Sak Pase Restaurant — Restaurant in Leisure City

Before I begin, I I am a huge Haitian food fan, but only eat it once a year or less because I live in California. Shout out to Ti-Georges Chicken in LA! I've been to Haiti 15 times and lived there for 2 years. Also, I showed up after 9pm, maybe during earlier hours the experience may have been different.

When I first arrived, there were tables everywhere, but nobody was sitting at any of them eating, but gathered around the bar at the end of the restaurant. I walked down and spoke creole with a few people. There was a lot of confusion with the people waiting there for their orders and the people taking their money/credit cards. I asked for a menu and I asked them for the Hen Haitian, the Haitian Chicken, but they were out (after 9 pm? ). I ordered the BBQ Chicken instead. I saw they had Passion Fruit Juice, and thinking it would be Haitian Style, freshly prepared, I ordered some. I saw they also had Marinade so I got an order of that as well. Then also orderd a bottle of Coronne Fruit Champagne.

First sip of the Coronne, and I was wisked back to Fontamara, 1984. So good. Nothing like tasting that taste and traveling back in time. I sipped my fruit soda as I waited for the meal. I chit chatted a little with the owner who didn't believe I spoke Creole so I asked him to give me an exam. He asked me where I had lived in Haiti and I told him, "Jacmel, OCayes, Leogane, Ti Guave, Croix des Bouquets, St Marc, Delmas, Carrefour, Fontamara, St Marc, Gonaives, OKap." He believed me after that conversation. I asked him if he had any Ti Sauce Malice and he said no; first disappointment, but I was still looking forward to my food. I asked him if they had Piklees, and he said, of course, and so I was looking forward to my food even more.

The food came out and I opened each of the to go containers and I noticed there were no piklees, so I asked for some. The girl brought out a little tiny plastic container of piklees and I said I would need more than that. She said, she'd have to charge me. No problem. I spent an extra dollar buying 2 more containers of piklees so I could pour it all over my rice and beans and chicken and marinade (although you would think that ordering marinade and a meal, would entitle me to at least 2 containers of piklees on the house). The marinade was quite good. Not as savory as the stuff you'd get on the street in Haiti, but not bad. I thoroughly enjoyed it along with the sauce that came with it and I poured one of my containers over the marinade to spice them up a little. Marinade is fry bread, typically with spices and sometimes meat inside. Traditionally, in Haiti it would come with some sauce and some piklees, and it usually comes right out of the oil in the pot you're standing next to. I got to my rice and beans and BBQ Chicken. The BBQ Chicken wasn't bad. It wasn't Haitian style, per se, but it wasn't bad. The rice and beans were to die for. I love Haitian style rice and beans. However, I was disappointed with the banane pezes or fried plantains. They were laid on top of the rice and they were basically soft, semi-warm, and not very tasty. I was anticipating hot, freshly fried plaintains, with a crispy skin and a little salt, maybe some lime squeezed on top. You could tell they had been sitting in a dish somewhere out back, and not fried to order. Probably my biggest disappointment of the night. The other thing I was really disappointed with was the passion fruit juice. It tasted like it was made from a powder or a can. It definitely wasn't fresh passion fruit juice like I was expecting. I would have paid extra for fresh passion fruit juice. Probably should have gotten the soursop juice and paid extra for it.

2 stars for marginal Haitian food. NOt the best, but not the worst I've had. Maybe have a dedicated cash register person to avoid some confusion. Oh, and the next time someone speaks creole to you and says, "mwen la pi red tankou ke makok," maybe believe they...

A few of my coworkers and I decided to give this restaurant a try after reading the reviews and seeing all of the fliers on this place. BIG MISTAKE!!!! It is safe to assume all four of the previous reviews are either done by the owner or his friends and family. When we first arrived, we were greeted promptly by the server who had her head down focused on her phone. The restaurant was dirty and dated. We picked out the table that was in the best condition and that looked to be the cleanest. We were then handed the menus that were sticky and actually had the food and price list missing; not to mention they had Mariachi music blasting from the makeshift sound stage in the back of the restaurant. After we finally got the the server's attention from her phone we placed our orders, and was given undercooked tortilla chips and salsa as a complimentary appetizer. The Mariachi music and tortilla chips with salsa would have been ok if we were at a Mexican themed restaurant, but we were at a Haitian themed restaurant, so it through us off a little bit. When our food was brought to the table it looked old and smelled rotten. Two of the three co-workers that accompanied me warned us not to eat the food because its not the species that made it smell that way. The food was actually rotten!!! We got the attention of the owner/cook who was peeking out of the kitchen door window and brought the smell to his attention. His reply was "I know my food is good, and it is the best Haitian food". He dismissed our claims and went back in in the kitchen to continue to peek out the door window. We decided to accept the lost, and through a couple of dollars on the table and left. Visit this place at your own risk. I am only sharing...

Owner acted like a scammer, someone who has issues with money.

Was in the SW area & stopped by. Sat down & greeted by a chef in the back and the owner (overly excited to see a guest in their restaurant). Server inattentive, taking our order while answering the phone with other workers there who could have helped.

Overpriced lunch special portion: 5 small oxtail pieces and 5 plantains for $7.99. Inauthentic Haitian food with curry powder seasoning used for oxtail and chips and salsa served for "appetizer". 😳

Asked to split check, server refused. Paid cash with friend. I ordered an AK100 separately and received a separate check. Menu price was $1.99. Another check came for 3.21 ($2.99 +tax). I let server know price on the menu and she told me the owner told her to charge an extra dollar. Brought the drink without rectifying. As we waited for the owner & change from previous check, server came back and told me she took the $$ from the other shared check to cover the bill for the separate AK100, despite knowing whether or not the money was mine or for the person I ate with.

Owner came laughing to minimize the matter, refusing to give the money. He said he gave me the "real one" so he charged extra. There was no fake one on the menu or two prices listed. We left without it & without refund

It's not about the money, it's the principle of service...