Reef Restaurant & Lounge

hostess was rude… I’m pregnant can not sit in a high seat let alone a hard back but that’s where she suggested we sit and then had a attitude that I asked for a booth instead. mind you the booths were completely empty and no one was sitting there. she said ugghhh it’s a reservation and then proceeded to walk me there however she had a nasty attitude. My server was great the food was delicious but a service charge for 2 ppl was ridiculou. I’m a Jamaican I can cook my own food at home. upon leaving the establishment the same rude hostess didn’t even say bye or goodnight or anything just stood there eating her food. I don’t know why us as Jamaicans would even hire American young girls to be the first point of contact at a Jamaican restaurant when they have poorest attitudes.

The rasta pasta with oxtails ….. LOVED IT . if you love spice, pasta & oxtails in one , that is your go to meal !!

This is the perfect CARIBBEAN restaurant. I got the steam to cabbage, broccoli and Jerk salmon. And a pineapple martinity with an infused pineapple... Waitress her name is miss camille, She was amazing! Very informative and kind as can be. ❤️

Went last night (Sunday) and sat at the bar. Three waitress (Nai?) was friendly and gave good recommendations. The food came out quickly and was good. I had the salmon with rice and peas, cabbage and some fried plantain. The drinks we had were good too. I would go back!!

Honestly it's a nice vibe but by time you pay all the fees and such ... it's not worth it n my opinion. Service fee, gratuity, tip, card usage fee, and they tell you none of this ... you just see it on the bill. That and just 6 baby shrimp for almost $15 is insane but hey, if you like it, go for it. Food was okay. But my experience was shot w the hot wings fried way to hard and all these hidden fees like im renting a car ... Issa no.

Was going there because they had hookah but we got there too early to get hookah seating. Decided to wait at the bar because after speaking to the security guard we decided to try the rum punch... IT DID NOT DISAPPOINT! After a few more drinks , we ordered food and we were committed to staying! With the dj playing bomb music, we didn't even care about hookah... the vibes were EVERYTHING. We went on a Friday, I going to try back on a Saturday!

I went here last week for a singles mixer event and it was surprising to me how understaffed it was for a Thursday night. It took over an hour to even order food and then another half an hour to get a drink at the bar. I ordered the crab cake slider platter which tasted fine at the time, but then I was sick from food poisoning for 2 days afterwards. The DJ was great and the bartender made strong drinks so that was a plus.

Great restaurant with delicious food. However be aware, they have a “service fee” of 18% and a “non-cash handling fee” which they never mention or have any signage posted to provide notice to their patrons. That’s the only thing I didn’t like is the hidden fees. I basically paid $18.00 dollars in fees. I understand certain restaurant changes gratuity before hand but with notice.

The only complaint I had was the mandatory coat check that wasn't mentioned online and the ridiculous fees for using your debit/credit card. If using a card at the bar, you MUST spend at least 20 dollars so my advice is that you use cash here.

My daughter celebrated her 35th birthday with a karaoke party at Reef a couple of weeks ago and I ordered the lamb chops with mash potatoes. They were so delicious, tender and very flavorful, and a special recipe of the owner's son Rod, I was told. My nephew watched me devour mine and then decided to order some for himself. He enjoyed them just as much. It was an amazing Karaoke birthday celebration and I would highly recommend this space for the ambiance, service, food and drinks! I've been there several times in the past and the owner Marlene is awesome and just a beautiful & good person to be around! We always have a good time!

As always, Reef delivered great food and service. I got the chicken wings and the ox tails. It was amazing!! Thank you reef for being in the community. We love you!

To start our hostess greeted us immediately with a smile. He pleasantly agreed to allow us to change tables. The dining area was neat and clean. The bar was pleasantly stocked. Our server, Camille, was a delight. She too, greeted us promptly and took our drink orders. Her recommendation of the "Pain Killa" cocktail was on point! It made me feel as if I were on a tropical island! We placed our food order and the food was promptly served. Freshly prepared and hot! I ordered the ox-tails with rice and peas and my husband ordered the bbq jerk chicken with plantains! The presentation of the food was nice and our entrees were super delicious! My oxtails were fall off the bone tender!!! After settling our check, the owner, Marlene, came over to introduce herself and inquired about our experience and service! We couldn't speak highly enough of the establishment. She was kind and very hospitable. This may have been our first time dining there but certainly won't be our last!!!!

