I was here last year when the pandemic just hit. Because of covid, there is only takeout available. You will recognize the place with it's iconic front exterior and door, which I love! Parking is on the streets or a lot next door. The inside is nice and cheerful but the chairs were placed on the tables since they don't allow dine-in right now. The best Haitian food in town! I ordered the jerk chicken level 2 spicy. It came with 2 large drumsticks & thigh, and cajun rice. Normally I would be more adventurous with my voice level but they don't play here. The chicken was so flavorful. So happy Grand Rapids has a place like this to break away from the numerous chain restaurants around here! read more

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amazing food! always worth the wait. the spicy strawberry sauce is the best with the sample platter and caribbean fried rice is always a must have when going there. read more

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Stopped in here for a workin lunch. Excellent decision! Quickly seated and taken care of, with friendly & personable service. I ordered the seafood gumbo, heat level 4 (I was feeling gutsy); my friend ordered Chez Olga Ragu Pasta with Shrimp. We also got a starter of fried plantains (came with a vinegary/onion coleslaw type of relish on the side. Talk about a mix of creamy heat! Not only did our food come out quickly, it was freshly made and full of flavor. My dish had a nice red sauce (looks like tomato based, but it had a hint of creamy), and was filled with a variety of seafood and okra. Rice came with. My friends Pasta was HUMONGOUS, oh so creamy, and flavorful. Whenever I've had fried plantains, they've always been sweet and small in size. These plantains were not sweet and were huge (it almost looked like they were 2 plantain slices smooshed & fried together...). They were the perfect contrast to my spicy dish. The decor is so cool too! (We almost missed the front door because it blended in so well...in spite of the "open here" sign). Check this place out if you're craving some delish Caribbean food. Side note: owner told us that while they don't sell alcohol you can BYOB... read more

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The food is amazing!! I had shrimp curry with 1 spice level (1-5=flaming!). The service was great and food cooked fresh! Worth every bite! Make a reservation!! read more

The food was awesome. The restaurant is very welcoming and moderately priced. If all of that wasn't enough, there is Olga herself. What a warm and loving person she is. I was greeted like a long time client and not a first timer. This will not be my last time at this eatery!!! read more

if you are like me and loveeeee a well rounded Caribbean restauran, by all means you have to put visiting Chez Olga on your bucket list. There Jerk Chicken is hands down the best jerk Chicken I ever had in my life, theres no comparison. I challenge you to try them for your self, I promise you want be disappointed. And as I stated before their menu is well rounded and everything seems to be made with love by Mr and Ms Olga. And I'm way from Louisiana where good food is a staple in our state. Coming from a true Cajun who know good food, I stand behind this message 10000 %!!!!!! read more

Flavorfully delicious! I absolutely love their food. Usually, the group im with, is willing to share a bite. The goat curry, goat or pork ragu, the jerk chicken, all solid and rich in flavor. You need to try this place! It's BYOB if you decide you want it. Otherwise, try their drinks, I like Corossol which is from the soursop Caribbean fruit. SPICINESS: The levels range from 0 - 10. I normally get 0 because I can't handle the multiple bites building up the heat. However, a 2 or 3 are a reasonable spice level that I could handle a few bites of and still feel the heat. Friends that enjoy really spicy food have gone up to 4 or 5 and reported that it definitely had a kick to it (*after slurping some water ). One of my friends that enters spicy food competitions tried an 8. He wanted to do a 10, but the owner advised that he try a 10 on another occasion. My friend said it definitely had a good kick, but he looks forward to that 10 (what can I say, some people enjoy pain ‍). If you enjoy spicy food, I'd recommend a 4 for you to start with. read more

Chez Olga - Caribbean Near Me - Grand Rapids, Michigan

Great tasting sweet and spicy jerk chicken. The woman who runs the restaurant is very sweet, and always makes sure you enjoy what you order.

