Calypso Cafe

What do you do when Nashville’s version of Snowzilla is playing on repeat and you’re not going anywhere soon? Relive (and review) a place that reminds you of the tropics in mid-​summer. So, Calypso Café, you’re the next contestant on Johnny T’s list of places to review!
Calypso’s been around for 20+ years and I had fond memories of eating there during my school days. I’m pleased to see that there are more locations than I remember and that the east side one is so convenient to get to. Calypso is what it is. If you’ve lived in Nashville for any amount of time, you know what it is. If you’re new to the city, ask someone… and, then, go. First thing you do — before even checking the menu — order a fruit tea and keep it coming. While I am relatively new to the hot spiced tea (it’s really really good), Calypso has the fruit tea game on lock. Don’t believe me? Come here just for the fruit tea and be prepared to get addicted. The second thing you do is have a plan of attack. Since I like to pretend each Calypso is its own thing, I vary what I order depending on the location. Since this location is ensconced in East End, I’m all about being a veggie hippie. That means going to town on the beans & three and eating healthy-​ish. I love that Calypso figured out a way to twist a Nashville standard into something that’s all its own. The beans and three is just what it sounds like: a very generously-​portioned plate of black beans and three (vegetarian) sides. I order the beans san sour cream (yuck) and extra onions. I also douse it with a gallon of hot sauce. For my 3, I can’t get away from the callaloo (again, doused with hot sauce), boija muffins (it might be obnoxious but ask for fresh ones; it’s a first-​world tragedy to get muffins that don’t pair well with butter. You need the butter to ooze over the bread and light up your life) and some variant of house salad or rice. The salad is nothing special but the vinaigrette is tasty and the lettuce is laden with shredded cheddar cheese. The rice is tasty but can sometimes be burnt. I stay away from the other sides because green peas, sweet potatoes, why get more beans when black beans are already on the plate, mayonnaise (the devil’s condiment), not available all the time, too small & usually out of season, and store bought. Those are my reasons. They’re iron-​clad and if you want to live, you’ll abide them.
I feel warmer already.

I really really love Calypso Café. For some reason it hadn’t been on my radar for a while, but then all the sudden, after a month of sweets and junk food (the holidays), I started craving healthy takeout, and Calypso immediately came to mind.
My favorite takeout item is their Black Beans and Three. For around $ 7 I was able to get a cup of soup, a bowl of black beans, corn and bean salad, and also a couple of their cornbread coconut muffins (mmmmm).
The staff is so friendly and has a really cool laid back vibe.
Try the fruit tea — it’s amazing!

Just OK… the chicken was pretty good but the portion sizes were small in my opinion. The cornbread was decent but overall the meal was missing something. Also the service was «mew» not that warm or inviting. Just go to pollo tropical

I don’t usually leave reviews. Only if something is really good or really bad. I have to say that I just ate the worst sandwich in my life. It was the pulled bbq chicken on Flatbread. I even asked what the flatbread was like. He should have said, «well, do you like soggy sandwiches? «. I shouldve taken it back but that’s not my style. I got it to go and drove 2 minutes to the park to eat it. It was soggy all the way through. Disgusting. A very small sandwich too. I’m still hungry. I only ate it because I was starving. Disgusting. A soggy sandwich for $ 11.00. No thanks! I hope you read this and offer me a refund.

This food is not good. Taste like it comes from boxes and bags. Atmosphere does not allow you to relax. It’s like high class fast food but quality is just not there. No thank you.

Awesome place. We were travelling and this place was a perfect stop. Cheap, fast and great food. In and out in about 30 minutes. Really good original food too. The owner was even working behind the counter. Definitely recommend.

Calypso is the rock of East Nashville restaurants. The food and service are alway great and the price is great. It’s great for kids without being a kids’ place. Parking is ample and there is never a wait. I like the half chicken all white with jerk sauce, greens, and bean and corn salad. The veggie plate won’t let you down either though.

Solid 4 star place. I liked my food. I liked the service. The atmosphere is pretty good but not 5 star. I left feeling healthy and happy.

I did find this to be very good Caribbean food. I’m honestly did not get even a strong sense of Caribbean flavor. The most popular and recommended dish was a pulled BBQ chicken (~7 $). It had a decent tangy marinade but seemed dry and overall lacked a strong spiced flavor I was expecting.
Sides were also underwhelming. Signature side: Black bean salad. This literally seemed like a can of black beans with some red onions mixed in served with sour cream. I am a fan of black beans, but I don’t see this being very Caribbean or special.
Overall, too bland and not memorable, not worth.

I expected more and really wanted to like this place. However my chicken on salad was dry and not really that flavorful. The muffins were good, not great.
My friend’sr chicken and black beans were okay– nothing special. Good sized portions don’t always translate to good food.

Flavorful food, colorful décor, friendly staff. Offers a variety of vegan, vegetarian, and low-​fat options.
Wouldn’t recommend the fruit tea and my friend said the bathrooms were a little «hippie dirty,» if you will.
Overall worth a visit for some strong and affordable flavors.

