Taste of Reggae — Restaurant in Hagerstown

Delicious flavor, friendly people, large portions. My sister was craving Jamaican food so we decided to try out a new (to us) spot in Hagerstown. We were looking for a spot that had good vegetarian options for our friends. I’m not super familiar with Jamaican cuisine beyond Jerk Chicken and rice and peas so I tried to pick some things that sounded good. I ordered over the phone and they were very patient with me not being able to pronounce everything perfectly but they took their time and made sure to get our order completely. They were super friendly and the food was ready to pick up quickly! We tried the Coco Bread which was huge as well as nice and sweet and fluffy. We also tried a vegetarian patty which had a great flaky crust on the outside. Next we tried the Ital Stew which I wasn’t sure what it would be exactly but he said it would be a variety of mixed vegetables. The vegetables were cooked perfectly and had a very mild but great flavor! There were so many of them in the portion as well! The rice and peas were tender yet not overcooked at all, and deliciously seasoned... they had a hint of heat in the aftertaste that was very pleasant. My sister got the Brown Stew chicken with mac and cheese and rice and peas. The brown stew chicken was HUGE... had a nice sweet flavor and the chicken was tender falling off the bone. The mac and cheese was very good. You can tell it’s homemade, in a good way. Like your favorite aunt whos been making it for years made it for the cookout. The steamed callaloo was an unexpected favorite for the table. We absolutely loved it- the greens were cooked perfectly and we felt it had a very light tasting flavor as opposed to some lard/bacon heavy methods of cooking greens like that. It doesn’t taste overly vegetable-y either... I think little kids would even like it. And then a pleasant buzz from the heat of some peppers. The jerk chicken also had a pleasant heat, and again a huge portion for what was called a “small”!! There was also a nice tangy sauce on the side. All in all... the people were very nice and the food was so delicious! I love finding a place where I can eat vegetables that are cooked in a flavorful and healthy way. On top of that, the food is affordable and you definitely get what you pay for... everything was huge! I would definitely recommend...

I actually loved loved loved this restaurant at one point. I would buy 2 dinners at a time..just for myself and tip $5 even before i tasted it. I stopped tipping because every so often the chef would switch so the food would be of different quality than my previous experience...which is expected (not liked..but expected). That wasn't enough to keep me away from the restaurant but let me explain to you what experience that I had that ended my relationship with A Taste of Reggae. I'm a regular customer, known well enough for the owner to guess what meal i wanted when he saw me at the counter. I had big respect for him...now after being served spoiled Rasta pasta and cold day old goat I've decided not to frequent the once awesome restaurant any further. I understand saving your loses but not when it comes to what's being put in people's bodies. If it's old..let it go. I was way too upset to go back to the restaurant in fear of making a scene because of how upset i was after walking from home that day starving only to end up back home at the end of my journey...starving (because my food wasn't edible.) I thought hard about not putting this review in but I feel that I have a duty to the many people that I verbally convinced that the meals were the best over the years to inform them before they become ill from spoiled food. I spoke with him over the phone when I got home and he mentioned fixing it by giving me more food....IMAGINE THAT! I'm ok without the food. I don't even want my money back.....you gave the impression like you...

My wife and I wanted Caribbean food yesterday so we decided to go to The Real Deal but they were closed. We called Taste of Reggae to make sure they were open and the friendly gentleman who answered told us they were so we decided to give them a try. When we walked in, there was a guy in front ordering so we thought they would ask him to move down so we could put our order in but that didn’t happen. The ladies just made us wait until they checked him out, put food together and give to him before even acknowledging us. Once we walked up to the counter, the lady did not greet us and had a funky look on her face but I tried to ignore that and nicely said “hi” just to get a rude and dry hello back. I immediately looked to my wife and said “let’s go! I will not spend my money anywhere where the employees are rude”. I went back in to tell the lady about her attitude and that we would not be spending our money here. We have family in town and planned to spend a lot of money. I called back up to speak to the gentleman who said he would talk to her which I hope he does. I am tired of certain types of women working in the food industry with nasty attitudes, this is your job. We will never go back to this place! I will drive to Frederick or DC to get good...