This place was amazing!!! Our guy Jon steered us right with a sampler platter appetizer and then gave us some tips on how best to layer flavors. Chef's kiss! Spice was def present but still a very enjoyable flavor. Then we ordered jerk chicken and shrimp fried rice, both lower/medium spice. Did not disappoint!!! Everything was made right then just for us so come hungry bc portions are substantial but prepare to wait for your steaming plate of goodness to come out! While you wait though, Olga will prob come say hi and talk and she is lovely! We didn't know what to expect but had an absolute blast! Inside is small and can get warm but smells amazing!!! Can't wait to be back in GR to come back and try more things! read more

Cozy / aesthetically pleasing restaurant with THE best food in Grand Rapids (according to me). This is my favorite restaurant. I order the veggie curry - (+ tofu) level 4 spice. Tip: increase your spice level slowly over time because it's very spicy! Authentic Caribbean flavors. read more

Chez Olga - Inside - Caribbean Near Me - Grand Rapids, Michigan

Food was good and the service was good location was hard to find but when you find the right door you can smell the delicious food they offer which come hot and plenty. read more

Choosing Chez Olga to cater my baby shower was the best decision i've made so far this year! SO GOOD!

It's spicy. It's a bit pricey. But me likey likey. For the Creole Sampler and Jerk Chicken, our total after tax was over 28 bucks. That's a lot. That said, everything was cooked well, and the flavors were excellent. The sampler came with a lot of shrimp, which is perhaps our biggest complaint, because fried shrimp is something you can get anywhere, and what they served here wasn't any different from what you could get elsewhere. Serious warning here, though: The spice levels are real. I'm used to spicy food, but when I ordered the spice level to be at a 5, that was on the border of comfort. In fact, after eating the curry from the jerk chicken, the strawberry sauce for the accra and plantains somehow activated it and almost burned my tongue off. The point is, this is not your typical "spicy" food, like when the Chinese place puts a pepper icon next to General Tso's on the menu to indicate that it's "hot". This is legitimately spicy food. If you reeaalllly like spice, stick to a level 5. Out of 10. Only if you don't want to feel your mouth should you go any higher. Our jerk chicken is supposed to come with "red beans and rice". There were no beans, just rice, as per our picture. So...that sucks. My biggest complaint is the price. The sampler being 15 bucks seemed a bit much. Also, it could have used more sauce, especially since the whole platter is fried and needs something to go with it. The jerk chicken being 12 bucks...not too bad, but I think 10 bucks is the sweet spot for this kind of dish. Based off our one takeout order of two items, I definitely plan on bringing people here. The owner was pleasant, the girl on the phone talked with me about spice levels...the overall experience was good, the food was delicious. A definite gem in Grand Rapids. PS: The door is on the left of the entrance, and it may not look like a door. And the handle doesn't look like a handle. Don't go through the center door -- that's a different business. This place is kind of like Narnia, trying to get in through the special door that sometimes reveals itself and sometimes doesn't. read more

Chez Olga - Jerk chicken (no red beans included?) - Caribbean Near Me - Grand Rapids, Michigan

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Recently updated and looking fresh! But still offering the same amazing, authentic food! If you like HOT food, this place is for you! Be warned, the scale is 1-10 and even a level 5 spice makes your lips burn after a few bites. The vibe is casual and friendly. It's a family owned business and their service is such. They do not have their beer/wine/liquor license but we've brought our own bottle of wine before and they accommodate with glasses for you! I might suggest bringing and opener just in case, but last we tried, they allow BYOB. Note that I'm giving a 4 out of 5 due to slower service. Because it's a small family owned place there is usually only one or two of them working at a time depending on the time of day. Do not expect to make this a super quick sit down but know that you can always order ahead of time or do take out for quick dining. I recommend the Jerk Chicken or the Mixed vegetables. Most dishes come with hearty portion of rice that you can mix in with your saucy main dish - so yummy! If you're a big eater... this will fill you up! And if you're not, this is lunch the next day. We've never taken our kids here but we might test it out this summer sometime. Sans spice of course! Parking is on the street at meters or in the city lot just next door (same as one you'd use for Yesterdog). read more

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Three friends and I just enjoyed a really good dinner at Chez Olga. I confess I'd never heard of this restaurant but was sure glad to be introduced. Chez Olga is very small-I'd guess there's about 15 tables at most. The menu is Caribbean and I think I could have enjoyed virtually anything on this menu which is rare because I've been known to be a bit finicky. Our server was Olga's daughter and she couldn't have been nicer or given us any better service. We ordered plantains to share, 2 Seafood Gumbos, Jerk Chicken and Pork Ragu. We were asked from a scale of 1 to 10 how spicy we wanted our food. I normally like my food on the spicy side so I confidently said "5". Our server looked at me and said I look more like a 2. She was absolutely right. "2" was more than spicy enough for me and I couldn't have imagined what a "5" would have been like. My seafood gumbo was fantastic. Samples of my friends dishes were just as good. This is one place I'm looking forward to returning to so I can try more menu items. I previously mentioned the excellent service. Drinks continued to be promptly refilled especially important when eating spicy foods! I always enjoy a great meal but enjoy just much finding a hidden gem like Chez Olga. read more

