Amazing vibe, delicious food, and delicious drinks. Loved the house made ginger beer! Will definitely be coming back!
Opentable Diner
Great food and drinks! Service was a little slow for repeat drink orders but overall for a large group everything went well.
Richard
The food is great there but they ran out of a few items and service was pretty slow tonight. I've been there before and kind of expect it. I love it there though.
Shelly-Ann
I had to go to another restaurant to eat right after because I was starving after attempting to eat at this spot. Food was awful and seemed stale. Roti on the stacked roti felt like it was 2 days stale. Wings were flavourless and clearly unseasoned. It was a Saturday night and I was expecting a bit of a vibe. 10 mins in they shut off the music. I could hear everyone's conversations. We had to ask them to turn it back on after it was off for a while. Best thing was the rum punch. Unless you're going for drinks only I'd avoid this spot. It's like no one from the Caribbean even works here. 👎🏾
Fernando Manuel Avendaño Mendoza
They have a few days of stand up comedy in Spanish. Good form of fun
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 5
colleen mccaulsky
Visiting BC for the week and check out the Calabash restaurant as I was feeling for some Caribbean food . Here is my adventure: Although the area seems sketchy upon arrival and I asked my Uber driver about it he says it was an ok area. While accessing the entrance there were 3 male staff at the door and I had to show an ID to enter. Perhaps the staff could have welcome me to their restaurant, instead of : “I need to see your ID and giving off a bouncer feel of a night club entrance. While inside a found the restaurant quite tacky, tables were so tight that I could hear the two men conversation next to my table on the right as well as I felt they were too close in my personal space. As another couple came in and sat at a table behind the one I was seated on I could hear their conversations. I sat there for 10 mins and the bar tender approach to enquire if I needed anything so I asked for a menu and was given a card with a QR link to the menu. I ordered a ginger beer and jerk chicken which had the number 1 choice most people ordered on the Uber app. 5 mins later I received my ginger beer . One sip and that was a no for me . It was water down drink which seems like brown sugar and water absolutely no ginger then I realized it was a different type. A waitress passed by attending to the couple seated behind me and I enquired what the drink was she advised it was home made ginger beer. I asked about the D&G or Grace bottled ginger beer and in 2 mins later, there was the brown bottled ginger beer which was very cold and refreshing with my ordered jerk chicken with rice and peas. The jerk chicken portion was a leg with thigh swimming in the Caribbean Sea and rice and peas more tasting like rice and bean slush drowning in the calabash bowl. Why on earth would a restaurant add so much gravy /sauce to a meal ? It was just horrible. Their vegetable was crunchy and freshly made as I saved the small potion of vegetable salad with 2 small pieces of plantain from drowning. The bill totalled $29.75 and I used a $50 note for payments . I remained puzzled when the waitress ask if I wanted change??? When anyone makes a payment they are entitled to their change and they decide what they wish to do with their change so that was quite rude. And yes I said please and thank you for my change from my bill .i received my $20 and paid her a tip of $10 for her time in getting my ginger beer and taking my food . Suggestion to the manager . Perhaps the men at the door could say welcome and state that an ID is required. Or wait until customer get inside to ask for the ID to purchase alcoholic beverage. But as I said I am just a tourist passing through maybe the id is for other purposes to screen persons and keep some persons out. Get some of your tables out which would allow personal space and customers to breathe. Train your workers and cooks and improve on the food, courtesy as in the Caribbean workers are more trained unlike some in the western world .
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 2
Diana Sonobe
I hosted a special event two weeks ago, and everything went wonderfully! My guests had a fantastic time and shared many compliments about the venue and the customer service. I admit I was a bit concerned about the surrounding area, but it turned out to be a non-issue. If you’re looking for a place to host a party with excellent service, great food, drinks, and fun in downtown, this is it!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Calabash Poutine
faye houston
Great spot for birthday dinner with friends, yummy cocktails (dark & stormy was delicious) and great food. Plus there’s dancing and DJ downstairs, best kept secret in Vancouver!
Definitely NOT Caribbean food. Not even the staff were Caribbean. Most of the dishes lacked signature Caribbean seasonings and flavours. Jerk mussels tasted more of coconut milk than jerk seasoning, but was still tasty. The jerk chicken meal was very modest in jerk spice, almost to the point of being bland. Fish roti was the best dish and actually quite delicious. Crispy fried roti was rich, but the rum caramel had a slight sour taste and the roti was too hard to be palatable. Overall, the food was good, but I was disappointed because I was expecting authentic Caribbean.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 4
Chanece
Food was not good at all. As a Caribbean person I will say the food was lacking spice and flavour. Music was vibes though
Amazing food and thoroughly entertaining band/bistro experience…felt like we were in the Caribbean. We were celebrating our 21-year anniversary, and they thought to bring us some complimentary martinis. A wonderful place that I hope continues to grow and flourish in Vancouver.
Ownership of the restaurant changed last year and the changes are substantial. Food and drinks are still good but nowhere near as good as under the previous owners. Service was abysmal. Our table got food all at different times. Entrees came before appetizers. Appetizers came before drinks. Unfortunately we won't be returning.
Jamie TWITTER RICHARDSON
This business within the downtown east side is climate change proactive and providing food to those in need as when they close they distribute leftover food in the kitchen to those in need in the neighborhood and on the street this is a positive attitude by a business in the core of the downtown east side and I applaud their actions then now and always!
Their actions help fight climate change by reducing the waste of food in standard of ending up in the landfill it is gone to fed the homeless and hungry people of the downtown east side which helps flight climate change.
Amazing vibe, delicious food, and delicious drinks. Loved the house made ginger beer! Will definitely be coming back!
