Camie’s Bakery & Restaurant

Lord ave mercy! My first time eating a dinner plate from here, and I ordered the Spicy Chicken with white rice and bean sauce. You ever hear the expression, «it tastes so good, it’ll make you wanna smack yo mama»?
Warning: IT IS DEFINITELY NOT FOR THE WEAK! (Spicy x10)

The lady taking the orders was very nice, however the food was subpar! The goat for one wasn’t cooked thoroughly and was to tough to chew. The fried pork (griot) had no flavor — just salt. The plantains were no crispy and seemed to be drowned in oil ! Not sure if this was because it was towards the end of the day but I was unimpressed!

Sweet baby Jesus… why in all these years of living in Watertown and gallivanting through Cambridge have I only just learned of this place?! As a Boston-​born-​Haitian, I thought I knew it all about the native spots… but, boy am I wrong (as I nervously wonder what else I might be missing). I was used to traveling all the way to Mattapan for my culture fixes, but after this random shot at Google, hoping to find some patties nearby, I found Camie’s! I had to call first to confirm… and even as I drove to the area I know so well, I was still in denial. No way I could have missed this! But apparently I have. I didn’t indulge in the meals, but the patties definitely hit the spot. The pastry shell is well-​seasoned and I tried the chicken, beef, and cod fish– all were GREAT!
Shame on you previous commenters for thinking you’d get «Jamaican patties» from a Haitian restaurant. Do your research… Haiti is French/​African (not English), so our cultures and cuisines are different. Equally delicious, but only if you understand the difference and don’t have any misguided expectations. Thanks Genevieve B. for the detailed schooling…

It was very good, the first Haitian food I’ve had since spending a few months in Haiti in 2008.
The guy running the register was from Port-​au-​Prince, and he was happy to speak Kréyol with me despite mine being embarrassingly rusty :)
I was so excited about sos pwa, fried goat and plantains that I completely forgot to order pikliz :(

Camie’s is great Haitian food! Considering I have high expectations and have been eating it all my life, they get my stamp of approval. A previous Unilocaler gave Camie’s a thumbs down based on an assumption that they’re meat patties were not like the ones she had previously in Jamaica or NY. If only she would have known that although Haiti and Jamaica are both in the Caribbean and quite close to each other, they’re cuisines are VERY different. Haitian meat patties focus more on the pastry than the filling because of the French influence in our cooking. She also mentioned that her stewed chicken wasn’t actually stewed and was hard, which she was probably correct in her analyzation. However, Haitians traditionally stew the chicken but the grand finale is to remove the chicken from the stew and fry it on its own. The gravy is then perfected and served to you with rice, along with the chicken separately. But you would have to be well versed in Haitian cuisine to know that! Anyway, take it from Haitian food connoisseur, give Cami’s a try!!!

Good food, friendly, got a thumbs-​up from our Haitian dinner companions. Quick fried options, but switch yourself to «island time» if you order an entrée (it can take a little while). Food itself feels homemade (in a good way), no strong flavors except for the spicy cabbage side, rice and beans are definitely the real thing and best when drenched in sauce. Salad was simple but fresh, and fresh-​friend plantains were crispy and satisfying. And very friendly service — merci!

I am seconding a previous recommendation of NOT eating the meat-​filled pastries. I have had beef patties in the Jamaica and NYC and these are just terrible. I could probably make better patties myself. In fact I will and then I will post here. Perhaps the restaurant will get a clue on how to make them!
The haitian vanilla cake was good. Only thing I would order again in fact. Even though it was just a basic vanilla cake with sugary vanilla frosting and layer of strawberry jam filling the middle. The stewed chicken was a disappointment. The chicken drumsticks were dry. Shouldn’t they be tender if ‘stewed’? The assortment of cookies was three oatmeal white chocolate chip cookies. Not assorted. The ginger bread was good… dry, but flavorful. The fried plantains were very dry. This was unfortunate as I was very much looking forward to eating them. The rice and beans came in a very large serving size, but they were just alright.

