The Calypso Rose
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The Calypso Rose

Permanently Closed

Caribbean & Latin dishes: oxtail, jerk chicken, curried shrimp

The Calypso Rose by null
The Calypso Rose by null
The Calypso Rose by null
The Calypso Rose by null
The Calypso Rose by null
The Calypso Rose by null
The Calypso Rose by null
The Calypso Rose by null
The Calypso Rose by null
The Calypso Rose by null
The Calypso Rose by null
The Calypso Rose by null
The Calypso Rose by null
The Calypso Rose by null
The Calypso Rose by null
The Calypso Rose by null
The Calypso Rose by null
The Calypso Rose by null
The Calypso Rose by null
The Calypso Rose by null
The Calypso Rose by null
The Calypso Rose by null
The Calypso Rose by null
The Calypso Rose by null
The Calypso Rose by null
The Calypso Rose by null
The Calypso Rose by null
The Calypso Rose by null
The Calypso Rose by null
The Calypso Rose by null
The Calypso Rose by null
The Calypso Rose by null
The Calypso Rose by null
The Calypso Rose by null
The Calypso Rose by null
The Calypso Rose by null
The Calypso Rose by null
The Calypso Rose by null
The Calypso Rose by null
The Calypso Rose by null
The Calypso Rose by null
The Calypso Rose by null
The Calypso Rose by null
The Calypso Rose by null
The Calypso Rose by null

Information

5959 Shellmound St, Emeryville, CA 94608, USA Get directions

$10–20

See Menu
Debit card accepted
Contactless accepted

Information

Static Map

5959 Shellmound St, Emeryville, CA 94608, USA Get directions

$10–20 · Menu

Features

•Debit card accepted
•Contactless accepted

Last updated

Apr 16, 2026

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17 San Francisco Bay Area Restaurant Closures to Know This October 2024 - Eater SF

"Chef Verna McGowan’s the Calypso Rose, a restaurant stall at Emeryville Public Market, has closed, according to the E’ville Eye. The Calypso Rose served a menu of jerk chicken, rasta pasta, curried shrimp, and other Caribbean fare; the reason for the closure isn’t known, per the Eye." - Justine Jones

https://sf.eater.com/2024/10/2/24259754/san-francisco-bay-area-bar-restaurant-closures-october-2024
The Calypso Rose
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New East Bay Restaurant Calypso Rose Kitchen, Inspired by Caribbean and Latin Home Cooking, Opens June 30 in Emeryville - Eater SF

"Calypso Rose Kitchen is set to open at Emeryville’s Public Market on June 30, showcasing dishes inspired by Chef Verna McGowan's Caribbean and Latin home cooking influences. The menu includes oxtail stew, Guyanese beef patties, Puerto Rican dishes like sopa de pollo and pernil, shrimp and chicken curry, and Jamaican brown stew chicken. McGowan aims to provide an experience of Caribbean cuisine beyond the typical jerk chicken, reflecting her personal food journey and memories." - Dianne de Guzman

https://sf.eater.com/2022/5/16/23076853/calpyso-rose-kitchen-emeryville-public-market-caribbean-restaurant
The Calypso Rose

Alisha P.

Google
Rasta pasta is just pasta with cheese and a dash of seasoning. The rice is dry and the capers or beans in the rice are even more dryer. I’ve never tasted cabbage like this and never will again… jalapeño, carrots, wax peppers, bell peppers 🤦🏾‍♀️. I was sooooo excited to try this place and highly disappointed ☹️

GetMoneyJ

Google
First things first the food here is amazing, very authentic and up right delicious. I stopped by the day the Calypso Rose had a soft open and been there since. I got the Jerk Chicken dinner both times and was blown away each serving. Will definitely be a regular here ! 10/10 !!

Nita

Google
I really wanted to enjoy the food at this restaurant. I visited on a Thursday afternoon.The woman at the register was very nice. There was a woman behind in the kitchen cooking unfortunately the food was bland. I ordered Chili wings, which were the best of anything, also had the rice and peas, which was dry parboiled rice with dry dry peas no flavor in this dish, the cabbage also not flavorful, had no smell weird seasonings if any, the ginger lemonade was very sweet. Taste like a powder mix.

zelma L.

