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    Doctor Bird's Rasta-Rant

    3.5 (48 reviews)
    InexpensiveDelis, Caribbean
    Closed Closed

    Doctor Bird's Rasta-Rant Photos

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    DOCTOR BIRD'S RASTA-RANT ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Quiet
    Good for kids
    Good for groups

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    Ackee And Saltfish
    Alex L.

    Huge thanks to Fox E for turning me on to this place... If you want to try Jamaica's National Dish, you gotta come here on Saturday's...usually after noon and you should call beforehand to make sure they have it and when. It's not the most consistent, but the dish is absolutely worth venturing out of your foodie comfort zone for. It's the Ackee & Saltfish and you can get it "with food," which is a smorgasboard of sides: this time, it came with potatoes, a fried plaintain, a boiled plantain, some avocado, dumplings, ackee and saltfish. Ackee is a tropical fruit that I've never had before. It has a mild sweet flavor that pairs perfectly well with the saltfish. The dish itself has so many components it can be a little overwhelming, but it's a bright and happy counterpart to an otherwise dimly-lit winter. Although the seasoning in the dumplings and boiled plantain and even the potato was very mild and almost non-existent, the ackee and saltfish had a natural flavor and a delightfully light and playful tastebud juxtaposition that left me delightfully addicted. I could continue and continue eating the ackee, saltfish and nibble on a little bit of the "food" sides to reset the palette. Yes, definitely an incredible food-worthy experience in a hole in the wall at University Heights. Highly suggest you come here on Saturday's to try this dish. Call and order ahead because they don't always have it. Happy eating!

    Ackee Saltfish w "Food", one of WNY's best n heartiest meals, Sat only. Now I have to hit the gym and do some avo-cardio.
    Fox E.

    This place is not called Doctor Burns, which would be if that creepy guy who is Homer's boss on the Simpsons, went into medicine. It's also not Doctor Blurbs, which is when GPs purchase billboards, which is never cool. And it's not Doctor Burbs, which is when practitioners open clinics in rich affluent satellite towns, to cater to the wealthy and the semi-detached. No, indeed, this is Doctor Bird's, which honestly sounds a little like Dr. Dolittle, but they certainly don't Dolittle here, they in fact do a lot... a lot of excellent cooking! What to get: Saltfish & Ackee (Saturdays only) is one of the best things I've *ever* eaten. Get it with rice and dumplings. What else is good: The Patties are amazing here. Also Curry Chicken. I'm updating this review because I've now been here probably 25 times, over and over, for the Ackee and Saltfish special. Please, if you live anywhere near WNY, or visit here on a Saturday... you must come down here and try this dish. If you like fish, that is. Yes, it's very weird, but it's amazing, and is the secret heart and soul of Jamaican cuisine. And I've had it in places all over the country, and none has ever come even remotely close to the A&S served here, on Saturdays (but they often run out by 4 or 5pm). It's $12 or so, but it's so, so worth it. Expect a bit of a wait time, and call ahead if you can to make sure they have it. Snack on a Spicy Beef Pattie while you're waiting. Or a Spinach Pattie if that's you're thing, which are also amazing. So let me tell you about this Saltfish & Ackee special, which is only on Saturdays. Basically, it's so good that you must, must, must come here on a Saturday and try it. If you don't like fish, or salty fish, then it might not be for you... but the blend of the creamy Ackee with all the peppers and spices and the fish is just so juicy and heavenly... it's one of the best things I've ever put in my mouth, other than your boyfriend. I am crazy about Saltfish anyway, but the Saltfish & Ackee special (Saturday only) here incorporates Saltfish into this odd, unusual Jamaican dish (the national dish) which is nothing short of delicious. I highly recommend you give it a try, pricy, but the portion is big and delicious, and taste out of this world. Very tasty, juicy, and piping hot. Beware the bones. The fish has a few stray bones in there as is the Caribbean way. As they say in Cuba... Achtung! Also when it comes to choosing your sides... you can get it with rice & cabbage which is best for providing added juice and making it all seem more juicy, but even better and more traditional, you can get it with dumplings, plantains and yams, which is a *lotttt* of starch but well worth it. The Yams taste like hard potatoes, and the Plantain is good but not great, however the squidgy sexy dumplings are f*cking fantastic. So if they let you, I'd get the best of both worlds and ask for rice with dumplings as your side. Now that, my dear, will rock your world. As for the other dishes... well honestly why would you get anything other than the Saltfish Ackee? I have no idea, but whatever. If you must... then do the $2 Pattie. But beyond that: Their curry chicken is very good, probably better than Kalypso across the street, maybe as good as Gigi's nearby. Their jerk chicken is not as good as Kalypso but is good. Back to their spicy delicious patties (spicy beef, spinach, and curry chicken are the best three), which are under $2 each and are absolutely delicious, probably the best ones in town. These patties are off-the-charts good, so make sure you try one when you pick up the Saturday Special (if you're smart). Drink-wise it says they make homemade Jamaican drinks but sadly they never seem to have any (Michelle's in the Horsefeathers Market owns the homemade Caribbean drink market around here anyway). They do have some lovely tropical drinks in the fridge, a few of them imported from Jamaica and stuff. I have yet to try the Roti, it looks pretty good so I will try it one of these days. It's a very traditional Caribbean food and is usually delicious. Beware the long waits... call ahead, or order and then go and come back after 10 or 15 mins. Some things don't have a long wait time (patties, if they're already made... and curry chicken)... but other things really do. Watch out for very sketchy and unreliable customer service. Just roll with it. She's a friendly woman and he's an amazing cook, but they weren't blessed with the best CS skills and I'm okay with that. If you understand it'll be iffy, with long wait times, and strange practices, before you go in... hopefully it won't put you off. Did I mention that you *need* to try the Saturday Special, the Saltfish Ackee? I hope you love it as much as I do. It's weird... but it's amazing. And next time you hear some feathered creatures tweeting about religion, you can call them "Dogma Birds". But until then, stick to Doctor Bird's.

