The Recipe Restaurant — Restaurant in Niagara Falls

One of the most charming experiences I’ve had in years.

I frequent the plaza and have been eying this place for weeks and finally took the dive.The moment I saw the restaurant’s interior, I knew the food was going to be a treat.

The interior looks cobbled together and simple. Reminiscent of a small island restaurant. I could tell flavour would be the owners main focus.

He was extremely kind and patient while I checked the menu and once decided, I was happy to see him carefully preparing my order. I admired the decor for a bit while I waited and noticed so many interesting things scattered throughout, mainly his bookshelf filled with vintage books.

My order was a jerk chicken wrap, curry goat stew and Jamaican patties.

The Jamaican patties were fantastic. The dough was buttery, flakey and most importantly fresh and home made. The filling was fantastic as well but I was completely caught off guard with how good the pastry dough itself was.

The jerk chicken wrap was toasted nicely, and foil wrapped so it was piping hot when I opened it. Very flavourful, with peppers and onions. The chicken breast was fresh and juicy and nicely cooked.

The curry goat stew was phenomenal as well. Cooked perfectly, the meat had great texture and flavour. The stew or sauce had huge flavour and went great with the rice and beans it was served with.

This place is an easy 5 star for anyone who is a fan of Caribbean food. The prices are more than reasonable, the portions are fantastic and the food is fresh and flavourful. The owner himself you can quickly tell is a kind and honest man who’s focus is sharing his wonderful food with his customers.

One thing to be aware of is the food was incredibly spicy with lots of scotch bonnet which for me was great. But if you can’t handle it you may want to ask the chef what his mild menu...

In Niagara Region, we only have a handful of places to get Jamaican food compared to the options available when I lived in Toronto area. I've been gradually trying all of them. Last night I got takeout from The Recipe Restaurant.

I got takeout oxtail with rice and peas and salad.

My first surprise came with the fact that they did not have a choice of small or large size dishes like every other Jamaican place I've been to.

Second shock was the price. $22 compared to other places that are usually around $17ish. The serving size was quite large though so I guess that makes up for the price.

Finally, when I got home and opened the container, I immediately could smell that 'burnt' type of smell that lingers when you've burned food. I examined my food and did not see any indication that it was burnt so I continued to try it. I had 2 bites of the rice/peas and one piece of the oxtail. It tasted disgusting. Something somewhere had definitely been burned close to this food. Perhaps at the bottom of the pot and this part was on top but it was affected still? Who knows. It was inedible and went in the garbage. What a waste of $22.

The only reason I gave it a 2nd star instead of 1 was because the person who served me...

Amazing spot! Authentic. The owner works VERY hard and is such a kind soul. I’ve never seen anyone else working besides him. Go support. You will enjoy the food. I love the fact that everything is made fresh. You may go in and want a specific dish and maybe they won’t have that type of food that day, and you might be let down. But don’t get it twisted because that just means you’re not getting old, sitting out food. He prepares everything fresh. There will always be another option for you if that is the case. Call ahead to check what he has that day. The portions are great sizes. It’s apparent that he puts great care into his food. The first time I went there, I was pretty confused about the pizza part. But when I saw the menu, it made total sense. This guy is a genius at making pizza ingredient combinations. Unfortunately, I cannot have them because I can’t eat gluten due to having celiac disease. But I can only imagine how good they must be. The drink selection is also A1. I’ll always support this spot as long as it’s around. Thank you Edwin! You don’t go...