Kingston Kitchen at the Village Inn
Kingston Kitchen at the Village Inn things to do, attractions, restaurants, events info and trip planning
Description
Relaxed restaurant with a down-home ambiance dishing up American classics with a Jamaican twist.
attractions: Grand Hotel, Fort Mackinac, Mackinac Island Tourism Bureau, The Original Mackinac Island Butterfly House & Insect World, Jack's Livery Stable, Lilac Tree Suites, Bicycle Street Inn & Suites, Marquette Park, Sainte Anne's Catholic Church, Mackinac Island, Main Street Inn and Suites, restaurants: Pink Pony, Horn's Gaslight Bar & Restaurant, Mustang Lounge, Seabiscuit Cafe, Mary's Bistro Draught House, The Gate House, Great Turtle Brewery & Distillery, Island Slice Pizzeria, Mighty Mac Hamburgers, The Chuckwagon
Ratings
Description
Relaxed restaurant with a down-home ambiance dishing up American classics with a Jamaican twist.
Posts
This food was delicious--with a huge caveat! BUT, service is VERY slow. Our server didn't know that we had been assigned to her, and we waited 45 minutes to even obtain drinks. We had to flag her down. It was very busy at dinnertime. Almost everything on the menu is GF, but NOTHING fried is. Server was knowledgeable about GF offerings. I had jerk chicken with beans and rice. Portions are huge (half a chicken? 2 scoops of beans and rice), so my sister (not GF) and I split it. She had the plantains, and also added an order of Bammy (all on her own plate). I don't know chicken parts, so I pretty much randomly divided up the food on her plate and mine. Apparently, ALL of the white meat was horribly dry. I tried to give her the extra sauce from my plate, but she literally had trouble swallowing it because it was so dry. I had a drumstick and what I guess was a thigh. Mine were exquisite. Very moist and flavorful. I felt bad, but like she said, she'd prefer I had the better meal since she has no dietary restrictions (and can grab a quick bite anywhere else). We spoke to the manager, who was apologetic, but seemed like nothing was going to be done. I am not exaggerating when I say that half of the chicken on the plate I received was inedible due to dryness. I even demonstrated, squishing it between my fingers. It took a lot of effort to do so. Even some of the Bammy was hard as a rock, and could bang noisily against the plate with little effort. (What my sis could eat of the Bammy was tasty, though--3/4 of it.) With some prodding, the manager agreed to give us a discount. She was overly generous, giving us a 50% discount. I would have been happy with 35-40% because the rice and beans and plantains were fantastic. I tipped on the original amount because none of this was the server's fault. My gluten-eating parents split the nachos (a huge pile on the plate!), and absolutely loved it. Definitely recommend this restaurant, even with the issues (dry chicken, slow service).
Stacy PeñaStacy Peña
00
10/10 HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!! By far the best place on the island to eat, as a Jamaica - I can attest to these dishes, by far the best place I've eaten in the USA, takes me back to Jamaica. Courteous staff, the atmosphere is family friendly - resonates the perfect Jamaican aura & the food is sublime, mouthwatering & and tantalizing, to say the least. My daughter has a gluten & egg allergy, which makes it a bit hard eating out with her. The staff was very knowledgeable of her allergy & she savored every bite of her meal, it warmed my heart to know they had gluten-free bun. We had the Trelwany Trifecta (3 appetizers of your choice) - we had the Seven Cheese Ackee Dip - it was mouthwatering with every bite; The Jonkanoo Jerk Beef Tips was packed with flavor & the gold sauce compliments it very well; Pork wings were succulent to the last bite. We treasured every bite of the Rice & "Peas", Braised Oxtail, Coconut Curried Chicken, Fried Plantain Steamed Veggies. The MacWacker, in my opinion, is the perfect sweet tooth adult beverage. The Manchester Banana Old Fashioned was well spirited. In summary, I can testify and appreciate the love, dedication and preparation that goes into the preparation of these authentic Jamaican meal, everything was well thought of & its great to enjoy a meal that is made from scratch & isn't taken straight out of a bag, can or box. Kingston Kitchen is serving up our number one soul food - the proof is in the puddin. My only regret was not ordering some of the Jerk Chicken, Smoked Jerk Pork, Curried Goat and Ackee and Saltfish to go. I'm looking forward to visiting Mackinac Island again and dining at the number 1 restaurant, Kingston Kitchen 🥰😍🤩🤤
Lance SaundersLance Saunders
00
I'm honestly so sad about this review. My family and I have specifically wanted to come here the last couple of times we were on the island and it worked out today. First problem was allergies. My son has a sunflower and sesame allergy which was near impossible to work around. As an allergy momma we worked around it. But overall lack of allergy awareness. I specifically said sesame seed allergy and then ordered the whitefish dip. The crackers were literally sesame crackers. Like sesame seeds everywhere. My son was anaphylactic and even if I didn't make clear it wasn't for my allergy son, I can't even have that on the table as loose seeds are always a challenges. Least of the issues really. It was dirty. So dirty. After the allergy issues we found a hair in my husbands food but let it go given the allergy issues already. We then proceeded to find dirt in the ice in my cup of water and my husband. My kids had kids cup with lids so I opened the cup to hope they hadn't been drinking that dirty water only to find more hair in my kids cup. We let the waitress know, specially saying we were just telling her and didn't expect anything and she literally asked us if "we were sure it didn't blow in." Ummm in all 3 cups? One being with a lid. That just put me over the edge. I'm really sad since we really looked forward to it. But the topper was just chicken so dry it was hard to chew, and it was a thigh. How a thigh is so beyond overcooked is hard to believe. For 100$, I expect much more. Especially bc it was 100$ for two meals. My kids were gonna share and so was my husband and I.