Google
Mimi was great. I love Jerk chicken and I know what it tastes like. I've had it in Jamaica too. This was no where near the taste and was just bland baked chicken with bland yellow rice and a few peas. I didn't bother with the small condiments, because I shouldn't have needed them. The meal was plentiful and I will doctor it up tomorrow for leftovers. I make tastier chicken with the jerk chicken seasonings I buy from the Jamaican market in Oakland.

Jordana J.

Google
This lady can cook! So far I’ve tried the jerk chicken, curried shrimp, Rasta Pasta, plantains, coconut rice and stickey toffee pudding…everything was delicious! The homemade hibiscus sorrel and ginger lemonade are also delicious!

Rhonda K.

Google
The fish tacos were delicious without too much spicy kick. The rasta pasta with shrimp was quite tasty. It was an enjoyable experience to try a new place.

Paul K.

Google
I had the jerk chicken salad. The jerk chicken was over cooked and dry. It also was fairly bland, which is odd for jerk chicken. The veggies were crisp and the dressing was tangy, but nothing tied the salad together. Overall dissatisfying

velisthalito

Google
The food is really delicious. I ordered the bowl for $13. Rice. chicken stew and fried plantains. The food is really fresh too.
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Jacqueline F.

Yelp
I came here to the place next door and figured that I'd made the wrong choice and promised to be back. This was that visit. The food here was good and warm. This stand is run by a brother and sister and they are very, very nice. I got the jerk chicken with the coconut rice and another side. I forget which one. The coconut rice wasn't the most flavorful, but I reheated it at home with some beans that my husband made and it was good. The left over chicken heated up quite well. The jerk chicken was so warm and stayed warm as I ate it. It wasn't the jerk that the previous place had, but it's good. I will definitely come back here to eat again. I'll have the rice and pigeon peas.
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Jack R.

Yelp
My coworker saw absolutely no one here, so she was hesitant to order the food. Instead she ordered the Pineapple cake and ended up regretting it. To me, it tasted like a weird cheap boxed cake--I tried a bite. She said she didn't like the aftertaste. Either way, it went in the trash. She said to give this place a barely 3 stars. But honestly it should get 2 stars for this overpriced horrible cake.
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Alexis M.

Yelp
I ordered the jerk chicken plate which came with 2 sides. I picked the yellow rice and plantains (my favorite) but when I got my plate I wasn't too happy with the chicken. It wasn't really jerk chicken, more like bbq. It had a little flavor but not much. It was juicy I give it that. It wasn't bad either but it wasn't jerk chicken. Then the yellow rice, wasn't very flavorful either, very bland and was ok. I lovedddd the plantains however, and next time I will try other items. I wish I could have tried the oxtails, but they were sold out
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Razaa A.

Yelp
Awesome that they serve Halal meat, which is great for those with dietary restrictions! Saw this place my time before and didn't get a chance to try. Their chicken plate is tasty! The chicken pretty much falls off the bone and is extremely tender. The service is really quick and the overall ambiance of public market complements the food very well. I loved the corn side, and the salad wasn't particularly great but overall for the price I felt it was worthwhile. Check them out!
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Allyson U.

Yelp
After walking through the Public Market, I decided to order from Calypso Rose and it was great. The person took my order and the food was ready after about 5 or so minutes. They literally had just pulled the chicken from the oven and it was hot and juicy. I picked up the plate and dug in as soon as I got to the table. The chicken was super tender and easy to cut off the bone. The calypso salad was also delicious and the dressing was excellent. The plantains we tasty, but I thought the portion was a bit ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Overal, I would come again.
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Jenny L.

Yelp
The chili pineapple chicken wings here was FIRE. I walked around the whole food court several times and this was what I settled with at the end. And trist me, its a bit rare that I pick non-asian food to eat but this place seemed enticing so I gave it a try. OMG let me tell you, this place did not disappoint. I want to go back and do another order of wings, it was THAT good. It was really hot, like temperature hot, I assume they literally just fried it. It was spicy but JUST THE RIGHT amount of spice. If I am back at this Emeryville food court again I will DEFINITELY come back again for their delicious wings. Now if you are debating to go or not, I'd say GO. Give it a try. It deserves more LOVE!
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Eric R.

