It comes with rice, cabbage and plantains. Another favorite of mine is the curried Goat. The meat is sooo tender and not gamey at all! Thats how you know the cook has skills when the goat doesn't smell weird. The patties are excellent and surprisingly filling. I sometimes just eat one for lunch. The different flavors include spicy beef, curry chicken, and a veggie type. I've liked everything I tried here including the oxtail, curry chicken, and brown stew chicken. The place is more like a walk up and order not a full size restaurant. But this setup is what makes Caribbean Queen so cool. Most of the time, the owner and cook will be taking your order and you can see her preparing your food. This place is a Gville local and specialty!! She's been here for like 20 years! I wish Caribbean Queen had more reviews, but don't let that stop you from going. It's so freakin delicious. My Jamaican friends give it the stamp of approval :D GOOOOOO eat here

    Nina M.

    If I could rate lower than a 1 star, I certainly would. I was coming from Disney with 2 minor children & stopping through to this place for something to eat. I went inside WITH a mask on & the lady says only one person in the store at a time. I said these are kids, they're my babies. She said with a stern voice as if I didn't understand English, ONLY ONE PERSON AT A TIME, BECAUSE THE PLACE IS SO SMALL I CAN ONLY SERVE ONE PERSON AT A TIME. I wanted to curse this b!+@h out. I was ordering and I was paying...THAT meant she WAS only serving one person. I wasn't about to leave my babies in a damn car in a strange place, that we were just passing through for food. The place looked like a damn dump anyway. I'm glad she was so rude. It made me leave and find another Caribbean spot (Raggae Shack Cafe) around the corner on 619 West University Ave. Which by the way was awesome. If you, like me are passing through Gainesville Fla & looking for friendly service...Caribbean queen IS NOT that place for you. She is NOT worth your patronage & certainly glad she did NOT get mine.

    Curried goat, plantains, white rice, cabbage, and dinner roll in the curried goat dinner.
    Mike W.

    It has been some time since I'd been to Caribbean Queen and since I was in the neighborhood I decided to come back. I'm not certain just how long they've been here, but the restaurant is small, humble, and looks pretty well-worn: it reminds me of a place I loved in Savannah, Georgia called Wall's BBQ. It's no-frills, certainly, and I suspect they do the lion's share of their business in take-away though they have a couple small tables for dine-in plus a couple more in the outdoor court before the entry to the building. The menu is pretty standard to Jamaican cuisine: patties, oxtail stew, curried goat, jerk chicken, chicken stew, and maybe a few other dishes plus apparently specials now and then. They have black cake--as in the traditional Caribbean dark rum-tinged (sometimes rum-soaked) cake on the menu but there was no cake today. Nor was the soda fountain working, so there are some things like that to be patient with given that it's a small, locally-owned, family-run, business. The quality of the food however speaks very much for itself. I had the curried goat which came with white rice, plantains, a dinner roll (obviously home-made) and cabbage and it was all very flavorful, clearly cooked traditionally, and in ample--really, generous--portions. The goat fell right off the bone, every piece of plantain was perfectly cooked, the rice had a few red beans in it for flavor and tasted like it cook just long enough. While the curry flavor came through, the goat didn't suffer from over-seasoning at all, which I've found to be a problem at many Jamaican restaurants, honestly. I wouldn't have changed a thing though with today's lunch at Caribbean Queen. They do only take cash, so be forewarned.

    Lynn I.

    Soooo Yummy!!!! This is the best Jamacian food I've ever had! The jerk chicken is spiced perfectly, I still had a tingly spicy, smokey aftertaste 10 minutes later. The beef patties (empanatas) are good and the plantains are perfect, tender and sweet. A crisp cooked cabbage slaw with sweet peppers adds crunch and helps clean your palate between mouthfuls of yummy jerkness! Owner and Chef Valerie Phillips graduated from culinary school in New York, but more importantly was raised in Jamacia and still imports her spices from there believing they taste different than spices grown anywhere else. Valerie is sweet and friendly, talkative and funny. I even got a hug! :) She believes, "the body and Karma have to be at peace with Mother Nature." Valerie often closes her eyes while seasoning her meat with spices and love. "I cook how the spirit leads me!" She says, "When I finish cooking I feel the love (and) you feel it!" Boy she is right! The tiny yellow and green restaurant looks like it should be on the beach in Jamaica. You Floridians are lucky to have her in Gainesville! Xox to you Valerie, Lynn F. Los Angeles, CA

    Take out food from Caribbean Queen
    Il P.

