This place is not the fanciest but we're here for food right? So let's get to it. Huge shout out to the cooks here. My wife and I order th garlic chicken, and I ordered the jerk chicken. The portions were huge so you get a really full meal for a pretty good price. The jerk chicken was perfect. Spicy, with a hint of sweet on a bed of rice and beans. My only disappointment was with the sides. I ordered fries and plantains and I dunno if it was because we ate late in the day, but the sides were bitter and tasted like burnt oil. Still, I came for the jerk chicken and it delivered in spades. I'll definitely come back here again earlier in the day and order some different sides with my meal. read more

Delicious home cooked meals, call ahead as entrees are cooked to order. Vegetables taste slow cooked, perfectly seasoned.

I'm not going to lie the oxtail was very bland. When I opened the container I did not expect it to look so pale. The service was ok nothing to complain about. When I walked in to get my order the carpet was really sticky and I almost tripped. Overall it gets 3 stars because the portion was ok and it was edible. read more

Elsa's Place - Ox tail - Caribbean Near Me - Jacksonville, North Carolina

Please call ahead and pickup your food. It wasn't busy and we decided to sit inside and eat. Took an hour for us to get our food, it was 85 degrees or so inside and we were all sweating the entire time. If you want good food please call ahead and don't waste your time. read more

Elsa's is an unsuspecting place tucked into an inconspicuous corner of downtown Jacksonville. You'd easily miss this gem if you weren't paying attention. I walked in and was greeted by the lovely family that runs the restaurant, they were kind and welcoming, I instantly felt comfortable. The girl who took my order was very friendly and accommodating. I ordered two chicken Roti. First off they were HUGE! I mean full bone in servings of curried chicken inside. I had to eat it in thirds over the course of two days. I was a bit anxious to eat it because I figured it would just instantly fall apart but that thang is STURDY lol! It was sooo good. I ordered the second one for my Fiance who is Jamaican, he loved it and it he's very critical of Caribbean cuisine. I'm honestly surprised because if his mama didn't cook it he pretty much thinks it's nasty. So this is a big deal in my house. He requested Elsa's again for dinner tonight but today is Sunday and they were closed. We will be heading back on Wednesday when they open back up to try the shrimp Roti and we both can't wait! read more

Elsa's Place - a meal in a styrofoam container - Caribbean Near Me - Jacksonville, North Carolina

Best oxtail in North Carolina! Not much of a storefront presence, but it was open. Very friendly staff and excellent food!

They ONLY accept cash now ! So sad This is definitely the best Caribbean restaurant out there. Their food is amazing ! BUT the only problem is, they ONLY accept cash now read more

Elsa's is my favorite place to eat at in Jacksonville! This place is a hidden gem. Everything on the menu is delicious!!! My favorite thing to get is the Jerk chicken or ox tails! They have the BEST Greens, Mac, Cabbage, CAKES, and Sweet Tea in all of Jacksonville!! They give you a LOT of food and it's cooked FRESH! The prices are so cheap, the food is definitely worth a lot more ! If you haven't tried this place, I encourage you to do it! (Be mindful the Jerk Chicken can be spicy to those who aren't used to spicy foods). This place is so so so GOOD!! Gordon Ramsey would approve! read more

Elsa's Place - Jerk Chicken & Rice, Mac & Cheese, Collard Greens - Caribbean Near Me - Jacksonville, North Carolina

