This place is 3.5 stars for me. This was my first visit and I hope to return to try other items. I was excited to hear that a new restaurant had opened in the Avalon Park area and that it was a Caribbean restaurant to boot! I like how they have transformed the space. It's nice and bright and open. I honestly thought that I was coming to a Jamaican restaurant but the cuisine is a fusion of different Caribbean islands. They have items like curry chicken and jerk chicken but there's also a little bit of a Cuban flare etc. Each entrée comes with two sides. They have things like mac & cheese, black beans and rice, fried yucca and roasted corn to name a few. I decided on the curry chicken and I chose the roasted corn on the cob and Mac and cheese for my sides. I also ordered a fountain drink but they do offer canned sodas as well. I assumed that my curry chicken came with rice because if you go to any typical Jamaican restaurant you usually get rice with your curry chicken. To my surprise it doesn't come with rice and it was literally half a chicken topped with a curry sauce. Definitely different. My favorite item was definitely the Mac and cheese. Great flavor and I like that they do not use your typical elbow macaroni. The chicken was moist and flavorful but in my opinion it needed to be hotter with heat and spice. It was almost as if the chicken had been somewhat pre-cooked and refrigerated because some of my pieces seemed a little cold. The grilled corn on the cob was totally not what I picture as a grilled corn on the cob. It appeared that the corn was boiled and one side of the corn was put on the grill to show it had grill marks. The court itself was lukewarm. Some of the other reviews said that it's pricey but honestly it's a lot of food so I didn't really mind paying the price because I had to take part of my meal home because I was full. The one thing that I didn't think was worth the price was the slice of coconut cream pie. It was really good but at $4 for a slice that you can barely see it's not worth it. The owner and chef did come out to introduce himself which I thought was nice. I completely understand that they are new and are working out the kinks so I definitely will give them another try. read more

Virgin Island Thyme - Curry Chicken, Roasted corn on the cob and Mac and cheese - Caribbean Near Me - Orlando, Florida

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Oh, this place is good. Great jerk chicken. The Mac and cheese is homemade and very good. The staff was very helpful and friendly. What a gem. Better than any other Caribbean food I have had in Orlando. read more

Virgin Island Thyme - Mac and cheese - Caribbean Near Me - Orlando, Florida

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You can tell that the chef here knows good food and good flavor and that my order was carefully plated! The tropical chicken was delicious, perfectly cooked and seasoned well and was juicy! I wasn't expecting the Mac and cheese to be good but it was! It was very rich but I liked it, I'm a Big Mac and cheese fan! And the fried plaintains- I mean how can you go wrong?! I would definitely recommend! The only thing is I wish I would have ordered rice and beans, that would have been perfect with the chicken. I just really wanted to try the Mac! read more

Virgin Island Thyme - Tropical Chicken - Caribbean Near Me - Orlando, Florida

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I got the jerk chicken and fried plantains and wow, so freaking good, came back the next day.

Slightly higher price, then some of its competitors. But being that they have to pay does exorbitant amount of rent in Avalon, I can understand. The food is very tasty always hot never been disappointment with it give it a shot. It's worth it! read more

Hole in the wall/mom and pop shops are way better than here. I was really looking forward to Caribbean food for my last day in florida and was very dissapointed. The food was pretty bland and nothing was spicy. read more

We've always come to this spot and everything is delicious! We're slowly making our way through the menu. Staff is friendly, establishment is clean and even when we order take out, it's consistent and great. Perfect flavor and we love the portions. Highly recommend stopping by. read more

Wow! I randomly tried this place on UBER eats and was blown away by how good it was! The jerk chicken had amazing flavors I've never even had, best jerk chicken ever! Not exaggerating! I have now gotten my entire family hooked and we all order from there constantly! Also very yummy key lime pie! read more

