Incredibly great food nestled away here in Poughkeepsie. I've had Jamaican food all over here and…read morenone of these spots can compete with Empire Fusion. If you are craving authentic great Jamaican food, you won't regret coming here. The restaurant is spotless, the owner is very nice, and her food is out of this world. I got the Oxtails, peas and rice, sweet plantain, and steamed veggies. My Wife had the Jerk Chicken. Everything tasted amazing!! I will definitely be back as I'm dying to try her Mac and Cheese again (it was sold out). 5 Star

Just spent an hour getting to know the owner, Michelle, who is a warm, beautiful woman and chef!…read moreShe's from Kingston, Jamaica and takes so much pride in her cooking. Empire stands out among all the Jamaican restaurants in the area for its fresh, home cooked meals. We stopped by for some beef patties and ended up getting a half dozen plus two spinach patties when we found out that they're homemade and not frozen. They are outstanding! Michelle was open on New Year's Eve, and we might come back for dinner because everything was so good! UPDATE: We returned on New Year's Day because we were craving more Jamaican food!! We ordered the jerk chicken, oxtail, and vegan curry chickpeas. The flavors were mouthwatering and we couldn't believe how tasty the curry chickpeas dish was. Please do yourself a favor and stop by. You absolutely won't regret it!

This area is a food desert at lunch. Seriously. The chef here knows his stuff, & everything is…read moreabove average. Everything was tried was delicious, & made with love. Cool interior. Very popular & a lot of customers popping in for takeout. Clean inside, & reasonable prices.

A cozy, no-frills Jamaican takeout spot ran by the sweetest owners who genuinely care about their…read morecustomers. It's simple, unpretentious, and completely delicious.

Last night I was looking for some dinner and stopped into this place for a dinner. What a pleasant…read moresurprise. The ladies were really nice and offered up an amazing stewed chicken that was spiced just like my grandma did it. What the secret was I have no idea but, the food was outstanding. When I was treated so well I was knot sure why but how they prepare the food and how you are treated will make me had back there next week. I just heard of it but you can bet that I this place is really a great choice. The ladies there are just adorable!

I stopped in at Hellshire Cuisine (formerly Gennie's) for takeout recently. They serve up a variety…read moreof meat dinners served with two sides including oxtail, fry chicken, chicken foot soup, curry chicken, fish (Escoveitch & Steam), and curry goat. They also have cake slices for dessert. I ordered a Large Curry Chicken Dinner ($14 plus tax) served with very soft rice & peas and spicy cabbage. There good portion of food was packed into a round foil container and remain hot when I got home. The chicken was chopped up with the bones which was the main peeve of this dish and it took some time to get rid of the bone pieces before eating. I am so used to boneless chicken or chicken on the bone not chopped up. After deboning the chicken, the curry chicken and the sides tasted pretty good,

Finally trying here after picking up for them on delivery. The stew chicken was really good, thick…read morecuts with more meat than bone unlike places and the sauce was so thick and very flavorful in some ways reminded me of BBQ sauce. But still better than runny watery sauce. The rice and beans were great as well, the rice was dryer and way better than the usual mushy rice. Both chicken and beef patties were delicious, wish had more heat and spice. Otherwise this place is a great addition to Cornwall variety, since it's a lot of just cafes in town.

I kept hearing about this restaurant & finally checked it out. Plenty of parking available in the…read moreplaza it is located in. It was very hot inside the establishment. I was greeted soon as I walked in The place is decorated beautifully & kept very nice.I ordered 3 oxtail dinners.The rice & peas had a kick to it but was very flavorful,the cabbage I preferred to be more tender, & for the price I definitely feel more oxtails should be given. Overall,the food was delicious & my family & I will be back!!

EATS: chicken patty, coco bread…read more Kept it simple for this trip but plan on coming back and trying more food. I coco bread was good and I was impressed by the jerk chicken patty. Coming from Caribbean family, I am always very careful about Caribbean food outside of my house but the patty was good enough for me to eventually try the main dishes!

The food was not seasoned. Jerk pork 15$. Never again. Nobody tastes this food to make sure people…read morecould cook????

I stopped in to Cafe De Novo on a whim for lunch on a Saturday afternoon. This is one of the few…read morerestaurants open in downtown Middletown for lunch on Saturdays, it seems. Cafe De Novo sells "Jamaican & American" food. You can get a burger anywhere, so I don't see why you would order that here. While I don't know much about Jamaican food, I have had jerk chicken before so that's what I ordered. A small portion cost $6.50 and came with 3 pieces of dark meat chicken, rice with beans and some fried plantains. At first bite, it was immediately obvious this was the best (and probably most authentic) jerk chicken I've ever had. The seasoning might be too spicy for some, but I think it was just right. You got a lot of heat without it being overwhelming. Rice and beans helped put out the fire. Service (at least during lunch) was similar to a pizza place. You order at the counter, and then your food is brought out to you. From the time we ordered, the food was in front of us about 5 minutes later. Unexpectedly, it was served on a normal ceramic plate with metal utensils. This makes me assume they offer more traditional table service later in the day. The lady behind the counter was very nice and smiley. She was clearly proud to be serving this food. I immediately felt like a valued customer. Cafe De Novo is a very welcomed addition to downtown Middletown.

I've been going here since they opened. Their jerk chicken is wonderful (but if you don't like…read morespicy food get something else) & I love the homemade ginger beer. Good patties too.

Staff were really nice, clean space, great portions and even let us try the flan. My sister loves…read morethis place so I tried it with her and enjoyed my food and had leftovers. Conveniently located feet away from Vassar College campus and other shops.

As a Dominican, the food is okay. You will be lucky if you get there early when things are fresh…read more I miss the previous owners they were super friendly and nice. But the last time I went there...terrible... the lady at the counter won't even greet you... straight to the "que tu quiere"... rude. Then she sloppily served the food on the plate and shoved it toward me. Her attitude is just horrible. No thank you, no hello, no enjoy or buen provecho. It almost seems like you are bothering her when you order food. The table was a little dirty, had to wipe it myself. I only went there because my partner wanted to... I would never choose to eat there myself.

I've only been to their stand at the Beacon Farmers Market and I love their food! I've had the…read morecurry chicken and the stewed chicken. Both come with rice, cabbage and plantains. It has always been delicious and you get a really big plateful of food, enough for two meals. They are super nice people with great food! I see some really bad reviews here for the brick and mortar restaurant in Poughkeepsie and I really wonder about that. I've only gotten great food at their stand in Beacon, and I've been there many times. I think some of these reviews are for different restaurants and were mistakenly posted here by the reviewer? I was told they have moved the restaurant to Main Street in Beacon and are no longer in Poughkeepsie.

I've never been to the brick+mortar location, but Pat's is one my fave vendors at the Beacon…read moreFarmer's Market. I always start/end my venture with a beef patty. Good selection, fair prices, hospitable and tasty.