Having grown up in Florida, I'm always on the hunt for great vegan Caribbean food. I heard about Desert Island Eatery and thought I'd have to travel to Tucson to try their vegan-friendly menu, but much to my delight - they relocated to NW Phoenix! As noted, it's a small place - better for take away given there are only a few small tables. I ordered the curry chickpeas and tofu, and the jerk BBQ tofu - both with peas and rice. I also got a side of the vegan mac & cheese. I should have ordered plantains too, but was too overwhelmed with choices to remember! All of it was wonderful. I liked the chickpeas best, but the rice & peas were spot on, and the stewed cabbage and veggies were tremendous. The vegan mac and cheese was also great - creamy and smooth with a nice melty cheese texture. The serving sizes were huge. I think I made three meals out of one order. Service was fast and friendly. I will most definitely be back! I need to try the vegan nachos, plantains and Johnny Cakes! read more

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Absolutely the best Caribbean bbq chicken I have ever had. I went to a little farmers market today and they have a stand there. I ordered the BBQ chicken which came with cabbage, rice and beans. It was SO good I was tempted to go back as soon as I finished eating to get more and have been thinking about it all day since haha! I will surely be going back. The guy manning the food stand was very nice as well. Id give it 10 stars if I could! great food. read more

This is one of the best Caribbean food we've had the pleasure to try. I have to say, my expectations were not high since my husband and I usually have to travel to other cities for food experiences but OMG, the jerk chicken and the curry shrimp with potatoes were so amazing, and those spicy beef empanadas. Even my picky 14 year old couldn't stop eating. This is a place you pick up your food and take it home and would highly recommend to call the order in before picking it up but it won't disappoint. Amazing family own business. read more

Service was great, food was amazing (i got jerk chicken, rice & peas, & cabbage with a side of beef patties). Everything was great but the CABBAGE. omg. forgot to take a pic bc everything slapped. Chicken could have been a little bigger, but I got the smaller portion. Definitely a loyal customer. Call in your order though. read more

Whew I love their Vegan platter! Every time I go here I enjoy the food! They have such great service! You can dine in and enjoy the ambiance and the island music or you can take Togo and enjoy at home! read more

The food is top tier. Went two days in a row. So glad they have vegan options and I will bring all of my family when they visit. read more

Desert Island Eatery - Jerk BBQ Tofu - Caribbean Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

If I could give this place 100 stars, I would. I have been meaning to try this place for months but I never got around to it and I regret not having come sooner. We ordered quite a bit--the jerk bbq tofu plate with vegan Mac and cheese and cabbage, the curry chickpeas and potatoes plate with yellow rice and cabbage, the curry nachos, plantains and the island mix. Everything was SO delicious!!! The nachos were insane, with flavors I've never tasted before. I was most scared of the cabbage because I'm not a fan of steamed veggie but the cabbage mix was sooo tasty! The jerk tofu was great and the Mac and cheese was so creamy and yummy. I was so glad to see so many vegan options. I will definitely be coming back and trying more of their dishes! read more

Desert Island Eatery - Jerk BBQ Tofu with Vegan Mac and Cheese and Cabbage & Curry Chickpeas and Potatoes plate with Yellow Rice and Cabbage - Caribbean Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

Really good food and amazing service! I loved it and I will definitely be back! Got the food right away

Currently outside eating my jerk bbq tofu, vegan Mac & cheese, plantains, and Johnny cakes. Zero regrets driving 30+ minutes to check this place out. Everything is amazing and sitting outside with a little drizzle and the Caribbean music playing just makes me miss the beach. Will definitely be back read more

Desert Island Eatery - Vegan Mac and Cheese Jerk BBQ Tofu Plantains - Caribbean Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

Doors locked and door bell missing at noon on a Saturday. Interesting tactic to get customers.

