Amazing food and service, absolutely delicious. The food here was exactly like it was growing up in Jamaica.

I have had this place bookmarked for a while and finally decided to go check it out. I called first to make sure they are open and while on the phone we were checking the menu to discover they have a full fish. I am glad we did because we were told it takes 40 minutes to cook it. We ordered it and drove there. We walk in and go straight to the counter to order more dishes. We got the ox tail and decided to eat what we ordered and then order some more The fish came with 2 sides we got the cabbage and plantain! Oh boy! Everything was absolutely delicious! Whatever sauce they used on the fish is bursting with flavors! The cabbage? I can swim in a tub of that! The plantain? Usually I only take a bite of plantain and never finish it it is cooked to perfection! The oxtail?!! Fall off the bone! The potatoes with it? I am salivating now thinking of it! The place is filled with Jamaicans! One group comes in and one group leaves! I was in my little heaven of cultures! If you come here my suggestion is to pair your meal with a cola champagne! Do not question it just do it! Everything is served in disposable plates and containers. We didn't seem to mind it. I will definitely be back! read more

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Nice little joint on San Pedro Ave. We went in for lunch. Called ahead for a to-go order. It took us 35 minutes to driver there and we still had to wait another twenty minutes to get our order. Restaurant was empty except for us. My order was the oxtail with a side of plantain and fried dumplings. The oxtail tasted good but was a little too greasy for me. Wish the menu had photos to see what was ordered. Best part of my meal was the fried dumplings. read more

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Ate here yesterday and the food was sooooo good omg!!! I didn't take pics bc I was too busy stuffing my face lol read more

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Ordered DD delivery for jerk chicken and jerk pork only. What a treat! One bite and I was sitting roadside in Montego Bay at the Pork Pit, with warm humid breeze blowing the pit smoke around. Yum, yum! So delicious. read more

I ordered over the phone and the young lady who took my order was very patient with me. The restaurant is a hole-in-the-wall spot with a beautifully decorated interior and Jamaican music playing nonstop. I got the oxtail and jerk chicken combo plate, with rice and peas + plantain, and it is the one of the best plates of food I've had all year, I'm not joking! Each item was generously seasoned and well cooked. The entire meal was hearty and comforting, and they get extra points because the plantain was perfect!!! I will say that the chicken was a bit dry and salty, but I came in an hour before closing, so I can't really hold the moisture against them. The chicken did have a lot of flavor, however. The oxtail was very delicious and seasoned well, it wasn't too salty and the meat pretty much fell off the bone. There was quite a bit of fat on the oxtail, but this was my first time eating oxtail, and I don't really know if it's a fatty cut; nonetheless, I still enjoyed it. The rice and peas are always delicious and great to eat in between eating the oxtail and chicken. The rice and plantains were also good buffers for the saltiness of the chicken. I paid around $31 for the meal, and I got about 2-3 servings out of it; it's definitely expensive, but I enjoyed it and can understand the price. I will definitely be coming back, but I need to let my pockets heal first! read more

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Some of the worst Jamaican food I have ever had in my entire 33 years of living. The food was COLD! This place don't believe in warmer? It's like they took this out of the refrigerator, the oxtail plate I ordered. YUCKKKKKKK read more

Everyting was great! This establishment is located on San Pedro next to the El Montan hotel and it's easy to miss! Upon entrance there's nothing fancy which typically means the food is going to be bangin'! There were only a few people inside so my order was quick. I ordered the combo plate of jerk chicken, oxtails, beans and rice and peas and carrots. I have a good friend who is Jamaican so I wanted to try a variety of things. I also ordered a beef patty and a chicken patty to eat while waiting. Both the beef and chicken patties were delicious! There's not a lot of decor but the wall painting depicting the Jamaican One Love vibe was inviting. It only took about 10 mins for my food to be ready. EVERYTHING was bangin'! I also tried the sparkling grapefruit soda which is made with real fruit. It as well was awesome! I'll definitely return for more of the savory Jamaican cuisine! read more

