Island Pride Jamaican Restaurant

Island Pride – Gaithersburg, MD / Rockville, MD Hands down, the best FOODA vendor to come through my office this year. After lunch, a coworker asked if I had tried them before and mentioned that Island Pride is located in Gaithersburg—and that’s when it hit me. I had tried them before. And now I remember exactly why they stood out. The food is packed with flavor and made with care. Please try the roti—it is absolutely amazing. Perfectly seasoned, comforting, and filling in the best way. One bite and you’ll understand the hype. I’ll definitely be returning, because the snapper is next on my list, and if it’s anything like the roti, I already know it’s going to be worth the trip. Highly recommend

Service: We came to Island Pride casually for lunch around 4 p.m. on a Saturday. It wasn’t packed, and we were served pretty quickly. The menu had plenty of options, and the food looked freshly cooked. Taste: We ordered a large jerk chicken and a small curry goat, both with rice and peas, cabbage, and a roti, along with a coco bread. Everything was flavorful and tasted authentic. The two ginger lemon drinks we got were also refreshing and paired well with the meal. Ambiance: We dined in and enjoyed the Jamaican music playing on the TV, which added to the island vibe. The restaurant was clean and comfortable, and the bathrooms were well maintained. Overall Review: We paid around $60 for everything, which felt reasonable for the quality and portion sizes. Island Pride is a great spot for hearty, authentic Jamaican food in a relaxed setting. I’d definitely come back or order from them again.

Customer service is 0 in this place, i went to eat with my family, we ordered two large boxes and the food was served in one small container and one large, and being charged for two large. when we notice the difference in the containers we asked why they use small container while we requested for large, the lady was very defensive that we should not look for the size of the containers instead we should look for the size of the food in each container which did not make sense, we paid for two large and ended up having one small and and one large, we felt cheated. The lady was aggressive defensive no customer service we will never go back to this place ever again. The food also was not that good curry goat was the worst it didn't taste like a curry goat.

A nice low key Jamaican restaurant location beside York Castle ice cream 🍨 parlour in Rockville. But don't under estimate them. This is one of the few locations where everything pon di menu taste as it would back in Jamaica. From fry dumpling to boil dumplings, banana. Rice and peas and stew chicken. Jerk chicken and jerk pork and fish. Plus chicken and beef patties. You name it. They are in Rockville area so very far from us. But definitely worth the visit. I also want to thank them for their hospitality and help to get the stuff in the car.

incredible Jamaican food downtown Rockville. Since my office moved away from this area had not been there in quite a while. Staff could not have been nicer. Since most of food already prepared takeout was quick. Small platters were huge and good to share or for 2 meals. I had jerk chicken with a load of tender breast meat. My wife had jerk pork that came in more of a sauce and could be cut with a fork. Sides of sweet potato and rice and beans perfect. I asked for curry sauce on my rice and the server slathered it on. Side jerk sauce nicely spicy. Place had nice tables with lots of seating for our next visit but today was takeout. Easy parking right in front or to the side. Pricing very fair for serving sizes.

Jerk chicken and coco bread were good. But they should be fined for calling this Mac and cheese. No visible cheese, bright yellow, super soggy noodles, and no flavor. It an abomination to Jamaican Mac and cheese everywhere

Soooo dissapointed. Curry chicken was cold, no flavor at at ALL😡 Really wanted to like it as i was craving JA in yhe Rockville area. Asked for hot sauce SCOTCH BONNET, and quick response is " we dont have it" Oh well, once and DONE

This used to be one of my favorite Caribbean restaurants. The cooking was top tier. Not sure what happened. I just ordered two patties and a red snapper. The fish was not grilled or baked but boiled. Then, poured poorly tasting gravy over the soggy boiled fish. The patties were dark brown almost black and dry from being over cooked. Is the lady who used to own this place still around? Cuz she would NEVER! Sorry won’t be back yo all have lost a long time customer.

