Enjoy some delicious lunch at this place in Gainesville after visiting the VA hospital. The owner is a sweet lady with wonderful cooking skills. The jerk chicken . Was too hungry to wait on the oxtails but will get them next trip. Prices are reasonable. Stop by and support. Go Navy read more

Caribbean Queen - Curry goat plate. Ate the jerk chicken before getting a picture. - Caribbean Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

The Jamaican restaurant offers a vibrant taste of the Caribbean with its rich flavors and hearty portions. The jerk chicken is a standout smoky and perfectly spiced while the rice and peas complement every bite. The atmosphere is homey and welcoming, making it a great spot for a casual meal. Highly recommended for anyone craving authentic Jamaican cuisine! This is my go to spot everytime I visit my old college! read more

Caribbean Queen - Caribbean Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

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

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

Caribbean Queen - Jerk chicken meal. Rice and peas, mix veggies and fried plantains. All for $9.99. - Caribbean Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

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. read more

See all

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. read more

Caribbean Queen - Menu - Caribbean Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

See all

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 read more

Caribbean Queen - Jerk Chicken. Yum! - Caribbean Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

Most Authentic Jamaican meals Gainesville. Hands Down!More reasonable price for everything except the Oxtails. Saturday and breakfasts are like being in Jamaica. This is one of the best restaurants in north central Florida. Please go and try any meal before you go to any other Caribbean restaurant. read more

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. read more

Caribbean Queen - Caribbean Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

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. read more

Caribbean Queen - Curried goat, plantains, white rice, cabbage, and dinner roll in the curried goat dinner. - Caribbean Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

See all

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 read more

See all

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

My husband Joe, our 6m Old son and I were on our back to Alabama from Tampa and was looking for some authentic Caribbean food and google brought us to Caribbean Queen. As soon as we pulled up I said to my husband, I know the food is going to be good, small and quaint, and they did not disappoint! Honestly, they went over and beyond and my 6m old cuddled in her fondness of her. Kinder more gentler soul we haven't came across in a while. I wholeheartedly recommend this place if you're looking for a great, flavorful Jamaican food and A+++ customer service. We'll definitely be going back when passing through the area. read more

Hands down, without a doubt, the best food in Gainesville. The dishes are humble, hearty, and deeply flavorful. It's the kind of food that makes you feel at home, even if you've never had Jamaican in your life. The love that the owner puts into each meal goes deep and shines through in every bite. She's a genuine down-to-earth woman who I am delighted to see every time. She doesn't seem to have time for nonsense, which admittedly I find very charming. It's all about connecting with the food here, so if that's what you're after, look no further. (I highly recommend the curry goat, but you really can't go wrong here.) read more

The Caribbean Queen is my queen. Everything I've had is just delicious, and even though it's a bit of a hole-in-the-wall, once you know it you delight in dining outside or the cheesy soap operas or cartoons generally playing inside. This is my favorite neighborhood spot and in my opinion one of the best restaurants in Gainesville. Thank you ma'am for feeding me! read more

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!

This is honestly the best and most authentic Jamaican food I've ever had in Gainesville. It's a beautiful quaint restaurant and I'd definitely give it a try and I will be returning. read more

I totally love the hole in the wall location. And the owner was quite friendly too, however, I'm iffy about food. The oxtails presented had more bone than actual meat. The little meat I did have was alright, but there wasn't much to enjoy. The rice was good, but rice is rice! That's nothing special or hard to make. The vegetables were okay and the plantains... I'll never eat again. The food just didn't sway to the rhythm of my groove, neither did the prices. read more

Recently discovered this tiny gem in Gainesville. I've tried a few Jamaican places primarily ordering jerk chicken to compare the tastes. As someone picky with the texture of the chicken, Caribbean Queen did not fail to deliver. It was quite crispy with a smoky taste on the surface with tender and flavored inside. The only comment I'd make is that the jerk lacked in its spicy level, was a bit more sweet and BBQ-y than what I'm used to. But, it's still flavorful regardless. The man taking my order was super nice and the atmosphere of the location felt authentic! Would come back again. read more

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. read more

Caribbean Queen - Take out food from Caribbean Queen - Caribbean Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

I regret to say I had a very "meh" experience at Caribbean Queen. I had the curried chicken on a bed of rice and the first I noticed was how many bones I had to pick my way through....these bones were soft and it therefor hard to tell what was bone until you got it in your mouth. I could have gotten over that if the flavor was awesome....sadly the chicken was quite bland. Lastly our food was also served luke warm. The one saving grace was the plantains. Cooked and seasoned perfectly! Caribbean Queen, I really want to like you so I promise to give you another try; maybe it was just a bad night? read more

Im giving it a two b/c she's CASH ONLY now. other then that the curry and jerk chicken the only dishes ive tried and they were good. the side items of cabbage and plantains were a little.. um.. off. plantain was soggy and cabbage was watery. the rice had way too much water added when cooking, I dont like soggy rice!! I had all the patties and they are prob the only thing ill be getting from now on cause i dont carry that much cash on me. its a shame cause its WAY faster and more convenient the reggae shack. read more

upon entering the Caribbean Queen we were greeted with a big friendly smile and felt welcome! We ordered the curry goat and jerk chicken and found a table around back where our friends were already seated. It is very rustic and simple set up with only 3 tables! within a few minutes our food arrived and the servings were ample and generous! the goat was delicious and served with rice and beans, cabbage/carrot/red pepper and plantains. This is real Jamaican faire! The reggae music added to the atmosphere and along with good company I started to feel so relaxed and could imagine that I was back in Jamaica sitting in a roadside cafe. LOVED it and will tell friends and will be back!! read more

