Caribbean Restaurants in New Jersey

[ShawtyCat]

Okay, Ive looked and Ive searched and I still end up driving to Paterson, NJ to Linn's Place just to find a West Indian/Caribbean restaurant in New Jersey. Are there no caribbean restaurants in Jersey?? Other than the little bodega looking places??

[Fat Guy]

I know there's that Cuban place in Edgewater, called Rebecca's. Haven't been, though.

[tommy]

la isla in hoboken is cuban.

[Rachel Perlow]

I know I saw a Caribbean place that looked cute in Englewood on either Nathaniel Place or William Street, between West Englewood Ave and West Palisade Ave. Haven't been and don't know the name and not on yp.yahoo.

[201]

Consider this VERY sketchy information, but I'm thinking that there's a small Caribbean restaurant on Main St. in Hackensack. I know absolutely NOTHING about it, but I do believe I remember walking past a small place thinking, "Hmm... maybe I should try some of that Caribbean food." (I'm uninitiated in that cuisine which is why this memory stands out a bit).

I just did a search on Google for ("caribbean restaurant" + nj + hackensack) and came up with a couple of listings of Jamaican places in NJ.

From JamaicanPride.com

From EatJamaican.com

The first page looks to be a little more recent, but both include phone numbers that I would highly suggest using to get information before you go. Neither of them lists the place I was thinking of on Main Street, but they both list a West Indian restaurant on Central Ave in Hackensack. If you're in the area and feel like a little goose chase, you might want to take a walk up the right side of Main Street between Salem and Camden Streets to see if I really did see a Caribbean place there.

[ShawtyCat]

You know.... I saw that place on Central Ave a few years back when I had to take a bus to work. No car then you see. From the glance I got out of the bus window I saw that is almost a clone to Linn's Place in Paterson (and others throughout the NYC Boroughs), very small, very dark and not very inviting. I usually stick to take out when going to Linn's (so do many other customers) and never stay to actually eat in the tiny room occupied by a few tables, chairs and very bad lighting.

Do you think there are no upscale, classy and, dare I say, roomier Caribbean restaurants due to lack of a customer base?? You know, customers who are not west indian or west indian decent? I'm surprised that someone hasn't opened one. I know that many people, other than myself, drive a few miles just to get to Linn's. What do you think is keeping someone from opening one?

[201]

If an upscale atmosphere is important to you, then I would second Mr. Shaw's recommendation of Rebecca's in Edgewater. Though likely even dimmer than the "very dark" restaurants from which you're discouraged, Rebecca's certainly provides an exceptional atmosphere. The rooms are small but elegant and there's also a patio for outdoor dining. It is primarily a Cuban restaurant, but they also serve a smaller selection of Caribbean dishes. The menu is mostly seafood, so I don't know how that fits in with your Caribbean expectations (again, I'm not familiar with that cuisine).

I was there solely for Cuban food and it seems like most people on this board have ordered along the same lines. You can read about Rebecca's in no less than THREE topics (w/ some overlapping... most recent replies in the first link):

Rebecca's in Edgewater

Rebecca's in Edgewater (again)

Rebecca's in Edgewater (one more time!)

Again, it's probably a good idea to give them a phone call to get information about their menu rather than walking in with the wrong expectations.

Rebecca's

201-943-8808

[ShawtyCat]

Thank you very much for the post 201....it is a lovely restaurant and I will be adding it to my list of restaurants to eat at. I never thought someone would actually take the time to do an online search. I was expecting to find someone who had actually been to a totally Caribbean/West Indian restaurant. Thank you, Rebecca's sounds like it is a nice Spanish restaurant and the food sounds good.

I did a search on Citysearch.com and only found one totally Caribbean restaurant in New Jersey: Katmandu in Trenton but it has no reviews. Has anyone been to this place??

This is kind of what I'm looking for:

Maroons - New York

Curry Goat, Pepper Pot, Escoveitched Fish, Roti, Ital Stew, Rice & Peas, Callaloo, Cod Fish Cakes, Cookup Rice, Pelau, Oxtail and Peas & Rice, Steamed Red Snapper and Jerk Chicken/Pork. This is what you would find on a Caribbean menu. You will probably also find a few Southern dishes on one as well. Some Southern Food is very close to what we eat in the West Indies.

