Freda's Cuisine

My first visit to Freda’s Cuisine was great. My son and I found this restaurant after searching restaurants which were in close proximity to our location in Harlem. We were greeted with a smile and a warm welcome by a nice gentleman when we entered the restaurant. He directed us to sit anywhere we would like. He brought us the menus for us to look over. My son and I didn’t take long to choose our entrees. He chose jerk chicken and I chose oxtail. I love how the entrees came with peas and rices and two side orders which is really good. However, if you decide to choose macaroni and cheese it’s $1 extra which is not bad at all. The food was really great and I was really impressed. Shoutout to the chef! Wonderful job! I will definitely stop by again when I’m in the neighborhood.

Food is great! Restaurant has a bit of a hole in the wall look, but the staff is soooo nice and the food is authentic. Huge portions, good price.

Excellent home cooked Jamaican food, and very well priced. The curry was a little salty, but the flavor was exceptional. My friend got callaloo as a side, and I kinda wish I’d gotten it also.

This is one of my favorite go-to comfort spots. The food is great, but the service is iffy. I will usually call ahead to place an order for pick-up. Sometimes there is an older lady working the front/phone who will refuse to take an over-the-phone order. Sometimes you won't be able to get someone on the phone right away. This usually means that you'll need to go in person and will have to wait an extra 15-20 minutes. She is usually overwhelmed and flustered. She can be snippy, but please be patient. She tries really hard. As for food, the combo plates are a must. I usually order jerk chicken with mac and cheese and candied yams. My fiancé will usually order oxtails with candied yams and mac and cheese. All plates come with rice and peas. Sometimes, we'll also get an order of fried plantains, but it all adds up very quickly. The combo platters alone are around $22 each. The jerk chicken is really tasty but definitely has some heat. The portion and seasoning are very generous. It goes really well with the sweetness of the yams. My favorite curated bite is chicken skin, yams, and mac and cheese. As for the oxtail, it is very tender and very flavorful. Keep in mind that these oxtails aren't the sweet kind. They do have some spice and are savory but not sweet.

Really wanted soul food for lunch and came across Freda’s. The gentleman who took my order was very kind and informative about the menu. I ordered a veggie plate to go which was candied yams, mac and cheese, and cabbage with carrots. First thing I tried was the Mac of which I immediately didn’t enjoy. The yams are DEFINITELY candied (good and bad thing(if ate by itself it’s very sweet but with Mac it’s alright). The cabbage had absolutely no taste. No salt no seasoning. Overall very disappointing for lunch and did not eat.

I ordered take out for 2. The food was absolutely delicious. I had oxtail and curry chicken with mac and cheese and rice and peas. The food was flavorful. The oxtail was very tender. This is one of the very few places uptown NYC that has good authentic Jamaican food. Thank you and I’ll will be back

Great family vibe for sit down Caribbean food that my won’t burn a crazy whole in your pocket. Owner and her son really good people. Recommend the jerk chicken and jerk salmon and the garlic string beans and sweet plaintains as a side. Portions huge so you def leaving full.

Well, this experience was very disappointing. To be honest, how is this place allowed to be open? I went inside to order food to-go and the restaurant is extremely dirty and looks like it's not fully functionable. Which I didn't really notice all of this until I was seated and waiting (which was about 30 min). Once I received the food, I wasn't expecting much tbh but I got into the car and checked to make sure my order was correct....all of the food fell out of the container because they were not closed AT ALL. Needless to say, I was not happy. The food itself was not the greatest. The rice and peas were very gummy and had a strange after taste. The Mac & cheese was a bit "dry" if that makes any sense and the callaloo...no thanks. I will not be coming here ever again and it's unfortunate considering it was on my list of "places to try" for a while now...now I know.

I went for the roti however they didn't have any and said they'll be someone Saturday. The gentleman answer the phone was very nice and apologetic for the fact that they didn't have any. However something told me to return and I'm glad I did. I got two veggie plates one for me and my son and the food was delicious. I love meat, but meat doesn't love me and this will be my new spot. Calling all vegans calling all vegetarians. This should be on your list if you're in Harlem, actually my son does eat meat during the week but this weekend so Next Time I'll have him try some meat. Loved it!