Great food and drinks! Service was a little slow for repeat drink orders but overall for a large group everything went well.
The food is great there but they ran out of a few items and service was pretty slow tonight. I've been there before and kind of expect it. I love it there though.
I had to go to another restaurant to eat right after because I was starving after attempting to eat at this spot. Food was awful and seemed stale. Roti on the stacked roti felt like it was 2 days stale. Wings were flavourless and clearly unseasoned. It was a Saturday night and I was expecting a bit of a vibe. 10 mins in they shut off the music. I could hear everyone's conversations. We had to ask them to turn it back on after it was off for a while. Best thing was the rum punch. Unless you're going for drinks only I'd avoid this spot. It's like no one from the Caribbean even works here. 👎🏾
They have a few days of stand up comedy in Spanish. Good form of fun
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 5
Visiting BC for the week and check out the Calabash restaurant as I was feeling for some Caribbean food . Here is my adventure: Although the area seems sketchy upon arrival and I asked my Uber driver about it he says it was an ok area. While accessing the entrance there were 3 male staff at the door and I had to show an ID to enter. Perhaps the staff could have welcome me to their restaurant, instead of : “I need to see your ID and giving off a bouncer feel of a night club entrance.
While inside a found the restaurant quite tacky, tables were so tight that I could hear the two men conversation next to my table on the right as well as I felt they were too close in my personal space. As another couple came in and sat at a table behind the one I was seated on I could hear their conversations. I sat there for 10 mins and the bar tender approach to enquire if I needed anything so I asked for a menu and was given a card with a QR link to the menu. I ordered a ginger beer and jerk chicken which had the number 1 choice most people ordered on the Uber app.
5 mins later I received my ginger beer . One sip and that was a no for me .
It was water down drink which seems like brown sugar and water absolutely no ginger then I realized it was a different type.
A waitress passed by attending to the couple seated behind me and I enquired what the drink was she advised it was home made ginger beer. I asked about the D&G or Grace bottled ginger beer and in 2 mins later, there was the brown bottled ginger beer which was very cold and refreshing with my ordered jerk chicken with rice and peas.
The jerk chicken portion was a leg with thigh swimming in the Caribbean Sea and rice and peas more tasting like rice and bean slush drowning in the calabash bowl. Why on earth would a restaurant add so much gravy /sauce to a meal ? It was just horrible.
Their vegetable was crunchy and freshly made as I saved the small potion of vegetable salad with 2 small pieces of plantain from drowning. The bill totalled $29.75 and I used a $50 note for payments . I remained puzzled when the waitress ask if I wanted change??? When anyone makes a payment they are entitled to their change and they decide what they wish to do with their change so that was quite rude. And yes I said please and thank you for my change from my bill .i received my $20 and paid her a tip of $10 for her time in getting my ginger beer and taking my food .
Suggestion to the manager . Perhaps the men at the door could say welcome and state that an ID is required. Or wait until customer get inside to ask for the ID to purchase alcoholic beverage. But as I said I am just a tourist passing through maybe the id is for other purposes to screen persons and keep some persons out.
Get some of your tables out which would allow personal space and customers to breathe.
Train your workers and cooks and improve on the food, courtesy as in the Caribbean workers are more trained unlike some in the western world .
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 2
I hosted a special event two weeks ago, and everything went wonderfully! My guests had a fantastic time and shared many compliments about the venue and the customer service. I admit I was a bit concerned about the surrounding area, but it turned out to be a non-issue. If you’re looking for a place to host a party with excellent service, great food, drinks, and fun in downtown, this is it!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Calabash Poutine
Great spot for birthday dinner with friends, yummy cocktails (dark & stormy was delicious) and great food. Plus there’s dancing and DJ downstairs, best kept secret in Vancouver!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Jerk Chicken, Vegetarian Curry
Definitely NOT Caribbean food. Not even the staff were Caribbean. Most of the dishes lacked signature Caribbean seasonings and flavours. Jerk mussels tasted more of coconut milk than jerk seasoning, but was still tasty. The jerk chicken meal was very modest in jerk spice, almost to the point of being bland. Fish roti was the best dish and actually quite delicious. Crispy fried roti was rich, but the rum caramel had a slight sour taste and the roti was too hard to be palatable. Overall, the food was good, but I was disappointed because I was expecting authentic Caribbean.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 4
Food was not good at all. As a Caribbean person I will say the food was lacking spice and flavour. Music was vibes though
Restaurantji Recommends
Amazing food and thoroughly entertaining band/bistro experience…felt like we were in the Caribbean. We were celebrating our 21-year anniversary, and they thought to bring us some complimentary martinis. A wonderful place that I hope continues to grow and flourish in Vancouver.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Wings, Slow Braised Oxtail, Fried Coconut Dumplings
Fantastic and authentic Caribbean food in Downtown
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Jerk Chicken, Plantain Chips, Slow Braised Oxtail, Chicken Roti, Jerk Fried Fish, Coconut Dumplings with Mango Butter
Ownership of the restaurant changed last year and the changes are substantial. Food and drinks are still good but nowhere near as good as under the previous owners. Service was abysmal. Our table got food all at different times. Entrees came before appetizers. Appetizers came before drinks. Unfortunately we won't be returning.
This business within the downtown east side is climate change proactive and providing food to those in need as when they close they distribute leftover food in the kitchen to those in need in the neighborhood and on the street this is a positive attitude by a business in the core of the downtown east side and I applaud their actions then now and always!
Their actions help fight climate change by reducing the waste of food in standard of ending up in the landfill it is gone to fed the homeless and hungry people of the downtown east side which helps flight climate change.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
The jerk chicken and rum punch were great.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
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