If I can find out what is on the menu of Katmandu maybe I can find out if it is truly a West Indian/Caribbean restaurant.

Thanks again.

Jodi

[Kim WB]

YIKES!!! It's not REALLY Caribbean...Katmandu is on the Delaware River waterfront, an afterwork bar with lots of potted palm trees, walls painted teal and pink and yellow, some Reggae playing between the Bruce songs ... the kind of place that would serve "Caribbean Spiced Chicken fingers", if you know what I mean. It's a twentysomething crowd, there for the happy hour, not the food. Kat does a decent lunch business, but more from its proximity to state offices than due to good food. They serve their burger wtih plaintains instead of fries...thats the Caribbean part of the menu!

[Rosie]

Blue Marlin--Bradley Beach

Green Grotto--New Brunswick

[=Mark]

Gotta go with Blue Marlin, was there for lunch 2 days ago. Great jerk pork!

Blue Marlin Website

[Rachel Perlow]

I would call Rebecca's cuisine Floribean. You know that Cuban/Caribbean fusion popular in Florida. It is a restaurant with a romantic feel, not a place to bring the kids.

The place in Hackensack is across from Bangkok Garden. It is called Jason's Bamboo Joint (258 Main St, 201-678-2899). The exterior is kind of funky, but I've never been inside.

The restaurant in Englewood I described above looked nice, not a patty take-out place. However, if you want a patty take-out place, there is one in Bergenfield called Jamaican Delight (463 S Washington Ave, the strip mall with the Eckerd and the International Buffet, 201-385-2706). We go there to stock up on Ting.

Being that we have listed several Caribbean restaurants in NJ, I am changing the title of this thread from "They are NO Caribbean Restaurants in Jersey??"

[shugga]

The small storefront Carribean restaurant in Foster Village on Washington Ave. in Bergenfield,

is great. I have had many a takeout meal from there.

[Jason Perlow]

The small storefront Carribean restaurant in Foster Village on Washington Ave. in Bergenfield,

is great.  I have had many a takeout meal from there.

Youre referring to the Jamaican pattie takeout joint in the strip mall with the Radio Shack and the asian buffet place? Yes, they have really good patties. They have some pretty good jerk as well.

Theres another one in Englewood near the cirlcle on Palisade Ave (next to a bagel place) that is primarily a bakery but they also have patties and stew.

[Rachel Perlow]

Bergenfield - That's the one I posted the name above, Jamaican Delight.

The one in Englewood on the circle is the Sunny Delights Bakery, 11 Tenafly Rd, Englewood, NJ 07631, (201) 871-7891

[Helena Robinson]

One place I haven't seen mentioned in this thread is Martinos in Somerville, which has had a good reputation for its Cuban food. Since there aren't enough choices for us, we can't vouch for or against it.

I also used to drive past some small Caribbean establishments in Morristown when I worked there (until May), but I nver entered any of them. Sorry, can't provide any specifics.

[zeman]

Here's a few places that I've been to several times:

1. El Sol de Cuba in Passiac

2. Siglo Vente in Union City

3. El Artasano in Union City

4. Zafra in Hoboken

Check 'em out - they're all worth it!

Zeman

[phaelon56]

I happen to love Caribbean food and have been to Maroon's a few times. There are some Jamaican/West Indian restaurants in north NJ but none I know of with "nice" more upscale atmosphere like Maroon's. Rebecca's is definitely more Cuban than anything else and although I haven't been there my girlfriend went once and won't go back because she feels it's way overpriced for what you get. She is Cuban and admits to being biased on this account. Also serving Cuban food and having nice atmosphere (a bit less upscale but very nice) is a place a bit further north on River Rd in Edgewater. Can't recall the name but it's on a southwest corner of the street about 1/2 mile north of Rebecca's. It's a brown structure very close to the road and is owned by Celia Cruz (the Queen of Salsa).