This is one of my favorite go-to comfort spots. The food is great, but the service is iffy. I will usually call ahead to place an order for pick-up. Sometimes there is an older lady working the front/phone who will refuse to take an over-the-phone order. Sometimes you won't be able to get someone on the phone right away. This usually means that you'll need to go in person and will have to wait an extra 15-20 minutes. She is usually overwhelmed and flustered. She can be snippy, but please be patient. She tries really hard. As for food, the combo plates are a must. I usually order jerk chicken with mac and cheese and candied yams. My fiancé will usually order oxtails with candied yams and mac and cheese. All plates come with rice and peas. Sometimes, we'll also get an order of fried plantains, but it all adds up very quickly. The combo platters alone are around $22 each. The jerk chicken is really tasty but definitely has some heat. The portion and seasoning are very generous. It goes really well with the sweetness of the yams. My favorite curated bite is chicken skin, yams, and mac and cheese. As for the oxtail, it is very tender and very flavorful. Keep in mind that these oxtails aren't the sweet kind. They do have some spice and are savory but not sweet.

I don't want to be the person to do this, but I'm am very consistent with writing reviews. Hopefully the owners are actually reading them, so they can adjust whatever issues are happening with their food. I've always been a big fan of Freda's especially a few year's back because the food was delicious & made with love. I don't know what's happening with the cooks, but as of lately the food has not been great, like @ all!! This is my second time giving them a chance just to see if things got better, & actually it's gotten worse. The rice is salty, collard greens salty, the oxtails are dry!!! Like how does that happen, especially at this establishment that USE to make such good food. I just don't understand, I'm extremely disappointed & I do feel it was a waste of 50.00 My boyfriend was not pleased about his meal as well. I really hope you guys can turn things around.

This was my first choice for lunch after the Tamron Hall Taping in NYC. We arrived 1 minutes before opening. Unfortunately the restaurant never opened. I called no one answered and the voicemail was full Disappointed that we were not able to check out this restaurant

So yummy! I love oxtail with rice & beans one of my all time favorite meals, they gave generous portions! The oxtail was so tender, fall off the bone and had collard greens & curry chickpeas potatoes with it. Then my husband had the jerk chicken which was so much flavor and had some spice to it! He had with Mac & cheese, the jerk chicken is on the lunch special menu $11 but the oxtail was regular price $22, still reasonably priced. There was just one server, since went on a weekday lunch, super friendly!

Certain seasons pair up well with certain cuisines. For example, ramen, pho, and most Asian cuisines are perfect for winter. Why? Because the bone broths, heavy as they are, are perfect for chilly days when something that breaks down for 24 hours (at least) is what you need to fill up, not to mention all the heavy meats and noodle inside that broth. In this case, Creole or Caribbean cuisine is perfect for those summer months. Why? It is flavorful, not too filling, and most dishes are not heavy enough to feel disgusting, but it is certainly a meal. That is what I got here, and I love it for that. The jerk chicken is perfect. Close enough, anyway. Beautifully seasoned, a great juicy flavor, and the size of the bird on the plate is perfect. The rice and peas (Caribbean rice and beans), are also perfect. Everything has the right amount of spice to them. The Mac n cheese, for $1 extra, is doable. It is okay, but for $1 extra, the complaints I have are minimal. It is a side, and it works as one, like a supporting actor who has plenty of screen time, but not many lines. The plantains were slightly undercooked. They have tons of potential, but needs more flavor and time. Then it is a winner. The restaurant is located conveniently by the B and C trains on 110th street. Or you could just take the A and D trains to 125th and double back around. That works too. Simply put, this restaurant is a winner.

This is a small family owned restaurant that is worth trying. Took the train in from Manhattan on a vacation to New York City and found this gym. At the ox yams greens and the piña colada. that piña colada will have you right quick so be careful. I loved it all.