I enjoyed it. Not busy at all. That was sad. Friendly people! Ordered curry chicken with rice and plantain. Loved the curry. The chicken was cooked just as one would expect for a curry dish! I ate the meal so fast! It was not spicy. But flavorful. Had guava limeade. Too sweet for my taste. A simple establishment. Not fancy. Enjoyed the meal. read more

Authentic Jerk chicken! Must try their food. Very clean establishment. I eat at this place at least twice a week and their oxtail is exceptionally deliciou! read more

Stumbled upon this place as I was looking for Jamaican food in Glendale. I tried the vegan tofu jerk , Mac and cheese, and plantains. Keep in mind that is a take out type of place as they only have outdoor seating. It also takes a bit of time for them to prep the food as they are a family owned place. Overall, the flavors were delicious! The jerk was perfectly spiced and the tofu was the perfect texture as they were fried. The plantains were sweet, but the max could've been creamier with more sauce but nonetheless everything had great flavor! read more

Desert Island Eatery - Jerk BBQ Tofu - Caribbean Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

The young woman who helped take the order was very nice. What little flavor I could get off the chicken wasn't bad but I wouldn't buy it again. It was about 1/3 of the amount you get at other local Caribbean spots. My chicken was all bones. Not even a drum or wing to nibble. I think there was maybe 3 or 4 bites of actual chicken meat. It's unfortunate because the flavor seemed like it was going to hit the spot. The real saving grace of the food on my visit were the greens. Now I've never gotten greens instead of cabbage at a Caribbean restaurant but it was delicious. Better than greens I've had at other southern restaurants. I'd highly recommend getting them if you try this place. I gave 4 stars because the people were honestly very sweet. Hopefully they will serve half chicken or 1/4 chicken with their plates in the future. I just wanted to taste the chicken. read more

The curry chicken was delicious and the plantains were flavorful!! Everything was so yummy. We will be going back!!

What a lucky find! It's about as tiny and easy to miss as possible, which it's why i must tell you about it. This mom-and-pop Caribbean restaurant hides directly behind a big chain fast food place at the dead end of a small, nondescript strip mall. But man, they excel at 1. FOOD, and 2. HOSPITALITY. Did you have a friend growing up (I really hope you did) that whenever you went over, his or her mom couldn't NOT cook up something amazing for you to eat? Imagine if that friend's mom was from Jamaica and made everything with authentic ingredients. Incredible, right? That's exactly what it's like at Desert Island Eatery. My wife and I had a rare night out of the house, and we are SO glad we stopped here! We were able to dine in at one of the 3 tables that fit in their dining room. Lots of others came to pick up their takeout orders. The family vibe was thick in the air. And the smells from the kitchen? We knew we were in the right place. We ordered the jerk chicken, seafood combo, sweet plantains, curried chickpeas, and a couple of their housemade drinks. Everything was superb. Fantastic spice, perfectly cooked meats(they have lots of vegan options too) complex flavors, crisp steamed vegetables, unique drinks... oh, and the dessert! I'm not even a dessert person, but I loved it! Do they have food ready for you to eat right this second? No. But did your friend's mom? No. She MADE. IT. FOR. YOU. Just like these guys. If you can't plan ahead by a few minutes (it really doesn't take very long), then go ahead and get a cheezy greezy gordita chalupa next door. But the regret you feel over the next few hours may teach you to make better decisions in the future and come here instead. read more

Desert Island Eatery - Caribbean Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

First time with the hubby here. Great food and service by a welcoming family. We tried the triplate which had the bbq chicken, curry chicken and jerk chicken and rice/beans. Also ordered a side of plantains which was a special treat. (We ordered a small but I wish we got a bigger size as it was so darn good) The owner said they have been in buisness for 10 years! We will be back again! This is a hidden gem for sure. read more

The best Carribbean food in the valley - I've been here at least 5 times already! Their plant-based options are nothing short of extraordinary and will leave you coming back for more! Their food is always perfectly seasoned and I'm in love with the wide diverse options on their menu. The vegan jerk BBQ tofu is my personal favorite with a side of coleslaw and Mac n Cheese. The Island POG and Sea Moss are my go-to beverages. The only downside is their entrees are a little pricey - the price of an average size entree is about $12. But the beverages are thankfully within reason: $1.50-$6.00. The sides are at most, $4.50. I highly recommend trying this restaurant. read more

This was the best food ever. It was fabulous, fresh, and fragrant. I got curry and jerk chicken with cabbage and rice and peas. Too delicious. They have a ginger beer that is so complimentary to the food. I have no complaints, not one. All I can say is YOU HAVE GOT TO TRY IT. YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED. . read more

Food was delicious and made to order. It was worth the wait. Love that they have vegan options!

