50 Best Caribbean Restaurants in Philadelphia

“The waitress was wonderful…until I brought my slimy lobster to her attention. I ordered the paella which came with a split lobster and claw. The inside of the claw and tail was really mushy and slimy. The waitress didn’t attempt to fix the order. Also, an 18% gratuity is automatically added.
On another note, the empanadas (beef) were really tasty.“

“Great music, food and atmosphere! Tvs are set in place so you can watch your favorite sport that's playing live!“

“Bring from a Caribbean family 🇹🇹, I'm always sceptical about eating West Indian food in the US, it never taste close to my Mom's cooking. I read the reviews and gave Solange a try. Outstanding! Chicken roti with mango taste like 🇹🇹. They also have all my favorites: tamarind balls and current rolls. Next time I'm in Philly, I'm making another stop! ❤️☺️🤤😋“

“Great family setting. Nice atmosphere“

“Yes, I wish I had taken a picture of my breakfast—saltfish and callaloo with fried dumplings (guilt snack—saltfish fritters). But that morning, I was rushing to work remotely. Their food is one of the dishes closest to my mom's breakfast. Guess what? I'm back from Rochester. My closest friend lives in Philly—huge advantage! Heeeyyy I'm back!! I'll order some breakfast dishes (maybe dinner dishes)!“

“I don’t live in Philly, but every time I come, the food is a must have for me. I love how the owner connects with all her customers and makes everyone feel like family. The food is truly a gift from God. I feel like I become a better man every time I eat her food.“

“Just ate there food was amazing ! Lalo first time I had it fantastically made. Rice was on point. 5 star“

“I’m Dr Momoh and I cure different types of diseases and virus with my herbal medication which I normally prepare from natural roots and herbs. My herbal medications prevent and cure Cancer, herpes, Diabetes, High-Blood Pressure, Kidney Diseases, Prostate, Gall Stone, Myoma, Cyst, Paralysis, Stroke, Leukemia, Dengue, Anemia, Primary Complex, Gout, Arthritis, Migraine, Sleep Disorder, Dysmenorrhea, Goiter, Heart Problem, Hepatitis, Psoriasis, Vertigo, Low Sperm Count,Sexual Impotence, parasite and other serious problems.Get back to me if you need my help on getting any disease medication.“

“Yum yum good. They pile it high with flavorful food. Pays to buy it vs trying to make it yourself. Would give 5 stars only negative is little salty but that's because I need low salt diet“

“Great Food and Great Vibes🎵🎵“

“Antojitos chapines es simplemente un pedazo de nuestra querida Guatemala 🇬🇹 en el noreste de Philadelphia, el sazón es tan autentico que te hace ir a Guatemala sin salir de Philadelphia, la carne adobada es tan rica que una porción no es suficiente especialmente acompañada con esos frijoles y tortillas recién hechas, que me hicieron recordar a mi abuelita!!! sin mencionar los deliciosos antojitos como los rellenitos de plátano y frijol, las dobladas de pollo, los tacos dorados acompañados del delicioso atol de elote recién hecho, simplemente el lugar perfecto para degustar del verdadero sabor chapin!! Las porciones: de buen tamaño. El servicio al cliente: indiscutible, muy profesional! La limpieza: se respira lo limpio! El precio: excelente! 100% RECOMENDADO Antojitos chapines is simply a piece of our beloved Guatemala 🇬🇹 in the northeast of Philadelphia, the seasoning is so authentic that it makes you go to Guatemala without leaving Philadelphia, the marinated meat is so delicious that a portion is not enough especially accompanied with those freshly made beans and tortillas, which reminded me of my grandmother!! Not to mention the delicious appetizers such as the banana and bean fillings, the dobladas of chicken, the golden fried tacos accompanied by the delicious freshly made corn atol, simply the perfect place to taste the true chapin flavor!! The portions: good size. Customer service: indisputable, very professional! Cleanliness: you breathe the clean! The price: excellent! 100% RECOMMENDED“

“Walked in as I was craving Spanish food. Everything order was delicious and flavorful unfortunately they didn’t give me my salad that I paid extra for. However, everything else was 10.

