A bit disappointed here. The gentleman who took my order was nice and took my order quickly. The service was good. You park and get out order at the window and go back to the window when your food is ready. My husband has been sent in and I thought this would be a good treat for Good Friday to have some food that reminds him a bit of his home. We ordered curry goat and oxtails with rice and peas mac & cheese and plantains. I ordered rice with mac & cheese, plantains and okra. I did enjoy the okra, it was cooked really well. It also tasted pretty good. The mac & cheese was good, I wish for a slight more bite with the cheese so on a scale of five I'd give it a four out of five. The portion size was OK for me, but not for my husband who is 64 and 260 pounds. He felt the goat was pretty good, but the oxtail not so much. He liked the rice and peas, but wish there were more peas. We could count the peas in his rice and in my rice and still have fingers left. What we're used to is a good ratio, rice and peas. I had food from here before and really enjoyed it. We also received the pineapple and ginger juice and the sorrel and we love them both. Those were made really well. read more

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Very disappointed with the food we received. The small jerk chicken plate was just that, small. I received three of the tiniest and dry pieces. The jerk chicken appeared to be overcooked or old. The plate came with 3 sides. So I chose plantains, cabbage, and green beans. The plantains were the worse I've had, the cabbage was okay and the green beans were flavorless. I would give this entire meal 4/10. The large oxtail plate was basic. It also came with 3 sides; macaroni, white rice, and cabbage. Definitely the least enjoyable oxtails we've tried in the area. The macaroni needed salt and the oxtails were tough. read more

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This place is DELISH!!! I got the oxtails lunch combo with the cabbage rice and beans, and mac and cheese. EVERYTHING was delicious. I haven't been to too many Jamaican restaurants where they have mac and cheese but let me tell you, you will not regret getting it. Absolutely loved the service!!! The young lady that took our order was amazing and very helpful while we ordered our food. Her suggestions were on point. The half and half drink I got with my combo was smooth. Very tasty and a perfect pair to the meal. I will be back here for sure! The restaurant from the pictures looks like you could go inside and there was seating at one point. However, that is not the case. You are greeted at the door and your order is taken from the door. From how fast the order is from start to finish. It is actually great. You are in and out with a quickness. read more

I was referred my a local based off the pineapple hunger drink. The restaurant is take out only. It's located in a decent area. I ordered via DoorDash. The portion size is terrible! This was the driest curry chicken I have ever had in my life. The chicken itself tasted like well seasoned bake chicken. The cabbage and mac and cheese had no seasoning whatsoever. The entire meal was bland. The pineapple ginger juice was good but it was not worth $5 for a 16 oz drink. I'm so disappointed because I was hungry and expected decent food. Never again! read more

Place is simple and easy to order. Lady there was an angel the service was amazing. Food is top tier. Smelled and taste amazing !

My favorite Jamaican spot! Food is delicious! They have fast service and the prices are amazing! It's a to go place but the people that work there are so nice! read more

The best curry goat I've tasted in Columbia perfectly cooked very tender great flavor. Mac and cheese, plantains, pigeon peas, and rice very good sides. Fast service little wait time. read more

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Island Grill Columbia SC I WANT MY DAM MONEY BACK! This place is the absolute WORST!!!!!! DO NOT EAT HERE!!!!!!!!! THIS IS NOT authentic Caribbean Jamaican food. My 1st visit will also be my LAST. The Jerk Chicken they served me was nothing but SKIN & Bones. The cabbage was too crunchy and hard. The Rice & peas was hard, undercooked and had hardly any peas. I've been to Jamaica. --Ate plenty of authentic Jamaican dishes. So I know what good Caribbean Jamaican food should taste like. THIS AIN'T EVEN CLOSE! DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY! I Repeat: THIS IS NOT CARIBBEAN JAMAICAN FOOD! THIS IS TERRIBLE TERRIBLE FOOD! I WANT MY DAM MONEY BACK! read more

Island Grill - This was some wack ass food! - Caribbean Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

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lady there was amazing food was delicious and i haven't even tried it yet top 3 of all time

My go to for all things Jamaican. I've tried several spots in Columbia is this is the best in my opinion for 4+ years. Food is consistently good with great portions. My favorite are the oxtails. They have the best Mac n cheese of any Jamaican spot. It's not dry like the others. Their rice is always perfectly cooked and tender oxtails. The pattys remind me of Juicis, very flaky. Only spot I recommend!! read more

