Island Cuisine Charlotte image

Island Cuisine Charlotte

Restaurant Jamaican restaurant

👍👍 Damn this place is so good - my only reference point is that my wife is Jamaican and her and her family are great cooks….and we loved it! Curry Goat 🐐 won for the best thing we all tasted but the Ox Tail and Jerk Chicken were great too. Roti was solid and Cow Foot soup was delicious too. I got t... People often mention chicken, good, rice, great, ordered, oxtails, jerk, goat, peas, Jamaican,


Address

2025 E Arbors Dr #210, Charlotte, NC 28262, United States

Website

islandcuisinecharlotte.com

Contact

+1 980-237-2677

Rating on Google Maps

4.40 (648 reviews)

Open on Google Maps

Working Hours

  • Saturday: 9 am to 9:30 pm
  • Sunday: Closed
  • Monday: 11 am to 9 pm
  • Tuesday: 11 am to 9 pm
  • Wednesday: 11 am to 9 pm
  • Thursday: 11 am to 9 pm
  • Friday: 11 am to 9:30 pm

Featured Reviews


Frequently mentioned in reviews: chicken (19) good (18) rice (11) great (9) ordered (9) oxtails (8) jerk (8) goat (8) peas (8) Jamaican (7)
Reviews are sorted by relevance, prioritizing the most helpful and insightful feedback at the top for easier reference.
  • 5/5 Clayton R. 1 year ago on Google
    Damn this place is so good - my only reference point is that my wife is Jamaican and her and her family are great cooks….and we loved it! Curry Goat 🐐 won for the best thing we all tasted but the Ox Tail and Jerk Chicken were great too. Roti was solid and Cow Foot soup was delicious too. I got the house made Scotch Bonnet pepper sauce and it was fire 🔥- literally, but also it was the perfect taste. Love this place and will definitely be back!
    14 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Toni B. 2 years ago on Google
    Authentic Jamaican Cuisine. Food is always tasty and fresh. Be sure to try their oxtails or jerk chicken. They have the largest selection I’ve seen in the area. From vegetarian meals, patties, soup, pastries, pasta, roti’s, fish and island drinks. Oh and two thumbs up for having a bar as well. Great addition to the neighborhood. Will definitely continue to visit.
    9 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Jai D. 5 months ago on Google
    Came in 9/26 absolutely delicious. Never had curry goat our server was nice enough to let us sample some OMG delicious , Ended up getting something else instead but that was great also🤤🤤🤤🤤
    4 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 2/5 N. E. 5 months ago on Google
    My first time trying this restaurant. The customer service is great, but the food is mediocre. I was rooting for this location. Unfortunately, this is now on a growing list of Caribbean restaurants in Charlotte that are not great. The spinach looks and tastes canned. The mac and cheese was strange. It was a dry pasta with all of the cheese concentrated on top. The flavor was bland and noodles overcooked. The oxtails were edible but not worth the cost. They taste like barbecue sauce. Rice grain looked and tasted cost efficient and par-boiled. I really wanted to enjoy this food since the service was so great. If you want good great service, stop by. If you want amazing food, you will have to consider other options.
    4 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 3/5 Alvinia H. 1 year ago on Google
    Orders from here based on the reviews that I’ve seen. From the other Jamaican restaurants really was not good at all. To be honest I ordered 2- platters jerk chicken with cabbage, rice&peas, then a small brown stewed chicken with Mac, rice&peas. First the Mac had no flavor at all and the noodles were over cooked and no cheese just what was on the top, jerked chicken didn’t taste like jerked chicken( more like baked chicken with some hot sauce) and was very bland, brown stewed chicken taste just like the jerk chicken, now the the cabbage was on point I must say cooked to perfection, the rice and peas was over cooked and was very sweet like sugar. I could say that my husband said he did like the brown stewed chicken more then the Jerked chicken. They did give us a lot I guess to get rid of it.
    4 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 Cassandra H. 1 year ago on Google
    We ordered the Oxtail dinner which consisted of oxtails, cabbage, rice n peas, and plantains. Very tasty. A little pricey but we all know the price of oxtails now. Plantains were not ripe but they don't have control over that. My hubby got the Curried Goat and said the gravy was good, curry was authentic & the meat was nice & tender. A little more peas in the rice and it would be spot on! Appears to be counter service only. They so steady take-out business. Overall our rating would be an 8! Nice seating, clean pace with good music!
    4 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 D W. 1 year ago on Google
    Only mistake they have ever made was being closed on a day I was craving this really bad 😂😂 .. always amazing!! BEST IN TOWN!! Stew Chicken me please!!! Curry shrimp also pictured ...great as well!
    4 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 3/5 Bayou V. 1 year ago on Google