The food was delicious. No wait for a table, I went on a Wednesday night. The staff was very friendly and attentive. Parking was an issue but I ended up getting a spot on the street. A mix of r and b and reggae music was on. I enjoyed it. It wasn't too noisy, I was able to have a conversation without yelling. The bathroom was clean. The only issue I had is that there were tiny gnats flying around while trying to eat. I had to keep swatting them away.

I Love the drinks definitely different and the food is delicious. I give it 4/5 it's a very pleasant place

A friend and I came here for the dancing event upstairs but stopped at the bar to order food and drinks. Pros-- bartender made great drinks and they were reasonably priced. Cons- bartender's service was very nonchalant. We were told there wasn't any mac and cheese available to order but when the waitress came out with my friends fried calamari she confirmed there was mac and cheese. I then placed an order of mac and cheese and decided shortly after I wanted plain french fries. The fries were ordered at 10:56pm Paid for at 11:07pm After reminding the bartender and then a server that I still had not received my order, a manager(i believe she had the demeanor of one but never introduced herself) said "your fries were given away. Now do u still want us to make you more or do you no longer want them?" I very sternly reminded her that they had been paid for and I wanted them. She was very rude never apologizing for the inconvenience or offering anything complimentary while I waited. Fries came out at 11:38pm The wait caused us to be late for the event and we were almost charged until I explained the hold up on the restaurant's end. Auto gratuity is added (18%) to every check and there are a few other taxes on the bill as well. I will NOT return. I will never return.

Jerk chicken cheesesteak was really good as well as the wings. Ride and beans and cabbage were good. Jerk chicken was ok. Server was great !

Good food & karaoke. Sushi & more. Weird that glasses were not allowed. Our host was great. Song selection could've been better.

I use to live this restaurant/lounge! The good use to be so good. It's been years but after my last visit, I likely won't return. The food is just not the same, the oxtail nothing but grease, did not taste fresh was barely able to finish it. Service was good nonetheless and my company played it safe with the salmon and jerk chicken.

Came here for a birthday celebration for my mother the staff was very nice and welcoming. Our weeder was amazing and very attentive to my mother and her dietary needs. We had the plantain and the golf shrimp for appetizers along with the sweet chili crispy wings. Everything was amazing. for entrées I had the Rasta pasta with chicken and broccoli. My mother had the oxtails with mashed potatoes and cabbage, and my sister had the salmon jerk cheesesteak without cheese because she's vegan also very good. The bread was so soft. The salmon was so seasoned I barely missed the cheese.

One of my favorites in Philly. Great food! Great music! Even better drinks! Would recommend to all.

I made reservation this evening for 8:45pm. Upon being seated, the server proceeded to tell us there was a limited menu available. If the kitchen closes at a specific time, reservations should not be allowed. My wife & I ordered the jerk chicken (we wanted oxtails and curry chicken, neither were available). We asked for extra gravy...what we received was barbecue sauce. Bottled barbecue sauce at that. The chicken was dry and so were the rice & beans. The baked Mac & cheese was basically noodles with cheese on top that was broiled. The only thing that was good was the cabbage. Our meal was overpriced at $100 which included a service charge of roughly $16. The website states the restaurant is 'Tried & True Caribbean Meals - No matter what you choose, you can't go wrong!'. We disagree. My wife is West Indian and for her, this was a terrible experience. We'd heard so many great things about restaurant and we were excited to check it out. After tonight, we just want our money back.

The music made me want to dance !! I went with my cousin on a Sunday, and the 90's reggae as jumping ! I loved it. The food was great, I got jerk wings as an appetizer, Yum! And Salmon, rice and plantains for my entree. So good !!! We sat at the bar and Calvin (I believe) was very attentive and had a great Jamaican accent We ended our meal with a beautiful piece of cake for my cousin's birthday I will definitely return Oh btw Prices were very reasonable Food delicious Drinks were good Trust me, go there!

