Nicole's Caribbean Restaurant

The food is decent, and the prices are fair—not too cheap, not too pricey. The food was good, and they have daily specials. It’s not really a dine-in spot, though—seating is limited, and everything is served in takeout containers with plastic utensils.

Man this food rocking. First time here I read reviews before hand and I didn't believe many. I got yellow rice with cabbage and jerk chicken my man got rice n peas cabbage with curry beef, side of Mac n cheese total was $35 I think is worth the location and the amount of food is great and no they are not dirty they are very clean here the lady is super nice smile and all. The max n cheese is freaking perfect !! I would be coming here more often ✌🏽✌🏽

Ordered a small boneless curry chicken w/ rice peas. Also got a jerk chicken patty w/ cocoa bread and a Jamaican Kola. Both were very good. Nice selection of foods as well. I will definitely be back.

Now we’re talking about some real food. I ordered Jerk Chicken and Curry Lamb yesterday, and the chicken is the best!! It’s tender and juicy, never too dry. I ordered from some other places before, but the chicken was always dry like a cardboard. This place is DIVINE!

Hole in the wall type of spot which means the food is gonna be good. $15.50 for a very large serving of jerk chicken. Rice beans and even the steamed lettuce was delicious. Chicken was very tender and falls off the bone. Definitely going to be one of my staple spots when i need takeout

AMAZING food, the jerk chicken is to die for. Honestly some of the best I've ever had. The staff is so friendly and attentive and I cannot recommend this place enough. Also - they had a cameo in the movie "A Complete Unknown", the movie about Bob Dylan! So cool!

The first time I had to add seasoning to Caribbean food😬 Also very dry beef patties. Pricing is decent for the amount served, for the lunch special at least. But I feel like there are better options in the Jersey City area

Really loved the seasoning on the jerk chicken with rice and peas! I also recommend trying the cornbread, it was fresh and delicious. First time having Caribbean food and it was great :D

Nicole's is the best Caribbean spot in the area! You can't go wrong with their jerk pork!! You won't be able to stop eating it and you'll want to go back for more!! I've only really gotten takeout - so I can only imagine how much better it is at the Restaurant. They don't have a lot of seating though but you can snag a seat outdoors in the summer!!

This place sits on a corner a few steps from the Newark Ave pedestrian area. The interior is small if somewhat cramped. There is no indoor seating. The food is served in a cafeteria style. I I love Jamaican food but this place is just okay. Not the best not the worst but okay. The beef patty was decent. The jerk chicken and rice & peas could have been better- they were almost... bland for Jamaican food. Anyways I'm a bit disappointed. Would not be my first choice if I was in that area of Jersey City. And probably not my second either.

I came here to grab their lunch special to-go. The lunch special is a rotating menu of proteins and rice, and is available all week at a great price of $8. I came on a Monday, which means it's Pepper Pot Chicken day. I've never had this dish before and am pleasantly surprised. The chicken is slightly spicy, and so tender and flavorful! Note that it's bone-in chicken. The chicken came with your choice of white rice, coconut rice, rice and beans or rice and peas. I got the rice and beans and it was delicious as well. This place is a more casual compared to Harry's Daughter, which is another Caribbean restaurant in town. Nicole's has a few small tables inside if you want to eat in. The $8 price tag is hard to beat in the downtown Jersey City area. Will be back!

I wanted to LOVE Nicole's as one of the only Caribbean places around downtown JC, but it is just OK. definitely not bad - the chicken was flavorful and fell of the bone, but was quite dry. The plantains were also just okay, not much flavor, and the rice was quite greasy. Still an overall flavorful dish and decently priced. Good service and nice employees here. Not a place to sit down at, though there are tables outside during the day and in good weather. Hoping to try to ox tail next and see. Definitely not a bad spot, and wouldn't deter people away from it, but it's not the best

Stopped by this place during my lunch break. The space itself could be taken care of more. I ordered curry boneless chicken with rice and peas, plus a curry chicken patty. Everything was pretty good, wish the patty was a little more moist but overall loved the food. The rice was nice and fluffy, the chicken enriched with flavor!

