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    Pepper's Island

    4.5 (80 reviews)
    ModerateTrinidadian
    Closed 11:00 am - 7:00 pm

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    PEPPER'S ISLAND ATMOSPHERE

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    Recommended Reviews - Pepper's Island

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    Courtney C.

    Wanted to check out this place for over a year. I always pick the worst hours. I finally was able to check it out this past Sunday. I was so upset, I came about 3pm i think and of course all of the doubles were gone which is something that i wanted to try. There is plenty of street parking. The restaurant isn't huge but big enough to come there to do what you need to which is eat some yummy food. The inside is pretty bright and a lot of great decor. I don't remember the name of what I got but it included curry chicken and the only thing i needed in front of me was a beach. I enjoyed it and tried a new 0.9% alcoholic beer. It was the sorrel flavor and tasty! I think 2 of the owners were working and both were very helpful & friendly.

    Interior
    Angela D.

    Have passed this place many time and finally decided to stop and try it. This is a little gem, the decor is definitely island themed, the service is friendly and welcoming. The food is delicious, we had the curry chicken and it had just the right amount of spice. Will be back to try the curry goat.

    Roti + Curry Chicken
    Amber N.

    They were very welcoming and friendly. The curry chicken with roti was fall off the bone tender. It could've used a little more seasoning to be perfect, but overall it was an enjoyable meal.

    Curry goat and buss up shot
    Lynandrea L.

    The curry goat was entirely too spicy and full of more bones than meat. The buss up shot was delicious.

    Curry Goat double
    Rashad K.

    This place is definitely a hidden gym in ybor. Never had seen or heard of this place before until someone posted food from here on social media. I'm so glad I seen that post because the food lived up to the hype. I had the curry chicken and curry goat doubles. They were filling and very flavorful. The sauces were good as well. I'm not a huge fan of spicy so I didn't overdo it with the pepper sauce but it definitely adds a good kick . The service was great and the owner was very attentive and welcoming. I will definitely be coming back to visit again. I highly recommend checking this place out if you need a Caribbean fix .

    A painting done by the owner's daughter when she was younger.

    The food was great. Very tasty. The service was excellent. Friendly place. Nothing fancy. Smaller establishment means it's quaint. We met the owner as well. Very nice man. We had two chicken doubles, BUSSUP and a curry chicken.

    Island Comfort Food with Real Trinidad Flavor Pepper's Island in Ybor City feels like a small neighborhood spot you'd stumble into on a side street in Trinidad. The vibe is casual, welcoming, and unpretentious--simple, clean, good music playing in the background but not so loud that you can't enjoy your meal and conversation. Service was warm and personable. When I ordered the curry shrimp roti, the owner kindly warned me that it was spicy. I appreciated the honesty--and he was absolutely right. The shrimp curry brought some real heat, but the flavor was excellent. The roti was soft and hearty, soaking up the curry perfectly. We also ordered the curry goat platter with rice, chana (chickpeas), and curry potato. The goat was tender and full of deep curry flavor without being overly spicy, which made it a nice contrast to the shrimp. The gravy over the rice and chana tied everything together beautifully. A must-order is the paratha (buss up shut)--flaky, layered, and ideal for scooping up the curry. For something sweet, we tried the homemade coconut cookie, which had that rustic homemade texture and just the right amount of sweetness. To balance the spice, we grabbed their mango pineapple herbalade juice, which was fresh, tropical, and incredibly refreshing after the curry. Prices were fair for the quality and portion sizes: * Curry Shrimp Roti - $19.99 * Curry Goat Platter - $18.99 * Buss Up Shut - $5.99 * Coconut Cookie - $3.99 * Mango Pineapple Juice - $4.39 Food came out quickly, the atmosphere stayed relaxed, and the flavors felt authentic rather than toned down. If you're looking for real Caribbean comfort food with bold Trinidad-style curry in Tampa, Pepper's Island is absolutely worth the visit. I'll definitely be back the next time I'm craving curry and roti.

    Curry shrimp ronti Yummy
    Tasha B.

    Hungry in Ybor??? This place was delicious. First the menu is very direct, no fluff. I had the Curry Shrimp Roti.... absolutely worth it. The service was on point, you order at a counter. The young lad that took my order stated that the shrimp was the spiciness on the menu. It was but I enjoyed it. My two friends both had curry goat & loved it. The owner stopped by own table & was very friendly. The place was small but clean. Go again....yes please.