Elsa's Place is a Yelper's dream: independent, minority owned, family-run, small business that provides consistently great food in generous quantities at great prices, Granted it doesn't look like much in passing, and in fact it would be easy to pass without ever knowing it's been there for nearly 17 years, but once you've found Elsa's Place, you'll want to go back. Elsa herself hails from Trinidad with just a trace of accent in her voice and more than a trace in her cooking. She's assisted by her two sons who attended SW, and I think sometimes by husband as well. Soul and Caribbean. Collard greens and jerk chicken. Fried shrimp and fried plantain. Potato salad, oxtail soup, chicken curried or fried, and a host of vegetable options and burgers as well. Most of the mains include a hefty serving atop a generous bed of rice and two sides for around $12. Less expensive options include l include burger and fries and a Caribbean burger I have yet to try. My favorites are the lemon-pepper chicken and vegetables and my 98 year old mom loves their lightly vinegar-tinged collard greens and their shrimp with vegetables. When you step in from a bright day, Elsa's is DARK. Don't let that worry you; the place is CLEAN. Check out that 99% sanitation rating. Watch for a step down when coming in off the Railroad Street entrance (off the parking lot). Elsa's seats about 20-30 max. No room for big groups but you can pull a couple tables together if needed. No alcohol. All food available to go,, but it's not a bad place to just sit down and enjoy a good (big) informal meal, now and then, and it's quiet enough to have a conversation. Not fancy but GOOD. I look forward to eventually trying everything on the menu. Open Wednesday through Saturday until 6pm. Done items may run out before closing. Highly recommend. read more

See all

Best little mom and pop restaurant in town. A hidden gem!!! Family owned and operated ! Great service . read more

See all

If you want some amazing Caribbean food this is the place to go!! Don't let the looks of the decor deter you from this little gem! The jerk chicken, ox tails and curry chicken are fire!! The staff is like coming home to family and super nice. Don't sleep on this place it's the best in town. Will definitely be going again!! read more

Best restaurant I have ever eaten at (I'm 67 years old). HUGE portions, cooked to order, super staff, amazing taste. If you don't try it, you are missing out. read more

After many attempts, i finally made it here. They closed at obscure times when they first opened, but now they're closed on Sunday's and Monday's. There's a large parking lot in the back that's quite full during peak hours. As you walk in, you're overwhelmed by the aromatic flavors. I was able to snag a table along with a friend of mine. There seemed to be two guys running this place. Nothing is formal here. Everyone here is down to earth and have one goal in mind- to make sure their customers are happy. I decided on the oxtail stew with a side of fried okra and collard greens, with an extra side of plantains. You can order an entree with half of one dish and half of another but priced with the more expensive dish. You can have half an oxtail stew and half curry chicken but will be charged 11.99 for the meal, same as if you got just the oxtail stew. I believe it was 7.99 for the curry chicken. They were kind enough to bring samples of the jerk chicken but it was too spicy for my taste. They also serve goat but only on Saturdays. All in all, it's one of the best meals I've ever had the pleasure of enjoying in Jacksonville .. the complex flavors of food and the great service make this a winner in my book! The decor and design of this joint is plain awful but don't let that sway you away. You feel like you're eating in a backwards dollhouse from a horror movie. It's dark atmosphere leaves much to desire. They need a designer or at least someone who knows how to pick a better paint color than peach! Just close your eyes and eat the oxtail stew... u won't regret it! read more

See all

OMG!!! I wish I found this place sooner... Sorry Ladies & Gentleman I didn't post a picture of what I ordered. That's because my fork couldn't catch up with the speed my mouth was chewing. Just let me start with the portions of the curry goat & oxtail...big juicy, tender flavorful chunks of meat on top of rice... I'm in love . Those greens, Mac & Cheese boi almost had a Royal Rumble in the car with the wife. Each bit excites the next, and it doesn't skip a beat. I tell you It was about to be Stone Cold stunners, Rock Bottom's, The people's elbow all up in this joint over these plate's. Mrs. Elsa and her family hands down got the best Caribbean food in town, if you ain't been here you better come grab two, three, four plates. read more

The ox tails are so delicious so is the curry chicken they give you a lot for your money !

The food was incredible, the service was excellent. The staff were very friendly and the prices were reasonable. I highly recommend this place to anyone with a taste for Caribbean cuisine, the jerk chicken was amazing, read more

You will REGRET it if you never eat here. They do not have to advertise because for those who know, word of mouth is amazing. They have HUGE portions. Trust me on this, you will not be able to finish your meal in one sitting. The family that runs this are amazing and kind and love what they do. My husband and I have been eating here for over 14 years. We were lucky enough to move into the neighborhood and tracked down that amazing smell in the air. Best decision ever!! read more

Awesome place for oxtails, greens, Mac and cheese! Real delicious food at this place!!