Came here as recommended by several friends. Ordered two dishes and I preferred the chicken curry entree as its moist and flavorful. The other dish is the jerk chicken. It's meat is fall off the bone but the meat is dry. I like the skin though as it's well seasoned.

This ain't it here. Nicole's food is not horrible, but it's not great either. I've come a few times just because it's walking distance. But here's the deal: the roti is dry AF. No flaky bits whatsoever. I can't even order a side of roti by itself--you have to order the whole entree. When I want a roti skin to pair with curry chicken I have already at home, this place fails to offer what I want. Y'all leaving money on the table here. Where's the business sense, Nicole? Something is missing: maybe it's a lack of passion? No one smiles or says thanks when you go pickup. Not uncommon with trini restaurants--quiet disdain and boredom is the usual expression for anyone running a store like this. But a little warmth goes a long way for an overall friendly neighborhood. The only alternatives I'm aware of is Harry's Daughter and Taste of the Caribbean. Both do roti justice but none are in walking distance unfortunately. I shouldn't be a semi-regular of Nicole's in spite of meh roti and because of convenience. And looking at this Yelp page, it seems like no one even responds to criticism--it's just "whatever, take it or leave it." I hope y'all are reading this and take it to heart. I want good things for your business, but you gotta try.

The food here is definitely trash. Flavorless. Disappointing. I was left utterly confused. Flavorless Caribbean food?! The ultimate betrayal.

Upgraded to 5 stars for above-average delivery-related logistics. On the food side, I had an unexpected interest in vegetables, perhaps the backlash to too many pork products in recent days, and was impressed with the vegetarian combo. The pumpkin and collard greens were good, but the surprising star was the curry potatoes. It actually looked like chicken, but nope, it was just a surprisingly effective presentation for this humble tuber.

I have heard good things about Nicole's from friends and so while working from home today I decided to stop by and grab lunch. One of the specialties was Fried Fish which sounded very appetizing. However, to my disappointment, I was only given two small (half) pieces of fish with little to no meat. It was mostly skin and batter as you can see yourself. The meal was about $12 which is highly marked up for what was in it. Pictures attached, make your own judgement call.

We order from here a couple times a month, mainly because it's the only Caribbean place we know. The food is ok - better, if you get them on a good day - but the chicken tends to be quite dry (we get curry and jerk). We're usually ordering near closing time though, because they are only open (at least on Uber Eats) until 7:30, so I think maybe the food has been sitting out. Avoid that, if possible, and also the greens are trash. Everything else is decent. It'll do if you just have a taste for Caribbean food, but don't expect to be wowed.

I really wanted to like this restaurant because of the good reviews. I ordered the oxtail and curry goat both with rice and peas. I was disappointed to see yellow rice because this wasn't traditional West Indian style. The rice was really mushy. The oxtail wasn't cooked traditionally either and was in a red sauce instead of a brown stew sauce. It wasn't terrible but just was not what I expected. The flavor of the curry goat was okay and traditional but was definitely undercooked. Both the oxtail and goat were undercooked and tough to eat. It should of been stewed/pressure cooked longer. The roti did not taste fresh. Honestly the only great thing was the pepper sauce that was actually spicy. I really hope this restaurant takes the review into consideration because the restaurant does have potential to be better.

Jerk Pork is spicy, tender, fabulous, and plenty of it. Nicole's keeps being outstanding!

Best jerked chicken in Jersey City. I've been coming here for years and always satisfied with the food

Since the bf and I always drive by this place and see a huge line at all times, we knew we had to try it! Our order was actually a grubhub order but nonetheless, was amazing. We ordered the jerk chicken and oxtail which were both amazing! Portions were huge and came with a good amount of spanish rice, ox tail and they didn't cheap out on the meat. It is a little bit salty for my taste but it's jerk chicken so.. I can't complain. For 3 items, we paid $43 (before tips) but would come back here to try the others! Maybe the beef patty as well!

