The Breadfruit — Local services in Phoenix

This was honestly the strangest restaurant I've ever been to. Not because of the food or atmosphere, but simply the way they conducted business. They had so many odd rules: Firstly, we were having a friend get-together, so we called ahead to make reservations for seven people. They told us they didn't take reservations, but if we came early, they could put in a table for us. So my friend and I arrived a half hour ahead of time, and they said they wouldn't put in a table for us until our entire party arrived. So we waited at the bar until six of us were present. They had a large, empty table outside with one else waiting, so I asked if we could sit there. They wouldn't seat us until EVERY member of the party was present. Now, this is a small place, so we were literally clogging up their lobby. The last person showed up, and they still wouldn't seat us because with the amount of people, it would overwhelm the kitchen staff making our food. I told them we were fine with waiting for our food, we just wanted to sit down so we can talk and not be in the way of other customers. After much hoopla, they finally seated us. We were ordering our food, and I ordered a salad without two toppings. The waitor tells me that I can only make one modification to the dish, and even then, they only do it if there is a legit food allergy. So I fake being allergic to nuts, and told him I'll pick off the other topping. When my salad comes, it is the smallest salad I've ever seen. I paid $15 for 5 shrimp (yes, I counted) and about four bites of lettuce. I say that, but other people at the table had huge plates, enough to take half of it home, so I have no idea what the deal is there. Lastly, the check comes and the waitor tells us that because of our party size, gratuity was included in the bill (which is typical), but that they do not split the bill for large parties. So everything is all on one check, and we had to hurry to figure out what we were going to do. It would have been nice when we were ordering to have been told that so we could discuss payments with each other before the check is in our hands and they're trying to clear our table. With that all being said, the flavor of the salad I ordered was delicious (albeit, it would have been better could I have removed just one more ingredient) and the appetizers we got were great, too. The dishes were spicy, which I like, but some of the people we were with didn't care for it. One of our friends is very sensitive to spice, and she ordered a chicken salad with fruit (the most benign thing on the menu) and she was seriously struggling the whole meal just to swallow her food. So this place would be great to go on a date if both you and your partner are not picky eaters and like spicy food, but it is a terrible place to bring friends. Their food selection doesn't have enough variety to be able to cater to different tastes, and all of their rules made bringing friends here really difficult. Which is fine if that's how your atmosphere is, but tell us that when we first called to make...

This was our first time at the restaurant. When we arrived the hostess was not immediately available, so we sat down and waited until she came. The bar is right there as you enter, and we would have sat there instead but we didn't notice any open seats. The bartender was at the bar, and he saw us, but he didn't say anything, so we figured the seats were indeed occupied. A couple minutes passed and the hostess came to greet us. She was very nice and professional. She asked us what type of dining experience we wanted, and we asked to be seated in the dining room. Since we didn't have a reservation she asked us to wait until she could work something out, or we could sit at the bar (which still appeared full at the time), which we were willing to do. At one point during our wait, the bartender starts looking at me. The looking turn into an awkward stare, and he still didn't say anything. A few minutes go by, and another couple enter the restaurant. They are immediately and enthusiastically greeted with a "good evening" by the bartender. When they asked if there were seats at the bar he said, "Yes, there are two right here", and he points to two seats that we hadn't noticed before. I understand that the bartender isn't a host, but he knew we were waiting for seats and when two became available, he didn't say anything to us. Instead he offered them to a couple who just got there. I am not the type to look for racial motivation in most cases, but after what just happened I noted a couple things. Obviously, my husband and I are a black and white couple, the two people who came in after us and were greeted/seated by the bartender were both white, and everyone at the bar was white. After the hostess seat us, I told her about the bartender, and she said that she would let her supervisor know (not that I expected to hear from the supervisor). Brooks, our waiter, was great though. He was very friendly, attentive, and informative despite the busy dining room. The meal portion were pretty small for when you pay. My husband and disappointed with the size of his escovitch snapper dish. He should have gotten a few fish instead of just one because they are not big. He was still hungry after he finished, so I let him have the rest of my food, and we had the sweet potato pudding a la mode, which was also just a small slice with a melon ball sized scoop of ice cream on top. Aside from the courtesy of our waiter, the hostess, and the hip atmosphere, the experience was lacking, and I don't think we will go back. There is a place called Ocean Blue in Chandler that serves good Jamaican dishes, bigger portions, and is way better priced...

Concept: modern Jamaican cuisine and cocktails served with an emphasis on sustainably and local ingredients in a charming environment.

Atmosphere: clean, dim lit, classy, elegant.

Staff: attentive, knowledgeable, poised. Everyone is very friendly and effusive.

Drinks: outta this world. Some of the best cocktails I've ever had. These alone are worth making the visit. The cocktails change every 6 months and are uniquely crafted with love and precision for a wonderful experience. If you're feeling like it, grab a cocktail and head out to the cigar lounge out back and pair a nice smoke with your drink. This is honestly the best and only reason I come here. This place offers a perfect environment for this.

Food: The food here, although fresh and sustainable, just doesn't do it for me. I celebrated my anniversary with my girlfriend here last night on 11/15/18. We were sold on an appetizer of deep fried bait fish that was not good. The bartender said it was a "fantastic dish". Upon receiving it, it was cold, rubbery, tough, extremely fishy, and unpleasant. My girlfriend and I couldn't eat it. Our entrées weren't bad but they weren't anything that good either. I know others won't agree and that many claim the food here is delicious. They used to have a pork belly and guava dish that was wonderful. Yet, they decided to discontinue the only good thing they ever cooked. The only other thing here I'd ever eat again would simply be the fried plantains.

The bottom line: I cannot emphasize enough how good the drinks are. They are simply amazing. My girlfriend and I loved them. Come here for a drink and a cigar and you'll have a wonderful laid back time and you'll be met with a...