This was my first time eating here. I ordered the oxtail platter. I was not expecting for there to be this much food on the plate and I was expecting a hefty price tag. Good eats for a decent price. There is no parking on the main street where the GPS will take you but if you pull around back there is plenty of public parking. She quoted me 20 minutes and she was right on time. I plan to return quite a few times before I leave the area. Go get you some! read more

Elsa's Place - Oxtails, cabbage, mac n cheese, and a beef patty - Caribbean Near Me - Jacksonville, North Carolina

The best Jamaican food I've ever had in my life was this little hole in the wall in a bad neighborhood in San Diego, CA but let me tell you guys, Elsa's is right there with it. This food was so good I ate almost the entire plate and they serve a ton of food. They hook you up at this spot. Customer service was amazing, the woman at the front genuinely seemed happy that we walked in and gave my kids some candy. I called once on Christmas Eve asking if we could place an order and the owner (I think it was the owner) told me no, but to stop by and she would give us a free plate of food. We didn't go because others need it more than us but that's such a selfless and kind thing to do. The only reason why I gave 4 stars and not 5 is because they were out of curry shrimp and it took about an hour for the food to be ready (we ordered 2 plates) and the inside of the restaurant is really dark and hot. The food though, 5/5 and same with customer service. I'll be back very soon! read more

Hi there, just wanted to get in contact with someone from Elsa's place about a recent order by my family. Linda Reid came and picked an order of chopped jerk chicken, rice and Peas, collard greens, and potatoes salad plates yesterday Sarurday night and they weren't fresh. They smelled sour, and upset our stomachs. We still aren't feeling our best from attempting to eat the food we paid for last night. But, we just wanted to make sure the cook and person who fixed the plates last night knew the food wasn't fresh, and didn't sit well on our stomachs when we were expecting fresh delicious food from previous experience with Elsa's. We know it was a last minute order for the day, a busy Saturday I'm sure, but we just were wondering if the cook and/or the person who prepared the order new the food knew it wasn't fresh, and was going bad before serving it to customers. We eneded up having to waste money and throw out pretty much the whole meal because of this. We hope this was by mistake, and that this message only brings awareness to a service issue and possible food quality and contamination issue. Feel free to contact me for further questions/concerns. Thank you! read more

This place is the epitome of the hole in the wall. The sweetest owners/workers, the sign outside is worn down so you MIGHT miss it if you don't know what you're looking for, and absolutely incredible food. We got SO much food and had so much to take with us. The gentleman who waited on us was patient, sat down and took the time to tell us all about the menu. It definitely made the experience better. The one thing I will say, because it is such a small space, it gets pretty heated from the kitchen. Try it out! You won't regret it. read more

Elsa's Place - Curry chicken, oxtail, mac and cheese and fried okra - Caribbean Near Me - Jacksonville, North Carolina