I ordered through yelp, there was no delivery fee and the delivery was on time. I loved my beef curry with rice, beans and sweet plantains (but I was sad when I didn't see the Roti on the delivery menu) But would say, that I love the most was the portion, taste and the hot sauce!!! I usually only get that type of hot sauce when I'm at my best friends house. I would over again to try the patties , oxtail, goat curry.....

Very dry curry chicken roti. No peas. No potatoes. Just dry meat and skin. What a disappointment!

I don't normally leave reviews on restaurants but I have a bit of time to give a completely honest review. I like this place! Not perfect but definitely not bad! The good: portion sizing is great, meals can easily be split into 2 or 3 which is great for me as a student where leftovers are basically a food group i ordered on uber and it came all the way from jersey city to hoboken in about 20-25 minutes The curry chicken patty was soft and very good Lots of Plantains ! Super good The meh: Jerk pork is definitely not bad! I would say if you're an American who would like to try you will be super happy! If you're actually jamaican, you will probably find it mediocre as I did. Tastes like bottle seasoning and not spicy at all. No crispiness to the meat at all , but it was very tender so Mac and Cheese is mostly flavorless and definitely overpriced, at least on Uber (I know Uber eats prices are normally higher than going in person) Nothing against this place , I will definitely be trying other things from their menu!

A wonderful place with reasonably priced Caribbean food. I've had the jerk chicken a few times, and every time it is well-seasoned and tender, with the jerk seasoning penetrating the entire chicken thigh. This is mostly a to-go place but there is a small seating area inside (pre-COVID).

Cons: - No customer service. No communication from the delivery person. Just left our orders on the floor. - Meat with no meat. Lots of bones. - Food quantity is small. - Gave wrong patties. Ordered X, they gave Y. - Taste is stale Pros: - None at all. If there's a half star, i'll give them nothing. They just lost a customer...

Pros 1. Curry Chicken Patty is Chunky and Creamy. 2. The Rice and Peas is Cooked Well but needs more Coconut Flavor. 3. The Baked Jerk Chicken was SUPER Tender but needs more Jerk Flavor and Crisp on the Skin. 4. The Stew Chicken is Tender but needs more Flavor. 5. The Mac and Cheese is Good. 6. The Oxtails are Tender and Good. 7. The Jerk Pork was SUPER Flavorful. 8. The Curry Goat is Tender and Flavorful. 9. The Stuffed Roti was Good. 10. The Curry Beef was Flavorful and Tender. 11. The Prices are Reasonable. 12. The Spinach Patty is Deliciously Healthy with a Nice Hot Kick. Cons 1. The Beef Patty needs more Texture its too Mushy. 2. The Curry Chicken needs more Flavor.

Pretty decent place. We were craving for Caribbean food while we were in the Jersey city area and found this place through Yelp. It was around 3pm Saturday afternoon and the place was completely empty. Kind of a hole in the wall place with a few tables. Had the curry chicken and the ox tail. I would say the ox tail was a lot better than the jerk chicken. Curry chicken was just ok IMO. Loved the rice and fried plantain that came with it. Price was not cheap but portion was generous. Overall. Solid place

Their curry goat is THE BOMB. I also like their jerk chicken but I lean more on the goat dish. Try it when you can!

I love this place! The family that owns and operates it are so nice and friendly. This has been a go-to since before COVID. The jerked chicken is so flavorful and I could eat their rice-and-peas on its own. That being said, the rice-and-peas goes fast, so you have to order it early enough to get it. As far as patties go, I usually get either a beef, jerked chicken, or curry chicken patty. Can't go wrong!