Yelp
Pretty disappointing new addition to the public market. Started off on the wrong foot with taking a really long time to place the order. The patron in front of me took about 5 min to place their order then was chatting it up with someone behind the counter blocking the way to order. I'll chalk this off to growing pains and being short staffed as the worker taking orders was also in charge of cooking some of the items. Issue is really the food to me, for $19 the jerk chicken dinner was lacking in size and flavor. They only had two sides left around 7pm on a Saturday (again, growing/opening pains). Chicken was dry and the sauce that was in it strangely crusted to the bottom of the container. Unsure how this happened as I ate it a minute after receiving my order, odd to say the least. Beef patty was decent, filling didn't do much but the crust was really good. At $3 each or 3 for $8, a little pricey - they're about the size of a macaron Probably worth another try at some point once they are more up to speed but waiting those 5 min to order it's really tempting to go somewhere else given all the options. I know I was really close to getting some brisket a few steps away.
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Tracy T.

Yelp
Pretty solid for a new spot. I had been waiting months for this place to open, so I was excited when I finally came to the Market and saw that it was. It's important to note that this isn't necessarily Jamaican food (outside of the beef patties), but more of a Guyanese/Caribbean fusion place. Lots of good options. I ended up trying the Guyanese shrimp curry with rice and peas, steamed cabbage, and got a side of the fried plantains. I loved the flavor of the curry. It had just enough kick for it not to be too spicy. The steamed cabbage was a bit more on the tangy side, but tolerable. The peas and rice were good and had great flavor (and paired nicely with the shrimp curry). I do feel like the price point it a bit high, but kind of on par with the rest of the market. I just expect the best of the best for those amounts. Will I be back? Possibly. I like that it's something different in a sea of sameness, and will be excited to see this business grow and evolve.
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Paul H.

Yelp
Wanted to give this place a try for quite some time now and decided to take the plunge. Played it safe by ordering shrimp/potato roti, side of plantains and ginger lemonade . The roti was just ok and plantains were cool. Will continue my search for good Caribbean food in the Bay as it's been a challenge. Would be open to try the staples, like jerk chicken, rice and peas. Maybe next time.

Gammer _.

Yelp
The food was trash and the Rasta pasta was garbage. I am so sorry for being so mean but being a Guyanese and from Guyana it's a damn shame that they say that Guyanese food. That's for people that don't know reality Guyanese food. I was so upset.
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Connie C.

Yelp
Solid meal choice amongst the many choices offered at the public market! This is my first time trying Jamaican food and it was a good experience. Drinks were premade and stored in a large dispenser at the front. The lady at the front was nice enough to offer me small samples of two of the drinks I was deciding between. I was told it was popular to get half ginger lemonade and half hibiscus, so I went with that. A little too sweet for me so I requested it come with ice so that the ice could water it down a little. I got the jerk chicken meal with plantains and a salad as my two sides. I really liked the sauce that the jerk chicken came with and it had a nice smokey flavor to it without being burnt! My plantain craving was satisfied! Salad was fresh. This dish also came with a small sauce on the side. I'm not sure what sauce it is, but it's yellow and tasted sort of like a sweet salsa. I ate up everything, no leftovers to bring home (a little sad about that).It's a little pricey for me personally so I don't think it would be a regular visit for me but it's a solid choice at the public market in my opinion!
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Jennifer L.

Yelp
I'm no expert when it comes to Caribbean food, but I felt that the jerk chicken was significantly less flavorful than what I've had at other spots. It honestly tasted like it was steamed and doused in a small amount of bbq sauce. Rice and calypso salad were decent, but easily forgettable.

Lana L.

Yelp
BEST vegetarian soup I've had in years! Get the black bean soup!! It was hearty, warm, perfectly spiced. Even my partner (a meat lover) thought the soup was bomb. Also the corn was good too
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Jennifer K.

Yelp
I was in town for a business trip and was staying at a hotel right across the street from the Public Market. I came on a Wednesday night around 7 pm. I did not wait long to ask about their gluten and diary accommodations. They were really nice and confirmed that I would be safe eating the Jerk Chicken Calypso salad. I did not have to wait more than 10 minutes for the salad to be ready. They made sure to explain what the sauces were and even asked if I wanted a bag to carry it back to my hotel. The salad was beautifully made with plantain chips all around the outside, the jerk chicken on top and the dressing in a container to add myself. It was a good sized salad. Not too expensive. There was a lot of chicken and it was flavorful. Overall I really enjoyed the service and the food. They get bonus points for playing good music. I would recommend this restaurant and would love to come back.
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Rasheed M.

