Taste of the Caribbean

This is probably some of the best jerk chicken I’ve had!! The chicken fell right off the bone. And the rice and beans and salad all tasted really yummy. I think this place is family owned so don’t expect the service to be crazy fast! Sometimes it’s nice to slow down and enjoy the experience. It felt very authentic.

My son is from Haiti and we came here hoping for a great experience, based on reviews. The interior is fun and pays homage to the carribean nations with flags around the walls. A stage at the front with an ample sound system promises some lively music. Plenty of TVS on the walls, and a nice looking bar. The servers were kind and friendly, but the food service from the kitchen was EXTREMELY slow. Nearly 1/2 hour to get our appetizer (cod fritters) and an hour to get our main courses -- goat curry and Jamaican jerk chicken. Surprising because the restaurant was not terribly busy. The food was a disappointment. The cod fish fritters were crispy with good consistency, but mostly just breading. I was unable to find any pieces of fish in one of them, and only one very small piece in another. The goat curry was junky meat -- mostly bones and fat, scant actual meat. I expected vibrant flavors and a little spice from a carribean curry, but the seasoning was undersalted and not particularly flavorful or spicy. The jerk chicken was a little better according to my son. But the chicken was overdone, and the skin was soft, not at all crispy. The rice and peas met our expectations. Hopefully it was just a bad night in the kitchen, but based on our experience we'll be looking elsewhere for carribean cooking.

Had the oxtail with rice and peas, and a side of plantain. Thoroughly enjoyed my meal, my friend had the escovich fish and that was also awesome. Customer Service was absolutely excellent. Good Jamaican music was playing. Will definitely make this my go to Jamaican spot. So update, have been back several times taking friends, they all enjoy the food and the music. Roger has also always been excellent.

The food was amazing! Chicken fell off the bone before I could it to my lips. The oxtails had a great stew flavor, and we were extremely tender and very light. Everything was seasoned well, and afterward, I didn't have that over indulged feeling. It's definitely a spot I will visit again. Oh, staff was great. It felt like a was somewhere in Jamaica with family.

Taste of the Caribbean delivers an authentic and unforgettable dining experience, and my recent meal of fried Parrot fish with rice and peas was nothing short of exceptional. Everything was seasoned to exceptional! This is a must visit spot if you’re craving an authentic and delicious Caribbean meal.

Best place in Seattle for Jamaican food, and yes I've tried them all. Sweet fried plantains, rice and peas the way it should be, a little sorrel for when I want some sweet tea. The staff are also full of fun, and the energy & music are always on point in there 👌🏿

Stopped in on Jamaica Patty Day 2025 and was very impressed with the food, service and atmosphere. Jerk gravy/sauce was legendary, Red stripe was cold and refreshing, Patty was hot, flaky and rich and our server was incredibly warm and friendly.

Second time coming here and still as delicious like I remember last summer. First time I came with my Dad and loved it this time I came with my brother and they also enjoyed it! They are currently knocked out with a food coma haha. Thank you for staying in business and giving Seattle some flavors of the Caribbean! Really need to come here for a fete or soca night haha

wow whoever make the oxtail here is MEAN !!! they are sooo dangerously good and the portion is HUGE !!! oxtail has a bit of a spice kick to it, though I wish they would have the stir fry cabbages instead of the raw salad, I think the oxtail dish are really a 10/10 over here. Get that extra fried plantain and you can call it a heaven day baby !

Not what I'm used to when it comes to Jamaican or Caribbean cuisine however I like trying new things! Normally with an oxtail plate for example at any other Caribbean place you would receive; the meat of choice, rice with peas, plantains, and either steamed or fried cabbage. Taste of Caribbean offers in my opinion a healthier option which is a salad like medley on the plate. So here you will receive the meat of choice, rice and peas, and the salad. The plantains are a separate situation. They also give you a choice between the rice and peas or white rice. The salad on the side was tossed with a vinaigrette like dressing and was very light. I actually enjoyed it with my oxtails. I also had a cocktail called "Port Royal Rum punch". Mannnn.... If you love authentic rum punch that's the one to get.

Found this place on accident and boy oh boy I'm a happy that I did! Very chilled spot with true authentic Jamaican vibes and food. I sat at the bar so service was quick. Waiter was very patience with us due to it being our first at the establishment. I got the jerk chicken wings and beef patties and my girlfriend got the brown stew chicken entree. The beef patties were delicious! I had one while we waited for our food and man oh man, I devoured it in less than a minute. It was hot, fresh, and very tasteful. Definitely a place to visit while in Seattle especially if you are looking for some REAL AUTHENTIC JAMAICAN CUISINE! Thank me later.