My wife and I had been talking about trying this place for a year. Finally made the trek from Lansing. All I can say is it WOW!!!! We had the pate (meat pies) the plantains, jerk chicken and pork ragu. Every single morsel was delicious!!! Every single morsel! I'd go here a hundred times over. Now be prepared to wait. Minimal staff but the gentleman that waited on us and every other table for that matter was amazing! read more

Chez Olga If you've ever met Olga, you know she is the sweetest, but her food is hot & spicy!! There are very very few places where you'll find the real deal on rich and deep Caribbean/Creole flavors, and The Chez Olga is one that will impress you. And if heat isn't you're thing, you can order 0 spice. Though Olga will warn you not to go past a 5 because Caribbean spice hits you different. ⁣ Popular dishes include their Jerk Chicken, Curry, Creole Chicken, Caribbean Fried Rice and Fried Plantains. ⁣ ⁣ Sorry, we know you're hungry now. read more

Chez Olga - Caribbean Near Me - Grand Rapids, Michigan

Delicious food! Everything we ordered was FANTASTIC! Don't look further, give Chez Olga a try. You won't regret it!

incredible food and service! We got the chez olga pasta and the curry chicken. delicious. :)

We went here a year ago and I forgot to leave a review. This place is awesome, the food is so delicious and HOT! I love spice and her 7/10 was intense! The service was great, she's personable and funny and so impressive (she was solo in the restaurant and acted as hostess, server, and chef). I highly recommend, this was my favorite memory during our Grand Rapids trip, and will definitely be going back next time I'm in town. read more

Chez Olga - Caribbean Near Me - Grand Rapids, Michigan

This was one of the best meals I have had in Grand Rapids. We split the curry with goat. It's also BYOB. We'll be coming back with a bottle of wine next time! read more

Charming and delicious! You will taste some new flavors here! I wish we lived in Grand Rapids so we could come back every week. read more

Super cute, tiny restaurant owned by a lovely woman, with fantastic food....what's not to love? Get here early if you want a seat because this place fills up fast! Spice level is high for GR, so aim low unless you want to sweat. The pasta dish, gumbo and curry are all incredible. We will definitely return! read more

We had reservations for 6 at Chez Olga on Saturday night; two of our friends had arrived first, a little bit early - but it didn't matter because the place was pretty empty. By the time the rest of us had arrived, we each had waters and we had time to settle in. Olga came out about 5-10 minutes after we arrived and asked if we would like drinks and to order so we ordered our beverages, appetizers and entrees all at the same time. The appetizers came out within about 10 minutes and there was chicken pate, fried shrimp and plantains with spicy slaw - all were good. The strawberry dipping sauce sounds odd but actually tasted delicious. Both my husband and myself ordered jerk chicken and were disappointed to find out they were out of rice and beans but did have regular rice available. My husband got a spice level of 0 and I got a spice level of 2. When it came out, the server (that may have also been the cook), mentioned mine was a spice level zero as well, but I mentioned it should be 2 - he took it to the back and arrived rather quickly with a spice level 2 so maybe he was just confused? The flavor of the jerk chicken was different than what I expected but did have a nice heat to it and was in a tomato/coconut milk sort of mixture. Everybody enjoyed their meals - Olga came out once to refill our waters but seemed to be in an annoyed mood all night. We did notice quite a few take out orders happening while we were there and a lot of people coming in and out for smoothie/drink orders. I'm wondering if maybe it would help to have a separate takeout window or location. All in all, the flavors were good but not anything I'd crave. In the winter, I think it would be a nice place to warm up! read more

Chez Olga - Jerk chicken with white rice (usually comes with red beans and rice). - Caribbean Near Me - Grand Rapids, Michigan

My partner, family, and friends are all BIG fans of Chez Olga. Recommend the sampler platter as a big appetizer and allows you to try different dishes. Olga and her family pour their hearts into every meal. Also BYOB! read more

Amazing food and awesome service. Olga is beyond friendly and welcoming. She and her staff cooks all of the food to perfection. I love eating here! read more

