Island Spice Bar and Grill Houston TX

5/5 Island Spice did NOT disappoint!! I was curious about this place because I grew up with a lot of Caribbean friends that made some mouthwatering food and we do not have a lot of places by me. Luckily, I found this place to give me the taste I always remembered! If you are looking for some great flavors, friendly service, and a nice atmosphere, this is the place to go. I had the jerk wings, and a beef patty and my friend had the oxtail, which was delicious. Anndddd, the bartender mixed up some great drinks. They also have a DJ on the weekends that plays music that you can’t help but want to dance to, I will be coming back here!

This was my first time ordering from this place and as a Jamaican I’m actually offended. I ordered fried wings. These people sent BURNT oily wings. I figure becausr it was being picked up so they sent the garbage to me. How could anyone in good conscience serve this to someone and charge for it?? That speaks to the service. Response: No I would not like to come again as the Oxtail and rice and peas was also quite nasty. It was all thrown away. I just didn’t waste my time to write another review as it was my fault for not reading the reviews in the first place. Oxtail was sweet. Rice was no good. I suggest you get a chef. Thanks but no thanks. I’ll drive 50 minutes to my original spot. They care to give value for money

This place used to be my favorite!! But they must have changed chefs because the food is very different! It’s a hit or miss with their patties. They never have the chicken available and the very day they do have it, I got the last one and it was very dry, hard and hollow!! It did not taste fresh. I’m so disappointed. I got jerk chicken and there was little to no sauce on the chicken and of course no gravy on the rice! It looked like they used the white end of the cabbage for my side of steamed cabbage. I also ordered the jerk shrimp salad. And the shrimp was overrr cooked and bitter!! Not jerk sauce at all just spicy. I really wanted to enjoy this food and was anticipating it until I ate it. Smh

I don't even know where to begin. I was craving some Jamaican food and this place came up on my maps. Not a very welcoming place at all. The lady working behind the bar seemed like she was over it. She was rude and extremely unwelcoming. The food even worse. The cabbage wasn't even cooked, like at all. Chicken was dry and rice and peas are a joke. Just save yourself the time and money. This one ain't it.

This was my first time eating at island spice and it did not disappoint. I went around 1:45 -2:00 in the afternoon. It has a nice atmosphere and clean. The food though..... AMAZING! I had the stewed brown chicken with rice and peas and plantains.The flavors were on point and I was satisfied with my meal it was definitely a good home cooked meal.

I was excited to find a Carribean place close to the house. I was terribly disappointed. First, it was a slow night when myself and my guest and I went there. Our food took a VERY long time to come out. When my food arrived, which was jerk chicken tacos, the taco shells were stale. The oxtail fries my sis had were delicious, so they took back the tacos and gave us an oxtail and fries, separated, to go. The Oxtails were mostly bones. And, they did not give me a military discount. Very bad first impression.

Food took FOREVER to come out. Like almost an hour. And this was late at night when it wasn’t busy at all. The food was average, the fish tacos were mediocre. Drinks however were very good and the bartender did a good job. Atmosphere was fun, but got to make sure the food is coming out of the kitchen quicker.

Always great West Indian selection and catering service. The wait is a little more than usual but that’s how we know the food is fresh and cooked to order. Chef Ellen catered two home events during our daughter’s wedding week. Pholourie Dhal Puri (the best ever) Veg Chowmein Veg Friedrice Fish Cakes Aloo/Potato Curry We were impressed by their commitment to going the extra mile.

