Cool looking place, fun music. Nice vibes. Hmm... weird customer service though? I'll get back to that later. Anyways.. Ordered the LOCO MOCO ($11) off of their July Featured Island Cuisine (Hawaii), which I think might've been a mistake. My friends thought it was good but I thought it tasted way too peppery?! It contained pineapples, hamburger steak, coconut rice, onion gravy, scallions, Fresnos, and cilantro. If you've had bibimbap before, it was basically a Hawaiian bibimbap. But it was just a blend of flavors that just didn't taste THAT good together. For my drink, I ordered their WHITE SANGRIA, it was alright, maybe should have tried their regular sangria instead. Oh yeah, do not get their TAKO POKE bowl, holy moly that thing was small and I felt bad for my friend who got it, especially for $14. Customer service. Slow. But then they would fill the waters too often, and when they brought the food to us, the way the servers talked to each other was so.. weird?? They gave each other some attitude and I felt a little uncomfortable sitting there. It was also my birthday and they didn't refrigerate the cake my friends brought. (NO CAKE FEE if you were wondering! Not sure if you wanna bring your cake though, hopefully it doesn't melt..) When we got our checks, the customer copy was on top when we were paying (what?). Well. At least they lit the candle we provided for our room-temp cake, lol. I read an old review where it said they used to charge if you wanted to make a reservation, which wasn't true in our case so don't worry about that. For a big Burrito Restaurant Group place, I'm pretty disappointed. Not really around my price point for a college student. I signed up for their emails awhile ago but didn't get a free meal to use that day but oh well. Someone would have to really try to convince me to come here again. read more

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I wasn't sure what to expect with Kaya but I was definitely pleasantly surprised. The food and the service were both excellent. We got the guacamole appetizer. It was a twist in classic guacamole with the added pineapple but it was extremely delicious. Then I had the Kaya burger for my entree and I was absolutely not disappointed. The burger was amazing and the fries were amazing too. My only complaint was that it was too big for me to finish it all. If you love burgers you should definitely give Kaya's a try. read more

Kaya - Caribbean Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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Kamayan Review Only Every Tuesday, Kaya does Kamayan Night. It is a traditional Filipino feast where the food is laid out in front of you on top of banana leaves, and you just go HAM on it. No utensil and no rule. Our server said Kamayan at Kaya has a Caribbean twist to it. While not all the dishes are made traditionally, the kamayan is pretty damn close. We also observed that every table had a least one Filipino in the party. If they come back to this, that's good enough for me! The presentation was mouthwatering. We watched as they set up the whole table, dish by dish. The amount of food is too much to deal. We did our best and were still able to pack two full containers home. My favorites are the fried fish and the adobo chicken wings. I've heard the fried fish is on the regular menu. I also love the avocado salad. The pineapple/mango dipping sauce goes well with the lumpia. The shrimp and mussels topped everywhere were the icing to the cake. Kamayan is a really fun way to get a glimpse into the Filipino cuisine, which is often underrepresented in the US. read more

Kaya - Kamayan!!! - Caribbean Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Food and service was really good. I would definitely recommend. Good location in the strip district of Pittsburgh pa

Service and atmosphere are pleasant. Food is far below what we experienced in the past. We had bean dip (came with two types of chips), chiles rellenos, and gazpacho soup. The black bean dip was thick and salty. Chips were ok (stale) but probably acquired elsewhere. Gaspacho looked like a carrot soup and lacked flavor. Never seen gazpacho soup sold as carrot soup. The chiles rellenos were a disappointment, the filling appeared to me mashed potatoes and bits of black beans. The bathroom, shared with employees, had no soap, which made me wonder how they maintained cleanliness. read more

Never had a bad dish there. A bit pricey for a casual place but worth it. I will go again I am sure.

We were excited that restaurants in PA have reopened and stopped in last Friday for an impromptu lunch while picking up a few things in the Strip. Tables were socially distanced and service was quick. Our favorite thing was the Sorrel tea, a non-alcoholic, lightly sweet Hibiscus tea spiced with cinnamon, clove, ginger, and orange. We got a carafe and by the time we left my fiance was trying to figure out how we could replicate it at home. For lunch, we enjoyed the Rainbow Salad and Jerk Chicken Torta. The salad was beautiful (taste the ) and light. With added grilled jerk chicken it was enough to have leftovers for the lunch the next day. The torta was also tasty, full of flavor, but not too heavy for lunch. read more

This is one of those local restaurants that will never fail you! If you're looking for suggestions, they have an amazing Caribbean Rainbow Salad which literally has every ingredient you never realized you wanted in a salad... Also their Kaya Burger is probably one of the best burgers in town! read more

Great menu, very varied. Excellent service. world's best margaritas. Friendly atmosphere.

