Calypso Cafe

I’ve never thought of Calypso as one of Nashville’s best restaurants… I’d rate the food as good, though not great. It’s definitely a solid choice for an inexpensive, fresh and fast lunch or dinner. My favorite menu item is, hands down, the black bean salad with white meat rotisserie chicken. It’s a HUGE salad that keeps me full all day long – no other salad in town has the ability to do that for me. My coworkers who have small children love the rotisserie chicken meal, which comes with a whole chicken and side dishes for 4. For under $ 20, it’s a great bargain. I enjoy the side dishes, as well, though sometimes find the portions to be too small to fill me up.

Great place for good food. Always friendly service and quick delivery when I do a pick up order.

BUGS! I soooo didn’t want to ever write this review because I truly ate at this Calypso Café weekly for a very long time. Mind you, I had 1 bad experience to countless wonderful experience but this one BAD experience was enough to scare me away. I was seated to have lunch last week and prepared to order my normal pulled chicken plate when a roach (yes, a ROACH) ran across the wall just above my table. Needless to say, I did not order but left the restaurant completely grossed out! As I said, I hate to write this but I would appreciate knowing something like this if I were traveling and searching Unilocal. A side note that when an employee was approached about it they said they had «sprayed this week». I think this location has gone downhill in the cleanliness department. I won’t return.

This is a solid choice for a cheap, casual lunch or dinner. There are not many choices in town for Jamaican food, so I’m glad that I really like Calypso. I love their rotisserie chicken and their spicy jerk sauce. They have great sides to choose from, and I love their house dressing for their salads.
I know I need to try Jamaicaway because of it’s great reviews, but it’s kind of out of the way for me and hidden in the Farmer’s Market. But until then, I will always recommend Calypso (I’ve eaten at four of their locations and they are all about the same).

I’m not a huge Caribbean cuisine fan but even with that I did like Calypso. For under 8 bucks you get chicken breast, 2 sides of those vegetable things your mom always told you to eat. Go nuts for 2 more dollars and get a righteous brownie or cookie. The interior is less than fabulous and the too cl icky staff will help motivate you to get your grub to go.

I am madly in love with the Black Bean and Rice Salad! And, the best restaurant to buy it «to go» is the Harding location as their BBQ dressing containers are the biggest! Tell ‘em to go easy on the lettuce though… sometimes it gets a bit overwhelming.

It’s great to have Calypso in the neighborhood. The atmosphere is very casual and the food always very good. The one exception is their burger, which I find dry and tasteless. The chicken is excellent, and their black beans and sweet potatoes some of the best I’ve had. Even better are their mustard greens.

This place remains a solid, consistently good choice for fresh food at reasonable prices.
My favorites: chicken and greens salad, chicken & black bean salad, and chicken with 2 sides. I like the curry sauce best on the chicken. It’s very difficult to choose from their array of interesting sides but the black beans, house salad, spiced sweet potatoes, and Martinique greens are always good.
For some reason, their muffins tend to be on the dry side, so I avoid them.
My all-​time favorite thing here is the House Vinaigrette which I could eat on anything. When I order the Chicken and Greens salad, I substitute it for the ranch. It is sublime!
If you need to feed 3 or 4, their family special is a great option: A whole chicken and 6 sides for $ 16!

The chicken is decent, but the dining room is dark and dingy, which probably explains why most people seemed to be getting their food to go.
But if you’re going to get take out chicken, why not just go down the road and pick up a whole chicken for much less $$$ at Harris-​Teeter?
As for the sides, the muffins were too dry, the black beans seemed undercooked and underseasoned and the rice was forgettable. The mashed sweet potatoes would have been better if they had arrived at the table hot instead of lukewarm.
The mustard greens were probably the star of the meal — which I believe is the definition of «damning with faint praise».
ps — This is my second recent straw-​related comment, but something is seriously out of whack when your straws are shorter than your drink glasses. How the heck am I supposed to use the straw if it sinks under the surface of the beverage?

I absolutely love Calypso. The black bean salad, nachos and black bean dip are my top 3 faves. I have had one bad experience after the other with the service… particularly at this location. The few employees that have been there for an extended period of time act like they have never seen you before (which is disappointing when you frequent a place) and they all act inconvenienced by the mere presence of people. On top of that there is a sign at the front that says «please wait to be seated» and I have NEVER ONCE been seated here. After awkwardly standing at the door for a while someone will yell across the restaurant, «sit wherever you want». why have a sign? I have decided that the only way I will continue to eat calypso is by take out… but I learned the hard way to check my order. There’s nothing worse than getting all the way home to discover you don’t have any dressing for your salad.

