The Islands Reviews

This was our go-to for take out food in Crown Heights. Be prepared to wait..it's soo worth it. The Jerk chicken can be a little too spicy so if there's more than one person eating; get the stewed chicken too and mixed them together. Small seating area upstairs and it's cash only.

Wonderful down to earth comfortable atmosphere! Original food prepared by delightful people. Keeping the tradition alive!Gotta have the Lamb!!!!! So good! Lemonade is very good!

Very small and intimate atmosphere; if you are an uptown boy you will not be attracted by seing this place from outside. Good food and relatively cheap price

I visited with my friends after church. The venue is centrally located. The ambiance is very welcoming with memories from past era (the "home sweet home" glass kerosene lamps). The meals were sumptiously prepared as would be done in the islands. The fish and meats were seasoned with the authentic island spices and flavorings. The portions were as large as you would get on the islands (you can actually share for two). The staff were very pleasant and the prices for the meals are well worth it. I cant wait to return and I have been speading the word about the great food, service and great location.

Crown Heights is fast becoming one of the best neighborhoods to eat in Brooklyn. Crown Heights has a diverse culinary scene that has restaurants for all different budgets. It seems like every day new and exciting restaurants are opening but Islands is one of the restaurants that helped create this neighborhood. The Islands is a mix of food from the Caribbean. While everything they do is absolutely authentic and delicious I am in love with their Calypso Shrimp. The sauce used is rich and creamy and packed with flavor. If you don't like shrimp fall in love with the jerk chicken or the oxtail. You really can't go wrong.

This place has the best caribbean food in brooklyn! Must try. I epsecially like the shrimp and the stewed chicken. yummers.

We ate in once and liked it so much we got take-out 2 nights later. The curried goat was extraordinary. Also had okra and fish dish which is excellent but you have to like okra! We'll go back when we are again in Brooklyn. The service was really good and the people there very nice. The restaurant isn't too big but there is ample room. I suspect that the wait for a table would be longer later in evening since by the time we finished people were waiting.

my fave Caribbean restaurant in the city. The oxtail is PERFECT. Also love the Calypso shrimp, the jerk and fried chicken, the curry goat, the sorrell...you really can't go wrong. So glad they've managed to stay around. And the new (ish) location is wonderful.

This was our third time visiting the Islands. Our daughter performs with the Brooklyn Symphony Orchestra at the Brooklyn Museum. Whenever she performs we always enjoy a post concert dinner upstairs at the Islands. We have always been delighted with the cuisine and the service. Although it is mostly a take out business it is nice for non locals to have a place upstairs to eat in. This time the service was above and beyond expectations. I left my glasses on the table. When I called the restaurant they took my name and address and mailed my glasses to my home in Long Island in 2 days. I wanted to send them a check for the cost of mailing but they said it was not necessary. Many thanks to Nadine and Shawn, the owner and all those wonderful people who make the Islands a really classy organization.

This hole in the wall restaurant has the most scrumptious, filling, yummy Caribbean food in the area. The spot is very small, so come early if you want to sit inside and choose the best options. They do run out of choices after the dinner crowd is finished.

basics: for lunch i believe it is take-out only. For dinner, there is sit-down service but it is very no-frills. This is a long-time local place, and they focus on what they do well (food) and it is excellent. Don't expect service that you would get at a fancy restaurant. The portions are huge, it is great value for your money, and it is an excellent taste of Caribbean food that historically has been a big part of this neighborhood. If you are in the neighborhood and haven't lived in an area that is big on Caribbean food, it is worth checking out -- it will likely leave a lasting impression you. Its been around forever and there's not many places out there like it.

I treated myself to a hefty serving of Jamaican oxtail and wasn't disappointed. Sure it was oily, but man, it was g-o-o-d to the bones! I also carried out an order of jerk chicken and loved it just the same! It was a little too spicy but I am not complaining. The chicken was cooked perfectly, tender and flavorful! Food is easily 5 stars but the place is very tight for diners. You may want to call in your orders then pick-up. It is a stone's throw away from the Brooklyn Museum and the Botanical Garden, guaranteed to satisfy from after a day's worth of walking!

