Donna's Home Caribbean Restaurant

The wait is worth it..... Food is immaculate.! Service is very Jamaican vibe iykyk ........

Food, service and ambiance are legit like stepping into your grandmother's house for a home cooked meal. My spouse approves of this restaurant a thousand percent and he's VERY picky about his Jamaican food. We went to the restaurant around closing and bought a few dishes: snapper, jerk chicken, and goat. I am the pescatarian and have had enough snapper to know when it's been cooked to perfection and this meal absolutely was that. My spouse also enjoyed his jerk chicken and goat. My only gripe was the cabbage but I am very particular about my cabbage and like it with a bit of a crunch. The cabbage on this visit was a bit too soft for my taste. We also ordered sorrel and pineapple/ginger juice which is made fresh daily. Both were very good and refreshing. I have a sweet tooth so I loved both drinks. But if you are not a sweets person I would recommend adding water, but try the drinks first before doing so. Ms. Donna was taking a break when we walked into the restaurant. We had an opportunity to chat with her while our food was being cooked. She's a sweet spirit with humble beginnings. We will be back to support her legacy business. Bless up & Enjoy!

Yelp- please update the listing. It says they accept credit cards but there are two big ass signs out front that say Cash Only. Went inside and confirmed so can't say how the food is.

Donna's Caribbean food has the best in the neighborhood. Good good!!!!!! Good service!!!! Food freshly cooked. Ox tails excellent.

Some of the best Caribbean food that I've had in a while; the oxtails were off the chain, and the cucumber juice was incredibly delicious. The rice and beans were well-seasoned with a few fantabulous lima beans mixed in the rice. The cabbage was also very tasty. This will be my go-to spot when I'm craving Jamaican food.

I am very picky when it comes to Jamaican food in other states outside of Florida and New York cuz I've been disappointed before and Donna's did not miss! Take this from an actual Jamaican.. the curry goat was good! Rice and peas..Good! I'm so happy to have found true authentic Jamaican food in the LA area.

I'm a vegan, When is went here and asked if they had vegan options the first time they said the only thing they had was boiled cabbage. I passed. The staff is ok, friendly enough. They have what seems like a micro grocery. After seeing on Yelp they have vegan options I went in and asked, I said "do you have vegan options?" They said no, even though on Yelp it says they do. Anyway this place is not for me if they ever add anything vegan to the menu I would love to try it and I hope they let me know I would be happy to give them a better review. They sometimes have a speaker outside that plays good reggae and it seems like they only have 1 table to sit at inside. It's an ok place to stop for a few minutes but not great for a family meal. The parking lot is dirty and run down.

prices have changed look at the new prices, so you guys do t get confused i had the jerk chicken it was so delicious chicken fell of the bone with the rice and beans i definitely recommend for the a change of flavor

Don't go here... look at this would you want to pay $28 plus tax for your food to look like this?

I have been going to Donna's for over 6 years and the food is always good but it really aggravates me that they only take cash! Why do we do that in our neighborhoods? Get a dang machine that at least takes debit cards! AND they are always missing some of the food. Never a complete meal. So frustrating. You missed my $30 order tonight.

Good food Good staff Price good I recommend I'll be back. Need to try the coco bread

Literally the definition of a * Hidden Gem feels like a comforting mom and pop shop and you literally feel like family. The food.. let it be it's own proof... honestly didn't expect much cause I love Jamaican food and it kinda just looked like a random spot definitely took it over the top if you don't know where to go eat tonight stop looking. Your here. ‍

I bought two plates and the oxtails plate was a large and i literally had like 4 oxtails which was literally like one big one cut in 4 ways , and the jerk chicken plate was dry , won't go there again was so mad i didn't even take a picture .. 10 out 10 DONT RECOMMEND

My go to place for oxtails! Been coming here for years now and they do not disappoint EVER!! The food is so delicious, you can feel it sticking to your bones lol Any plate you get from here will be delectable and mouth watering. Try the beef patties and you won't be disappointed either, I couldn't post mine because I ate it too fast but that's just how bomb they are!! This is a humble business that puts effort into every meal they make I love them and will forever be a patron.

Bless up ! Service was quick. The cooks in back singing The rice was great the chicken was a bit dry.

I stopped to get cash and saw their doors open. As I am pulling back up they close the doors and put up the closed sign and it is literally only 6:39 pm. Literally ridiculous.

