Caribeyond Restaurant — Restaurant in Maryland

Ok, stick with me on this wild ride of a review. Y’all…I REALLY wanted to like this place. I LOVE supporting black-owned businesses and restaurants and the number of Caribbean spots, let alone tasty Caribbean spots, in Columbia and the immediate surrounding areas are few and far between which made me excited to try this place. But after reading the reviews, I was a bit hesitant to try it since I didn’t come across much positive feedback. But in an effort to play devil’s advocate (and because I was hungry as hell and craving Caribbean food), I gave this place a shot. Plus, we all have different tastebuds and what one dislikes, another might love. So, I gave in. I walked in at ~6pm on a Sunday and it was a ghost town except for a couple dining inside. I immediately noticed that this place didn’t look as clean as it could’ve… Please don’t get me wrong, it isn’t gross by any means but it looked like the counters and floors nearby the bar/counter area could’ve used a quick wipe-down. I wasn’t really greeted, as the only associate out front was sitting down on her phone and I could barely see her behind the bar-height counter. They also lack an obvious area to place your order, pay, & pick up. I ordered stewed turkey (wanted stewed chicken but they don’t serve that), rice & peas, mac & cheese, and the jerk wings since my eyes were bigger than my stomach and I wanted to give several items a taste-test. The stewed turkey wasn’t awful but it was different than what I’m used to; lighter in color and a little spicier. The turkey was a little tough but at least it was warm and the broth (can’t call it a stew/sauce imo) was okay. The mac & cheese was also decent and had potential but it was lukewarm and clumped together as the cheese hardened. Salt + pepper will be your friends when it comes to the mac. Unfortunately, I have to agree with a few others on the rice & peas; it wasn’t very flavorful and it seemed overcooked and dry. Lastly, the jerk wings were…edible? For lack of a better word. They could use some work. The drums & flats are a little too big for my liking and cooked too hard to the point that they were dried out. I ended up putting my own mumbo sauce on the side to help combat the dryness. Judge me later. Anywho, this place has strong potential to be good if they just make a few tweaks. Try it out if you can and see...

I’ve only ever ordered Haitian food from here and decided to step out of my comfort zone and get the oxtail. I was told it came with rice and beans and cabbage or sweet plantain. I chose the plantain. Upon completing my order the man stuck his head out and said: “oh this comes with mac n cheese too…don’t want it?” I said sure. I got my food and opened it up: to my surprise there was 2.5 tiny small pieces of oxtail. And this is not an exaggeration…2.5 smalllll pieces of oxtail. Paired with oily unseasoned mac and cheese and a whole bunch of rice with contract. The oxtail was not traditional Jamaican oxtail or Haitian oxtail at that. It lacked flavor and was greasy. Did I mention no gravy? What am I supposed to do with all my rice?! Just eat it dry. Also the “sweet” plantains were barely ripe at that. I think this has been one of the most disappointing plates of food I’ve gotten from this place. And where I wouldn’t normally write a review I feel pushed to do so because the customer service just wasn’t it that day. When I told him I only got 2.5 pieces of oxtail…he made a joke about getting me another piece and kinda just shrugged his shoulder. He asked me for my opinion of the food because he was hyping it up as the best oxtails in town and when I shared my opinion he just stated: “well everyone-has different taste buds” and went on to tell me how people order oxtail there all the time. Why ask for my opinion if you’re just gonna get defensive. I told him then and I’ll tell y’all now …just stick to the Haitian food here. And honestly even that could be better. As a native of Florida and quality Haitian cuisine…this just holds place for when I don’t feel like slaving over the stove and making my own food. Also, the mac and cheese was not included and he charged me an additional price. I paid over $30 for greasy oxtail (2.5 pieces), dry rice, watery mac and cheese and in between plantain. I’ll be taking a break from this place to say the least. Picture is from before I even ate. This dish and customer service gets a 2 star…I’ve had other tasty dishes here and some not so tasty but I had to write a review for this last experience because customer service could have...

This is a 100% real review from a Haitian that has visited Haiti and has eaten Haitian cuisine from many places. Lately, I have been craving Haitian food, I’m from New York and I miss Home. I don’t mean to brag when I say New York has the best Haitian food but they do. I was skeptical to place my order because of the reviews, they had so many complaints, but I decided to try it for myself and I’m glad I did. This is a fusion restaurant so they have Haitian and Jamaican options but I only ordered Haitian food. I ordered the Haitian black rice with the legume, the mac & cheese, and the sweet plantains. I was disappointed that they were out of pikliz, but that did not, take away from how delicious the food was. I will say the plantains could’ve been less dense they weren’t as ripe as I would’ve liked, but that was the only complaint I had. The legume was delicious tasted as authentic as the best places in New York. The black rice was amazing as well, and I ordered the passion fruit juice, which perfectly complemented the whole meal. I’d say if you’re skeptical, give it a try only thing you’ll miss out on is money if you don’t like it. I think that’s a good trade off for finding your next favorite takeout or...