Ranch Caribbean Vybez — Restaurant in New York

A Tropical Nightmare – This Caribbean Restaurant Should Be Shut Down

Rating: ⭐ (and that’s being generous)

I walked into this so-called "Caribbean" restaurant with high hopes, dreaming of bold flavors, vibrant spices, and a taste of the islands. What I got instead was a culinary abomination that left me questioning every life choice that led me to this moment.

Let’s start with the jerk chicken, the dish I was most excited about. What arrived at my table was a sad, gray slab of meat that looked like it had been boiled to death. Where was the smoky char? The fiery jerk seasoning? Instead, it tasted like someone had waved a bottle of allspice near it and called it a day. It was bland, dry, and utterly lifeless.

The rice and peas? More like rice and disappointment. The rice was mushy, and the "peas" (which were actually kidney beans) were so overcooked they had turned into a grainy paste. The coconut flavor was nonexistent, and the dish was so under-seasoned I wondered if they forgot to add salt altogether.

Then there was the plantain. Oh, the plantain. It was supposed to be sweet and caramelized, but instead, it was burnt to a crisp on the outside and rock-hard on the inside. I’m pretty sure I chipped a tooth trying to bite into it.

The service was no better. The staff seemed completely disinterested, as if they were just as embarrassed by the food as I was. Our drinks took forever to arrive, and when they did, my rum punch tasted like watered-down cough syrup with a sad little umbrella floating in it.

To top it all off, the ambiance was about as Caribbean as a snowstorm. The decor looked like it was thrown together from a dollar store, and the reggae music playing in the background kept skipping, adding to the overall sense of chaos.

This restaurant is an insult to Caribbean cuisine. The food was a disgrace, the service was appalling, and the entire experience was a waste of time and money. If you’re craving authentic Caribbean flavors, do yourself a favor and stay far, far away from this place.

Final verdict: A tropical disaster. Avoid at all costs unless you enjoy...

Let me start by saying this was the worst experience of my life when it came to Mother’s Day. My family and I came to this establishment at 4:30 with reserved seating, We had to wait 30 minutes for our seating, Only to experience the worst part of the night. We finally sat down at approximately 5:15, No one came to ask if we wanted to order anything we had to request a waiter or a waitress. It took them 45 minutes to bring out the drinks that we ordered, but to top that they gave our drinks to the next table seated across from us, My mother, who is a diabetic still was sitting there, hungry with the rest of us, At around 7 o’clock, I started to act livid and requested to speak to the Manager, I explained the time that we were waiting there, and the fact that my mother had diabetes and wasn’t even offered a salad. We sat there so long, my brother who was coming from Brooklyn made it to this establishment and we still did not get to eat and he got there at 6:30. So as I started to get irritated and requested to speak to the manager again, I watched people come in and get served their drinks and food and because they were family of one of the cooks they were served. We were offered alcohol more then food again my mother who is 67 was hungry and her sugar was low, I flipped out and finally she received her salad, no utensils and again I watched another table who order after us receive their food, same order we put in, drinks were messed up and we left at 8:00 pm with no food. I wanted to cry because today was special for me, I haven’t seen my mother in 2 years and when seeing her I wanted to make it special. I will never return back here. Service was horrible especially with a $65 dollar Mother’s Day menu special. Kitchen started late and at that point we lost our appetite and no one even cared to apologize for the inconvenience. I’m always supporting my people but today was the day I regret even stepping into...

I visited this establishment on 1/3/2025 with my family, who were visiting from out of town. Before going, I reviewed the online menu to decide what we wanted to order. However, upon arriving at the sit-down side of the restaurant, we discovered that the menu primarily featured Caribbean cuisine. While that wasn’t an issue for us, my family was looking forward to the Southern-style dishes listed online. To accommodate their preferences, we decided to check out the takeout side, which appeared to offer the food they were expecting. Unfortunately, our experience on the takeout side was disappointing. We were greeted by a rude employee who curtly asked, "What do you want?" She made no effort to explain the menu or mention that there were different portion sizes available, and there was no signage indicating this information either. I attempted to diffuse her attitude by kindly asking how her day was going, but she remained dismissive, making comments about rice and peas—something I hadn't even inquired about. What upset me most was how she treated my mom, who has difficulty speaking. Her behavior was not only unprofessional but also humiliating, especially since I had brought my family from out of town to what I had hoped would be an enjoyable dining experience. The only redeeming aspects of our visit were the staff on the sit-down side, who were kind and accommodating, as well as the cashier on the takeout side, who was polite and helpful. However, the negative interaction with the employee on the takeout side has left me questioning whether I’ll return. The experience was deeply disappointing, and I sincerely hope the management addresses this behavior to prevent others from having a...