When you walk in, you’ll have an option to order your food on screen and pay or you can order at the counter with the lady. Even if you’re not signing in, they will give you the option to tip. I personally don’t get that but a lot of restaurants do it nowadays..
Food was ready all they had to do was serve it. I waited a few extra minutes cause they fried my plantains fresh.“

“the ox tails with the beans and rice. yes sir“

“Everything about my experience here was great! I've never had Caribbean food before, and when I asked for recommendations everyone (staff and customers) was so kind and gave me lots of good suggestions. I wasn't disappointed by anything I ordered. The chicken stew platter was easily my favorite dish but the chicken roti and potato roti were delicious as well. Someone recommended a coconut bake with the platter and that made the whole meal even better. I also tried the currant roll and bread pudding which satisfied my craving for a dessert. I will be coming back on the weekends to try the beef dishes as well because I'm so impressed with everything.“

“City Wide responded promptly to my repair request. Honest reasonable work. Very knowledgeable about gates and gate repair.“

“Yesterday I got the Oxtails, rice & peas, mac & cheese and steamed cabbage. Every bit of it was delicious!!! the good there never disappoints! Kudos to the chef!!! Irie!!!!“

“I mean the spot of down the way, it's a carry out only spot. But the food is A1!!! Fish is made to order so be ready to spend 20 min but everything else is pick up. 12$ platters are top notch. Recommend the jerk chicken n Mac. Platter big enough to feed two!!!“

“First time ordering here I ordered the large curry chicken with white rice cabbage and two jerk rolls...Portion nice amount of meat no complaints about the platter. Nowwww the jerk rolls my fiancee swallowed his he said it's spicy I was into the second bite I said ohh no I can't do it lol leave that to the spicy eaters lol“

“I had to kill time in my commute; I was right across the street, so I stopped it. I'm so glad it is the way I remember it to be 😄! This was my go-to in 2020 & 2021. Yummy food- but, NO FESTIVAL 🥲. GREAT SERVICE from the main woman that's been in the window for many years!!! I will be back!“

“Excelente...“

“I dined in for an early dinner and ordered the Brown Stew Chicken w Yams & Collard Greens, Fish Soup, and Watermelon Juice. Everything was very tasty! The yams didn’t have much additional flavor though but I didn’t mind because as a side they just absorbed the sauce from the Brown Stew Chicken and got flavored that way. Also they seem to use pretty fresh produce so all the produce had more of its own natural flavor - yams, collard greens, as well as the cabbage and carrots in the Stew, and the okra in the Fish Soup. The flavors in the Fish Soup seemed unique to me and I really enjoyed it. The soup came with a tasty dumpling in it as well (not sure if there is a different name for this dumpling but I will be doing more research on Caribbean cuisines). I also liked that there were not bones in the soup as I often expect bones when ordering most meats from Caribbean restaurants but I’m not a fan of dealing with them. The Brown Stew Chicken while very tasty and flavorful, does have bones in it. Everything was well seasoned and salty, but not to an offensive extent at all - just perfect and as expected. Last but not least, the Watermelon Juice was a very refreshing addition to the meal that was much appreciated after walking in hot weather. It tasted like fresh fruit and was sweet but not too sweet! It was honestly a real necessity at the time, so I’m glad I found this place. I definitely want to come back and try more of their food.

The service was also great! Everyone working there seemed friendly, which is definitely not always the case, and I felt welcome. Someone (the chef?) came out to personally take orders to speed up the line which wasn’t even long, so they seem committed to getting people their food fast (despite “island time” existing in Caribbean cultures). The menu is simple which allows them to have everything ready quickly & at a high quality. The quality of the food is what matters above all, and it seems they understand that. Also be ready with cash as it is Cash Only.

I love the cozy vibe and the old school diner/lunch counter aesthetics, but I felt like the dining room/bar space should be better utilized. I understand this situation isn’t even necessarily their fault as we are in the era of takeout, and they clearly put their money towards making sure the food is good, which is obviously most important. I also understand they are dealing with the fact that their menu isn’t super conducive for the bar/lunch counter setting, and it’s detached from the kitchen, but it has a purpose - it’s where they make and serve the homemade juices. Something as simple as pictures of the main ingredients in the juices could be a low cost way to liven up this area and serve a practical purpose as well. They have big, comfortable tables which some restaurants in the area don’t even offer anymore, so I appreciated that.“

