The Islands — Restaurant in New York

I recently dined at The Islands Restaurant and, unfortunately, it was a disappointing experience. From the moment we arrived, the service was lackluster. We waited a full 15 minutes just to get our waters, and even then, we had to ask multiple times before they finally arrived. Instead of placing the drinks on the table, our server handed them to us, which felt unprofessional.

While the atmosphere was nice, it was clear the staff lacked urgency. If you’re on a time schedule, I highly recommend looking elsewhere, as there seemed to be no anticipation or promptness in the service. It's baffling, especially since the restaurant wasn't crowded, and there were plenty of available tables.

The highlight of our visit was the escovitch fish and oxtails, but even that was a letdown. We were told it would take 15 minutes to prepare, yet we waited 50 minutes for it to arrive. There was a complete lack of communication from the staff regarding our order, and no accommodation for the delay. Just as we were about to leave, they finally brought out our food, but the damage was done.

To make matters worse, we noticed a party of six who arrived prior to us received their food much quicker, while one of their guests got her meal after we did. When I asked for a to-go container, I was simply handed one instead of the server offering to assist. After seeing her mistake, she finally offered to help, but by then, it felt a bit too late.

The only part of our meal that was expedited was the check, which left us feeling more frustrated than satisfied. The manager did come out to apologize, but there was no real attempt to make up for the delays.

Overall, I cannot recommend The Islands Restaurant. For anyone craving Jamaican cuisine, I suggest exploring other options where service and professionalism are prioritized. Save yourself...

We arrived as a group of four and saw that there wasn’t any free outdoor tables, so we had expected a wait. However, after putting our name down, one of the waiters brought out tables and chairs for us, so we were basically seated immediately. Not only that, but this place lets you drink your own wine AND WILL GIVE YOU WINE GLASSES FOR IT! The liquor store is literally 20 feet away and most tables had bought wine there for the meal. So you are supporting TWO local businesses — VERY NICE!

Now for the food, I highly recommend the jerk lamb / chicken or the curry chicken. Meat is literally fall off the bone tender and HUGE portions — we were literally cleaning the place of the jerk lamb, and it’s just spicy enough for you to feel the heat but still keep you coming back for more. The roti is BOMB though, and would definitely recommend getting this to compliment your meal and just help sop up the sauce. The plantains and steamed veggies included in each plate are also delicious :) However, if they offer you the Mac and cheese as an add-on, I would say to pass: it’s decent but not worth the price. Service could have been better while we were dining; we didn’t get any water refills or check-ins, and had to flag down a waiter to order and get the check. However, for their initial service + the treat of being able to drink your own wine with the meal + the portions and quality of the food, I am still more than happy to give this place five stars. I will definitely be back the next time I’m...

Food was delicious! I appreciated and very much enjoyed the vegetarian options. My friend enjoyed her curry chicken as well. Selene, our server, was an absolute delight! Decor is utilitarian but the other patrons were happy and enjoying themselves as well.

Walked in randomly after a visit to the Brooklyn Museum. While chatting with Selene I mentioned that it was my good friend’s birthday. Selene later found a moment to subtly ask me if my friend liked cheesecake, I nodded. Not only did Selene come to our table with the most delicious slice of pineapple cheesecake but she subtly asked the other 3 tables to sing happy birthday before she approached our table. It wasn’t in a cheesy chain restaurant kind of way, but in a very sweet, good community way. I knew the cake was coming, but I did not expect that extra level of effort from our beautiful server and it was such a lovely touch. My friend was totally surprised and at first didn’t even realize everyone was singing to her. Ha! Thank you!

This is now a destination spot for me, as I don’t live near the restaurant but just joined the Museum. We didn’t have time to pop into the lounge next door, but it looked like a good vibe and plan on trying it next visit to the...