Food is Authentic Trudy is a great server Atmosphere is Nice Really good food and nice location. Trudy made my first experience a great experience!! Recommend the Island Rum Punch Braised Oxtail Plantain and Greens (Callaloo) I would recommend this establishment. Love it

Great service! Food was fresh, authentic, and delicious The staff was pleasant and welcoming. I will definitely be back! 10/10

The food is some of the best Caribbean food you'll get on this side of the town. I always come for the oxtails. They are perfect! -they don't skimp on food -it's very flavorful I have been coming here for years and I'll continue. Some say customer service is not good but truly it's not that bad. They're direct and to the point. I don't mind it! Have graces

I don't even know where to begin. I was craving some Jamaican food and this place came up on my maps. Not a very welcoming place at all. The lady working behind the bar seemed like she was over it. She was rude and extremely unwelcoming. The food even worse. The cabbage wasn't even cooked, like at all. Chicken was dry and rice and peas are a joke. Just save yourself the time and money. This one ain't it.

If I could give this place 0 stars, I would. From the moment we walked in it was a bad experience. We walked in and was not greeted whatsoever, and since this was our first time, we did not know how things worked. So we proceeded to the bar where a staff member was standing; only to continuously be ignored. By the time she finally seen us, she said " are y'all ready to order because the kitchen closes in 30 minutes." we were confused because she said that the kitchen closes at eight but on the website it says the place closes at 11 PM. I am assuming it turns into a club after a certain time. Anyway, she took all of our orders. The food was cold, nasty, extremely dry and the cabbage was undercooked. The flavor on the jerk chicken was decent. That's about it. Plantains were a hard no. Yeah, NEVER AGAIN. Please save yourself time and money.

We tried this place at least 3 times within 6 months & it didn't get any better. Food is Very Bland looks good but not the slightest flavor. Each visit we purchase a variation of curry, brown stew chicken & oxtail and it was a total disappointment.

Yup I forgot I left a review of this place last time and I said I wouldn't be back , damn I wish I would have remembered ! This time I was able to get a plate of jerk chicken wings and let me tell you , I took 4 bites , and my trash ate the rest ! Never again man never again never again

A hidden gem in Katy. This is a great place for very flavorful Caribbean food! Whether you choose to dine in or take out, it's always been consistent and tasty. :). Ellen the owner is always inviting and greets us with a smile. Highly recommend!

The food, the service and the ambiance is amazing! 10/10 bringing friends and family here!

So glad we finally tried this place! The food is amazing! Oxtails are sooooo good! Flavorful, tender and great quality. We've also tried the jerk chicken fries and jerk wings which were good as well. My dad tried the goat and said it was amazing! I'll have to try that the next time I go! Service is top notch! The owner Orin is amazing and always welcomes us with open arms. Jason makes the best drinks and tells the best stories lol! And ask Mark Anthony about the "Henny Thing Can Happen" drink lol Love this place and the atmosphere! We're lifelong patrons :-)

SAD FACE We decided to take a ride to Katy TX for oxtails from Island Spice. Information on the internet said they open at 11a - doors were locked at 11:10a!!!! We waited 10 more minutes and were finally able to get inside only to be told that the oxtails were NOT ready!!!! We politely said, "Okay" and walked out. Very disappointing especially when our drive from IAH was about an hour long. ZERO stars today Island Spice. I can say that the Oxtails are awesome but service maybe lacking

Food is great. Service is horrible. If you come, take your time and order from Mark-Anthony. If not be prepared to take an hour for your food. First time here and I came for an event. I was invited by the DJ. No sections or anything fancy. Definitely a week day stop by. Too much traffic during weekends including Sundays.

The patties were very thin inside. Not very hot and spicy at all. I had to eat pepper with it in order to enjoy it.

Be sure to check your receipt. Picked up an order and put zero for the tip since I was picking up a to go order. Someone decided to change it to 20%. That's a big jump on a $100 order. When I called back they said wouldn't refund my he tip. Didn't seem to care one bit. There's so many great restaurants in Houston there ls no reason to support these thieves

Sad to say, this place has horrible customer service. If the place was established in its original country, I doubt the customer service would be this poor. So how unfortunate is it that we are supporting our people here in America, and you're doing a huge disservice. Anyway, The issue here was my curry goat contained plastic and hair throughout the plate. When I reported it to the manager, he never apologized, and rudely mentioned that if I wanted my money back, I should've brought the food back. What he doesn't know is that I've traveled a while to reach this place, and I trashed it immediately after taking photos. I asked where I could send him the photos, and he rudely replied "the photos don't mean anything to me!". How crazy....well, here are the photos! And I don't want another meal, nor will I ever support this establishment again.

