Tropicana Eatery

As a Haitian from NYC I had low expectations, but this place definitely surpassed them! I LOVED the brown stew chicken. I only wished they had an option JUST for the stew chicken so that I could only have that. They do however, have an ‘JERK CHICKEN’ only option.
I ordered an oxtail and stew chicken since I couldn’t decide between them so I ordered both. The oxtail left a lot to be desired. They weren’t as meaty and flavorful as the ones Ive had in NYC. Nor were they plentiful. But the stew chicken definitely made up for it. Sweet and tangy flavor!

I’ve been here a couple of times. I only eat the chicken Patties. This is a great spot for Caribbean food. This eatery is always clean and the food is always fresh, and they are always willing to cook something extra if they don’t have it already available. The employees are always nice when they greet you. They also have a sitting area to eat and a Television to watch while you are waiting for your food.

Oh my goodness. so I read Joseph’s review and decided to just try it. I do not regret it at all. Best Jamaican I’ve ever had. Tried to beef Patty, JERK Chicken with rice and peas and plantain, also had curry chicken. bought my boyfriend goat roti. will see what he thinks when he gets it. Don’t regret it. Apparently all the other spots I’ve experience weren’t authentic if they didn’t have Jerk sauce offered separately… this spot is a must!

Tropicana is a great value and so good!
Pros:
1. I love the brown stew chicken, it is absolutely delicious! This is one of my favorite meals.
2. The portion size is very big. A large can feed you for 2 meals.
3. The price is very reasonable.
4. The jerk chicken is sooooooo spicy and well seasoned.
Cons:
1. Sometimes they don’t pick up their phone when you call them.
2. I am not always greeted when I get there.

Been here a couple times for lunch during work. Pretty good place. Not the cleanest, but hey no Jamaican restaurant that is good is… I usually get jerk chicken and a Patty. The prices are pretty good. I spend about $ 10 and I am stuffed, and that’s saying something. (I eat a lot). Not the best Jamaican place, but one of the only in the area. I will be going back.

Very disappointed. I walked in by myself today (without my husband) and received very poor treatment. First, no acknowledgement whatsoever. I asked this guy who was pouring out the rice if he is going to take my order, he said no, I am busy. Then, they bring out this teenager who was busy on his phone, telling him to get the order. I asked if ox tails were done. He looked at the other guy and the other guy said, no, it will be another 15min. Their attitude was HORRIABLE. They were not the folks we saw before. I will not come back with that type of customer svc. There are many other jamaican joints in the dc area. Wake up, owner!

I absolutely love the food here. This is the only Caribbean spot to get food from in the Metro DC area. The portion sizes are amazing for the price. I really love the oxtails, and the curry chicken. The Coco bread is amazing. Please make sure to pick up either the beef or chicken patties when you get some food from here. The jerk chicken is really good but it is too spicy for my taste. It is one of their best selling food entrees though. In my opinion there is no other spot for Caribbean food that competes with this one.

I really enjoyed the oxtail and the curry goat. Unlike some others who posted, I found the staff very friendly. I might suggest that maybe they didn’t get the friendliest of service because the customer did something like wait to get to the front of the line before they thought about what they wanted to order. That type of behavior, especially on at a busy time, would annoy anyone. I would definitely go back!

Oh yea! I was looking for something quick near my house and came across this place on Unilocal.I ordered the oxtails, a jerk chicken sandwich, and a side of plantains. Everything was GOOD! The sandwich of of course was spicy but was so good with the fresh coco bread. Yum. My favorite, oxtails, were tender and flavorful. It just needed more of the gravy for my rice. Next time, I’ll know to ask. The plantains were good but tasted like they were cooked in old oil. I could tell but they were still pretty tasty and sweet the way I like. Will definitely go back to try the curry goat, which they were out of at this visit :(

Would have given this place a higher review but how do you not have food left when you still have 30 minutes to be open!!! This is my second time here and had similar experiences. Not a good look at all and not to mention I’m not from the DC area but love Jamaican food.

Good food, friendly staff. Try the country chicken w/​extra gravy! The coco bread is so good.

The people are nice, the food is tastey, and the menu has the basic crowd pleasers. One thing I didn’t enjoy too much was the fact that the ox tails didn’t have the thick flavorful gravy I’m use to having in other places. To me the gravy was runny almost like a soup than a stew. The service is like cafeteria style but many items on the menu were configured as platters than a le carte. Overall, this place intrigues me to come back and try something else, just not right away.

I’ve had pretty bad experiences at this restaurant. They are rude, extremely unfriendly, and the food is just subpar (which I could have put up with if they had ok service).
Why do caribbean restaurants have the worst service? ??

Food has always been good every time we’ve been here BUT if you come a little late you their options are more limited because they sell out throughout the day. I’ve never been denied of any order but they did have to make sure they had enough before we paid for our order. Today I had a large oxtail which was very tender and flavorful. The rice and cabbage was very tasty. We asked for a side of jerk sauce cause it’s a nice spicy kick. The sauce is delicious on anything! Unfortunately I get out of work at seven so when I do come for dinner it tends to be kinda late. People seem nice; food is good. Next I’ll try some Jamaican drinks.