I loveeeee it here!! Best Caribbean food in Seattle! We come all the time! The jerk and curry are both meat just falls off the bones and the rice& peas and cabbage are perfection!!! Drinks are ask for clay!! And shout out to chef tipsy!

A vibey place with authentic dishes from Jamaica. Portions were perfectly sized. The wait staff was so kind and welcoming. The oxtail chunks were saucy and tender, the salad fresh, and the rice fluffy. Would love to try other dishes on the menu.

We found this restaurant while exploring the neighborhood. The menu was extensive and had lots of options to choose from. The service was great: friendly, helpful, and informative! My dining partner chose jerk chicken and really liked it. I tried the vegetarian options and was extremely pleased with my choices: ackee, callaloo, and rice and beans. It was plenty of food for me and to share with a bit of leftovers. There is a lot of space inside and it appears they have live music or a dj (or both) at other times. But it was a quiet weekend afternoon when we visited. There was plenty of people eating when we were there and lots of people picking up take out orders too. I can't wait to go back again!

Came on a Friday night, service seemed a bit slow considering the amount of customers but our servers were very friendly and offered good recommendations. Callaloo and saltfish- good flavors, but WAY too salty, to the point of being difficult to eat about halfway through. Callaloo was well cooked though. Rice was delicious. It's not plain rice- kind of a spicy and gingery flavor. Salad was also delicious, it had a light and kind of fruity flavor. Escovitch- delicious texture, crunchy outside and chewy, tender fish within. Escovitch was very flavorful- highly vinegary and spicy. Oxtail- also a bit on the salty side, not as much as the Callaloo. Still delicious and well cooked, very tender. Had Caribbean music playing throughout and a very chill vibe. Do give it a shot- just avoid the saltfish dishes?

The food is always good. The service is always warm welcoming and geniuen. Great atmosphere kick back watch the game or go on a date

Came here with a couple of friends in the evening to eat and spend some quality time with my peeps and enjoyed everything on my plate and even tried some of my friend's dishes as well. Was a bit spicy for me but I don't really do spicy food so my taste buds are a bit more sensitive than most for that reason. Aside from that it was all delicous and well season. On the food alone I'd recommend this establishment. The added bonus was the Friday night party that they clear the tables for to make room for the dance floor. A few of us stuck around to enjoy the festivities which took a minute to fill up but after a while the community came through and it was a great time to be had. Shoutout to DJ Nayiram! Held down the forth with a quality selection of tunes that held the party strong throughout the night. Caught my attention to the point that I now follow him on Mixcloud and can appreciate his DJ skills even further at home and in my car. Set the tone for the entire night. Mad respect to that brother, I can always appreciate a high quality DJ.

This is a great lil spot! Curry goat was amazing, I love the festival bread but missed out on some patties they were out - Next time!

Great Jamaican food, liked everything I got here. Service can be a bit slow but fresh food takes time to cook I guess. The club atmosphere / setup is great for the nightclub but not so great for daytime tabling.

Food was phenomenal as always. Jerk ribs had me seeing Jesus with every bite. Never disappointed and amazing service.

I've had this for takeout before, but it's even better in person (which I willingly made the transit and foot journey in the pouring rain for) Going into the restaurant: Am I still in Seattle, or was the entrance door a secret portal to Jamaica ?? This place is so authentic and AWESOME!! It does what I like best about many restaurants: Getting into the theme of that country(s). Namely, the room is decorated like a Caribbean eatery on the beach and either the radio or a live band is playing groovy reggae and Island beaches that you invoke being on one of the places mentioned in "Kokomo" by The Beach Boys (I know this, from having vacationed to Aruba a few times) Onto the food: The goat curry is the perfect balance of spice with the unmistakable coconut milk twist to it and the rice and peas rock too!! And the server was a nice man who provided cordial and light-speed service All in all, I am pleased to say I will return here prolifically and it makes me pumped to take a trip to Jamaica one day!!

Authentic, delicious food, amazing mixed drinks, great music (and sound system), good vibes. I heard they have live music and dancing on weekends, saw that they had super high takeout demand, so order takeout or arrive before 6PM to avoid a wait... It's worth it, if you need to wait, though. The curry goat was the best dish I had, the chicken was a bit over cooked but flavorful. I'll be back, and hopefully, next time, I won't eat alone.

