Di Reggae Cafe — Restaurant in Surrey

I've been meaning to come here since I moved into the area. Finally, I got to try!

I want to start out by saying I very much like the staff. They were kind and seem like great people.

Unfortunately some of the more critical reviews hold water. For example, they seem to run out of ingredients pretty regularly. They don't even seem to be aware of what they have. I ordered the jerk chicken sandwich and was told there was no bread, however they have other dishes on the menu which incorporated this bread. Surely they would know if they ran out, or at least check what they had before opening that day. Instead, they checked for all the ingredients the moment I ordered, only to find some missing.

I understand not overstocking as to not be wasteful... However a bit disappointed that I could not try the plantain. :( So I'll have to come back for that.

Since I could not have my original order, my choice was between the chicken roti wrap or the jerk chicken wrap. I decided to go big or go home and got the more expensive roti dish, mostly because it came with a side salad. I regret not getting the jerk chicken wrap, as the dish I received mostly tasted like dry flavourless roti. The curried meat inside was okay but if you've ever had free food from a Gurdwara, it tastes pretty similar and is underwhelming in my opinion. The worst part is feeling like there is no variety of other things on my plate, since the salad was the size of a baby's hand and is served with a store-bought ranch dressing.

I also tried a Jamaican patty, which was good, but I've had better. Others I've had was served with a nice dipping sauce, which I'm not sure if that's how it's authentically served. But it could've used a nice dip in my opinion!

My partner ordered the oxtail that everyone raves about. I tried a bit of it and also got his verdict of mediocre. The oxtail sauce was quite delicious, but as other reviews have said, the portion is small and mostly bone. The rice, according to my partner, tastes like and has the same texture as one of those pre-flavoured bags of Uncle Ben's. He did not comment on the pasta salad, but he did say he was still hungry after that meal, and he's fairly thin.

I do feel a little bad that I could have said something to the staff, though they didn't exactly wait on me either. Instead I write this review without giving them the opportunity to correct things. But I didn't really want to put them in that position, and there was the chance they could do nothing anyway. Either way I would attempt coming here again, but just ordering something else. I will stay away from any foods involving Roti in the future since Roti is just not good by design.

Atmosphere was fine. I found the music a bit loud closer to the entrance, but that's part of their...

As a Jamaican, I'd been craving that good "Curry Goat" (as it's rightfully called in the Caribbean), so I knew I was in the right place if I didn't see it listed as "Goat Curry". So without further ado, here's my review.🐐🇯🇲

PRO: This is as close to Jamaican cooking I could find so far. The food was served steaming HOT as expected and fresh from the pot. The Curry Goat was served with white rice covered in curry gravy, a small side of potato salad with a small slice of corn bread.

It's a nice little café playing Caribbean music as we usually would if it were back home in Jamaica on the beach or what we called a "corner shop" (cook shop where you'd buy cooked meals).

CON: The serving proportions of the meat was way too little and disappointing for me in comparison to that high price of $12-18 (dependent on the size you bought). I got mostly bone than meat, but I'll hand it to them for how delicious and warming it was having that on a rainy Saturday.

Also, don't assume that the meal comes with a drink, so be sure to have a nice cool Jamaican D&G bottled soda (personal recommendation) to wash it down with.

Overall good service and great cooking, but I'd look elsewhere for a better deal for this kinda meal.

On to the...

I have been here plenty time in the past and kept going back. I always said this place is the best in the lower mainland. I'm not sure if there is new management or ownership but I went this week and the entire vibe has changed. The food was quite underwhelming. My husband food came and was wrong and we finished eating before he started. It took a long time to get the food considering its take out only. There was not as nearly as much love in the food this time around. There was nothing done to make me want to go back. Not even an extra scoop of rice for the mistake or an extra piece of chicken nothing. I loved the option of macaroni salad or garden salad of the past and the dumpling or corn bread the meals used to come with. Coleslaw and previous frozen veggies were not as nice. The addition of the small patio was very nice but the neighborhood makes me think that I'm not sure if I want to eat outside there. We did sit outside on the patio and it was a beautiful day. The prices are higher and my favorites are no longer on the menu. They did rectify his order but if I'm paying $20 for Curry Chicken it better be good and this just didn't hit the mark as it has...