Larry’s Jamaican Restaurant

I was a fan of their meat pies and curried goat for years! I am so sad that they are no longer in business. Come back, Larry’s! Now if I want good Jamaican food, I will have to go all the way to Hollywood for Coley’s Caribbean (which is also «the bomb» just too damn far!). Why did they have to get evicted?

These guys were evicted.

Brunch was ok but some items were cold so dont think Ill try them again.

I went here for a birthday party and I was very impressed with their food, service and facilities. I plan on coming back and trying them for one of their events and for dinner.

What to order: Jerk chicken (dark meat only– legs are the best). They taste amazing, like they’ve been first grilled or smoked then slathered in spicy seasonings.
The goat is also awesome (curry), but the ox tails are UNMATCHED!!! Get oxtails. The Sunday brunch is totally worth it! All the sweet festival bread you can handle :)
Service: This is some of the worst service ever but it’s not for lack of trying– I just have a feeling these folks just don’t understand the need to be attentive. I don’t fault them– for the money and location, it is what it is.
Price– It’s pretty average.
Extras– I hear they have live music and karaōke a couple days a week.

My mom and I came in Saturday around 3pm, no wait which I love. I’ve been coming here since it was Cooley’s and they had poetry nights, I love Jamaican food. The food is always consistent in taste and the service is very slow (true to the culture) but friendly. So why only 3 stars you say? Because you shouldn’t have something on your menu if you’re not going to make it every day, I find this problem a lot with urban restaurants and it just irritates me. I don’t want to drive from Carson to LA because I have a craving for something just to find out that you didn’t feel like making it that day.
This is the 3^rd time I’ve been here in about 65 days and every time there were multiple things on the menu but they weren’t available that day. Saturday alone I ordered gumbo (no gumbo), I ordered pineapple ginger punch (none of that either, but the nice lady concocted some delicious replacement mixed juice in about 15 min) I ordered the roast beef (nope none of that either) then I ordered a freaking beef patty which is a main staple at any Jamaican place and was told they just ran out and it’d be 25 minutes for the one I ordered. All of this is simply unacceptable to me when you’re running a restaurant, they should be like M&M’s and have certain days where they offer specials but they should not offer a full menu and only cook half of it.
So once again the food is good authentic and reasonably priced but the lack of menu options usually detours me from coming here and my car drives itself to Lee’s Caribbean down the street that always has what they offer (but the service there isn’t great).

Come for the lunch buffet. Great food. Great and friendly staff. Definitely one of my new favorite Jamaican spots in the LAX area.

I’ve tried ordering food from Larry’s Jamaican Restaurant at least 4 times! Twice from
and twice by calling them directly.
Their excuse is that they are not delivering right now. How do they expect to have any loyal business if they can’t comply with that they advertise on their website?
I can’t even judge the food. I HAVEN’T HAD IT DELIVERED TO BE TO JUDGE IT! They too lazy to get a good driver. Or at least 1 employee with a vehicle to deliver it. When I asked the manager on the phone if anyone there had a car to deliver food, he laughed. As if he dosen’t take his business seriously. Or me as a customer.
They will NEVER see a DIME of my money. NEVER!!!
Poor service!!! Poor service!!! They are probably loosing money too!
Probably can’t afford gas money for a car to deliver food. LOSERS!

This place has the BEST Jamaican food, I have ever had! Yes the service takes their sweet time getting to you, but hell… its worth the wait honestly… My go to Jamaican spot from now on!

I love this restaurant! The food is great, my sisters and I always have a great experience. The goat is bomb, the brown stew fish is heavenly and the bread pudding is to die for. I guess all our tastes are different because I have nothing to complain about. You go Larry, good job in taking over the restaurant! We will keep coming!

The Jamaiican meat patties were spicy and flavorful. They have a variety of fruit juices that they make. One had a carrot taste, one was more tropical. We both had the shrimp and veggies, it came with rice and beans and festival bread. I only wish that they gave more rice and beans. The cabbage and veggies were so tasteful, the fruit juices don’t come with free refills. The staff was nice, and they played carribean music which was great! On Friday nights it turns into a club with delicious food and great music! They also offer a buffet during lunch hours. We enjoyed our meals and would mreturn again, there were a few dishes I’d like to try! The only issue was the womens bathroom, it was terrible and dark and everything looked old and worn but, it was clean.

Great food! Service is a little slow but if you get the buffet on sunday, you get bottomless mimosas!

For God sake either keep fresh food on your buffet or just be done with it. The jerk chicken had been in the pot for so long that all of the juices in the bottom of the pan had hardened. The rice was not fluffy and the green beans were on the verge of drying. When I looked at the curry goat it looked like a pan of black gravy that had been sitting out over night. The mac and cheese was good and so was the fried fish. But I could have made those myself. I really came for the jerk chicken but I was disappointed.
The waitress was nice. Four stars for customer service but that doesn’t make up for the food that I paid for.

I dined here a while back because I was craving some Island cuisine. I ordered Ackee and Saltfish, boiled banana, festival bread, plaintain and two shrimp patties. The food was delicious well seasoned and freshly made. The shrimp patties were also delicious. Larry took my order and he was very kind and welcoming.
Because I enjoyed the food so much I came a second time with my husband after church service, to my surprise there was an all you can eat buffet. There was a variety of food (meats, fish, side dishes, desserts and fruits) to choose from and I must say all was good. I could have eaten myself to death. And it was not pricey at all. If you’re looking for good Jamaican food and a pleasant atmosphere this is the place to dine. Be prepared to be fully satisfied. I will definitely eat here again.

