Mongoose Restaurant & lounge Ocho Rios jamaica

Extremely Disappointing Experience This was one of the WORST dining experiences we’ve had. We ordered two pastas (shrimp and chicken), fried chicken, oxtail with mash, and a soup, along with garlic butter shrimp. First, the CHICKEN in the pasta was RAW, which is completely unacceptable and a serious food safety issue. To make matters worse, after waiting an entire HOUR, we were told only when the pasta was about to come out that there was NO SOUP available, something that should have been communicated immediately after ordering or any time during our hour long wait. The food took over an HOUR to arrive, and the waitress gave the excuse that the mash potatoes were taking time and the food was to order(made when ordered). There is no reasonable explanation for mash potatoes to take that long, especially when they arrived dry, bland, and completely unseasoned. On top of that, the utensils were DIRTY, which added to the overall unpleasant experience. To make things worse, this restaurant is EXTREMELY OVERPRICED for the portion sizes. The garlic butter shrimp cost 29$ USD for a very small portion literally comparable to Costco-sized shrimp and the oxtail was 34$ USD for a small serving that was not worth the price at all, our total price was 117$ and that's minus the raw chicken pasta and the nonexistent soup. At payment, things became even more uncomfortable. At first, the card machine declined, and we were fully prepared to tip despite the bad experience. However, the WAITRESS then LIED to our face, claiming that the machine would only work if we selected one of the preset tip options (15%, 18%, or 20%). We obviously saw through this lie and decided not to tip. Poor food quality, long waits, bad communication, small portions for high prices, and dishonest payment practices. This restaurant seriously needs to improve both its kitchen standards and customer service. We would not recommend it.

We were originally at Miss T’s (which we love) however it was so busy there would be a 2 hour wait minimum. We called Mongoose and a lovely lady answered and let us know she had room for 6. When we arrived the same lady (I believe her name is Rochelle - I’m so sorry if it’s not!) greeted us kindly and served us the entire evening. It was my son’s birthday, he doesn’t like cake so they amazingly put a firework candle in his lobster! It was a night to remember and we are so impressed by the food and especially the service. Food was on point and we were so thankful to Rochelle who served us so gracefully and alway with a smile. Highly recommended!!!

The food is good, centrally located. Be patient as your food is made from scratch. The staff was very pleasant. If you drive uou can park in the back as this off the main street. As usual I forgot to take pictures.

I loved the food!!! It was a great atmosphere and I loved the music. The staff was good, for an American it's definitely different culturally, but I honestly enjoyed that aspect. We shouldn't expect them to have the same temper or aspects as us since we are visiting them. To me the service was great and I liked that they let us eat and didn't constantly bother us.

Came here with a large group of my family (12 people) and I enjoyed the experience very much. The food came quicker than I expected and it tasted delicious, all of us loved it! The staff was great, so of course we left a tip.

The waitress ( Shaniel) was attentive, nothing special about the food. I ordered wine for my husband and myself. The choices are limited, I overheard the bartender telling other patrons there angrily, that there are only sweet and dry wines. Obviously, he doesn’t know that not all wines are equal. This is my second trip there and it will definitely be the last. I’m reviewing this on 10/14/2025. I’m disappointed that he could be so rude and unprofessional. The restaurant depends on customers, but I guess he doesn’t know that.

The food was enjoyable and the last that served us was polite; however, I was very disappointed by the handling and promotion of the live entertainment during my visit. Throughout the week, social media posts and promotion consistently advertised entertainment beginning between 9:00 PM and 9:45 PM. Even on the evening itself, Instagram stories shared just a few hours prior continued to confirm a 9:45 PM start time. With the words 'promptly' used on stories aswell We arrived at approximately 7:30 PM to dine comfortably in advance of the scheduled show. The posted (attached) stated 7pm DJ, 9pm fire show & 9:45 live entertainment. In reality, there was no DJ present until around 9/9:30 PM. The advertised fire show did not take place while we were there, and we were later informed that the live band would not begin until after 11:00 PM. Unfortunately, there was no acknowledgement that the advertised schedule had changed, no apology offered, and no gesture of goodwill extended to guests who had been waiting. With no clear or reliable start time communicated, we ultimately decided to leave. I genuinely wish to support local businesses, particularly given recent challenges, but accurate promotion and clear communication are essential. Regrettably, despite the quality of the food, this experience fell short of professional standards and left a disappointing impression. I hope management will review this feedback and take steps to ensure greater transparency and consistency in future promotions.

I visited Mongoose restaurant and bar this evening. The service and atmosphere were excellent. They have a live band every Saturday evening. You can come alone to enjoy a meal and relax while listening to the local DJ and the live band.