The Reef is a decent restaurant to eat Carribean cuisines when in the area. The staff are always friendly and the food is good. I haven't been to the Reef in several years. Been to this restaurant on many different occasions. Most recently, the hostess asked for proof of vaccination before being seated. We ate at the bar since it was in the afternoon and not a lot of people at the restaurant. We ate the jerk bbq wings which was fried well with a little kick of spice, mac & cheese (it was not that good; would pass on this), sweet plantains; no complaints, mini crab cake bites; it was okay w/ the dipping sauce that was sweet, and the best part of the meal was the flavorful Rasta pasta. We also had the STRONG & tasty rum punch! Very authentic. It's clean inside; including the bathroom. The Reef now looks like it's time for the beloved restaurant to do some updates. I remember going to the restaurant for the first time years ago and thought the reef decor was cool.

Upon entering the restaurant we were seated right away. We requested to be seated outdoors because of the ambiance and the cool evening temperature. Eventually or waitress came to us and asked if we we're ready to order, we were not. We did express we would like to have two glasses of water with lemon as we reviewed the menu for the first time. Unfortunately that was the last time we saw our waitress at our table. She helped several other tables before she returned to us as she saw that we were exiting. Prior to that I even reminded her like "excuse are you able to take our order?" She responded "yes" and still never returned. I don't see myself returning either! Simply rude.

The food was really good. We went on a Sunday they sold out of curry chicken which was a shocker to me because it was the weekend. If you're a Caribbean restaurant, you should be fully stocked with food at least on the weekends but the food that we did order was pretty good and they give you a good portion as well so next time I go hopefully they'll have the curry chicken available.

I share the sentiments of the majority...will never be back. Was in town visiting from out of state and was in the mood for Caribbean food. We (just 2 of us) were seated and no one ever returned to take our order or even bring water. Yet a table with 3 people were seated and had their order taken while we waited. We left after 15 minutes, walked down the block and had an amazing experience from start to end, even met the owner and got a free dessert. I so desire to support black owned establishments but situations like this seem to be too common. Do Better!

Came for a chill night with a friend to catch up. There was a live band playing upstairs which was nice. It gave very cool vibes. I didn't get to check it out but upstairs seemed like more of a lounge/dance area. I got the oxtails while my friend got jerk chicken. We shared the mac and cheese on the side. The oxtails were pretty good, tasty and tender. I could have done with a bit more gravy (as always lol). The mac and cheese was lackluster, it was basically mini pasta shells with a light cheese coating, cheesy pasta if you will. Not creamy, no cheese pull. I'd say that one can be skipped, especially for $8. I had one of their cocktails, the storm cloud, which I really enjoyed! Service was okay. There were a lot of random taxes and fees on the final bill including a "non cash adjustment fee" and a "service charge" of 18% though we were never informed there would be an up charge for use of card nor that gratuity was automatically included. We decided to leave it alone. It would be nice to have this on the menu or verbally stated. I would definitely come back for the vibes and to enjoy other Jamaican delicacies!

Gvreat food, great service, and definitely a come back to spot when in Philly. Lots of menu choices you would expect to find at a Caribbean spot. The food was done well. Good portions. Great flavors. You looking for respectable Jamaican food come check this spot out. It will satisfy your flavor needs.

This place is a hidden gem. The food was amazing, the drinks were sweet but strong. The bartender was on point with service making sure we had everything we needed. It's plays good reggae music that makes you want to get up and dance. You definitely won't be disappointed.

I very surprised that this restaurant has very low rating reviews went the food is so amazing maybe it is because it is a bit price. The decoration is seen like you are in the vibe of the Caribbean. Crab and Curry Fried Rice a REEF original long grain rice, lump crab meat, stir-fried with brunoise vegetables and steeped in crab stock infused with curry and coconut essence. The rice has a bit spicy taste which gives it an authentic flavor and super tasty, the amount of food is pretty big enough to feed two people but the price is a bit too much for only rice which seafood. The staff is pretty good, and they have a full bar and a few tvs, the place is pretty big. Another plus is located in a good area of Philly. A bad is that a bit to the price but maybe is the price to be in that location.

