8 Best Caribbean Restaurants near Palm Bay

“Carmen's Restaurant and Catering 2280 Harris Ave NE Palm Bay, FL 32905 4 Stars After what appeared to be a mistake in my last Jamaican joint review (whoa, that has a few connotations), I thought I was being punished by immediately being sent to another one by my random name generator. After smacking it on the side a few times and shaking it, I found it to be working correctly, so I proceeded to Carmen's Restaurant and Catering in Palm Bay, FL. What a world of difference! Carmen is the proprietor and a one-woman show and boyo, let me tell ya, she sure shines. I found Carmen's menu to be a joy to behold, as eclectic as my vinyl collection. As such, I decided to go in a different direction today and steered away from the traditional Jamaican fare such as Jerk Chicken and Curried Goat and went with an order of Carmen's Fried Chicken with sides of rice, beans and potato salad along with an order of her Bang Bang Fried Shrimp Tacos (the same name as the drek at the horrid Bonefish Grill) with fries. As Carmen got to work on my eats, I took in the interior. I found it to be open, welcoming, bright, and cheery, not unlike the owner! Carmen was out in no time with my foodstuffs. Taking a few before pictures, I got to work. I turned my attention and palate to the Fried Chicken. The first thing I noticed was the crunch of the coating. If you look at the picture I've attached, you can see what I mean. That coating was slathered on without care for conservation. It wasn't too much, it was just enough. The chicken, blanketed in a tender, juicy, succulent coating, tasted superb. The rice and beans were well-cooked and seasoned with love. The potato salad, like everything else, I assume was made by Carmen and if your Grandmother makes a better potato salad, I will eat these words! I can't speak for you, but when I hear or read the words, Bang Bang, I immediately think of three things. First, playing cops and robbers as a child and “shooting” the bad guy with my finger gun while shouting, “Bang! Bang!” The second is the Bollywood bad remake of a worse film, “Bang Bang!” The third thing I think of is Chinese Street Chicken. None of this has anything to do with Carmen's Bang Bang Fried Shrimp Tacos, other than the Bang Bang sauce is loosely based on the Chinese Street Chicken tossing sauce. Carmen's Bang Bang sauce was a mixture of mayo, spicy stuff and it was mahvalous, dahling! The shrimp were coated with the same love and care as the chicken and were just as tender and juicy. Got Dayum! Carmen knows her way around a kitchen. I can only assume these are her recipes as well. She should open a restaurant and share this with...oh, wait. Never mind. With this meal and the success of the Fried Chicken at Cajun Soul, my hopes have been raised considerably. The Big Boy says, “If you want good eats served with love and a friendly smile, visit Carmen. Tell her the Big Boy sent ya (it's safe this time)!”“

“Flavor and food quality is outstanding!“

“The food was delicious. They are very friendly. Had the oxtails, rice and beans and cabbage. Everything was well seasoned. They give you more than enough food. Don’t miss this gem of a restaurant. I will definitely be going back.“

“Sweet Delight Jamaican Cuisine 4500 Dixie Hwy. NE Palm Bay, FL 32905 4 Stars Life, in general, is fleeting moments of time with people you may only interact with once, but when you do, a big grin immediately breaks across your face. This I how I felt when I met Neville, the owner of today's foray into the dense jungle of Greasy Spoons dotting the landscape of the Space Coast. My random name generator had directed me deep into the mainland as I found myself in front of Sweet Delight Jamaican Cuisine in Palm Bay. I took a few deep breaths to control my OTB syndrome and went inside. This is when I encountered the jovial Neville. Not only was I enjoying his company, but I truly enjoy well-made Jamaican food. Epicurean delights from the tiny island nation have a delightful mix of sweet, tangy and spicy all wrapped up in one bite. Looking over the handwritten menu board didn't take a whole lot of time. Most of it was spent chatting with Neville. However, I did manage to get in an order for some Curry Chicken, Curry Goat, Oxtail Rice & Peas and to round things out I decided to give Neville's Spicy Beef Patty a whirl. Picking up on Neville's dimissory vibe, my dining, I headed to a table to await our victuals. Within an acceptable amount of time, Neville brought our food up. After snapping the obligatory pictures, we grabbed our grub, received our dimissory from the owner and headed back beach side. Not wanting to take my time getting home as the olfactory property emanating from the take-out containers was causing me to drool just a little bit, I might have gone a tad over the posted speed limit. I'm not saying I did, but I'm not saying I didn't. What happened next shocked me. It still does. My persnickety 15-year-old, who eats like a bird as the old adage goes, scarfed down the Curry Chicken like she hadn't eaten in a week. She doesn't eat a lot, but trust me, I do feed her! As I had due diligence to try a bite for the critique, I asked her for one but by then it was gone. Well, that put a dent in my buzz. Objectively speaking, it must have been otherworldly in flavor. I had no idea she loved Curry Chicken like this. I found the Curry Goat to be exceptional. The Goat was tasty, tender and cooked to perfect doneness, while the curry was flavorful and spicy. This was truly well-done Jamaican food. The Oxtail Rice and peas were next up on the Big Boy's discerning palate. Again, the meat was a carnivore's dream. However, and this is the reason for the 4 and not a 5-star review, the rice and peas were just this side of overcooked. Maybe it was kept at serving temperature too long, or someone got distracted in the kitchen for a second. Regardless, the damage was done. Moving on to the final item in today's meal, the Spicy Beef Patty. This was cooked to perfection and all I can say about the seasoning is, “WOW”! This was excellent, with just enough punch to make sure you're paying attention and well hydrated, yet the underlying complexity of the Jamaican spices was not overshadowed. The Big Boy says, “If you like new foods and are willing to give them a try, this is the place to start.”“

“Warm customer service and great food!“

“Wonderful food...they cater most of my holidays. Everyone is friendly and helpful. Delish Jamaican curry, patties, fish, oxtail, soups, rice and peas, j**** etc. Can cook it, but they save me the time and it taste amazing.“

“This was our first time trying Haitian food and it was amazing! The restaurant is quite small, but very cozy inside and felt welcoming right away. We ordered the Griot (fried marinated pork) and it was absolutely delicious—tender, flavorful, and perfectly seasoned.
My friend got the fried chicken, and oh my.. fall off the home delicious as well!

The lady behind the counter was very friendly, though she didn’t speak much English. Not a problem though—we just pointed at the menu and she understood exactly what we wanted. It actually made the experience feel even more authentic.

Overall, the food, the atmosphere, and the hospitality were all excellent. We’ll definitely be back the next time we’re in the area. Highly recommend if you’ve never tried Haitian food before!“

“The food is good. The only complain I have is the serving. Today I had a take a number to buy an empanada and wait for 15 minutes to pay for it. They should put the fritters and the bake separated. In addition they need more than one cashier at lunch time.“