Caribe Express — Restaurant in Laurel

I was torn about leaving this review because of how much I loved this place but at the end of the day I feel this review will help make the establishment better for whoever visits as I wont be going back. I have been to this restaurant 4-5 times in the last 3 weeks and I loved it as it is close to my job. I even introduced my boss and my coworkers to it. I really felt at home there and would watch as the family from young to old worked together to make the food fresh. It reminded me of home. The prices were a bit high but the food was great and it felt amazing to be supporting this local business. Sadly my two visits were marred by a payment issue and how it was handled. During the first of those two visits i was chased by the cashier who said my card was declined. I showed him my receipt and offered to come back to the restaurant with him to make sure everything went smoothly. He told me everything was fine and sent me on my way. On my second and most recent visit I was greeted by the owner who told me He wanted to talk to me outside on the $48 bill which I skipped out on. I thought there was an error apologized and paid for the bill including my new order. Turns out I didn't skip out on a $48 bill and my first payment went through and I had been charged for someone else's $37 order. I had to sit down with the owner and calculate how much he had to refund me for the misunderstanding. I paid him the difference of the old order and went on my way. The experience of being accused of skipping out on a bill TWICE was very embarrassing and a bit traumatizing. I felt if the cashier had taken me up on my offer to go back and see what the problem was this would have never happened. I also feel like the owner could have done more to resolve the issue in a more satisfactory way. I do hope they improve their customer service and if you do decide to visit GET A RECEIPT. This situation would have ended up a million times worst for me if i didn't have a receipt proving I paid. I hope the owner reads this review and improves for his future customers. I wish them nothing but the best especially in these...

Had the pleasure of hosting a small group of 10 yesterday in Caribe's newer addition. While I did try to coordinate with ownership in advance, I caught management by surprise upon arrival. Despite a few bumps in the service, I must say first. .. the space is so very cute and perfect for happy hour and small gathering (seated capacity is 87ish, more for standing events like cocktail hour). Capacity is sure to increase in the spring and summer when the patio is open extending available event space. While coordination of service for the table was challenging, the food was an absolute hit!!! I was nervous because the group is filled with tough customers but they loved everything!!! They loved it so much that a few ordered a second entrée...which brings me to a small recommendation... I understand that items like goat, oxtail & salmon are pricey but perhaps adding the option of paying extra for larger portions should be offered. Each of the men in my group had to order a second entrée (to go) because the portions weren't filling. The good news is that they loved the food so much that they didn't mind but it would have been more convenient to offer larger sizes initially so they could be eaten with the group. Finally, the space seemed to fill with a growing group of regulars both for togo food and at the bar and I am here for it! Unfortunately, I cannot report on their drinks as I am currently practicing 'Dry January ' none the less the growing number of regulars implies that they are indeed worthy of kudos.

SN: Management shares plans to add a roof top with completion anticipated in late summer early fall making this a...

My husband's friend recommended this place for Jamaican food and we were really excited to try it, but it was a bit disappointing when we went. The atmosphere was nice, it had a constant flow of customers, etc. But my brown stew chicken was extremely dry. Even with the sauce it was tough to swallow. But the sauce was flavored nicely and it went well with my rice.

My husband enjoyed his curry goat dish and we both really liked their beef patty. They gave us a good amount of rice and vegetables with it which is what I mostly filled up on since some of the meat was inedible. I was disappointed for the price we paid and the quality of food that we got. Between the 2 entrées, a beef patty, 2 sodas, and tip we spent around $50.

Since my husband liked his dish, I am willing to give this place another chance in the future. Hopefully this was just an off day and I can raise the number of stars in an...