Been to this place twice! Soon as we got off the bus, we headed here. Oxtail is so good! I'm not usually a persons who likes fat on their meat, but they cook and season it so well that u can't help to clean the bone. Mac & cheese is so good and the yams are so sweet! Love a sweet & savory combo. That tea was sweet & refreshing. They were out of the potatoes and chickpeas which was great last time so next time! Such a staple when touchdown.

The oxtail and the curry goat are so flavorful! The owners are the sweetest and the service is great. Definitely coming back! No need to travel to queens for Caribbean food anymore

It's surprisingly hard to find good Caribbean food in Harlem, so I came to Freda's hoping to find relief. They close at 8PM every day which felt a bit early for dinner hours. The menu has all the classics -- jerk chicken, curry shrimp, roti, etc. I tried the jerk salmon with cabbage & carrots and curry potato & chickpeas. The cabbage was a bit bland, but that's never really the star of a plate. The jerk seasoning was flavorful so I did enjoy the salmon itself. My friend was content with her food but didn't think it was particularly amazing. I also wouldn't dine-in next time, the restaurant doesn't look like it does much to cater the ambiance for those looking to stay. Freda's is more like a 3.5 rounded up to a 4, I'll continue my search for Caribbean food uptown a little longer before returning.

Will never come here again. The food was not good, the service was not great and the restaurant itself is so dirty and had bugs...how is this place still open???

My boyfriend and I were in town for the day and really wanted some authentic Caribbean food so we found this spot on google maps. True mom and pop spot, the food was amazing and the man waiting on us was super sweet and welcoming. I would highly recommend trying this spot and it's right by Central Park!

One of the best restaurants ever. Very cultural and ethnic. Amazing jerk chicken. Good flavor and texture. Really enjoyed it. My brother let me try the ox tails. Unreal. Super tender and great flavor in the ox tails. Best ox tails I have ever had. Mac and cheese was very good. Crispy on top. Big fan! When I come back, for sure getting the ox tails. Talked to the restaurant front staff guy and he was so kind. A real and honest person. Good vibe. Very social, friendly, humble, and amazing. Very honest and local spot. One of the best NYC places. All tourists should go here. Unique.

Amazing Amazing Amazing oxtails! 10/10 recommend for anyone who has never tried Caribbean style soul food. My friends and i came here wanting to try soul food in NYC, i told them there are great places in Harlem. And my buddy found this spot, and we chose to check it out. And my oh my this place blew my mind! The oxtail was soooo goood along with the mac n cheese and the plaintains i got. I didnt really enjoy the rice and beans too much, it had a very chocolate taste to it which im not really accustomed too. But everything else was spot on and very fulfilling! The people here are great and the vibes were immaculate. Definitely recommend if anyone ever wants to try out good soul food in NYC. Worth the subway trip up here. Wish they had this joint back in Cali, they would kill it out here. 10/10 get the the damn oxtails i tell you now!

I ordered the curry goat yesterday and it was bland, dry, fatty, and unseasoned. I only gave a star because I had to.

Bomb food. Good value. Great service. Try the ox tail and make sure to ask for the REAL hot sauce.

So my friend and I had this Caribbean food for lunch. She was a regular but it was my first time. We both did takeout for lunch today. I was a little disappointed that they didn't have curry goat, but they had curry chicken and it wasn't a bad substitute! The flavor was great and I loved the Mac and cheese, especially since I didn't have any for Christmas. I wasn't a huge fan of the rice and peas, and they give a ton of it. I did like the scattered potatoes throughout the peas though. Overall, great neighborhood Caribbean soul food joint that I will most likely try again, praying that they have my goat!! Would highly recommend!

We stumbled upon this spot and are so happy we did! The service and food were excellent. We'll definitely be back!

