Unexpected Lunch Stop - Worth It!…read more I wasn't planning on eating here yesterday, but with the holiday, a few of my favorite spots were closed. Since I was in the neighborhood and short on time, I decided to stop in for a quick lunch--and I'm glad I did! The service was fast and efficient. The food is served hot, and you simply pick what you want, making the whole process super convenient. They give you a generous portion for a great price, and if you're dining in, the staff even brings your food right to the table, which was a nice touch. Whether you're looking for a quick takeout option or a sit-down meal, this spot is a solid choice for delicious Dominican food. Fast, filling, and flavorful--definitely worth a stop! Everything was clean and staff was friendly.

Their empanadas are so perfect, I don't even want to write anything else! They're perfectly crisp…read morewithout drying out the inside filling. The beef and cheese and chicken and cheese are the best flavors. Their pernil is always cooked well, too. I like mine as crispy as possible with a crunch. Pairing a meat with rice for their lunch special is probably your best bet, cost wise. Service is quick! While I'll typically do takeout, there are a few tables inside and friendly service. Great neighborhood spot.

Went to this truck on lunch as I was craving my JA food, I only had Rice and Pea's with oxtail…read moregravy, plantain, and festival. My guy had the jerk chicken patties. I didn't really like the jerk chicken patty, but the rice and gravy was soooooo goood! I can te the oxtail is good just by all the flavors. Sn: i am Jamaican and that was good Jamaican food. The wait to get the food is a bit long but it's worth it.

From the owner: The Best Jamaican/American Taste In Your Mouth. Give Us A Try You Won't Regret It.read more

The food here is great! I stopped in on a Monday for their $30 soul food special. The Mac&cheese…read morewas super cheesy, seasoned well, and easily my favorite thing on the plate. I appreciate the candied yams not being overly sweet. They paired well with the mac&cheese and collard greens. My least favorite thing on the plate had to be the chicken, unfortunately. The flavor was lacking but the crunch was good. What wasn't great about my visit was the fact that it took 3 hours from start to finish. I sat down at my table at 7:20 and didn't leave until 10:40 due to slow service. With the special you get a salad, a soul food plate, and dessert. The salad was great but was clearly from a bag... so I was confused on why it took 30 minutes to come out. From there, our server came over 30 minutes later to tell us the food would take a while because everyone in the place ordered at the same time. Our plates unfortunately didn't come out until 9:15. From there it was an exhausting task of trying to track down our server to get our dessert to go. No other servers wanted to help us which was actually so nerve-wracking. Since Frenchie's is new and easily accessible, I would possibly return but not until something is done about their service. Usually I'm pretty laid back but I was also sat next to a blaring speaker where I couldn't even hear who was across from me. Overall, the visit was disappointing.

Frenchie's Oasis Bar & Grille located on Main Street occupying the long time empty space that used…read moreto be Dunkin'. I was most excited to try this place out because it's been vacant for so long and I've seen the sign for a while and awaiting their opening. After hearing about a friend's experience, I convinced a couple others to make it over the next day they'd be open which was today, Monday. I looked it up and made reservations on Open Table. Today's the "Monday" and after getting off work.. waited an hour with friends who worked nearby, walked over to the establishment... I didn't even make it past the foyer despite having a reservation for 6p. We opened the door to the foyer and waited because that's where the host stand was. Assuming the inner door was locked which it actually was because a staff eventually unlocked the inner door. She didn't quite greet us, instead, she said that they won't be taking any orders until 7:30p because the kitchen hasn't opened yet. She also stood between the door and it felt like we were not even allowed in. She shut the door and conversed with her boss, offering us either to wait or get some kind of discount another time. I'm thankful for them trying to rectify the issue since I've already waited for them to open. I preferred to dine so we left. Also, I'm at a loss if I'll get penalized for the reservation I made on Open Table. She assured me I wouldn't be. She didn't take my name though I don't know about that. The entire thing was so disappointing. Their hours stated a 6p opening. There isn't a website for more information either. There is an instagram page and I wouldn't have known it was the same place if not for the address on the bio. The hours are mostly evenings only between Fridays-Mondays. It isn't posted on the door and again, information isn't clear. I'm not all too keen on coming back..