Service: We came to Island Pride casually for lunch around 4 p.m. on a Saturday. It wasn't packed, and we were served pretty quickly. The menu had plenty of options, and the food looked freshly cooked. Taste: We ordered a large jerk chicken and a small curry goat, both with rice and peas, cabbage, and a roti, along with a coco bread. Everything was flavorful and tasted authentic. The two ginger lemon drinks we got were also refreshing and paired well with the meal. Ambiance: We dined in and enjoyed the Jamaican music playing on the TV, which added to the island vibe. The restaurant was clean and comfortable, and the bathrooms were well maintained. Overall Review: We paid around $60 for everything, which felt reasonable for the quality and portion sizes. Island Pride is a great spot for hearty, authentic Jamaican food in a relaxed setting. I'd definitely come back or order from them again.

If bland had a restaurant, this would be it. I ordered jerk fish, brown stew chicken, oxtail, jerk wings, mac & cheese, and rice. For $120, I expected flavor instead, I got regret and two sad oxtails doing the backstroke in grease. The fish was dry enough to qualify as jerky, the chicken looked like it gave up on life, and the mac & cheese tasted like witness protection pasta. The only survivors? Rice and plantains. Even the lady behind the counter was serving attitude instead of food. Stay away from this ''Jamaican'' restaurant.

Delicious Red Snapper Meal! Last Saturday I ordered the Red Snapper Meal. Meal includes a whole Red Snapper Fish & (2) sides. My sides Rice/Peas & Greens. Also ordered house made Fruit Punch. The Snapper tasty, tender fish. Rice/Peas tender, moist & flavorful. Greens fresh, tender w/spicy flavor kick. The fruit punch while very thick; great tropical flavors. Generous portion & Prompt delivery. See Photo!

So disappointed. After moving to the area from DC, I really wanted some oxtail and took a flier on this place and I'm upset that I wasted my stomach space on this! I've never had a more bland oxtail dish and some of the meat wasn't even fall off the bone and I couldn't even get the gelatinous meat part off the bone. I even ordered extra gravy and tasted that and it had no flavor either. Their only saving grace was their spicy beef patty which was decent. I'm giving 2 stars instead of one because they did give decent portions as well.

Ordered the chicken wings and beef patties, both were amazing! The wings had a ton of flavor and so moist, best of all, they weren't fried. Beef patty was hot and full of flavor, will be back for sure.

Good Jamaican food with fast service . Have been going here for years never disappointed except when I come too late and they're closed!

Local hole-in-the-wall with excellent authentic Jamaican food serving hefty portions. The goat was falling off the bone and the cabbage was perfectly cooked. My sister got oxtail and plantains which she claimed were some of the best she's ever had.

The salad was fresh, but the jerk chicken in it was skinless and the dry side. The menu didn't say that it would be skinless, and it seemed odd to not have the jerk skin on it. The regular jerk chicken order was fine, not the best but the best of this order. The stewed chicken and cabbage was not good. We couldn't finish it. The seasoning was just off. The service was good though. The shop itself is a clean regular space with a few seats to eat.

Love it here. One of my favorite local spots for a home cooked meal!! Soul food at its finest folks

Thank goodness some things remained the same! This was one of my favorite grab and go place (Montgomery Collage days) ... they mawesome Jamaican food. My number one choice is the Curry goat stew... well balanced flavor and spice, Got I with cream spinach,, collard greens... mmmm so good.

Did not enjoy the jerk pork roti. Roti was rubbery (like microwaved for too long) and that was paired with a side of jerk pork. The pork itself was just okay - a bit salty and not spicy enough for my preference. $25 for the roti and a bottle of coconut water, which in hindsight was very overpriced. Will not return.

The food has no taste, no island feel at all. The food has no seasoning no flavor as well as dry. Sides were wrong and wasn't allowed to replace. i would 1000 percent not recommend a waste of time and money. Nothing about my food was good.

I ordered the oxtail meal, cocoa bread, and beef patty and it was delicious! Perfectly seasoned to the point I will be back again soon. I live in the area so this will be my new Caribbean go to spot. Friendly staff team also! Nikki L.

I got the jerk chicken for them they charge me 20the food was trash . The chicken was so dry, the jerk sauce was very watery I wouldn't recommend this place nothing about it was authentic.

I've been wanting to try this place for a while and finally stopped in for lunch. I got the jerk wings meal with a side of sweet potatoes and cream spinach. The food was INCREDIBLE and it was a really good value for the amount of food you get. The wings were very flavorful in the meat was so tender it fell off the bone. Will definitely be eating here again soon question! Just got.