This tiny restaurant is essentially a street level kitchen, with a set of creaky stairs leading to a small second floor with five tables, various Caribbean-themed tchotchkes and a beautiful bouquet of fresh flowers. My friend and I ordered the "small" orders of oxtail and jerk chicken, which were massive plates of said main dishes, rice and beans, cabbage and salad. The jerk chicken had the perfect level of spice - funnily enough, on the way out, one of the ladies sitting in the kitchen asked us concernedly if we thought it was TOO spicy (no way!) - and the oxtail had a delectable gravy. The total bill for two with a lemonade (the place is BYOB) was $29, with plenty to pack up for leftovers. The lovely proprietors even gave us an extra piece of chicken!

The jerk offerings, the mac and cheese and the incredibly generous folks who work there (and portions) make this my favorite Caribbean spot in the city. I also love the cozy, homey atmosphere. A place I like to take the uninitiated to show off the best of Brooklyn.

If you want to go to a caribbean restaurant you should go to the Islands! It's a VERY small place (4 tables and a very weird staircase) but it will be an amazing experience. I've been there with firends and we had shrimp, ox tail and spicy chicken whit their drink. The chicken was very spicy but delicious and i loved the ox tail and the shrimp! Maybe it would be better to call ahead.

We wandered into the restaurant on our way to the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens. The food was plentiful, beautifully presented and delicious. The shrimp dishes, the chicken and the veggie plate were all great. The drinks ( lemonade and sorrel) were special. Definitely 5 stars in our book!

The food is fantastic, but sadly, many menu items weren’t ready when we arrived for Saturday lunch. But what we did order was wonderful - jerk lamb, curry chicken and whole snapper escabeche. Beware - the jerk lamb was super spicy. Unexpectedly so. But soooo tasty. All of the dishes were served with a big helping of rice and beans, sauteed cabbage and a green salad. The portions are very generous and could easily serve 2. Walk off the meal at the Brooklyn museum which is a short walk away. 😊

I am from the islands, I love the islands, and I love my island food. They make magic with very limited space (I take it to go) and the smell when you walk in or simply walk by is freaking amazing! Now, they are slightly more expensive than I'd like (I can go to Culpepper's and get my Bajan cuisine for a little less money and a lot more time). They can be slow (but that's the magic of the food, can't rush the goodness). I'd recommend trying it out just once and getting food to go and chill by the Brooklyn Museum, and just enjoy the sun.. pretend you are in the Islands.

I arrived in the late afternoon midday so it wasn't crowded. I've read reviews where some complain that the service is slow. I didn't experience it. I first tried this restaurant about 10 years ago when they were in a little hole in the restaurant a few blocks away. Then, I was consider service slow but it was because they cooked their food fresh from scratch. They're not a fast food restaurant so come correct. At this new location, the cooks/owners have assistance, servers and cooks now so it a major improvement in efficiency. However, the Jamaican vibe of 'chill' is still there. So, when you arrive, just relax 'mon' and someone should get to you in more than reasonable time. Enjoy your company or date. However, I think if one feels that it's taking more than a long time for service, I'd have to say something to the server. Regardless, that's besides that point. If you come with the right focus and company Lets get to the nitty gritty of this restaurant. From my experience, any dish you get is authentic and good. I've experienced enough so called Jamaican restaurants around NYC that are actually embarrassing and don't have that authentic Jamaican taste, seasoning, ingredients, etc. The portions are more than enough for one person. It's possible to split it with two people depending on how hungry you are. Everything on the menu is worth trying. Every month or two, I try a different dish. BTW, the Jerk chicken is nice and spicy. You will feel the heat. The fried chicken is immaculate. The curry goat is crazy good. Overall, for the money and value and most importance, taste, The Islands get excellent marks from me. When friends come to visit me in NYC and they want to eat 'real' Jamaican food, we head on over to The Islands. Cheers! My only suggestion to The Islands, based on reading other reviews, is to focus in on improving wait times that other reviewers or patrons mentioned. Peace.