Today I wanted to try Freda's Carribean & Soul Cuisine, which was very good. First, when you walk into the restaurant, the staff is amicable. I met Freda when I walked in. She told me about her husband, who also worked for MTA, which made me feel even more welcome in the restaurant. The restaurant is very homelike, almost like my grandmother's house in Georgia. I am a big stickler for technology, and when I got there, both touch screen and credit machines were working. This place is contactless payment acceptable and affordable. Now down to the food, I order Oxtalis with peas and rice. My side orders were Mac and Cheese and Callaloo. The food was very greasy, which is a good thing. Now the taste of the food was exquisite. It was seasoned well and had a lot of flavor. Now the one thing I am pissed off usually is that when I get Oxtail, it is generally very little meat and gravy. But not in this restaurant; I got a lot of beef with sauce which made it very good for me. The price of the food was very reasonable and a good amount of food. I am coming back to try other things here.

What a gem! Totally soul food for the soul. We got there right when they opened at 12pm. The service is superb. The gentleman was so nice, funny and treated us so well. The restaurant is not big at all and there was no one else dining in besides us. There were several take out orders while we were there. Each entree comes with two sides and rice and peas. The lunch special comes with one side and rice and peas. Otherwise the portions are the same for the main. Oxtail is their most popular dish according to the server and oh boy was he right! This is a must eat!! We also ordered the perfectly fried whiting-comes with 5 pieces and the jerk chicken. For sides, we ordered callalo (okra Spanish garlic and coconut). This was unexpectedly good. I love okra and this was at another level. The string beans surprised me as well. Normally I always find string Bean sides mushy but this was perfectly cooked with a slight crunch. The candied yam at first was very sweet but as soon as we ate it with the jerk chicken, it was a wonderful balance. The collard greens was yummy too. Can you see a pattern with the food here? Our whole party devoured the food and kept "ohhhhinf and ahhhhhing" while we were eating. Even the rice and peas was so tasty. If you are in the area, you have to try this place. If you're not in the area and want Caribbean soul food, look no further. Wish this wasn't so far from my home. Don't forget to order the Caribbean Ting grapefruit drink.

On 2/10/2024, my son took me to Freda's Caribbean and Soul Food Restaurant, located at 993 Columbus Ave on 109th Street. This place is a hidden gem located a few blocks down from Columbia University. Immediately we were greeted by this young man named, Taj whose smile lit up the entire restaurant. The restaurant is small but intimate. Taj is the server and he is very knowledgeable about the food. I ordered the oxtales which comes with rice and peas and two side. I chose the collard greens and yams. My son ordered the jerk salmon with the macaroni and cheese with cabbage as his two size. Let me tell you I wasn't prepared for the portion when it came out . The amount of food that was given to me was crazy! The oxtales were seasoned to perfection, the yams were very sweet and the collard greens were delicious. I tried some of my son's food as well and the jerk salmon was delicious but the macaroni and cheese was heaven. This place is a small family owned business who suffered after covid and could really benefit from our support! The food is delicious, the ambiance is quiet and intimate and Taj is a gracious host. I'm planning to return because I haven't been to a restaurant like this in years where they feed you like you are at your grandmother's house. Oh and by the way , the oxtales tasted the way my grandmother used to make them. I'm thankful my son brought me to this restaurant and if you give it a try, you will be pleasantly surprised. Thank you Taj for your awesome service, I will be back

Our family stopped in a couple of days after Christmas and enjoyed our time there. We had jerk chicken, baked chicken, fried whiting and fried shrimp. The food was very fresh. This is definitely a West Indian spot and NOT soul food. Food was well executed, but this type of food doesn't have a lot of complexity in my opinion. Still we will likely be back.

I left this place five stars a couple years ago and im back to double down. If you live in morningside and haven't tried this I'm truly jealous that you get to hit fredas for the first time. If you've been and didn't like it I wish you the best on your journey to become less of a loser.

Order my usual oxtails mac and cheese yams and collard greens. I've been coming here to 2yrs. However today when I arrived home I didn't receive the yams mac and cheese was cold, rice seemed to be under cooked. From now on I will look at my order before leaving.