Every time I travel to TN it’s a MUST to eat here! Best food in Nashville! I would recommend this restaurant to everybody, and I do. Just a warning, they’re usually very busy, but there’s a good reason for that. The fruit tea is amazing, the salads are like none other you’ll ever have, the black bean dip is the best I’ve ever had, and the staff is always friendly and welcoming. It’s a cool little place with a fee different locations. I highly recommend calypso café! I grew up eating there, and have traveled back to TN for the last 5 years never missing a calypso visit each time.

If you’re going for Jamaican or Caribbean food, don’t be fooled. The menu is 98% hipster food. The majority were sandwiches. The bread choices were whole wheat or whole grain whole wheat. The staff matched the atmosphere; lawn chairs and metal tables. The only thing close to authentic was the dark meat, half chicken with curry spices, listed almost as an after thought on the menu. The yams as a side were also good. I enjoyed it, but it was the only thing interesting on the menu, which is why I’m giving the restaurant 3 stars rather than 2.

Honestly, I go to Calypso Café almost every time I can’t think of what I really want for lunch/​dinner. It’s just THAT good.
I love Nashville’s food scene. I love that you can default to as good of an option as Calypso, which is what I do. My fiancée and I love Calypso and aren’t strangers to the eastside location. It’s a pretty chill atmosphere and most of the workers bring their own personal flair to the job making you feel pretty cool for coming in. You walk in and smell the rotisserie chicken and feel the action of a group of employees putting together meals for the guests. It’s usually pretty busy but they turn the food around quickly.
My favorite which we get almost every time is the Lucayan Salad. We also usually split the Beans & Three. Calypso has some great vegetarian options without making you feel disappointed that you wanted to vegetarian that day. The Lucayan Salad, however, is the best salad I’ve had in Nashville. Oranges, Rotisserie Chicken, and Almonds make it a filling and delicious option any time. Also, their fruit tea rivals Baja Burrito for the best in town.
Pros;
The Lucayan Salad is the best.
Cons:
I don’t really like staying there to eat. There’s nothing bad about eating there that I can point out but I just prefer to take my salad home to eat.
Overall:
This is one of my favorite go-to’s in town. I love that the food can make you feel full and happy without making you feel too heavy. Also, the fruit tea can brighten up the coldest winter day and is perfect for summer.

I’ve been patronizing Calypso Café for almost six years now and I’ve always had a great experience. This is a Nashville institution as much as Loveless or Bluebird Café, in my opinion. I typically get a white chicken plate and rotate my sides between their black beans, sweet potatoes with coconut, side salad, and muffins because they’re all so dang good! Another winner is their black bean salad (you can add chicken for an additional small charge), which is HUGE. I would also like to add they have an impressive selection of dressings and sauces, which are all house made. Oh, and so is their fruit tea, which will knock your socks off. You can eat here for lunch and dinner and have a bill under $ 10 including tax. They also have fast and easy pickup!

I had the jerk chicken whole-​white (jerk sauce delicious), bean & corn salad, & the boija muffins (Caribbean sweet cornbread w/​coconut on top). Don’t make the mistake of not getting the muffins.
There were lots of healthy options on the menu, good portion sizes, and a great price. It seemed to be a busy time, the service was pretty good, if maybe a little disorganized and scattered.

Stopped in for a quick lunch, the menu was solid and there are options for all kinds of appetites. Food was Ok but not amazing. I expected more flavor and was disappointed. Service was adequate but that was all. It could be your spot for a quick, cheap, casual lunch but I won’t be hurrying back.

Visiting Nashville. We were stayed in the neighborhood nearby and was told there were restuarnats in walking distance… we were trying to head to the villaeg type area, but saw this place and decided to stop in… mistake. This isn’t the place to go if you’re visiting… walk a bit further and you’ll end up at 5 Points Pizza, March, the Treehouse, etc. Eat there.
Back to Calypso
SERVICE:
Very nice staff.
FOOD:
Just okay… good if you want healthy and know that there may not be much taste. This is not authentic carribean food btw… there aren’t Jamaicans or islanders of any type making the food. I think it’s a franchise TN restaurant, there are lots more around the city.
Jerk: My friend got this and liked it. He said his sides were very bland.
Curry: It was okay. Rice was okay, the cornbread was kinda good.
PRICE:
Goof pricing. My meal was about $ 7, my friends was $ 8
SUMMARY:
Don’t come here expecting carribean cuisine. It’s really just a health food spot.

Just about anything here is good. The beans and 3, taco salad, chicken salad, veggie sandwich — you really cant go wrong! The portions are pretty big and its a good place to get lunch and save the leftovers for dinner. I feel healthy when I eat here which is a nice change of pace for my lifestyle. The service is always quick, and takeout takes under 5 minutes if you order at the counter.
The prices are really fair, the new location on Charlotte is sooo much more spacious and bright. A (minor) gripe of mine is that I would like to have a make my own salad option. I probably can do this I’ve just never asked. Calypso Y U SO TASTY?!

Stopped in while visiting Nashville.
Healthy food choices, great prices, clean restaurant, good service. Overall a great experience.
And make sure you get the sweet potatoes. I ordered extra after my meal. I couldn’t believe how great they were.
Highly recommended.