How I heard of this place: We were visiting my father-in-law at a hostpital nearby on 13 June 2018, and everyone was hungry after the visit. A quick Yelp search for a neighborhood eatery landed us at Taste of the Caribbean, and boy, are we glad it did! Type of cuisine: Jamaican fare in all its flavorful glory. Ambiance: A vibrant mural gracing the wall outside welcomes patrons to the space that captures the spirit of Jamaica in Seattle. Inside, pale yellow walls, sparsley decorated with flags, restaurant swag and television sets are set against the ceiling. Outside, a patio with ample seating under nice canopy allow for more diners. What I ordered: Ackee & Saltfish ($18) served with rice & beans, salad, Jerk Pork ($16), also served with steamed rice and salad. Among other items ordered by members of our party. What I loved: The jerk seasoning, the Jamaican flavors and the savory fare that was nicely presented. Why I loved it: A true taste of the Caribbean in our backyard. Cost: Average ($11-$18 per entree)

We went on Saturday at 2pm. We were the only people. We ordered: 1. GOAT CURRY - falling off the bone tender! Very flavorful. 5 / 5 2. ESCOVITCH FISH with FESTIVAL - I had the whole snapper. The fish was deep fried and nicely crispy. However the vegetables pickled in vinegar were too sour for me and I couldn't eat it. Sour isn't a a preferred taste for me. The festival dumplings were interesting- mildly cinnamony sweet 3 / 5 Would we go back? Yes for the goat curry

Had to come by for our cravings of the best fried tilapia & jerk chicken! My daughter & I love sharing. This place does not disappoint. The rice & beans (they call them peas) are fluffy & scrumptious. My favorite is their fried tilapia! We love their Paradise (like an unglazed donut). And their Jerk Chicken falls off the bones!! Plantains are the best I've ever had.

I love my Caribbean food and this place is one of my go tooo when I'm in Seattle area wanting my Caribbean fix. It's soo good. I ordered the oxtail, rice and peas, cabbage, beef Patty, and rum punch

We visited a Taste of the Caribbean. The food was amazing! The service was very good! I love the venue! We would definitely come back there maybe in the evening for the live music! I can't rave about the food enough! We are from the Bay Area and we return to Seattle we will definitely come back!

For real some of the best food I've tasted in Washington. The jerk chicken is to DIE FOR. Extremely tender and packed with seasoning, falls off the bone with a slight shake. The appetizer platter is perfectly balanced. Plantains are a great texture with nice punch. The codfish fritters are SO MFIN DELICIOUS I had to order seconds. Even the damn bread was good man. A must try. Edit: oxtail was bussin

Best Jamaican food I've had outside of Jamaica. The jerk chicken with rice and peas is a favorite. The chicken is flavorful and falls off the bone. The serving sizes are generally very generous. The plantains are perfectly caramelized - roasted on the outside but sweet and mushy on the inside The festival is fluffy with a crispy golden finish - and surprisingly slightly sweetened. A truly authentic experience!

We were trying to find a new to-go place try in Seattle and we picked this one! It was a nice surprise that their food were so tasty compared to some other Caribbean places we tried. We ordered two entries and two appetizers, jerk pork, oxtail, appetizer sampler, beef patty. The food was very flavorful and with large portions. The jerk pork and jerk wings in the sampler were the perfect level of spicy, not too spicy for us. We do love spicy food. The only thing was the rice that came with the entrees, a little too dry for us. We will definitely come again to try more of their entrees.

Such a cool restaurant! It's so proudly Caribbean from the courtyard outside to the decor and music in the restaurant. Our server was great and recommended the goat curry for me and my friend got the jerk chicken. Both were SO flavorful and tender and just so yummy.

I'm addicted to the jerk wings and Pattie's. You can never go wrong with those two items! Pro-tip -- put the jerk sauce on top of your rice!

1 of the best patty's and coco bread I've had outside of living in NYC. The gentleman who took my order was nice, polite and conversed a bit with me while taking my order. The patty's were ready to go but had to wait a little bit for the coco bread to be heated. Well worth the wait. A bit expensive. Almost $30 for 3 but can understand being they are located in Seattle. Will def be back to try more food!

Ordered takeout. Food: -Jamaican Beef Patty ($5) - Nice flaky exterior with a seasoned ground beef filling -Oxtail Combo ($20) - Oxtail is super tender and cartilage-y, not a ton of meat but that is the nature of oxtail. Stew was tasty and hearty. The rice is perfect soaked in the stew and beans/veggies. I definitely am looking forward to trying more dishes from this spot!

