Celebrate Caribbean Heritage Month by exploring these 9 must-try Caribbean restaurants across the the New York City metro area. 

Celebrate Caribbean Heritage Through Food

June is Caribbean Heritage Month. According to the 2020 US Census, approximately 4.5 million Americans are of Caribbean descent, with Jamaicans making up half, followed by Haitians, and Trinidadians/Tobagonians. It’s no secret that New York City is home to thousands of immigrants from the Caribbean and their descendants.

When New Yorkers think of West Indians, we tend to think of Brooklyn: Flatbush and Crown Heights– sections of which have been informally renamed Little Caribbean and Little Haiti, even appearing on Google Maps and subway signage; Richmond Hill and Ozone Park, Queens, home of Little Guyana (and yes, Guyana is considered part of the Caribbean and is a proud CARICOM nation); and of course the Bronx’s White Plains Road and Gun Hill Road corridors, home to thousands of people of Jamaican descent, but also home to Guyanese, Antiguan, Virgin Islander, St. Kittian, and Montserratian communities (bet you didn’t know that!)

New York City has a wealth of diversity and is a great place to experience Caribbean cultures if you can’t make it to the islands themselves. While there are similarities between each country, each one is unique and what better way to celebrate that uniqueness than to eat your way through each country’s cuisine. Supporting locally owned restaurants and businesses is the way to experience that diversity within the Caribbean community.

How I Chose These Caribbean Restaurants

Until the last decade or so, it was difficult to find a wealth of Caribbean sit-down restaurants. Sure, there are a abundance of roti shops and jerk take-out joints, yet not so many places to relax and savor the flavors – and perhaps, enjoy an an adult beverage. Besides, have you ever tried to eat a roti walking down the street? A messy experience – don’t ask me how I know ; ) Five years ago, after the city cancelled the annual West Indian Day Parade, I decided to post a list of Caribbean-owned restaurants to support. This list includes Black-owned, immigrant-owned, and family-run businesses. Since then, some restaurants have closed, while new ones have cropped up.

 

9 Must-Try Caribbean Restaurants This June

1. Savannah Spiced – Crown Heights, Brooklyn

158 Utica Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11213
@savannahspiced

Quick Summary: Savannah Spiced is a a culinary love affair between Trinidad and Grenada. If you’ve been away for a minute, you may have known them as Savannah Cafe, a quaint yet lively spot on a sleepy stretch of Utica Avenue. Three years ago, they relocated and expanded – but don’t worry, they only moved down the street. Its namesake is a combo of Trinidad’s largest park, Queen’s Park Savannah, and a nod to Grenada, known as the Spice Isle, where its owners hail from. Sit-down Trinidadian restaurants are still rarity, even in Brooklyn, making it a must-go.

Signature Dishes and Drinks:  Menu favorites include oildown, red snapper, and oxtail. Carnival junkies and West Indians alike will immediately recognize the references, with drink names like the Dingolay, Play a Jab, and Moko Jumbie. For the full experience, order an entree, a side of mango pineapple chow, and for drinks, try the Mr. Fete, a passion fruit-infused cocktail.

 

2. Jasmine’s Caribbean Cuisine – Hell’s Kitchen, Manhattan

371 West 46th Street
New York, NY 10036
@jasminecaribbeancuisine

Quick Summary: Most New Yorkers avoid Times Square like the plague – and you can’t really blame us. Inevitably, we all detour through there once a year or so. 9th Avenue is the go-to for eats and drinks, if you get suckered into showing out of town guests Times Square. A taste of Jasmine’s Caribbean Cuisine may just have you making an intentional the trip out. Located on 46th Street’s Restaurant Row, Virgin Islander Jasmine Gerald, the restaurant’s namesake, will have you imagining you’re at a beach bar in the Caribbean instead of busy, noisy New York.

Signature Dishes and Drinks: While Jasmine was born in the Virgin Islands, she also has roots in Antigua and Dominica. For that reason, her vision was to give diners a medley of Caribbean dishes, like ackee and saltfish, curry chicken, and stew peas. The drink menu features fun names like Scandal Rum Punch (my favorite), One Love Colada, and Peppa Seed, a spicy libation. If you still have room for dessert, order their bread pudding, which I was lucky enough to eat on my birthday back in April.

 

3. BK9 – Park Slope, Brooklyn

62 5th Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11217
@bk9restaurant

Quick Summary: Celebrating a decade in business, BK9 is located steps from Barclay Center on Park Slope’s 5th Avenue. The restaurant’s name is an homage to the nine childhood friends who co-own it. The men are of Jamaican, Haitian, and Trinidadian heritage, which play a heavy influence on the menu. Here, you’ll also find Caribbean takes on conventional items, like their eggs benedict.

Signature Dishes and Drinks: Order the curry mussels or braised oxtail empanadas for starters. Their pork griot served with with pepper sauce, djon djon rice, pikliz, and green plantain is a standout and you can’t go wrong with the well-seasoned jerk chicken. Wash it all down with a Bajan rum punch (sorrel-based) or a frozen Rude Boy, a strong but sweet Jamaican rum punch.