Well, I am disappointed. I was looking for authentic jerked chicken but instead got a tasty bbq chicken with a hint of island spices. The chicken and the ribs (I got the combo) came out looking suspicious because they were more red in color and saucy. The taste starts a bit Caribbean but it quickly finishes with a classic sweet american bbq sauce. Of course there was no heat. I might have felt a slight twinge of heat on my lips but less than a taco bell packet. At over 100,000 scovilles, scotch bonnets pack a punch. This did not. If I take off the jerk chicken expectations, it was tasty. The rice and peas weren't bad and the plantains weren't too bad either. A bit thick and not quite caramelized enough, but not bad. The Kola Champagne was on point though. If you are a fan of tasty food with nice portions, this place is worth a try. If you want authentic jerk...I would look elsewhere. read more

Island Thyme is one of our favorite local spots to grab delicious island food. Some of our favorites the Magens Bay Shrimp, Jerk Salmon and the Salmon and Grits. read more

We wanted to try something new... stopped by this local restaurant to ordered many different items. What can I say but dang good food! Nice people clean location and most of all dang great food! Get the Jerk Chicken and Mac&Cheese. read more

Very clean, friendly and nice staff. Food is fresh and delicious. Cashier says that the owner is from St. Thomas. A little pricey to me, but I guess it's finding what is worth the price. I got a coconut shrimp meal to go and the shrimps were huge, meanwhile the rice and beans were very small portioned. Maybe had I dined in, I would've received more. Cost $14 plus tax. Rice and beans were tasty, plantains were typical. Will try fried yuca next time. read more

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Looked them up on Yelp and decided to give them a try.... Glad I did! Everything was great from the jerk chicken, rice to collard greens. Lots of flavor and the jerk chicken was perfectly cooked. read more

I have yet to be disappointed here. The Chef is always personable and the food is always fresh and delicious. Tell them Fredy sent you. read more

Virgin Island Thyme - Curry Chicken with Greens and Roasted Sweet Corn. Before and after! - Caribbean Near Me - Orlando, Florida

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The BEST Caribbean food in Orlando! The Jerk Salmon meal is my favorite and honestly some of the best salmon I've get had. Highly recommend this amazing restaurant! read more

What a fantastic spot for lunch or dinner! I helped rebuild some of the resorts that got destroyed by Hurricanes Irma and Maria down in St Thomas. I was there for almost 4 months, and let's just say I had my fair amount of jerk chicken, oxtail, etc. I would put this chefs island food up against some of the better dishes I had in those 4 months. The jerk chicken is phenomenal...the mac and cheese and sweet corn were prepared and served just like all the little street corner eateries on island. 5 stars for the food and service, and it's something special when the food is so authentic it actually takes you back to a special time or place in your life. For me of course, those 4 months in paradise. read more

So this place has some of the best jerk chicken I've ever had! The empanadas were so perfect and filling. Everything you get is made to order and it was so delicious and the food portions were huge. The piña colada slushy was tasty as well! Definitely go get you some delicious food & try these people out! read more

Got the Mac and Cheese bowls tonight, one with Jerk Chicken and the other with Pork. Both were excellent, their Mac and Cheese is super unique and flavorful. 100% worth getting and will often be returning here! read more

Virgin Island Thyme - Caribbean Near Me - Orlando, Florida

The food was amazing and great portions! I had the jerk chicken, rice & peas, and collard greens

Overall: Great Caribbean food and will be back!! Took my employee (who is from Puerto Rico) out to lunch and he recommended the place and glad he did. Service: 5 stars- Greeted upon entry with friendly smile. Was assisted in understanding the menu choices and favorites (e.g. jerk chicken). After ordering, recognized St Thomas photos from my travels when the person who took our order told us about the owner being from there. Later, this person (from Puerto Rico) checked on us to ensure everything was going well. Later, Vern, (owner/Chef) came out also to check on us. Afterwards, the plates were picked up after we finished and were told goodbye. Overall- personable group. Food: 5 stars- The food was fresh and tasty. I decided to go simple first time (plus just ate chicken) so got Cuban sandwich with sweet plantains. Sandwich was good and the plantains were prepared perfectly. My employee got beef empanadas with yucca fries and he liked his food also (coming from a true Caribbean says allot). I ate a yucca fry (he offered:)) and was also cooked well. Price was good for the quantity and quality of food provided. Environment: 5 stars- Corner of building so plenty of windows bringing in allot of light (feel of the Caribbean). Decor is simple and bright. Menu is simple to understand and great choices. Bathroom was clean. read more