Good for a Caribbean food fix if you're really craving but not a regular spot. The food was ok. Oxtails had some flavor but it really wasn't exceptional. Mac and cheese I found a little watery and lacking flavor as well. Staff were friendly though. Inside of restaurant is cramped and not the most welcoming vibe due to small quarters.

I haven't had food this horrendous in a decade. I was downtown earlier in the day getting my haircut and walked past. Took a glimpse and then continued home, while I was home I said let me order from Nicole's. My first and last time, ordered delivery from delivery.com app. Jerk Chicken Oxtails Macaroni and Cheese Rice and peas I took 1/2 Jerk Chicken, 1/2 Oxtail, and 1/2 of the macaroni and cheese and put it on a plate. I began eating and realized it didn't taste very good. Within 30 minutes my stomach began churning. It was an awful feeling for a few hours. I threw the rest in the trash can. $32 later. They do get one star because it was delivers within 20 minutes of me ordering.

This was a ok spot for Caribbean food but they went up on the price so much it's really not worth it. I'll go to Brooklyn and get the same thing for less and bigger portions.

The food was food for the most part. I did expect the jerk chicken to have more of a kick and sauce with it but it wasn't bad, just ok.

Not just a good value. Good food too! This corner store makes homey curry dishes and jerk chicken. I always snag a couple of empanadas on the way out.

One of my favorite lunch places at work! The food is amazing and they're not small portions either! The Jerk Pork and Baked Chicken always hit the spot. But be warned...the jerk is SPICY! And if you think you can handle more, the side of hot sauce they provide should take care of all your cravings! I tend to order for delivery. They're always prompt and so very courteous!

It's not nasty, rather just ok. I placed a catering order for stewed chicken, jerk chicken, rice and peas and cabbage. The cabbage had absolutely no seasoning. Bummer. The stewed chicken was reddish orange, not traditional brown. It tasted ok, I just didn't recognize it. The jerk chicken was also unrecognizable, but taste ok. The service was great and prices are reasonable.

I don't like the flavor of spices in their meat, I'm not used to it. Also, the rice and vegetables are very soggy.

Solid Caribbean spot to satisfy your jerk / curry cravings. I had the jerk chicken and rice & beans and it was delicious. The hot sauce is very good too!

I've had such an itching for Caribbean food, and this place came so highly recommended as per Yelp, and I am so angry that it took me this long to find this gem. It's tucked on a street corner, parking is minimal, its all metered parking. Anyways, its a small store front, with maybe 3-4 tables. All the food is laid out in the display, and you get what you pay for. You can opt to dine in or take out. Both times, I opted for take out, but asked for a plate cause the portions are huge. Definitely can be used an two meals. They offer a wide variety of curries (chicken, beef, shrimp, vegetarian), Dholl Puri and Patties (Beef, chicken, curry chicken, jerk chicken, etc. I opted for the rice and peas with bone-in chicken curry, with plantains and cabbage, with a Jamaican beef patti. There are three different types of rice to choose from, however I did opt for the rice and peas. The rice was fluffy, and perfectly cooked. I am biased because I am a lover of all curries from all cuisines. Nicole's chicken curry was amazing. It was flavorful, the meat was basically falling off the bone. The spices and seasoning worked so well, it was not too overpowering. However, I did love the cabbage and plantains over the rice. Cabbage is always overlooked, however it still had a crunch/bite to it, which made it taste delicious. The plantains were the same, not soft and mushy, it was firm, and gave a bite still. But the star of the show was her hot sauce!! OH.MY.GOD. Her hot sauce is actually life giving. It has the right amount of heat, kick, without overpowering and changing the flavor of the dish. Nicole, you now have a problem, you're stuck with me forever. I ate there like twice in a week! Happy eatings!

We ordered delivery and were very happy with the food. The jerk chicken entree was very tasty. I also enjoyed the oxtail stew. Definitely worth it!