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I ordered ahead of time by calling and they picked up the phone right away. By the time I arrive, my food was ready and they greeted me with kindness. My food was so delicious, it didn't stand a chance with me haha. The ambience at the restaurant was real chill too. I ordered the large oxtails plate with rice and peas, plantains, and a beef patty it came out to $33.02. All get a rating of 5/5. It was worth the drive. read more

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Food tastes good. I wish they would've asked if I wanted to jerk gravy or oxtail gravy. It would have put it over the top. Nice vibe in the restaurant. Quiet with reggae music playin in the background. Would come back and give them a next try. read more

Real Real Jamaica - Small Jerk Chicken and rice and peas with plantain - Caribbean Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

I'm a huge fan of Jamaican food, especially the jerk flavors. Chicken was juicy and was cooked over a flame, a big plus as it added a smokiness to the bird, very good. The goat curry gravy was so good on the potatoes I wished I asked for extra. I will be back read more

Real Real Jamaica - Jerk chicken, mashed potatoes covered in goat curry gravy with dumpling fry's. - Caribbean Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

I loooove love love it here. I drive from Accross town for my oxtails. As a West Indian myself, it's hard to find seasoned, authentic, non watered down Caribbean food. Thank you for the piece of home. read more

This is the best Jamaican food in San Antonio. The jerk chicken with the jerk sauce is amazing and my favorite. The meat pie not pictured was devoured before I sat down to enjoy this meal. The restaurant is very clean and the music is very good. The owner comes out from time to time checking in with the customers. The service here is excellent. I tell everyone about this gem. read more

Real Real Jamaica - Oxtail Combo Plate with Anything - Caribbean Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

This customer service was so unacceptable, this business does not even deserve me to address the food. Because no matter how good the food is, when this is how you act towards your customers, you do not deserve our patronage! I placed an order with Uber Eats. Oxtails with two sides, choosing Bammy and Dumplings in the Uber Eats application. The business calls me to tell that they are out of Bammy. She asks whether I simply want double Dumplings. I asked whether I have other options to replace it, and am transferred to the manager. She restates that they are out of Bammy, and I tell her, yes, I am wondering what my options are to replace it. She starts raising her voice, telling me Bammy does not come with the oxtails entree that I ordered. I said that was how it showed in Uber Eats. Then she started yelling that there was a mistake on Uber Eats, that even if she had Bammy she was not going to give it to me. Referencing what her colleague told me, I said then it was fine, I would double the Dumplings. She then starting yelling over me, threatening to cancel the order. In my regular, not yelling tone, I told her I did not need her to do that, I was only trying to understand her. (I would have cancelled the order, were it not for my previous experiences having great difficult getting refunded from Uber Eats.) She continues to yell, "I will tell you how this order works. I do not care what Uber Eats says." Anyways, the conclusion, which I only gave in because I wanted this to be over with- not because in any way I condone arguing and screaming at your customers, not honoring what your company has on a third party website, or employees giving conflicting information- was her shorting me a side. And at the prices here ($30+ for one dish including two sides), that is a significant deal! read more

I've only had Jamaican food one other time in CA. I definitely enjoyed Real Real Jamaican! My husband and I tried the jerk chicken fried rice and fried chicken! Service was good! Ambiance was very chill vibes! I enjoyed my experience here! read more

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Real Real Jamaica delivers bold, authentic flavor in every bite! The food is incredibly well-seasoned, with that true island taste, and the portions are huge; definitely enough to share. If you're craving rich, comforting Jamaican dishes, this spot hits the mark every time. read more

Real Real Jamaica - Small Oxtails - Caribbean Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