The food was spectacular and the drinks was so on point. I will definitely be back. The wings are so good an fresh.

Love this spot! Food is a little pricey and the drinks are great! Definitely worth a visit if you're in South Philly and are craving Caribbean infusion. The Salmon was great!

I stopped by after work for happy hour. Every drink I had was strong and delicious! I also ordered the calamari and it came with fried jalapeños, THE BEST! So flavorful and perfectly battered. Customer service was A1. I was greeted and seated right away and my drinks kept coming. The bartender was attentive and personable. Also the Owner came by to check on how was everything. Perfect service. For happy hour the cocktails are $9. Small plates $6. Also beer specials!! Again everything and everyone was awesome. I will be coming back

I guess the overall Yelp rating rating for Reef wasn't a lie...maybe even a bit generous at 3 stars. Let me get to it, the service was ok but the food/drinks were so disappointing! STRAWBERRY & CHAMPAGNE: You would think it's what the name says, right? It was actually champagne mixed with strawberry puree garnished with a strawberry. Seems like they added strawberry puree to reduce the amount of champagne for the drink. When I brought this to their attention, they remade the drink without the strawberry puree but put 4 strawberries in it to yet again, reduce the amount of champagne. How sneaky! JERK SALMON CHEESESTEAK: The roll wasn't even toasted. It was just taken out the bag. RASTA PASTA: I opted for just veggies which was cool, but I had I known it was going to be an OVERLOAD of onions with just a few slices of red & green peppers I would've passed. They nickel & dime you for everything too - an extra $3 for broccoli (never knew broccoli to be special enough to require an upcharge) and a lump crab addition is basically like adding a whole new meal for a $20 upcharge. The cream sauce could've been seasoned more as well. I haven't been to Reef in years and I recall it being a great spot back in the day, but even my friend said that it has lost its zest since the pandemic hit. I really want to see the establishment thrive since it's black-owned and a lot of businesses on South Street have not survived the pandemic, sadly. However, menu improvements are going to have to be made (especially considering they tack on a host of fees - 18% gratuity regardless of party size, food tax & liquor tax).

The crab cakes were not worth $20! They tasted like tuna fish! Definitely not a lump crab cake! The curry chicken was delicious! The ribs were not falling off the bone...a bit on the rubbery side!

We came here for a pit stop as part of a bar crawl / bike peddling tour (one of those big red bikes) so we only had a few minutes. We ordered some signature cocktails - the "pain killa" was pretty good (what I got) and I heard the "guava cosmo" and "Jamaican sunshine" were good, as well. We ordered an oxtail poutine fries to split, which was tasty but really greasy. The service was ok, but we hoped for better given the restaurant wasn't busy at all when we came.

My favorite place to eat in the city ... they food never disappoints me at all .. great service overall

The food was excellent & the establishment was clean. That was all overshadowed by my the customer service. I went for an event a friend was throwing. I understood service would be slower than usual due to that. After getting my food & paying my bill, I met a few friends at the bar. There were only two servers so I waited patiently. A server finally came over to us after 15 minutes of waiting. I personally wasn't asked what I wanted to order, no hello or how are you, what would you like to drink? I was told to "You can get up & move if I'm not ordering anything. I can go sit at a table since I don't understand bar etiquette" I was told this by Lindsey. She was very argumentative & rude. I was so taken aback from the poor service, I no longer wanted a drink. When I left, Lindsey continued to berate me to my friends that were still ordering drinks. I've never experienced anything like it.

Can't wait to come back! Reef Restaurant and lounge was soo fun and a great time was had! Reef restaurant and lounge offers seating areas at the bar or tables where you can experience some good carribean food. Our waiter Nasir was charming, attentive and humorous. He informed us on their signature dishes and food. I ended up getting the salmon Montego Bay. My dish came with rice and beans and cabbage. Everything was flavorful and in abundance. My friend and I both ended up taking the rest of our food to go. Their drinks are also bomb but pricey. Their rum shot was like 7.00 for a smidget of alcohol smh. On the other hand I like that all their drinks have a carribean twist to them. Besides the shot, I got the Jamaican sunshine and a frozen pina colada and all was delicious! The vibe was good they have a lounge upstairs for dancing the night away. Overall bring ya bae or ya dutty gyals and have a wonderful time at the Reef Restaurant and lounge!