What a great atmosphere and vibe! Loved it! Its great for vegetarians and vegans. Lots of options. The server was sweet. His name was Cooper and we recommend him. We had the guac and chips app and was tasty and light. I had the rainbow salad with jerk chicken which came as a nice portion. I surprised myself when I finished it. It was that good! The prices were high but I personally think its because of the pandemic, so no stars taken away for that. We will be back, guaranteed! read more

Food is great but the service is kind of annoying because they wouldn't let me get a seedlip because it had alcohol (which it doesn't actually) (I'm 10) and it was really annoying but the ambience was nice read more

Will never eat here again. The service for a Sunday evening was very slow even though it wasn't so busy. The best thing I had was the squid but other than that it was horrible. The mahi mahi taco was like rubber and was cold, it had no flavor and was obviously a frozen out of the bag fish. The strip area is still a cool place to go but do yourself a favor and eat at any other place down there. read more

The jerked chicken is wonderful. Everything on the plate compliments it.

Venerable OG establishment here in the Burgh. Still doing things right and a true credit to the Big Burrito group who runs and owns the place. Food is and has always been consistently good and fun. They have kept many of the staples on the menu (Cuban sando, conch fritters, corn and lentil beignets etc) and added some new stuff too. Cocktails are great and beer list (under non Covid days is usually good). Always a good go to read more

SC and I met up with a friend here for a weekday dinner and had luckily caught the end of their happy hour (430-630p) with 50% drinks!! I ordered the Grapefruit Basil Margarita and SC the Poco Picante. The drinks had great flavor and according to SC, his was "the best drink I've ever had." Food wise we got the Jamaican Green Curry Vegetables and Jerk Pulled Pork Quesadilla. There was a lot of great flavor in the curry and I love the fresh pineapple to offset the (a little too spicy for me) curry, all the veggies and the rice. It was comfort in a bowl! The service was also very friendly and attentive. I also liked the decor of the restaurant. Would definitely come by again next time we're in town! read more

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The food is phenomenal, the portions are perfect, and the staff is great. The interior is also vibrant, clean, and cozy. I would recommend this place to anyone. read more

Kaya is a low key restaurant if your looking for an intimate setting. I took my fiancée here for his birthday and we really enjoyed the experience. The food and drinks were great. They have vegan options as well; this restaurant is for everyone. read more

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Love this place. Brittany's service was excellent. If I had a restaurant, I'd try to steal her. She's the perfect server with a wonderful attitude. She's a true gem. The food is good as always. I've never had anything bad here. We got the fried tofu and the Caribbean salad. Both delish. It's always in my regular rotation of places to go. read more

Kaya - Fried tofu - Caribbean Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

This restaurant used to be great. Now, everytime I go there it is mediocre and its is so disappointing. My fiance and I went there on Sunday for brunch and it was awful. We were seated and it took at least 10 min for anyone to approach us. Our waiter let us know he was hung over from watching the hockey game (I wont name him; he did seem nice). We had to ask for our drink orders to be taken at which time we put an app in. Then we did not see him for 20 min. The bartender brought our drinks over. They had seated people next to us and those people actually left bc no one came to their table at all after seating. Bc we had been there so long we started timing things, and it was a full 45 minutes before our food came out (a chicken sandwich and a burrito). If you can get it to your table, the food is good. The atmosphere is stressful; loud inside, everyone sits in a long hall or a few tables in the back. I honestly dont think I'll be back. For me, Kaya is not a destination restaurant anymore. Its always crowded and more trouble than its worth. read more

We were biking the trails and got hungry near The Strip. We found Kaya purely at random and it was like Louis Leakey discovering Zinjanthropus. This is an amazing place with interesting food and stellar service. There's also cool art. We were all blown away and this was our best meal during our week in The Burgh. I had a jerk chicken tortas - perfect amount of spice in lean meat on a savory roll. We shared a unique twist on guac dip with chips. I also had a conch and corn chowder that tasted like I was in a Montego Bay juke joint. We all raved about our meals and said we would certainly return. There are plenty of vegan options here too. read more