Donna's is located on west side of Prairie Ave. between El Segundo and 129th in Hawthorne in a tiny strip mall with a liquor store and Caribbean novelty store. This is a small pick- up-and-go restaurant with only a couple tables available inside. Donna's is a small stop-in food establishment that offers authentic Caribbean and Jamaican plates in sizes medium and large to-go. Plate prices range from $12-$20 with two sides. They serve everything from curry shrimp to stew fish accompanied by rice and peas with cabbage. My daughter comes here often and always orders the stew chicken and loves it. The meat is very tender, falls off the bones, and filled with flavor. She says their food is made with love. I don't eat meat very often so I ordered the Shrimp curry with rice & peas, and cabbage. The flavors were there, the rice was fluffy and the cabbage had the right amount of crunch, with veggies and spices. Everything tasted great! Don't skip on their punches with ginger! So good! My daughter is already a loyal patron, but this family owned establishment just gained another new loyal patron. Pro Tip: Give them time to make your plate, it's worth the wait.

Very friendly and the food was amazing ate there twice. Jerk chicken and oxtail and the owner was so sweet. You could tell it was made with kindness and care. I took Togo my plate lasted me three days my dad just one. Deliciously addicting and well flavored. I've been recommending this place to everyone. Well if you want to support your local businesses and want good food go here.

I liked the intimate vibe, it's always a pleasure when a motherly figure is making your food! It was a big portion and the ox tails fell of the bone. It definitely hit the spot and I would go back whenever I'm in the mood since it was local

My friends and I have a monthly eating club where we are trying new cultures and new international flavors every month. We are eating our way around the world without leaving LA! This month we chose French Guiana and the closest we could find was Caribbean food. Great choice! I love jerk chicken- though usually I am more used to a rub, while this seemed like more of a sauce. It was delicious! The large dish had half a chicken I believe! I loved the flavor of the cabbage slaw. So tasty! I also got to taste my friends' Ox tail and Goat curry dishes which were equally flavorful and tender. Just know that they may not always have everything on the menu, but when you are here you feel like family. You feel like you were invited to a friend's home to dine. And you will leave full!! #EatingOurWayAroundTheWorldLA #makesmewander

I found this place via the Yelp app, because I was really craving some stew chicken, plantains, and steamed veggies. I had passed many locations for good Caribbean food and I feel like I should have turned around and went back to one of them. First of all, I agree with many of the other reviewers. This food is expensive as fuck! I can't even write the "AF"...I need to write it all out...expensive AAAAS FUUUUCK! First and foremost, when I arrived, there was a group of young guys hanging out in front of the restaurant, engaged in a rather serious and intense conversation. As I walked in, they broke apart and walked in front of me all quick and rudely like they were going to order food. One guy went behind the counter and my mouth internally dropped, like "Really? YOU work here??!" The second guy stood in front of me like he was in line. I stood there for a few minutes and then an older lady, who I assume was the grandmother came out the kitchen and asked what she could get him. Well I was wrong, because she proceeds to look past this guy directly at me. That's when the little fucker moves out the way and that's when I realized he works there, too! I covered my irritation and asked her for a menu. She said they didn't have any. So I asked for the stew chicken. She said she has that. I then said I wanted the steamed veggies. They don't have any. I asked for rice and beans. They didn't have any of that either. So basically, I got white rice, stew chicken and some kind of cucumber salad. Not what the fuck I had a goddamned craving for, but okay, shitttt! They show me the plate and it looks like a lot of meat. Little did I know that there were two little chicken legs underneath a piece of breast that was cut in 3 pieces, only I got the smaller of the two. That plate was $17! Yep, close your mouth... So I only got the chicken that I wanted and not enough at that...but also not the sides that I wanted and even then, they tricked me by packing some small ass chicken legs in there! I said close your mouth! But I don't blame you, because mine is still open in disbelief! I got a small pineapple juice, only because I was sick and I felt like that burn would help my throat. Total was over $20! For that kind of customer service??!!! For that lack of food options??!!! And it wasn't even that tasty! I've had way better stewed chicken. Everyone who worked there seemed distracted and shady as fuuuuck! All looking around like swat was gonna bust up in there! I'm good...I will for sure be crossing them off my list! Terrible customer service! Terrible food choices! Terrible atmosphere! Terrible portions! Terrible prices! Terrible everything!