I was hoping for lunch at the Belle Meade, which is across the street but they were closed so I settled for Calypso. What a pleasant surprise! I will now come back specifically for a visit here. I would characterize this place as quirky, weird and different but all in a good way. Caribbean-​themed, it has a good feel and the food is just a little different. The coconut biscuits were great and the fruit tea was awesome. The chicken was good, too. If you’re looking for something fun to do for lunch or dinner some time, try this place.

This is my favorite restaurant for take out on my way to the Percy Warner park.
My (and my kids) favorite snack is the black bean dip (smooth and spicy) with extra jalapenos.
The Lucayan salad with their Boija muffins is sweet, light, and perfect for a hot summer’s day in the shade of a tree!
Their jerk is yummy, but their rotisserie chicken (the day I had it) was dry.
The ambiance is a little on the dirty side, eclectic interior with lax wait staff, but the food and price does make up for it… hence, a great take-​out joint!

I am going to swim against the current here and say that Calypso is consistently disappointing.
The portions have gotten extremely miserly and the quality is not as good as everyone lets on. In all honesty, the rotisserie chickens from Publix are superior to what they serve at Calypso. The sides are fairly good, but really nothing that special. I ate at Jamaicaway in the farmer market recently and the contrast between their sides and Calypso’s was startling.
A lot of people seem to go on about how cheap Calypso is as well. Not to sound like a broken record, but once again you are only getting a half a cup of each side and a small serving of chicken for upwards of $ 7 without a drink. That is not terribly expensive, but it certainly is not a bargain if you have to leave hungry.
I know that they have expanded a ton in the past several years, you can’t help but wonder if the lowered quality is a result of this. I am hopeful that they will improve, because the concept is good, it is just the execution that seems a little off.

Were Calypso back here in Chicago it would cost significantly and/​or have its world saving message (s) plastered over every surface.
The salad dressing is outstanding, as are the mustard greens. I thought it a little weird that the veggie melt came on a grocery store whole wheat bun but that really didn’t take anything away from the meal, which was great. They also have Red Stripe and the staff is pleasant and appropriately hippie/​radical in appearance.

My friend brought me here after visiting the salon next door. I loved the Lucayan salad! The dressing was to yummy! I’m not even sure what kind of dressing it was. The lettuce was so fresh as was the chicken, lots of mandarin oranges, the perfect amount of almond slices and 2 corn bread muffins. I’m definitely going to crave the salad. I think Calypso should open up in Los Angeles.

I freaking love Calypso. I dream about the Lucayan salad… it’s actually the only thing I’ve ever ordered here, as it’s probably the most perfect salad I’ve ever ordered. I’ll typically forgo the boija muffins (I’ve tried them at two different locations — once they were dry and stale-​tasting, and once not cooked all the way through) and instead get a side of black beans to dump on top of my salad. The spiced beans mixed with the sweet/​tangy vinaigrette and mandarin oranges render a flavor that try as I might, I can’t describe. Just try it.
I work in MetroCenter and often call in my order to the location on Elliston (it’s so busy I’d have no patience in waiting for a table), and my order is always ready by the time I get there. Like anywhere in the area, it’s a madhouse at lunch and parking is often a headache, but I’d gladly wait for a spot for a healthy, delicious lunch rather than zip through the drive-​thru at the Burger King down the street.

I’ve been here several times and the food has always been fantastic. I’m not a connoisseur of this cuisine, but I enjoy what they have to offer. The service has always been bright and helpful. :)
–Shaun

Calypso is my go to spot for take out. I love the chicken and black beans. Very light and tasty. The food does have a Caribbean flare to it, but nothing over the top. There is something for everyone. They have great veggies, salads, and the muffins are wonderful.
This is not a traditional «meat and three» place, like it was described to me. It’s more casual and just good, light food. Great sandwiches. The chicken sandwich is a very popular item. You’ll see why.
This is the perfect place to go after a long day at work when you need a little fuel! You won’t leave feeling like you have a brick in your stomach. Or run by at lunch for a mid-​day meal. You’ll love it!

I love Calypso! I used to go here almost four times a week when we were moving, and now the number has died down, but it’s consistently good service (love the people who work there) and good food.
In addition to the chicken, awesome black bean salad, and… well, all the dishes and sides dishes are good, really. I frequently get the chicken breast sandwich, black bean salad, or beans and three (with rice, greens, and sweet potatoes).
Anyways, it’s one of the healthiest, yummiest, and most reasonably priced restaurants in Nashville.

Calypso is a consistently great, cheap spot for lunch or dinner. There are locations all over town; the newest one in East Nashville.
I usually get the black bean nachos with chicken and rice. Or, if I am feeling healthy I’ll get the black bean salad which is still a lot like the nachos. Either way, it’s usually enough to either share or take some home.
My vegetarian friend loves the place, and it’s always fast and friendly.