I'm in no position to judge Jamaican food. The last time I had jerk chicken was back in the 90s at Caribbean Gardens in Burlingame.My son's girlfriend is half Jamaican and eats here regularly. That's endorsement enough for me. The seamoss drink was a new experience for me. I bought a couple bottles to go, after drinking one at my meal.They were out of the beef cocktail patties and I was a little bummed. This is a tiny little restaurant spot and I totally understand. If you want to give Jamaican food a try, this is the spot in Oakland.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Rice & Peas
Vacado's World
Customer service is awesome. Definitely got to try the Curry goat that melts in your mouth and pumpkin
Perfect everything..Not sure if they closed down or if it was just the week that I went twice and they were closed..Music they play is all up to date real Jamaican music not urban radio reggae America...Food good..They may need a better location because people may not know they exist..Up!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Rice & Peas, Jerk Chicken
Donte B.
There aren't many places in the Bay Area much like this place. When you step inside, it feels like a piece of Jamaica is there. My first couple visits consisted of me getting smoothies, which we are delicious on their own. The main attraction here for me is the beef patties. My go-to is the beef and cheese. They always come out smoking hot. The spicy beef is also delicious. Parking isn't the best (it is located in downtown Oakland) but if you want a smoothie and snack def give this place a try
Maurice McCook
This is the most authentic Jamaican restaurant in Oakland.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Gavin Hamilton
This was a spicy, hot authentic curry goat, falling off the bones into an incredible viscous liquor, thick of yam, dachine, and green sweet potato. Cumin and turmeric in the nose, scotch bonnet peppers, and thyme, so much thyme!To polish it off? Piping hot, sweet fried plantain! I declare, there is nothing like the caramelized crust on deep fried ripe plantains. Nothing on the face of the earth equals that crust. Nothing.
This place is a whole vibe!!! The food is awesome and staff friendly. Let's go back to the food for a moment. That jerk chicken deserves chef's kiss! This was the best restaurant we experienced this weekend!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Rice & Peas, Shrimp Curry
Danny Shannon
Live dance hall vibes on a Friday night. Some Jameson, terps, and beef patty. Bless
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Chicken and Beef Patties
Elizabeth T.
How lucky we are to have this authentic of Jamaican food in the Bay Area. I've visited Jamaica many times and this tastes dead on the food I get while there- the first place in the Bay Area to do it. Their jerk chicken and oxtail is ahhhmazing, but my favorite is the Ackee & Saltfish... I have not been able to find this dish anywhere outside of the east coast and Jamaica. The portions are also very large. The chef here truly deserves 10 + stars because he really makes it a point to keep each dish authentic to the core - bringing a smile not only to the customers face, but their entire soul. They play really good reggae music so it's a nice place to grab a drink and chill as well. Thank you guys for putting in the work to make this restaurant possible - we are so lucky to have you here in the Bay Area!
Jermaine Fordham
My wife is Jamaican and this is the best Jamaican food we've had in a restaurant and is on the home cooking
Wow, wow, wow. Good food. Real spice. Coming back for more j*** chicken
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Halcyon Clay
Must try Jamaican cuisine! Nourished my heart and soul. Made me a better person.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Jerk Chicken
Vulgaire T.
