i drove there on memorial day for 90 minutes coming from out of town. all social media advised they were open along with google. myself and at least 30 people came looked, knocked, waited and searched for updated information, there was none. nothing was posted on the door. i had to go out of town. i called today asking for the manager, the call was answer in a rude and ghetto fashion . she didn't even announce the business. i doubted, did i call the wrong number? i asked twice " is this dunns river "? finally, i got answer that i called correctly. i immediately asked to speak to the manager. she, wanted me to speak her and i again firmly asked to speak to the manager. another person gets on the line who again is not the manager. i asked again. told to hold. someone answers states he is one of the managers and doesn't give his name. i informed of disappointment and frustration driving 90 minutes on memorial day prioritizing there business only to find they were not operational. he made an attempt to defend. he gave no apology. no, empathy for inconvenience. equally, no accountability for poor marketing and operational management. he asked when i would return? i validated the sunday brunch would be going tomorrow. i told him i would like to return tomorrow. i was still in conversation and needed more clarity. he said, ok. the call went dead as i was asking what would be done for the inconveniences. i called back the same rude girl answered the phone again and not announcing the business. i informed i was calling back, because i just was speaking to the manager and needed to finish our conversation, so i need to speak with the manager. i informed more then i should to her about my disappointment and she goes on to defend and tell my about door dash orders and online ordering of which had nothing to do with the nature of my call and only further proved she. didn't listen and values very little dunn river cafe customers. after, informing i need to speak to the manager. she only agreed to take my name and have a call returned. now, i was given respect and quality service directly from evening management on my first former and first trip and he asked to take number to inform me when the bands would be playing again. i gave my number. it was from my first experience that i returned on memorial day traveling 90 minutes going past multiple establishments to get there. however, today was disgraceful on every level!!!! i hold very little belief that i will speak to anyone who cares!!! read more

While coming here was just for the pattys - the beef did exactly what I wanted - yummyness alllllll day long- the ladi s at the bar helped me - fantastic- thanks again read more

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I went on a Friday evening where there was a live band and a DJ. The band and DJ was amazing. I ordered the shrimp bowl only because they didn't have the jerk chicken. If they had the jerk chicken I would have gave 5 stars because they had good vibes, good drinks and good food. read more

Stopped by from brunch on Sunday. Nice vibes with a DJ. It wasn't crowded so we were seated right away party of 6. Food was tasty and authentic. Rum punch could use a little more spirit but my dark and stormy was great. We surly return. read more

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Its always a good time here! The food is filling, tasty, and made to order. Anything with oxtail is my go to! The staff is polite. The drinks are def worth the money, and have the strong liquor taste to go with it. I always aim for the bottomless mimosas, and a few sidecars as well (dont judge). The waits can sometimes be long, and music is hit or miss some days, but its still a vibe worth checking out! read more

Dunns River Island Cafe - Inside area - Caribbean Near Me - Tampa, Florida

The service was trash. I waited ten minutes to get serviced. I wasn't greeted coming in. Next no oxtails, curry goat and jerk chicken pasta. The fried chicken was greasy and rice and peas dry. Then I was forced to leave a tip or I couldn't leave. read more

Three-Star Yelp Review I was excited to try this place, but it started off busy with lots of delivery orders. I asked the bar staff where to order and was told to place my order there, with a promise of 10 minutes for the food. I stepped out for a quick errand and returned to find my order not ready yet. Once I finally got the food, I sat down to eat. In the middle of my meal, a staff member told me I couldn't eat in the restaurant because the order was packed to-go. I explained I wasn't aware and asked to switch to dine-in, but she said she'd be right back and then walked away to assist another customer. I repeated my request and mentioned I was leaving a Yelp review to share this experience, but she disappeared again. Eventually, I packed up and left. The food itself was good, but the service could use a lot of work. read more

Dunns River Island Cafe - My to go box - Caribbean Near Me - Tampa, Florida

Food here is absolutely amazing and authentic. Such a great brunch spot. The vibes were everything. They have a dj and a stage for performances/live music. Flat screen TVs for entertainment. Service was great and quick. Our waitress was great. The sauce that came with my fish and grits was . They need to give a bigger portion. I literally could drink the sauce how good it was. Very flavorful. The Ackee & Saltfish was great as well. It's hard to find a location that can serve authentic Jamaican cuisine. Who ever is in the kitchen, knows what they're doing. They also have other brunch items and authentic dishes. Drinks were great but the food is to die for! Highly recommend. read more