 

4. TriniJam – Canarsie, Brooklyn

9501 Flatlands Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11236
@trinijambk

Quick Summary: Canarsie is off the beaten path but you won’t regret making the trip out to TriniJam. Come with an appetite, because you’ll want to try a bit of everything!  Family-owned, the restaurant’s name is a play on the husband and wife owner’s Trini and Jamaican heritage. You’ll see their two daughters bartending or serving tables. The spacious location is often the setting for a DJ set, karaoke, or steel pan performance.

Signature Dishes and Drinks: My favorites include the curry chicken with buss up shot (paratha roti), the stew chicken, with sides of the callaloo and calypso mango chow. For drinks, you can’t go wrong with the neon-colored Bob Marley, a boozy slushie (Be careful, it creeps up on you!) or the Siparia Fete Rum Punch.

 

5. Djon Djon – Prospect Lefferts Gardens, Brooklyn

1206 Nostrand Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11225
@djondjon.bk

Quick Summary: Djon Djon — named for the quintessential Haitian black mushroom rice it serves up – made a splash when it opened up in 2021 in the height of COVID – then known as Zanmi. Owner Wesley Simon, a former executive sous chef, made the decision to open his own restaurant and showcase his native Haitian cooking. On Flatbush’s main drag, Nostrand Avenue, even if you’ve never stopped in, you’ve definitely admired the gorgeous mural  of a woman in full carnival costume on the restaurant’s exterior.

Signature Dishes and Drinks: It would be almost wrong not to try the djon djon. Order it with griot or another meat. Google Reviewers rave about the Voodoo Pasta and macaroni au gratin. While there, my husband enjoyed a Haitian Sunset mocktail.

 

6. Sugar’d – Flatbush, Brooklyn

2614 Newkirk Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11226
@sugardbk

Quick Summary: At this point, you’d have to be living under a rock not to have heard the buzz about Sugar’d. The famous purse cocktails, jazz steel pan brunches, Caribbean karaoke, and happy hours all characterize this popular Trini-inspired restaurant. This is the place you take your mom for Mother’s Day, enjoy a girls night out, or to celebrate a birthday.

Signature Dishes: I’ve become partial to their jerk chicken with a side of macaroni pie and callaloo. As far as drinks? The Classic Trini Rum Punch, Sorrel Margarita, or Spicy Mango Chow Margarita.

 

7. Melanie’s Roti – Castle Hill, Bronx

1248 Castle Hill Avenue
Bronx, NY 10462
@melanies_roti_bar

Quick Summary: It’s hard to find a sit-down West Indian spot, but even more difficult to find one in The Bronx, so a place that serves roti with a full bar and Saturday evening live DJ is a must try. The Castle Hill/Parkchester area hits far above its waist in terms of diverse food options, with Melanie’s just a block south of the 6 train.

Signature Dishes and Drinks: Regulars are fans of the Guyanese-style lo mein and fried rice. I had the curry chicken, roti, white rice, and dhal (yes, I’m a good eater), and washed it down with a rum punch.

 

8. Krave – New Rochelle, Westchester

South Division Street
New Rochelle, NY 10805
@kravenewroc

Quick Summary: Krave looks as good as it tastes, with its elegant botanical-inspired wallpaper and decor, muted colors, and modern light fixtures. Get there early so you can get a seat at one of the comfy upholstered seafoam green booths. Located in New Rochelle, it’s convenient by car or train, especially if you’re coming from Southern Westchester or the Bronx.

Signature Dishes and Drinks: We just happened to be passing through the neighborhood and got to experience brunch. You’ll recognize elevated versions of Jamaican classics, like ackee and saltfish, and red snapper with green banana in a sea of vegetables. The drinks are good too.

 

9. Charm Bar – Park Slope, Brooklyn

448 Dean Street
Brooklyn, NY 11217
@charmbarbk

Quick Summary: Charm Bar celebrates five years in business this fall. On the fringes of Park Slope and Prospect Heights, this is the perfect spot to duck into for happy hour or before a show at Barclays Center. It’s hard to decide what the best part about Charm Bar is: the food or the drinks. The owner cultivated the restaurant’s menu to pay tribute to her own Haitian, Trinidadian, and Jamaican heritage, with modern takes on favorite dishes.

Signature Dishes and Drinks: The drinks are as gorgeous as they are delicious. It’s hard to choose. I loved the Cloud 9 and Spicy Meg. Order the pork griot with djon djon rice and greens, guava jerk chicken, or oxtail rasta pasta.

More Ways to Celebrate Caribbean Heritage Month

This is my list, though it’s far from exhaustive. You can celebrate this month by amplifying your favorite Caribbean chefs, mixologists, bars, restaurants, and cookbooks. Share posts about your own favorite Caribbean restaurants on social media. You could even host your own Caribbean bar crawl or going on a food tour. And most importantly, celebrate Caribbean heritage and support Caribbean businesses all year round, not just June.

Give your favorite Caribbean restaurant a shout out in the comments below.