Let me be very clear when I say the food was good and I would return if in desperate need of Jamaican food. However, the food lacked the spicy factor. I ordered the oxtails, rice and peas, and collard greens. Everything was somewhat bland and not spicy at all! I have to stop going to ethnic restaurants in areas heavily populated with colonizers.

Don't waste your time trash... I ordered curry chicken I received rice and chicken bones with two potatoes.. the Caribbean food in Maryland is dead altogether especially this place

It's a very popular and busy spot. Very delicious food choices, jerk chicken, jerk pork, curried chicken, beef and chicken patties, and much more. This is mostly a take put joint. Service is quick, depending on your order. Their prices are reasonable and good portions for the price. The staff is friendly and attentive. I recommend Island Pride.

I visit there frequently and I normally loved the food and the experienced but today was horrible! I paid for a large oxtail and when I got home i had may be 4 small oxtails with little to no meat. It's always the short, light-skinned woman that works there, whom give the smallest portions. This is the first time that this have happened to me. The owner and the owners always serve the perfect size and you don't feel like you're getting your money worth. People have told me to avoid her, but I gave her the benefit and she was as they said STINGY! I recommend to the owner to train her, because she's causing your business to not have returning customers. I couldn't enjoy the meal like usual, because I was upset!

It was very nasty based on pic n price point. It seems the food quality n price has diminished. Do not order from them. Ms Jane would be very disappointed. I'm sorry if I got her name wrong.

Island Pride serves up some yummy Caribbean food. I've never been to Jamaica so I don't know how authentic the food is, but I enjoyed it. I always like to get the spicy beef patty. I recently had the curried goat with creamed spinach and mac & cheese. The curry was delicious and full of spices and flavor. They don't skimp on the meat. I don't usually eat cream spinach, but this was really good too. Closed on Sundays.

I wish I had read reviews that the owner changed before ordering!! The portion size was plentiful but the food was bland!!!!!! I don't know how a Jamaican place can cook bland food!! No seasoning whatsoever!!! Don't waste your time ordering from here

Had the urge for Jamaican, so stopped to grab jerk chicken to go. My go-to is dark meat, but all they had were wings, so I went with that. I was happy that I got 8 larger wings and not those tiny Cornish hen wings some other places use. They were cooked nicely and I thoroughly enjoyed them. Got rice/peas, cabbage, and spicy patty to round out my meal and it was all great.

I hate that I have to give a local business a bad review but I can't allow hard working people to dine here. I've never tasted food so bad in my life. None of the food was fresh. The jerk sauce has no taste just spice, the rice & peas tasted nothing and the beans were hard, the grilled chicken was easily made 2 days prior, the rotti + chicken breast chunks was even more awful, and lastly the Mac & cheese was bland and bright yellow. I have coco bread too that I refuse to try. The owners could offer me a free meal here for being dissatisfied and I still would never come back. This was really tragic to have to spend the amount we did not enjoy it at all.

Let me start off by saying that I'm Jamaican, and I have visited multiple Jamaican restaurants in Maryland. I was in Rockville and decided to stop by for a beef patty and cocoa bread. I was extremely surprised at the service I received at this spot. This is the first Jamaican restaurant I've visited in Maryland that provided good customer service. I was so shocked that I ended up ordering more food than I intended to just because of the good service. The employees were pleasant and did not have an attitude When I walked in I was greeted by an older lady at the register. It was my first time so I was not familiar with the ordering process. She directed me to a lady to her left that could take my order. It's looked like they were preparing for the lunch rush because there were multiple employees on hand waiting for customers. The ordering process was easy and efficient. The beef patty was hot and the crust was flaky. I also got the oxtail with white rice. That was tasty as well. I would definitely stop by again when I'm in the area.

I was shocked at how much the food has gone down. I ordered: 2 ox tail dinners, 1 jerk chicken dinner and a vegetable dinner. Everyone that ate were highly dissatisfied and didn't finish their meal. The only item I somewhat enjoyed were the patties, spinach and beef. I was so unhappy with the meals, which costs over 95.00 dollars that I called them back about it. They only replied they will pass it on. WHAT...! I also didn't mention that the macaroni and cheese and the plantains looked extremely dry. The lady behind me questioned the server. I questioned the server on the macaroni and cheese and she said they're using a different cheese. I used to brag about how great Island Pride's food was compared to just about any Jamaican restaurant in the Washington metropolitan area. Sad to say I'll have to find another place because Island Pride has lost it's pride in their food which was devine but is mediocre at best.