    Spice up your life wall art
    Laurie P.

    The owner is absolutely a delightful person who truly puts his foot into the food! The pepper sauce was spicy yet so tasty i could easily handle the heat as it added great flavor to my doubles. We ordered Chana doubles (vegan friendly) and chicken rice entree. Used the pepper sauce on every single bite. The island vibes & music makes you feel like you were transported to Trinidad ! We loved the food & welcoming atmosphere! Would highly recommend!

    Darrick C.

    Pepper's live up to its name. The food is REALLY spicy lol. If you love spice and a challenge. Pepper's is the place to be. I personally didn't enjoy the food because of the spices. But I love the ambiance and the customer service. The vibe and location is amazing. The parking can be a bit tricky. Again, be aware of the spices and enjoy.

    Kaira G.

    Rodney is the owner, he's a nice man, still has the value of hospitality in his heart. Even though he sold out of food, he still let us in and we purchased the Herbalade drinks, mine is the lean mean protein, and my bf got the mean leaf greens. He also, had some curry chicken and rice in the back so we decided to get it. The meat is tender, you can tell he cooks with love, and he makes his own pepper sauce, not too spicy and tamarind sauce nice and sweet, with a hint of heat. Good for doubles, which we will be getting Wednesday, because he's closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. The ambience is chill and inviting, very family orientated. He also gave us mangos from his mango tree, he has three of them. He said they're very sweet and good for mango chutney.

    Bone-In Curry Chicken (comes with Chana & Potatoes) Dhal Puri on side
    Lea M.

    Ya know, we have to support our Caribbean businesses. In Tampa our West Indian friends looking for a good roti and this my friends, is one of them places. If you remember way way back when Caribbean Connections was around or even that place is Wesley Chapel, of course Tara's RIP is still around but we need more of this in more places. It was great, nice gentleman cooks all the food and his lovely mother makes the dhal puri and roti. I like it's not too much salt. Just the right amount. We gotta watch our salt We coming back honey to try the doubles and tings. Sit down, enjoy the soca on the speaker and they serve you well. If I had one ask, I'd love sorrel on the menu ( not too sweet for us old women watching the sugar)

    Pepper's Island
    Jim H.

    I had an amazing chicken curry dinner at Pepper's Island in Ybor. The food was absolutely delicious and authentic, and Rodney, the owner, is incredibly welcoming and friendly. Highly recommend!

    Curry Chicken

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    1 month ago

    Some of the best food and customer service I have ever experienced!! 10/10 would recommend

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    4 months ago

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    Rodney D.

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    26 days ago

    10 out of 10 experience every time! Amazing food by amazing people. A must try! Rodney treats you like family happy we discovered this gem

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    9 months ago

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    1 year ago

    Tasty food; very delicious and very hot hot sauce. Homemade and family vibes, really nice people.

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    1 year ago

    The service was amazing. Local hot spot. Ordered the curry chicken, great flavor and chicken was fall off the bone.

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    2 years ago

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    2 years ago

    The food was garbage! I ordered the chicken roti. The curry chicken was oily and tasteless. Will never go back again.

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    Ask the Community - Pepper's Island

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    Yah Mon

    Yah Mon

    4.6
    (918 reviews)
    1.8 mi
    $$

    Amazing food... and even better service!! Definitely will be back .. the owners were very nice and…read moreaccommodating. Food was flavorful and well seasoned