The correct address is 234 Spencer St. in Manchester, CT…read more This place just opened on September 6! It is rare Jamaican bistro. It is a cross between a restaurant and a night club. The music (piped in with commercials) is a big louder than you would expect, but this is really a lounge type of atmosphere. The decor is truly amazing. The colors are a big highlight. Get a load of the shot names. Did you see the lounge chair? The bottle display is amazing. I'm sitting down at the bar. These chairs are soft and comfy. The place is designed for you to stay a while. For my first drink, I'm having a Bedroom Bully. It is made with tequila, rum, Simply Lemonade, Blueberry-infused Syrup, lime juice and Triple Sec. Nice presentation! Nice glassware. I like the blueberries mixed in there. The lime wheel is just perfect. The taste is amazing! The straw is biodegradable. For my first food item, I'm having a beef pattie and coco bread. A Jamaican patty is a savory hand pie that originated in Jamaica. It's a semicircular pastry that contains various fillings and spices baked inside a flaky shell. The fillings can include seasoned ground beef, pork, lamb, lobster, shrimp, cheese, chicken, and ackee. The spices come from a melding of flavors in Jamaica. The East Indian indentured servants of the colonials added cumin and curries and enslaved Africans gave depth with the addition of cayenne pepper. This is delicious! It is warm, soft and spicy like it should be. Coco bread is a Jamaican bread made from flour, yeast, sugar, salt, butter, and coconut milk. The coconut milk gives the bread a tropical flavor and a uniquely Caribbean sensibility. Coco bread is buttery, slightly sweet, and firm on the outside and soft on the inside. It's often split in half and stuffed with a Jamaican patty or other filling to make a sandwich. This is a bread that is very easy to eat. I'm impressed! For my next drink, I'm having a Henny Island. This is made with tequila, Triple Sec, lime juice, pineapple, passion fruit and a Hennessy floater. Wow! This one is much stronger than the last drink! I'm guessing it's the Hennessy on top. This has a fantastic taste! For my entree, I'm having the Snappa n'Tings. This is streamed snapper cooked down in a coconut sauce with shrimp, okra, corn and pumpkin. Pumpkin? It is served with water crackers. A water cracker (Commonwealth English) or water biscuit (American English) is a type of savoury cracker. They are thin, hard and brittle, and usually served with cheese or wine. Originally produced in the 19th century as a version of the ship's biscuit, water biscuits continue to be popular in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Ireland, and the United Kingdom, with the leading brands (Carr's and Jacob's) selling over seventy million packets a year. Water biscuits are also popular in Chile. Wow! Look at this dish! It is steaming hot! Lots of lemon slices! This is a rare occasion to enjoy some shrimp. There a lot of bones so beware. For my final drink, I'm having a Toxic. This is made with Diplomatico Reserva Patron, Aperol, lime juice and Fiorente Elderflower Liqueur. Definitely a strange combination. I am christening the bottle of patron! This is served in a globular, plastic glass. That is incredibly original! It's strong and has a very unique taste! I have never experienced a taste quite like this! When you drink it, it bubbles in the middle! You need to be patient here. Drinks take a bit longer to make as well as their unique Dine In Jamaican Menu but you will NOT be disappointed! For dessert, I'm having the Cake of the Day (which changes weekly). I should not be having this (cheese cake) but oh well...OMG! It is great!

Rocking! I randomly went for takeout, I ordered the jerk…read morechicken with rice/cabbage/plantains... no complaints. Everything had flavor. They are not stingy with the plantains lol. Nice portions for everything else as well. I also had the rum punch while I waited. I'll be back.

It's a cloudy, rainy day on the first day of spring, and I decided to visit the Rolling Roti food…read moretruck in Downtown Hartford. I've enjoyed their tasty cuisine in the past, but officially leaving a review for them makes me excited to share my experience with the Yelp community--so y'all can give them a try! I ordered their popular curry chicken roti wrap, which is made with love. Seriously, the roti is so fresh that they even have a sign that says, "Roti is made fresh. Please be patient." And they're not lying--you can taste the freshness! The flavors burst in your mouth with every bite. The wrap is very filling, so make sure you save room if you're planning to order one. For the grand finale, I went with their jerk chicken entrée, which comes with lo mein and a salad. The jerk chicken is packed with bold, spicy seasonings, but that's what makes the experience so enjoyable. You can instantly tell they cook with love. The wait time was about 10-15 minutes, and when I got home, the food was still hot--not warm, HOT! That's what I'm talking about. Please give them a try! Rolling Roti has been my favorite food truck since I first tried them in 2019. Plus, the owner is down-to-earth and always welcoming.

