Flava Jamaican & Soul Food — Restaurant in Winslow Township

Well it was my first time going to this restaurant and honestly I can say that I was not impressed. I got an Xtra Large order of oxtails and my sides was rice and peas and collard greens. It came to 18.18. When the gentleman handed me the bag it was very lightweight much lighter in weight that I wud expect considering I ordered an Xtra Large order. Well I got it home and opened it up and it was no where near a meal for 18.18. There was a tiny scoop of rice and beans and a tiny scoop of collard greens.. and about maybe 8 pieces of oxtails mixed with a bunch only bones to make it look like it was a lot. The rice and beans was substandard and the collard greens were not cooked all the way, they had way too much crunch for my taste. There were only certain pieces of the oxtails that was tender and the other I had to bite away from the bone. I was very disappointed to say the least. So needless to say I will not be going back there and I certainly will not recommend anyone there. I just moved to Williamstown NJ from Burlington NJ, now there is a restaurant in Burlington with oxtails that would put “Flavas” to shame. They give you a large container for your food if it is xtra large with a full bed of rice and red beans and lemme tell you.. they give you so much food I can not even eat it all in one sitting... the oxtails are huge not like at Flavas where they were small. And it’s the same price. So the next time I want oxtails I will take the 49 minute drive to Burlington for the oxtails there rather than taking the 10 minute drive to Flavas. But one thing is for sure and two things for certain... Flavas will never get another penny...

Listen.... I'm a jerk chicken aficianado. It's my FAVORITE food in the world! I've tried jerk chicken from a gazillion places in Philly, NJ, and some in NY.

Flava by FAR makes the BEST jerk chicken I've ever tasted! They don't cheat or take shortcuts! Most places use Grace all purpose seasoning and Grace jerk seasoning and put it in the oven. Then when it's done they slather the jerk chicken in a store bought but restaurant altered jerk BBQ sauce. Let me tell you it's TERRIBLE! I've been to restaurants where the chef was excited to serve me shortcut made jerk chicken. Just NO. At Flava, you can taste the smoke and the homemade jerk seasoning and sauce (not thick like BBQ sauce) on the chicken. The rice and peas taste like they took their time to make it; not like that cheap throwaway rice and peas you get from most other places.

This is the ONLY place I've been going to consistently for over 13 years!

Note: I was reading some of the 1 star reviews and let me tell you they are bogus. I've NEVER had bland or dry or small portions from here. You go to some other Jamaican spots and you get a platter FULL of rice and some nasty rushed jerk chicken that's not really jerk chicken.

And to the person Danamarco or something like that that says Flava needs to close up and they recommend Jamrock in clementon. Let me tell you about Jamrock in clementon. I just ate there a few days ago and guess what I got? I got the jerk chicken platter. It was terrible! It was that fake, shortcut jerk chicken I spoke of earlier. I won't be going there or mama Luna's Jamaican food restaurant right down the street from there. ...

This was my first time trying this restaurant, and overall, I’d say it was pretty decent. When I called to inquire whether they had oxtail, the friendly and kind woman who answered said yes, so I let her know I was on my way. That’s when she explained that you actually place your order over the phone and pick it up at their drive-up window — it’s not a dine-in restaurant. I was perfectly fine with that and thought it made the experience more convenient and unique. I placed my order, and she asked if I wanted the large or small platter, explaining the price difference. Since it was my first time trying the food, I opted for the smaller platter.

When I arrived shortly after placing my order, my food was ready, hot, and waiting. The woman at the window greeted me warmly, remembered my order, and even included a menu for next time. Her kindness and great customer service really stood out and made me want to come back, which I will.

As for the food — the sweet potatoes were delicious, tender, and perfectly seasoned, not too sweet. The oxtail was nice and tender, with beans that were also tender and flavorful. The portion (even though I ordered the smaller platter) was filling and satisfying. The macaroni and cheese was fairly good — not my favorite, but decent. I also liked that the cornbread was cut thinner instead of the usual thick, dry style — it was soft, moist, and pretty good.

Overall, everything was reasonably priced, the service was excellent, and the meal satisfied my craving. Looking forward to trying more...