The food here is good but the customer service is lacking and extremely frustrating! Without FAIL every time I walk into Donna's I wait a good 5 minutes before even being greeted no matter how many times I ring the bell at their front desk. Caribbean restaurants across the board in LA for the exception of one Jamaican restaurant in the valley ALL have extremely POOR customer service, their debit and credit card machines never work and there's always some kind of attitude! I am beyond sick of it! Y'all be the first ones to complain that your own people don't support your business but never take accountability on your lack of customer service skills. Help US help you!!!!! extremely ANNOYED!!!!!!!!

Been coming here when they had $7 small plates, no matter if they short staff, bad attitude or don't have everything on the menu I'm still a customer but lately it's Hard to leave a good review when you pay damn near $30 for a plate and they don't have plantains or always not having something, I understand that you can sell out but if you know you have that much ppl ordering maybe you need to up the inventory so people that do come after 1pm have options still, also hit and miss, some days you can tell they cooked with love while other days they taste like it's been thrown together with graces seasonings! No authentic some days! Still the best rice and peas with gravy though!!! Food is good just wish they had more options and have everything that they offer!

Hi, I went in the other day craving oxtails, they were out at the time that I went. I went for the stewed chicken. It was good, but even better the next day! I will be back Saturday because she was so kind to help me out! I'm hoping that I can get the oxtails.

This was my first visit at Donnas and i was not impressed. My fav Jamaican restaurant is closed on Tuesday so i decided to check donnas out instead. Customer service: when i first walked in i thought they were closed and maybe just forgot to lock up. I mean, if i wanted to walk in and steal everything in sight i could've. I had to say hello a couple time's before someone finally came out from the back to assist me. I have all the love and respect for my elders but they do need to look into hiring someone younger who is a lot more energetic and can move at a faster pace. I mean, this lady was literally dragging her feet! And then i was the only one in there. Literally. It's not like they were super packed and couldn't properly attend to me. Also, this is a cash only restaurant so i had to leave to go to the atm to get cash and then come back. Anyway, on to the food... Food: i ordered a medium jerk chicken plate with cabbage and rice and peas as my two sides. They only serve Mac and cheese as a side on the weekend. Cabbage, plantains, and rice and peas are your only options for sides throughout the week. I wasn't a fan of the cabbage at all. It was undercooked. I don't know bout y'all but i like my cabbage steamed and soft. I felt like i was eating Cole slaw rather than steamed cabbage. The rice and peas were literally WHITE rice and peas. It was not Jamaican style rice and peas. You can eat real rice and peas by itself. You def needed the chicken to eat with the rice and peas at this place. Speaking of the jerk chicken, it was good. It was giving spicy bbq though rather than jerk chicken but i did enjoy it. Not gonna lie. Their homemade fruit punch was super bomb too! Overall, 3/5 but i won't be back.

I ordered the oxtail. The sauce on the oxtail was disappointing. The price was also disappointing. $24 for a plate of food? 5 pieces of oxtail which was mostly bone. Cheap white rice, and some sliced tomatoes and cucumbers for decoration I guess. Thumbs all the way down.

She has the best pepper steak in the worrrllddddd. I don't even get anything else the pepper steak is like something I've never tasted before.

Food here is great, it's a genuine Jamaican mom and pop restaurant who's food is amazing. I had oxtail with some rice and peas with some beef Pattie's to-go. I've been here multiple times and I've never been dissatisfied with the food. The reason why I give them 4 stars instead of 5 is because they run out of food fairly often

The price and quality of the food don't go together. 3 plates of food $98.50. Oxtails. Short ribs and stew peas. I don't mind paying for quality tasty food. This place missed the mark first and last time going here.

Donna's Home Caribbean Restaurant is located in an unexpecting strip mall in the middle of the Hawthorne area of LA. FOOD (4.5/5): The food here was very good! I recommend the jerk chicken or oxtails. The beef patties were also good. PRICE (2/5): Very expensive food for what it is. Expect to pay around $20 with tip and tax. ATMOSPHERE (4/5): A couple of tables are located inside if customers want to sit down and eat.

Food was fresh, delicious and hot. Will definitely go back for more and try the other food items. We order oxtails.