Only been here once, it was a random spot that we walked into on a Saturday night. The wait was a bit long but that was expected, they had a live DJ, good music and nice Caribbean environment. Service was friendly and food was good as well. Definitely want to go back for another experience and really see every single thing it has to offer.

Husband and I wanted something a bit different than our usual Philadelphia eateries. Saw an article about this place and was interested. Being from Brooklyn, I know good, authentic Jamaican cuisine when I taste it. This food was mediocre. I ordered beef patty appetizers (good, not great), and a Guava Cosmo. My husband ordered a blue cocktail. Well, the Patties were brought 20 minutes after ordering and the drinks-30 minutes. There was one bartender for the entire venue and she was chatting more than mixing drinks. We waited another 15 minutes to place an entree order (with a different server): jerk salmon steak for him and curry chicken w/rice and cabbage for me. Another 25 minutes later, our food arrived. Allow me to add that the restaurant was NOT full. Curry chicken was spicy, yet flavorless. White rice tasted like Uncle Ben's and was cold cabbage was mushy. That's pretty difficult to achieve. My husband enjoyed his salmon sandwich...no complaints there. Sweet potato pie and bread pudding was decent. Now let's get to the 'hood' (Freudian slip) part...the check. I have never seen so many fees on one check! An $83 bill became $110. Added gratuity of 18% calculated to 20%. A fee for credit card payment. Alcohol tax, state tax and untaxed. You need to be Pythagoras or have A Beautiful Mind to figure out the charges. Needless to say, we will NEVER patronize Reef again.

A group of us arrived and waited at the front to be seated. There was much confusion to just seat us and after 10 minutes we left and went elsewhere. Don't know what the problem was but that experience left a sour taste in our mouths.

I loved my entire experience here. The music was good, the food was delicious, and we didn't even get a chance to head over to the lounge. I ordered salmon with rice & beans and cabbage. I didn't even eat the rice & beans, but the salmon and cabbage was delicious. I was with a group who was ready to go, but I would absolutely go back when I have more time to try that bread pudding I saw on the menu.

I'm sad this restaurant has such low reviews because the food was really good. We were in Philly for a conference and felt like Jamaican. Thanks to Yelp, we found this joint. This restaurant definitely gives off hole in the wall vibes. It's actually quite spacious when you walk in and the decor is right in sync with the "Reef" name. It's very aquatic and gives major "under di sea" vibes. I was happy to see that they there was a diverse group of patrons in the restaurant. Young, old, black, white. It's always good to see that, especially in ethnic restaurants because I feel like it's always a good indication that the food is good. Plus, we were hungry. The menu is kind of all over the place. It has your expected Jamaican classics from jerk chicken to red snapper to curry shrimp then it has the unexpected like jerk seasoned Philly cheese steaks and Rasta Pasta. They also have crab cakes (which I can't speak on because I didn't try them), chicken nachos, and turkey burgers. We decided to order the jerk chicken with rice and peas and plantain. We got one order and decided to split it and I honestly thing it was one of the best ideas I had that week because we still had leftover food. The servings are hefty. The jerk sauce was good. I hate when the sauce is thick and gritty, but Reef had the recipe on lock. Also, they cooked my plantain just the way I like it, not too soggy, not too crispy. Juuuuuust right. Kudos to the chef! The staff were friendly, they were not overbearing, very laid back. Overall, we had a great experience here!

The food will transport you to Jamaica the restaurant is colorful warm and so Inviting. The food is excellent The Ox tails Jerk Chicken Peas and Rice so Good I Dare you to eat here and not enjoy it!

Customer service was good and the bartender accommodated my friends special requests for drinks. The wings are very good and one of the best things on the menu. Don't waste your money on the oxtail here. It's over priced and not that good and such small servings! It's better and cheaper to get it at an authentic Jamaican spot.