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Respectable eating establishment. I had the Poke Bowl. If I had to give a rating, I would say a 7.4. I would definitely return. For you Vegan our there try the Rainbow Salad. Totally worth it! read more

Kaya - Caribbean Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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So good! We have come to Kaya many times before but last nights visit was especially delicious. Queso fundido was on point, I love that they give you hard & soft tortillas. Original chicken sandwich was fantastic. I always gotta dip my chicken in something but not this sandwich! The chicken was fried but still juicy and the slaw, pickles, and habanero honey gave it the perfect flavor. My waffle fries were hot and crispy. My husband got the steak Cuban and it was also delish even though I was only allowed one bite! Service was quick and friendly. Music and vibes were casual and relaxing. I already want to go back. read more

I took my fiancée here for his birthday. I love how they had so many vegan options to choose from. The waitstaff were very nice and accommodating. Our food came out on time and we never felt like it was taking too long. We ordered the tropical guacamole which I didn't like very much because it was missing salt. It may be me but the pineapple messed up my taste buds so it must've had some of the pineapple core in it too. The chips could also use some salt. I loves the waffle fries. They were fantastic just like mad mex's fries. I ordered the Tempura Avocado taco which was good but would've been better with extra sauce (and salt again maybe me). I've been here before and ordered a different meal and I loved it. I would still recommend. read more

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I was super impressed by this different menu. I had to try the rainbow salad after reading all the positive reviews. I added the salmon, and ordered it medium. It was excellent. This was the most unique salad I have ever ordered and it did not disappoint. Although; for lunch, with the added salmon, it was pricey(+$20), I will say it was that delicious , I would splurge again. They had a a variety of carribean cocktails on the menu that looked very good. Since my husband and I are partaking in dry January, it was so nice to choose from non-alcoholic unique beverages as well. The sorrel tea was excellent. We really enjoyed Kaya. It is really convenient they take open table reservations as well! read more

Kaya - Rainbow salad - Caribbean Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Kaya is inspired by Caribbean food, and they have a very successful menu. When I came here, I had the seafood paella once and the rainbow salad another time. Both were excellent, but the seafood paella was spicer than I expected based on the description on the menu. I still loved it though! The jerk chicken is also excellent but spicy. The atmosphere was fun and welcoming, and the service was good. I would definitely come back another time! read more

Very disappointed. I have been to other restaurants by this group. This far the worse. I ordered the tropical Paella. 1/3rd of my mussels were not open and inedible. Something that should not have been sent out. Also, I was expecting as a Paella, it would have been served in the vessel it was coked to show off the crispy rice but it was served on a bowl and no crust rice. Just blah. read more

This was our first stop on after arriving in Pittsburgh and it was a good choice. Good service, vibe & ambiance, and food. We had conch fritters a a starter, very flavorful. For drinks we had the bear trap and poco picante, both good. We ordered the Pork quesadilla and Nashville hot chicken sandwich, with waffle fries and the petite salad. Everything was good. I was apprehensive about this place but the food turned out to be good! The fritters were done so well, great flavor and I'd recommend those. read more

Kaya - Jerk quesadilla - Caribbean Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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I have been here twice I have sat inside and outside during the summer. I like the ambiance and vibes of the place. The first time I had the chili rellenos and three different desserts and the chili rellenos had a great presentation. The food was full of flavor. The second time I went was the seafood paella. I had some random hard pieces in my food possibly the shells of some seafood? The service was really friendly and welcoming. read more

Kaya - Paella - Caribbean Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

I came here on a weekend trip to Pittsburgh from Toledo in December 2018. I got a cemita and I forget what else. Maybe a nice dessert. About an hour after I ate here, I fell and broke my ankle badly while walking in a park downtown, just before I was planning to drive back to Toledo. I had to go to the ER. Now in May of 2019 I am still doing rehab and have a second surgery scheduled in June. I share this information to explain the severity of the injury. In the weeks after I broke the ankle, in spite of the greivous injury, I was still in a good mood. This was partly due to my excellent weekend in Pittsburgh, which was due in part to my excellent last meal before my injury. read more

When I first moved to Pittsburgh I tried this place and hated it. However 3 years later I gave it a second chance and I'm glad I did. The menu is much better now and the service is always on point. Good burgers and great fried tofu. read more

The drinks and the service is excellent at Kaya. However, I would not really go here if you are craving jerk chicken. The lack luster chicken was moist but would be closer defined as roasted chicken. read more

