I don’t have enough good things to say!! The ambience was laid back but aesthetically pleasing. My cocktail - black Caesar - was a 10/10 combination of complex umami flavors. We ordered the jerk duck, lamb kafta, and yassa chicken. All tender and such interesting flavors. The staff were all so nice. Love this place and will be going back!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Ginnette Powell
I love this place especially for treating myself to a WFH lunch or meeting someone...
We absolutely loved our food choices, short ribs, monk fish and trout BUT our cocktails although delicious were very minute in size, no more then 3-4 oz. (1 in bc a million) for $18. Please be considerate of your patrons and give us a fair dose for what we pay for!
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 5
Aaron Cohen
I was finally able to score a reservation (8pm on a Tuesday), but it was totally worth it. The food and drinks were fantastic and service was attentive and thoughtful. It's street parking, but there's a city lot around the corner. My only complaint is that it's small, which coupled with the recent James Beard means reservations are apparently tough, and if a table is loud, the whole restaurant can hear it.Parking: It's primarily street parking, but there is a free municipal parking lot at 19 Hamlet Street (basically behind the building across the street from the restaurant).
This was genuinely the best meal I’ve ever had in Boston, and one of the best of my life. My husband and I split the okra, jerk roasted duck, and za’atar brown butter trout. I could have licked the eggplant puree under the trout off the plate, and the rice and peas served with the duck may have been the best part of the whole meal. Each item was perfectly seasoned, had layers of flavor, and was absolutely delicious. The service was wonderful too, and the atmosphere was lively and warm (rather than the stuffy feeling I get at most fine dining establishments). I will absolutely be back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Brown Butter Seared Okra, Jerk Roasted Duck
Spencer Jean-Louis
The hype is well earned and well deserved. This restaurant is actually exceptional. The drinks were impressive. The dinner was indescribably good...it was like...that scene in Ratatouille when Anton Ego eats Remy's cooking. It didn't just taste good (which it did). It was also deeply emotionally good.The desert wasn't too sweet. It was just right. The portions of everything were not too much or not enough. They were just right. The price point was fair. The decor and ambiance were nice. The staff were friendly. The service was fantastic....I don't know what else to tell you. This is just a damn good restaurant. I can't recommend it enough.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Basque Cheesecake, Brown Butter Seared Okra, Jerk Jackfruit Sliders, Pistachio Cardamom Ice Cream w Shortbread Cookie, Jerk Roasted Duck, Baobab Cocktail, Za’Atar Brown Butter Trout Jerk Roasted Duck
yefri cortave
Such a cool spot! Came here for breakfast, our group got The Dot sandwich, Papa’s Burrito and Red Line sandwich— we all loved the food! The service was fantastic. All of the servers were so nice and helpful, in fact, one of them went out of their way to make us some simple syrup when they saw us adding raw sugar to our coffees! The iced coffees also had great quality ice so they did not dilute at all which was nice!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Jo Dix
Overpriced over hyped
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 3
Calvin Irwin
Overall, a little underwhelmed on food and quality didn’t seem to match price. Service and presentation were top notch. Wish the cocktails were a bit more affordable, at $17 a piece they weren’t approachable, but I’ll admit they looked great. Some of the okra was inedibly fibrous, over fried, and just way too much mucilage (love okra and thick gumbo). Jack fruit sliders were great. The trout on eggplant puree was just too subtle on flavors for me. Partner said her jerk duck was amazing. Truthfully left disappointed, but desperately wish there were more places like this. I will say it’s incredibly hard to marry such disparate cuisines, and this place did it well, though I think I would have preferred more focus. Tossup if I’d come again.
Excellent food. Service was very slow and the waiter was inattentive
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 5
Service: 2
Trina Madziwa
This has to be the best restaurant in Boston! A well curated menu with many hints from the Black diaspora. The jerk duck blew me away and left me eager to try everything else on the menu. Had I gone with a group I am sure we would have divided and conquered!Only note on service as a someone who has been on the other side as well. I often noticed that my bartender/server was way more attentive to a group of people versus me (lone wolf). They got questions about how they were liking their meals, water refills, and extra care in the conversation over the bar. As a space that is heavily Black and minority oriented, I am little disappointed to the shortness that the server had with me. It seemed like building rapport with larger groups, who were likely to tip more mattered, than giving time and attention to all the other customers at the bar. I highlight this point because often, Black people/women are more likely to receive poor service because of biases about the communities ability to tip service workers. One can’t help but think about these implicit biases when receiving the shortness that the bartender had with me compared to other guests.Again, the meal was incredible and I can’t even knock a star off for this bit that I am highlighting because it was way too good! But, I’m left a lil disappointed as I was super excited to learn more about the restaurant and future possibilities of collaboration as someone who does community work in the area.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Jerk Roasted Duck
Henry SooHoo
Service is incredibly friendly and food is excellent. The jackfruit sliders are a bit spicy and deliciously seasoned.My fish was perfectly cooked but the naan was toasted for no reason. Toasting the naan made it so hard to scoop the stew and I would much rather have it soft. One of my companions said the chicken was the best she had ever had.
Such a unique combination of flavors. Every dish we had was great from the Jack Fruit Sliders to the Yassa Chicken to the Jerk Duck. Just delicious. Oh, and the drinks were great too.
