A decent establishment with absolutely delicious food! We usually order the oxtails (seasoned to…read moreperfection, tender and delicious) and the stew chicken (tender and flavorful). The rice is a little harder than I prefer, but still well-seasoned. The coco bread is warm and fluffy, and the plantains are cooked just right--yummy and finger-lickin' good ! The staff plates your food like you're family, and you can truly taste the love in their cooking. Be sure to bring your patience, as everything is cooked to order--but it's definitely worth the wait. We usually visit right when they open during the week to grab our food before it sells out later in the evening. The restaurant itself is clean, plenty seating with great Caribbean decor on the rich red colored walls that emits a warm and cozy feel to the ambiance and the overall experience. Happy eating !

To cramped. Food not cooked well, will not go back at all. Not enough parking, loud music.read more

If you're hunting for real-deal Caribbean cooking in the valley, One Love Cafe deserves a visit…read more I went with the brown stew chicken and it delivered. The meat was tender and packed with flavor, simmered in a savory gravy with onions and peppers that soaked perfectly into the rice and peas. The cabbage on the side added a nice, lighter contrast and rounded the whole plate out. It felt hearty, comforting, and made with patience. The team there is friendly, the vibe is relaxed, and the portions are generous. I walked out full and already planning what I'm ordering next time. Easy five stars from me.

So good! My first bite reminded me of when we went to Curaçao! It was divine!…read more We ordered the brown stewed chicken lunch plate with cabbage, rice and peas and plantains, oxtails with cabbage, rice and peas and plantains, curry patty and cheesy beef patty. Everything was really, really good. Seasoning was on point and nothing was overly spicy. Both meats were super tender with excellent flavor! The cabbage wasn't anything to write home about. It was just cabbage. The rice and peas were yummy! The minus one star is because I didn't like that there were four small oxtails. For the price of $27 I was expecting at least one big one. I also didn't like the amount of bones in my brown stewed chicken lunch plate and the little amount of meat given. But then again, it was a lunch plate so I get it. Those patties were everything and the plantains were chefs kiss!! Hands down the BEST Jamaican food that we've had in AZ! Give them a try!

This place is a whole vibe! I went for Taco Tuesday and tried the oxtail, chicken, and shrimp…read moretacos. They were all fire, and for only $2.50 each, you really can't beat that. To wash it all down, I had the Rum Punch, which was definitely mixed the authentic Jamaican way. While I ate, there was a DJ mixing live music. I believe he was from Chicago, which was right up my alley being a former native myself. I enjoyed every moment of the experience. Great food, great music, and great energy. Highly recommended!

Five stars. Period. I ordered through Toast, full of…read moreexcitement, ready for my first real meal in my new home... and then got the delivery notification with a photo that made me say out loud, "Who the heck's house is that?" Cue a brief episode of delivery confusion, a few phone calls, and me standing there hungry but trying to keep my cool. Here's the important part, I didn't want a refund. I didn't want credits. I just wanted my food. And this place made sure I got it. Was there a slight delay? Yep. Did it require some chitchatting? Sure. But the care, patience, and follow-through were genuinely above and beyond... and that matters. And oh my GOODNESS, the food. The jerk chicken wings (spicy) were sweet, warm, bold, and fall-off-the-bone tender... beautifully seasoned and downright addictive. That jerk sauce had depth and balance that kept me going back for just one more wing until suddenly... no wings. The chicken curry? Maybe not the exact version I'm used to, but still absolutely delicious. Comforting, flavorful, and perfectly paired with peas and rice, festival on the side, and a Jamaican ginger beer that sealed the deal. This was my first substantial meal in my new home, and it honestly couldn't have been better. A million out of ten. A bazillion out of ten. I'll be ordering again, and next time I'm going in person. If you like Jamaican food, or even if you just like food made with care, do yourself a favor and try this place. Next time I'm not holding back: patties and cocoa bread are happening. Thank you for turning a potentially frustrating moment into a warm, delicious, unforgettable one.