Changing the grease for often would help , I have given this place quite a few chances just to test if it was maybe the 1st but I guess it's the food . The chicken taste like olds grease and the mac&cheese taste like kraft box mac and cheese. And I don't think I'll be going back to this place again I have had enough.

Good food in Harlem. Usually we go there on my lunch break definitely will go back. Service was good.

I was in the city to go the the Met Museum of Art and wanted Caribbean food. Freda's came up with great reviews and was nearby. It was a good choice. I've been to a some soul food, Caribbean and Cuban places in the city, but none felt like cozy and authentic, which this did. Really wanted the Jerk chicken but the server said it was an 8 spiciness on a 1-10 scale. Went with the chicken stew which comes with peas/rice and 2 sides-I chose plantains and collards. Everything was great and service was too.

Best Caribbean food I ever had. I thought they were Jamaican but they Trinidad. Fire oxtails! Best I ever had! The sides were also good. I'm telling you! Try this food! So good. Meat is tender and sweet. I enjoyed this food the most in NYC! Harlem gots the food!

Freda's is delicious! I came in when it was quite busy but my food came out extremely quick and it tasted fresh. The service it was OK, but it's what you can expect from a typical Jamaican restaurant. It's pretty small on the inside for seating so I think I majority of their patrons are takeout orders.

The meal was delicious. Thank you!!! The delivery was fast and still hot. I used DOORDASH. I live on the East Side.

Baked ChickenBaked ChickenBrown Stew ChickenCandied YamsCurry GoatFried ShrimpJerk ShrimpOxtailPeas & RiceSteamed CabbageStewed ChickenWhite I had this in my 2 visits and it was amazing to me and my family that we were all satisfied and quite happy

I order oxtail with Mac and cheese and sweet plantains.The oxtail was flavored just right and succulent.The meat fell off the bones.The Mac and cheese was baked and also tasted very good.Even the drinks (pina colado/lemonade) was busting.Definitely worth every cent.

Freda's came highly recommended from my friends who live in the area and they very much so deserve every accolade given to them!! I love Jamaican food so I literally tried to order like 4 plates because I wanted to try everything!! I also love good service and was so impressed by the guy who took my order that did me a solid and told me that the servings were big and to only choose 2 dinners- otherwise we'd have a bunch of leftovers. Leftovers would've been lovely if we had a hotel with a fridge and microwave but ours did not so this was a highly appreciated plug and spoke volumes about the integrity of the business! We settled on jerk chicken and oxtail plates with yams, callaloo, rice/peas, veggies and Mac! When I say everything that I put in my mouth was ultra delicious smh!!!! I have yet to visit Jamaica and tasted their food but I've had both homemade and restaurant situations and this was by far the best! It was also something that they did to them yams that left little crunchy crisps inside that killed just about every grandmas, aunties candy yams that I've tried and I've had a lot! After gorging myself on all the delicious food, I was only left wishing three things..... That I had convinced him to try a spoonful of everything else on the menu, that I had a microwave in my room so I could've bought a few extra plates to eat later, and that they either built a Freda's in L.A. or I could like pay for them to overnight me a few plates..

Delicious and authentic food ! Everything came out in a timely manner and the customer service was great! I knew it was going to be a hit when I could smell the food halfway up the block !!

Terrible experience. We had to order and pay upfront before being seated to dine in. They didn't have some food items on the menu. They don't accept swipe credit cards, only credit cards that have a chip. Once seated, my younger daughter screamed because a smashed dead fly was on her napkin. My older daughter lifted her napkin and it was dirty with curry sauce on the other side of it. Once the food came out, my older daughter saw hair in her food. I decided not to eat, but my kids did (they were hungry) and said the food was okay. They had the oxtail and fried shrimp. I will not be returning.

Food is absolutely fire! Support small business. Food from the heart. Oxtails worth every penny, lunch special prices are on the money. Candied yams forever a must!

Went to this spot just as it was about to close but the lady inside let us in and served us some of the best food I have ever tasted. Ox Tails were juicy and fatty, Mac was cheesy, rice was fluffy, and the greens were flavorful. Overall great experience thank you!