Just got my food via UberEats and wow wow wow! This place is AMAZING! Even at the last minute of being open they still sent out hot, fresh quality food. I order the Stewed Tofu w/Rice and Peas (real pigeon peas ) with cabbage and plantains. Tofu was Bomb, cabbage BOMB, plantains were great. I will for sure order from here again read more

Desert Island Eatery - Stewed Tofu w/Cabbage, Rice and Peas - Caribbean Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

I can't believe how incredibly tasty the food is here! Everything was full of flavor and DELICIOUS! We'll definitely be regulars here! Get the Johnny's cake (not pictured ) and Mac and cheese side for sure. read more

Desert Island Eatery - 3 Tri-Plate, Curry Chickpeas, Vegan Mac and Cheese, Plantains - Caribbean Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

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This is some of the best food I've gotten from a restaurant in a long time! The oxtail dish is to die for I order it everytime and it seems to only get better! Don't forget to get a mango limeade. read more

First time here. Busy intersection - not a lot of parking out front but ample around the side. No entry inside. Ring doorbell and wait for staff to come out. Pretty popular tonight, I was fifth in line. Order was correct, staff were very pleasant. I thought the portions were reasonable, and I thought the food tasted great! I may upgrade my review after we come here again. read more

Desert Island Eatery - Jerk chicken, yellow rice, cabbage, and Johnny cakes - Caribbean Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

Let me just say I could DIE eating this food. It was so good! Ordered jerk chicken with cabbage and vegan Mac n cheese - fire, apple chutney -fire, Johnny cakes and beef patties- nothing disappointed. I'll be back to introduce my friends! Thank you for the love obviously put into the food. Customer service was also great! read more

I really have no words to describe how awesome this family owned restaurant is. As a vegan, I was so appreciative of their many vegan options. I read the reviews and decided on the Jerk BBQ Tofu, lentil balls, mac and cheese (yes, vegan) apple chutney and Johnny cakes. (I shared with my husband) EVERY SINGLE BITE WAS DELICIOUS! The owner, V, was personable and and friendly. I loved the music and homey feel of the round table. This was the best date place I've been to in a long time. I would encourage everyone to stop by, say Hi to V and his family, and lunch to eat there and some more to go! read more

Poor business practices and customer service so we drove an hour here and waited 30 minutes for practically no reason. Zero accountability from the owners here for their mistakes and the actions show. Very disappointing. read more

We tried this place last night and already ordered it again for lunch today! We've tried the jerk BBQ tofu, the curry chickpeas and tofu, both kinds of rice, plantains, johnny cakes, mac and cheese, and cabbage and everything has been delicious! When we try a new place we expect some hits and some misses, but since we loved absolutely everything we ordered this was easily the most satisfying takeout meal we've had in a while. Definitely order some johnny cakes with your meal. Prices are very reasonable for the generous portion of food you get! Great vegan and gluten free options, too. Also just feel the need to mention how good the mac and cheese is! It's AMAZING and it's vegan! Score! read more

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I just had some take out from Desert Island eatery...for about the 50th time! They are so good. Tonight we had vegan nachos, jerk mushrooms and bbq tofu (with yellow rice and friend plantains). It was excellent, as usual. The jerk mushrooms had a bit more kick tonight than usual, but that is ok with us. This has become one of our "go to" places. And the owners are such awesome people too! read more

best Jamaican food I've ever had by far! Amazing service, Amazing food, Amazing Restaurant. Couldn't believe how good the food was. It was heaven in my mouth. read more

When we travel, we seek out opportunities to try vegan food at places we haven't visited before. This time, it was desert island eatery. If I had one complaint, it would be that the parking is a little funky. Forget it, go anyway, and enjoy the Caribbean vibe, the music, and the rocking great food. My husband had a burrito that he must have remarked 15 times how good it was. I had curry chickpeas and potatoes, with rice and beans of course and some plantains. Try the Mac and cheese. Thank me later. I didn't get a picture of it, come on, it looks like macaroni. But the flavor cannot be captured by any picture, so go and try it yourself. If you are a strict vegan who does not go to omni establishments, skip this place because they do serve other dishes as well as vegan food. read more