The best Jamaican food around, awesome service, and nice staff. They care about what they serve…read moreyou. Never had a bad experience in the many times I've dined here.

I found out about Topnotch while sitting in my dentist's waiting room. They had been featured in…read morePhoenix magazine. Fast forward to Sunday afternoon and we made our first visit. What we didn't know was Sundays are limited menu but that was ok. We had already decided we had to try the Jerk Chicken and Mum's fried chicken which are part of Sundays menu. We were served in to-go boxes which I also believe is because of Sunday limited service. But that's ok because it did not change the fact that the food was outstanding! The jerk chicken was probably the best I've ever eaten. Huge flavors with a hint of spicy. I ordered it with the Caribbean slaw which was amazing (I'm a slaw snob). It is slightly sweet but really crunchy. Mum's fried chicken was delicious as well. Fresh and juicy. It came with steamed veggies which were, well, steamed veggies. I'm not knocking them but they are what they are. We washed everything down with a rum punch and a cucumber margarita. Both were tasty. The more I drank the rum punch, the more I liked it (coincidence? I think not). Both meals came with a small cup of sauce. I'm not sure what it was, but I am as sure it was really tasty. If you are looking for excellent Caribbean food this is the place. It's nothing fancy to look at but it does it right where it counts, that being the food!

This is some of the best Jamaican food in AZ. The rice and peas are as authentic as they can be…read moreAnd the pLantains are so good you will be asking for more. But the only bad thing is trying to figure out what to have as the main dish because the Jerk chicken and curry chicken make my mouth water just thinking about them as I wrote this review. And the days they have the crab legs just brace yourself for some fire they are phenomenal. And the East ta pasta just amazing. The food is so good I had them for about 3 monthS in a row every Sunday for dinner. Just couldn't get enough. And you might ask yourself what's am Asian guy kNow about Jamaican food well being fro on the east coast and raised around a large population of Jamaicans and visiting Jamaica only 20 times I have a good iddea of what authentic Jamaican food is and this is spot hots the nail right on thE head. So if you are looking for that island vibe and feel you gotta try this spot..

From the owner: A Taste of Jamerican is a Catering and Food delivery Business specializing in Caribbean and…read moreAmerican Food

I really wanted to give this place 4.5 stars, but Yelp can be ass…read more This restaurant absolutely nails the things that are hard to teach: hospitality, atmosphere, and making guests feel welcome. From the moment you walk in, it feels less like a restaurant and more like you've been invited into someone's home for dinner. The cocktail program deserves its own shoutout. Every drink was thoughtfully crafted and easily some of the best cocktails I've had in the area. The service was warm, attentive, and genuine without ever feeling forced. As for the food, everything we ordered was excellent. The standout dishes for us were the goat cheese appetizer, the oxtail entrée, and the pound cake dessert. There wasn't a single dish that made us think, "we shouldn't have ordered that." At the end of the day, plenty of restaurants have good food. What sets this place apart is the overall experience. Great food, great drinks, great people, and an atmosphere that makes you want to stay longer than you planned. We'll definitely be back.

We ordered two appetizers: whipped goat cheese (with black garlic honey, radishes, sumac, and…read morechapati) and the griot wings (tamarind-glazed, which is the spiciest option), along with two entrees: the lamb griot (served with couscous and sweet plantains) and the oxtail barbacoa (served over their version of mac and cheese). Starting with the appetizers, I'd say these two were my favorites of the night. The chicken wings (5 pieces) were tender and flavorful, featuring a very unique spice blend. The whipped goat cheese wasn't overly gamey, it was perfectly creamy and paired well with the black garlic honey, which tasted a lot like fig jam. The homemade chapati was great too. However, the ratio of cheese to bread was a bit off. We heard a server asking the next table if they wanted more chapati, so we assumed an extra piece was complimentary. We later found out we were charged $6 for it, which was a bit of a surprise tho. As for the entrees, the oxtail barbacoa was the biggest oxtail I've ever seen. It was packed with tender meat and rich gelatin, and the radiatori pasta with gouda was wonderfully creamy and delicious. The lamb griot was a unique dish I hadn't tried before, while the portion of lamb wasn't huge, it was very good. The plantains were amazing and slightly sweet, making the whole dish incredibly flavorful. Overall, it was a really cool experience. The food is highly seasoned and flavorful without being overly salty like most restaurants, though it is definitely on the pricier side. Our server was very busy that night, so checking out took quite a bit of time. The atmosphere is awesome with great decor, merchs, and live performances. ps. The chairs are incredibly hard and uncomfortable, I couldn't sit in them for too long lol