    I've never had Jamaican cuisine before, and my experience here was pretty good. I tried the chicken jerk and goat curry. They were served with rice, cabbage and fried plantains. The jerk had BBQ sauce on top and the meat was very tender. It had all the bones with it. It's a very small place with stylish setting. There were all sorts of Jamaican goods displayed but I haven't tried them.

    We felt very welcome here!

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    13 days ago

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    2 years ago

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    10 months ago

    Great authentic Jamaican food. Store front may not seem much, but the food was amazing.

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    3 years ago

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    8 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    5 years ago

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    Valerie P.

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    11 years ago

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    16 years ago

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    5 years ago

    Caribbean Queen shows love with her tasty Jamaican dishes. Every item prepared with confidence and authenticity from the islands.

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    4 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    6 years ago

    Such a fantastic discovery! I had the mild beef patty and honestly I could eat it every day for the rest of my life! So good!

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    7 years ago

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    16 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    17 years ago

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    15 years ago

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    14 years ago

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    15 years ago

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    8 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    Valerie P.

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    8 years ago

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    11 years ago

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    6 years ago

    Authentic Caribbean Food! Great taste and great prices. Ms. Queen is the real deal! Try it for yourself!

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    16 years ago

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    17 years ago

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    15 years ago

    Great tempeh curry. The owner can be a bit gruff but the food is worth it. Call in the order unless you don't mind a pretty long wait.

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    12 years ago

    So awesome! I go there and I feel like I'm in my grandmother's kitchen... (I'm Jamaican)

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    11 years ago

    Went back for their jamaican patties after 10+ years. Still fresh, still delish!

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    Esperanza - Churrasco

    Esperanza

    3.9(22 reviews)
    3.7 mi

    Had seen several reviews on this place in the past. And I know there was a Yelp event there as…read morewell. So we decided to try it today. Got there shortly after they opened, got sat down right away. They had a really cool brunch menu, but chose to stick to the.Regular menu. Our appetizer was okay. Our main courses came out.My salmon was very tasty, came with cilantro rice and was supposed to be mixed vegetables, but it looked more like cabbage and onion.It still tasted good, but. Wife got paella., it was okay as well The atmosphere of the restaurant towards the end of our meal. Became very interesting, i'm not sure what was planned, but yeah.. Our waiter was very friendly and helpful.. They have indoor and a large outdoor seating area. It is definitely a unique dining experience. Situated in thornebrooke shopping area.

    We made a reservation in advance to celebrate my mom's birthday here, especially since she had…read moreheard great things about their crispy pork--one of her favorites. Unfortunately, our experience didn't live up to expectations. While the staff was friendly, there were several issues that really stood out. We arrived early for our reservation, but after the rest of our party showed up and we ordered, it took ONE HOUR for our food to arrive. I understand that it can take longer for larger parties, but once the food came, some of the dishes were cold. The portions were smaller than expected and didn't seem worth the price. After such a long wait, we were too hungry to send the food back, so we ate it anyway, but it definitely wasn't satisfying. The appetizers and entrees were just okay. We had several things missing from our order and had to ask our server for basic items like plates and glasses. There was a drag show going on inside, and the music was extremely loud. We were seated outside right under a speaker, and the sound was spotty and staticky. A staff member mentioned that the music would be turned off because it was too loud, but it took 20-30 minutes for that to actually happen. Overall, the whole experience felt overstimulating, and the long wait just wasn't worth it. I was hoping for a better celebration, but unfortunately, I can't recommend this place based on our visit.

    Photos
    Esperanza - Cafe con leche crème brûlée

    Cafe con leche crème brûlée

    Esperanza
    Esperanza - Ceviche and tostones  flight

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    Ceviche and tostones flight

    Caribbean Queen - caribbean - Updated June 2026

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