Nice people serving. Food looks good but does fall short on taste. Ordered oxtail and was disappointed.

The food was simply delicious , but sadly they stop giving drinks during the lunch hours.

I've had it!!! I am literally going to give up trying until I run into someone with a drum (homemade bbq pit-like grill) in the summertime who is willing to put the work in and get the meat to taste like it has been smoked, seasoned, marinated and chopped and prepared like it is supposed to. I keep trying these different Jamaican restaurants - hoping and keeping my fingers crossed that I will run across that taste and to this day there is only one and it's all the way in Lanham Maryland it is just too far for me to get to right now. So far I've been here on two different occasions, the first time I ordered jerk chicken and oxtails with rice and peas and collard greens for my sides, the second time I ordered jerk pork and a beef patty and as you will see in the picture the beef patty is missing the beef. I understand these "yelpers" who rave about the jerk meats from this place because if you understand or have experienced the real taste of jerk meats you would know that this was done in the oven therefore it is not authentic. It is well seasoned, it does taste good, but it taste like it' was done in the oven. This is not the true experience of eating the Jamaican jerk chicken, pork or any other meats. I am so disappointed that I am not able to give five stars. I hope that in my future visits I will have a different experience with my food choices. Maybe I'll just stick with the dishes that I don't have such high expectations for, so I can give them a better rating. Just a thought.

I'm A Brooklyn New Yorker Caribbean restaurants all up and down Atlantic Ave Authentic Caribbean food Island Pride fell short on several levels in my humble opinion. I most certainly will not be going back.

Just left from here; I need the original customer service people. The rudeness today: you have loss a long time customer. I love your food but I refuse to pay for bad service and rolling of the eyes. I come all the way from WV and spend over $200 a month.

I ordered curry goat and got curry bones. When I got home to Steve food, I was shocked I paid all that money for bones. Meat is not bones. Stop cheating your customers. This is hideous on every level of food business.

+The jerk sauce is amazing! Extra spicy just like how Caribbean jerk sauce ought to be. +The meat portions are super generous! +The sides are excellent; especially, the greens. +The stewed oxtail is great, too. +You have to get their spicy beef patties, as a side or appetizer. I've frequented this place since 2009, and they are by far one of the best places to grab Caribbean cuisine. Check them out!

Sadly the food is not consistent although given it's the only one in my immediate are (5 miles), I'm willing to go there for my Jamaican food fix. When I order from door dash, the food is usually good at all. It's more painful in this situation because there is no recourse and the food is on the pricy side. Very easy to spend 60 $$ the store for one door. Better staff would be a plus. Several staff are very kind. The fellow working the butcher section. The lady providing the cooked foodI is so sweet I want to hug her. The ladies in the front are terrible. But I see some recent changes. So hopefully UP.

First, I'd like to say that I am no expert in Jamaican food. I have been to Jamaica once, have Jamaican friends who had offered me their wonderful food, and have been to other establishments that offer Jamaican food. Because of these experiences, I have fallen in love with anything jerk, especially chicken when done right. My husband entered Island Pride to order food for us (thank, God!) and as soon as he came out, he said, "Wow, it was attitude city in there and thank God you didn't go inside!" Apparently, the customer service was horrible from entrance to exit. Just like other Yelp reviewers stated there was no welcoming, but more of a troublesome of why customers even entered this establishment. So that's pretty much about the customer service, let's move onto the food. We ordered the jerk chicken bone-in and boneless with plantains, rice and peas, collard greens and a side of roti. Man, I was so excited to dive right in as this is the first restaurant that I am trying jerk from in the MD area. Lawd, this jerk chicken was so spicy, I could feel the heartburn coming after each bite. It tasted like they dumped a whole can of jerk sauce in the chicken. Though I have to say the chicken was moist. Our stomachs screamed at us that evening. It's probably safe to say that we won't be back.