I am extremely disappointed. This was my first time coming to this restaurant and I was very excited. I walk in a 7:22pm on a Friday. Bartender is making drinks, there are two other people there. No one acknowledges me even when I approached the bar. Nothing. I very awkwardly asked if I could sit anywhere. The bartender was visibly annoyed that I deigned to speak to her. She spat at me that they stop table service at 7. I apologized and let her know that this was my first time there and I was unaware. She became increasingly annoyed and repeated that they stop serving at 7. Way to treat new customers! Won't be returning. Put a notice on your door. Ten bucks says this is a front for money laundering given their disdain for customers (given my experience and the others I've read here) and their penchance for serving burnt food (also, another terrible thing I read here).

Omg Burnt!!! Common guys! Sixty dollars for three plates. TWO BURNT....FUDGE!!. I placed a to go order and this is what i got. I am so upset. YOU KNEW IT WAS BURNT WHEN YOU BAGGED IT UP. Hard earned money gone to waste. So very disappointing. This was purchased around 630 pm so there is no excuse. Dinner time should be when you shine. If this is your best, I shudder to see anything else.

I'm soo disappointed!! Who sells customers burned food as take away! We couldn't even eat the rice because the sauce the oxtails was made in was burned. Money and time wasted. #still hungry...

This restaurant is amazing! The ox tails were some of the best that I've ever eaten hands down! They were served over very tasteful rice & peas and a few plantains. The juice over the oxtails paired extremely well over the bed of rice & peas! My wife had their curry goat & she also mentioned that her plate was delicious. Their Caribbean food is heavily influenced by the South American in-country cooking styles of Trinidad & Guyana. This makes makes Island Spice Bar uniquely special. I strongly recommend this local business!

I've been to this place on several occasions but today was not the best experience. To start, the lady at the bar that took my order was not the friendliest and I did not feel like she appreciated my business whatsoever. In addition, everything I wanted to order was "not ready yet" in the words of the server, and not once did she apologize. I guess I went too early. I ordered a jerk chicken lunch plate and the portion of chicken that I got was not even enough to fill up my 6 year old son. Overall this was not a good experience, hopefully a one off situation. There are hundreds of restaurants in the city of Houston to choose from and I feel as though every restaurant should keep that in mind when taking care of their customers. Based on this experience I probably won't be back.

If I could leave a negative 5 star I would. I called 30 min before close to place a pickup order and the woman who answered lied and said they were closed as if I have never ordered from here. I called again, she took my order and I showed up 10 min later just for her to say she didn't make it. Wasting my time and gas. I'm so angry. Literally I love their food but I will never come here if this is the service I get for the amount of money I spend. Horrible business. This is the service that destroys profit

Customer service was top-notch. Place very clean, people very loving. Place reminds me of my trip to Jamaica. They even have A Red Stripe beer here. I give this a perfect 5 star. Two thumbs up. -3* However the jerk chicken I order, to go Literally was like chicken jerky. It was tough as nails. I couldn't eat it. My rice and peas (red beans) were dry. $12 My dad's, ox tails, were tooth biting tough too., he didn't really touch his rice and beans. Not at all what we were expecting.

I got the oxtail plate to go and two whole oxtails were in the box. 2?!?!?!? I'm a hungry girl and carbs don't do me justice unless it's that delicious. Oxtails were overly sweet, I felt like I was eating a fatty dessert. There was no spices, it tasted very bland and sweet. The rice and beans were flavorful, but so greasy. My lips were so oily, I didn't need to put chapstick on the entire night. The plantains were also greasy. I think if I rubbed it on my knees, id be good an entire day!! When picking up, there was no hospitality. It was a what's up, and pay me, then bye. Didn't feel very welcomed. Overall, wasn't my cup of tea.

