David’s Jamaican Cuisine
5734 Monona Dr, Monona, WI, 53716
David’s Jamaican Cuisine Menu
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Visit below restaurant in Monona for healthy meals suggestion.
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Address :
5734 Monona Dr
Monona, WI, 53716 - Phone (608) 222-8109
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Opening Hours
- Mon :11:00 am - 9:00pm
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : No
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Lunch
Parking : Private Lot
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only
Outdoor Seating : Yes
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : Yes
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : Yes
WE SERVE THE FOLLOWING STATES
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Alexis T.
I ordered goat curry and fried plantains for dinner...let me just say Mmmazing! The food had excellent flavor, beautiful aroma and just simply lovely. Highly recommend this place.
(4)Evin J.
We ordered off the menu on a rainy late afternoon. I've never been here before but have tried their chicken at The Taste. The food blew my socks off; it was crazy good. Order the chicken wings!! Jerk chicken is on point too! Service was slow, rude, and it felt like we were putting her out by coming in.
(4)Mark H.
Tried their food at The Taste of Madison and loved it. Went on a Friday and had the buffet with my wife. Jerk chicken, pork, curried chicken, and fried plantains. All were very good. We will be going back.
(4)Kara D.
For the price, I really can't complain too much! I met mom here for their lunch buffet. I tried a little bit of almost everything. The jerk pork is melt in your mouth good, especially with a little extra jerk sauce on it. The catfish was flaky and tender. The plantains were fresh and sweet. Banana cake- on point! Super moist and soft. I also enjoyed the BBQ pork and the mango chicken was not bad as well. I thought everything had a lot of flavor and there was extra jerk sauce on the table if you needed more. It seemed like fresh food was constantly being made in the kitchen and coming out. Service wasn't super attentive, but really, it's a buffet, so I don't need attentive service. She cleared our plates when we were done with them and came around with a water pitcher. Buffet price is $8.97 so if you're looking for a good, cheap lunch in Monona, look no further. I don't know if I'll necessarily come back to try their dinner, but I did leave full and happy.
(3)Jennie S.
We ordered take out, jerk pork and jerk chicken. My mouth watered smelling it the drive home, took all my will power not to start eating it with my hands at the stoplight. My taste buds were not disappointed. The jerk pork is my favorite, it's so flavorful and smokey and amazing, the sides were great too, my husband loves the chicken, we will be back (again and again and again)
(5)Jason H.
Although it wasn't totally terrible, David's Jamaican Cuisine is not a restaurant to which I will return. A friend and I met for lunch at David's a few days ago -- he had previously eaten there and didn't love it, but agreed to go again because I wanted to try it after reading all the great reviews on Yelp and other review sites. When we arrived, I was surprised to see a lunch buffet set up. Previous experience with lunch buffets at other restaurants has caused me to interpret buffets as warning signs, but, since we were already there, we decided to stay. We ordered sodas, which arrived in cans. Not a big deal, but worth mentioning because I know some people prefer to drink out of cups. The lunch buffet had approximately 15 options ranging from jerk chicken and jerk pork to plantains to rice to mango chicken to pineapple slaw with tofu. The jerk chicken was good, though not as flavorful as I had expected or hoped, but the other foods I tried ranged from blah to bad. Based on the outstanding reviews David's has received, I was very surprised and disappointed by my experience. I'm tempted to give this restaurant one more try, but really can't decide if it's worth the money and the drive to Monona.
(2)Mytoan N.
the deep fried catfish!!! as others mentioned, the Friday evening buffets are really worth it. About $10 per person. You can try all the tasty meats and side dishes. I like that they also have a salad bar with fresh cut watermelon, at least the night we were there. And we got to meet David! The guy harboring all the secret recipes of the menu in his head. The interior is very divey and I wouldn't change a thing.
(4)Phillip L.