Looks flavorful right... taste horrible. It taste like reheated gravy. And I don't mean last night I mean a few days ago. I threw the entire meal away. Nothing about the flavors are authentic or give me a sense of pride in Caribbean cuisine. Never going back

Ever since our first bite of Jerk Chicken, my dining companion and I fell in love Jamaican cuisine thanks to its perfect, spicy melding of West African and South Asian cuisines. For years, we frequented Island Pride's predecessor, Caribbean Feast, for its spicy and flavor renditions of the signature national dish. When they closed and its successor arrived, we gave it a try. At first, the food was relatively blander and the service a bit brusque. However, after giving them another try a year later, we have been totally hooked by their improved food as well as friendlier, more welcoming service--particularly during the post-lockdown era of dining. Food-wise, it is fresher and more lively than before, led by a new must-order dish for us: Oxtails. While milder than Jerk, the Oxtail's gravy is more nuanced, possessing a pleasantly hint of spiciness and enhancing our favorite accompaniments in the Rice & Peas and Collard Greens. Braised thoroughly in this delicious sauce, the Oxtails present a delightfully diverse array of textures, from the fall-off-the-bone meat, gooey cartilage, and flavorful bone marrow to be siphoned through the exposed bone surfaces. Overall, we find it to be a heartier and more well-rounded dish than even our favorite renditions of Jerk Chicken. The Oxtails are so thoroughly enjoyable that they alone are worth the drive for us. It has become a true iconic dish for us--one that is by far and away such a superior dish that is it is hard to not order in favor of another dish. After multiple visits this year, we know the drill: order large Oxtails with Rice & Peas and Collards, have our taste buds dazzled, savor each finger-licking bite, and blissfully enjoy our satisfied bellies!

There was a Jamaican restaurant that I used to come to many years ago that was in this location. When I found out owners changed, I wasn't in a rush to try the new spot out. I had a taste for Jamaican cuisine so I decided to give it a try. My first order consisted of Curry Chicken, rice and peas and greens. My second order consisted of Jerk Chicken, Rice and peas. I also got a spicy beef patty and fried dumpling. When you get lunch between 10 - 2, you get a free drink. Also, if you check in on Yelp, the offer is for a free drink. I enjoyed the curry dish, I can't seem to find a Jamaican spot around here that has amazing jerk chicken as its predecessor, so I am still on the hunt. The fried dumpling was amazing, I loved it.

Excellent cooking. Generous portions, add "extra meat"-a real value. As fine a Beef Patty turnover as you will find. Try their special desert .

I stopped by last Saturday night. Everything was great. I had the jerk chicken with macaroni and cheese and rice and peas. The food tasted great. It was real jerk chicken. I can't wait to try this place again.

This Jamaican spot is so authentic it will make you scream WAGWAN! Small restaurant but huge on carry-outs. This review is strictly on the Jamaican patties. My co-worker got me hooked on the patties and I've only tried two types (beef and chicken). Between the two, I enjoyed the beef patty so much more! The flavor and spices are just perfect, nothing more nothing less. The bread itself was well-made and flaky. The size was enough to fill you up. I wish I would have ordered more but I like them fresh. My friend recommended the coco bread with the patty which looked like carbs galore but I may have to put it on my list to try. I would love to try the jerk chicken next time when my taste buds are craving something spicy! Glad to have this in the Rockville area!

So I decided to check this place out after craving some jerk chicken all day at work. I looked online on yelp and found this place and the pictures looked pretty good as well as the side, I mean you can't go wrong with Mac and cheese! Right? So I picked up a large order of the jerk chicken wings and it came with two sides, so I decided on Mac and cheese and collard greens. Now I felt that the collard greens needed something else. Maybe vinegar or something I don't know lol. The Mac and cheese was really just another Mac and Cheese nothing special. Now for the jerk chicken wings they had a really good taste a lot of jerk sauce on the wings but other than that they had been cooked very good and every bite was tender, good job on the wings.

I was excited to go since i ate there a couple years ago but was disappointed . I got curried chicken . I specially got large to share with my wife . About half of the pile of meat was two thigh bones with zero meat . I saw she was souping whatever was left in the tray . Sorry don't go to bottom of tray fishing for food and give me your bones !!!! My wife didn't like and didn't want more so not worth complaining . I am not planning to come back . There are much better places . I would recommend jerk pit in college park .