Ok ok… in the spirit of giving second chances annnnd I was too lazy to drive any further out, I gave Tropicana another go and they did IRIEEE! LOL
THIS time, they did NOT suck. Everything I asked for, they actually had…‘magine dat. Curry was great, the oxtails were all finger licky and what not. And since they finally had the durn beef patties available this time, after tasting them, I can honestly say they’re EASILY my favorite in the area. Super stuffed, not all air and crust. Spicy, but not painfully. Chewy… just all around good.
And as always, a lil slow but SO nice, so Im letting them outta the bombaclat doghouse, lol… Way to redeem yourself!
⁴⁄₅ tummy rubs!

Décor/​ambiance is sparse/​non existent.
GREAT beef patty though (Like really, really good)
Cocoa bread was pretty good too and staff is nice. Prices are fair if not a bit on the high end for the entrees.
3.5 stars for now.

Aye, mon! Dis be a damn good place to be quenching dat thirst for some Caribbean mojo if you got that voice from your stomach telling your mind to go get some. Just tink about it; Jerk Chicken, Oxtail, Curried Goat, Rice and Beans, Plantains, … me mout water when I day dream about it. So what do I do? I come here to Tropicana!
Myself, I am always a fan boy of oxtail and curried goat. The oxtail is braised long and slow to break down all that ooey-​gooey gelatin and to get that meat to fall off the bone. Sometimes, I get lucky to get a piece that has marrow in it. The ox is rich and deep with that earthy beef flavor which is perfectly seasoned. If you enjoy tendon and broken down connective tissue along with your meat, then this is absolutely perfect for you.
The curry goat is deliciously gamey and flagrant. Very bold flavors upfront from the curry with lingering notes of goat at the finish. The pieces of goat served here are slightly bigger than most places, which is a huge plus. This is a must try if you enjoy bold flavors with a subtle kick.

I’ve found deliverance in this place. I’ve lived in the DMV for 8 months now and I’ve searched far and wide for a Jamaican spot to ease my cravings now and again and by George, I think I’ve found it.
Just this week I’ve eaten there 3 times, which is unheard off for me. I’ve had the jerk chicken, oxtail and the curry goat and some of my husband’s red peas soup. The soup tastes like home! The portions are huge and the customer service is top notch. They’re like family! Had an immediate connection with the guys working. We chat patois and laughed. Plus, they offer samples.
Please check this place out. Food is good. Service is great.

UM YES. YES AND YESSS! I have tried about a handful of Jamaican eateries in the college park/​MD area… and this is by far — THE BEST i’ve had. Generous portions, great reasonable prices and FLAVORFUL, traditional dishes!
I stumbled upon this place last Friday – located in a small shopping center off of Columbia Pike. It was pretty late so they were closing in 5 minutes when I walked in… i really had to try this place though-​so i took the chance (i know how ppl hate it when someone walks in 4 minutes before they close). I ordered to go — small ox tail, small jerk chicken and coco bread. DONE. Served in a tin foil container, FRESH, hot, soft coco bread in a brown paper bag — all for under $ 15.
It was torture having that aroma of flavor invade the inside of my car as i drove home.
Considering, that the food they gave me was the «last batch»…it is far from it. THE Jerk chicken was packed with spices and flavor… and the spice definitely bites you later — kind of like a late reaction to something funny. You know it’s Jamaican food, and you know it’s going to be spicy but it doesn’t hit you until later. Compared to the Jamaican Jerk i’ve had before, Tropicana’s is VERY FRESH, tender and so juicy! I know spices tend to «dry-​out» meat a lot. But Tropicana must know some sort of secret to have their jerk chicken be so tender and juicy… but still TASTE all those spices. PUNCHED IN THE FACE — K.O. It was delicious.
Ox Tail is my favorite though. The meat itself was fall of the bone freaking good. The sauce was very spicy which was a good top off to the meat that was very well cooked!
The order came with the rice and beans along with a cabbage stir fry. I ate the cabbage more than the rice. The cabbage and coco bread was the perfect paring to cool my mouth off as I «Man vs. Food» the small tin foil of all this GOODNESS.
I will be back Tropicana Eatery — i have to try the goat!
Definitely one of the BEST finds from this year :)

Environment: Place is clean and quiet. Yes, you can eat in there. Plenty of convenient parking.
Service: when we arrived and walked towards the front, there were 2 workers just standing there. We didn’t get a «hello» or «how can I help you» she just stood there and waited until I said something. You get your food right away (food is prepared buffet style) no longer than 5 minutes I was already out the door.
Food: This place is definitely a bang for your buck. When you pick large, the portion is HUGE (this meal can be for two). I had a large jerk chicken and it came with rice/​black beans and cabbage all for $ 10! The chicken is spicy and flavorful. The coco bread is bigger than Negril.
If you can get passed the non-​smiling-​unwelcome workers, this place serves great food and is worth checking out!