Ordered: curried goat, plantains, and patty. Goat was well cooked - tender. Curry was bland and lacked spice and punch. Can't really mess up the rice so no complaints. Plantains were a little soggy and lacked crisp. Patty was way more dough than filling, wasn't flaky, and over priced for what it was(n't). Ambiance: chill, good space, comforting. Variety of different riddims playing was a nice backdrop. Service: Jamaican - however u wanna translate that. I believe the flavors have been dialed back for the "demographic."
(2)Ken B.
So good. Went for the lunch buffet. 9 bucks. Everything was amazing but the mango chicken, curry chicken, and jerk pulled pork were highlights. This place is a gem for anyone that wants authentic, amazing food at a ridiculous price. I want to try the dinner buffet next time im in town. The ladies working there are also very nice. The decor isnt anything special but I hardly noticed. Great food, great price. Go in hungry and leave happy.
(5)Marly L.
Love coming here for lunch buffet! It's been a while since we've been here but every time we come it's great! Sometimes I feel like the waitstaff does forget about you, especially with re-filling water. There have been times when I had to drinking my fiancé's water, especially when some of their food have mild spices.
(3)Grady O.
Great food. The buffet is best on fridays. True jamaican experience. The homemade jerk sauce is fabulous. It can be bought there or at Kens. Don't come if you cant handle the less than ideal set up. (Its a bit sketch just like real jamaican joints.) Owners are great people.
(4)Chaz S.
We just moved to Madison. A co-worker goes to David's all the time and won't stop talking about it. So I scooped up my wife and we drove the 20 mon to David's Wow that was good My wife had the Jamaican National dish and I had the jerk pork. Both were out of this world as was the jerk sauce. Perfect favors. (the beef patties were not spicy- kinda boring) Would I go there again? Of course. Will it be soon. Probably Monday (closed Sunday ) The nice woman who waited on us.... Very helpful when I said it was my first time there. God bless you. We are from Miami- where the Jamaican SUCKED. This was awesome
(5)Josiah L.
DELICIOUS food, REALLY authentic and not too spicey if ordered "without spice"...very friendly/attentive staff. Our first time here - friends had recommended it- and we'll DEFINITELY be back!
(4)Siggy S.
I can only speak to the lunch buffet as I have yet to visit during the dinner hour, but this place is a great value. The lunch buffet offers a variety of food, all of which is good for an affordable price. The jerk pork and the mango chicken are my two favorite meat options, though they also offer jerk chicken, curry chicken, bbq pork among other options. I also really enjoy the breaded catfish. The banana cake is fantastic as desert and the fried plantains really balance out the flavors of the meal well. I'll have to go back for a dinner entree at some point, but all I can say for now is that if you're in Monona and you need lunch this is a great option.
(4)Max M.
Check out all my reviews at theglobeonmyplate.blogsp… I am just now discovering David's Jamaican in Monona. And boy do I wish I heard about this place 10 years ago! Ever since I got an office in Monona I've been looking for a great lunch place. David's Jamaican is at the very top of the list. I've eaten Jamaican food a couple of times over the years, and it's never really impressed me. It hasn't been something I crave. Jolly Bob's makes some tasty food. But to be honest, the "jerked" foods I've made at home were a lot better then the stuff I had eaten out. I figured I just didn't like Jamaican food all that much... I was wrong. Yeah I said it... I was wrong. David's Jamaican, in my mind, had quite a few strikes against it before I went. It was Jamaican food, which I wasn't thrilled about, it is a lunch buffet place, which rarely has great food, and I tend to overeat at those (Eye is greater than Stomach syndrome.) I think that's why it took me more then 6 months of working nearby to try the place out. We went right as they were opening, an absolutely key to going to any buffet place, the food will be at it's freshest and will have been poked by the fewest amount of 6 year olds. The service was not exactly warm, but efficient. Fried Catfish. OMG. This is just so perfectly done. Nice fresh catfish nuggets in a flavorful batter fried golden brown and crispy. They were still nicely crispy even in the buffet! Such a great flavor in the batter, but it didn't overwhelm the great catfish flavor either! With a bit of red beans and rice, which is a deceptively simple dish. The waitress brought over a couple of spiciness levels of jamaican jerk sauces in squeeze bottles without us having to ask. This brought the whole meal to another level! Their jerked pork was a freaking revolution in my mouth. This more then any other dish made me immediately realize I had wasted the last 6 months on burritos and sandwiches. Sweet and vinegary, with a strong jerk spice level. This pork has me coming back again and again. This pork is tender and so flavorful, but with a nice meaty texture which only come from long long stewing. Fried chucks of chicken breast in a mango sweet/spicy sauce. Tangy, sweet, and made with high quality chicken. In this age of mechanically separated chicken, it's good to see somewhere which doesn't cater to the lowest common denominator. The amazing food just goes on and on, And everything is tastier then the last. The buffet turns out to be the way to go. At least for a first time to David's Jamaican. I was absolutely thrilled with everything that I tried. That is something I have almost never ever said at a buffet. Check out all my reviews at theglobeonmyplate.blogsp…
(4)Chris P.