Delicious food, nice people, and great portions for the price. Went for the first time this Friday for lunch, and they treated us like we'd been coming there for years. All the food is made to order, and comes out pipping hot (my tastebuds learned that last part the hard way lol). We sat down inside and ate, and word to the wise: unless you call in and place an order ahead of time, this isn't exactly a fast food "get in-get out" kind of place. The food is hardy and made right when you order it, so don't be afraid of a 15 minute wait if you order on the spot. The people there are very nice and aren't afraid to strike up a conversation with you, so the wait seems to pass quickly anyway. Personally, I don't mind a wait as long as the food's good (and in this case, it was). Parking/the main entrance is around back, so don't be thrown off if it looks deserted from the brick street front. The decor inside is very plain and nothing special, but that didn't really bother me since it was clean and this place is a local hole in the wall, old school, comfort food establishment. It's not trying to be fancy. It's a place to get warm, tasty food, maybe have a nice conversation, then be on your way. No frills needed. After seating ourselves and talking to our waiter who was nice as can be (and who kindly gave us a few samples to help us decide what to order), I ordered the curry chicken, which comes with mixed rice and beans and two sides. For sides, I chose fried squash and collards. The food comes automatically in a to-go box, and I'm glad it did because the portions are very generous. Only ate about half of my food and was stuffed. Everything had great flavor and a bit of a kick. The chicken fell right off the bone, and the collards had an interesting vinegar based tang to them. Fried squash was cooked just right. My partner got a half order of jerk chicken and ox tail, along with fried ocra. He let me try both and they tasted great, especially the oxtail, which was super tender and savory. Apparently they only carry oxtail on certain days and it frequently sells out by dinner. Glad we were able to get some because it's a little more pricey than the other meats, but it's worth it. Overall, I really liked this place. I've lived in Jacksonville most of my life, and have no clue why I never got around to going here before. Will definitely be back and I would highly recommend it if you're wanting something new/non food-chain based, but don't want to break the bank. read more

Elsa's Place - Most recent menu - Caribbean Near Me - Jacksonville, North Carolina

See all

The food here is amazing and full of flavor--will not disappoint. It's a little hole in the wall place tucked away in downtown Jacksonville with a cozy, family-friendly environment. The jerk chicken plate comes with so much food, i can eat it as two meals. read more

Good food, really nice people! I ordered the jerk chicken, Mac n cheese, fried okra, mashed potatoes, and beef patty. Everything was terrific, especially the chicken and the beef patty! I will definitely be coming again, and I'll be trying everything else on their menu, too! 10/10! read more

Elsa's Place - Jerk chicken with Mac and cheese, fried okra, potato salad, and beef patty - Caribbean Near Me - Jacksonville, North Carolina

I can't say enough good things about Elsa's Place. This is hands down the best Jamaican food I've had outside of Jamaica. The family here treats you like family and I was offered all kinds of samples without even asking. They genuinely wanted me to try some of the different food they have. I ordered the Jerk Chicken and it was outstanding. I sampled the Oxtail Stew and it was phenomenal as well. I'll be coming back soon to try the Curry and a whole serving of that stew as well. The pound cake they gave me to sample was awesome as well. Huge portions at a great price too. I highly recommend trying this place if you haven't. read more

See all

The service was wonderful, very friendly staff who'd love to answer any questions you have. But the The food was just okay. I saw all the great reviews on here and was so excited to try it out! Left fairly disappointed, Maybe it was because I went with expectations but either way I probably won't be coming back. read more

I had the ox tail with rice,collard greens,& Mac & cheese... food is fantastic! I wish that they offered a smaller portion, cuz I could only eat half of my food. The service is awesome, you can tell that they have pride in their job& in the food that they are serving you. As for the time it takes to get your food, maybe it's because I'm a server myself, I really didn't see it as an issue, wasn't any longer then most places..definitely worth checking out if you support local businesses!! read more

I just moved to the area and wanted some curry chicken...well by 3pm they were sold out so I ordered Jerk chicken, rice and peas, and macaroni and cheese. Well... I gave this place 2 stars because the jerk chicken was actually pretty good, the mac n cheese was awful.. no flavor at all. And as far as the rice and peas... never found the peas in the rice. But the rice was okay. Won't be going back... disappointing. read more

Elsa's Place - Never found the peas in the rice... - Caribbean Near Me - Jacksonville, North Carolina

The food here is AMAZING! The people who work here are friendly. The portion sizes are huge and you'll definitely want to come back for more. I always get the oxtails and fried squash and fried zucchini read more