3.75 Stars. Real Real Jamaica is a smaller sized restaurant, featuring maybe 9 tables (~36 chairs), and a tight shared parking lot on San Pedro. There appeared to be maybe 2-3 staff present, which included the chef. Not super friendly but was helpful and answered my questions. I came for an event, but ordered a few combo platters and patties to go. The prices are a bit steep, at least compared to what I am accustomed to in Maryland. I paid $28 for an oxtail with chicken entree combo and $25 for a curry goat with chicken entree combo. I selected brown stew chicken and fried chicken. I also saw a lovely display case of patties (beef and chicken) and ordered 2 of each, at $4 a piece. I also ordered the Jerk chicken fried rice. The jerk chicken fried rice was super flavorful and had really large chunks of chicken. It had a kick to it cuz uhh hello, it's jerk lol. Turns out, it was too spicy for my 7 y/o but was a hit with the 12 y/o, husband and I. I really enjoyed the patties. The pastry on the beef patty was very flaky, so be prepared for crumbs lol but so worth the mess . The chicken patty was good too but tasted more like a curry chicken. Not bad at all but I wasn't mentally prepared for curry. I ate it all tho lol. Husband remarked that overall, it didn't give him authentic Jamaican food vibes, but it was good nonetheless. The brown stew chicken was a little on the dry side and didn't come with any type of sauce. Maybe they overlooked that? The fried chicken, surprisingly, was really good! As in, that was the first dish to disappear. I always eat cabbage with my Jamaican food and was surprised to not see it listed on the menu. Have no fear, it's the steam vegetables. Very good flavor and has peas, carrots and corn. Rice and peas didn't have that coconutty, scotch bonnet or allspice berries flavor that were used to either. The 12 y/o actually liked it very much. I only enjoyed it when eaten with the oxtails or curry goat. Speaking of, the oxtails... they kinda made me sad. I feel like they're the quintessential Jamaican dish and this one didn't give me the oomph I was longing for. It was just ok. The curried goat meat tasted fine but wasn't as tender. The potatoes, however, were good lol. Plantains were also delicious but you can't really mess those up lol. Would I make the 40min drive over here from the house again? Maybe not but I might have husband stop on his way home from work for the jerk chicken fried rice, plantains, beef patties, and fried chicken. Friendly warning, be prepared to wait at least 15-20min if you do order the jerk chicken fried rice as it's made to order. read more

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Not one bad thing to critique. Food was amazing. I felt like I was home and my mom and grandma cooked. The curry goat and roti is soooooo good. The jerk chicken and oxtail also good as hell. The service was great nice and cordial. The vibes of the place was chill. I will be going back. read more

Real Real Jamaica - Jerk chicken and oxtail combo plate - Caribbean Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

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It was good! I had oxtails and the curry chicken. Everything was great. Only thing I took issue with was the cabbage. It was over seasoned. Heavy seasoning is fine when done with purpose but unfortunately in this case it was just overly aggressive and distracted from the other flavorful dishes. Other than that it was really good. read more

First time trying this place today & I give it a 10/10. Best place to have oxtails for my first time. The jerk chicken was also amazing. Definitely drive across town again to eat here read more

Real Real Jamaica - Oxtail Combo Plate with Anything Jerk Chicken - Caribbean Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

I ordered through grubhub and I was craving Jamaican food. The beef patty was amazing and spicy ! I enjoyed it, it's been awhile since I had a good one. The Oxtail was delicious and incredibly tender ! They put in 4 big pieces. The jerk chicken was super flavorful, a tiny bit dry and spice but still very good. Would definitely recommend and order again. The portions were huge read more

Real Real Jamaica - Oxtail combo jerk chicken with plantain and rice - Caribbean Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

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Met some friends for some much needed girl time and it was enjoyable but not somewhere I'm anxious to get back to. We were the first group in and our waitress was friendly but not overly versed in the menu which was unfortunate as there was a lot I wasn't familiar with! The (pricey) food wasn't bad but also not memorable and didn't leave me wanting to return. It was also odd to have it brought out in styrofoam takeout containers with wrapped plastic utensils even though we were dining in. The restaurant itself was spacious and clean with a cheerful color scheme :) read more