Enjoyed a family dinner and was extremely pleased with everything. The one server was starting to drowned and he mentioned he was brand new. I can't complain about how hard he was trying to keep up. The owner (Olga) eventually came out and started helping and everything ironed out. The only issue we had was that our appetizer was given to the table next to us on accident but Olga felt very bad and apologized multiple times. The food was bursting with flavors and the spice levels are nothing to joke about! You pick from 0-10 and 10 is probably outrageous. I'm not a big spicy fan but love strong flavor, so I ordered a 1. Even that carried some heat for me but the flavor was totally worth it. The sampler platter was perfect to try multiple things that we have never tried before. The seafood gumbo, pasta Chez Olga, creole chicken, and Caribbean fried rice were all fantastic. I had the gumbo and my only complaint was that some of the seafood was rather chewy. I expected this from certain items such as octopus but it just didn't taste completely fresh like you'd find in the islands. The flavors were all packed into each dish and we left completely full. Olga also mentioned that it is BYOB or wine and they didn't seem to have a cork fee. I'm not positive on this though, since we didn't bring anything. Give this place a shot! Update: Yelp states that they don't take reservations but when I called today for a group of 10, they were very accommodating. I'm changing my rating to 5 stars because we all loved our dishes. The only thing that could improve would be her service team. When Olga comes out to the front, she's very helpful and loves interacting with the customers. read more

I got the vegetables and rice. It was excellent and one of the finer restaurants in Grand Rapids. The service was good.

Tasty food with great customer service experience. If you are in the Grand Rapids area I would highly recommend this place.

Amazing flavors. Very consistent (I've been a bunch of times). Truly some of the best food in the city.

Amazing food, wonderful environment, great service! Wow! Couldn't say enough. They have a spice scale 1-10, which is perfect for all food lovers. My friend got a 4 spice and I asked for 0-1 since I don't like really spicy food! read more

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Authentic Caribbean cuisine, made to order. Amazing service and food! Definitely worth going

Truly authentic feel to this place. The food tastes like the real deal too. Great go to in Eastown.

This place was great. They have parking available next to the restaurant and we waited less than 30 seconds to be seated. My group got the creole tofu/chicken, curry goat, vegetable gumbo, and vegetable pate. It was all sooo good and flavorful. We all said this was definitely comfort food. I will definitely be coming back! read more

Chez Olga - Creole Tofu with rice - Caribbean Near Me - Grand Rapids, Michigan

Loved my experience here every time -- great parking next to the restaurant, love the service, and amazing food! May take a minute to get your food, but amazing shops (antique stores, rebel, etc) to look around while waiting. Recommend if in GR! read more

Chez Olga - creole chicken and curry shrimp - Caribbean Near Me - Grand Rapids, Michigan

Chez Olga is in the east gr area offering Caribbean food, my favorite is the chicken or beef pate ( which are like pastries) and the Caribbean veggie rice. read more

I knew the food would be good based on the previous Yelp reviews and the owners confidence in her menu. But I didn't realize HOW good it actually would be. I ordered the Jerk Chicken entree and Curry chicken and shrimp. Both were very delicious. I got a spice level of 2 out of fear for how "spicy" spicy could actually be! Next time I will get a 3 or 4. Plan to be back very soon. read more

Chez Olga - Caribbean Near Me - Grand Rapids, Michigan

Everything on the menu here that I've tried is heaven in your mouth. We've eaten here many times and It's always amazing

Great little restaurant with comfortable seating. We go here often for dinner. Authentic Haitian style food! Olga the owner is very hospitable and greets many of her own customers as they come through the door. She sources some of her food right from Haiti. It is no joke when you are asked to choose a spicy scale for your food. If you haven't been here before start low and go slow! It gets exponentially hotter as the scale goes up! I love the Griot Akbanan, fried pork, plantain, and spicy coleslaw. Our other favorites are the shrimp soup and creole style tilapia dinner. You can top it off with a frozen Corossol drink. A real find of a restaurant in Eastown GR. Reasonable prices and cosy place for lunch and dinner. Take out is also an option. read more

Never saw this coming. The restaurant was so unique and quaint. The smells were amazing. The food was so worth the wait. The goat was some of the best I've had. The jerk chicken was so tender. The curry chicken was delish as well as the fried rice! Yummy. Thanks for the experience, Olga!! read more

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