Nice flavor in there Chicken Curry. Also plenty of food served with the dinners. Service was fast.
(4)Sarah Z.
First impression: ohmygosh it smells so good! After that though, I wasn't very impressed. The food was good, but they were out of several options on the buffet, some of the foods were clearly not freshly prepared, and I didn't get the impression that cleanliness mattered much to them. We tried really hard to like David's, but I can't give more than two stars.
(2)Jon G.
This place rocked. Not a lot of options but it's probably best to go with what the server suggests. A!!!
(5)Kristi L.
An unassuming location that was packed with people enjoying their food & conversations when we arrived late-ish on a Saturday night, David's was a pleasant dining experience. The Jerk Pork was shredded & very flavorful. I could detect ginger, but couldn't figure out the spice mixture; I like flavors that keep my mouth guessing. The veggies (a cabbage, carrot, broccoli, bell pepper mix) were lightly cooked & also had some slight seasoning that really enhanced the taste without overshadowing the taste of the veggies themselves; I could have had an entire plate of the veg & been satisfied! Well, I wouldn't want to miss the meat, but the veggies were that good! My husband had the goat curry & he really enjoyed that as well. I knew that he liked it because all of a sudden, he wasn't talking to me, he wasn't looking at me, he was just eating. We both put down our forks when we were full, but kept taking bites here & there as we waited for boxes. The service was a little slow after we got our food, but it didn't seem like neglect, it was busy & there just seems to be a small number of staff. But, they were super friendly & engaging, & this first visit will not be our last. I'm interested in trying the buffet to get a broader taste of their fine food!
(4)Melanie S.
One of my favorite spots in Madison. It is a hidden gem, serving delicious, authentic Jamaican cuisine. The owners are originally from Jamaica and having visited the island several times myself, it's about as good as you can get outside of Jamaica. The curried goat is amazing and the prices are very reasonable. The owners are very charming. I never leave the establishment disappointed.
(5)Danielle B.
A fun place to visit! Especially if you like spicy food and meat. We did the buffet----it's kind of small but it includes a pretty good assortment of dishes + seasoned meats....I think there were a few types of chicken, curries, shredded pork, catfish, beef etc. The jerk sauce on the table was amazing----so good we had to buy a bottle to bring home. The rum punch was delicious (and potent). For some reason I wasn't expecting a Jamaican Restaurant to have Chicken Dumpling soup, but they did and it was great! The atmosphere is 'fun' but not 'romantic'. It seemed to be busy & buzzing and everyone there seemed to be having a good time.
(4)Scott S.
If you are ever over here at lunchtime, be sure to stop in. I am very enthusiastic about this place! I used to drive over here once or twice a week for the lunch buffet. Dinner and weekends you order off the menu, but it is the same good food. Great Jamaican, Great buffet! My favorite dish is the jumbalaya, though it isn't always at the buffet. Mango chicken and jerk pork are also great. There is always a good abundance of fried plantains. I highly recommend taking a lunch break to come out here--but be prepared to take a lot of lunch breaks over here after you try it.