I don’t have enough good things to say!! The ambience was laid back but aesthetically pleasing. My cocktail - black Caesar - was a 10/10 combination of complex umami flavors. We ordered the jerk duck, lamb kafta, and yassa chicken. All tender and such interesting flavors. The staff were all so nice. Love this place and will be going back!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I love this place especially for treating myself to a WFH lunch or meeting someone...
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Basque Cheesecake, Jerk Jackfruit Sliders
We absolutely loved our food choices, short ribs, monk fish and trout BUT our cocktails although delicious were very minute in size, no more then 3-4 oz. (1 in bc a million) for $18. Please be considerate of your patrons and give us a fair dose for what we pay for!
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 5
I was finally able to score a reservation (8pm on a Tuesday), but it was totally worth it. The food and drinks were fantastic and service was attentive and thoughtful. It's street parking, but there's a city lot around the corner. My only complaint is that it's small, which coupled with the recent James Beard means reservations are apparently tough, and if a table is loud, the whole restaurant can hear it.Parking: It's primarily street parking, but there is a free municipal parking lot at 19 Hamlet Street (basically behind the building across the street from the restaurant).
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Basque Cheesecake, Yassa Chicken, Pistachio Cardamom Ice Cream w Shortbread Cookie, Jerk Roasted Duck, Plantain Chips Nido Sauce
This was genuinely the best meal I’ve ever had in Boston, and one of the best of my life. My husband and I split the okra, jerk roasted duck, and za’atar brown butter trout. I could have licked the eggplant puree under the trout off the plate, and the rice and peas served with the duck may have been the best part of the whole meal. Each item was perfectly seasoned, had layers of flavor, and was absolutely delicious. The service was wonderful too, and the atmosphere was lively and warm (rather than the stuffy feeling I get at most fine dining establishments). I will absolutely be back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Brown Butter Seared Okra, Jerk Roasted Duck
The hype is well earned and well deserved. This restaurant is actually exceptional. The drinks were impressive. The dinner was indescribably good...it was like...that scene in Ratatouille when Anton Ego eats Remy's cooking. It didn't just taste good (which it did). It was also deeply emotionally good.The desert wasn't too sweet. It was just right. The portions of everything were not too much or not enough. They were just right. The price point was fair. The decor and ambiance were nice. The staff were friendly. The service was fantastic....I don't know what else to tell you. This is just a damn good restaurant. I can't recommend it enough.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Basque Cheesecake, Brown Butter Seared Okra, Jerk Jackfruit Sliders, Pistachio Cardamom Ice Cream w Shortbread Cookie, Jerk Roasted Duck, Baobab Cocktail, Za’Atar Brown Butter Trout Jerk Roasted Duck
Such a cool spot! Came here for breakfast, our group got The Dot sandwich, Papa’s Burrito and Red Line sandwich— we all loved the food! The service was fantastic. All of the servers were so nice and helpful, in fact, one of them went out of their way to make us some simple syrup when they saw us adding raw sugar to our coffees! The iced coffees also had great quality ice so they did not dilute at all which was nice!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Overpriced over hyped
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 3
Overall, a little underwhelmed on food and quality didn’t seem to match price. Service and presentation were top notch. Wish the cocktails were a bit more affordable, at $17 a piece they weren’t approachable, but I’ll admit they looked great. Some of the okra was inedibly fibrous, over fried, and just way too much mucilage (love okra and thick gumbo). Jack fruit sliders were great. The trout on eggplant puree was just too subtle on flavors for me. Partner said her jerk duck was amazing. Truthfully left disappointed, but desperately wish there were more places like this. I will say it’s incredibly hard to marry such disparate cuisines, and this place did it well, though I think I would have preferred more focus. Tossup if I’d come again.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 2
Service: 5
Great flavors, smaller portion sizes
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 4
Restaurantji Recommends
My wife and I loved everything about our dining experience and have already made reservations to go back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Salad, Jerk Roasted Duck, Beef Kafta
Excellent food. Service was very slow and the waiter was inattentive
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 5
Service: 2
This has to be the best restaurant in Boston! A well curated menu with many hints from the Black diaspora. The jerk duck blew me away and left me eager to try everything else on the menu. Had I gone with a group I am sure we would have divided and conquered!Only note on service as a someone who has been on the other side as well. I often noticed that my bartender/server was way more attentive to a group of people versus me (lone wolf). They got questions about how they were liking their meals, water refills, and extra care in the conversation over the bar. As a space that is heavily Black and minority oriented, I am little disappointed to the shortness that the server had with me. It seemed like building rapport with larger groups, who were likely to tip more mattered, than giving time and attention to all the other customers at the bar. I highlight this point because often, Black people/women are more likely to receive poor service because of biases about the communities ability to tip service workers. One can’t help but think about these implicit biases when receiving the shortness that the bartender had with me compared to other guests.Again, the meal was incredible and I can’t even knock a star off for this bit that I am highlighting because it was way too good! But, I’m left a lil disappointed as I was super excited to learn more about the restaurant and future possibilities of collaboration as someone who does community work in the area.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Jerk Roasted Duck
Service is incredibly friendly and food is excellent. The jackfruit sliders are a bit spicy and deliciously seasoned.My fish was perfectly cooked but the naan was toasted for no reason. Toasting the naan made it so hard to scoop the stew and I would much rather have it soft. One of my companions said the chicken was the best she had ever had.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Jerk Jackfruit Sliders, Yassa Chicken
Such a unique combination of flavors. Every dish we had was great from the Jack Fruit Sliders to the Yassa Chicken to the Jerk Duck. Just delicious. Oh, and the drinks were great too.