The Islands
Caribbean restaurant · Crown Heights ·
Jerk chicken, curry goat, oxtail, and mac 'n' cheese
Jerk chicken, curry goat, oxtail, and mac 'n' cheese
"Another Brooklyn institution that expanded to a larger space with outdoor seating, The Islands is always there for you when you want a plate of traditional food that tastes fresh from the Yard. The Islands serves up Jamaican classics ranging from oxtail to escovitch fish, jerk and curry chicken. When we hosted food influencer collective @ladieswhomeat, they couldn’t get enough of the fall-off-the bone oxtail with rice and peas, stewed cabbage, sweet plantains and quickly discovered why roti is best when ordered from a Trinidadian or Guyanese establishment. Next on my must-try list is the jerk lamb, jerk shrimp, and mac and cheese." - shelley worrell 31
"Aptly named the Islands, this Prospect Heights restaurant serves Caribbean specialty dishes. You can find jerk chicken on the menu, but other must-try items include oxtail stew served with rice and peas and jumbo shrimp topped with a savory coconut sauce. Best of all, it’s BYOB and walk-in friendly." - Vox Creative
"Reopened in a larger space with table service at 671 Washington Ave., between Prospect Place and St. Marks Avenue, I found the Islands—a longtime Jamaican restaurant owned by Marilyn Reid on the Crown Heights–Prospect Heights border—still worth seeking out even though some menu items are often unavailable. The flattened fritters of salt cod, known as stamp and go, were crunchy and golden, and the escovitch I had was a whole red snapper, obviously fresh and fried just until firm, with a vinegar dressing laced with hot chiles and pickled bell peppers, carrots and cucumbers that made it more interesting than usual. From the old days the curried goat remained very tender and richly seasoned, though never scalp‑piercingly spicy, and I’ve found a new standby in the curried vegetables, where golden raisins, turmeric and allspice may do even more for cabbage and carrots than they do for goat meat. I also dug the barbecued chicken over the jerk, the rice and peas, the fried plantains and the stewed cabbage; when I’m in the mood for something miraculous I remind myself that the Islands is still in business—you can’t stop gentrification, but sometimes you can fool it while it’s looking the other way. I awarded it one star." - Serena Dai
"A neighborhood Caribbean joint on the Prospect Heights/Crown Heights border whose reboot in a bigger space expanded the menu — all the jerk classics and oxtails are exceptional, and the mac and cheese shouldn’t be slept on." - Eater Staff