“Easily the best oxtails I’ve had & you can’t beat the price point. The food is so delicious time and time again. I consistently order on DoorDash and delivery is always fast. The food is fresh and they’ve never let me down. I want to try other options one day, but the oxtails got me hooked.“

“The food is great and worth the price.“

“I love this place. If you are ever in philly you must try this Ghanian spot! If you like spicy this is the place. If you like rice get the jollof! My favorite is light soup with fufu. The peanut litter soup is bomb! Matter fact just eat everything. Only come if you have time to enjoy. Service is not typical of most American dinner time standards. Call ahead to ensure they are open that weekend! I wish they delivered via an app. But still worth going for the experience.“

“Food was fye. I had the jerk chicken egg rolls and honey wings. It took 30 minutes for me to get the food. I went right before closing so that may have been why. The cashier helped me figure out what was good since I’m visiting from Memphis.“

“If you are looking for a good Island Vibe this is the place to go to . Wide selection of Inland beers and food . No need to go to NYC“

“Found this treasure place when I was looking for Dominican/ Mexican food for lunch at work. Really really good slow cook ribs. I really want to know how they seasoned it even there might be some recipes online. When you chewing the chicharrones the juice/fat just come out and it taste really really good.Ribs/ chicharrones(crispy slow cook pork belly), rice and beans, salad, and maduros(sweet fried plantains) for $13.Do not go to Applebees, TGI Fridays, McDonald’s, meals from local tea like this gives you better and healthier choices, and they deserved more customers.Part of ribs and chicharrones(the part doesn’t include much fat) became too hard/too dry to eat after long time cook, some of them are not eatable anymore since it’s too hard. There should be a way to avoid this problem. As I know the Cantonese type Chinese BBQ restaurant has slow cook ribs and crispy pork belly too (with different seasoning of course) , but theirs doesn’t have this problem, and pork belly are perfectly brown. I don’t know how they do it. Maybe cover meat with aluminum paper and be more accurate at the timing and temperature by cooking them not as long as Latin chicharrones(chicharrones taste harder/crispier). If you try pork belly from both restaurants you will know what I meant“

“I ordered a large oxtail platter with cabbage, yams rice & beans. My yams were very hairy like they were canned yams. I usually order mac & cheese instead. The rest was pretty good it just seems like every visit the oxtail become less & less (stingy).“

“I love this place it’s take out!
The lady at the counter was friendly and courteous. She made my plate exactly as I instructed. Food was great! Meat tender rice has that flavor I was looking for cabbage yess yess was absolutely good.“

“I came here a few days ago after not visiting for a while, you know how life gets lol. I had a taste for some Jamaican food and my daughter had a platter she said she got from Top Taste. Whole time the platter was from a place I frequent. Anyway, the young lady who took my order was so pleasant and I’m very big on great customer service. Her pleasantries alone made me want to return. The food was delicious too:)“

“I stopped in because I found the restaurant on Phillyblackowned.com, a map for black owned businesses in Philly. I'm so happy that I found this business. The owner is very friendly, made me feel welcomed, and the food is delicious. I ordered the lamb with rice, and it was so tasty, I had to share my experience. I'll definitely be back.“

“First time at this restaurant...Food was on point definitely be back soon..“

“OMG They have AWESOME Oxtail. I went to this Jamaican restaurant for lunch and I ordered macaroni and cheese and corn bread and I noticed they had oxtail on their menu and I told they lady who worked there that I never had oxtail and I was told by my family and friends that oxtail is so good so the the lady asked if I wanted to order a platter I said no because I already brought fried chicken and I just want the Mac and cheese and corn bread to eat with my chicken so she was kind enough to ask me if I wanted to sample the oxtail and I said yes she then hand me a small cup with oxtail and gravy. OMG that oxtail was tender and falling off the bone. It tasted like beef stew and the gravy was AWESOME so awesome that I was licking the gravy off my fingers. I will definitely be ordering a oxtail platter from this restaurant in the near future. 😋“

“DIAMOND in the Ruff ! !
First and Foremost, the food here us EXCELLENT! If you are into authentic Jamaican cuisine, then look no further. .
I was very impressed by menu and more impressed by the taste, from the Caribbean! The Curry Chicken was prepared to perfection! Rice peas and cabbage
mouth-watering . . EVERYTHING was Fresh and cooked right ✅️. Will definitely be back! Don't Let the Neighborhood Scare You, Just Use Common Sense, You Will Be Fine, Trust Me . . . BACK-A-Yard keep making slamming Food ! ! !“