Samantha SimmonsSamantha Simmons
00
This is our new favorite place to eat on Mackinac Island. We first ate here two years ago on our honeymoon (2019), and it was so good that we knew we had to come back. My husband has been dreaming of the bammy ever since. We've eaten here twice since we've returned to the island - it was our first stop for dinner after getting off the ferry. The food was great, and we had a fantastic server (Monique) who made the night even better. We went back again this evening, and it was just as good of an experience. We actually got in just as the kitchen was closing, but they still seated us and served us a tasty dinner, and made us feel welcome the entire time. Simona was our server this time, and again, she was wonderful. My husband had the appetizer trio the first time, and the blackened pork chop the second. I had the jerk chicken alfredo the first time (chicken was very tasty but pasta was a little dry), and the coconut chicken curry the second (awesome!). Our daughter, who is a vegetarian, was extremely happy with the vegetarian options here (and there are many). She had mac and cheese (without bacon) and the black bean burger, which she absolutely loved. Their homemade ketchup for the fries and sweet potato tots is so good! And the island coconut chocolate cake is massive! It could easily be shared with the entire table. We had a wonderful chat with the staff as the restaurant was closing, and across the board they were so very friendly and welcoming. You should definitely check out Kingston Kitchen while visiting the island!
Jessica TerBushJessica TerBush
00
Our first stop whenever on the island for planked whitefish which has been their signature dish for decades. Last year we discovered that the new chef/owner is from Jamaica. He has retained our favorite plus added Jamaican food. Last year as well as this year we thoroughly enjoyed every meal! Our next meal was the Osso Bucco which was the special of the day; my husband said it was the best he had ever had anywhere. I tried the Oxtail and it too was awesome. We ordered these because Chef Shawn had just walked in at the start of the dinner time and my husband intercepted him on his way to the kitchen. Most of the staff comes here from Jamaica for the season. They are all courteous, attentive and professional as well as clearly work together as a team. Since they are from the Caribbean, they are looking forward to returning home to family and friends in late October when their restaurant closes for the season, and more importantly avoiding the cold weather and snow ❄️ For those of you who have the impression that Jamaican cuisine is too spicy, please note that the tone it down for Americans. On our next trip, I plan to request some increased spiciness for my meal. Have yet to try their ribs which we highly recommend by our server and patrons.
Debbie Cicinelli-TimmDebbie Cicinelli-Timm
00
I'm visiting Mackinac Island during the off season. So it is admittedly very quiet. One of the few happening places is Kingston kitchen. I've eaten two meals here this weekend and both were fantastic. I must say though I'm especially impressed with the Sunday brunch. It has a fantastic Jamaican flavor and I've tried curry goat, braised oxtail with butter beans, and an absolutely wonderful shrimp and prawns combo. Of course there is all the regular brunch things. There is also an omelette station with the chef himself making omelettes to order. I'm currently enjoying a lobster, sausage, peppers and cheese omelette. It is one of the best I've ever had! If you want traditional breakfast foods course, all of those are on offer as well. I also can't in this review without mentioning the homemade buttermilk biscuits which are to die for. Okay guys! The mimosas are huge! You definitely get your money's worth and they are garnished with fresh fruit. An absolute brunch win! The service has been fantastic. Everyone is so friendly and it's very fun to see the chef himself out interacting with guests. I highly recommend this place and I will definitely be returning anytime I visit Mackinac Island.
Emily Van DamEmily Van Dam
00
Nearby Attractions Of Kingston Kitchen at the Village Inn
Grand Hotel
Fort Mackinac
Mackinac Island Tourism Bureau
The Original Mackinac Island Butterfly House & Insect World
Jack's Livery Stable
Lilac Tree Suites
Bicycle Street Inn & Suites
Marquette Park
Sainte Anne's Catholic Church, Mackinac Island
Main Street Inn and Suites

Grand Hotel
4.5
(2.2K)Click for details

Fort Mackinac
4.7
(1.7K)Click for details

Mackinac Island Tourism Bureau
4.6
(1.2K)Click for details

The Original Mackinac Island Butterfly House & Insect World
4.6
(558)Click for details
Nearby Restaurants Of Kingston Kitchen at the Village Inn
Pink Pony
Horn's Gaslight Bar & Restaurant
Mustang Lounge
Seabiscuit Cafe
Mary's Bistro Draught House
The Gate House
Great Turtle Brewery & Distillery
Island Slice Pizzeria
Mighty Mac Hamburgers
The Chuckwagon

Pink Pony
4.5
(1.4K)$$
Click for details

Horn's Gaslight Bar & Restaurant
4.2
(629)$$
Click for details

Mustang Lounge
4.4
(579)$$
Click for details

Seabiscuit Cafe
4.4
(529)$$
Click for details
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