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Today I got to try real Jamaica because I am a Yelp elite member and they were partnered with the black owned businesses of the week. They offered us their jerk, chicken, and rice, which the flavor was absolutely wonderful. It had a secret spice that kind of came out of nowhere. The chicken was flavored very well, so was the rice the only downfall and like the only reason why I didn't get five stars is because You can't tell that there's bones on the chicken because the pieces are so small but you have to be careful like you can cut your mouth or end up choking if you don't fill it it's very small pieces of bones. I don't like that, but the cocoa bread was absolutely wonderful, it takes about 25 minutes to get your order out which kind of sucks but I get it since it's made fresh so don't expect a quick meal when you come here. The atmosphere was very chill quiet read more

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Quaint little restaurant, not what we expected but the food was good. The server wasn't overly knowledgeable about their items on the menu but she was nice enough. We were the first ones in the restaurant right when they opened and they took a very long time prepare and get it out to us. We enjoyed the meal, just very slow service. read more

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If you're looking for that authentic Jamaican food. Look no further..This restaurant has it all. It's also a very chill quiet restaurant. Only thing that's missing is the beach. read more

Real Real Jamaica - Oxtails Oxtails Rice and Peas Plantain - Caribbean Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

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I'm always down for come Caribbean/Jamaican food. As I approached the restaurant wasn't sure that it was even open; but after checking the door they were open. Yay for me! I was a little displeased with the service for a couple of reasons. 1. It took a while before we were even greeted or acknowledged. 2. You would think that staff would be a little enthused to have anyone coming into your empty restaurant but I guess not here. So once we were able to place our order we decided to get a few items to give the menu a solid try. We ordered the jerk chicken entree, the red snapper, oxtails and an extra side of plantains. The jerk chicken was lacking in the expected flavor that I've experienced from other jerk chicken dishes from other restaurants as well as friends' kitchen. The snapper was on point. It did take about 45 mins for the order to be completed so keep that in mind when ordering the snapper. The oxtail entree although flavorful was more like just the meat and not a stew type that is typically offered in an authentic manner. The plantains were delicious; picked and prepared perfectly. I appreciate how they did the rice & peas w/ the hint of coconut milk. I may visit them again read more

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Unsuspecting Jamaican restaurant near Northstar mall on San Pedro. The atmosphere is relaxed with reggae music in the background. I get a moma and pop vibe about Real Real Jamaica which I love. On a Sunday at lunch time it was nearly empty. The waiter was nice and took our order. They only had a limited menu. It did take quite a while for the food to come out after we ordered. But it was well worth the wait when we got the food. It was fresh and made to order. The food seems homemade and was great!!! I had the large Jerk Chicken, rice and peas, and fried dumplings. They put brown gravy on the rice. I really really enjoyed the food and the portions were big!!! The food was amazing, the price was reasonable and the restaurant was clean and island feeling. Definitely a great spot for some tasty Jamaican fare. read more

Hands down the BEST Jamaican food in San Antonio! I've been everywhere else and nothing compares. This place has the authentic Jamaican flavors I am accustomed to. A beef patty and the oxtails are a staple for me. Always perfect flavor, portion, and tenderness!! Can't beat it! I decided to live a little and try the jerk fried rice. I wanted chicken and shrimp. My goodness, this was a flavor like no other! The coconut rice paired with the jerk seasoning was perfection! I want this all the time now. You definitely get your moneys worth and can eat for days off these plates( if it lasts that long)! The service is friendly most of the time and if you don't order ahead you may wait a little for your food. But when o tell you it is always worth it! The ambiance cute is quaint and cute with Caribbean music playing in the background. Overall, I love this place and will only come here for flavorful oxtails, buttery flaky patties, and my goodness that FRIED RICE!! read more

Real Real Jamaica - Large Oxtails plate - Caribbean Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

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I ordered the large oxtail w gravy, rice & beans and plantains. Delicious. You must try it!!!! read more

Real Real Jamaica - Oxtail w gravy, rice & beans and plantain - Caribbean Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

I've been coming here to Real Real Jamaica ever since my favorite Jamaican restaurant that I've been going to since 2011 had changed their hours and closed early. I also like The Jerk Shack but their food is a bit too pricey for me and it's really a long drive. The jerk chicken here at Real Real Jamaica is good and so is the curry goat, rice and peas and the cabbage. I've been here 3 times and the first two times the service has been great as well as the food. But last time the service was off since the guy who had waited on me in the past was not there. Instead a lady had waited on me and didn't acknowledge me when I had walked in. She was busy on her phone and nobody had greeted me so I decided to sit at the first empty table I saw. She had came by my table and asked me what I had wanted and I told her that I was dining for one and asked for a menu. She brought me the menu and I had noticed there's been some things added to the menu . They now serve jerk pork, shrimp fried rice and rasta pasta. I had ordered the jerk chicken and shrimp fried rice. She told me that there's a wait for the rice but didn't tell me how long it would be. I didn't feel like waiting because I was hungry so I had ordered the usual, jerk chicken with mixed veggies and rice and peas. She had arrived with my order, which was quicker than I expected and never returned. My rice and peas and veggies were good and hot but the chicken wasn't hot enough. I also got a bottled water since they don't have serve tap water. read more

I had lunch today at Real Real Jamaica....Chicken leg and thigh with "brown" gravy, rice with red peas and steamed veggies as my 2 sides. Lunch was delicious and even though I ordered the small entree of the chicken, the meal was large and had enough for a to go box for lunch tomorrow. Every thing was delicious....chicken was very moist. The sides were also delicious. I have never had red peas with rice....the red peas were similar to small red beans and rice was very flavorful and a bit creamy. The steamed veggies were also quite good and flavorful. Don't let the outside of the building concern you....the inside is very nice with plenty of seating. Service was fine but we did need to find the service for our water...... If you have never tried Jamaican food or love jerk chicken, I highly recommend Real Real Jamaica. read more

I ordered the jerk fried rice for my family and was completely dissatisfied and disappointed in this dish. The dish was entirely too salty and after a couple of bites, it was obvious that the jerk chicken use in the dish was old chicken not sold from previous days. We took it home and after a few bites we fished all of the old, hard chicken out of the dish. We were totally disappointed. I would not recommend anyone trying this order. read more

My usual spot was closed, so I decided to try a different place. I ordered the flaky beef patty, curry chicken, brown stew, and plantains. The curry chicken and brown stew were delicious, with rich and flavorful sauces. The plantains, though tasty, were a bit mushier than I prefer. Overall, everything was good, and I'd order from there again. read more

My daughter and I were in the area and decided to stop in and try this place ! I remembered it's was featured on KENs5 neighborhood eats! It's a small spot off of San Pedro past the mall. The restaurant is self seating and the service attendant will bring you menus. It is a really cool spot and they have Reggae playing in the background! Had a real home feel to it. Me and my daughter shared some beef Patties which were very good. Nice flaky pastry with well seasoned beef inside ( could use a little more beef). But the flavors danced on my taste buds! My daughter did not want to try it at first and ended up eating an entire one after I said take a bite. We ordered our main entrees ( it is cooked to order so be patient ). I had curry chicken, rice and peas with plantains and my daughter had Rasta Pasta ( jerk chicken, spiral pasta with shrimp in a creamy sauce) has bell peppers and sautéed onions. The curry chicken was very flavorful (wish for spice though) , rice and peas are cooked at perfect consistency and the plantains tasted fresh and ripe. My daughter enjoyed her pasta immensely. Make note: 1) all entrees are served in a to go container and the sides do touch for those who hate that. I don't care. 2) if you are not starving then share with someone as the servings are large ( i mean LARGE) We were so hungry we forgot to take pictures! But I would definitely recommend this place to anyone! No alcohol on premises though. We will be back! read more

This is the second time our group has eaten at Real Real Jamaica and both times the food and service has been excellent...definitely a spot to come if you have a taste for food Jamaican food. read more

Soon as I walked was met by the employee with a big Ole smile made me confortable and the vibe was on point! Food was Amazing and I will come here over and over again! read more