    Traditional Jamaican island cuisine but very heavy on the salt in both the Curry Goat and spinach. I ordered Curry Goat, rice and beans, spinach, steamed cabbage w.a side of sweet potatoes thru Uber Eats. However, my order did not come with steamed cabbage. But the yams taste straight out the can and the carrot cake has a funny consistency to it. But my husband said, the carrot cake was good. But the slice was way toooo small or thin for the price we paid for it $5 or $6. The portion size for the large plate was decent and thankfully the goat meat was not fatty or boney at all.
    4 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 2/5 Matthew L. 1 year ago on Google
    Man if you like bones this is the place for you!!! My dog saw my plate and almost did a backflip. But seriously this ain’t cool. If you didn’t like me you should have just said that at the counter.
    4 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 Leesah M. C. 7 months ago on Google
    I didn’t know they had a Caribbean Restuarant in this plaza, excellent location! Upon entering the staff greeted me with excitement and was more than eager to help me with my order or to answer any questions that I had. I ordered mainly seafood and those items are cook to order so I sat at the counter and drank me a pineapple ginger soda. I ordered the island shrimp, cod dish, sss salmon, curry chicken, and other desserts that they had available. I also snagged my husband some Shirley cookies as he loves those and they have them for sale. I got my food to go. The Mac and cheese looked so good I had to take a bite sitting in the car. Inside was clean and well kept. I would definitely visit again.
    3 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 3/5 joy m. 7 months ago on Google
    I don’t care how much a meal costs, as long as I’m satisfied. With that being said, I spent 45 on a meal and was not satisfied. I do acknowledge that oxtails have gone up in price, but the same meal 3 years ago was almost doubled. Still fine. What’s not fine is 30 dollars for 3 oxtails and 4 pieces of goat. Let me say this, both were absolutely delicious, just not enough to be filling. Rice and peas were good and so was the cabbage. I also bought a side of Mac and cheese. Completely inedible. It’s like it had been sitting in a warmer and completely dried out with no flavor at all. It just crumbled when I cut into it. So I tossed that. My favorite part was the goat. I would go back just for that… and order just that.
    3 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 3/5 Olive B. 1 year ago on Google
    I ordered the jerk chicken , and it was giving barbecue chicken . I’ve had Caribbean food my whole life so I know what it’s suppose to taste like. The banana pudding cake was actually good . My boyfriend enjoyed his , me not so much.
    3 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Bradley J. 1 year ago on Google
    I really enjoy the food from this place. Their Jerk is just right seasoning. I highly recommend checking this place out. On a Side note, they have a full bar and fun activities such as karaoke Fridays.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 1/5 A H. 2 years ago on Google
    By far the worst Caribbean food that I have EVER had. Flavorless. This was a Large which I paid nearly $2 extra for. First time. Last time. I do not recommend.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 Lauren S. 1 year ago on Google
    Oxtails tasty and super tender, but for portions and price... at least 2 more oxtail pieces would be a better value at $25 a plate. After paying, ran out of rice and peas, asked if white rice was ok.... Fine. But, to then not include the plantains! Disappointing. Pic attached. You be the judge for portion.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Cuong M. 2 years ago on Google
    The jerk pork is melt in your mouth tasty. Jerk, Barbeque, curry, doesn't matter what chicken you get it's juicy as well. Great food
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 Reef G. 6 months ago on Google
    The food was great for a first-timer during a pop-up visit. My girlfriend and I just finished a chiropractic visit nearby and became hungry for something good to eat. So we followed the aroma in the air, which led us to this place. The steamed cabbage was cooked and seasoned very well. The curry chicken was delicious and very tender to the bite. The oxtails were meaty, tender , and a very flavorful seasoned sauce. Despite the picture shown here, the dishes containing the meats were quite large. Our server Latty was very nice and polite, guiding us through the menu. Will definitely return for a real sit down and stay a visit.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 T P. 5 months ago on Google
    The hubby and I went for lunch. This was our first time there. The food and services were awesome. I had the jerk chicken, and he had the oxtails. If you like it hot and spicy, ask for some hot pepper sauce on the side.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 Michelle S. 2 years ago on Google
    Better than all other Jamaican restaurants I've been to in Charlotte. Curry goat n oxtail are excellent. The jerk chicken however is pretty bad and should not be called jerk. It is more like baked chicken with some type of semi flavored dark gravy. Rice is good. They never have beef Patties but have many other island favorites. Overall good food.