Came here in late August around 6:00 p.m. Restaurant was empty so I originally took this as a bad sign. Was welcomed by two very sweet women and was served fairly quickly. I've always wanted to try oxtail since everyone I know raves about it and I was not disappointed. The oxtail was delicious and the rice and beans was soft but not too soft. You'll definitely leave with a fully belly. Highly recommend this place if your in the area.

This is not a fancy place. This is Authentic and delicious Jamaican food. This is a small tiny little place in Washington Avenue, Brooklyn. The place is packed (they have very limited space). You wait for ever but I tell you is worth it. Prices are increadible reasonable and the portions are huge. will be back with Anais

We ordered shrimps and the dish was sooo good and tasty! Service was perfect and the meal was well cooked, with coconut and colombo sauces, salad... Can't wait to go back!

My husband and I ordered the Jerk Chicken and Shrimp in coconut sauce, it was very tasty. Its easy access from train (like everything else in NYC) and is a small place but Can't wait til we visit NYC again...This place is first up!

I’ve lived in NYC for 4 years, and this is a top ten restaurant. Incredible, juicy jerk chicken. Family owned. I loved it!

We had dinner at this small, quaint restaurant. Upon the recommendation of the waitress, we ordered the Jerk chicken and Jerk shrimp. We were not disappointed . The flavor was delicious and the food was served fresh and hot. We had the fish cakes as an appetizer and they were also fantastic. Service was quick, staff was friendly and premises was spotless. Prices were extremely reasonable. Portions were good sized . We will definitely return when in the area.

I’ve never even tasted oxtail, much less Jamaican food, but was willing to give it a go based upon my friend’s recommendation for lunch at The Islands. I can’t believe how fabulous this meal was. Tender meat seasoned perfectly just fell off the bone onto the tender and perfectly prepared veggies with a healthy serving of smooth and tasty beans and rice. The serving was huge. Mine was shared with said friend; other friend polished off the equally tender chicken platter. Marilyn, my hat’s off to you and your delightful staff. Thank you for making my first Brooklyn dining experience so memorable. If you’re in the neighborhood (just a few blocks from the Brooklyn Museum and Botanical Gardens) and want to sample some truly exceptional and reasonably priced food, take a trip to The Islands.

The food at The Islands will melt in your mouth. I've tried everything there from the Coconut Shrimp to their Coconut rice, and I can eat the rice all by itself. Every micro-inch of the food is exceptionally seasoned. The service is great and they are pretty good with remembering their customers. The only issue I have is that the dining space (located upstairs) is very tiny. I believe they fit about 10-12 people when they really should only have a maximum of 8. While I appreciate that you can dine in and that there is a restroom, I feel like the space is a little too tight. (Which is the only reason why I am not giving them an "Excellent" rating. That wouldn't stop me and shouldn't stop you from eating here. I don't think I've ever had Jamaican food this good!

The rice was gummy and not in a tasty way. The oxtails were not cooked enough and the gravy was greasy. The vegetables were overcooked. Sorrel was great.

This hole-in-the-wall type restaurant does not look like much but the food was very tasty. We had a variety of dishes- Jerk Chicken, Calypso Shrimp, Oxtail and others. Each entrée comes with sides including some terrifically spiced rice and onions. Although the cooks were a bit hard to understand, we all thought the food was good. Not really any place to sit however. Plan to get your food to go (they will give you utensils and napkins) and go over to the steps of the Brooklyn Museum or a nearby park to have your food.

Brooklyn where you find lots of culture food around the world, you find Jamaican at its finest. The islands. A hearty local Jamaican cuisine. Go for the Oxtail. You get 6 pieces of tender meat that just slips right off the tail bone. The meat was soft and tender and enough grate with light gravy sauce. Comes with mixed vegetables. Nice atmosphere with enough tables. Came here at 6pm before the crowd. Around 7pm, started to get busy for the weekend. Must try.

