Caribbean Queen
507 NW 5th Ave, Gainesville, FL, 32601
Caribbean Queen Menu
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Visit below restaurant in Gainesville for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Gainesville for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Gainesville for healthy meals suggestion.
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Address :
507 NW 5th Ave
Gainesville, FL, 32601 - Phone (352) 374-8111
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :10:30 am - 9:00pm
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : No
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : No
Parking : Street
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : No
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Divey
Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only
Outdoor Seating : Yes
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : Yes
WE SERVE THE FOLLOWING STATES
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Georgia B.
Authentic St.Elizabeth, Jamaica cooking - wonderful lady, domino games, open LAAAAATE on Fridays and Saturdays- what more can you ask for? Much better than Reggae Shack.
(5)Mike W.
It has been some time since I'd been to Caribbean Queen and since I was in the neighborhood I decided to come back. I'm not certain just how long they've been here, but the restaurant is small, humble, and looks pretty well-worn: it reminds me of a place I loved in Savannah, Georgia called Wall's BBQ. It's no-frills, certainly, and I suspect they do the lion's share of their business in take-away though they have a couple small tables for dine-in plus a couple more in the outdoor court before the entry to the building. The menu is pretty standard to Jamaican cuisine: patties, oxtail stew, curried goat, jerk chicken, chicken stew, and maybe a few other dishes plus apparently specials now and then. They have black cake--as in the traditional Caribbean dark rum-tinged (sometimes rum-soaked) cake on the menu but there was no cake today. Nor was the soda fountain working, so there are some things like that to be patient with given that it's a small, locally-owned, family-run, business. The quality of the food however speaks very much for itself. I had the curried goat which came with white rice, plantains, a dinner roll (obviously home-made) and cabbage and it was all very flavorful, clearly cooked traditionally, and in ample--really, generous--portions. The goat fell right off the bone, every piece of plantain was perfectly cooked, the rice had a few red beans in it for flavor and tasted like it cook just long enough. While the curry flavor came through, the goat didn't suffer from over-seasoning at all, which I've found to be a problem at many Jamaican restaurants, honestly. I wouldn't have changed a thing though with today's lunch at Caribbean Queen. They do only take cash, so be forewarned.
(5)Patu Q.
Went back for their jamaican patties after 10+ years. Still fresh, still delish!
(4)Melaney H.
So awesome! I go there and I feel like I'm in my grandmother's kitchen... (I'm Jamaican)
(5)Stephanie R.
I regret to say I had a very "meh" experience at Caribbean Queen. I had the curried chicken on a bed of rice and the first I noticed was how many bones I had to pick my way through....these bones were soft and it therefor hard to tell what was bone until you got it in your mouth. I could have gotten over that if the flavor was awesome....sadly the chicken was quite bland. Lastly our food was also served luke warm. The one saving grace was the plantains. Cooked and seasoned perfectly! Caribbean Queen, I really want to like you so I promise to give you another try; maybe it was just a bad night?
(2)Lynn I.
Soooo Yummy!!!! This is the best Jamacian food I've ever had! The jerk chicken is spiced perfectly, I still had a tingly spicy, smokey aftertaste 10 minutes later. The beef patties (empanatas) are good and the plantains are perfect, tender and sweet. A crisp cooked cabbage slaw with sweet peppers adds crunch and helps clean your palate between mouthfuls of yummy jerkness! Owner and Chef Valerie Phillips graduated from culinary school in New York, but more importantly was raised in Jamacia and still imports her spices from there believing they taste different than spices grown anywhere else. Valerie is sweet and friendly, talkative and funny. I even got a hug! :) She believes, "the body and Karma have to be at peace with Mother Nature." Valerie often closes her eyes while seasoning her meat with spices and love. "I cook how the spirit leads me!" She says, "When I finish cooking I feel the love (and) you feel it!" Boy she is right! The tiny yellow and green restaurant looks like it should be on the beach in Jamaica. You Floridians are lucky to have her in Gainesville! Xox to you Valerie, Lynn F. Los Angeles, CA
(5)Ryan F.