From this unassuming storefront on the corner of the street lays a buffet of delicious carribean food. When I open the door, I am attracted by the aromas created by the oxtail and jerk chicken which tempt me to check them out. It knew I was looking for food and it was calling for me. I ask how can I get one of those into my belly and the store clerk tells me that the oxtail plate would be $13 but the jerk chicken is $8. Suddenly I found myself thinking economically because I wanted to see if this place would qualify for my list of Jersey City lunch eats for under $10. I chose the jerk chicken which I was told is the most popular option. My plate was filled with coconut rice at the base (my choice) with jerk chicken on top and a choice of steamed cabbage or fried plantains as my side. I opted for the fried plantains and received three delicious pieces. The tender chicken also had a nice spicy zing to it but nothing over the mild level. The coconut rice was nice to pare that hotness down.

Amazing curry shrimp in roti or on rice with cabbage and carrots. The veggie patty's are warm, fresh and fluffy. The food was absolutely a scrumptious taste of the Carribean!

This place should be ashamed to call itself a "Caribbean Restaurant" the food is nasty, I would not even give it to my dogs. After ordering a few times, I simply give up. The food tastes confusing, like it does not know if it is Spanish, American, Indian or Caribbean. Just horrible!! Every time I have ordered this food, I have ended up throwing it away and ordering from somewhere else. Even when I have gone into this spot, it just looks dirty - like they don't ever clean it. Because of the lack of Caribbean food in Jersey City, I have given this place one too many chances to prove themselves but I am simply fedup of trying. I really wish they would stop using the word "Caribbean" in their name because it is a disgrace to Caribbean food and to Caribbean people. I feel sorry for those who don't know better. The only reason they even get 1 star is because they deliver, which is rare for Caribbean restaurants.

I've driven by this place 5 times a week for the past year and had always told myself that I'd have to try it one day. Today was that day. I got the jerk chicken (which was very spicy) and it was so perfectly cooked that the chicken literally came right off the bone. I try to stay away from carbs, so I was glad they let me substitute the rice for cabbage (and they still gave me plantains). My friend got the chicken curry roti (and I of course had to try that too), which was also pretty tasty. Food arrived in good timing, nothing was missing, and everything tasted fresh. This spot is also well-priced and they serve good portions.

This food is so gross. The oxtail was the worst and the cabbage taste like grass. Don't do it if you are looking for authentic island food.

SO good! if you like Trinidadian food, this is a great spot! delicious roti, curry channa (chickpeas) and potatoes, and pumpkin. I also love their pepper sauce!

I've been ordering from Nicole's for over 12 years. The food is authentic and always fresh. Everyone that works there is nice. In the summer the doors are open and there are large fans to help cool down the place. Lol that gives it the authentic Caribbean vibe.

I've been in Jersey city for a year now and it was a challenge for me to find great authentic Caribbean food. I was not always a huge fan of jerk chicken however after trying theirs I literally crave it! The oxtails and Jerk chicken is unmatched, absolutely delicious. Most places use bbq sauce on their jerk and I hate it but theirs is seasoned well and cooked to perfection! It's also located in a convenient spot, I manage SW3AT Sauna studio on Newark Ave so it's never a problem to run and grab food quickly, it's a small place but satisfies big appetites. Small plates are usually under $10 unless you're getting oxtail or goat. To clarify this for other reviewers this is not a Jamaican restaurant, so don't expect Jamaican style food. Their are numerous islands in the Caribbean for those who are unaware lol Their coconut rice is delicious prepared with pigeon peas but I've saw reviews saying they received rice and peas but that's literally coconut rice for those who didn't know! I'd recommend for sure!

Bland. Spices taste weird, sadly not authentic Caribbean. Staff was nice. Delivery was quick. I wanted to like this place.