Plantain nachos were amazing, as were the margaritas. With Cavo for dancing right next door, it's hard not to want to spend a fun night out on this block. Varying heat levels available to more or less adventurous eaters. Fairly large menu and great bar selection. read more

Came in here on a whim with a friend and enjoyed an expansive plate of four banh mi tempura avocado tacos and some lentil beignets (more like fritters or pakoras than samosas, thankfully, cause they was delish). All of the flavors seemed very intentional and well thought out-- fresh ingredients with nice garnishes, sauces, and other such finishing touches. The food was great and the drink list was good, nothing to write home about but certainly passable. It was two of us with three drinks and an appetizer and an entrée and I didn't think it was outrageously expensive, but it's definitely not cheap. I will certainly be coming back. read more

Kaya is a Big Burrito joint and aims to hit the Caribbean in both atmosphere and flavor profile. I would say it succeeds moderately well in both departments. We had a number of dishes and drinks so I think we got a decent cross section of their offering. We both started with the Pisco Sour (we can't say no to egg white froth!) and gave the jerk wings and the curried cauliflower a shot as apps. The wings were spicy in a good way, but not spectacular. In fact, they tasted like regular old wings with jerk sauce poured over them. They were, however, plated on a creamy herb sauce that was quite excellent. The cauliflower was good, and had an interesting sauce and pistachios that actually gave it a new angle. The main dishes were oxtail (from the Trinidad special menu) as well as the famous rainbow salad with flank steak. Although the oxtail was very good, the portion size was tiny and not commensurate with the $15 price tag. The salad, however, was something to write home about! Hot damn, that was the best salad "as-a-meal" I've ever had! It was colorful with a dozen different ingredients, well dressed and perfectly cooked flank steak chunks. I would honestly go back for this salad alone. We sat at the bar, and service was decent, despite the busy night. All in all a good experience! read more

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I really enjoyed my time at this place! The drinks were great, the paella was yummy and a considerably large portion, and the vibe is young yet sophisticated. Fun ambiance overall- a great place to get a little dressed up with your friends/SO and have a nice night. The only suggestion I have is to play some more culturally appropriate music (as it serves Caribbean/South American cuisine) such as some instrumental music. When I went, I remember hearing some 80s rock- still a great vibe, just would have liked to hear some music that aligned with the cuisine! Will be back, definitely, & I recommend it to all of my friends! read more

We ordered tuna ceviche, red pepper soup, and jerk chicken torta (aka toasted slider bun) and paid 55 total. In general everything was quite bland and small - we were pretty surprised given how well reviewed it is. We finished our food but were quite unsatisfied and hungry soon after and chalked it up to an L :( read more

Good Food and good ambience. The Jamaican Jerk Chicken Wings and Plantains were great.

Ordered the flank steak with coconut rice. Looked excellent and steak was cooked as I asked (medium rare). However it arrived mushy and the sauce was flavorless and thick (like a gelatin). It was also overpriced at $23. I wouldn't return here. read more

Kaya - Caribbean Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

I guess I would describe Kaya as a middle of the road restaurant. The food is good at Kaya but I'm just not overly enthused. They offer a few staple things that you'll always see on the menu while also changing up the menu to always offer a few new items. Non of the dishes really WOW me, most of them I can get at other good restaurants around Pittsburgh. As a restaurant that's part of the Big Burrito Company you'll find they use fresh and local ingredients when possible, which is always a plus in my book. The outside seating area is a nice plus BUT they do not allow dogs if you are dining outside. This seems a little ridiculous to me seeing as how it's a casual setting & you are on the sidewalk. Overall its worth eating at Kaya at least once. read more

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Ahhh, I adore island food, and no place in this city does it better than Kaya! I've been meaning to write a Kaya review for FOREVER, because their glorious menu has never let me down... From the all-star Tropical Paella to the Killer Cajun Alligator, every dish I've ever had here, any time of day, any day of the week, has been simply OUTSTANDING. The drinks are fun and well made. I enjoy the Sangria especially, but if you're not into that (who ARE you???) the draft list is pretty rad too! The seafood is just phenomenal, but their offerings include some knockout vegetarian dishes and stellar jerked pork and chicken entrees. Notice the obnoxious use of capital letters and exclamation points; YES, it IS justified! I go here for special dates, friend dates, birthdays... Any time possible. You seriously can't go wrong with Kaya! read more

Kaya - Tropical Paella is EVERYTHING! - Caribbean Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania