Bammy's Modern Caribbean — Restaurant in Washington

“You win some; you lose some.”

Atmosphere: Good Food/Meal: Poor Service: Okay

I wish I could leave a review with zero stars after having the misfortune to dine at Bammy’s last night.

After spending a few hours at Navy Yard, we decided to have dinner there. I saw Bammy’s and, as a person of Jamaican descent, was excited to have what I assumed would be Jamaican food. I checked Google and saw that Bammy’s had pretty good reviews, so we went in. We were seated at a table almost immediately, although we didn't have a reservation.

The waiter told us to scan the QR code to access the menu. The menu had various Jamaican/Caribbean-inspired dishes. We decided to order one of our favorites, escovitch fish. The waiter asked what size we wanted and gave three options: 2.5, 3, and another dimension. We decided to share the three-pound fish. You have to order the sides separately, so we ordered rice and peas and fried sweet plantains. It took a little while for our food to come out, but finally, it did. The fish was huge, and I knew we would be unable to eat it all and would have to take some home. I took a few pics, and then we dug in.

We split the order of rice and then attempted to split the fish. The fish was so fried and overcooked it was challenging to cut. It was more like fish jerky than any escovitch fish I've ever had. We each took some of the plantains and added them to our plates. The plantains also looked overdone, but I didn't want to just the dish by its outward appearance and started to eat.

I'll start with what was decent, the rice and peas. The rice was good, the peas weren't over or undercooked, and had a good flavor. The sweet fried plantains, were fried, but were definitely not sweet. They tasted as if they weren't as ripe as they should be. The escovitch fish was the worst of all. The fish had no flavor. I don't know if it's because it was over-fried if they didn't season the fish (in the Caribbean, we season our fish or marinate it) before cooking ir, or a combination of the two. The vegetables that were on top of the fish helped to give a little flavor but were no match for the overcooked dish. The waiter never checked on us after he served our food.

After we ate what we could of the rice and plantains, we saw the waiter and asked for the check. I asked if they usually cooked the escovitch fish that much because you could barely separate the fish from the bone, and it was pretty dry, chewy, and unappetizing. The waiter said they probably had the temperature too high when they cooked it. He then said, well, you win some, you lose some. There was no apology, no offer of a consolation dessert, or discounted meal for our trouble. There was only an I hope you come again.

When I decided to have dinner at Bammy’s, I had no idea I was in for a subpar meal and disappointing dining experience. I left the restaurant with a bad taste in my mouth and my stomach almost as empty as when I arrived. I do not recommend ordering the escovitch fish at Bammy’s. I can't speak to how well they prepare other dishes and won’t be going back to find out. I expected more from this restaurant’s food and service and am highly...

The service here is horrendous, unwelcoming, bad energy, reprehensible, and absolutely disgusting! Dine here at your own risk. The food is over priced , overhyped, lacks authenticity, and not of value. I would rate this establishment a negative star in all categories if I could. Avoid at all costs! Spend your dollar where it is valued and appreciated. I will never step foot in this establishment again. Here is your candid warning.

Arrived here on 2/14 for an 8:45pm reservation for two and arrived on time. Upon arrival, there was no one to greet us. We felt invisible as they continue to walk past us. There were two other parties that were waiting to be seated as well who they were also slow to acknowledge. On the verge of leaving, it was approximately 15 mins later until someone finally walks up and acknowledges us and asks, “Do you have a reservation, What time was it for?” Um excuse me?! I was internally flabbergasted at this point. Keep in mind the place is small. You literally see the entire layout of the restaurant as soon as you walk in.There is absolutely no way for anyone who works here to have not seen us as well as the others how long we were standing there at the front entrance.

We proceed to be seated and that was when the next set of disappointments came. Wait another 10 minutes or so for the waiter to come. No apologies, no accountability for the wait. Waiter takes our food and drink order and walks off. Didn’t even bother to bring water or ask if we wanted any. Another 10 minutes passed and I had to flag the waiter down to ask for water??! And then when it comes it’s a little glass at that.

Another party of four who arrived and were seated well after we already placed our order, food came out before ours did. How is that even possible?!

Food finally comes out and it was so bland. At this point we still haven’t received the drinks we ordered. I had to ask about that to the waiter and it should have been her keeping us informed. She then tells me the bartender is backed up. The restaurant was not even super busy. We decided to cancel the drink order since it clearly wasn’t being made anyway, asked for the check and to go boxes and left.

Even in the midst of all that, the waiter showed no accountability, there was no apology for the wait and overall experience or lack there of. And the most cringiest part is they automatically add 20% gratuity to all checks regardless of party size.

After further review, I seen in prior recent ratings many others have encountered similar experiences. Some people are not fit to run an establishment and this place is a prime example.

Bammy’s will not be around much longer at this rate. Everything about this restaurant is deplorable. I strongly advise you to eat elsewhere.

To the owners and everyone a part of this operation - Do right by others, and they will do...

My boyfriend and I had a horrible and disappointing experience at Bammy’s. We were excited to start our Friday date night at the restaurant - my boyfriend had dined there years ago (when under different ownership) and it was my first time. The atmosphere and music were nice and our drinks were on point. Unfortunately, when our food came, the manager/server, DeAndre, dropped a large plate of curry chicken on our table, which fell into my lap and splattered over my entire outfit, from my chest area, down my legs all the way to my suede boots - curry everywhere! Mistakes happen, although in my numerous years of dining NOTHING like this has ever occurred. But what happened after was truly insulting.

I have previously worked in the hospitality industry, and so from my years of experience working in restaurants, I know that it would have been customary for the manager to have taken care of our meal and provide other gestures to ensure that we could salvage what was left of a ruined evening, but more importantly, that we would return again. Although the server/manager, DeAndre, apologized, my boyfriend (who was ready to leave at that point) had to ask him if he would take care of us. The manager/server assured that he would. He brought me another plate, which came out so quick that it could not have been cooked to order. And by the way it tasted, it was clear the food wasn’t prepared fresh. My boyfriend’s red snapper was dry and the peppers on top, which are usually sautéed, were just raw sliced peppers with no sauce - the food was sub par Caribbean food, at best.

The server/manager proceeded to bring us a bill, stating that he removed the service charge and my curry chicken entree. When we voiced our concern about the food and the fact that our entire experience had been ruined due to the fact that we could no longer attend an event after dinner because my entire outfit was ruined and smelled like curry chicken, that we felt the least he could do was comp our entire meal. The manager/server went on to berate us and insinuate that we somehow were just trying to get a free meal. He insulted us, embarrassed us, and had no grace or care for our dining experience. I have never felt so disrespected as a customer. The other server, who also helped us out that night and the bartender were sympathetic and did their best to help us, including the bar tender kindly helping me clean up my outfit that was splattered with curry sauce.

I wanted to enjoy this place, as I love Caribbean food and vibes. But based on how we were treated, I will never dine here again and will not recommend that anyone I know waste their time or money at this...