Yelp
Had the jerk chicken with the rice and cabbage my girl got the plantains instead of cabbage and we both was in each other plate! Then the ginger lemonade was amazing but I love ginger, and the sorrel hibiscus drink also very dangerous. Great place to eat
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Jade S.

Yelp
Pretty pricey for what you get. I got the jerk chicken dinner with coconut rice and plantains. Service was 2. Not the friendly staff which was unexpected Food: 3.5 it was good but I was hoping for better Value: 2 pricey - $18 for leg and thigh with small portion of rice and plantain. Ambiance: 4 the public market is a cute little area. I think it's something good to try if you've never been but I hope they work on customer service.
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Nohemi G.

Yelp
Typically this dish comes with a leg and thigh, but I asked for wing and they said it was okay, he steam cabbage very tasty as well the rice, love it!!!!

Jenny P.

Yelp
First time at this place in Emeryville inside of The Public Market, the pasta si creamy and the wings crispy and delicious, the salad with shrimp very crunchy and refreshing with the crispiest shrimp, absolutely delicious!!!
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Dinari B.

Yelp
Very disappointed! Not authentic at all! I was excited about the menu, then I got the food... $24 oxtails were lacking Jamaican flavors and overall flavor in general. Beef Patties were a joke. Nothing Jamaican about them at all in my opinion. No allspice or scotch bonnet flavor whatsoever. No suet or hardly any used, tasted and looked like store bought puff pastry. They were pale tan color with absolutely no golden yellow color or flaky texture. Not real Jamaican patty dough. Peas and carrots in with the meat as a filler, c'mon...? Weak! These were 3 inch mini ground beef turnovers, not Jamaican beef patties. Plantains tasted like they were made the day prior and they were not made from soft, sweet, and ripened plantains. This place is misrepresenting at a very high price. I've been eating island cuisine for 40 years and this was the worst I've ever had. However, dont get me wrong, it's not all bad. The food was edible the portion size on the dinner plate was large, and most importantly I did not get foodborne illness. Food just lacked Caribbean flair all together. Maybe I ordered wrong and other items are good, but I'll never know. Skipping this place from now on. I should have taken a hint from the lack of a line on a busy Saturday dinner rush... My suggestion: Respect the cuisine. Step your game up. Revisit your recipes, ingredient sourcing, training and execution. Or just don't represent it as Caribbean food.

Toby G.

Yelp
The food was not good at all. The plantains were the best part of the meal. Jerk chicken was not very flavorful, tasted like it had been covered in sweet sauce after cooking with no seasoning.
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Sarah B.

Yelp
Jerk chicken hellla good very moist and juicy! So yummy and tasty will definitely come back!!
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Brittuhknee D.

Yelp
My husband and I visited the Calypso Rose on October 17, 2022 and we were the only patrons there. Great, right? No line and mere minutes separating us from mouth watering oxtails and sorrel. Wrong! Although the worker behind the counter locked eyes with us twice, she couldn't be bothered to greet us or take our orders. And there was no kiosk to input our order without interacting with her. Luckily, Paradita was just around the corner.
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Jordana J.

Yelp
This lady can cook! So far I've tried the jerk chicken, curried shrimp, Rasta Pasta, plantains, coconut rice and stickey toffee pudding...everything was delicious! The homemade hibiscus sorrel and ginger lemonade are also delicious! Please be patient as wait times can be long when busy as the chef cooks everything personally, there are no heat lamps, but it's well worth the wait!

Velisthalito V.

Yelp
one of my favorite place in public market . I love the bowl and it is economical rice, stewed chicken and sweet fried plantains. x $13 dls and the food is very fresh and delicious

David L.

Yelp
Curry is fire, plantains are great, jerk corn is FIRE. Everyone ended up stealing my food after they didn't like Mexican and rice bowls elsewhere.

Dme C.

Yelp
Not a great place to eat. Rude, engratiating staff. Food was terrible. Not the cleanest dining facility for sure...