(4)Pauline J.
This place is amazing for their lunch buffet! I love their mango chicken and banana cake! I'm not sure if it's just the food or what, but the Pepsi seems to taste different. In a good way, though. I usually hate Pepsi. The environment of the place is really relaxed. I love going here.
(5)Kurls T.
This is the best i have had in the Madison area so far. Appetizer: Plantains- sweet and yummy Entrée: Jerk pork, potato salad (great Caribbean style), Cabbage (ok) The jerk pork (shredded) is nice,tasty and tender. FYI..this is not the way Jerk pork is usually served (usually whole pieces of pork c, cut up). The jerk snapper...a bit disappointing...i was looking for a whole fish. Although my meal was Delicious. It did not taste like usual jerk seasoning. It was the cousin...lol I will definitely go back!
(4)Benjamin R.
The jerk pork is the best around. Couple it with the vegetables (zag cut cabbage, carrots etc, lightly cooked but still crunchy and spiced) and you have an awesome combination that makes a great sandwich too. The staff are very friendly and would get better marks but for the atmosphere. We totally expected casual (no worries mon). Clean, but a little sprucing up would go a long way. Fresh ceiling tiles and light bulbs. The old Taco Bell menu screens would make for a great mural canvas.
(3)Bill B.
This is some of the best food I have ever had. I have been a frequent visiter to Davids for several years and have rairly had a bad meal. The building is old and a little run down....but thats part of the fun. You will feel like you have discovered a gem in a pile of Applebees and Olive Gardens.
(5)Jay I.
The food is great and the staff is friendly. You gotta stop by for the lunch buffet, that is when it is at its best. The mango chicken is awesome, it is like general tsos chicken but with a delicious mango fruity sauce, interesting and delicious. they have offerings of a variety of smoked and seasoned meat and a small salad bar. It is a highly recommened joint in Monona. Only thing wrong with it is the old building that it is in. I frequent Davids so it can't be that bad.
(5)Eric S.
Small. Bad parking. The sort of service you'd expect in a country known for... well, being Jamaica. The food is great. Lunch buffet is the perfect blend of meat and spiced meat and BBQ meat. Pig and Chicken deluxe. I don't know about Vegan/Veggie options. Price isn't bad. Can get crowded. I like it very much. Recommend for lunchtime.
(4)greenjjm H.
We had the cow tail stew and curry shrimp. Ok, I'll make this short. Food - both are very tasty. I'm more impressed with the stew. Decor - not fancy, but clean and relax. Service - decent I'll definitely go back.
(4)Nina O.
As much a I appreciate David et al bringing the taste of Jamaica from Montego Bay to Monona Drive, I gotta be honest- I really really love Jamaican food. In Jamaica. On the plus side- the banana cake is to die for- next time I will eat dessert first. The jerk chicken- very authentic- right down to the nearly unidentifiable pieces of chicken. Peas and rice- quite nice. Wait staff are very authentic as well- Pepsi from cans, no hurries- all of which are a 'taste of the island'. Funny- it seems much more charming in Jamaica, where the only thing to do next is catch a sunset.
(3)Philip R.
Ate here twice. Thought it was dirty and didn't find the food very good at all.
(2)Tawnie R.
The Jerk Pork plate is soooo good! That's all we've had so far, cause it's so yummy we can't bring ourselves to try anything else!
(4)Jenny L.
Extremely rude service! The food was eh. Maybe we hit it on a bad night, but I'm not going back to find out.
(1)Mark P.
Very good Jamaican cuisine with an affordable lunch buffet. The jerk sauce table-side condiment is a must!
(4)Alicia M.
I love it! The Jerk chicken is fantastic, with authentic flavor. The veggies are amazing, I love the spicey kick to them, personally I always get the potato salad cause I am not a fan of beans and rice but they usually are out of the potato salad, so I just get extra veggies! The food is great.
(5)Sarah H.