Ordered the curry chicken, food was overall ok. Service was slow even though it wasn't busy. Probably wouldn't return

I enjoyed my first visit here for the most part. My friend suggested this place and I was not disappointed. The service downstairs from the female bartender and our waiter was exceptional. I ordered the jerk chicken quesadilla it was tasty. When we went upstairs however the female bartender was rude and barely put an alcohol in our drinks. The first drinks we ordered were simple just an alcohol and a mixer, she barely any alcohol in them. We then decided to order some shots. She put a few drops in a plastic cup which was laughable, we then asked for a double and it was still the amount of one reasonable shot. So my advice is don't bother going upstairs if you want to order drinks. It's a waste of time and money.

I sat at the bar with a couple friends. The bartender was nice & made great suggestions on drinks . The food was good!!!! Only thing bad is parking but that's to be expected downtown.

A wonderful black owned restaurant with many pescatarian options. We sat in the back patio. It's really cute. 18% gratuity is automatically added to all checks when dining out there. We started with the crab cake appetizer which was really good. My partner got the shrimp appetizer with a side of rice and peas as his entree. I liked his shrimp better than my salmon. The shrimp were perfectly grilled and seasoned. The cabbage is so tasty! Order a side of jerk sauce tho because the rice needs it.

The food was delivered via GrubHub hot and delicious. The ox tails were falling off the bone. The wings were crispy. Not soggy at all. The Rasta pasta had A LOT of chicken in it. I was pleasantly surprised by that. The only thing is I wish it came with more sauce. The steamed cabbage is AMAZING!!! I've been eating cabbage my entire life and never tasted cabbage like this. It's kind spicy but not too much. It's still a lil crunchy but soft. It's great! Everything was seasoned to perfection and packed and delivered wonderfully. I will most definitely be back.

The food was great had the jerk chicken cheesesteak, my son had salmon. The food was great the service was great. The only things that I didn't like is they are heavy on mask/ vax mandate and the included gratuity just because if your not paying attention it's easy to double tip.

Loved the vibe, food, drinks, and service! Had the beef patty's, the jerk chicken cheesteak, sweet plantains, and my personal fave - the bread pudding with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. And their liquid weed drink - is just that! :)

I consider myself a regular customer at Reef's , whenever I get a chance to visit philly this is my go to Restaurant. I usually only get to visit on Saturday night's which is pretty busy , 15 to 20 min wait for a table unless you booked reservation ahead of time or if you get lucky enough to find a seat at the bar , So this is my first time visiting Reef's on Thursday at 5:30pm for a business meeting , it wasn't busy at out . Tonight I ordered the sweet and chill wings they was so delicious , for my main dish curry chicken with rice and beans , cabbage and plantains . I also ordered take out for my parents ox tail , Swordfish with green beans , rice and beans with cabbage . They loved it ;) I never have any complaints about there food or service , I guess thats the reason I keep coming back . I also tried the crab & shrimp fried rice thats one of my favorites as well . I enjoy the fact that there bartender's no how to make actual cocktails .

excellent service hands-down treated me and my lady like a king and queen good food, good music, good drinks and good service

Food was OK at best. I literally waited from 6:49pm to 7:35pm for the seafood boat. It was the tiniest 3 shrimp, 3 scallops, and 2 mini mini crab cakes. Looked like Barbie food. I Tried the wings for the hell of it and was disappointed. That's mostly my fault, I'm not the biggest meat eater. Unimpressed but if you're looking for no frill type joint where service and food prep time is up in the air try this place. Cocktail selection is plentiful. You should have some luck w/drinks

Okay so boom! I try to be as honest as possible with my reviews. The ONLY reason this place is getting 3 stars is because their appetizers were really bomb! We ordered mussels, crab and spinach dip and fried calamari. It was so good we ordered another round of drinks. Which we needed it because it took forever for our food to come out. However, my food never made its way to my dinner plate. After all of the appetizers were gone and my girls ate their food. The waiter was ready to bring us the check, we reminded him that my food never came out. After waiting another 20 mins he came and said oh we are out of the curry chicken. Like seriously?!?! We had to get our Karen on and ask for a manager because that was unacceptable. The manager did come out and the missing order I put in was comped for a jerk chicken. Chileeeee they had one hostess who got smooth tf on my nerves. So me giving three stars is being VERY generous.