I am pleased to say that my hunt for delicious Jamaican cuisine worth its weight is finally over! I appreciate Yelp even more for introducing me to this gem of a place. They've been open roughly 6 months, so I do not feel like I've been missing out for too long. It was a sunny Saturday afternoon, and thankfully not a long wait. I ordered the curry chicken w/cabbage and rice & peas. The curry was flavorful and finger-licking good, falling off of the bone; although some of my peas were rock hard but other than that the rice & peas were delicious, too. The cabbage was sooo good!!! I could have used a tad more, but I chocked that up to personal preference - i LOVE cabbage! I guess I was so mesmerized by the inviting aroma that I forgot to take a picture of my food (which usually never happens), but take my word... the container was empty. The menu has plenty to offer and I am looking forward to trying the jerk chicken next time - which is made on the grill (not the oven). I also loved the decor and art on the walls. Great food and the service is what won me over completely. While waiting for my order, I met the cook and chatted with the owner, Maxine, who is extremely personable and polite. I could have talked to her about quality food and quality customer service all day. It's nice to converse with owners of establishments who just 'get it'. The professionalism here is on point. And make no mistake about it, she reads all reviews and takes all feedback into consideration. There's also a very nice outdoor space with seating and live music. I will definitely be back! 5 stars earned and well-deserved! read more

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This place is trash over priced and food is wack bro tried to charge me 32$ for a large jerk chicken and festival wid plantain no rice 4 lil festival and lil bit chicken that ain't even bussin out the plate I told him go suck out read more

I was in the mood for Jamaican food and wanted to try this new spot. I called in my order of the curry shrimp, and they said it would take 25 minutes. When I arrived, the place was nice. I told the lady my name and the food wasn't ready. It took another 15 minutes. The ladies were super nice that owned the restaurant. After the food came out, I paid and left. When I dug in the food was really good! I enjoyed the curry and the rice. Very good experience. read more

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Let's make this review perfectly quick and easy: Jerk chicken 10000000/10. In the county, you will literally NOT find a restaurant that does jerk chicken on an actual grill. Most use an oven which tastes good but literally is just absolutely not the same. Steam cabbage 10/10. Fresh, crunchy, well seasoned and delicious. Customer service 10/10. I told the owner that I just came from the gym and she perfectly crafted an order of jerk chicken, rice, and plantain with no rice. Most places would try to upcharge me or tell me they can't do a rice substitute. I didn't even have that issue here because she literally recommended it. Overall I will definitely be back. I have to explore the other menu options but so far it's a win! read more

This place was great. Hands down a very clean space & the sweetest, most informative staff! With my dietary restrictions (Vegan) & this being a carribean cuisine location I was a bit nervous about what I could get. They made it extremely easy for me to decide on what I could eat there. My co workers also got food from here & they loved it! The pricing was fair given the amounts of food that you will receive. You're getting quality AND quantity for your buck! Can't go wrong there! The location was easy to find, and there was parking as well. They made everything from scratch, so it did take about 20 to 25 minutes for everything to be completed. However, upon the reaction of my coworkers, the food was amazing & worth every minute of the wait. My vegan friendly meal was perfect. Not greasy. Not salty. Nor was anything dry! We will definitely be returning for more & spreading the word about this hidden gem! Thank you guys! read more

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Delicious Jamaican Eats in Linden! Island Cafe Rock is a must-visit in Linden, NJ! The food here is on point--authentic Jamaican flavors that'll have you coming back for more. Chef Maxine and Chef Novlette are amazing at what they do. The jerk chicken? Perfectly spicy. The oxtail? So tender and flavorful. The sides like rice and peas and plantains were spot on too. You can really tell they put love into every dish. Plus, the staff is super friendly, making you feel right at home. My favorite are the oxtail patties! If you're craving some real Jamaican food, this is the place to be. I'll definitely be back! read more

Island Cafe Rock - Oxtail - Caribbean Near Me - Linden, New Jersey

Was blown away to find an Ox Tail Patties, and it was really good. Also had the Jerk Chicken. I would definately try them again.

The food is amazing the service is great Their food is a must try very flavorful and the portions are good for the price read more

Very disappointing l, bought a $30 large oxtail, got mostly bones in a mush gravy of overcooked oxtails. This would barely make a side of oxtails. Just had a small order from queens, and it was way bigger portion and alot cheaper. The chicken pasta is far from being called rasta. I know carribean food has flavor, this could come from a walmart freezer. It wasn't grilled right, skin was all rubbery. Not the way to end a NJ/NY trip. read more

This is the real deal. Looking for authentic Jamaican food. This is the place! This is a must return to! The have an amazing outdoor patio in the summer and the vibe is mature and fun. read more

Very good ! flavor Amazing ...we had the jerk chicken rice and peas and the curry chicken definitely enough food for a family of four the only complaint the cabbage was extremely undercooked almost to the point of being raw and had zero to no taste. But we will eat there again thank you for your professionalism. read more

I was always curious about this restaurant so one day my girlfriends and I went there for lunch. The food was just okay. I felt that the fish we ordered was not fresh, that it was a frozen filet. But the decor/atmosphere was very nice. read more

Their food was good when first opened. Now its watered down. The agressive woman is very rude and have a very bad attitude, I gave her a 50.00 bill. My bill was $20.00, she did not give me my change back when i told her I gave her a fifty dollars bill. She decided to argue so I left told her I would let as many people I know never to go there.I would never reccommend this place. Their lock down parties is ridiculous, 20$ at the door and the liquor is super expensive. read more

Wow food was amazing!! Had the oxtail, the meat was falling off the bone and I wished I had a tub of that sauce! We also had the jerk chicken which was also excellent. But what shocked us was how amazing the cheesy oxtail patty was! read more

The food is so satisfying! Within this weekend, I tried the Oxtails, rice and beans, plantations, Brownstew Chicken. I have found my forever spot for this food. The establishment is very clean, employees are very friendly. If you get a minute, try them out. read more

The food is true to the Jamaican culture and the owners are very welcoming. The reggae music fills the place to take you away to home cooked meal. I would definitely revisit and bring home plates for the family. read more

I'm just being honest the food is good I will give this restaurant that but mannnnnn is the portion small I mean really small I'm use to restaurant's being stingy with the meat (pause) and giving a huge portion of rice but this place here is Literally counting every grain of rice take a closer look at the food plate pictures and you can see please I get that its inflation but its Unacceptable to charge these type of prices for a plate that you make for a child for a black woman restaurant we do try to support but some people ruin their own business with being cheap read more

The food is amazing! My favorite was the jerk Salmon! Grilled to perfection and super flavorful. Also the staff is extremely nice, a family owned business who really caters to the customer. read more

delis!! will def be going back. portion size was correct for the price!! plantains wee soft and soo fresh. food was a little spicy for me but when you mix it with rice OMG!! I got the oxtail with rice and peas!! delis read more

Island Cafe Rock - a person holding a bowl of food - Caribbean Near Me - Linden, New Jersey