Mar’s Caribbean Gardens

One of the di belizean restaurants evah! Great customer service. Clean bathroom. Food seasoned good. Nice music. Love this place

Great service & friendly staff. I can’t wait to try SUNDAY brunch. I’ve shared my photo and experience with my friends and family they can’t wait to try it!

Having a rough day… Drop in at Mars Caribbean Gardens… Get the personal attention to sit and relax have a nice sample appetizer with an incredible Mango Margarita or Panty Rippa drink (cocunut cocktail) Drinks are so good and made to your liking…
You can Follow your drink by indulging with a great and delicious lunch or dinner meals… all meals are made in house and are hot and made to perfection and the portions are large servings made to appease anyones appetite…
The desserts are fresh and definitely seals the deal for a nice outing… Rum and Raisin ice cream for one… I just love to come be heavenly pampered with all of Belize homemade dishes… Thank you Mars Caribbean Gardens… Friends and family don’t miss out on this great venue… even the music is good to the ear… just a nice and Happy Place…

Great family spot with great food. Nice local spot. The atmosphere is cool and the staff are friendly.

I usually drive to San Diego for Caribbean food. I passed a coworker in the hallway and heard him say Carribbean food. Wrote the address down and planned to go for two weeks. Yesterday I went. Seen the sign saying food from Belize so was skeptical. Walked in, great customer service and excellent music. The music alone put me at ease like I was back Northeast. When the waitress bought that oxtail to my table and that steam and aroma hit my nose, my stomach roared like the dragons in «Game of Thrones.» First bite had me thinking I was back in Montego Bay (Mo’ Bay) for real. Made sure I ordered another oxtail meal to go. Made sure I left a nice tip because I definitely will be back every chance I get to roll to Los Angeles. I drove back to Oxnard full, I.T.I.S. was on fleak, traffic was to the max and I listened to my Ice Cube while I drive slow and smiled and gave thumbs up to those folks yelling and giving me the middle finger because I was on cloud nine driving slow. EXCELLENT FOOD!!!

Been there with my family. Very friendly staff. Cheerful atmosphere. I ordered Stew Chicken. It was delicious. Bread pudding was a superb dessert. Love that place.

Came here for some good Belizean food. Was not disappointed!
The food: I had the stewed oxtail with rice and beans. Also comes with fried plantains and potato salad. Generous portion. The oxtail was tender and flavorful. Also started with the appetizer sampler, all tasty.
The service: A little slow, but very friendly and attentive. There was a mixup where we had to ask for hot sauce a few times and I got up to the next table and got it myself. Not a huge deal. We didn’t complain, but on their own they offered us free dessert for the trouble. Very generous!
The ambience: Clean, well decorated. Good reggae music playing. TV screen playing Scenes from Belize.
The price: decently priced. About 15 bucks for a plate.
Definitely will come back!

Im not Belizean but I’ve been coming to this place for a few months now. Im here just about every Sunday for their Stew Chicken or Stew Beef plates. I really love the food here. Most of all I love the atmosphere and the customers who come in. I love the way they speak… I feel like im in Belize when I hear them talk.
Like I said the stew beef and chicken plates are my favorite. The meat is tender and very flavorful. At Mar’s they put alot of love and passion into what they do. This is why I keep coming back. Im new to Caribbean food but so far it is my favorite cuisine.
I highly recommend this place. You won’t be disappointed.

First time ever eating Caribbean food and I would say I’m not extremely amazed. I got the Jerk Chicken, hubby got the shrimp curry and we got some meat pies. I really like the meat pies especially with the hot sause. However, I wish they could have been fresh. I loved their chips and salsa since it was from scratch. My plate was ok the chicken was a little tough but overall the dish was a 6.5÷10. My server was ok she didn’t seemed to have much conversation with us however when the Spanish speaking people behind us came in she was all laughs and giggles. The manager however was more friendly. Oh they were playing music, I absolutely loved it. I wanted to get out of my chair and start dancing.
Pt.2 I had to come back and add to the review. The day after eating this it gave me a tummy ache and of course when I say tummy ache I mean one day of constipation and one day of full blow diahreah. I am not sure what the issue was, but I think it was the chicken. Unfortunately I had to take a star away.