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Reasonable prices for the portion, and the dishes I got tasted great. Just here for the take-out, but from the setup, it looks like a party place at night. read more

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When I say a time was had, baby believe me a good time was had! Where do I begin? My family and I literally ordered one of everything off of the menu with items Togo. I tried to get pictures of each dish I sampled but once the drinks and shots I ordered kicked in, I lost track of some of the things I ate. Our waitress was beyond gorgeous and did a great job accommodating a party of 10. Fresh bread, mixed drinks, shots, and several different appetizers were coming out promptly back to back. For my entree I had the curry goat and oxtail which was cooked to perfection but the star of the show was the jerk chicken wings 10000/10!! Any real Jamaican knows how skeptical an older Jamaican is about trying any Caribbean food spot, but Dunns River Cafe surpassed the vibe check for sure. The elders couldn't stop talking about how good and authentic their food was. We finished our meals just before the crowd arrived (tip: they offer a lively brunch on weekends if that's the vibe you're going for.) Which was great because we felt like we had the entire restaurant to ourselves the full duration of our visit. read more

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It was my very 1st visit to this Jamaican restaurant, the food was good, but the service was completely not good at all. When me and two other ppl came in the restaurant, it was less than a handful of ppl. The waitress was very sweet. She took our order and got the order wrong. We waited over 30 mins for our food. Our Rum punch came out warm, not chilled. I never got the Jamaican kola I asked for. When the bill came, we asked for something off and the manager said 10%.. We didn't think that was fair due to all the issues with the service. We were still charged a gratuity of 18%, for poor service. The manager gave all kinds of excuses as to why the service was slow, "talking about it was busy" but the restaurant was basically empty. I normally like to give good reviews to Black business but this is one I can't. I will never go back to this restaurant again. It was not a good experience. read more

The brunch menu and food was very good. I went with a seafood plate and every item was seasoned well and taste fresh. The staff was very good and helpful. read more

Dunns River Island Cafe - Lobster Tail, Shrimp and Salmon - Caribbean Near Me - Tampa, Florida

We were here for a friend's birthday during Sunday brunch. It was an experience with live music and several other Birthday groups. They accommodated our group of around 17 people at high tables. I chose to avoid the bottomless mimosas since I was driving, but the birthday girl got her money's worth. Instead, I ordered a rum punch and man it is a creeper. Too strong to drink before food arrived. The oxtail and grits was very good. The grits were cooked almost perfectly and the oxtail had good flavor. I wish it was just a little more tender, but that is my preference. I would consider coming back for brunch. read more

Dunns River Island Cafe - Oxtail and grits - Caribbean Near Me - Tampa, Florida

We arrived for Happy Hours.. drinks on point. Our server was on point as well. She has great suggestions & kept the water & drinks full. We enjoyed our meals & the music. The issue was the volume when the live singer & band arrived. I could tell the performer had a great voice but everything was drowning him out. Not a bad place for happy hour or a inexpensive Good Meal read more

Dunns River Island Cafe - Happy hour drinks - Caribbean Near Me - Tampa, Florida

I will never return here and let me tell you why you probably shouldn't either. I'll start with the reason why I even gave them 1 star: the food is good for the most part. I ordered ackee and saltfish that was good but seem to have more ackee than saltfish. The drinks were okay, nothing to write home to mom about but they weren't bad. Now the bad: service was TERRIBLE. We had to wait at least 30 mins for each round of drinks. My friends waited about 35 mins for their food however I waited ONE HOUR after I ordered to get my food. My food came about 25-30 mins after everyone else's at my table. And when I confronted management, they took only 15% off my bill. Which covered the automatic 18% they already add to your bill, (without telling you by the way). Do yourself a favor and go to mango's or somewhere else bc you will leave here annoyed. read more

Dunns River Island Cafe - Ackee and Saltfish - Caribbean Near Me - Tampa, Florida