Really good food for a good price! Support your local businesses, their food is fresh. :)

My family and I are in town for vacation... and I randomly came up on this place on Google. We took a chance, and we are so glad we did! The food is awesome and customer service was A+. Thank you and best wishes for the future! read more

I normally just use Yelp for reviews/recommendations but this place compelled me to post my first ever review. ITS THAT GOOD. I got the Jerk Chicken with rice/beans and fried plantains. By far the best jerk chicken I've ever had in my life. I could eat that chicken skin every day and never get tired of it! Chicken was insanely moist and delicious. A mountain of tasty beans/rice to go with it and the plantains were fried to a crispy golden perfection. Restaurant is bit unfortunately tucked away in a plaza with Walmart Neighborhood Market in Avalon Park, but well worth seeking out! Go now, why are you still reading this??? read more

Jerk chicken, coconut shrimp, Mac and cheese, corn and black beans and rice. All of it so good!

Soooo good and flavorful. Everything from the shrimp scampi to the ribs to the green to the MAC N CHEESE!!! Was seasoned so well. When I saw the black beans and rice it looked like it needed more beans and wasn't going to taste like much but boy was I wrong. The black beans and rice are SO GOOD. So far I haven't had anything here I do not like. I should have dined here a lot sooner! Yum! read more

What a wonderful restaurant! We were looking for something that wasn't a "Fast Food " place. i have always enjoyed Caribbean/Island food. We all agreed Island Thyme sounded worth a thy. The preparation and spicing was just perfect. It was like stepping out of the car in the islands. One of my favorite island dishes is Curried Goat. The meal was on the menu, and even better than I've had in Jamaica. Others in our group had Curried Chicken & Island Chicken. All the meals were excellently prepared and spicing was great. All the side dishes were every bit as tasty as the main dishes. There were Yucca Fries, Plantains, Black Bean soup & Sea Food Chowder. Everyone tasted some of everybody's dishes and there was nothing served at our table that wasn't excellent or better. The Joy of the meal was only enhanced by how warm and friendly the staff are. I will eat at Island Thyme anytime I am any where near there, and will often make trips from Cocoa just to eat there, read more

This was my first time here. I really enjoyed my meal it was delicious. The portion was pretty big. The place was very clean and the staff was very nice. The chef/owner came over to check on my meal as well as for other customers dining in. My meal was ready pretty quickly I have no complaints. The owner seems to really care about his business and you don't see that type of attitude everywhere. I will definitely be returning. read more

Virgin Island Thyme - Caribbean Near Me - Orlando, Florida

Finally made it here after seeing so many good reviews and we were not disappointed. We ordered a family meal with jerk chicken which was so juicy and we couldn't stop eating! Our sides were the softest plantains, yuca fries with delicious cilantro sauce, rice & black beans, sweet roasted corn and delicious creamy Mac and cheese. This will be our new go to. read more

Caribbean food in your back yard! It feels like I'm visiting the Caribbean every time I got to Island Thyme. The food was great.

This spot is so so GOOD!! It takes you back to that last time you were at the Virgin Islands and ate at the small local spot you thought about for at least six months. The jerk chicken wings were amazing, the oxtail was yummy and the salmon was on another level. Ohhh and don't forget the Mac n cheese. I will be a regular and will find every excuse to travel to Avalon Park. read more

Update review 4/26/2019 The owner and chef Vern was very responsive and explained the issue of the phones being down. Great customer service and food. I love when business owners take pride in their work. This is our third time ordering from Island Thyme. Normally the service and food is great. However, we tried to order again today and the phone just continue to ring (no one answered). I checked the time to make sure they were open (they close at 9) and I called back again.....no one answered. So my husband stopped by and picked up the food and he said they were all just in there standing around. Very disappointed in the service. Probably be the last time we order from them. read more

