Caribbean Palace

*This is not a sit-​down restaurant*
This is a hidden gem where you get a delicious double and/​or roti fix (*cash-​only*) and leave.
Doubles: delicious chickpeas smashed between two flatbreads that would remind you of tortillas if they were fluffy. There’s a light sauce that truly enhances the flavor, but you can ask for the tamarind if you’d like. Personally, I think it’s perfect dipped in plain yogurt.
These alone are enough to give this place a visit.
I’m giving 5stars based on the food. This is by no means a fancy date place. The food is amazing and the employees are very sweet. Don’t be a brat, that’s all you need.
You’re welcome: P

Thought I would try this place but the young girl at the front was to busy on her cell phone. Also I had to tell her I was a customer and she should acknowledge my presence as a customer. She was not knowledgable at all so I decided to leave. It’s sad when you want to support black business but when you have no customer service abilities then I CANT.

I am a first generation American of Trinidadian descent, and finding delicious authentic Trinidadian style roti is almost impossible. Except here! The first bite I took tasted just like the roti mummy grandmother used to make. All the textures and flavors and smells are perfect. Also the doubles are to die for!
While the place doesn’t have real indoor dining, it gets ⁵⁄₅ because they do this cuisine better than anywhere else I’ve ever tried it. When my Trinidadian relatives visit, this is where we buy from, and they all agree that it’s delicious and authentic.
Also-​they have goat as an option! Hard to find on many menus, but not here. Love this place!

Let me first say that I am Trinidadian and I know what our food is supposed to taste like. For my birthday, I decided that I wanted to give this place a try. We live about 45 minutes away, so it was quite a trek.
Upon entering the establishment, I noticed that they had a mini bakery area with kruma and currants rolls; currants rolls are undoubtedly my favorite Trinidadian dessert/​pastry, but theirs just didn’t look right, the dough looked under-​cooked. Disappointing.
We ordered: curry chicken roti, shrimp roti, curry goat roti, a double, and a serving of pholourie. I also wanted an aloo pie, but the cashier told me they didn’t have anymore. That told me that they weren’t freshly made. I mean, honestly, aloo pie should be made to order to avoid over-​saturation of the oil into the fried dough. I also was looking forward to coming here because I was craving a Shandy beer, which I am accustomed to purchasing from Trini restaurants. I asked the cashier if they had any (she clearly wasn’t Trini because she didn’t know what I was talking about), I described the beverage to her, and she tells me they’ve never served that before.
The roti filling was bland; it lacked flavor and spice. I also want to add the fact that you’d received more roti skin than the actual filling, and that is not the way roti is supposed to be. The double had a dry channa filling, with very little seasoning as well. The pholourie was good, however, the chutney dipping sauce was too runny. It is supposed to be a thicker consistency so that when the balls are dipped, the sauce covers it.
Overall, this very well may be the best spot for roti in the DMV, but that isn’t saying very much at all. In comparison to places scattered across Florida, this certainly falls short. Perhaps my expectations were too high!

I pass this place a lot from work and thought I would stop this evening. I was especially in the mood for some Caribbean food. I was surprised and happy to hear that they sell curried goat. I specifically asked if it was goat particularly because they advertise their food as Caribbean. These people are damn crooks! How can you be advertising lamb meet as goat meat!!!
And to make matter worse, it tasted like crap. They will not be seeing me again. It’s possible the worse tasting food I have ever had.

Pretty good overall. Definitely not an inviting atmosphere but the staff was sweet. My party ordered all roti– literally tried one of each. They were fine. I’d say the only one I would order again would be the boneless chicken. Think chicken breasts sliced in roti. Salt fish was ok. Veggie good. Beef good. Shrimp not great.

I ordered the oxtails. It was accompanied with peas and rice and cabbage. I would love for the oxtails to be seasoned a little more. The rice and cabbage were very good. I tried the plantains that were delicious. Crunchy outside soft center. I would try this restaurant again.

Big up! I traveled all the way from Arlington VA to take in some Trini food! In Brooklyn, these places are a dime a dozen. In the southern state you have to drive mile for it. With that said, if I come to your establishment, you better believe I m going to review you. I recommend this place! It’s cash only. Most places with good food are. I was recommended to this place by a police office at my job. I ordered 3 roti. Two chicken and one shrimp. It was absolutely delicious. No I didn’t eat all of them myself. I didn’t like the trini soda. I m going back for the one of the dishes with the trini fried rice. Good spot!

The food… is amazing. Ok. Maybe not as good as the roti in NYC .but it’s as good as you will ever get here in Maryland. I enjoy coming back here for their Roti or phoulouris. I can also order a huge batch at the drop of a hat and they always have what I need. The only down side is that they take cash only. Cash is not convenient at all — but the food is worth the inconvenience of making a trip to the ATM before.

I had the shrimp roti and it was delicious! I also ordered their special of the day which was the stew chicken with rice and red beans, alongside spinach and plantains. The stew chicken was really good also but I wish they gave a larger portion of plantains. They only take cash that is a bit inconveniencing. Overall I would definitely go back!