I got the ackee and saltfish and it was absolutely INCREDIBLE!! So much so that I got some to go and I'm going back tomorrow. My girl got the lobster dish and it smelled amazing. My other girl got the callaloo fish and let me try it. FANTASTIC! I'd never had callalloo before so it was an awesome introduction. They have wednesday specials on food and a stage for performances and bands. A pretty popular spot for birthday parties and the staff is all very friendly. Definitely recommend. read more

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Me and my husband drove an hour to this restaurant because we love the food but the customer service was beyond POOR! A young lady told us to have a seat and we sat and waited for 20 minutes. The restaurant was COMPLETELY empty. A few to go orders came and left but there were no other tables to tend to but ours and NOT ONE PERSON came to the table to take our order or even give us a menu. We walked out and we won't be back. read more

If you are debating if you should go here for brunch, stop debating and just go! Everything is so good! Nice vibe with music while you brunch. read more

I placed a order through doordash and I found out that the restaurant gave my order to someone else by mistake. instead of remaking my order at their cost due to it being their mistake, they cancelled my order completely! I order from them all the time but this time was horrible customer service! read more

The food here is good, but be forewarned that they move slow! Don't come here if you have a strict time schedule of less than an hour. This is definitely the spot if you want some good food and you got time to sit down and enjoy it. Otherwise, order your food to go AT LEAST 45 minutes in advance. Now, for the food itself. I had the jerk chicken and oxtail platter with cabbage and rice and peas. They were out of curry goat. The oxtail was AMAZING. The jerk chicken was good too!! And the portion sizes are huge. Had enough to take home for a second meal. I actually have zero complaints or notes. I will definitely be returning! read more

Dunn's River has been a Caribbean island food staple in the Tampa community for a few years definitely a must try, also an event hosting platform outside of restaurant hours. Whether you're looking for Island food, a Caribbean party or an awesome Sunday brunch they provide an array of options. There are notes for their tradition dishes ackee salt fish, festival, ox tails, jerk chicken just to name a few. read more

My work daughter and I enjoyed our brunch. Great food and music. Love the vibe from the crowd

I'm going to make this short and simple. The atmosphere and the people were great. The price was expensive for what you got during brunch hours I paid $43 for some catfish and grits and one rum punch. All in all I would have gave maybe a 3.5 stars until not even in 24 hours I was in the hospital with food poisoning. So eat at your own risk. You should always be cautious about eating bad food but when it's fish that's the worst feeling in the world! Didn't even eat the entire meal smh read more

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I'm giving this location 3 stars because the service was horrible . The food was good but the service could have been better . We had a table of about 10 and our server couldn't handle it . I'm in the service industry and I could have done better . Food took time as well . Also drinks too . On bartender for brunch.... She's so overwhelmed that's she only takes table orders . read more

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Gave the wrong take out order and I was informed on my next visit I will be given a complementary meal. On my return visit I was informed it was 1 week since my visit so they would not comp me the meal. After an extensive conversation with the manager I was given a comp meal. But then the kitchen staff came out and was extremely boisterous, belligerent and threatening. I don't recommend visiting them because if they make an error, you will suffer in more ways than one. read more

I love this place! The vibe is always good whenever we go with music & great friendly service. Doesn't matter what you order the food is always full of FLAVOR! So delicious My favorite Jamaican spot in all Tampa! read more

Dunns River Island Cafe - Escovitch Fish Snapper Rice and Peas & Cabbage - Caribbean Near Me - Tampa, Florida

Came here today for Sunday Brunch!!! Man I love the Caribbean vibes, Hip &Hop & R&b vibes!!! I love how it's black owned!!! I ordered Ackee saltfish Callooo with dumpling & banana. Salmon Grits. Mannnnnn, the food was fucking good. I'm so happy that the cooks are real Jamaican's. Our server Shaq was dope, he made sure we was good @ all times. I'm hookah head, it was good. Britney was amazing, I love her hookah tips. Shit, I ordered some for my trip back home. I'll definitely come back again if I'm ever back in Tampa. Keep up the great work!!! read more