Yay! I finally got a chance to eat here this weekend, and I must say it was fantastic! We went for lunch (takeout) on a very cold day. I ordered the jerk chicken ($6.50) and he ordered the jerk pork ($6.95). We got two orders of plantains ($1.95 each). The decor was very..festive. It was all decked out in yellow and green. I'd really like to try their buffet as it seemed like it had all of the dinner entrees on it. OK. Our styrofoam containers were stuffed with food! Our entrees came with a choice of two sides: veggies (a hot carrot/cabbage/broccoli slaw.. very tasty), rice 'n' peas (rice with red beans), or potato salad. We both got veggies, he got potato salad, and I got rice 'n' peas. The potato salad was okay.. it was standard mayo based potato salad. No zip. The rice 'n' peas were alright.. for some reason only my favorite place back home puts some coconut in the rice to cool down the jerk sauce. As far as the meats go, the chicken was great. It was deliciously flavored, moist, and falling off the bone. The sauce was really nice too.. very well balanced. They gave us extra in case we wanted a little more heat. I think they blend their own because there was a bottle with a picture of David on it at the cash register. There were two drumsticks and a small breast in the order. Boy's order of pork was very tender and flavored well again (almost like jamaican bbq, he said because it was pulled). The pork tasted and looked kind of like beef, though we don't recall seeing any jerk beef on the menu.. so maybe our taste buds were off... I love this place.. it is a great deal!
(4)Jefferson A.
now this place was a godsend... i was really upset that i found this place just a few days before i left madison to come back to cali. i found it by accident on my way to some random clinic to take a drug test, which i passed, by the way. the jerk chicken served with some jamaican style cabbage and their f'in delicious rice and peas, rice and beans to those unfamiliar. i had to get the fried plantains on the side because that's how i roll and if you don't know about dem fried plantains, you better ask somebody... and because i was starving, i ordered two jamaican beef patties on the side. back on jamrock the beef patties are served tucked into a big ass piece of coco bread. unfortunately, they didn't have the coco bread here, but it was tasty nonetheless. first day there the cashier had somewhat of an attitude. i later learned that she was only friendly and polite to the white folks. oh well, the food was fantabulous. the next day i took my coworkers and we were fortunate enough to be served by another lady with that island love straight from jamrock. i ordered the jerk salmon... lovely. i recommend getting some extra jerk sauce to pour over your rice and peas and whatever entree you get. also, don't forget the fried plantains!
(5)Mamma M.
Best Jamaican food in the whole state!! And they're even FROM Jamaica! How's that for authenticity! It's a family run business and I got that sense of family by just eating there. Unfortunately I moved from Madison and my tummy cries for their food all the time! Whenever I am in town though, I stop there --especially for their all you can eat buffet on Fridays. They get kinda nervous when I walk in because I eat all their food. I can't help it! It's all so tasty. They use the perfect amount of seasonings and their meat, like their chicken and ribs, is so succulent meat falls off the bone and melts in your mouth. Plus it doesn't have that "chain restaurant" type feeling. You go in there, you eat great food and they let you enjoy yourself. When they first opened, I asked the owners why they didn't open up other locations because their food was so darn good. And they said they didn't want to get too big and compromise the food. That kind of dedication in what they do really spoke to me. It spoke to my belly too. Pineapple Salmon--awesome! Jerk tofu--awesome! Meat patties--awwww yeeaahhh! You have GOT to try this place! Stop reading this and go now! Do it!!
(5)Shawn S.
The best reuse of a wee Taco Bell building EVER! This gem of Monona offers up authentically flavorful Jamaican food that will charm your palate without emptying your wallet. Affordable, friendly, and offering something for everyone who appreciates homemade, generous meals, from the vegetarian's delightful jerk tofu to the scotch bonnet catfish (personally, one of my favorite meals in all of Dane County) to the jerk steak. I can't stress enough the quality of eating the Caribbean food made in David's kitchen -you'll never go back to bottled jerk sauce again.
(4)