Food was so insanely spicy it was hard to taste the flavors of anything. Pickliz usually comes on the side not all over all the dishes. And when we went to pick up the food the woman straight up laughed at us which we thought was a bit strange, but when we tasted how spicy the food was we understood why! read more

Don't order food from this place, they are a scam. I literally order food from this place thinking I was gonna get what I asked for but they gave me a whole completely different order which wasn't even a lot. DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY NOR TIME ORDERING FROM THIS PLACE! read more

I selected 1 star because I must! The owner who plays all roles is the most distasteful person I have ever encountered. Upon arrival customer service was poor. I ordered two things from the appetizer menu which was priced $8.99 and $15. When my order was handed to me i asked how much? The woman said $30. I said how? She immediately got very defensive. I explained to her the price i saw was from the online menu and that if there is a price change it would be a great idea to update the pricing online. The woman responded and said SHE DOES NOT HAVE TIME FOR THAT! Lol After going back and forth with her with my card in hand willing to pay. Then i thought to myself why am i begging someone to give them my money. I said you know what, i am no longer interested in this meal. As i walked out the woman literally came out after and said "AL MANJE KAKA" (Go eat shit). Most definitely would NEVER RECOMMEND! read more

The steam snapper and black rice is the best I've ever had! And it's so reasonably priced. Other spots have cost twice as much and hasn't been an well seasoned or tasty. The chef is doing a great job and the customer service is impeccable! read more

Came in on a Sunday for an early dinner. The restaurant was pretty empty so we had our choice of seating. The hostess/owner was very pleasant and accommodating. Now on to the food...I ordered the Red Snapper in Creole Sauce and my husband ordered the Griot Lakay both were absolutely amazing! The fish was fresh, tender, and flavorful with a little kick! The Griot had an amazing flavor and it wasn't too dry. The snapper was a generous size so much that I couldn't finish. It's a BYOB so be sure to bring your favorite bottle. Overall a great experience, cool ambiance, and delicious food!! read more

Woulibam - Griot Lakay - Haitian Near Me - Maplewood, New Jersey

See all

Took my my mom out for dinner here it was great! It was a saturday night we were actually the only oeople there until a coupek came in. Food was came out in a descent time. The hostess let us bring in our winr and liquor. The music was great while waiting for the food. The food was great! read more

My first time eating here, even with the negative reviews I still decided to become a patron. I was disappointed that upon picking up my food, my boyfriend was then told there is no pasta. They could have easily provided this information over the phone since we called the order in. I was set on that being my dinner. I ended up having the salmon. It was okay, nothing to rave about. read more

The service is mediocre and the food, portion and taste is never consistent. I arrived and the majority of the items were not available. Then when I ordered the stew chicken after waiting 20min was told they had no more. I waited over 40minutes for my meal. When I got home the griot was mainly fat and the portion was small. Would not recommend. read more

Amazing food and service. She was really kind and our group loved the food. Took a while for her to come to us but it seemed liked she was the only waitress so that may be why. Def recommend. Not like your typical rude Haitian customer service read more

Snapper fish was amazing....the rice wasn't the best, I have had far better rice. the presentation of the rice just looked very different from the Haitian rice and beans ive had before. Im a Haitian food fanatic. Asked for pickles didnt get any. read more

The food here is so flavorful. I've had the griot, so tender and well spiced. The legume is also very good! The chef and waitress is super sweet and there isn't a long wait for the food. Amazing haitian cuisine! read more

This place is well appointed and clean however the service is spotty and the food is not well seasoned with very small portions for the price. My shrimp was not deveined and was small. For over 20 dollars, that not what I expected! We waited to be served and someone known to them came in and their order was taken first. Wrong...Then we waited for the food which came out piecemeal and two orders were incorrect which caused us to have to wait some more...very disappointed. I would not return. read more

The lady moves to the beat of her own drum, but the food was definitely good. The salmon was a salmon steak! The militon had no crab (but she told me before I ordered that she ran out), the oxtail was good too. read more

Really nice Haitian restaurant best place for a date or meet up with friends . The food was great (bon Bagay) definitely the Tasso can't wait to go back there read more