Jerk chicken doesn't have to be dry. CQ's jerk was dry. The jerk also lacked the proper spice and seasoning. Their jerk lacks the complexity and kick. I was disappointed and so was my Jamaican buddy who brought me there.
(1)Michael E.
Im giving it a two b/c she's CASH ONLY now. other then that the curry and jerk chicken the only dishes ive tried and they were good. the side items of cabbage and plantains were a little.. um.. off. plantain was soggy and cabbage was watery. the rice had way too much water added when cooking, I dont like soggy rice!! I had all the patties and they are prob the only thing ill be getting from now on cause i dont carry that much cash on me. its a shame cause its WAY faster and more convenient the reggae shack.
(2)L C.
upon entering the Caribbean Queen we were greeted with a big friendly smile and felt welcome! We ordered the curry goat and jerk chicken and found a table around back where our friends were already seated. It is very rustic and simple set up with only 3 tables! within a few minutes our food arrived and the servings were ample and generous! the goat was delicious and served with rice and beans, cabbage/carrot/red pepper and plantains. This is real Jamaican faire! The reggae music added to the atmosphere and along with good company I started to feel so relaxed and could imagine that I was back in Jamaica sitting in a roadside cafe. LOVED it and will tell friends and will be back!!
(4)Gee K.
I totally love the hole in the wall location. And the owner was quite friendly too, however, I'm iffy about food. The oxtails presented had more bone than actual meat. The little meat I did have was alright, but there wasn't much to enjoy. The rice was good, but rice is rice! That's nothing special or hard to make. The vegetables were okay and the plantains... I'll never eat again. The food just didn't sway to the rhythm of my groove, neither did the prices.
(1)Il P.
I've never had Jamaican cuisine before, and my experience here was pretty good. I tried the chicken jerk and goat curry. They were served with rice, cabbage and fried plantains. The jerk had BBQ sauce on top and the meat was very tender. It had all the bones with it. It's a very small place with stylish setting. There were all sorts of Jamaican goods displayed but I haven't tried them.
(4)Davis V.
Great tempeh curry. The owner can be a bit gruff but the food is worth it. Call in the order unless you don't mind a pretty long wait.
(4)Franny E.
Jerk chicken patty and coco bread is fabulous. The cook is a sweet lady who will talk your ear off if you let her. Will be going back soon for an actual meal and hoping they are better than reggae shack.
(4)Liz R.
I wanted to LOVE Caribbean queen, but it just wasn't so. I loved the hole in the wall location downtown, and the queen herself was such a sweetheart. I ordered the brown stew chicken, which was okay. I love meat on the bone chicken, but there was hardly any meat. The spices and gravy weren't very bold either. The worst thing was the plantains, which weren't fried fresh and tasted stale. Overall I think I'll stick to reggae shack.
(3)Z M.
I visited this establishment with high hopes. I LOVE hole in the walls. That being said, this experience was sub par. Ambiance - meh, but it is a hole in the wall, to be expected. I wont knock it for this. Food - this is where it counts. I ordered jerk chicken to compare to the jerk chicken at Reggae Shack. It was lukewarm and tasted as if she slathered the chicken with a sauce. Not jerk. Not jerk in the least. Callaloo was a cold mush. I also bought a "spicy patty" which was not spicy, nor was it much of a patty. Price - $8 dollars for the jerk meal. So/so. All in all, I'm sticking with Reggae Shack.
(2)Peter M.
The food here is pretty darn good. This is the place to go for jerk chicken if you can not stand the heat of the chicken at the Reggae Shack.
(4)Mark Y.
So I decided to give Caribbean Queen a try. A group of us went and ordered different dishes so we could get a sampling of each dish. I ended up trying their escovitch fish , jerk chicken and brown-stew chicken. The brown-stew chicken was not a big hit with me, I was told that it was not the regular chief that made this one. The Jerk chicken and the escovitch fish were very good. Best I have and since I have lived in Gainesville. I am definitely going to visit them again.
(4)