BEST food in Jacksonville! Hands down. You walk in the door and the smell itself tells you that you have struck culinary gold. Family run business where they pay attention to their customers needs and wants. Time was taken to explain things on the menu and all the sides we tried were wonderful(don't miss the potato salad). They will happily split your entree for you free of charge so you get to try half and half. We tried Ox tails, curry chicken, and Jerk Chicken. The jerk was our favorite. Everything served over some great rice and more than we could eat! This is not a fancy restaurant but the food is the best! Trust me on this one! read more

Great food. Cooked to order. Small quaint place. Parking is in the rear. Friendly service. I prefer to place my order ahead of time, then sit & enjoy. Excellent curry chicken. Large portion sizes. Priced to perfection My buddy normally gets oxtails or the smothered porkchop. They look yummy & mk my mouth water, even though I eat neither. There okra is battered in house. The steam cabbage is delicious, a slightly smoky & vinegar taste The potato salad is good. Various sized potatoes The rice & beans hv more than 1 kinda bean. So what u get other red beans depends on the day or time of day Not a fan of the cocoa bread (not fluffy) Overall, I'd luv to eat here more often read more

Everything was amazing atmosphere was cozy. Kids absolutely loved it. Oxtails and jerk chicken was literally the best I've eating here. Would recommend to everyone read more

Authentic and cooked with pride. Have heard my military friends talking about this place as long as I've lived here. I finally made it to Elsa's Place about a year ago. Now I make sure to go at least once every 2 weeks. Realize they cook things fresh so some items may take a few minutes but just know it's gonna be worth it. They don't seem to stay open late. Most business seems to be lunch. Call ahead to verify hours. read more

The Best Jamaican and Soul Food that I have had in NC! Do yourself a favor and visit! All the food is fresh, so you have to wait a minute but the food is served hot like Momma made it!!!! the owners are great and food is phenomenal!!!!! read more

Great food and friendly folks! My husband and I walked up to the door, unsure if we were even entering a restaurant and were blown away by the friendliness of staff and delicious food. Shorty sat down at our table to explain the menu and offer additional options, and while debating he offered to give us samples of the oxtail, jerk chicken, and curry chicken - all were delicious! We decided to get the oxtail and curry chicken with cucumber salad, coca bread (SO SOFT!), and vegetables. We both had enough for our lunch the next day. Definitely recommend! read more

Got Jerk Chicken with Mac and Cheese, cucumber salad and Fried Zucchini!! Loved it all. Will come here as much as possible ! read more

Elsa's Place - Jerk Chicken extra spicy for me - Caribbean Near Me - Jacksonville, North Carolina

See all

Elsa's never let us down!! Every time we visit Jacksonville NC, if you are in the area, you must visit Elsa's restaurant, you might wait a bit for your food but the wait is all worth it!! The food is so good and delicious, you are going to think that you are in the Caribbean islands. read more

Elsa's Place - It tastes as good as it looks! - Caribbean Near Me - Jacksonville, North Carolina

Update: got home. No beef patty..... thanks elsa's. Thanks.... Update: got my food at 2000 & it was all wrong. They gave me 2 cheeseburgers and fries. Really this long of a wait for even burgers is ridiculous. I ordered jerk chicken, Mac n cheese, cucumber salad, and a beef patty. Idk how they got cheeseburgers from this. Ordered at 1830 she told me it will take 20 mins. Got here at 1900, I'm still here waiting on ny food. Currently 1935. little hidden gem in Old Town Jacksonville. Food will take a while to get to you since they make it hot to order!! Love myself Jamaican food, the owners are from Trinidad so the food has their own twist on it. But for jacksonville this will do! Had the jerk chicken, cucumber salad (very refreshing!), Mac n cheese, and a beef patty. They were out of coco bread :( Never coming back. read more

Always a pleasure hitting up Elsa's. Been a few years since I moved from Jacksonville. I made a trip back down today and had lunch with a friend and the food was awesome as usual. A it slow on getting the food but overall tasty flavor. Ox tail, Goat and Curry Chicken! read more

Elsa's Place - Curry chicken, baked macaroni & cheese, rice and peas and steam cabbage! - Caribbean Near Me - Jacksonville, North Carolina