I ordered the goat roti and was not impressed. The best thing was the tamarind sauce. I loved that. Maybe next time I’ll try a different type of roti.

A girlfriend and I recently visited this establishment to get a roti. Just a little background on myself, my friend and this place: I am originally from Trinidad. My friend is of East Indian descent and I’ve also taken her to Trinidad with me many times. Like me, she is a foodie and knows roti well. My family has supported this business for several years, often making large orders of roti skins for special holidays. Though management has changed over the years and the quality and taste of the food has diminished over the years, we’ve still supported this Trinidadian owned business.
Let’s just say that was my last visit and I hope you wouldn’t bother to waste your time with this place. Go 15 mins up the street to Teddy’s Roti shop on GA avenue.
First, when we walked in, there was loud rap music playing. A. It’s around Christmas time, so where is the soca parang in this «Trini» place? B. Ok, you don’t only have to listen to Trini music but does it have to be so loud that I can’t hear my thoughts? And C. Whatever music you decide to play in your place of business is your choice but when the language is borderline offensive, you may want to reconsider.
We proceeded to order 2 boneless chicken rotis when it was our turn. The girl taking our order was so disconnected that we weren’t even sure she heard our order. But we stepped back and gave her an opportunity to deal with previous customers. The customer before us ordered a boneless roti as well but ironically, they ran out of boneless meat right after that. The service girl said nonchalantly «we don’t have anymore boneless rotis». Instead of offering us something else to get our business she just gave us a blank stare until we decided to take rotis with bone.
Then all of a sudden, the music begins to skip and someone in the back changed it to a rap song that had cursing in it. PLEASE NOTE: I didn’t mention this earlier, but I also had my 2 year old daughter with me. My eyes grew wide and when I got the chance, I said loudly and clearly (since the music was still very loud) but politely «can you please play some more appropriate music? There is a small child in here». The girl taking the orders blatantly ignored my request and didn’t even make eye contact with me (but that attitude on her face couldn’t be missed). I guess maybe someone in the back heard my request but the song eventually ended and music from a radio station proceeded to play. When the volume came down to a decent level, I said to the girl again in a polite tone, «excuse me, did you happen to hear what I asked you earlier?» Without lifting her eyes from the paper she was writing on she said with the nastiest attitude, «yes I did. I’m busy right now and the music is not important». «Oh really» I said appalled (and under my breath). So I stepped back and said to myself that I was not going to act a fool in front of my child and I was still going to give them my business. At this point, my friend was even saying «you’re better than me. I would just leave.»
When we got our food, my friend asked if there was pepper on it as we requested. Annoyed the girl said no and pointed to a sign that said that pepper cost extra. I then asked very nicely if I can have an extra bag to separate our food. I also asked if I could have her name. Now this was when the REAL beast came out. She looked at me with a side eye and said the craziest thing I’ve ever heard from someone who was supposed to be serving me: she said «what you want my name for? Because the music? I’m not giving you my name». I cut her off while she mumbled something else and said «you can just say no and leave it at that». She said «well you should’ve never brought your child in here!» She still said some other things under her breath but I had just about had it with her nastiness and I said very sarcastically over her «Oh! Well thank you, you’ve been very kind today». Again, she tried to say more but we ignored her and walked out shocked out our minds at this crazy customer service.
We got to our respective homes and had the roti. My friend said her split peas (found in the roti skin) tasted «stale» when she ate it by itself. My roti, though it tasted just ok altogether, had several BITS OF BONE all throughout. I was scared to give any to my daughter in fear of her choking or chipping her little teeth trying to chew through it. Overall taste: not great.
Lastly, I said I need to tell the manager about this experience before he loses more customers. I called a couple days later and spoke with a man. He wasn’t the most pleasant sounding person, but thankfully he wasn’t rude like his employee. He heard me out repeating «I understand your concern» but that was pretty much it. There was no assurance that the issue would be resolved or no apology for the experience we had. I wasn’t expecting much, only to be heard and to let him know that I was going to let you guys know about this crazy experience.
The choice is now yours.

This unassuming carry out is well worth the hike. And boasts, in my opinion, some of the best roti in the DMV.
Don’t expect much in the way of ambiance, aside from a floral curtain and a photo of Obama, there is no décor. Food is made away from the eye behind a pane of drywall. And unless you get there early in the day, you’ll probably miss out on some of the more popular items, boneless chicken and doubles.
This is a family-​run joint so you’ll most likely be waited on by either the mother or very friendly daughter. My go-​to is the goat roti and doubles with extra tamarind sauce.
Don’t expect to dine-​in, there’s no seating and make sure to bring cash, this place is cash only.

The first time I ate here I purchased the Roti Chicken. Didn’t really like it, it was a little dry. But I gave it another chance and purchased the Roti shrimp. Sooo good. Still a tad bit dry but super delicious.