    Cracked container...def was not pleased
    Marc M.

    Food is great, service is terrible...plus it smelled like pot when I walked in, hmmm maybe this isn't my fault. I will take my money elsewhere. There are a few things that make me upset. One of which is establishments taking back offers. Another is being told "me" the customer is wrong. Third is the fact that I drove 30 minutes under the impression I was going to be able to just pay the difference for a new meal and then be told it was a waste. Alright so before i write the rest of my review I must say I have gotten food here many times and have never had a "bad" experience until now. To start off I work near the buff airport so I had my friend who works closer to the restaurant pick up my order. I ordered a "chicken dinner" which in the past for me a jerk chicken meal. Sometimes they are out and offer the curry chicken but do not care for it as I have a sensitivity to turmeric. So after 30 minutes my friend drops off my food and then I notice it's not my "normal" jerk chicken meal. I then call to see if they are out and the kind gentleman says that I can come back and exchange my meal and just pay the difference. I then proceed to drive there and then once I get there the same gentleman who said I could exchange my meal said they couldn't. The doctor then came out to tell me "I" was in the wrong by not getting the order correct...and "I" should've double checked. The reason they couldn't help me out because of health reasons...of course you can't take it back but you can rectify poor customer service. I am probably not coming back for a little while just because I feel very offended. I am shocked at the way this was handled. In the end I had to pay for an extra meal because I didn't want to leave with out anything for dinner, and was left with a curry chicken meal I can't eat. Here are some photos.

    Dry chicken chunks, bland rice w no beans, and undercooked cabbage!
    Aron T.

    This may be the last time I go to Doctor Birds! Fell far from what they were know for in the early 2000s.... by FAR!! I ordered the curry chicken dinner and for 15 dollars I got dry chicken chunks dry rice and undercooked cabbage!! For real this is bad for even you guys!! Gave them two stars only for them being around so long, but this REALLY SUCKED and disappointed me!!

    Jerk chicken pattie with pineapple  ginger drink
    Arthur H.

    I ended up going here a couple weeks ago and tryin the jerk chicken Jamaican patties and they taste great. Now it seem like every time I ride past the spot it feel like i have to stop in there and grab at least one pattie lol

    This is a $13.99 oxtail plate. This is very light and should have been noted as a small. Yet, this is a large!!!
    Paul R.

    First and foremost, I would like to say that I don't know where in the blue hell some of these people got these reviews from. I went there today and this place doesn't warrant a 4 star rating. Now, I ordered an oxtail plate, the large for $13.99. That plate was so light I thought it was a small. Coming from the ATL I'm used to certain things and certain tastes. I think that a lot of people that were giving this business a high rating absolutely didn't have another restaurant to compare it to. I'm not going back to this place ever again, I'm done!! Now, the food really didn't have any seasoning or taste at all to it. I think that if any real Jamaicans go to this establishment, that would be a slap in the face to them. I didn't enjoy it and quite frankly it insulted me. There's never been a so called Jamaican restaurant that I've ever been to that has ever let me down. I must confess, there's a first time for everything!! I could have did this myself at home and it would have came out at least 10 times better than what I had today. This was absolutely UNREAL!!!

    Curry Goat

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    11 months ago

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    8 years ago

    A sweeter bbq style jerk than what I'm used to. Proportions are not as generous as other local Jamaican/Caribbean spots. Decent.

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    4 years ago

    Love this place and food is awesome. Has always been a great place to visit. Make sure you try the beef Pattie's

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    7 years ago

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    4 years ago

    Food was truly Jamaican great atmosphere. Friendly staff. Highly recommend this restaurant. Feels like you are in Negril.

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    15 years ago

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    6 years ago

    Does not allow to only order oxtails said I have to order sides that I do not like refused to sell only oxtails

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    4 years ago

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    17 years ago

    Great food and massive amounts for only a small price. The patties were to die for and the curried goat was delicious!!

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    15 years ago

    Always good! Vegetarian style dishes are even better....

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    9 years ago

    I'm an Jamaican native and the food here is horrible the beef patties are actually really good

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