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Great spot for some authentic Jamaican food! I was in the Area and decided to swing by for lunch. Glad I did! Staff was super friendly and helpful. The only thing I regret is not having enough time to try their goat curry. I got the jerk chicken because it was their fastest plate. Still took about 13 minutes to come out though. Also, be aware that although they have smaller plates, their standard is the large portion not the small. I just said Jerk Chicken and got the large portion which was way too much food for me. Great taste and very fresh! Can't wait to try their goat curry! read more

Real Real Jamaica - Jerk Chicken - Caribbean Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

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Last week my coworker and I had a craving for some Jamaican food and decided we would give the "Real Real Jamaica" a try. I am a lover of West Indian food, a woman of island roots and will always be a fan of Jamaica Jamaica on Austin Highway, but decided I'd try sharing the love for "Black Restaurant Week". To start, some people can be so ridiculous with their reviews as I viewed the ones listed and would definitely say that the food is authentic, they just have better competition in the San Antonio area. 1st. The "MUSIC" blaring from the subwoofer was so loud the woman at the cash register had to shout over the music to hear my order. Literally we were screaming at each other... if you have to shout in a small restaurant to hear your customers, then perhaps you should turn the music down. This was lunch, not an after hours spot where people were dancing and trying to wind down after a long day. I couldn't even enjoy myself because I had to scream over the music to hear my coworker and to make it worse, it wasn't even current dance hall music or any of the greats... If you are going to blast music, at least let me hear some Bob Marley and I am a fan of Reggae, but despised it that day. 2nd. For the restaurant to be partially full, it took awhile for the curry chicken and jerk chicken to arrive. We purposely picked items that we were informed were prepared earlier so that we didn't have to wait 30 minutes for our food and it still took nearly 30 minutes for our food to arrive. We did see a lot of carry out so perhaps we would call it in the next time. But once the food arrived, we definitely enjoyed the curry chicken that was juicy, falling off the bone and the macaroni pie (really macaroni and cheese), but we lost some star power for the peas and rice (definitely could use more peas) and that the plantains only come as a side and not with the meal (unheard of here in San Antonio)... 3rd. Finally, I definitely appreciated the COVID protocols with the staff wearing masks and gloves. The restaurant was clean, small, yet well spaced for seating and did have the authentic Jamaican colors and vibe, but as a person who suffers from migraines the music was too loud and after waiting for 30 minutes, we decided to at least eat it while it was warm so we were forced to struggle through the meal with the music. While it's closer to work, a decent price and and decent serving size, it would be hard not to go the extra distance for Jamaica Jamaica. I could see giving them another try, but only with ear plugs and in the far future. read more

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I visited Real Real Jamaica about 2 weeks ago in a whim and from Yelp reviews. When I tell you that they had the most delicious jerk chicken I have eaten in a while!!! I ordered as a carry out and started eating it once I got in my truck and washed my hands. Mannnnn!!! I should have ordered for dining in because it was so good!! I didn't eat it all and tossed the remainder in the fridge. I forgot about it for 2 days and when I reheated it, it still tasted great! The service wasn't the quickest but only because I ordered festival and they make it upon ordering. The festival was okay, it could stand to be a tad sweeter. At least that's what I'm used to. The restaurant wasn't packed but plenty of people came in to pick up their orders to go. It was quiet and they had the tv on. The ambience was nice and I'm sure it gets packed on the weekends. I went midweek. I HIGHLY recommend this establishment and will be going back as a repeat customer. I might even go get a plate today because thinking about it is making me crave some more of their jerk chicken. read more

This place was recommended by a coworker. I was told to try the oxtails but I really came for the rice & peas. I had a craving so I thought I'd check out a Jamaican spot in town. It was pretty quiet. One couple eating and one person waiting. The person who took my order was friendly. My food came out fairly quickly and I headed home. The oxtails were pretty good. Good flavor. Portion side was typical. The rice and peas were a tad bit dry. Not so dry it ruined the taste but still edible. Overall, I'd eat there again but to try something else. read more

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