“This place is deliiiicious. I’ve only done pick up. Not sure anyone ever actually eats there. It’s encased with plastic, kinda loud from some big fans, hard to hear. But absolutely none of that matters because they have the best jerk chicken you can get in Philly (in my experience so far). I lived in Florida for a while and ate a lot of jerk chicken. And this place does it right. Glad I came in and tried it! The people are nice. I’m a repeat customer. And I have no intention of stopping.“

“Excelente atendimento do funcionário Noel 🤩🤩“

“Came here on a Friday afternoon. It wasn’t crowded at all. The cashier was very nice. I got a large curry chicken with Mac & cheese & cabbage. It was soooo much food. 3 adults & a child ate from it & we were all satisfied. The food was super super good! I will definitely be back! Lowkey my new favorite spot! I’ll take this over McDonald’s any day!“

“So yummy! Fast and delicious food with really nice staff! Would definitely buy again!“

“Well, this place is not extravagant is not fancy BUT it carries so much flavor. We bought the jerk chicken, it you cant handle spicy food( like me), grab your cup of milk. We wasn't expecting the level of spiciness but it was good punch. My favorite items was the oxtail, flavorful, falling of the bone, juicy, well seasoned. The rice had a sweetness that I couldn't identify but it was a good balance for the spicy chicken. Parking is awful. Is very close to an intersection and difficult to find a spot. So go with someone that can drive around if you are picking up. Customer service was just OK. Definitely going back for that oxtail.“

“Food was amazing definitely the best Jamaican food spot in philly. Hat off to the chef….
family enjoy the food will be back for sure!!!
Customer service was amazing …
10/10 highly recommend!!!!
Macaroni cheese was the best I ever had from a Jamaican restaurant.“

“Wow, I had tried the jerk chicken over white rice with a side of mac and cheese and yams with an additional side of cabbage and my oh my from the first bite in the car to the excitement on the way home ! It smelled amazing and tasted even better! Everything was cooked perfectly, seasoned spot on.. loved the environment as well very friendly people! Will be back for sure 100/10“

“We’ve been in this neighborhood for a bit and I’m so upset we haven’t been here sooner. Wowww. We got the large jerk chicken platter which comes with 2 sides. My jaw dropped when I opened the container. They know how to give you food for the price, which is a blessing with how much it can cost to eat out now a days and how some places charge so much for so little- that’s not this place. The chicken was so juicy, flavorful and tender. Collards were seasoned well and don’t get me started on the mac and cheese.. I can easily be sat in front of a whole plate of that. I wanted to call after my meal just to say thank you to whoever is in that kitchen. Thank you angels! Everyone go get yourself a platter and a yummy juice or soda. I’ll have to report back with a pic next time. Def will be ordering again! My partner is from the south too and loved it.“

“I have been going the this Restaurant for years now and I don't plan on stopping anytime soon. This is a great chill spot on the weekends and week days for lunch and dinner .However after dinner the dancing starts and it is everything safe and fun for a party with great drinks and great food and chill people. 😊“

“For a taste of the Caribbean in Philly, Tropical Choice Jamaican & American Restaurant is the place to be! This spot is beloved for its authentic Jamaican dishes like jerk chicken, curry goat, and oxtails, all bursting with flavor. The friendly staff and cozy atmosphere make it a favorite among locals. Whether you’re in the mood for a hearty meal or a quick bite, their menu has something for everyone. Don’t miss out on their delicious sides like plantains and rice and peas. It’s a culinary adventure you won’t forget!“

“Yes I recommend everyone to Hotspot“

“The Ultimate Feast with oxtail, jerk chicken, curry chicken and 3 sides is a well prepared-and well-priced meal. The staff are friendly and patiently answer food-related questions.“

“I eat here every week it's delicious only thing it's not open everyday Wednesday through Sunday is good days so if you like good Jamaican food stop by Aunt Annie's a very good cook“

“great service. kind professional and good authentic Jamaican products“

“I went to the food truck at 34th and Market and the food was absolutely delicious!! I had the fried fish with jerk sauce, mac n cheese, and candy yams. Seasoned very well! And the lady serving was pleasant and personable. I devoured my platter lol“