The Islander Carribean Restaurant

Some of the best food in town. Roti chicken and some sweet plantains on the side. So good. Grab a beef patty with coco bread for a quick eat. Love this place

Marley is one of the kindest dudes and this spot is absolutely my favorite food around. I’ve been going for years and I’ve never had anything but a huge portion of home cooked goodness with good vibes coming from the food. big hugs to the people creating everything there!

This is one of the best restaurants not just in New Jersey, but anywhere I have ever been. I am not exaggerating. Kindly disregard any other reviews. I have had Indian and Caribbean style curry about 1 million times, and this place has the very best. The BBQ jerk chicken is an absolute work of art. I don’t really eat pork, but the jerk pork that my friend gets is spectacular. All of the meat drips off the bone. The potatoes and plantains are spot on. It is a shame that this amazing restaurant is hiding in a hole in the wall in a bad section of Asbury Park, but there’s nothing to be afraid of. This isn’t a sit down restaurant, it is really for take out. I cannot recommend this highly enough. It must be tried.

ate the curry chicken and shrimp for a summer straight. their curry meals are top notch. Only a few bar chairs to sit facing the good ol’ Asbury Park Police Dept and train station. Their lunch specials are too small of a portion for me so I always grab either a small or large order. Marlon is always friendly when I come to order. I would say they are definitely the best Jamaican restaurant in Monmouth County. Their liquor store next door is very convenient as well =)

i frequently visit this place and have tired only the curry and jerk chicken. Everytime i get it its spot on. Only issue is parking sucks

Went here one day when another Jamaican restaurant (Jammin’ Jamaican) was closed for a week. After driving past it nearly twice, I figured out where it was and turned into the fenced-​in lot. Obviously, not in the greatest of areas.
Immediately after exiting my car, one of the famous Asbury Park hobos came meandering over to me to try to get money for their drug /​booze habit. Oh boy, fun. After they waddled away like a zombie, I ventured inside.
The Islander is more of a takeout place, they don’t have any seating available. Since this wasn’t really the scenic part of town, I probably wouldn’t have stayed even if there were tables. The staff were very friendly and in a great mood, promptly taking my order — curry goat with a meat pie on the side. A friend ordered the oxtail stew, all of which came out within 5 – 6 minutes, and we were back on the road.
The food wasn’t too bad, although the curry goat seemed to have more bones than actual meat. Still, the meat that was there was flavorful enough, not too fatty, and spiced well. The portion I had came with a huge serving of rice, some veggies, and a few sweet plantains on the side. Having paid for the «large» portion, I was a little disappointed to find that the majority of the container was filled with rice instead of meat. My friend wasn’t a huge fan of his oxtail stew, saying the meat was rather tough /​fatty, and the seasoning was a bit bland. Tasting it for myself, I tend to agree. I had a taste and The meat pie was nice and spicy and cooked well, but obviously one of the «fresh from the freezer section» varieties.
In all, the food here was hit or miss. I’d give this place a 2.5 if I could — it really isn’t bad, it’s just not all that special.

I can’t commit to 5 stars yet but when I try the ox tails, I’ll know for sure.
It’s not a sit down restaurant, FYI. Service was friendly. I’m definitely going back for more!