I don't have much to say 9/10 The waiter offered tast tester on the house of Jamaicas finest rum The Ambiance is what you would think of a jamican restaurant. Heavy reggae being playing , relaxing vibes. I just need a young coconut. We had a warm welcome . Good to see Jamaica presence on the westcoast

Great food, amazing flavors that I haven't seen a lot. Service is kind of slow but the food is well worth the trip

My nine-year-old cousin and I went on a lunch date here, and really enjoyed our service. The food was very delicious and our server Brittany was amazing ! We appreciated her quickness and overall happiness to serve us. Such a pretty smile to match her pretty personality ! We appreciate you so much Brittany thank you for making our Olive Garden lunch date so amazing !

My bf and I love this place. We occasionally take trips to Seattle just for Taste of the Caribbean. He's from the Caribbean and it's very difficult for him to find good tasting, authentic Caribbean food in the pnw. We love their jerk chicken, it's sooo flavorful and super tender. When I grab the meat, the bones will easily fall off and separate from the meat. That's just show how tender it is. For me it's perfect tasting, between the spices, juiciness, smokey, heat, and saltiness. The more I eat, the more I want. Definitely a must try. I really enjoy their festivals as well. I can taste the tint of cinnamon and nutmeg. There's a nutmeg crunch that I don't normally find in the nw Caribbean food. Very subtle sweet flavor, so good! I also enjoy their codfish fritters, one of my other favorite items to get. Very flavorful and filling. Also, their beef/chicken curry patty, really simple but quite tasty. Another must try as well! Definitely a must try if you're looking for some flavorful chicken, stew meat, or something different for your taste buds! ...or just get a rum cake and run with it.. Nothing wrong with just dessert, moist and flavorful, not too sweet, you can definitely taste a stronger note of rum in there, which is a bonus.

Lovely hole in the wall in the best sort of way. They have music events here as well which I'll have to check out in the future. I'm a white Jewish dude but I lived in Miami for a few years and would frequently boop about the Caribbean especially Jamaica this developed a insane love of Jamaica Patty's. And this place offers them to go so expect a future review of those. But for this instance I just ate in. And wow. From then rice and beans to the jerk chicken. Loved it! This place is going to be one of my new must go twos on a weekly if not biweekly basis!

I ordered the Curry Goat, was pretty good. A little expensive, but a good filling meal.

Came here with my family. We were craving Jamaican food. Service and food were amazing. We had jerk chicken wings, oxtail and Jerk pork. The jerk pork was done on point. Almost as good as my mother-in-law. Thank you for the amazing food!!!!

If you know real Jamaican food, this ain't it! The beef patty cool, but the rest, Not at all. Oh the rum punch hits though. Food nah...

Meh, it was just okay, and I normally love Caribbean food. I recommend Pam's in Wallingford instead, or maybe Un Bien, although those aren't specifically Jamaican. This is my 3rd time trying and just not being wowed by this restaurant (albeit this is 3x trying across several years). FULL DISCLOSURE, I got it delivered, but I can't imagine that would change it that much (and the one time I got Pam's, it was via takeout.) -Jerk wings - 2.5/5 - weren't flavorful enough and VERY oily. Missed that char you usually get, too, and were quite soggy. Also not particularly spicy for some reason?? But honestly, it just needed more spices (not necessarily heat) and WAYYYY less oil. I did get these wings once before a couple of years ago and didn't love them then, either, but I had hoped I'd just gotten them on an off day. -Curry chicken 3.5-4/5 - it was pretty tasty, better than the jerk chicken, but still not as flavorful compared to what I wanted and had random inedible bits in it (not just bone) - and it was quite oily, too. But still yummy. I've previously gotten curry shrimp and brown stew tilapia, and I liked both well enough (I'd rate them both around 3.5-4/5 like the curried chicken), I just wasn't wowed. I think the brown stew was the nicest, or at least not as overly oily. Flavor of the brown stew sauce and curry are both better than their version of the jerk sauce, even though I normally LOVE jerk flavoring. It's just milder in flavor than I have had from other places. Anyway, I do recommend trying Pam's curry instead, even though it's hella expensive. Maybe splurge on your birthday, lol. Too bad there aren't more Caribbean food places around Seattle!