Okay before I say anything . If you are from the southwest side and are used to Cool Runnings they have completely different styles so don't expect to get that type of Jamaican flavor here ! Island Spice is in their own lane so they must be treated as such. So I just moved into the area and really like Jamaican food so I was excited to see one so close by. First of all it's legit a real bar. More of a bar vibe then a restaurant which is cool. I was greeted by the bartender and he was super friendly. Tello g me about their specials and live band and Kareoke at night . The atmosphere was pretty dark even though it was day time. You can tell most people take their food to go in the day time , and I was advised to call in next time so I didn't have to wait. Which I plan to do , but the wait was not long at all. Food: the food was delicious ! I loooooovvvveeee plantains and they were the exact type of ripeness for frying . The only complaint I could say was I wanted more lol. The oxtail was fall off the bone. Idk when the other reviews were talking about because my oxtail was fool of flavor and extremely soft and well seasoned. Plus they were very meaty so it was a lot to eat worth the coins . Now the rice and peas are different then what I'm used to. I'm used to like more of a dry texture but their rice and peas definitely has the sauce of the oxtail poured over it . It wasn't bad just different for me. Although I liked the sauce it was very different flavor then what I'm used to again not a bad thing but for those used to cool runnings it is not the same ! I liked the sauce so I was good. All in all a good experience . I plan to stop by one day for their late night events and dine in and enjoy

Best place that's local that makes some of the most delicious Oxtails and RedSnapper plates. Authentic Island food. Very good

rude, rude, rude, horrible service no manners at all!!!!!! if i could id leave zero stars but i have to give one to post this....

You're paying $25 for about 4 pieces of oxtails, which I probably wouldn't have a problem with it if they actually had meat, but I'm not getting my moneys worth. $25 just to eat a bunch of fat, it's disgusting going through all that fat just to end up with a thin strip of meat from the whole piece, the price should be lowered for what we're really receiving .

It's always a good time when I come here. At night the dj's play dancehall and soca. The food is also amazing , they incorporate many different island's culture into their dishes.

This place is legit. Jerk chicken, ox tails, drinks, dancing! Came here late night. Ms. Ellen is great!

This was my first trying this place, and I must say it did not disappoint. I ordered the braised oxtail, rice and beans, cabbage, and plantains. The oxtail was falling out the bone they were so tender, and the sauce they put on them was so delicious. The rice and beans were good and cooked just right, not mushy. The plantains were cooked to perfection, golden brown, just the right texture, and tasted amazing. The cabbage was just okay, a bit to much vinegar for my taste. Overall, I must say, this place is a must try, because the food the absolutely delicious. Very good portion size, I'm having this same plate for lunch and dinner. I did a pickup order and the young man at the counter was very polite and welcoming. My boyfriend lives a few minutes from this place, so I will definitely be coming back to try other menu items. Thanks so much.

Went back for a beef patty craving. Threw it in the trash. Horrible. Horrible taste and worse customer service.

The food was outstanding, but the customer service was horrible needless to say I'll definitely be going back again lol. I just gotta look at like this they must've been having an off day the day I went because everybody is entitled to have an off day and I just happened to come on the day they were having theirs.

Don't know what all the fuss is about, but the food here is AHHHMAZING! Bartender Matt ( I believe is his name) was super sweet & polite. When there was a mixup with our call in order he quickly corrected it and reassured us everything was good. Which it was indeed!!!! Even threw something special in for the mix-up & our wait. We ordered the Oxtail place with rice, beans, & plaintians which is TO DIE FOR!!! The jerk chicken plate & jerk chicken fries were DELICIOUS!! So was the jerk shrimp plate. You can definitely taste the Carribbean flavors and spices. Also the beef patties were soft & flaky!! This place is definitely worth the wait!!!!!! You've got a returning customer here!