Island Grill serves the meat-n-three unlike any other place in town. I've enjoyed their jerk chicken (and everything else on the menu) for many years. It's family owned, tightly run, and just about perfect service every time. I always walk away feeling SO GOOD not just from the food but the folks who run it and the good energy they're putting out. This is where I beg others to go. read more

No. Just no. As an islander, I love Jamaican and Island food but this is not it. I got the jerk chicken plate. The chicken was so tough and chewy like it has been reheated for many days over and over. Didn't finish it. Took maybe two bites. The jerk sauce was more like barbecue than jerk. I also couldn't explain the taste of the rice but it just wasn't good. Their lemonade was good but they gave only a tiny bit of it in a little cup full of ice. I just would avoid this place altogether. read more

The food was 7/10. I would go back but maybe for something different.. I don't know. I had the oxtails w/ rice and peas, cabbage and green beans! I l liked everything but the rice.. they use basmati rice so it's a bit different. My boyfriend had the curry goat and he got more bones than meat.. but besides that he said the flavor was there. I was expecting him to have more meat with the goat then I did with my oxtails but the oxtails was more meat! Besides that I would recommend if you want to just try different Jamaican places which is basically what I was doing but not my go to.. read more

Always great food, & great service! I always visit when I'm in town. Best Jamaican food in town!

The food is very good everything I fresh. I also had their fried chicken and may I say omg the chicken is flavorful. The only thing I would say that isn't the best is the yams because it's literally just a sweet potato in big chunks. Other than that the food is awesome. read more

Island Grill - Oxtails with red beans and rice, yams, and collard greens. - Caribbean Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

If you don't know what authentic Jamaican food taste like then this place is for you. The food is flavorful and quick but it is not authentic. For those of you who are Caribbean, they make rice peas with basmati rice... Brown stew didn't have any sauce and oxtail was not fall off the bone. read more

First off the women at the door who takes the orders due to NO ENTRANCE is unfriendly and very rude..the food was NOT tasty I've had better especially without the COOKED WORM & HAIR that was found in the bottom of my tray The Collard greens taste like vinegar an sugar, the cabbage was very hard an crunchy, Oh did I mention the cooked Worm, Hair, and Skinny rude lady at the door!! THE WORST!! I gave it one star for the mac & cheese. A WASTE OF MONEY read more

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will not give this restaurant any rating, but I got to leave one star to leave a post, but I should've known that the restaurant sucked once I didn't smell the grill once we pulled up to the Jamaican restaurant. The rice and peas tasted like Rice-A-Roni the cabbage had no seasoning at all the jerk chicken practically taste like barbecue chicken. Whoever gave them a five star or even a three must-have Covid they can't taste or smell or even see because the food was horrible, so save your money. If you think it's good, you don't know real Jamaican food. read more

To fill my Jamaican craving!! This place is about a 45 minute drive from where I live but when I'm near or around downtown I make it a point to stop in for some delicious Jamaican Island food. Very small not a place you're going to go out for a date but if you want some good Jamaican jerk, ox tails or a nice spicy goat with rice and peas and some delicious collards and good old down-home macaroni and cheese this is the place to go. Don't pass up the specialty drinks, they have a pineapple and ginger homemade juice it's got a nice little kick to it and also the Jamaican sorrel berry juice which is delicious. read more

The food was soooo good!!! I ordered the curry chicken and it literally melted in my mouth! Omg!!! I got the lunch special with lemonade. The drink was different...not bad...unique. read more

Food taste like it had some sort of detergent on it and wasn't thoroughly rinsed off it lacked flavor and the presentation was bad definitely not authentic Jamaican food everyone taste bud is different but I definitely wouldn't recommend it read more

Amazing food the curry chicken was full of flavor the jerk chicken had the right hint of spicy. Very sweet people. Toni is the best, definitely will back many more times. read more

Island Grill - Caribbean Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

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It's Great! Get the curry chicken, curry goat, or oxtail. You won't go wrong. Don't forget the rice and peas. Lol

This place is a home run if you like Caribbean food. Specifically Jamaican. The curry goat was outstanding as were the beans and rice. The young lady working the counter was very polite and attentive. I will be making this place a regular stop going forward. read more

Island Grill - Curry goat - Caribbean Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

