Callaloo Review

Has anyone talked to the manager about their bad experiences? I know Lorna, one of the owners, has put her heart and soul into the place.

 

We went on Saturday night and they were definitely having an off night. Two of the things we ordered were not available but we didn't find that out until 30/45 minutes later & were told the food would be "right out". The kitchens were running extremely far behind.

BUT - the waitress was exceedingly nice, the food, when it came out was really good (I love their jerk chicken!!). So obviously this was a really really bad night for them but I'm sure it's not the norm. We will be back & try again (this time when I can indulge in Planters Punch or Mojitos:tgif.

 

i went Friday and it was exceptional! jerk wings, plantains and curried goat. If you have never had a "dark and stormy" cocktail and like Ginger and like rum, ORDER ONE- they are delicious!

Erica was our waitress and yes- Is always so sweet, and the steel drum duo added a wonderful touch. the food is never fast, but that's ok with me when you consider the freshness and how truly GOOD it is.

i've found that at our small local restauarants, it's wise to ask BEFORE looking at the menu if they are out of anything. with biz being so sporadic many of these places are making limited quantities of certain dishes. so it gets rid of the disappointment before you even look at the menu.

i hope you go again soon Jen- because 24 hour before YOu went they were on top of their game 100%!!!

 

I would also add that I believe the "slow" factor can be chalked up to most things being prepared as "made to order" rather than assembly line. It's nice to slow down to island time anyway, and the last time we went to First Friday, they were down a helper in the kitchen. As they say, Patience IS a virtue.

 

Friday night, went to Callaloo for the 2nd time -- its been awhile. Boy, have I been missin' out! The place was kind of empty, but the atmosphere was perfect and the food...oh, the food! Sooooo tasty! Had the house lamb chops -- highly recommend!

We also had some drinks and on round 2, the waiter came by to let us know that they were out of OJ, so would have to run to the store -- when he came back, told us the drinks would be on him due to the wait. So unexpected and very much appreciated. Also at the end of our meal, the chef came out and introduced herself, wanting to know how our night was. Its wonderful to see a business that cares about their customers. I will definitely return soon!!

**Check this out -- they are having music all weekend long (15th-17th), as well as late-night dancing!

 

I smell Frebuary's Happy Hour... any consensus for the 15th or 17th? It's family friendly- we can park the older kids together at a table... I can make either night.

by the way the owner and chef, Lorna looks VERY much like my mother who is West Indian from St. Kitts. I get so homesick every time I go there...

 

Hi Everyone,
My hubby and finally ended up eating at Callaloo over the weekend and I'm sorry I haven't eaten there sooner!

The food and drinks were really good (love the Dark 'n Stormy) and they still have live music. (Moved indoors for the winter.)

Funny how we felt we were cheating on Anothai. However we are going to try and keep going to Callaloo, Anothai, and Flatbread on a regular basis in order to keep them open. Unfortunately, I think we'll see more restaurants closing in the next few months.

Anyway, kudos to Callaloo!

 

WOW! What great food! My friend and I went tonight for the first time. Both of us enjoyed our meal so much, we can't wait to go back. I had the garlic honey shrimp, which definitely had a nice kick to it. My friend is a vegetarian, so she had the curry vegetables. That was great, too. Our waiter Ulric was a blast -- very friendly and funny. Wish we had gone sooner, but we'll definitely be back many more times. The oxtail with butter beans sounds great -- can't wait to try that on the next visit!

 

Wow - when hubby and I went there. This was not the experience we had. It took them 30 minutes to bring us water - the place was only 1/2 full and 3 different people said they would bring it right out - nothing.

The meat dishes - i had goat (something or other) and hubby had a chicken sandwich and while the meat had excellent flavor the bread was awful. Both bread had been microwaved to heat them up, they were chewy and lacking in flavor. Hubby's sandwich was too full to eat and he had to eat it with a fork - normally this was good, but he was not brought a fork and again with the service - we asked and it didn't appear.

We'll keep going to Anothai and American Flatbread - when we go out...

Kim

 

i know your time and money are precious but if you are fans of caribbean food, give them a second try- but let mngmnt KNOW about your bad experience. as you can tell from this board SO many ppl have a great experience here- one bad night should not put you off them forever, especially if you normally enjoy this cuisine.

service can be slow at times but we choose not to go there when we are in a hurry- that pace is part of the culture and your food is made to order. get a dark and stormy to start the night and give it one more try- maybe just apps- like the jerk wings or meatballs- unbelievably good!!!

 

We would if it was either the food or the service, but when its both - sorry. I don't like to throw good money after bad...

 

I've been there a few times and had great food and good service. I will say that whenever I tell someone about how great a place is or take them there the service and/or food are usually lacking somehow. I wind up telling my guests, "seriously, usually they're very good!" This hasn't been the case for me with Callaloo but I suppose it happens everywhere at some point. Now if it happens a second time, then I start to wonder about the place. But since Callaloo is an independently owned place and not a chain, I would think that customer complaints and comments would be taken seriously.

 

We went last night (Sun) and we'll be back often. Service, food, atmosphere - all A+. Even leftovers - bonus! We don't go out to sit down restaurants a lot anymore, so when we do we want a lot of bang for our buck, and we got it, and more, on this occasion. They are having some sort of ticketed Election Watch party tomorrow. See their website I think.