We absolutely love this place and Ms Donna is always so sweet. My husband is from Jamaica and we have tried almost all the Jamaican spots in LA...no one compares to her oxtail and curry chicken!!! We used her for catering too. Oxtail runs out so better call and order early in the day. The only bad thing is that she's not closer to Us

I have came to this restaurant on many occasions and never had a problem. Today was not a good day and this will be my last time returning. I ordered 3 plates. Jerk Chicken, Brown stew chicken, and ackee and saltfish. Food was very oily and chicken was dry.The saltfish in the ackee was loaded with bones and very oily. Im from back east and hung around a lot of Jamaicans so I know how the food should be. I spent almost $60 for 3 plates. Gave them a tip they didn't deserve. Make sure you check your plate before leaving or don't come to this place at all. Very disappointed. This place will not last long if they keep this up

Had a taste for Ox Tails and cabbage so I stop by, boy was I disappointed. The food lacked its usual flavor and the cabbage was swimming in grease. The vegetables where straight from the can, the meat was bland and fatty. Paid 27 dollars for the food but waisted 2 hours of my time. Definitely not worth it. I wish they would bring whoever was cooking during Covid back because they where cooking with love. By the way, the service is fast and friendly.

Delicious. Amazing! Great amount if food and Service!!! No answer via phone-call order attempts. 10 to 15 minute wait. Jerk chicken is FuLL of flavor and sauce...Oxtails are fantastic. (Would have liked extra Jerk juice-sauce). The ONLY reason for 4 stars is inability for credit/debit/apple pay card use (cash only) and that after me they ran out of Jerk chicken... so get your orders in early. You will not be disappointed. Rice / Peas/ Cabbage sides "on point". Definitely Will order again....

Got the brown stew chicken and a chicken patty. AMAAAAAZINGGGGG chicken so moist. Rice and peas flavorful, seasonings perfect. I started eating before I could even take a picture. I had no problems with parking as stated in other reviews.

We were about to leave after reading some of the reviews pertaining to the oxtails, but we're so glad we called a friend and they said "the only spot is Donna's you won't be disappointed " we were.very pleased and mad we only ordered 1 plate, so the next time we're in the LA area Donna will be out spot for some Fantastic, delicious, mouth watering food

I came here on 7/16 and ordered the large oxtail dinner...The empty corner had 1 oxtail in it before I took a pic... Nothing like the 1st time I came in which was a small oxtail dinner...That garnered a 5 star rating... The pic speaks for itself...Alot of rice more than anything and dry af...Basically, the large dinner was a small dinner in a large container...The portion of oxtails was a joke...I won't be back...

Food was cooked fresh and very flavorful. It isn't a large place but if you know jamaican places they will have space so you can eat your food. The gentleman who gave me my order opened the container of food to let me judge of it looked to my like. And boy oh boy it did right along with taste. I knocked off a star due to CASH ONLY

My favorite Caribbean spot in LA , Donnas food is amazing. And we welcome great quality food in Foundational Black American culture

Tried this spot for the first time today. I had the jerk chicken with beans and rice also two beef pies..... Its was FIRE! Now everyone has their own opinions when it comes to food, so here's mine. Being from Saint Croix VI, this is the taste and flavors Ive been searching for, and Ive found it. When I got there I was greeted by a delicious aroma flowing out the door and a lady who looked like my grandma with my auntie in the kitchen...I knew then I was in the right spot. Try it out if you love that Caribbean flavor.

This review is from September 12, 2018. So before this last visit I had stop coming here because at 3 pm they are already out of goat. However I decided to stop in and give it another try. Let me tell you that This is the last time I will every spend another dime here. The attitude was so nasty. Slamming my food down, twisting up your face. It took everything in me to not show my ass! Unbeknownst to me my husband had experienced the same thing! If you don't want to run a friendly customer service driven business then maybe you shouldn't! FYI *Portions are small with an large order* *I never gotten plantains with any order* *asked for green plantains as per Friday special looked at me like I was crazy*

Service was below expectations, the lady who was serving was the most rude women. She had an attitude form the moment my party walked in. We looked at the first menu visible and picked what we wanted from there. Once we go the the register we told her our order only to find out that nothing we wanted was available. No shrimp... no fish.... no seafood and not many chicken options available even though chicken is a decent size of the menu.... Ended up just getting the jerk chicken. It didn't take very long for her to make the tray.... got it with the rice and beans.... I honestly wasn't impressed. The rice and beans where only partially cooked through so there was a lot of it was just undercooked. The chicken was okay.... it kinda fell off the bone and the real meaty portions were kinda enjoyable.... Idk maybe it was a bad day but I know I won't be returning.