I used to frequent this restaurant and rave about it despite them skimping out on seafood and meats multiple times. But this was the last straw. I placed an order over the phone for their shrimp and chicken pasta and wings, but was given a different price over the phone despite their online menu stating otherwise. I explained that over the phone and they decided to just give me the price that's stated everywhere online. When I came to pick up the food, the owner, Johanne and the person I spoke with over the phone continued the discussion about the prices. I even showed them that their own menu has the same prices as online and is less than what was said over the phone. After giving them my card, I went home and realized that they charged me the higher price. When I called back the next day, I spoke to the man who originally Took my order and and told him what happened. He was kind and said that I could either come in and place an order and I'd just pay the difference or just get the refund of the difference back. So I placed an order over the phone the next day and came in to pick it up. The owner came out and saw me and had an immediate attitude and said, "Your order is $15!!!" (Despite the price being different online). I was still going to buy the food for the $15, minus the money they overcharged me for. When I went to tell her that I spoke to one of the employees, she didn't even let me speak 3 words and started screaming, "I'M THE OWNER!" out of nowhere. At that point I didn't even want the food and just wanted my money back. She then continued to berate me and talk about how food is expensive and stated that she's not giving me a refund. So she walks away to the back while I was talking and it made a scene as the workers in the back were watching and listening from the door. She walked away in anger and then another worker came out shortly after with the refund. I took it and left. After this experience, it's easy to see why it's difficult to support black businesses, especially Haitian businesses as they disrespect their own people but show respect to other races. If you want to support a REAL Haitian restaurant with excellent customer service, please literally go down the street on Springfield Avenue to another Haitian Restaurant called Neguess Creole Restaurant located at 2117 Springfield Avenue, Vauxhall, NJ! Their food is AMAZING, more affordable, excellent customer service, and honest and up front. read more

One of my favorite restaurants to get some authentic Haitian food. 10/10 I would definitely recommend anybody who loves Caribbean cuisine to give it a try. read more

Ordered carry out. Was told 15 minutes, took an hour and rude response when inquiry made as to how much longer it would take. No apologies Plantains were plentiful but like dried out rubber. i was afraid I would break my teeth on the griot LaKay pork. coleslaw did not make the order. Whole fish was tasty but very spicy which was not mentioned on the online menu which only lists less than half of what's available. read more

Delicious food at sizable portions. I was so glad to find an authentic Haitian restaurant in North Jersey. Although, I ordered take out, this seems like a great option for an intimate date. The lambi (I chose the spicier version ) and the black rice were delicious! read more

I've driven pass this place and always wanted to try the food. I finally ordered the legume w/crab & shrimp. The flavor was amazing but I could only give 4 stars because the dish lacked enough seafood for $20 plus tax and delivery fees which came to $25. I literally was given 2 shrimps and 1 very small crab. Not sure if I would order it again with seafood but may try my luck with goat next time to see if I get more meat. Must do better. read more

Excellent Haitian Food!! Best Haitian food in NJ! Great food and service! Byob is a plus

I ordered a chicken jerk honestly it was season and boiled.... Period no color of the chicken worse ever

As a Haitian American I appreciate the food service provided by Woulibam. My favorite drink is the papaya juice. The salmon, oxtail, Turkey (fried or in stew) are all delicious. Nice presentation. My family and I love grabbing lunch/dinner there on the weekends. read more

The food smells DIVINE!! I ordered Creole Chicken and was not disappointed. My son got his griot and he too was not disappointed. While to food is on point the prices may be a little high for the everyday person who wants to eat Haitian Food. But it's a good treat if you wanted to sit down and eat Haitian Food. Yes it does take a while to get the food as it does in many Caribbean Restaurants, HOWEVER I must say I didn't feel as if my money wasn't worth anything as a customer who doesn't speak Creole. That has always been an issue for me in some Haitian restaurants. Once you don't speak Creole you get ignored or treated rudely. The customer service in Woulibam however is very pleasant. And they are also on UberEats....just note that you have to instruct them in the notes you want Rice or Rice and Peas read more

This review is based on take out. This food was some of the best haitian food I have ever tasted. My fiancè and I ordered griot with white rice & black bean sauce, fried goat & djon djon rice, beef legume & sweet plaintains. Everything was fresh, authentic and flavorful. My fiancé went in to pick up the food and recommended that we go in and sit down for dinner next time so I guess that's a good sign that the atmosphere was inviting. We will be back for more! read more

Extremely unprofessional! I placed my order at 7:30pm and didn't receive my food I paid for until 10! No apologies received. They were even giving out the wrong meals to customers! The ady who greeted me when I first walked in put her finger up as she finished her phone convo! I will never recommend or return read more

Very disappointing! The food portion that was served was meager for the price. I ordered a chicken fritay platter for $20 to find out that I was only given three pieces of chicken, a few akras, and plantains. And to top it all off, the onions in the platter were apparently the pikliz. I will definitely not return. read more

Our first time trying Haitian food and it was a success! Rebecca was so helpful. She helped us decide what to get and based on her recommendations, we thoroughly enjoyed our meal. The fish was super fresh and everything was well seasoned. The owner also came to check on our meal. Everyone was friendly and super sweet. The Haitian Rum cake was also amazing. Thanks for a great experience. read more

The legume and diri blan, a sos pwa was so good. It has A lot of flavor and hot spice just the way I like it. It's worth it however, I'm only giving 4 stars bc they needed to mop their floor when came in, the floor felt so sticky. read more