  • 5/5 Sabura M. 2 years ago on Google
    Very small, clean and laid back atmosphere. The wait time was only 10 minutes for the best curried goat I've had in a while! Staff was nice and enjoyable!

  • 3/5 Tango S. 1 year ago on Google
    Granted I have not been to this little gem since befor Covid so some things have changed. It is still pretty tasty. Sadly, the lunch special is gone. The portions are still huge. The peas are mia in the rice for sure. I was feeling generous and decided to try a dessert. The banana pudding is not to my liking. It is cake with a layer of banana pudding, whipped cream then cookies. The cake was different. But I would not have gotten it had I really paid attention to the way it was made. I do not enjoy eating a mouth full of whipped cream. 🤮 Still looking for the bananas. I'll stick to having the pudding and the whip mixed then layered with cookies and bananas.

  • 5/5 Hestia H. 2 years ago on Google
    I've been looking for a Jamaican spot forever since I moved to the north side of Charlotte. When my boss told me about this place, I had to try them out! I got the ox tail with rice and veggies with sweet potatoe and Mac and cheese as well. For the price you pay, you do get your money's worth! When I took a first bite of the ox tail, it was so good I called the store to let them know but no one answered..loll but OH MY LORDD THIS IS THE BEST OX TAIL I'VE EVERRRRRRR HAD!!! The sweet potato was good as well. I'm glad it wasn't overly sweet. The mac had a lot of flavor but it was dry. I'm definitely coming back for the ox tails again!!

  • 5/5 Me N. 2 years ago on Google
    Food is amazing! Hot, fresh and authentically seasoned. Staff is friendly. No excessive wait time. Portions were appropriate. Rum cake and carrot cake was pretty good too! I will definitely return to this establishment.

  • 4/5 Crys B. 2 years ago on Google
    The food was pretty good. The plantains were very dry and not sweet at all. That was disappointing as I love the sweetness of the plantains. Other than the the oxtail were very good. Cabbage is really good too. I actually ordered over the phone and went by the prices that they have on their website, but the menu online is obviously not updated because it has a large oxtail priced at $15.75 & a small combination plate of oxtail & curried goat at $15.75 but the actual prices are $23.50 & $25.00. But they give you a nice amount of food. Just wasn't expecting to pay $60. They charge for food preparation and everything.

  • 5/5 Dav M. 3 months ago on Google New
    I’m Jamaican so I can confidently say this represents the country’s food very well! I ordered the jerk-chicken with curried goat sauce on my rice(highly recommended). The chicken was amazing and extremely tender. I was waiting for a while, the staff noticed and gave me my food with a few extra items promptly. They did forget one item I ordered, but were very willing to rectify my order. All in all, the staff are friendly and cooperative, and the food is definitely A1.


Call +1 980-237-2677 Open on Google Maps

Amenities


  • Parking
    • ✓️ Free parking lot
    • ✓️ Plenty of parking
  • Payments
    • ✓️ Debit cards
    • ✓️ Credit cards
    • ✓️ NFC mobile payments
  • Offerings
    • ✓️ Beer
    • ✓️ Wine
    • ✓️ Coffee
    • ✓️ Alcohol
    • ✓️ Spirits
    • ✓️ Quick bite
    • ✓️ Comfort food
    • ✓️ Small plates
    • ✓️ Vegan options
    • ✓️ Healthy options
    • ✓️ Vegetarian options
  • Popular for
    • ✓️ Lunch
    • ✓️ Dinner
    • ✓️ Solo dining
  • Accessibility
    • ✓️ Wheelchair-accessible toilet
    • ✓️ Wheelchair-accessible seating
    • ✓️ Wheelchair-accessible car park
    • ✓️ Wheelchair-accessible entrance
  • Dining options
    • ✓️ Lunch
    • ✓️ Brunch
    • ✓️ Dinner
    • ✓️ Dessert
    • ✓️ Seating
    • ✓️ Catering
    • ✓️ Breakfast
  • Service options
    • ✓️ Dine-in
    • ✓️ Delivery
    • ✓️ Takeaway
    • ✓️ Outdoor seating

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