So, I discovered this place from the TooGoodToGo App, and I can confidently say I won't be back. Allow me to tell you why!So, we used the App "TooGoodToGo" where you reserve a "surprise" bag of the restaurant's end of day leftovers. They give you a window of time to pick it up. We were right on time. We walked in, and went to the only person at the counter. She didn't acknowledge us at all for a good 5 minutes while she carried on a personal conversation with the person in front of us (who wasn't ordering, just there to chat). When the woman at the counter finally GLARED at us like we were bothering her and asked us what we wanted- we told her we were there to pickup our TooGoodToGo bag. She said to pick it up at the other counter. Okay.So we go around to the other counter and there is a woman frantically filling large containers full of food, seemingly working alone. She smiled at us but kept her head down and kept at her task. We figured we would wait it out, just be patient, she'll help us at some point. Nope.Then this guy who appeared, at first, to be a patron walks over to us while we were waiting and in a low voice asked what we wanted, I think? I asked him to repeat himself because the music was so loud I couldn't hear him. He repeated himself in the same low voice, so I just told him we were from the TGTG App and we're here to pick up our bag. I showed him my phone screen because he didn't seem to understand what I was talking about.Then he TAKES MY PHONE FROM MY HAND to go ask someone what this app is about. TOTALLY unprofessional. And ABSOLUTELY NON-CONSENSUAL. I didn't even have a chance to say no- he just grabbed it and walked in the back. Then I see him walk around to the original waitress (who was still having her personal conversation) to ask her what this order was. She finally came over to the side of the restaurant we were on to give him this small bowl and told him to "just give them whatever". The man handed me my phone back and filled this small bowl for us despite having a ton of leftover food in the kitchen area. I'm grateful for the bowl, don't get me wrong- but It's not what the point of the App is. The point is to give food they cannot sell the next day instead of discarding it and wasting food that could otherwise be enjoyed by people who don't mind a "surprise" dinner. Boy, was I surprised! It was VERY clear they didn't understand what the app was or what it was meant for. It was VERY clear there wasn't good communication across the board, and It was VERY clear we were not welcome there.The food was actually delicious. But the service? Yikes, bro. You couldn't pay me to go back there, that's how uncomfortable everyone working there made us feel. Literally EVERY SINGLE STAFF member we interacted with was either rude AF or completely ignored us. So yeah, it doesn't seem like they want locals patronizing their business. Weird. We tried.
Vijay N.
Stopped by here last night for dinner with my girlfriend and our friend. Parking can be a little difficult to find - there is no parking lot, just street parking. Luckily we were able to find a spot on the street close to the restaurant.The restaurant itself has an outdoor patio where live music and DJ's perform ( the DJ performing last night was really good) and tables to sit down at indoors.For our meal, each of us got our own plates and some things to share.For the appetizers, the Fried Breadfruit was really interesting. The fruit itself did indeed have a bready consistency which was actually kinda trippy. But it tasted great - it was almost smokey, with a little bit of salt added on top and a light sweetness from the fruit. The Festivals were pretty good - They tasted like deep fried breads with a hint of cinnamon. The taste was decent but they were a little too dense for my liking.For Entrees - I got the Brown Chicken Stew Plate, my girlfriend got the rasta pasta, and our friend got the oxtail. One thing to note for each of our entrees - portions are extremely Generous. You'll definitely get your money's worth of food here.The Brown Chicken stew was very solid - it reminded me of what I used to get back on the east coast. The chicken was perfectly tender, and the brown sauce was extra savory. The plantains on the side along with the rice peas went well with the stew sauce. I found that adding a little bit of hot sauce brought it all together nicely.The Oxtail, from what I tried, was also very delicious. They were cooked properly and were also tender and the flavoring was perfect.The Rasta pasta (one of the only vegetarian Items on the menu - they did not have the Ital menu available) left a bit to be desired for sure. It was very turmeric forward, and not quite what I expected based on what I've seen of Rasta Pasta in the past. My girlfriend said that adding some extra seasoning and some of the hot sauce made it better for sure.All in all, Mintos is a spot that has good service and solid quality Jamaican/ Caribbean food. Would definitely recommend giving this place a try.4/5
Lauren S.
The dish was plenty and delicious. Chicken smoked outside. Meat was plenty with a slight spicy to it. The rum punch was great, not too sweet with a hunt of tartness and plenty of rum. Service was good. There are settings inside and outside, music jammin' in the loud speakers. Good for hanging out with your mates.Can't go wrong with chillin' to music and good food.I recommend this place and will come back for food and the Jamaican Rum Punch!