Looking for Caribbean food? This is sooo the place! I got the best opportunity to try this place during Yelp Restaurant week. I was greeted so nice and was ask if I wanted to eat in or take out considering they were closing in ten minutes! I felt bad cuz I didn't realize what time they were closing so I decided to have it to-go. There are variety of food to choose and there are specials printed out at the cashier. I got the ox tail sandwich with a side of yuca fries, fish taco, and 1/2 rib and chicken combo with 2 sides; Mac n cheese and plantains. I considered the plantains which I usually don't like because the cashier said he loves the plantains here and he usually doesn't like them. He was sooo right. They were soo good. It had this nice taste and texture. Not too soft and not too hard. Omg, I did not expect this sandwich to be this much! It's not a small sandwich! read more

The food is very tastic. Service is great! I'm not sure which Caribbean country the food is from but it definitely has flavor. Great seasoning. I definitely would go there again great chef by the way. read more

Just tried this fast casual restaurant and it was awesome! My husband and I both got chicken meals - one half a chicken each, plus two sides! No reason to leave hungry! My husband got the jerk chicken with the roasted sweet corn and sweet plantains. He loved it! The chicken was very flavorful, the corn well-flavored and the plantains were a great sweet side. I got the island chicken with baked mac and cheese and sweet plantains. My chicken was also flavorful and fresh. The mac and cheese was ON POINT!! They also have an assortment of island sodas as well as a regular fountain machine. The associate that helped us was eager to help us make choices and explain the different options. While we were eating, the manager (and owner?) came out to make sure we were enjoying our meal. Great food for a good price and nice staff. Definitely plan on returning! read more

Came here for a Yelp Yes meal - it's a little bit out of the way from downtown, but glad to say the place doesn't hold back on flavor. Each bite was packed with flavor. The chicken was well-seasoned and tender in every bite. The fried plantains and the rice/peas were hearty, tasty sides. The key lime pie was ok. The island soda was a surprising delight. I do wish that the serving sizes were a bit larger for the price. read more

We literally ordered almost everything on the menu We wanted some good US Virgin Islands food! Everything was amazingly delicious! I mean everything down to the greens! My 15 year old son ranted about the Oxtail tacos too! I highly recommend Island Thyme anytime you visit Orlando or if you are in the mood for some good island food! The owner and his staff were very hospitable and accommodating. Quality customer service was provided by everyone! Oh, don't forget to top of your meal with some delicious carrot cake and pina colada cake! Yum! read more

I love their food! Especially the shrimp and grits. I highly recommend this place. If your in Avalon Park in the McDonalds area please give them a try. read more

Great island food, local and friendly neighborhood hood restaurant. One suggestion fill the cup of soup of raise the price so that you can if needed. read more

It has taken me awhile to get over to Island Thyme and I wish I had tried it earlier! Huge portions of delicious Caribbean-style food. Literally huge. I have tried their jerk shrimp and grits lunch special twice now and it is beyond delicious. It comes with an additional side but the entree is so big and filling I had to take the yuca fries side dish home with me. People I have eaten with have gotten the empanada meal with plantains and rice and beans and the jerk chicken with baked Mac and cheese and beans and rice. I actually tried a small bite of the jerk chicken plate (also giant) and it was heavenly. Tender chicken seasoned really well. Not spicy for those concerned about spice level. I will definitely be ordering that in the future. The chef/owner himself came out during both visits and introduced himself and asked about the food. What a friendly guy. I hope this place sticks around for a long time. Besides the jerk chicken I'm dying to try the roast oxtail and some of the other items on the menu. It's tough to bypass the shrimp and grits though. read more

Joint is da bomb! So much that in the last year and a 1/2 there were a couple, okay a handful, of weeks I ordered 2x during that week. Jerk and seafood chowder, 2 staples of my diet at 52 years young, and they get em right, well at least to my tastes. And just not the jerk and chowder, basically everything on the menu is awesome. In fact now that I'm talking about em, 99% chance I'll picking an order later on. read more