Caribbean Queen - We felt very welcome here! - Caribbean Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

See all

Caribbean Queen, owned by Miss "Queenie," is my home away from home in Gainesville! Her food is authentic Jamaican food; getting quality ingredients and making things right is very important to her. Best Jamaican food in Gainesville by far! read more

I've heard about this spot since I moved to Gainesville in August. Well, I must say it left more to be desired. I ordered the medium oxtail with a spicy beef patty. The oxtails were fatty but seasoned well. They weren't as flavorful and spicy as I'm used to but they bad. The rice and veggies were over cooked. The patty was flavorful but was very dry and seemed old. read more

This place is one of Gainesville's Florida best kept secrets. My daughter took me there this morning to get a veggie patty. It was a pleasant surprise to see this small kitchen as it reminded me of a typical Jamaican home style kitchen. The spices and seasonings that penetrated the air assured me that this woman can cook. I was happy to see a great selection of vegan food on the menu, which Miss Queen clearly knows how to prepare. I was a little worried about her contaminating my food with the same utensils that had handled the meat dishes, most eateries have no understanding. As the thought entered my head Ms Queen must have read my mind and instantly explained her food prep and service. No pork, shellfish,fish, meat, eggs, or milk have come into contact with my food. Phew!!! This woman was so friendly it wasn't like most Jamaican restaurants I have become accustom to. I ordered spinach patty, veggie patty and tried the veggie jerk chunk, rice and peas with steam veggies. Delightful, perfectly seasoned, just the right amount of heat on the jerk veggie chunks. The rice and peas had coconut added to the rice which is authentic to Jamaican rice, very tasty. The steam veggies had a nice combination mixed veg to it, and it was presented perfectly steamed, not too hard, not soggy. This dish also came with fried ripe plantain. I loved it.. Great size portion. Great value for money.. This meal served me twice and I believe it was a small. I love to eat out, but find it hard getting food that is vegan, and has not been contaminated in any way with dairy or meat produces. Ms Queen fully understands dietary needs, religious restrictions and allergies. Very rarely do you find a restaurants that will prep you good vegan food. Cooked to excellent taste, great selection, prep to your specs, phone in the order and ready for pick up. Sweet!!! Your secret is out Gainesville, Gator Town Florida.... I'm gonna let the world know Caribbean Queen got some excellent food cooking in that kitchen.... read more

The worst Jamaican food i have ever eaten. The oxtails were dry, flavorless and full of fat. The rice and peas was gummy, over cooked, greasy , tasteless and had 3 peas, The cabbage contained carrots, corn and sweet peas-just nasty. This was my first time to Caribbean Queen and my last. I just wasted $20 dollars to throw food in the garbage! stay away, the food is not worth any money read more

We had the Jamaican patties we tried one of each flavor and plantains. The patties tasted frozen and flavorless. The plantains were cold. Really disappointed won't be returning. read more

Was very disappointed oxtails were dry and damn near meatless on both plates rice and beans were dry as ever. Reggae shack sucks just as much with the flavorless food. Uggghh i really miss Miami and Tampa for real authentic jamaican cuisine. Will stick to making it myself here in gainesville read more

Just went to CQ for the first time! Won't be the last. The jerk chicken was smoked and flavored so perfectly. Plantains ripe and caramelizad around the edges, just how I like them. They serve rice under the chicken to absorb the sauce- delicious! Everything really cheap. Go here! read more

Best place in town for Caribbean food! My expectations are high since I'm from the Caribbean. I get the oxtails which are amazingg. I just wish she accepted debit cards read more

I've had better. The "express" was $7 and I got 3 pieces of oxtail... not worth it at all. It didn't even taste authentic. I've had better oxtail elsewhere. read more

We love this place. We stumbled upon it after a late night meeting. The owner was closing but still served us with a smile and sat and talked with us for a while. The food was great. I had the oxtail and my wife had the goat curry. I don't know which I liked better. Definitely has a great vibe. I recommend it over any other Caribbean restaurant in town. read more

Authentic Caribbean food!!! As a Gainesville native, I LOVE to try locally owned food, and this place is definitely one of my go-to's. I've tried the other Caribbean restaurants, and nothing tops Mrs. Val's. She's been knowing me since I was in the 7th grade, and I've been eating there since then. Wonderful woman, and can cook like no other. read more

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

I wanted to LOVE Caribbean queen, but it just wasn't so. I loved the hole in the wall location downtown, and the queen herself was such a sweetheart. I ordered the brown stew chicken, which was okay. I love meat on the bone chicken, but there was hardly any meat. The spices and gravy weren't very bold either. The worst thing was the plantains, which weren't fried fresh and tasted stale. Overall I think I'll stick to reggae shack. read more

The food here is pretty darn good. This is the place to go for jerk chicken if you can not stand the heat of the chicken at the Reggae Shack. read more

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.

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

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