I'm in no position to judge Jamaican food. The last time I had jerk chicken was back in the 90s at Caribbean Gardens in Burlingame.My son's girlfriend is half Jamaican and eats here regularly. That's endorsement enough for me. The seamoss drink was a new experience for me. I bought a couple bottles to go, after drinking one at my meal.They were out of the beef cocktail patties and I was a little bummed. This is a tiny little restaurant spot and I totally understand. If you want to give Jamaican food a try, this is the spot in Oakland.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Rice & Peas
Customer service is awesome. Definitely got to try the Curry goat that melts in your mouth and pumpkin
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Rice & Peas, Curry Goat, Ackee & Saltfish
Perfect everything..Not sure if they closed down or if it was just the week that I went twice and they were closed..Music they play is all up to date real Jamaican music not urban radio reggae America...Food good..They may need a better location because people may not know they exist..Up!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Rice & Peas, Jerk Chicken
There aren't many places in the Bay Area much like this place. When you step inside, it feels like a piece of Jamaica is there. My first couple visits consisted of me getting smoothies, which we are delicious on their own. The main attraction here for me is the beef patties. My go-to is the beef and cheese. They always come out smoking hot. The spicy beef is also delicious. Parking isn't the best (it is located in downtown Oakland) but if you want a smoothie and snack def give this place a try
This is the most authentic Jamaican restaurant in Oakland.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
This was a spicy, hot authentic curry goat, falling off the bones into an incredible viscous liquor, thick of yam, dachine, and green sweet potato. Cumin and turmeric in the nose, scotch bonnet peppers, and thyme, so much thyme!To polish it off? Piping hot, sweet fried plantain! I declare, there is nothing like the caramelized crust on deep fried ripe plantains. Nothing on the face of the earth equals that crust. Nothing.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 3
Recommended dishes: Curry Goat, Rice & Peas, Ital Stew, Brown Stew Chicken, Jerk Chicken
This place is a whole vibe!!! The food is awesome and staff friendly. Let's go back to the food for a moment. That jerk chicken deserves chef's kiss! This was the best restaurant we experienced this weekend!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Rice & Peas, Shrimp Curry
Live dance hall vibes on a Friday night. Some Jameson, terps, and beef patty. Bless
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Chicken and Beef Patties
How lucky we are to have this authentic of Jamaican food in the Bay Area. I've visited Jamaica many times and this tastes dead on the food I get while there- the first place in the Bay Area to do it. Their jerk chicken and oxtail is ahhhmazing, but my favorite is the Ackee & Saltfish... I have not been able to find this dish anywhere outside of the east coast and Jamaica. The portions are also very large. The chef here truly deserves 10 + stars because he really makes it a point to keep each dish authentic to the core - bringing a smile not only to the customers face, but their entire soul. They play really good reggae music so it's a nice place to grab a drink and chill as well. Thank you guys for putting in the work to make this restaurant possible - we are so lucky to have you here in the Bay Area!