Wow! This food is fantastic! We had Curry Goat, Jerk Chicken, and Oxtails, all with their yummy sides of rice and peas and cabbage . . With extra sides of potato salad. EVERYTHING was DELICIOUS! So flavorful and fresh! It was a true feast . . My tongue, my tummy, and my wallet are VERY happy! And the owners are very personable too! read more

Desert Island Eatery - Curry Goat, Oxtails, Jerk Chicken . . With sides of peas and rice, and cabbage. Yum! - Caribbean Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

I have been here several times and I love the food. They offer several vegan dishes and they are amazing. I am giving 1 less star because it takes so long to get your food. Now on the plus side, they are making everything fresh so it comes out steaming hot and it is worth the wait. However if you only have an hour for lunch, you will be late getting back to work. You can call ahead and order your food before arriving and that way you can be in and out in much quicker. I have had the vegan nachos with the vegan cheese sauce and they are the bomb! I have also had the BBQ Jerk tofu served with plantains, and white rice with peas - mmm mmm good! The owner is extremely nice and I hope the restaurant is successful! read more

I just wasn't impressed for the price to be honest. All these good reviews and I thought the food was mediocre at best. I also just don't like when I go to a place and there are children working the front counter. I understand school is out rn but it's just poor form. I was pretty excited, I have friends who are regulars.. now I question their judgment lol. Just disappointed and still hungry since I threw 90 percent of my food out. Also can't help but wonder why so much of the restaurant is behind a wall. This location use to be a pizza place with plenty of seating... why is the kitchen so big and no seating room except for outside now.. It's odd,regardless of the fact you can't dine in anywhere at the moment. read more

Great food with vegan and vegetarian options Curry is amazing check out the plantains as a side. read more

Just happened to drive by a random strip mall and saw a sign that said, "Caribbean Food- Vegan Options Available" !!! Having had one of our favorite meals ever from a restaurant in Jamaica we were excited to try and were not disappointed. The family is from the Caribbean. While previously located in Tucson, this family-owned restaurant eatery recently relocated to Phoenix. We're super stoked they are here and can't wait to return. It's a bit hidden behind the Taco Bell. Dine-in area is small, but don't let that scare you. Walk in, grab a menu, and ring the bell to place an order. All food is provided in to-go containers, but they welcome you to stay and enjoy. Run, don't walk, to this restaurant. read more

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Got super excited to see this place on Uber eats. My fiancé is from Columbia and there's nothing like the Caribbean food that's in Cartagena. (That's the only Caribbean place I've been to!) I'm super excited to bring his mom here so she can have some thing that taste like home. I feel like it's rare to see food like this places and I was really excited to see all the vegan options especially the vegan mac & cheese! .... The food was better than I expected. The mac & cheese definitely gave me a Latin American vibe I'm not sure if it's the spices but it was very good and different because it's not cheese. The tofu was so good I ate every bite plus the plantains made the best little sweet combination with everything. My fiancé got the chicken and it was pretty good. It has more of a Jamaican food vibe than a Colombian food vibe but it was still similar and for me in American, it hit the spot I couldn't tell the difference lol. The ginger pineapple juice was a little strong on the ginger side for me but their juices seem to be fresh!! read more

Found this place off Google and being a Caribbean food junkie and also being Vegetarian I did not think I could ever enjoy Carribean Cuisine again...This place was amazing the Curry Chickpeas & Potatoes were amazing and also was able to taste a Lentil Ball that was incredible. This will be my new go-to and I'm glad its only 3 miles from me! read more

Vegans in the northwest valley now have a DELICIOUS new restaurant to experience unique Caribbean flavors. My husband and I wanted a departure from our usual fare and stumbled upon this family run business. We ordered a variety of vegan dIshes, including the jerk mushrooms, curried chickpeas and potatoes, jerk tofu, and potato salad. Our tastebuds were in heaven! If we hadn't been so stuffed we would have tried the plantains too. Treat yourself to something special and try this fantastic little place! Just a heads up... Hours are limited, so check before you go. Be prepared for a little wait (about 15-20 minutes), and expect that you might not get seating (they only have 3 small tables). They do a steady takeout business. read more

Food absolutely slaps. Flavor is so good I could eat here everyday and not get tired of it. Try the chicken Tri-plate and the curry chickpeas and potatoes. read more