Came here yesterday right before closing -8:20 - walk right in tell sir I'd like jerky chicken with rice and beans and cabbage, spice patty on side/ we get to talking I tell him in raised Miami,FL I LOVE spicy and good food - I told him hay iv eating another Reallly good Jamaican food across town you know it him say " better! my foods better and better flavor " In my head I'm thinking damn that's a bigggg words to say I loveeee the place across town. I get my food and LORD BLESS THIS MAN, him more then right - the food was so good I didn't get a chance to think of a picture- the spice and flavors were perfect on point even at closing time. The man set me straight and I'm happy because I find a new home for good food, Bless

Oxtails we're very flavorful! I was a little disappointed that the $20 plate didn't come with cabbage in addition to the rice & peas. But that's my fault. I expected it, but didn't clarify as this was my first time here.

Horrible service! I wish I could give it zero stars!! We walked in and weren't even greeted by the gentleman/owner who was in the front. Proceed to order food and asked if we could dine in, the owner said the food would "take a long time," almost as if he didn't want us to stay. After saying that the oxtail would only take 10 minutes, we sat down for almost 20 minutes and our party of 4 was never attended to again. No utensils, no drink orders - NOTHING! If you prefer to-go orders as a restaurant that should be stated at the front entrance or on your website. Customers should not be ignored to the point that they just get up and leave, which is exactly what we did! This is not the first time we've received horrible service and I will return nor recommend EVER! This place has tanked from what it used to be years ago.

The Bartender had a nice personality... Other than that I wish I could give this place no stars. We couldn't order the appetizers we wanted because it was "too early... we don't serve those items til after 9pm." So we decided on meat pies instead which turned out not to be a good choice. They were thin and dry, which could've been masked by some kind of sauce which wasn't even an option. I ordered a drink and we decided we'd come back later since the place was so close and the menu "sounded promising". And lord behold ‍ They were closed @ 10pm And they JUST told me they were closing at 2am Will I go here or recommend this place, both answers are the same NO

Spent $17 and had 2 oxtails, rice and peas was cool , cabbage had too much vinegar for me, tried to enjoy it until I chewed on a piece of plastic that was in my food. I'm speechless to say the least

- just to sum it up ... the food is amazing !!! It was my first time & I'm really picky when it comes to oxtails but these were OMG !

Awesome food. Great music. Excellent atmosphere. Highly recommend this place, especially if you are looking for your Caribbean fix.

I'm not reviewing the food, which I have had and is not bad. I'm reviewing the way they deal with customers. This is the only Caribbean business within a certain radius of where I live. So yesterday when I called to find out if they sold Caribbean grocery items, I spoke to a man named Orin who told me they didn't. When I told him what I was looking for, he offered to sell me some of his personal stock which I thought was very kind. I told him my name, explaining to him that if I couldn't pick it up that evening with my brother, I would do so the following evening (yesterday) after work hours. Fast forward to yesterday afternoon, I called to assure Orin that I would definitely be picking up the item. A young lady answered. I asked for Orin by name, explaining why I was calling. She said that he was there, put me on hold, and then the phone was unceremoniously hung up. I suppose I am naive or just someone who refuses to believe that anyone in business would purposely hang up on a customer. So I called right back and this time Orin picked up. I started to remind him of why I was calling at which point he interrupted with "I don't have it anymore." When I pointed out the fact that he said he would hold it for me he became impatient (as people often do when they know they are out of integrity), and sharply told me " You said your brother was going to pick it up". As if I had broken some promise when, in fact, we were still within the window we discussed. I politely reminded him of our agreement and informed him that he had lost a customer, at which point he abruptly ended the call. It's not the product or that I was banking on getting it, it's not even that he clearly sold it despite giving me his word. It's the way I was dealt with when I called: first being hung up on and secondly, not even being offered an apology. The least you can do is treat people with decency. Why go into business if you don't have a basic understanding of how to interface with people who are actually supporting you? I've ordered from here semi-regularly and recommended this place to quite a few people who patronized this business but I will no longer order from or tell anyone about this restaurant again. On principle. I will send them to Cool Runnings, all the way to the south instead. Their food is better anyway. Good luck.

