Good things come to those who wait! I went to Island today for lunch with a friend and sooooo glad we did! We were in the area getting my car inspected and needed to find a tasty lunch nearby.... Yelp never lets me down and I found this jewel in the rough....literally. From the outside I was a bit thrown as there is construction and it's not super esthetic but again, Yelp never steers me wrong. The inside is a bit cafeteria like but we were greeted by a sweet lady who sat us where we wanted. After several minutes the server came over with some water. He didn't seem super pleasant but after giving him my best hello, he greeted us and loosened up a bit....just a bit.
At the server's recommendation I ordered Legume (beefy vegetable stew) with the white rice and beans and sweet plantains. My friend had the Griot(fried pork) with white rice and beans and mixed veggies.
EVERYTHING WAS DELICIOUS! The legume was perfectly seasoned and went well with the rice. The beans were amazing too! You can tell the cooking was authentic Haitian Creole cuisine. I tasted the griot which was insane! The pork was crispy on the outside juicy inside and seasoned to perfection! It was topped with spicy pickled red onions similar to Jamaican escovitch. I was in heaven with each bite!
I did see Jamaican cuisine on the menu too which was a bit perplexing because you can tell the chef is Haitian. Stick to that good stuff! The wait for the food was long and the service could be friendlier but the food makes up for It! DELICIOUS