Stay away, stay away, please stay away from this place. I am warning you all, if you value your money and respect for your food please stay away. It is a complete dump of a restaurant, they have no respect for people's food or orders. These people should not be running a business, they consistently missed your order and take it upon themselves to give you things you did not order. I used to be one of their loyal customers who kept ordering from them times and times after I got screwed until I said enough is enough. Every time they messed up my order I spoke to the owners and all they do is give you excuses. They never tried to make an effort to fix the glaring issues, the more I ordered from them the more I got screwed. I swear If I could I would give them no stars, with all honesty they don't deserve the one star they got from me. I gave them so many chances to redeem themselves but all they care about is just taking people's money and not providing good service. It is so sad writing this review because I am Haitian and I should be supporting Haitian businesses but I will not support any business that doesn't understand the concept of good customer service. Do your self a favor and don't waist your money on a business that does not deserve your support or money, they don't value their loyal customers. STAYYYYY AWAYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!! read more

My husband and I go to this restaurant quite often and absolutely love the food. I usually get the creole chicken with black rice, but recently got the fish in sauce--amazing. The service is average--sometimes the service is really good, other times just ok. But the food is regularly amazing. read more

Very good atmosphere, very cozy. The food was tremendous. They were very attentive to every details. I had a great experience I will certainly come back soon to explore the rest of the menu. Simply outstanding.... read more

Great ambiance, food is great and prices are appropriate. I would recommend the poison gro sel, lambi and the chiquetaile. For drinks ju papaya and mango juice is a must have. read more

Seriously though! Their rice and bean is to die for. I'm not a big fan of Haitian restaurant, but this one is one of the best. They need to do better on their griot. The griot is too big and not fully cook. Everything else is delicious read more

Not good, food is horrible, customer service sucks....dont go there, you will regret it

I ordered a large oxtail platter and received LITERALLY three oxtails on the plate. I paid $19.00 so I expected more than three mediocre oxtails. I then called the store to ask if they made a mistake and the woman on the phone had the audacity to begin screaming and asking me if I know how expensive oxtails are...NEVER will I order here again and I will be telling my 56,000 subscribers on youtube about this negative experience. Horrible customer service. read more

Nice ambiance. Cozy. Fun music. Delicious food with great spices. Moderately priced. BYOB. Short staffed. 3 people kept the whole place running. Only one waitress for all the tables. A yummy meal if you are not in a rush. read more

I want to start by saying this is definitely a unique restaurant that fills a gap in this industry in this area: fine Haitian dining. It is a step in the right direction. I called to make a reservation for 14 for a family dinner at 7p. I was asked to limit our stay for 2 hours. While that's unprecedented for me, I appreciated the fact that I could get home early after dinner. The food was overall delicious. For appetizer, I shared a serving of meatballs. They are drier than one might be used to because that's how it's made in the culture but well seasoned. I also had the pate Korde which was very delicious and a little spicy. For my entree, I had the conch with plaintains. The amount of conch seemed a little small but it was delicious with onions. $7 for a small side of plain white rice was a stretch! The reason for the not so positive experience was mainly service. The hostess Sue, though friendly, was also our waitress and bussing tables. Too much for 1 person. Our waters were not refilled unless we requested it. The food LITERALLY came out 1 at a time with 10-15 min gap between the delivery of each dish. She didn't always know which dishes belonged to which guest so we were constantly calling out the dish that arrived to the table. There were 1 or 2 dishes that arrived that we didn't order and Sue said she wrote everything down so I guess meant it was our fault. You could taste that the beans of the 3 bean sauces that were delivered to the table were burned. To make matters worse, when my mother told the owner, she said she was aware but they served it anyway. My mother asked Sue what took some of the food so long and she responded that the food wasn't taking long but she wanted all the food to come out at the same time. In what planet is the first person being fed at 8p and the last after 10p represent food coming out at the same time? My husband got his meal last after 10p and the bean sauce he received was cold and of course was burned. Despite all this, my Haitian mother was so happy that their a fine dining Haitian restaurant in the area, she spoke to the owner and told her what a great job she was doing. After paying the bill, my husband was told they forgot to put something on the bill. After 2 hours of waiting for food and a large table of guest which means large bill, the nerve! We left without any drama fortunately. This is a step in the right direction for Haitian restaurants in this area of NJ but there's so much more to improve for it to last. We left around 10:40p and there were people that just received their meals dining though the restaurant closed at 10p. I hope for the best with this restaurant. It would be a shame for that talent in the kitchen to go to waste. read more

Friends and I went to this restaurant last night for the first time, and the service was great! Great atmosphere, friendly owner, and staff. The food was AMAZING. Very, very good. Best Haitian/Caribbean restaurant I've been to. read more

Woulibam is definitely a hidden gem in Maplewood! We ordered the Oxtail and Shrimp Creole, and both dishes were absolutely delicious! Do not hesitate to give this place a try, you will not be disappointed! The service was excellent! read more

terrible service. rude people. the lady who works her hung the phone on my face. took forever for my meal to be delivered. never again.