Dunns River Island Cafe - Hookah & mimosas - Caribbean Near Me - Tampa, Florida

The food and service were good. The made to order is cool, just allow yourself time to dine in. We had the -oxtail pasta -ackee &salt fish cups -curry goat with rice &peas w/cabbage -coco bread -beef patty We had to drinks but they were not good , we drunk them literally cause we paid for them! I didn't need any lettuce under my plantains, I did not like how they included gratuity on a party of 2 @11am. They actually shorted themselves in tip. I didn't tip more because no one even told me to expect gratuity they literally just threw it in. I didn't like that my both wasn't the cleaned had drink straws and hair stuck to the back. It's like there was not a transition from the after dark to the morning, no one cleaned up. Also, lunch special is only Togo but the sign or the menu does not say that, I went to order it and it was a hard no from the staff, didn't like that. AGAIN THE FOOD WAS AMAZING! I would order out every time just wouldn't stay. ***I didn't have time to photo everything as we were pressed for time but the food was good. read more

Dunns River Island Cafe - Akee Ackee and Salt Fish Cups - Caribbean Near Me - Tampa, Florida

I'm giving Dunn's a 3.8 out of 5 not because of the quality of food or the service but strictly because they opened at 11am, I ordered a lunch special at 11.45am approximately and they were already out of salad on a Monday morning. I don't think there is any excuse for that other than if there was scarce veggies in the area (which I'm sure was not the case). So, I opted for the steamed cabbage instead. Other than that, I think it is a very reasonably priced Caribbean restaurant, with lunch specials at $4.99, which you can't beat if you are in the USF/VA hospital/Moffitt Cancer Center area. Not only is the price appealing but the quantity of food is satisfactory and the quality of food during my experience was well worth it. We had the jerk chicken lunch as well as the Dunn's fried chicken lunch and both were delicious. For the fried chicken, I initially asked for the sauce on the side but after tasting it separately, it was all over my chicken and rice. The chicken wasn't dry or tough. The lemonade was standard. The service was surprisingly good and the restaurant was clean. Fatima, our server, was very pleasant and attentive to our needs. I will definitely come back to try other items on the menu. Hopefully they are consistent. read more

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The service is the WORST service I have had in tampa bay for the last 26 years I have been here - I have NEVER left a bad review for any place ever in my life and even if we dislike on our second try we never EVER leave reviews. With that said we also try and support black and local AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE, We got there at 3 pm approx we ordered about 5 mins into sitting two salmon brunch specials listed - no indication that that would take longer to prep or cook or be brought out. Also, we were not notified after ordering it that it was going to take longer. We had people come in 30 minutes after us who received their food their service, beverage refreshment, and had ordered the same thing as us as many times as we asked over the last 1.5hrs that we were there they told us it was on the grill rather than just saying you forgot to put it in the order - you gave our order away - etc. We asked for our food to go if it's being cooked they brought out a plate and it was COLD ?? How if it was on the grill it's cold? Even after bad service we always try and give our local minority owned places a second chance - never leave a negative review - but this needs to be addressed by the management (kitchen or general) read more

The new Dunns River is not your old Dunns River. A more upscale vibe, more family friendly and no more of the night club vibe. The shrimp and grits with the curry sauce was great! Had the ox tails to go and found it to be good eating once I finally made it home. I say that because I was there for their bottomless brunch mimosas. Different flavors and bottomless for $30, pretty typical for the price. Definitely a nice black owned spot to bring your out of town family and friends. read more

Good vibe! Good service! Felt like I belonged with my people! Great food!... Now for the oops...felt like they literally raped my wallet. Meal and 4 drinks came to over $100!!!! Had me lookin at the people I was with thinking they were in cahoots with the bartender and adding their tabs to my bill for a min! Went to a diff establishment after..not the same vibe. Got an appetizer that costed the same as my meal at Dunns..and 5 drinks...$49...what's up wit dat? Overall good...but will only be for special occasions at those prices! read more

My to-go order was ready to go. The food was hot, fresh, and plentiful. The lunch special is a bargain. They have plenty of options for your side items. The food is authentic to include island seasoning. read more

For the time of day that I went 5:45ish on a Thursday - the place at atmosphere was just getting started. The outside doesn't really give justice to the inside. Performance stage, 2 bars, modern design, the inside of the place was nice, roomy, with plenty of seating and dancing - music was good too. The food was well presented and ok. I only say that as a fellow Caribbean - there were American twists to the dishes that were unexpected, but ok. Great place and I would go again. read more

