Irie I Jamaican American cafe — Restaurant in Fort Myers

I can’t say enough positive things about Irie. My family wanted to cater Jamaican food for an event on short notice. We physically visited various establishments to inquire about services available and also to get a vibe check. Some restaurants, we called many times and they didn’t even pick up the phone. Then some restaurants we’d go into and the employees have such a down trodden demeanor; it feels like they don’t even want to serve food to customers.

We called into Irie and we were put in touch with Tammy, who handles catering services. Tammy was a total pleasure to work with and we feel lucky to have dealt with her. Through our dealings with Tammy over several quick weeks of planning, sourcing and executing she leveraged her extensive experience in restaurant ownership and management to fully service our needs, meet our requests and go above and beyond in supporting us to not only satisfy us but to be a good person and do good business.

The food was delicious. It’s always delicious. Since discovering Irie and tasting their food, we go back all of the time to get more and when we have guests in town, we tend to treat them to a meal from Irie. We enjoyed jerk chicken, curry chicken, rice and peas, white rice, king fish, plantain, cabbage and festival for our catered event. We enjoyed jerk chicken, curry chicken, rice and peas, white rice, king fish, plantain, cabbage and festival for our catered event. We tend to enjoy the same dishes when we visit for a meal. I must include that they have tasty patties, fried dumplings, ox tails, and the ackee and salt fish is scrumptious - be sure to try it and make it a large, you won’t regret it.

Special acknowledgement to Chef Drew and all of the staff there at Irie. The restaurant gets quite busy at times but I ask you to continue to do the good work that you do and from the front of the restaurant to the back, please continue to do what you do with a smile on your face and a good attitude. It’s what makes the difference when walking into a Jamaican restaurant. It truly sets you apart and it shines through every touchpoint of my customer experience in my...

I regret to say that my recent visit to this Jamaican restaurant was an extremely disappointing experience, raising questions about customer service standards in some Caribbean eateries.

My issues began when I attempted to order a combination plate of half oxtail and half brown stew chicken. Despite my willingness to pay extra for this customization, the staff flatly refused, claiming it wasn't possible. This inflexibility was frustrating and seemed unnecessarily rigid, especially for a restaurant setting where customer satisfaction should be a priority.

The customer service left much to be desired. While both attendants were unhelpful, one staff member, in particular, was dismissive and outright rude. This behavior is unacceptable in any service industry and significantly detracted from the dining experience.

Unfortunately, the food quality did little to salvage the situation. The dish I eventually received was subpar at best. While the rice was decent, the cabbage side was clearly undercooked and lacked proper seasoning, indicating a lack of attention to detail in the kitchen.

Adding insult to injury was the portion size. At $24, I expected a substantial meal, but what I received was shockingly small. The value for money was simply not there, leaving me feeling both unsatisfied and overcharged.

This experience has made me reflect on a broader trend I've noticed in some Jamaican restaurants regarding customer service and flexibility. While it's important not to overgeneralize, I've encountered similar issues before, and it's concerning. Caribbean cuisine has so much to offer, but poor service and inflexibility can seriously undermine the dining experience.

To conclude, based on the poor customer service, inflexibility, subpar food quality, and questionable value for money, I cannot recommend this restaurant. It's my hope that they will take customer feedback seriously and make necessary improvements in both their kitchen and customer service approach. Until then, I'll be looking elsewhere for my Jamaican...

Before I start, I gotta add that I haven't physically been inside the restaurant (will soon though!) And I've had the pleasure of enjoying the food through Uber Eats. Plus I was so hungry, I forgot to take pictures. But these are my thoughts: 💭

I loved the food! The food had a great spicy kick to it which was phenomenal. 🔥 And not overbearing either! 🥵 I had the Jerk Chicken and Curry Chicken dish, both with Rice & Beans with Cabbage. The cabbage had a little bit of collards in there which made me feel better about cheating on my diet 😉 Had a good amount of flavor and was NOT heavy on the garlic like some other Jamaican restaurants do.

The rice and beans was also very flavourful. The sauce from the meat (either one) was a beautiful combo to the rice if you drizzle some on top.

They give you the option to choose how spicy you want the Jerk Chicken to be. I love spicy but can only handle so much and having the choice to bring down the heat allowed me to really enjoy the flavors it had. 👌🏾 Much appreciated

The Curry Chicken very juicy, tasty and had a nice sweetness to it. I definitely recommend ordering the classic Curry Chicken here!

Overall, the BEST part was the fact that I could tell y'all clean yo meat up real good BEFORE seasoning it. 🔥🔥💯😍😎 Y'all gave a whole new definition to a "clean bone" 🦴

As an Ayisyen 🇭🇹 & general black person, this brought joy to my heart to receive that level of QUALITY food direct from a restaurant and not only from my momma's house 😅 Thank you! 🙏🏾

Keep it up! When I get the chance, Imma come by in person & bring my family with to this aromatic atmosphere ❤️

2 black...