457 Avalon Park S Blvd #600,Orlando,Florida
4 (549)
Reviews
Drove 30mins from Downtown Orlando to this restaurant located in Avalon Park just to try the food and wasn't disappointed. This establishment is extremely clean and tidy which is a big plus for me. We went during the week, around noon and there was no line/wait at all which was surprising because the line should be out the door. We ordered Braised oxtail with rice & peas, and mac & cheese (not pictured). The young lady at the register was very polite and gave many recommendations on things to try since it was our first time. It didn't take long for the meals to come out and everything was hot! The oxtail taste was different compared to Jamaican style oxtail which is popular and more common...BUT IT WAS GREAT! The meat was very tender, falling off the bone, and the portion size was huge. Rice & peas were delicious also, not to dry but not soupy either. My only con would be the mac & cheese, which wasn't creamy at all and pretty dry maybe due to the big rigatoni pasta noodles used. I would not recommend it as a side (especially for $2.95 up-charge) but wouldn't mind giving the mac & cheese bowl a try next time. Lastly we ordered a side of jerk chicken just to try and it was amazing I mean hats off to the chef. Can't wait to return to try some different items on their extensive menu. S/n: The owner/chef did come out to introduce himself and asks how everything was tasting which I thought was very commendable. If in Orlando or plan to visit soon, please check this place out and bring your appetite!
I’ve tried this place twice so that I can give a proper review. I’ve tried the jerk chicken and jerk ribs combo with rice and peas and oxtail loaded fries, jerk shrimp and grits with collard greens, island shrimp scampi with roasted sweet corn and island seafood chowder, and Magens Bay shrimp taco. I had high hopes for this place seeing as it’s rated a 4.7. I was disappointed with most of the food. They are supposedly in the top 11 restaurants for best ribs. The ribs I had didn’t fall off of the bone, weren’t tender at all, and required a knife to eat. The jerk chicken and ribs didn’t have much jerk flavor. It was mostly gravy which was too sweet. I will admit that the chicken did have a nice smoked flavor on the parts that weren’t covered in gravy. The rice and peas were standard, and the oxtail fries weren’t bad, but I wasn’t a fan of the gravy. The jerk shrimp and grits were pretty good, but didn’t have much jerk flavor. It was more of a shrimp scampi than jerk shrimp. The collard greens were super salty. The island shrimp scampi just tasted like your standard shrimp scampi. I was expecting some “island” flavor in it, but it wasn’t there. The island seafood chowder that you have to pay extra for was pure disappointment. It was so bland and barely had any seafood in it. It was mostly potatoes. The roasted sweet corn was okay. Nothing special. I wasn’t expecting it to be a corn on the cob. The Magens Bay shrimp taco was pretty good, but had way too much sauce. The service is great though, and the atmosphere/restaurant itself was nice, and clean. They just need to improve their food.
This restaurant has captured my heart ❤️ and my stomach. Chef Vern is awesome, and his staff reflects his perfection (Nadia 🥰) is so professional and knowledgeable. Even if Chef Vern is not in the restaurant at your arrival, the meals are coming out with his high standards of excellence 😉 👌. The menu prices are very affordable. I would suggest the first visit to sit in to get the full presentation of the restaurant. And take a meal home for the next day. It's definitely worth the drive to get there. Each time, I order something different, and everything is great 👍 👌 😌 ☺️
We just ate here and had an awesome meal. My husband had the oxtail entree and he loved it! I’m not a fan of oxtail but I tried it and it was the best oxtail I ever had. The shrimp tacos, Mac and Cheese and Jerk wings were excellent. I would highly recommend. The owner came out and asked us how the meal was. Such good customer service. Loved it!
This food was good!!!! I had 50 million questions bout the menu and the female helping was so nice and answered all my questions, great customer service!