Dunns River Island Cafe - Oxtail The oxtail was ok but tastes a lot sweeter than I've had at other restaurants. Not my personal preference but we'll made overall. - Caribbean Near Me - Tampa, Florida

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Dunn River Fall and Park is a beautiful place in the northern Jamaica. The cascade of falls is the main attraction. This restaurant name after the beautiful place does represent the food and native cuisine. The restaurant has a lot seating and a stage for special events. Time to time they have special music event. I am surprised they did not receive high mark. This may be the service is slow. Other than that. They are 5 stars to my book. The price of the food is very reasonable. You have to understand stand why they successful is because their good Island spice marinated to the meat. I got jerk chicken that only cost $9. The chicken is marinated to the bone. Their spice is different than most of the Jamaican restaurant. This is their uniqueness. The lunch special during the weekdays is less than $6. They have good oxtail and jerk shrimp. Please check out their website for musical show. read more

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The food in the service was excellent. I had the snapper with mashed potatoes and steam cabbage. I feel like I am in heaven right now.

My complaint is related to my card being overcharged. I was invited out by a friend to celebrate their birthday. I arrived about an hour and a half late therefore all food orders were placed and eaten prior to my arrival so I ordered a few (2) drinks that were consumed while there and placed an order for wings to go. I told the waitress that I am paying for the birthday boys order and somehow she charged my card for several people that I didn't even know. When I noticed the $250 charge the next morning I called and spoke with the owner to obtain an understanding of what happened. The manager asked me to assist him with requesting payment from the people that I didn't know by asking my friend that invited me for the names and phone numbers of his coworkers, family members, and others he invited out to help the restaurant recoup for their oversight. Why would I pay the tab of people that I do not know? People that consumed unknown amounts of food and drinks before my arrival? They knew this was an error made by the waitress and admitted as much. However, still failed to refund the over charge. The proclaimed owner refused to refund the overcharge and I have had to contact my bank to dispute the file a dispute. I debated writing a negative review for this black owned business but sometimes you have to share your experience with the public because not everyone deserves such trust and patronage of the black community. read more

I gave them 3 stars because I haven't been there during normal business hours. So I'm a Tampa native and when I was invited, I was immediately like 'no' because of where it is -- but I went anyways and I had a GREAT time. I went for the Wednesday night Karaoke and it was a ton of fun. Nice crowd, good energy and plenty of laughs. There was a slight wait on the food so I didn't get a chance to eat, but I just figured the food is so good that everyone was ordering! I did get to try a piece of the Hennessy Wings -- which was pretty good. My only drawback is they didn't have Limes... yes limes. My drink is Gin & Tonic w/3 limes and instead I had to get a splash of Sprite to make it right. Other than that, it was a cool joint. I'll probably go back because I love karaoke. read more

This Carribean cuisine is excellent! After moving from South Florida where most Carribean restaurants saturate the market, it was hard finding something comparable until I ate their food! My favorite are the oxtails, but an order anywhere these days are pricey regardless of the restaurant. I recommend this restaurant for an island food experience. read more

Dunns River Island Cafe - Oxtails, Rice & Beans with cabbage! Yes sir! - Caribbean Near Me - Tampa, Florida

I really enjoyed my brunch at the Dunns River Island Cafe. They have changed the place around since my last visit a few years ago. It is open airy and bright. Have a few TV's around so you can enjoy sports during your Sunday brunch. They also play Caribbean music but not overbearing during brunch so you can hear each other speak. I had the Ackee and saltfish which was really good. My friends also enjoyed the shrimp and grits "island style" with a curry butter sauce. Soo good. and the Chicken and Waffles were also enjoyed. I highly recommend if you are looking for some authentic Jamaican food for brunch. Unlimited mimosas for an extra charge of $30. All was well the only thing I would recommend doing better is they get faster on giving out champagne. For unlimited it took quit a while to get refills. Perhaps for every two people at table enjoying unlimited you put the bottle of champagne on the table. My suggestion as I have seen this work well at other establishments. I'll be back for sure. read more

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