Great little neighborhood Haitian bakery/​café with hearty sandwiches and entrees for short money.
If you’re keeping an eye out for quality cheap eats, the car and the MBTA are not always your friends. While drivers focus on the road and buses retrace the same main-​drag routes, it’s only pedestrians who get off the beaten path to notice the kind of joints that quietly thrive on neighborhood trade. Camie’s Bakery, a Haitian bakery/​restaurant in a residential area roughly equidistant from Central, Kendall, and Inman squares, is one such slightly out-​of-​the-​way place. It only registered as a potential budget-​dining find as I happened by on foot, on my way to someplace else.
Order at the counter and grab one of 20 seats in the tidy, cavernous dining room. If you’re ravenous, get a patty ($ 1-​$ 2) to tide you over: these savory turnovers offer a bit of filling (spiced minced beef, chicken, cod, or smoked herring) surrounded by beautifully fresh, flaky pastry. Entrées are hearty stews and pan-​fried dishes with occasional flashes of spice. Stewed chicken ($ 5) features three meaty, crisp-​skinned, juicy drumsticks in a savory brown gravy topped with grilled peppers and onions. The generous plate of jumbo shrimp ($ 13) boasts a faintly spicy, tomato-​based Creole sauce, again topped with onions and peppers. Fried goat ($ 12) is gorgeous: nearly ebony chunks of mostly boneless goat meat pan-​fried crisp and topped with pikliz, a vinegary, capsicum-​flamed slaw of cabbage and carrots. These entrées include big plantain slices and hefty portions of either black-​bean-​flecked, seasoned rice, or white rice, onto which you pour a gravy boat of soupy, pureed black beans. There are also American subs and sandwiches like BLTs ($ 4) and cheese steaks ($ 5.50) on good house-​baked bread and rolls, but far more interesting are Haitian-​accented options like the fried-​pork sub ($ 5.50) topped with pikliz, cheese, mayo, and onions, featuring the kind of fatty, slightly spicy goodness that will have it in my morning-​after rotation.
Drink options include the AK 100 ($ 3), a cornmeal-​thickened milkshake with the flavor of a vanilla cookie; fresh ginger tea ($ 2); and canned coconut juice ($) with chunks of fresh coconut. The bakery case up front offers sweets both American and Haitian: standouts include bon bon sirop ($ 1.50), a dense, moist gingerbread; the flat, brown-​sugar-​dusted «plain pastry» ($ 1.50), like Haitian fried dough; and tablet noix ($ 2), a sweetly spiced fistful of cashew brittle. With its oversize portions and friendly service, Camie’s is a useful reminder that the best cheap-​eats deals are often found in neighborhood joints serving traditional cuisines, mostly to an immigrant audience. It’s one such place you’ll be glad to have ambled by.

Honestly, I was disappointed. I hoped Camie’s would be more generous with their meat portions (after reading some of the reviews), but essentially I wound up with 5 huge meals of rice and beans. For example, I ordered the jumbo shrimp dish and got three or four shrimp in a soup of sauce. I ordered take-​out, so perhaps that is what made the whole difference. However, I do not think I will be going to Camie’s again any time soon.

Big take out order for office lunch for 12, didn’t go so well. Some dishes were great (beef stew w/​legumes) and some were duds (fried goat was dry and stringy). Order wasn’t ready when we arrived, had to wait about 30 minutes longer.
My guess it they just weren’t ready for the size of the order, will probably try again.

The seven booths make for a charming ghost town and a small display case doubles as a bon bon spotlight and ordering counter.
An order of fried pork with rice+beans, maduros and spicy sauce ran $ 8.55 — add a spongy brick of banana coconut bread for an extra $ 2. Perfect fry on fatty pig chunks, only one deliciously smashed plaintain (the remaining space subsidized by… sweet potato slices?!) and a metric TON of rice and beans. The –airquotes– spicy sauce /​airquotes, perhaps a piri piri knock off, is a quarter cup of oil with little to no spice, which might work on juicy roasted chicken but the crispy pork didn’t fly. Cuz’ pigs don’t fly, see.
Her sweet bread shone! Big, squishy moist and totally addictive, I planted a spy cam above Camie’s oven because my friend bet me that I couldn’t. But I did, Gerald! I DID IT! Side benefit: I can now duplicate her desserts. Did I say «now»? I meant «not».
Love the charm and may come back for stewed goat or a pâté’ on-​the-​go. Just wished the entrée knocked my socks off. And my pants, because it’s Monday and Mondays are made for sexy dancing!

Delicious and reasonably priced food. The patties are so cheap and soooo good. And the staff are very nice.

This is the best Haitian restaurant that I have ever dined at. And I’m originally from New York, King of Caribbean food. Just happened to pass through with my study group and we decided to grab a bite. The patties are so amazing and the stewed goat! I could be speechless but I have to tell you, I am a huge fan of the fish patties, the banana coconut bread, fried plantain and their rice and beans. One of my friends had the fried Red Snapper! UMMMMM UM!!! Yummy!
I personally, nor anyone I know, would ever believe a word that Qwertyuiop Q. reviews about this restaurant. For one thing this person mentions that his/​her aunt «worked» there. Past tense. Wonder why she’s no longer there? While the appearance is very humble, it looks like your very average take-​out place, but very clean and neat. The staff are so well-​mannered, humble and sweet. They really appreciated that my friends and I enjoyed the food. Needless to say I am a huge fan and highly recommend this restaurant. The food is great and the service is outstanding! OH, yes and if paying with a credit card please do tip the waitress cash! :-) Thank God we had some on us!

Very good and authentic Haitian food. Freshly prepared and worth the wait. I had the stewed goat, rice and bean sauce.
I will certainly be back!!!

The texture of their zucchini, carrot and coconut breads would make my Tempurpedic jealous. They are served in thick slabs, deliciously moist, a tad bit sweet and delicious when popped into the toaster oven with butter. Didn’t try anything else, but I could stick to those three and I’d be set with breakfasts for eternity. Also, the lady that works there is the sweetest. It was evident when I was trying to tell her to read their reviews that she spoke very little English but the more I talked, the more she smiled, so in essence I think we understood each other perfectly.

If you want some Haitian/​Caribbean food, Camie’s is a good place to go. For a good price, you can get a heaping plate of flavorful chicken, rice and beans and other Haitian fare. I would NOT eat their pâté though (meat-​filled) pastry. Don’t say I did not warn you.