This was my first time and I was very impressed by how nice they were. I also met the owner and he was really nice too. I got the double which was very delicious. If I lived close by I’d be here every week!
Zig Zag the Magic Man

How hard is it to listen to me when I order? The one specific thing I asked for was just roti skins and not Dahl puri in the roti. This has happened twice already. I drove 30 minutes there and back and of course I have to eat this at home and open the bag and it’s not what I ordered.
Stewed chicken contained 5 bony knobs of chicken. Not worth $ 9.
I’m just going to make my own roti from now on.
My wife liked her vegetate roti so they got an extra star.

As a Trini woman, I was excited to find a place that sold roti, but I ended up feeling disappointed.
For most Americans hoping to find good «ethnic food,» you’ll honestly probably enjoy it. The variety is okay and it doesn’t taste bad.
However, as someone who grew up eating this, I was disappointed. I know how good it can taste, and that did NOT meet my expectations. The sauce for the pholouri left much to be desired and the goat roti wasn’t as good as I’m used to.
Also, the lady was rather curt with me and I had to pay with cash.

Pro: Excellent goat roti and doubles. The goat is flavorful, few bones, curry is not too spicy. Doubles are my go to, I buy a few and freeze them for later. Get the tamarind pepper on the side.
Con: No debit or credit, cash only. No seating.
I will fight the traffic to dine here! A taste of home away from home!

So let me preface this review by stating that I bought into the hype and was expecting a knock you out your socks type of food experience. I was disappointed. Me and my eating partner purposely got way too much food to try to get an accurate sampling of what CP had to offer. So we got:
Doubles — pretty decent flavor on the chana, sloppy to eat.
Cocoa Bread — had a previously frozen aftertaste, big nono.
Beef Patty — different take: mushier contents, less flaky crust than I’m used to, but pretty good and spicy flavor. Best thing they had to offer that I tried, in my opinion.
Boneless chicken Roti — basically a curry chicken and potato burrito. Not bad but not great.
Goat Roti — OK flavor and texture on the goat. A bit gamier than Caribbean goat I’ve had elsewhere. Doesn’t seem very well thought out to have bones in a wrap-​style food though. Picking out the bones transformed the goat roti, or goati as I like to call it, from a portable hand-​held edible into a knife and fork, hunt and pick dish.
crispy dessert things (forgot the name) — not bad, hint of rosewater and cardamom, but I was done with it after eating a couple.
Pineapple Ginger drink — gingery, refreshing, and delicious
Plantains — didn’t get to try because they ran out. How do you run out of plantains?!
A lot of these were at the suggestion of the nice and very helpful young woman behind the counter. She helped to aid our decisions so we could get a good, representative sampling. She alone earned this review an extra star, keeping it from the doldrums of the 1s and 2s.
Bottom line: It was worth a try, but don’t believe the hype. I wouldn’t go back.
A couple things to take into consideration if you’re going to try it: there is literally no seating, so basically a take-​out only joint. And it’s cash only.

I title my review…“Should my Roti Goati Be THIS Crummy?”
First of all let me say that as a woman of Caribbean ancestry I am disappointed. I was expecting to not wait for a really long time and surprise, surprise! I DID!
C’mon Jamaicans, Trini, & Haitians… We have GOT to do better!!!
Lets start off with the Ugly…
I get to the Caribbean Palace…“What you want?” umm…“o hey HELLO! Im doing great too.” Thanks for asking, Trini lady-​who-​hates-​her-​job lol.
PAUSE that manners lesson for a news-​break
***THEY DONT TAKE CREDIT OR DEBIT CARDS***
Ok so I go out to the ATM and withdraw my precious funds, yes they’ve missed being hit with the what? 2.5% transaction fee Visa charges merchants… but somewhere in Credit Card Hell my bank and Citi Bank are rolling over in their graves, dancing with my $ 5 ATM Bank fee. Thanks CP!
We now bring you back to the topic at hand.
Come back with $ 20 ($ 5 psuedo) in hand… I tell the Man behind the counter, I would like a goat roti please! Ok. So I wait… and wait… and wait. Alright since I know Im an impatient person I go next door to snack on some french fries. Yes at the pizza place. Takes them all but 3 minutes to get my fries.
I go back and wait… and wait some more. 10 minutes go by. I inquire «is my goat roti ready?»
Why yes its been sitting on counter but she cant ring me up because she is waiting for the register to relinquish an pending order. Ok. So how long have you guys been doing this? A goat roti is $ 10 bucks… plus 6% tax… thats 10.60. I do the math drop off the cash plus a dime tip (lol) and grab my roti. DEUCES
Open up and its a crummy, boney mess! Ive actually never had a roti before. So Im not quite sure if the roti should be crumbly? But Im guessing it shouldnt be. The curry goat has a bone in it and seriously needs some salt! is that how it should be too? IDK I cant say but it doesnt seem right. Someone back me up?
All I know is. Im gonna take my ten bucks elsewhere and get speedy friendly service.
PS CP We dont care that Obama ate one of your trashy goat rotis its STILL crummy!