A Hidden Gem Worth the Drive!…read more I had the most amazing chicken dinner at Caribbean Palms! The chicken was incredibly tender, juicy, and packed with flavor, with just the right amount of spice. The rice was absolutely delicious, and the plantains were cooked to perfection. What truly made the experience exceptional was the outstanding customer service. We interacted with three different staff members during our visit, and every single one was warm, welcoming, polite, and genuinely kind. You can tell they take pride in both their food and hospitality. I drove over 30 minutes from the other side of town to dine here, and it was worth every minute of the drive. There was a steady stream of customers picking up to-go orders, which speaks volumes about the quality of the food. While takeout is clearly popular, I highly recommend dining in and enjoying the full experience. This family-owned restaurant is a true hidden gem, and honestly, it serves the best Caribbean food I've ever had. I will absolutely be back and will be recommending Caribbean Palms to everyone I know!

I recently visited Caribbean Palms and walked away with mixed feelings…read more First off, the service was great. The woman kept checking on me, and I actually liked that the cook brings out the food that's a nice personal touch you don't see everywhere. That said, the portions were underwhelming. I understand it leans more toward a dine-in experience, but the oxtail serving felt small. The presentation almost plays tricks on you it comes on a large plate with separate bowls for the sides, which makes it look like more than it actually is. On top of that, having to choose between cabbage or plantains felt a bit limiting for sides. The rice was a little dry and slightly hard for my taste, but I will say the plantains were really good sweet and done right. I couldn't help but compare it to another Caribbean spot I recently tried in Glendale, where the portions were generous and the oxtail was big, tender, and full of flavor. Here, the flavor was good, but it didn't stand out. I've definitely had better, so my expectations were a bit higher. Overall, it's not a bad spot it just feels pricey for what you get. I spent around $60 total: two cocktails at $15 each, plus the oxtail at market price (which can run $30-$40). The biggest plus is convenience it's close to home, so it's an easy option when I'm craving Jamaican food. But if I'm being honest... next time, I might still find myself making that drive back out to Glendale.

Desert Island is absolutely delicious! Since this is my first time trying authentic Jamaican food,…read moreI knew it was going to be spicy. I didn't expect how succulent everything tasted. I had the Tri-Plate Chicken ($25). It consisted of green curry, Caribbean BBQ, and Jerk. The spice is a gentle warmth that pervades the upper body. The cabbage with rice and beans were perfectly cooked. The restaurant itself is bright and naturally lit during the daytime. There are plenty of knick-knacks and wall art to satisfy your curiosity while the main guy cooks an unbelievable lunch. This is a family owned and operated restaurant. The son is funny and quick to lend a helping hand. Everything is served in to-go trays, which is a nice touch considering the portion sizes. Don't forget to tip!!!

Hubby was craving oxtails, mac and cheese, and cabbage, so we decided to try a new spot on 43rd and…read moreBell Rd called Desert Island eatery. Unfortunately, the experience was disappointing from start to finish. The food took about 30 minutes to come out, which would have been fine if the quality matched the wait, but it didn't. Overall, I'd rate the food a 2/10. The oxtails had little to no flavor, which was the biggest letdown. Honestly, the best part of that dish was the potatoes. Gravy was watery and greasy. The cabbage was actually good and had decent flavor, but the VEGAN mac and cheese was completely tasteless and lacked seasoning. We really wanted to like this place, but based on this experience, we won't be returning.