My friend and I visited one evening in July for dinner and ordered the curried goat, as we had read the raving reviews and were determined to see what the hype was all about. For full transparency..both my friend and I are self proclaimed curried goat specialists, so needless to say we were up for the challenge. We ordered the jerk wings, which were less than impressive (I think if they were grilled instead of baked, they would be better) and fried plantains (always good). Now to the main feature, the curry goat..... Blouse an skirt! It was h-amazing! Fall off the bone goodness. Burst of flavors and not too spicy or salty. And the portion was more than ample. It was perfection!! The lime aid was also exceptional. Will definitely be back and highly recommend. PS...I was salivating while writing this review.

I can't beleive that this is not in Trip Advisor already. However I am proud to be the first to write about this amazing place. It is small with about 4 tables service is island fast they might not have everything on the menu but the food is to die for I did have a large food baby after going here and felt like i had gained a bunch of weight but it was well worth it. we had the mac and cheese which came as a health helping and crunchy topped i had the roti and curry chicken with was divine but it would have been nice if the roti was not already dripping wet in the sauce. would come back a million times They also do take out

We had lunch here on a Sunday afternoon and it was phenomenal I ordered curry chicken and it was perfectly cooked and seasoned melt in your mouth I ordered with rice and peas (beans and rice)and also came with steamed cabbage and mixed vegetables I wish I had the recipe Service was friendly and prompt The atmosphere in the restaurant was great All around awesome experience Can’t wait to return BTW the food portion was huge and a great value

OK, so this place is tiny, but don't judge this place by its size. It may be a wee little thing when measured by square footage, but if you judge your eating places by taste and deliciousness, then this place is real big. I showed up at an off-hour, clearly long before prime time. Many menu items were not ready, but honestly, who cares? Eat what they have. It's great. I picked up some jerk chicken and curried goat, and yeah, both were delicious. Had I known how tasty goat could be back when I was growing up, the family goat may not have survived. I'm glad, for his sake, I didn't realize his potential until I ate at The Islands. We'll be back to The Islands whenever we sail through this part of Brooklyn. A wonderful discovery.

We have lived half our lives in the Caribbean, and we miss it badly, particularly at mealtimes. This place scratched every food itch in the right places. The curry goat was sublime - just the right heat and the meat was tender and juicy. They were not doing fried chicken the night we dined, so we will definitely be going back to sample that. Stewed and Jerk Chicken were both great.

Was there last week with a couple of friends. The place has a nice vibe, like you are home. Food portions are great and food tastes even better!

It is always a struggle to find a good Caribbean restaurant, but The Islands definitely fits the bill. The service is always wonderful and the food is invariably delicious and flavorful. The new location is beautiful and spacious and a welcomed upgrade from their previous address a few blocks south. The oxtails are big and meaty and their mac and cheese is sinfully cheesy (that’s a good thing fyi). So if you’re looking for a trip to the islands (without having to buy a plane ticket) I recommend visiting The Islands.

I absolutely loved my experience at The Islsnds! From the moment I walked in, I was politely greeted and immediately felt welcome. The atmosphere was nice! Loved the Caribbean music! My server was Nancy, she was friendly with good vibes and provided me with great recommendations. I ended up selecting the jerk chicken with rice and peas, vegetables and plantans. The food was fresh and amazingly delicious! I'll definitely be back next time I'm in Brooklyn! Keep up the great work guys!

If there's better Jerk Chicken, anywhere, I want to know about it because I've never had it. Same goes for the curry shrimp!

We have been to this restaurant a handful of times and each time we go in with elevated expectations, yet the food and the experience of down-home Caribbean cooking is not to be questioned. The ambiance is simple, some small tables upstairs, but it is the food that makes making the trip over here (just steps across Eastern Parkway from the Brooklyn Museum and the BBG). We have really only eaten the vegetarian and fish dishes, but I understand their meat dishes are equally delectable. If you like spicy, this is your place. If you prefer mild, you will find things of interest too.

Wonderful family atmosphere with delicious food - the goat curry was an extremely happy discovery of succulence and flavor, and the oxtails were melt-in-your-mouth fabulous. And I am not a rice or a beans eater, but the rice and beans with coconut is not to be missed. A restaurant worth visiting again!! BTW, their homemade sorrel (a type of hibiscus apparently) drink, brewed with ginger, clove, cinnamon and other spices and served cold, is unusual and lovely.