Another restaurant in a dying building. Got there at 4pm on a Monday night, there were 3 people inside and all looked like they worked there. The fish tank looked like it needed to be cleaned 3 months ago. Within 7 minutes (no kidding), I was back at my car with Jerk Chicken & a beef patty. Total $ 14.50.
This is my 3^rd visit to a Jamaican restaurant in the last couple weeks — searching for the best Jerk chicken — again, I’m disappointed. Where’s the heat and flavor?
The Jerk Chicken was served with soup, rice & peas (red beans), cabbage mixture, plantains and a little festival bred. I don’t do beans, so those were tossed. Cabbage was ok, nothing more, plantains same as their competition and the festival bread was new to me — it was good, especially dipped in the jerk juice. The soup was really good. The chicken was fully cooked, easily fell off the bone, but dry, dry, dry and the seasoning was lost. Also, this is the second place that cuts their pieces in some odd manner that I have never seen before. What’s up with that? The beef patty was good. I’ll do that again.
So, will I go back? Yes, one more time. I want to try the Sunday buffet. That will give me a chance to try the brown stew chicken, curried chicken & oxtail. Prices seemed ok, with the amount of food served.
2^nd visit.
Sunday, went for the buffet. Had: jerk chicken, curry goat, fish, cabbage mixture, plantains, festival bread and some fresh fruit. Also begged for a taste of some oxtail soup and got it.
Dark meat chicken tender, white meat still dry, dry, dry. Curry goat was worthy of a second helping, cabbage boring & oxtail soup would be worthy of a second helping.
6 year old didn’t want to try anything. Had to get her some chicken nuggets.
So, was the second visit worth it? Yes, for a minimal price, I got to try some different things. Will I be back? Nope. Done there. Sadly, I also dropped them down to 2 stars.

I dropped by on a Monday with a friend for lunch and dug into the buffet. Our server was friendly and hospitable; the atmosphere was calm and quiet; the food made an indelible impression in my memory though I’d spent my entire summer indulging in all kinds of fare I considered amazing. The staff acknowledged what I noticed was the regular clientele that came in, which is always a good sign.
I’m not a rice and beans kind of gal, but please believe I went back for seconds. Truth be told, I went back for seconds and thirds on a lot of things if you want to get technical. My metabolism and appetite interact in a way that is directly proportional to each other, which basically means I stop eating as soon as the tank is even remotely occupied, but I kept going until I got the upper lip sweats. The jerk chicken was tender and flavorful, and their curry chicken was so juicy it fell right off the bone. The only thing I didn’t really go crazy for was the curry lamb — just not my cup of tea, t’was a bit gamey — but my approval of the buffet was validated when my friend asked, «You having fun?» and I looked up, realizing I’d been busy eating and not saying a word for an undetermined amount of time. My friends have always told me I never hide emotions well and my facial expressions are a direct indication of what I’m feeling, so the fact that she noticed I was that giddy though I hadn’t said a word pretty much sealed the deal. And I didn’t answer her, either; I was eating.
For about eleven bucks, I got more than my fill on some good eats while unwittingly dancing in my chair to some reggae hits playing overhead (I never do that, but it seemed — strangely enough — the right time and place), and the staff sent us out with a warm smile. Dig it like a shovel!

I thought it was coley’s but it turns out pretty good. That was the first time in my life I have ever eaten Jamaican food. I will go again for sure. People are nice too.

Ok, I use to go to this place when it was COLEYS… and the portions where always a nice size. Since the business has changed owners the portions are less, way less for the same prices.
The food taste the same. It’s hit and miss. I had some jerk chicken and the sauce taste like someone pit the whole thing of salt in it. Terrible.
I hear they have Sunday brunch maybe I will try that but won’t go back just to order take out. I feel like I was ripped off.

There are very few Jamaican spots in LA. As a New Yorker and as one w/​West Indian roots (think Thanksgiving turkey w/​peas & rice), I *must* have my Jamaican fix.
It calls me.
Usually, my attempts to answer leave me feeling homesick, but not the case w/​Larry’s.
In the frame that many lovingly knew as Coley’s, the new restaurant posits itself as a serious contender among the few Island chows in LA.
When I walked in and curiously inquired, hospitably, the host offered me a taste of jerk chicken. It was slamming enough for me to order up more, AND some stewed chicken, AND some curry chicken, AND a shrimp patty, AND…
But, *the patty*! Oooh! Oooh! Oooh!
( — -That was a patty-​gasm, a term that may only be associated with the crispety (perfectly flaky but not crumbly) patisserie de Larry. Little bay shrimp fall into your mouth as you… Uhhhh! Ahhh! Uh! — -)
Just *who* is Larry anyway? You’ll be comforted to know that Larry, with whom I talked about the restaurant’s shift from Coley’s to his own, is a Coley’s native. In fact, he was the restaurant’s former chef. Now, he’s bringing the spice all on his own in a noble move to save the location and keep the restaurant alive. It’s admirable really. I fully applaud him in his endeavor as well as his loyalty.
Larry has changed up the roti, though… FOR THE GOOD. He has made the food more authentic and less Americanized, which means it packs a square-​in-​the-​face eye-​punch of secret down home flavors that lovers of «hot» will enjoy.
Larry’s garnered the full approval of this New York native, and we all know that’s saying more than just a lil’ sum’n sum’n.
(My fingers are sauce-​covered as I type. Shux! My «o» key is jammed. *_*)

The food is really very good, daily lunch buffet $ 10.99 Sunday brunch $ 15.99 crab cakes, cod fish fritters, jamaican patties, jerk chicken, curried chicken, brown stew chicken, curried goat, oxtail, roast beef, curried shrimp, kingston steamed fish, brown stew red snapper, ackee&codfish, shrimp st. James, kids choice, just a fews.