Love this place, great food. I have been here several times and this is my first review. I know, what took me so long???
I usually order the oxtail, so tender, juicy and always fresh. This time I got the pig tail. It is a Huge portion with a very large side of coconut rice and like two strips of plantin. Also served with a side salad, I choose potato salad. The pork was super soft, the beans were great. Only complaint is that it was a little salty. Ok, a lot salty. Also the potato salad was really plain. Needs a little more flavor.
Now our server! Obviously family because man she was getting my nerves! Served me food and never gave me utensils. My food got cold waiting for her. Never came back to check on us. It’s a small place and I had to flag down someone else to get the check. She kept ignoring our table. It took her 15 mins to come back and bring me my card. Then she made no eye contact, didn’t say thank you… she was very dismissive and is not made for food service. Next time I will just buy my food and go. I still love this place though and will come back again.

Mars was a great place to go for a home sick Belizean. The ambiance was nice and the service was on point. At our table we got the jerk chicken, stew fish, tamales, stew beans, with coconut rice and for dessert key lime pie and coconut tarts. The jerk chicken was great, the stew fish was AMAZING and the tamales was meh. Everything had so much flavor except for the tamales. The masa wasnt seasoned well and it didn’t have enough stuff in it compared to what I’m used to getting on the streets on Belize. The Key Lime pie tasted like a slice of home (I wish i ordered a second to take home with me). The coconut tarts however was a bit on the dry side. The tamales and the coconut tart are the only reason I’m not giving this place 5 stars. All in all, this was a great place to get some «home cooked» food.

I absolutely LOVE this place the people are SUPER friendly and the food is so tasty I always get the jerk chicken rice and peas and cabbage salad (I love the cabbage salad) my cousin gets the curry chicken and she loves it this is a definite go to place for your Caribbean cravings I would recommend this place to any and everyone

The host was awesome, warm environment. And the food was absolutely delicious., jerk chicken is a must try, just the right amount of spice and heat. Home made lemonade is bomb! finally real lemonade.

Here for lunch for the boos bday… for starters.
Okay so far… upon walking in, greeted and served chips and salsa…
Food is great, Jerk chicken though HOT (can i get 3 cups of cold water with ice) :)
Hubby got oxtails, said its gooood glad it isn’t spicy as the jerk. I got. (But he eating it)
Wing sweet and tangy crispy, fresh and yummm, sampler was also delicious. didnt like the Fish Empanada/​or fish tortilla
I didn’t like the coleslaw so much., we will be back
Darn! I forgot to get my 15%off, when you check in on Unilocal.
Bill was $ 52.86, Dropped a $ 60 and left full. thanks Again.

Oh how I love this place! I’ve been coming here for awhile now and the people are so nice especially Marie and the food is very yummy!!! I’ve tried the oxtails before which are good but my «go to» item is the stewed beef. The beef is so good and fork tender. The entrée comes with rice and beans, potato salad and plantains. I always ask for a side of onion sauce (which is spicy) I love spicy food and it taste so good I just dump the whole thing on my rice and beans lol I’ll definitely continue to come back and enjoy the great food and service!

Yes! One of my favorite places to eat!
Friendly staff, nice atmosphere!
Every time I go I have to start with the Sampler Plate which comes with a Crispy Panades, a Crunchy Garnaches, a Crispy Salbutes, and a Crunchy Tostada. I get the Stew Beef Oxtail and the Fry Jacks are a must have! I love their Belizian Potato Salad.
They also have live entertainment. We usually always go in the afternoon so we get the Belizean Festival videos playing on the TV with the reggae music playing on the speakers!
I highly recommend Mars Caribbean Gardens.