Boyfriend and I were craving some jerk chicken so after doing a little bit of yelp investigating, after looking at some of the delicious photos we decided that this was a good choice. Now, I'm not Caribbean and cannot say I am the best on the block at cooking BUT I can tell you this much. My jerk chicken is way better than it is here. The chicken itself was very dry and kind of tasted like it was overcooked. The sauce was tasty but wasn't as flavorful as I was expecting. They do give you a bunch of food though so I'll give them credit for that but when we arrived, they didn't even have enough jerk chicken for our 3 orders. So we got 2 large Jerk's and 1 stewed chicken. The stewed chicken was less dry because it had been stewed and flavorful and the rice and beans were delish. All in all, I'd probably go back if I didn't feel like making it on my own but it wouldn't be my first choice.

Lady at the front is very rude and not welcoming at all. And to top it off they food is mediocre.

I searched high and low for an authentic Jamaican spot when I moved here from the East Coast!! Nothing even comes close to Donna's!! Oxtail and peas taste like back home!! Couldn't be happier. We must keep this business alive despite COVID

Listen I was prepared to write a negative review until I saw a meme on Instagram about Caribbean spots and their lack of customer service. Up until today I was confused. Last week when I walked in to place my order I was met with the most ruthless of RBF that exist. I questioned if I somehow knew the lady behind the counter and what I did. Apparently, this is a cultural thing. You won't be welcomed with a smile, you'll get a rude response if you ask if you can use debit although the sign just shows no credit, when you ask where the nearest atm is located you'll be told next door when really it's about 5 businesses over. Prices are fair and the food is great.

If u dont order food b4 2pm when THEY are open u are subject too not get ur complete meal..I ordered a DINNER jerk chicken...must have been their last it was around 5ish in the evening ..the chicken the male served me was RIDULOUS it was bones and pieces of chicken that had fallen off other pieces NO full piece of chicken at ALL...no plantains...spoon of cabbage and ALOT of RICE with NO peas....so disappointed after raving on the food b4...back too kingston Jamaica on slauson I go..

Worthless excuse of food !!! How are you a Jamaican restaurant with out serving plantains ? Over priced and cash only !! The rudest lady and workers !! I know flavor and I don't mind over paying when it's worth it .. Hungry Joe's on La Brea would be the closest to Jamaican food in LA.. Thank me later ..

Looking for good Jamaican place near me and I dribbled across this place Donna's. The other Jamaican restaurant I've tried in Hawthorne wasn't too impressive, so I've been hesitant to try something other than We Jammin' in LA. I have seen it a couple times but never decided to try it until today. I was kindly greeted as I walked in. The menu was readily available. I always test a Jamaican restaurants food quality by the taste of the jerk chicken, curry chicken and/or goat, and their homemade juices. Those items will always give you an ideal of their Jamaican cuisine are good. I ordered one plate of jerk chicken with rice & peas, veggies, one plate of curry chicken with rice & peas, veggies, and one to go for the road. I also ordered some fresh juice of Pineapple and ginger. The didn't have plantain today, but the owner/cook Donna saw how sad I was told me she'd make me some to make me feel special- perfect. I got the juice first since it was ready to be poured and editors about 5-10mins for the food. The juice was a refreshing pineapple with just the right hint of ginger. You could tell it was genuine ginger from its kick and not some water-down ginger. Awesome. The food came and when I looked at it my tongue began to salivate. It looked delicious. I sat down and ate the rice & peas first. Next the veggies. Any Jamaican can make those i wasn't expecting to be "wow'd" but it. I bit my first piece of jerk chicken and yummy. The jerk sauce was a perfect blend or taste and spicy. It tasted like I was in my aunt kitchen in Kingston, Jamaica. I finished that piece and ate and second and it was great also. The meat was falling off the bone as if it had been marinated for hours. Next I ate the curry chicken. Yummy. The curry took me back to jamaica also. The curry had potato chunks (amazing) and the sauce was perfect. Needless to say I allowed my eyes to be bigger than my stomach and I could not finish it all. I have lots leftover for later- that makes me happy. I also can guarantee that I WILL be back here again. Donna's has a customer for life with me :) Also the prices for the food are: Large = $14.00 Small = $11.00 Mini = $6.00 I will advocate for anyone looking for solid Jamaican food to come to Donna's!