If you've had the privilege of ordering or cooking quality Jamaican food at home, you will be disappointed. I'm not sure where to even start.... The Ox Tails were fatty and undercooked. The beef patty I received looked like it was sitting for several hours. The cabbage was soaked in vinegar and the plantains were were dry and flavorless. The final straw was the rice and peas. It tasted like I got the rice and peas from the bottom of the pot. I rolled the dice by ordering from this place and definitely crapped out.

Their food is delicious!!! I Buddy admit opening the box it looked a Lil strange. Once I bit into it it was magical! So fresh and delicious great job guys!!! This was a pick up order too

Ok.. the cabbage is on the vinegar side. Its different not bad, just not what I'm use to. THE OXTAILS AND RICE AND PEAS!!!!! So good. Brown stew chicken is good. I like mine with more sauce the oxtails are perfect. Yuuuummm.

Great food with friendly staff! The oxtails are AMAZING......OMG, so tender, and don't get me started on that DELICIOUS gravy. Beef patties are also delicious. I also had a great cocktail of cocoa liqueur and coconut rum. This is a tiny spot, but well worth checking out. The owner told us that on Friday nights, there is a DJ, drink specials, and complimentary appetizers. Get there early, because there are only about 7 tables in the restaurant.

The food is great but the customer service is horrible. I order from There often but since my last visit, I'll will never be patronizing this place ever again. It was a Sunday and I called the restaurant and placed an order at 5:00. At the end of placing the order, the older guy rudely said "We close at 6:00 so you got to be there by 5:30!" And I said "ok". I literally live just down the street. Once I got there, he immediately recognizes me and brought my food out to ring it up. While he was at the register, he reiterated that I have to order earlier next time on Sunday since they close at 6:00. It's not like i was trying to place an order 10,15, or 20 minutes prior to closing. I called AN HOUR ahead of time. I was immediately offended but kept my composure, paid the old man $12, walked off. I didn't bother to get the little change back because that's the last dime they'll see from me

What better place to come for any and everything to satisfy your Caribbean food cravings that island spice. Trust me, as a former NYer, Guyanese born, West Indian, I know real food and island spice has it. I've tried other place around Houston and they just don't cut it.

I ordered some jerk chicken wings just to try while in the area. I haven't even tasted them however the attitude from whoever the older guy was as if he was doing me a favor. He was extremely dry, unfriendly and truly lacked customer service. No matter how these wings taste I will NEVER go back.. He truly ruined this experience for me.

I don't drink so you won't normally find me at a happy hour but I'm drinking a Mauby. It's made from Guyanese tree bark and some other secret stuff. It's good but strong. I had to smell it to make sure it was non alcoholic. #VisitBlackHouston #BlackMoneyMatters

Placed an on-line order. When I arrived at the designated time, they had no idea about it. I asked for the free beef patty that was to come with my order. Again, deer in headlights. After being inconvenienced having to wait for them to prepare my order, they attempted to charge me for it. Yelp orders are paid when you place the order. I had to prove to them that the charge had already hit my card. Then I learned by ordering through Yelp, I paid $2 more than I would have had I just called the order in. So much for the free beef patty. The workers were nice and friendly except for the part where they told me they were having 'issues' with their on-line ordering system. That was total bullshit and I don't appreciate being lied to. It was obvious that on-line ordering doesn't happen too often here and they simply neglected to check. The truth goes a long way. The restaurant is nice and clean and the food was good but it's unlikely that I'll be back. Failing service kills it for me every time.