Island Pride Jamaican Restaurant — Restaurant in Rockville

My husband is from Jamaica and I am a Floridian . Therefore , I know what Jamaican food should taste like . We recently moved up here a year ago and was greatly disappointed with the limited number of Jamaican restaurants . We've tried this place several times because it was the only option . First time I got the curry chicken . I was very disappointed . We tried again and we purchased the oxtails . It taste more like lightly season American oxtails . The third time we purchased the brown stew I was also highly disappointed, but it taste decent . Although the Jamaican spices were no where in the recipe . This last time we went to give it another try . I had the brown stew and my husband had the oxtails. It was very disappointing . It was even more disappointing because we spent $30 on two meals . I could have gone to Waffle House. The food this last time didn't taste fresh and it wasn't well seasoned . It even messed up my husband's stomach . We decided to never go here again and cook our meals at home . If any other suggestions, please let us know . All we want is a little taste of the island , being that we miss home so much...

I was disappointed in the quality and price of the food here. I saw that it was a popular lunch time spot but the food was neither cheap nor fresh. I got the large oxtail stew with extra jerk chicken and sides of plantains and cabbage and mixed vegetables. I would argue that this is one of those places where the large is not worth paying for. The sides were both very standard but the cabbage was overly oily.

Most of the meat you get, especially the oxtail, is just large pieces of bone which decreases its value even more. As for the actual taste, the oxtail was tender and was braised in a stew but the stew was extremely bland and had a mushy bean texture. For the extra side of jerk chicken, I got three pieces which was reasonable for the extra $8 but the chicken wasn’t very tasty. It seemed like regular chicken doused in a spiced sauce or gravy that was too strong to be pleasant. I would not...

Service: We came to Island Pride casually for lunch around 4 p.m. on a Saturday. It wasn’t packed, and we were served pretty quickly. The menu had plenty of options, and the food looked freshly cooked.

Taste: We ordered a large jerk chicken and a small curry goat, both with rice and peas, cabbage, and a roti, along with a coco bread. Everything was flavorful and tasted authentic. The two ginger lemon drinks we got were also refreshing and paired well with the meal.

Ambiance: We dined in and enjoyed the Jamaican music playing on the TV, which added to the island vibe. The restaurant was clean and comfortable, and the bathrooms were well maintained.

Overall Review: We paid around $60 for everything, which felt reasonable for the quality and portion sizes. Island Pride is a great spot for hearty, authentic Jamaican food in a relaxed setting. I’d definitely come back or order...