On my fourth foodie adventure w/​Jenn & Steve, we decided to mix it up a bit and invite Ryan P. Mar’s is on Crenshaw near Rosecrans in Gardena, and offers Belizean cuisine.
The specialty of the house is oxtail stew, so Jenn and I ordered it ($ 14.50). It comes w/​rice and beans (either mixed or separate), plantains, and potato salad. Ryan ordered a quesadilla & tacos ($ 8.99 & $ 7.99 — no pic), and Steve ordered the special of the day, conch soup ($ 17.95). For a starter, I ordered chicken wings to share ($ 8.99÷6 wings).
The wings were a so-​so way to start the meal. They were too wet in the ketchupy kinda sauce. I would have preferred them crispy and tossed in the Kelly’s hot sauce provided as a condiment. Nonetheless, the wings were meaty: 3 Stars. On the other hand, the oxtail stew was excellent. They must have been simmered for hours in the spices, because the meat was super tender and bursting w/​flavor: 5 Stars. Steve let me try the conch, and it was super tender and the mildness of the conch balanced well w/​the broth of the soup: 5 Stars. Lastly, I tried one of Ryan’s tacos and it was just OK, nothing special: 3 Stars.
Regarding the ambiance, it was outstanding. The décor makes you feel as though you are in the Caribbean, and the reggae music cinches the feeling: 5 Stars. Likewise, the owners and employees are super nice and make you feel as though you are in the owners’ home: 5 Stars.
I’d stay away from the wings and the Mexican-​type food here. However, the true Caribbean dishes we tried were excellent. In addition, Mar’s also offers meat prepared jerk style and w/​curry. Lastly, they have homemade desserts and ice cream w/​unique Caribbean flavors. I will definitely be back to have a full serving of the conch soup!

It’s Jamaica Mann!
I don’t think I have met anyone that dislikes the CARIBBEAN. When you think of the CARIBBEAN most think of the sandy beaches, and clear waters, the YUMMY food and FRIENDLY peeps.
The parking is a bit tight and limited so I would come early or take a late lunch or dinner. This place has a couple of those things I listed. Sorry this may be SoCal but there were no sandy beaches or clear waters here. LOGISTICS. They did try to bring that feel of relaxed CARIBBEAN atmosphere inside with the relaxed décor, music, and 2 TV’s that showcased CARIBBEAN shows and actors. So that was PRETTY COOL! You walk in and you feel TOTALLY relaxed!
The restaurant is open so as soon as I walked in the turned the corner I saw my Unilocal peeps I was meeting up with. I was greeted as soon as I walked in with a warm hello with was NICE! I took a seat and there was already a menu waiting for me. I LOVE being able to meet up with fellow Unilocalers to get my grub on. There was already some chips and dip waiting on the table as I arrived and the salsa was YUMMY!
We all checked out the menu while we waited for one more fellow Unilocaler. Joe ordered some chicken wings which I thought would burn out my taste buds but there were more sweet than spicy! Yeah me! Our last Unilocaler showed up just before we were about to order, which was PREFECT timing. Sad to say I was said tracked by the quesadillas and only order the orange tacos as my part of my CARIBBEAN meal. They were DELISH! NOT as all spicy which I thought all Caribbean food was. So I was pleasantly surprised.
My cohorts ordered the famous oxtail with beans and rice and a side of potato salad. And one person ordered the conch soup which was a GI-​NORMOUS bowl with a HUGE plate of RICE! EVERYONE LOVED EVERYTHING! I got to taste the oxtail and conch and both were BOMB-​A-​LICIOUS! The Oxtail was TENDER and melted in my mouth! NOT fatty at all. SOOO GOOD! The conch soup had HUGE PIECES of conch in it and it was REALLY flavorful. It was my first time trying both the oxtail and conch and I ENJOYED them both! I will FO-​SHO be back to try some oxtail and conch. Someone asked for a side of habanero pepper onions in vinegar I think is was. OMG I can still smell and taste the HEAT! It was NO JOKE so if you like HOT this is FOR YOU! I thought I would be pooping HOT SPICES for a week but thankfully that didn’t happen! I didn’t even have that much but when I tell you I ALMOST died. BELIEVE ME!
They also have some standard burgers and fries so if you have peeps in your party that are not that adventurous there is something for them. Oh and they do b-​fast. Looked pretty standard so I might need to swing by on the weekend. Sunday’s there is a brunch but I don’t know what all that entails but I saw a dance floor and a little area for a band so that means LIVE MUSIC! If that is not enough for you that make their OWN ice cream so I have to try that next go round!
Overall VERY GOOD! Nice family run place where they make you feel at home.

