Taste of the Caribbean — Restaurant in Seattle

Ever since I went to New York City and didn’t get a Jamaican patty I’ve been kicking myself. I did some research and heard that Taste of the Caribbean had tasty, affordable Jamaican patties. I finally ventured over on a Saturday sometime after 2pm. The place was somewhat dark inside, but comfortable. It’s a large space with a bar and some bar seating and then a bunch of tables. The décor was nice, I especially liked the flags hung up all around because it was fun trying to figure out which ones were hung up. There was only one woman waiting tables and bartending so the service was a little slower, but I don’t hold that against her at all. To run the front of the house by herself was admirable. It didn’t hurt that she was hospitable and had an affable personality. Unfortunately they didn’t have curry goat or ackee, so I shared a curry chicken and one beef and one chicken patty. The curry chicken was delicious and had a good amount of spicy heat. I particularly enjoyed the rice and peas (beans) on the side. As for the patties, I thought they were great. I personally favored the beef patty but the chicken patty was good too. Both fillings were flavorful and meaty. The patties were affordable at $3.50 apiece as well. I hope to have more patties in the future, but all the ones I have from now on will be compared to these ones. I hope to...

I got racist vibes coming into here from every single male employee there. I'm biracial (half black half white) and my skin tone is white. No one wanted to serve me once I was inside. I stood there for a solid 5 minutes or so at the "please wait to be seated" sign. A guy comes up and says "oh you have a pick up for some one?" I replied by saying "no, I'm looking to sit down and eat" and the guy just walks away and doesn't come back. I wait a few more minutes and all the guys are just walking past me and giving me mug looks. I finally walk up to a lady and ask if I can grab a seat and she ends up being my server.

I ordered beef patty and oxtail plate.

Beef filling was flavorless but the pastry was good. Patty was as hot as fresh brewed coffee though.. I had to let it cool off for a few minutes before it became edible.

Oxtail was pathetic. They don't cook the oxtails long enough. The thyme stems are left in the stew and bone splinters so you have to constantly pick them out your mouth while you eat.

Rice and peas was horrible.

While eating, I asked a male employee for some water. He looked at me and walked away again.

I also saw a white couple come into the restaurant and no one would talk to or serve them besides the same lady who served me. Pretty pathetic in my opinion. Would...

My son is from Haiti and we came here hoping for a great experience, based on reviews. The interior is fun and pays homage to the carribean nations with flags around the walls. A stage at the front with an ample sound system promises some lively music. Plenty of TVS on the walls, and a nice looking bar.

The servers were kind and friendly, but the food service from the kitchen was EXTREMELY slow. Nearly 1/2 hour to get our appetizer (cod fritters) and an hour to get our main courses -- goat curry and Jamaican jerk chicken. Surprising because the restaurant was not terribly busy.

The food was a disappointment. The cod fish fritters were crispy with good consistency, but mostly just breading. I was unable to find any pieces of fish in one of them, and only one very small piece in another. The goat curry was junky meat -- mostly bones and fat, scant actual meat. I expected vibrant flavors and a little spice from a carribean curry, but the seasoning was undersalted and not particularly flavorful or spicy. The jerk chicken was a little better according to my son. But the chicken was overdone, and the skin was soft, not at all crispy. The rice and peas met our expectations.

Hopefully it was just a bad night in the kitchen, but based on our experience we'll be looking elsewhere for...