I hope to update this review soon... Because I don't like knocking down small businesses especially mom and pop businesses. I was very excited and eager to try this place, I would see the glowing yellow awning on my way home every night for the past 2 weeks. I says to myself "self... You need to try this food, it looks like the mom and pop food you love" --- I read the reviews and with 4+ stars I said, ok, It's ON!!! And when I read it was Guyanese west indian, I said oh HELL YEAH!!! I grew up around a lot of Guyanese in NYC and NJ, and I love that type of food. I ran in there this past Saturday around 2:30pm (12.03.16), I literally ran in there while my car was double parked. SO many delicious looking choices --- I was ready to pounce on a curry goat, but I said maybe that's too heavy and I don't want to get the 'itis and fall asleep haha. Plus I saw the curry chicken for a lunch meal was only $7 bucks --- and it comes with your choice of white rice, rice and peas, rice and beans or cookup rice, ANNNND your choice of plantains or cabbage - What a deal!!! Since this was such a deal I said I can still get a drink and a beef patty without breaking the bank, hopefully all under $10 bucks - cant beat a nice hearty meal, sides and a meal for that price. Well, this is where things go south... The chicken was curried chicken breast, which hey, huge chunks of breast for that price is one solid deal and lots of delicious protein. However, if you are used to West Indian food, normally the chicken curry consists of the top part of the drums, and thighs --- the bone and fat from the dark meat gives it a whole different flavor. The very nice owner told me it was still cooking, so since I was double parked I went for the chunks of breast. I got myself a patty and a cream soda, and my meal that I thought would be $10 or under, worst case $11 and change, turned into almost $16 bucks --- HOW!? The meal is $7, the patty is $2 and the bottled cream soda shouldnt have been more than $2 either --- I didn't have time to contest this, I was double parked and had to run. I get in my truck, and start chomping at the fresh looking beef patty --- it was kind of cold, very very disappointing. Now this is where the 1 star comes into play... MY PATTY HAD A STAPLE IN THE MEAT!!! Yes, a metal STAPLE in the meat! I thought it was a bone, when I spit it out, it was a have bent staple... I was in so much damn shock, thinking "what if I ATE THIS!?" lol would I have died, I don't know, never in my 35+ years of life have I ever been confronted with such a gross or scary situation. I was already half way home, and honestly I was starving... I says to my self "self, maybe the curry will make it all worth it, mistakes happen --- a very crappy mistake, but hey maybe this chicken will erase all your shock and awe"... The chicken was extremely dry, this is why I dont like breast in my stew, or curries or even soups... After awhile if you dont eat it fresh, the breast gets really dry and becomes a chore to chew and swallow. The curry was meh, there wasn't enough flavor, not enough zing! The rice however was AMAZING! The red beans and rice was moist, fresh, and delicious. The cabbage seemed more like a garnish than a side... I wanna go back and try the oxtail and goat... and that fish. I know this sounds crazy, and it is... I normally do not ever go back to a place that scares me or that totally sucks the life out of my foodie soul. But I hope you guys @ nicole's reads this, other people may not be so lenient or soft when it comes to finding a sharp metal object in their food --- it's downright scary!!! I wont be eating the Beef or any type of patties again. But I do wanna give this place a chance again with their Fish, Goat and Oxtail --- places like this in NJ are hard to find, and I don't wanna go all the way to Queens. Hopefully I can update this review, and sing a different tune :/

Ordered the coconut rice and jerk chicken and it was delicious! Also came with a side of plantains. Can't wait to come back!

I honestly don't know where these bad reviews are coming from. I love Nicole's, they have the best jerk chicken! My boyfriend and I order through Seamless and the delivery is pretty quick. I must say the portions are also really good size.

Truly authentic Caribbean food! We ordered the jerk chicken patties, shrimp curry, and the jerk pork and it was delicious. Will definitely be coming back!

Really really really not good. "Mystery Meat" goat and ox tail did not taste like anything. Basically paid $14 for mush rice and few questionable plaintains. The people were nice. I wouldn't come back

Excellent flavors, pricing, and portion. I've been here twice now, and it's been consistently good. Authentic cuisine cooked by an Auntie right in the back.