Caribbean Food is BOMB!
Mar’s is a husband and wife enterprise.
Marie (wife) greeted us as we came through the door.
The hospitality she extended was refreshing.
She immediately noticed we were first timers and proceeded to explain the concept and the menu. I truly appreciate all her doing so, because I’m not familiar with Caribbean food and the time she spent with us talking about food, just made me hungrier and eager to taste it.
She started us off with some Chips and Salsa. The chips were very freshly made and the salsa was delicious. Not too spicy, just right.
I went with the Stew Beef Oxtail — All entrees come with Fried Plantains, Spicy Onion Sauce, your choice of Rice and Beans or White Rice and Stewed Beans. I chose the Rice and Beans for my dish. I also got a choice from four side orders: Potato Salad, Cabbage Salad, Cole Slaw or Garden Salad. I went with the Potato Salad.
The Oxtail — OMG, super super tender and the flavors were outstanding. I’ve had my fair share of oxtails, this is by far the BEST I’ve taste. (sorry Mom).
The rice and beans were very flavorful and is a good accompaniment to the oxtail.
The Potato salad was also outstanding.
The Plantains were so good! My co-​worker is allergic to them, so I volunteered to take them from his plate (twisting my arm to do so was not necessary, lol). Two pieces was enough. Getting the other two was just cherry on top. I saved them for my dessert, they were so sweet and fried perfectly. YUM!
GET THIS DISH! you’ll thank me later!
My co-​worker got the Jerk Chicken w/​Rice and Beans and Cabbage Salad — The Cabbage salad has a pronounced vinegar punch (watch that first bite). But the more you eat it the better it gets.
The Jerk chicken is grilled then a sauce is put on top of it. Different than other jerk chicken I’ve had before (dry), but none the less, it’s DELICIOUS! It has a kick, but after the initial hit, it’s very tolerable. Tender as can be and it has all the jerk spices, making for a very flavorful dish. Yum yum yum!
They offer Belize Soda. I tried the Ginger Beer. The bottle was super cold when it came out and the taste was very refreshing!
My co-​worker got the Pineapple Soda and he enjoyed it as well.
After we devoured our plates, Marie came over with a trio sampler of their Ice Cream. They make it in house and they are trying to market it to other vendors.
We tried the Coconut, Corn and Craboo (a fruit, that grows predominantly in the Caribbean). It was the BEST Coconut and Corn Ice cream I’ve tasted. The Craboo was good as well. The taste was familiar to me, but I could not put a finger on what fruit it was close to, that I recognize. I would order the Ice Cream from here. DELICIOUS!
After our meal, we got to talk to both Marie & her husband (sorry, didn’t get his name) and you can tell the love they have for the food they produce here. Everything made in house as much as possible and made fresh. They were also proud of the fact that they are nearing their 5^th anniversary in June. A testament to the food they make here.
It’s the first time for me here, but it won’t be the last. The food was delicious, the service is top notch. Super friendly owners, who pride themselves with producing the best quality food. CARIBBEAN FOOD!
Rating: 5 Star PLUS. Yes, it’s that good
Try them for yourself and decide.
2015 Review #16

Sunday Brunch is where IT IS AT! For around 13 bucks you can enjoy Belizean breakfast and more until you are either full or feeling bashful for how many times you make a trip to the brunch tables lol.
This place is 5 stars as far as Belizean Cuisine goes. Me and my Belizean family enjoy going here when we can.
If I could change anything it’s that they offer tortilla for brunch along with the fry jack they already serve.
The last time I visited I had the brunch. On my plate that you will see is Stew Beef, fry beans, fry Jack, eggs w/​tomato and onion, and a garlic shrimp sauté with red onion and peppers they offer. Topped off with Marie Sharps Fiery Habanero Hot sauce OF COARSE!
Service is here and there but for the most part they have some sweethearts. I Luh’ Ya’ll! Just gotta come around more to keep the glasses full, lol.
I’ll keep bringing fam through when they come from out of town and My Ma on Mother’s Day and her birthday, keep making that awesomeness we call home cooking! THANK YOU!