How to properly rate Rolling Roti? On one hand, I couldn't believe I spent a little over 50…read moredollars and received a single medium container's worth of goat curry, spinach, potato curry, okra, and pumpkin. On the other, there is no question everything in that container was absolutely delicious. The goat curry had a tantalizing mix of spices without anything completely overpowering the meat. Potatoes in the potato curry were soft and held spices well. On the other hand, the spinach and okra felt refreshing against the slight burn from the curries. On a future visit, I'd probably just order everything separately to ensure I get more food. But I definitely was impressed with the quality of the food.

El Mercado is a supermarket with a cool food court on Park Street in Hartford. The food court,…read morewhich includes a Mexican spot, a Peruvian spot, a Colombian spot and a Dominican spot was the draw for me. There's a bit of seating and I ate my Oxtail, fried plantains, and rice and beans there. It was very good. I imagine the market has a wider selection of foods and goods you might need for Hispanic and Latino cooking. The Parking Lot is a bit tricky, both in terms of finding a spot and navigating your way out if you're lucky enough to get into the lot. El Mercado is a classic Hartford place you should check out at least once. Four Stars

Unfortunately, I experienced food poisoning after trying the Dominican food vendor. I ordered a…read moresimple meal of rice, beans, and pork, but the rice was burnt, and the pork was dry. It became clear the food wasn't good once I got home. I value proper sanitation, and I noticed the woman serving the food wasn't wearing gloves. I didn't take a picture at the time because I honestly forgot, but I don't think I'll be trying their food again..

In New York, we would call this a hole in the wall. Very tiny space off the street. Counterspace…read moreand four large, basic wooden tables. You can do takeout or dine-in, but even when dining in, you look at a menu, pay at the counter, and then it eventually comes to your table. I was lucky enough to come in when there was only one table and some takeout customers. As I left, several more people came in, so this place can become crowded. Aurora's is Guatemalan. They have a lot of brekkie stuff--huevos rancheros, omelettes with veggies, sausage, peppers, ham, sausage, etc. Breakfast sandwiches (BEC, beans, queso, ham, turkey, avocado, cheeses). Burritos (chorizo, loaded, veggies). Appetizers, like tacos, nachos, tostadas, and more. Sandwiches (burgers, steak sandwiches). Bowls and salads (house green, classic caesar, burrito bowl). Quesadillas and wraps (turkey avocado, buffalo chicken, churrascov, burrito, chicken bacon ranch). I had the Churrasco. It had a lot of fat, but it was more steak than fat, and the fat came off easily. The meat was tender and fall apart. I ordered the fries, but got rice, and that was okay. The black beans were great. The salad was a little palate cleanser. The thing I LOVED, ADORED, would help me ignore the fact the restaurant was so cold that I had to keep my coat on and shivered throughout my stay--the drinks. They have these great fruit drinks--grilled pineapple lemonade (my choice), homemade horchata, fresh melon juice, watermelon juice, etc. My choice, the grilled pineapple lemonade--I literally sucked that stuff down. It was fresh, refreshing, not too sweet, but just sweet enough. Let's go back to my elder millennial roots--"It's all that and a bag of chips." Would come here again, food, drinks, and service are great, but turn up the heat please!

I ordered from Aurora's via DoorDash and had a great experience overall. The carne asada Guatemalan…read moresandwich (Shuco) was hearty and flavorful -- the grilled steak was juicy, tender, and well-seasoned. The sandwich had that street food-style flavor I was craving, and the bread was soft but held everything together nicely. The sweet plantains were tasty and ripe, but a little on the greasy side for my liking. The watermelon juice was fresh, light, and refreshing -- not overly sweet, which I appreciated. Even though I didn't dine in, I've passed by the spot and it always smells amazing and has a warm, welcoming vibe. My order was neatly packed, and everything arrived intact, which shows care and attention to detail on their end. That kind of service goes a long way, even through delivery! Can't wait to stop by in person soon -- if the food tastes this good through DoorDash, I can only imagine how much better it is fresh off the grill.