My wife is Jamaican and this is the best Jamaican food we've had in a restaurant and is on the home cooking
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
Wow, wow, wow. Good food. Real spice. Coming back for more j*** chicken
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Must try Jamaican cuisine! Nourished my heart and soul. Made me a better person.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Jerk Chicken
So, I discovered this place from the TooGoodToGo App, and I can confidently say I won't be back. Allow me to tell you why!So, we used the App "TooGoodToGo" where you reserve a "surprise" bag of the restaurant's end of day leftovers. They give you a window of time to pick it up. We were right on time. We walked in, and went to the only person at the counter. She didn't acknowledge us at all for a good 5 minutes while she carried on a personal conversation with the person in front of us (who wasn't ordering, just there to chat). When the woman at the counter finally GLARED at us like we were bothering her and asked us what we wanted- we told her we were there to pickup our TooGoodToGo bag. She said to pick it up at the other counter. Okay.So we go around to the other counter and there is a woman frantically filling large containers full of food, seemingly working alone. She smiled at us but kept her head down and kept at her task. We figured we would wait it out, just be patient, she'll help us at some point. Nope.Then this guy who appeared, at first, to be a patron walks over to us while we were waiting and in a low voice asked what we wanted, I think? I asked him to repeat himself because the music was so loud I couldn't hear him. He repeated himself in the same low voice, so I just told him we were from the TGTG App and we're here to pick up our bag. I showed him my phone screen because he didn't seem to understand what I was talking about.Then he TAKES MY PHONE FROM MY HAND to go ask someone what this app is about. TOTALLY unprofessional. And ABSOLUTELY NON-CONSENSUAL. I didn't even have a chance to say no- he just grabbed it and walked in the back. Then I see him walk around to the original waitress (who was still having her personal conversation) to ask her what this order was. She finally came over to the side of the restaurant we were on to give him this small bowl and told him to "just give them whatever". The man handed me my phone back and filled this small bowl for us despite having a ton of leftover food in the kitchen area. I'm grateful for the bowl, don't get me wrong- but It's not what the point of the App is. The point is to give food they cannot sell the next day instead of discarding it and wasting food that could otherwise be enjoyed by people who don't mind a "surprise" dinner. Boy, was I surprised! It was VERY clear they didn't understand what the app was or what it was meant for. It was VERY clear there wasn't good communication across the board, and It was VERY clear we were not welcome there.The food was actually delicious. But the service? Yikes, bro. You couldn't pay me to go back there, that's how uncomfortable everyone working there made us feel. Literally EVERY SINGLE STAFF member we interacted with was either rude AF or completely ignored us. So yeah, it doesn't seem like they want locals patronizing their business. Weird. We tried.
Stopped by here last night for dinner with my girlfriend and our friend. Parking can be a little difficult to find - there is no parking lot, just street parking. Luckily we were able to find a spot on the street close to the restaurant.The restaurant itself has an outdoor patio where live music and DJ's perform ( the DJ performing last night was really good) and tables to sit down at indoors.For our meal, each of us got our own plates and some things to share.For the appetizers, the Fried Breadfruit was really interesting. The fruit itself did indeed have a bready consistency which was actually kinda trippy. But it tasted great - it was almost smokey, with a little bit of salt added on top and a light sweetness from the fruit. The Festivals were pretty good - They tasted like deep fried breads with a hint of cinnamon. The taste was decent but they were a little too dense for my liking.For Entrees - I got the Brown Chicken Stew Plate, my girlfriend got the rasta pasta, and our friend got the oxtail. One thing to note for each of our entrees - portions are extremely Generous. You'll definitely get your money's worth of food here.The Brown Chicken stew was very solid - it reminded me of what I used to get back on the east coast. The chicken was perfectly tender, and the brown sauce was extra savory. The plantains on the side along with the rice peas went well with the stew sauce. I found that adding a little bit of hot sauce brought it all together nicely.The Oxtail, from what I tried, was also very delicious. They were cooked properly and were also tender and the flavoring was perfect.The Rasta pasta (one of the only vegetarian Items on the menu - they did not have the Ital menu available) left a bit to be desired for sure. It was very turmeric forward, and not quite what I expected based on what I've seen of Rasta Pasta in the past. My girlfriend said that adding some extra seasoning and some of the hot sauce made it better for sure.All in all, Mintos is a spot that has good service and solid quality Jamaican/ Caribbean food. Would definitely recommend giving this place a try.4/5
The dish was plenty and delicious. Chicken smoked outside. Meat was plenty with a slight spicy to it. The rum punch was great, not too sweet with a hunt of tartness and plenty of rum. Service was good. There are settings inside and outside, music jammin' in the loud speakers. Good for hanging out with your mates.Can't go wrong with chillin' to music and good food.I recommend this place and will come back for food and the Jamaican Rum Punch!