The Best Caribbean Restaurants in Brooklyn

By Lesley Enston

Anyone from a Caribbean nation (or territory) knows that Brooklyn is considered one of the major outposts of our diaspora. The section of Brooklyn known as “Little Caribbean”—an area that includes parts of Flatbush, East Flatbush, and Prospect Lefferts Gardens—is, according to its website, “home to the largest and most diverse Caribbean-American-LatinX community outside of the West Indies, making up 20% of New York City.” While this zone may have the highest concentration of Caribbean people in the city, Crown-Heights, Bed-Stuy and Bushwick are home to many whose roots lie at the edge of the Caribbean sea.  

As someone raised in a (half-) Trinidadian household in Toronto, I started coming to Brooklyn to visit family at a young age. The borough is home to first- and second-generation people from all over the Caribbean. Trinidad, Jamaica, Haiti, Guyana, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, St. Vincent, St. Lucia, Guadeloupe, Grenada—you name it, you will find us. Which means, of course, that you can find food representing these places across the borough. The best thing about these restaurants is that while they welcome everybody, they’re cooking, first and foremost, for their people, so you know they have to come correct. The list below is a mix of spots serving traditional-style food from home and some playing on culinary conventions by mixing in elements from other cultures. Either way, all of these restaurants are beloved by Brooklyn eaters, from seasoned island tastebuds to newbies, and authentically represent Caribbean cuisine.

A&A Bake and Double Roti Shop  
Address: 1337 Fulton St.
Go for: The doubles

A&A has been slinging doubles—a classic Trinidadian street food made of saucy, highly spiced channa (chickpeas) served with two pieces of Bara (fried dough)—since it opened in 2002. In 2019, this Bed-Stuy staple won a James Beard award in the America’s Classics category. Since then, it got a bigger space and expanded its menu to include all things Trini (the fry bake and saltfish alone is worth the visit), but has stayed true to its roots. While doubles in Brooklyn are not the same as on the streets of Trinidad, these are some of the best you’ll find stateside.

Lakay Venus Restaurant  
Address: 637 Rogers Ave.
Go for: Lalo  

Tucked away on Rogers Avenue, Lakay Venus is low-key some of the best Haitian food you’ll have out of the house. It’s under new management, and frankly not as good as it was before, but the griot, diri ak pwa, and lalo all still hit. The nondescript storefront belies a lovely dine-in interior, but it’s also great for takeout.

BunNan Flatbush Central Caribbean Marketplace
Address: 2123 Caton Ave.
Go for: Red snapper plantain sandwich

What started as a pop-up now has a permanent home in Flatbush’s Caton Market. Nadege Fleurimond, the owner and chef, started BunNan because she loved plantains. So it tracks that the spot is famous for its plantain sandwiches, which consist of two giant fried pieces of green plantain holding jeweled goods like griot, jerk chicken, red snapper, or mushrooms. For anyone who loves plantains (doesn’t everyone?), it’s a must. Also not to be missed: the restaurant’s plantain chip nachos and passion fruit lemonade.

De Hot Pot
Address: 1127 Washington Ave.
Go for: Chicken roti (bone in!)

Another Trini classic, this takeout, cash-only joint frequently has a line going down the block. It’s also known for its doubles, but the roti is where it’s at for me. You’ll also find an excellent selection of sweet Trini snacks like kurma and tamarind balls right by the cash register. Just make sure you know what you want when it’s your turn to order—no one has time for your questions here.

Lakou Cafe  
Address: 195 Utica Ave. 
Go for: Epis roasted half-chicken 
 
The vibrant storefront of Lakou Cafe stands out on a major commercial stretch of Utica Avenue for so many reasons. The bright colors invite you in, and the menu, a perfect combination of Haitian classics like legim and more adventurous fare, such as the Lakou Salmon Burger, keeps you there. It also has an excellent selection of Haitian sweets, a standout being the tablet noix (cashew brittle), and a delicious selection of smoothies. Come Haitian Independence Day (January 1), it also serves some of the best Soup Joumou you’ll find in a restaurant.