Really love how authentic this food is! My partner has been looking for meat pies for a long time in Seattle and found that this is the spot to go to! We got the recommendation from one of our Jamaican friends, he is vegan and has found Taste of the Caribbean to have authentic food that is vegan friendly. The jerk chicken I got was superrrr flavorful and the rice and peas were the perfect compliment. My partner got oxtail but I didn't take a picture as I was too busy scarfing my food down haha The oxtail was great! Fell right off the bone and the extra potato's/veggies that came with it were a pleasant addition(: But of course, the star of the night were the meat pies. Nom nom!

The food was great. The chicken was flavorful and the oxtail was well cooked. I like the vibe of this place and the staff was great.

Everything was really good! Haven't had any good Jamaican food in years and someone suggested I should go here... when I tell you I did not say one word until it was all gone lol. Go get you some!!! I had the brown stew chicken w/ rice and peas.

Ordered take out from here and the jerk wings are very good. They ran out of the oxtail (I'll try this next time), and the escovitch fish was a decent substitute, although a completely different flavor. The Jamaican patty was tasty. The curry goat was good as well. Overall a great place to try Jamaican flavors.

Great food Good service festive atmosphere Exotic drinks. Great service! Catered to the children as well.

Really nice bartenders, I like to sit at the bar. I've had the jerk chicken the curry goat, festival and the beef patty's. Everything tastes authentic I even met one of the cooks and he wouldn't share the spice mixture! It's top secret!

Omg, finally found a carribean food restaurant that I have been craving and the food was awesome! Got the appetizer sampler (has jerk chicken, plantains, festival - sweet fried bread that tastes a bit like donut, and the Jamaican patty), oxtail w rice and beans, and the ackee w saltfish. The jerk chicken and the oxtail was falling off the bones tenderness w still a bite on it. They were definitely my favorites. The spices were awesome! Never had ackee before and when I looked online, it looks like a lychee but doesn't taste like it. Instead tasted more like a bit of palm of heart and soft chickpeas. For me, the food was a bit salty for my taste but it was still awesome. Definitely get the Kingston colada, which is like a Pina cola. So yummy!!! The venue was playing music that made me think that I was on the Caribbean island sipping my Pina cola. Definitely will return again.

Legit. Tender & authentic Jamaican jerk. Great service, u just gotta be patient. Unfortunately, they deal with a lot of orders and open in short amount of time. So order ahead a time. Cool vibe, for a date night. Most of the time, you have few people in the lounge. Just don't show up a day with an event going on. Coz it can get loud too sometimes.

When moving to Seattle, I was looking for somewhere that had amazing authentic Caribbean food. I grew up eating a lot of Caribbean food so it was so nice to have found this place. The appetizer sampler is my favorite! I order it as a dinner for one but if you want to order a entree, I always get the curry goat with rice and peas. Simply delicious!

first time ordering, i'll go in order of what i ate first rice and peas were immaculate. the oxtails need a little more seasoning, other than that, i'll order them again. the codfish fritter taste like hush puppies.. im personally not a huge fan of hush puppies, however, with a little more seasoning they'll be perfect. also, the ranch like tarter sauce underneath the fritters isn't necessary, for me personally. all in all, pretty damn delectable.

Still amazing as ever. The Cod Fish Fritters are my favorite thing. I crave them! There is so much flavor in everything and the staff is always excellent.

The worst "Caribbean" food I've had in my life. They need to take ALL the flags down in this spot for real! My family and I ate here last weekend. We got a jerk chicken plate, a stew chicken plate, stew snapper plate and a ginger beer and spent $70. First my fish was not descaled(pic below) , I have NEVER had fish and literally had to take and spit scales out while eating, disgusting!! It only tasted like salt no stew nothing. Second, the jerk chicken was simply charred chicken smothered in some kind of grey gravy. It too was very bland and had none of our beloved Caribbean spices on it. The stew chicken plate was again bland! I'm Jamaican Panamanian and have tasted West Indian food all over the world this has got to be the worst. I want to know who is in that kitchen and why their rating is so high??? If I didn't live so far I would have taken it all back and gotten refunded.

Food was good, service definitely needs works. Also out of a lot of popular items maybe I will try to come earlier in the day ‍ drinks were not good, I believe they still charged us for them even though all drinks ordered had a horrific after taste

No exaggeration - t's hard to eat the chicken wings because those flavorful, beautifully seasoned chunks of meat fall right off the damn bone. My little foodie kid ate them, declared them the best wings he's ever had, and then did a take-out order the next day. The curry shrimp is also perfectly cooked, and if you've been to JA and got hooked on a patty, they've got them here in meat, chicken, and more. food comes out quickly, prices are great. It's a Jamaican chunk of Heaven