Calypso | Restaurant & Raw Bar — Restaurant in Pompano Beach

Last evening my 3 children and I had a fabulous meal at Calypsos. My son has a severe milk allergy and I am always hesitant to take him to restaurants I do not know The owner greeted us at the door and I informed him of our situation and he told me that they would custom make anything on the menu for my son WoW! We had fresh breaded clam strips not frozen) which were lightly breaded and melted in your mouth. We also ordered the Fresh Florida White steamed Shrimp. They were so sweet unlike the Asian farmed raised, slaved produced tasteless Tiger shrimp which most restaurants utilize to save on food costs. My daughter ordered the Habenaro chicken wings which were huge, succulent and not over seasoned When our salads arrived the tomatoes were ruby red and absolutely beautiful for this time of year. Our waitress informed me that the Owner had a special ripening room just for tomatoes Double Wow! All of the salad dressings are made in house and you can tell the difference For dinner all of us ordered Dolphin (Mahi Mahi) prepared in different variations. My daughter had the fish and chips and the Mahi was fried in a very delicate batter and the Mahi was absolutely moist and sweet. She received three 4 ounce battered fillets My son had the stuffed Dolphin. The stuffing was backfin crab, green peppers , mayo and seasoning (no fillers) wedged between Two Mahi filets and broiled with a wonderful tomato garlic topping. I had the blackened Mahi which was seared to perfection. My taste buds were in heaven. I also would like to mention how attentive and caring our waitress was (regarding to my sons allergy). She was always refilling our drinks without being asked and served the meals from the proper side (an oddity in today's times). We were so stuffed we could not indulge in the desserts but if the desserts were prepared as well as the appetizers and entrees I am sure they would have been awesome. Throughout the entire meal the owner circulated amongst all of the tables asking how the meal was and if they could do anything to improve upon their food preparation or service (tall about being proactive!) I would highly recommend Calypsos to anyone who enjoys excellently prepared seafood delicacies fresh from the Atlantic Ocean. With an owner who cares about the small details such as preparing in house dressings, ripening the tomatoes to perfection and only using top quality seafood items you...

Let me start off by saying that this critique is coming from a man that is of Trinidadian descent. Both of my parents are from Trinidad as well as my siblings. Hence, I grew up in a Trinidadian household, eating Carribean food and surrounded by Carribean culture my entire life. So, I would like to believe I know a thing or two about Carribean Cuisine. The only thing this place got right was the look of the restaurant. The decor definitely has a West-Indian look. But that’s where it started and definitely where it ended. I went during lunch time and ordered their Curry Chicken. Or as the female bartender referred to it, the “Chicken-Curry”. I knew right there not to expect a whole lot. I’ve been to countless of Carribean restaurants. Not to mention eating food with family and friends from the Carribean. NEVER, have I ever heard anyone call Curry Chicken...”Chicken-Curry”...NEVER! So right there I knew not to expect much from my meal. So let’s start with the presentation of it. Typically, when I order CURRY CHICKEN, whether it’s from Trinidadians, Jamaicans, Guyanese etc. usually I receive rice & peas, the Curry Chicken, steamed cabbage and fried plantains on the side. That’s what a typical Curry Chicken dish looks like. What I received was some cut up chicken, in a curry sauce poured over rice & peas on plate. The chicken, wasn’t even on the bone. It was cut into small strips! I’ve never been to an AUTHENTIC Carribean restaurant that cuts up Curry Chicken into strips. And to make matters worse, the chicken wasn’t seasoned well. It was super bland and didn’t have any flavor. It taste like chicken that was cooked in a pan and then tossed into Curry sauce. Now that I mention it, that was the only decent aspect of the meal, the Curry sauce. I’ve had some bad Curry in my life. Fortunately, this was NOT one them. They actually had decent Curry. Not great, but decent. Their cooler didn’t have any Sorrel, Irish Moss, Champagne-Kola, etc. Nothing that screamed out Carribean or West-Indian. I used a word a few sentences back that really sums it all up. And that word was authentic. This was the most UN-AUTHENTIC Carribean restaurant I’ve ever been to, including the staff! If you’re seeking real Carribean food and flavor, do yourself a favor and research some of the other restaurants in the area. Don’t eat here. This establishment is a substandard imitation of the...

Calypso Restaurant is a casual restaurant located in the Garden Isles Shopping Center along Cypress Creek with some tiki island ambiance. Warmly greeted by a female employee, Rachel, who allowed me to sit anywhere in the restaurant which was not busy. As I got settled, I was asked what I wanted to drink. Being my first time here, I was unsure. I was then given a drink & food menu and a few minutes to make my decision. Prices are moderate. The menu had a vast selection of dishes which was influenced by Caribbean cuisine:

Appetizers/soups/salads/sides Burgers & cutters (island lingo for sandwich) Entrees/rotis/curries Meat & poultry/fish & chips Raw bar platter/lunch platter Daily soecials & desserts Cold beverages/beer/wine

For my drink I had a glass of Stellar Rose Moscato which was lightly sweet and crisp.

First I started off with a small house salad consisting of romaine lettuce, tomato, shredded red cabbage/carrots and sliced cucumber, topped with honey mustard dressing. It was very tasty.

Next came the entree - Stamp & Go which was two saltfish patties served with my choice of two sides (rice & peas and fried plantain). The fried plantains was fried nicely and was sweet, just how I Iike 'em. The rice and peas was cooked to a soft consistency and was full of flavor just like it was made in the islands. Rachel was nice enough to give me some curry sauce on the side since I stated I don't like eating dry rice, and it made the rice taste so much better. The saltfish patties was crunchy on the outside and flavorful on the inside mixed with curry,, onions, and red/green peppers. When Rachel came and asked if things were to my liking, I replied that the food exceeded my expectations. I literally felt like I've been transported to the islands...the only thing that was missing was some island music to solidify the vibe.

Last I had the bread pudding for dessert.  It was served warm topped with whipped cream and cinnamon....absolutely scrumptious!

On the verge of being overstuffed with all that delicious food, I asked Rachel for a container to carry my leftovers home. I also ordered a chicken roti to take home to eat later. Rachel gave satisfactory customer service and I hope she's around the next time I stop by. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to waddle...