Worst Caribbean meal I ever had; don't waste your money. Oxtail were tough, rice and peas horrible, and the cabbage just YUCK!! Don't waste your money. read more

Island Grill - This is horrible!!! I am amazed this place has so many stars. Worst Jamaican restaurant I have ever had. The food is DRY AND GROSS!!!! - Caribbean Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

It's your standard island place as far as appearance. Order at the counter and eat on plastic plates. I used to go to Mobay all the time when in SC but discovered it closed down..... My hotel front desk recommended island grill and YES. I had the curry goat and my wife had the jerk chicken. The place isn't much to look at but the owner was SUPER nice and the food was awesome! They have their own parking lot too! read more

Island Grill - Caribbean Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

Wonderful escovitch! Large portion sizes! Consistently full flavored and tasty meals . Great service, but I miss being able to dine in.

This place really turned me on to Caribbean cuisine. Their jerk chicken is my absolute favorite. While I wish they had dine in available again I'm very happy that they made it through COVID and are still open for business. read more

I love this little place. Whenever I am in Columbia I make a stop by this little gem. Great flavors and friendly people.

Don't listen to anyone saying this place is nasty. It is great. They run circles around the other "Caribbean" restaurants. The owner is very friendly... read more

I loveee getting the same meal every time even tho I tried different things the oxtails & rice and peas has to be my favorite ! I'm a regular here & I can tell y'all that you'll love it it's not bad read more

Island Grill - Caribbean Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

I use to love this place when I lived on Benedict's campus. Great oxtails, however I went last week and it was terrible. The oxtails were so tough I couldn't eat them. The cabbage was still raw and the Mac and cheese was just nasty ( although I was never a fan of it). The flavor of the gravy was still very amazing so I ate ALL of the rice and gravy, they also had authentic pepper sauce so that was a plus. I will not be returning and that sucks. read more

Love the jerk chicken along with the macaroni and cheese, greens, and cabbage. The sweet tea is the best. read more

love this place , very clean , great customer service and WONDERFUL FOOD. Every time i go there i get the curry chicken with rice and peas . Mac and cheese and candy yams .. being from new york its hard to find good quality Jamaican food down south . Thank you island grill for your services here in columbia - ambieegb read more

I absolutely love their food! I always get the curry chicken plate and their ginger lemonade.

As soon as you walk into this place you feel like you just entered a shop in Jamaica. There is nothing fancy about this place, it would distract from the vibe! I had the jerk chicken with cabbage and red beans and rice. The chicken was great, just enough spice to feel it, but not enough to hurt. I thought the food was great, very traditional. If your looking for authentic Caribbean food, look no farther. read more

Island Grill - Jerk chicken with cabbage and red beans and rice! - Caribbean Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

Such a disappointment!!! I should have known when I pulled up and there was no one there. Where do I begin?? The chicken was DRY as heck!! And it was spicy bbq sauce (NOT JERK) The rice?? Was jasmine rice and three beans. And the cabbage was tasteless. I'm so disappointed in this choice. Oh!! The plantains?? They were old and dry AF too!! I had a chicken patty that was decent. read more

I love coming to this place. Friendly staff, reasonable prices, generous portions, delicious and savory food. My go-to is the oxtails with peas and rice, but they also have several great combo plates on the menu, and the beef patties are on point. I definitely recommend giving Island Grill a try. read more

Island Grill - Caribbean Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

Wonderful Jamaican food in the heart of Columbia. Lots if traditional items (jerk chicken, oxtail, goat), curries, beef patties, fish escovich. Sides from both the islands and Deep South! We had the curry chicken and jerk chicken. Both we're great. Beware of bones, but they were visible. Fast and friendly! Two thumbs up! Mac and Cheese, cabbage, and yams should be nominated for best in Columbia! read more

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The service while prompt, was not very friendly. The person that I ordered from did not smile and when she took my order she kept looking up to the side and away from me. For being "authentic" Jamaican food, the Coco bread, cakes, and patties are not homemade. The steamed vegetables are from a frozen mix. They did not have the traditional callaloo either. However the cabbage was okay and the brown sauce tasted good. The bathrooms are not set up for optimal hygiene and I don't know how they would pass inspection. The place really had an atmosphere of a truckstop restaurant. I'm sorry, but I'm going to make this a definite no in my book. :( read more