Let me start off by saying I was born and raised in Jamaica. I spent everyday after school in the kitchen with my grandmother cooking dinner; everything I know about food, especially authentic Jamaican food, is from her. Whenever I visit a Jamaican restaurant, I hope to find that taste of childhood - this was not it. The spice level is there which I love, but this is far from. 1. Rice and peas: dry and flavourless 2. Mac n cheese: tasteless/similar to craft Mac n cheese 3. Sweet potatoes: had a bitter/rancid taste, like it was made with spoiled milk 4. Jerk chicken: spicy but...well, the picture speaks for itself The service was ok. I got my food fast but the people behind the counter seemed tired and unhappy. I don't typically speak patois unless I'm around my family or other Jamaicans. I struck up a conversation with one of the people behind the counter - she smiled then.

Came here for the first time today. I've had jerk chicken in the past but never experienced a true Jamaican restaurant. The first thing I noticed when I entered was how busy the small shop was. It was lunch time and it was good to see a diverse group of people coming out to eat. I ordered the curry chicken lunch special which was rice and peas, a side of creamed spinach, curry chicken, and a drink for $9.99. When they handed me the tray I was taken back at how big the portions were. You truly get your money's worth here. The food itself was fantastic and fresh. The curry chicken was seasoned to perfection and the rice was done right. The spinach was delicious too, once I found it buried under a mountain of food. If you come during lunch expect a line but don't worry, it moves quickly. Trying to snag a table might seem difficult but take it to go - it's worth it!

Got the oxtail plate but they gave me some pretty terrible cuts. Small, like toward the end of the tail.. Also got jerk wings. Good spice but idk I felt like something was missing. I liked the beef patty but didn't feel it was any different from 711's. When my partner was ordering the oxtail plate, I told him to get the small that comes with two sides. I wanted rice and peas..and creamed spinach. They didn't have the spinach so he asked for Mac and cheese, which I did not care for as these had no bite. Anyways, the staff then asked him what else, and he said rice and peas, then they asked again..he said mac and cheese. This back and forth went on for about 4 cycles. I think they think he wanted a large? Idk. Was afraid to order myself after reading all the reviews about the staff being kind of aggressive or standoffish.

The jerk chicken is no where compared to real jerk, it's more of cooked down chicken in gravy and I think it's an offense to Jamaica to advertise offering jerk when the quality is this poor. I've made jerk in my kitchen oven at home and turned out more smoky and actually tasting like jerk. Real Jamaicans know the real thing but I guess foreigners who have never actually had real jerk will eat this and think wow this is the best, nope, try jerk from a few other Jamaica restaurants around the area and you will see the big difference. I'm just saying if you can't offer the real thing or close to the real thing don't have it on the menu. Won't be going back, will have to try out another Jamaican restaurant until I find one close to how Jamaican food should actually taste

This is a good spot if you need your Jamaican good fix in the Rockville area. They do a buffet style service where the staff serves you and you can see exactly what you're getting. They also offer catering options. The portions and prices are pretty consistent with most other Jamaican restaurants. I wasn't a huge fan of the jerk chicken but they do a great job with seafood and I really enjoyed the fish. Definitely more of a takeout that dine in location but seats are available inside.

I wasn't too impressed with the flavor or quality, but I did love the generous portions! I accidentally dropped my food (while in the foam container and secured with a plastic bag) which caused the food inside to mix together, and when I went home, I separated the rice & beans, the jerk chicken, and the creamy spinach into 2 bowls and 1 dish and saw just how much food they gave me. It was a lot! I'll add pics. The flavors were mild. Not what I expected. The creamy spinach was mildly flavored to where you know it's there, but you don't know what the flavor is. The jerk chicken was a bit spicy, but not bad. I was expecting to taste the same flavors as the jerk chicken I've had at another place during my childhood, but it was different. The jerk chicken here wasn't gross or bad-tasting; it was just ok. The rice and beans was average, like all the other rice & beans I've had. The place is small. It's an ok place to go to for a quick bite with huge portions. My jerk chicken with 2 sides was $13.99 plus tax, plus 5 cents for the plastic bag.