Delicious oxtails. Perfect texture rice. Yams mouth watering. Curry potato had a nice spice and went well with the yams and oxtails. Staff was so welcoming and friendly. So glad I made it out here from California.

Food is delicious! Stringbeans, Mac n cheese, fried shrimp & fish, oxtails, candy yams [omg], jerk rice and jerk salmon we ordered for Mother's Day brunch was finger licking

Really wanted to like this place. I ordered the Mac and cheese but it smelled off almost "fishy" and tasted worse. Had to throw it out, I didn't feel comfortable eating it. Stew chicken was ok. It tasted different than "Caribbean" stew chicken I've had numerous type before at various restaurants, but it was not bad. The portion size was perfect for lunch menu. This restaurant has good yelp reviews - so I'm not sure what has changed or what went wrong with my particular meal. . . .

I had the chicken, rice, and mac and cheese. The chicken was seasoned well and I received a good portion, Mac and cheese and rice where both

The jerk chicken was spectacular! Also, the staff was sweet and helpful. Our friends got the oxtail and they said it was delicious. The interior of the restaurant is modest and small-ish. The cuisine shines and the collard greens were mouthwatering. Also, they have a few tables outside for outdoor dining. Definitely order a red stripe beer to go with your meal. Freda's is amazing and I can't wait to return.

A plate like this for only $12.50 is a good deal. I ordered the jerk chicken meal and my friend ordered the curry goat with curry potatoes and chick peas meal. Surprisingly it was a slow day and the place still had slow service. Food was good , but I've had better Jerk Taste:8/10 Service:7/10 Hospitality:7/10 Ig : Briannascravings

Was walking down Columbus in the late afternoon and noticed this place as I was starting to be hungry for dinner. There were a couple of tables outside, and a few inside, but it's apparent that it's primarily a takeout operation. All tables were empty when I entered and was greeted by a very friendly man who suggested the shrimp curry after I expressed disappointment that they didn't have goat curry available that day. It came with peas and rice and 2 additional sides of my choosing were included. I had callaloo and collards. I sat at one of the tables and the food was promptly served in takeout containers along with a plate. Everything was delicious and portions were enormous. Two people could easily have feasted on what I was served. Notably, the shrimp curry had plenty of large shrimp. This was an excellent value for $14. I will definitely return when I'm in the area.

Great service, and the food options were nice. First time trying carribean in NY and this is going to be real hard to beat! Good spice good flavor good quantity !!!

Place looked alittle beat up but the flavor was there, got the lunch special came with two healthy sides and Jerk chicken for just under 10$ I left a very happy customer. Chicken fell off the bone while being crispy on the outside it was glorious.

Food is delicious. I walked in and ordered the salmon, with green beans and potatoes with chickpeas. The food was ready in 10 minutes for me to take out. Everything tastes really good. Service was good. I will definitely return.

So great! I picked up during covid, and stayed outside to place my order. Everything was ready in 5 minutes. I got the jerk chicken and oxtail. The jerk chicken is fire, like actually spicy, but so well seasoned and flavorful and tender. The oxtail I loved - there was a lot of it, and it was so soft and the sauce was almost slightly sweet (in a good way). Everything hit the spot as I wanted some warm comfort food. Sides were calaloo, curry potatoes & chickpeas, and sautéed string beans. They were all fine, I probably liked the curry potatoes the best, but the string beans felt healthy. The calaloo was interesting - I've never had it before but it has the stickyness of sautéed okra mixed with fragrant coconut milk. Would definitely recommend. Also the staff was really friendly!

Glad that this place opened back up, a real gem in the hood. Stopped by for some lunch and picked up stew chicken, rice and peas and mac and cheese. Chicken was so tender I could eat it with a fork. Both sides were excellent compliments. Gravy for the chicken was awesome. Def looking forward to stopping by now that they're back in business. Stop by for a respectable lunch. Only cost me $13 and was more than enough for almost 2 meals. Quick pick up too, socially distanced as well