Eating Tree — Restaurant in New York

I've been hearing good things about this place for years since when it was known as Feeding Tree. Either it was heavily hyped or things changed quite a bit. I came hungry one evening with my fiancé (who happens to be West Indian) and was excited to get what I thought would be some good jerk chicken.

The first clue that something wasn't right should have been when my order came to $28 for a large order of jerk chicken and two cans of Diet Coke. When the cashier told me the cost, I must have seemed stunned, and asked, "How much??" I shouldn't have paid and should have just cancelled the order, but by then I was starving. The cashier explained that they charged per pound ($12/lb.) and it was 2 lbs.

Already feeling cheated, I came to discover that the "jerk" chicken was...barbecued, burnt chicken with sauce that they passed off as jerk that we figured out was likely a mixture of ketchup, vinegar, and pepper. I've had good jerk, great jerk even, and I've also had much better chicken for much less.

After finishing my $28 meal, I not only felt cheated, but I felt angry. If you haven't had the pleasure of having eaten good jerk chicken or pork, you can do so and a large order should cost you around $14, nearly half as much as this mediocre meal. Some places try to cut corners by purposefully burning the chicken and pouring cheap hot sauce over it, then passing it off as "jerk."

Verdict: if I want good jerk, I'll go to Gun Hill or Flatbush Ave. or eat my friend's amazing jerk pork. Eating Tree is trash food by people who try to rip you off.

Bonus: one of the employees chased this guy outside to yell at him because of the trash he left on the table. One problem: he didn't leave the trash there and it was there way before him. So not only are they con artists with bad food, they also have no...

Now this is a classic Bronx eatery. Its small, only a few people run it, but the food is awesome. I came here because I went to a Yankee game, and didn't feel like paying $10 for a $4 hamburger. I got medium-sized order of jerk chicken, and it took awhile to get anything although I saw the kitchen working, so it was obviously made fresh. I got a fair size container stuffed with food, including rice and beans, some veggies, and also some cornbread on the side. However, they gave me oxtails. Now I'm not an expert on Jamaican food, but I can tell an oxtail from a piece of chicken. I wanted something spicy, so I gave it back--but not after trying a bite. It was really tender and flavorful, but again just not what I order. I dug into my chicken as soon as I got it, as I was running a bit late at this point. I got a few breast pieces as well as a wing. It could've been a bit more spicy, but it was juicy and very flavorful. The veggies were a perfect complement, as they were sweet and cooling. The rice and beans were good as well, the cornbread was good but not the best (I'm very critical of cornbread), but the best part was that this was a very sizable meal that kept me full until the end of the day--no easy task. If you're going to a Yankees game, do yourself a favor and come early so you can get some reasonably priced food here. The staff is very friendly as are the patrons; one couple even started singing that song "have I told you lately that I love you" in front of the whole place when it came on the radio. I wouldn't classify this as a can't miss necessarily, but its definitely solid, soulful...

Writing this review because I just had too after an occurrence but will start off on a positive note. The food is excellent, well seasoned and tasty. I got the ox, rice and peas with cabbage, Mac and cheese and a beef patty. Everything tasted really good and well cooked. Only thing I’d say is that I wish they cut the fat off the ox, but that is personal preference so that does not affect my rating. The reason behind the 3-star rating and what made me write this review is because the next day trips to the bathroom obviously caused by food poisoning. Lack of condition in quality of food. I don’t know if y’all leave the food sitting or put yesterday food for next day but c’mon. I am only for sure because I had not eaten all day other than this food and on top of that, someone wrote a similar review about them having to use the restroom after eating here. Probably not cleaning the meat properly because another review she states that the fish don’t taste clean. Y’all got to soak ya meats in vinegar, lime and salt like ya ancestors taught you. I will not low ball y’all with a 1 star because the food overall was tasty but something ain’t right if this situation happen more than once on occasion with different people. Won’t comment on service or atmosphere because I had delivery which was done in a timely matter. Will still recommend this spot but maybe a different meal, could had been just the ox. Who knows...