mama josie — Restaurant in Aurora

This takeout meal from a new Haitian restaurant unfortunately falls short of expectations. The dish consists of jerk chicken legs served with white rice and what appears to be black rice with nuts or beans.

Food Quality The jerk chicken legs show decent caramelization on the outside, but the cold temperature significantly diminishes the eating experience. The temperature issue particularly affects the texture of the chicken skin, which likely lost its intended crispiness during delivery. The bland seasoning is particularly disappointing, as Haitian cuisine is known for its bold, vibrant flavors and aromatic spices.

Presentation & Portions The meal comes in a standard black plastic divided container. The portion size appears reasonable, with two substantial chicken legs and generous servings of both white rice and what seems to be black rice or beans. However, the presentation is basic and utilitarian, typical of delivery packaging.

Value Assessment While the pricing is average for a rice and chicken combo, the combination of bland flavors, cold delivery, and unremarkable execution makes it difficult to justify the cost. A proper Haitian meal should offer a more exciting and...

Oh. My. Goodness. We may have just struck gold in Aurora. My family is Haitian, so when we heard about a new Caribbean restaurant in the neighborhood, let’s just say the collective side-eye was real. We've been burned before—places claiming to serve "authentic" Caribbean food, only for us to end up with some unseasoned heartbreak on a plate.

But Mama Josie’s? Oh, she understood the assignment. From the moment we walked in, we knew this place was different. The aroma alone had us feeling like we were back home, and the food? PHENOMENAL.

Long story short—if you want the real deal, this is it. Mama Josie’s is bringing the soul of Haiti straight to Colorado and we are so...

I’m going to get straight to it. We found Mama Josie on TikTok and wanted to see what all the hype was about.

I ordered the turkey, plantain, and rice & peas.

The turkey was very dry and hard to chew. The plantains were also dry and tough—I couldn’t even eat the bite I had. The rice & peas were the only thing that tasted good. My brother spent $30 on a plate of fried goat and a beef patty. He said the patty was chewy and doughy.

We ended up discarding our food and ordering sandwiches on DoorDash instead.

I really had high hopes as a fellow Caribbeaner, but unfortunately, this was a big...