Kiosko 787
Address: 488 Carroll St.
Go for: Pernil

This takeout-only eatery (though there is some outdoor seating on a nice day) may well have the best Puerto Rican food you can find off the island. The pernil melts in your mouth, the arroz con gandules are so good they could be a whole meal in themselves, and the chicharron are spiced to perfection. There’s also mofongo topped with whatever your heart desires and a large selection of sandwiches. Wash it all down with a Coco Rico or some Guanabana juice. It’s worth the trek to Gowanus, but Seamless will also deliver.

Sophie’s Cuban Cuisine
Address: 27 Smith St. 
Go for: Slow-roasted mojo pork 
 
The only Brooklyn location of a small chain that started in the Village in 19971, this no–frills eatery serves up delicious Cuban food for reasonable prices. Largely geared toward the business–lunch crowd, Sophie’s gives cafeteria vibes, delivering Cuban classics like empanadas, lechon asado, and ropa vieja (though the menu is largely in English), as well as Cuban–inspired dishes like grilled chicken, salmon, and so many sandwiches. It’s women-owned, too.

Pattie Hut
Address: 543 Nostrand Ave. 
Go for: Stewed chicken, oxtails 
 
Brooklyn is home to many, many Jamaican restaurants, and people could fight over their favorites all day. Any Jamaican in the borough, however, can tell you that the Pattie Hut (this refers to the location on Nostrand in Bed-Stuy—not speaking to other locations!) is always a solid option. Its stewed chicken is on point, the callaloo (a green somewhat similar to spinach that is stir-fried, not to be confused with Trini callaloo, made of dasheen leaves) could make you sing, and the ackee and saltfish is chef’s kiss. If there’s jerk that day, get it. But don’t ask too many questions about the menu, and never assume something is available even if it says it is. This is a true Jamaican restaurant. IYKYK.

Wadadli Jerk
Address: 419 Putnam Ave.
Go for: Jerk anything, mac and cheese 

What started as a pop-up smoker on the street to feed the boozed-up masses at Bed-Vyne Brew now has a small but permanent location next door. Nestled behind a jungle of tropical plants, Wadadli Jerk, started by Edwin Hughes and named for the indigenous name for his home island of Antigua, has quickly become a neighborhood favorite. The menu is, of course, focused on jerk, which, despite what many think, refers less to the spices the meat is marinated in and more to the process of slowly smoking it—a way of cooking made famous by the Maroons in the mountains of Jamaica—and features chicken, pork, or salmon. It is, of course, served with a side of rice and beans, plantain, and veggies. Honorable mentions include the mac and cheese, rasta pasta, and, if you’re there on the right time, escovitch fish.

Healthy as a Motha
Address: 234 Union Ave.
Go for: Buss Up Shut

Healthy as a Motha, the brainchild of Yesenia Ramdass, features plant-based food inspired by her dual Trinidadian and Dominican heritages. Some dishes are based on the familiar, such as Yuh Motha’s Mofongo or the Buss up Shut Roti Plate, and others are Caribbean-influenced original creations, like the possibly now-famous Plantain Boat, a ripe plantain stuffed with plant-based beef and topped with jalapeno queso, a lightly pickled slaw, tamarind sauce, and some peppa sauce if you’re smart. And while Healthy as a Motha is known for its cocktails, also not to be missed are the NA drinks, including fresh-pressed sugarcane juice, Caribbean classic sorrel, and tamarind juice.

Aunts et Uncles
Address: 1407 Nostrand Ave.
Go for: Cocktails

Aunts et Uncles takes inspiration from the multi-island heritage of its owners, who between them have roots in St. Lucia, St. Vincent, and Trinidad. Unlike Healthy as a Motha, which often replicates traditional dishes using plant-based meat substitutes, Aunts et Uncles imbues its dishes with an island vibe by spicing them just so, or adding a familiar ingredient, like okra, to an otherwise “non-Caribbean” dish . Try the chicken sandwich, smoky mac and cheese, or the fish cakes. There are some vegan takes on classics, such as the bake and “saltfish,” which is made with hearts of palm. Relax in what feels like your funky but very put-together friend’s living room and order one of the special cocktails (may I recommend the Sunday Best?), because you deserve it.