I have tried the Jamaican place in Hackensack - it's across from Bangkok garden and just down the block from Wondee Noodle. It's really just a take-out place with a few tables - no real atmosphere. Food is decent and portions very generous. I like his rice ' n peas but I've had much better jerk chicken. The owner is a guy who was laid off from his chef/cook job at a big hotel after 9/11 - went to work for the owner of this place and then bought it from him. real nice guy and I'll try him for take-out but zero atmosphere for dining in. The food could use a bit of improvement but it's not bad.

In Montclair there's a place called Apple's Jamaican Food. It's a block or two south of Grove Street. As you're heading west on grove towards Bloomfield you cross some railroad tracks several block before reaching Bloomfield. Turn left and it's a block or two in - sorry I don't know the exact address. It's ac cute looking place with more of a "real sit-down restaurant" atmosphere but weird. They have beautiful dark wooden foramal style chairs and tables with lace/linen tablecloths but then put clear plastic covers over the, there are very nice wall sconces for soft lighting but then they have flourescent tubes on the ceiling also turned on. I waited for five minutes or more after the lady dropped the menu off (didn't ask if I wanted a drink). She said not one word to me and there was only one other customer there - he was waiting for take-out and the two ladies in the kitchen (door was open and one of them was the one who dropped the menu off) were ignoring him also when he spoke to them. Prices were almost as high as Maroon's but not nearly as nice an atmosphere - I left without ordering and wrote it off to experience.

Best Jamaican I've tried in the area is on Bloomfield Ave in Bloomfield. You enter Bloomfield from the Montclair area and shortly after entering the downtown area there's a big bank on the left ona corner near a small triangular park like spot. This place is on the left just past it. The lighting is bright inside (think Chinese restaurant bright) but it's spotless and the family who runs it is very friendly. Food is excellent - we've tried the curry goat, jerk chicken and the ox-tail stew. Highly recommended and don't expect fancy sit-down atmopshere but it is far more than just a take out/pattie joint. There are a number of comfortable tables and chairs and it' s very clean.

By the way... if you commute to and from the city on NJ Transit bus, there's a really good Jamaican take-out place nea PA bus terminal at 40th and 8th. Walkt in the door on 40th that says Barbershop and walk up the stairs and past the barbershop entrance. There's a place called Mr. B's - they have a restaurant and bar in Harlem area. This spot is just take-out for the Garment district lunch crowd but they're usually open until 6 PM and still have most dishes in stock (food is not prepared here - they bring iti in from the restaurant). I've tried the whole works and it's all good and reasonably priced - great dinner to take home to NJ!

[Nockerl]

Also serving Cuban food and having nice atmosphere (a bit less upscale but very nice) is a place a bit further north on River Rd in Edgewater. Can't recall the name but it's on a southwest corner of the street about 1/2 mile north of Rebecca's. It's a brown structure very close to the road and is owned by Celia Cruz (the Queen of Salsa).

Azucar

10 Dempsy Avenue

201-886-0747

[phaelon56]

Thanks Nockerl - we drove by there tonight on our way to the movies and I was just getting on to post back with the name. Cuban food isn't the topic here but my GF informs me that Mundo Latino on Bergenline Ave in North bergen (across from Hudson Park) is her family's favorite and they consider it to be the best Cuban food they can get outside of their own home. I was intrigued by a spot we saw yesterday in West new York or north bergen heading out JFK towards the GWB and Fort Lee (past 80th Street but can't recall the exact cross street). The sign said "Peruvian Fine Dining" and it looked like a nice place.

[ngatti]

Also serving Cuban food and having nice atmosphere (a bit less upscale but very nice) is a place a bit further north on River Rd in Edgewater. Can't recall the name but it's on a southwest corner of the street about 1/2 mile north of Rebecca's. It's a brown structure very close to the road and is owned by Celia Cruz (the Queen of Salsa).

Azucar

10 Dempsy Avenue

201-886-0747

Azucar is also decidedly cigar friendly, for those of you for whom such things matter.

Nick