    I hate I don't have better things to say about this spot that we were really excited to try. I will…read moresay that upon arrival, everything seemed to be going fine. The owner greeted us at the door, it was fairly empty so there was no wait and we were seated right away. The ambiance is nice. It does look like you've stepped into the VIP area of a restaurant, so it was cute -- not fancy, but cute. The owner then told us about the restaurant being inspired by his mother, they've been around for 10 years, explained the menu etc., it was nice. He also told us that he hadn't been to Jamaica since a kid and that raised an eyebrow -- but we let it go because he wasn't the cook. MIND YOU, I brought my cousin here (who is Jamaican) after seeing decent reviews about it. He brought over our first round of drinks and they were really good. We really enjoyed them. They weren't strong at all, tasted like juice. So I would recommend just getting juice instead of the +$5 to add rum. As we began to order and look at the menu, the prices were really HIGH, but I guess he was going for upscale cuisine -- so we said OK, let's see what this entails. We all ordered the Taste of the Island plater that gave an oxtail, curry goat and jerk chicken, rice and peas, plaintains and a tiny side salad. I wasn't mad at the portions given, but the flavor didn't hit the mark at all. NOW LETS GET INTO THE FOOD The Jerk Chicken was OVERLY spicy; we couldn't even enjoy the flavor. The oxtails were fatty, sweet and BLACK. Not enjoyable at all. The goat was OK, but not very flavorful in my opinion. The beef patties were good, but probably out of a box. The Roti was good and the oxtail dipping sauce was good. The Honey BBQ Wings were pretty good and cooked well. The Mac'n'Cheese -- DO NOT GET THIS. It literally has NO taste and reminded me of the cup mac'n'cheese that you put the powder cheese in. It took so long to bring it out, I guess he kept forgetting about it (they said everything is made to order) -- which, IDK how you make mac'n'cheese to order. Real cooks know, Mac n cheese is NOT a 5-minute made to order meal. He also didn't ask how we enjoyed the meal -- which I felt like he knew what we knew when he saw that not only did the other table leave a plate full of food (the meats) but our plates resembled the same -- he still collected his coin. There is a 20% gratuity that is added on at the end that is ridiculous considering the prices are already so expensive -- MIND YOU, it is not "Elevate Cuisine", its basic Jamaican dishes on Ikea plates. No special plating, no unique sauces or display, no chef's plating or anything. Just a plate of food. Everyone's bill came in over $100. The table nearby us order the same thing and inquired whether or not we liked our food, but we'd just gotten our food and hadn't tried it yet -- we did warn them about the chicken being spicy, but not everything else. They came after us and left before us and left everything on the plate except the rice and peas. I love black owned businesses and I wish this much more success, but I would NOT recommend it to anyone that is looking for authentic Jamaican food.

    Photos
    Yah Mon
    Taste of The Islands subbed goat with brown stew
    Taste of The Islands subbed goat with brown stew
    Yah Mon

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    Sherry’s Trini

    Sherry’s Trini

    4.7
    (74 reviews)
    78.5 mi

    Amazing food, A hidden gem, for roti & doubles, wonderful customer service & curry flavorsread more

    Sherry's Trini Flavors had me feeling like I accidentally stepped through a secret Caribbean…read morewormhole and landed somewhere between Port of Spain and a gas station parking lot in Florida. The giant NOW OPEN banner was flapping like it personally invited me, and the storefront painted in bold Trinidad flag colors looked ready to hand out citizenship papers with every order. I walked in thinking I'd grab a quick bite. Rookie mistake, one look at the doubles and suddenly I'm ordering five. Then I'm calling my aunt and cousin like it's a family emergency: "Allyuh want doubles? Because these looking SERIOUS." Next thing you know, I'm walking out with ten doubles like I'm catering a small festival. And let me tell you, these doubles? Soft bara, perfectly seasoned channa, pepper and tamarind sauce hugging everything like a warm Caribbean auntie. I've basically been on a doubles‑only diet since, and honestly, I feel spiritually aligned. I even ate one cold from the fridge and it still slapped. That's when you know it's real. Then there's the boneless curry chicken with buss‑up‑shut. Pure comfort. The kind of meal that makes you close your eyes after the first bite. The potatoes were soft enough to spread on a cracker, the channa was rich and earthy, and the chicken tasted like somebody's grandmother was in the back whispering, "Put a lil' more seasoning, nah." The buss‑up‑shut was fluffy, torn, and ready to scoop up every drop of curry like it had a mission. And the pepper sauce? Flavorful. Respectful. Not trying to fight me or send me to the ER. A rare and beautiful thing. The place is clean, the parking is plentiful, and the staff has real Trini accents that instantly make everything feel more authentic. Even the way they say "Next!" has rhythm. Next time, I'm calling ahead for dhal phourie, because clearly this place does not miss and I'm not risking it selling out. If you see me there again, mind your business! I'm probably ordering another ten doubles and living my best life.

    Photos
    Sherry’s Trini
    Macaroni Pie, Stew Chicken, Calalloo
    Macaroni Pie, Stew Chicken, Calalloo
    Sherry’s Trini

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    Pepper's Island - trinidadian - Updated June 2026

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