Mango Caribbean Restaurant & Bar

Looking beyond all of the Wicker this place is actually pretty good. During a Lunch date here had the Reggae Wrap (
&
) which is Jerk Chicken, Guacamole, Sour Cream, Lettuce, Tomato and Cucumber with Roti Bread and Rice & Beans all for $ 9.
The serving size was more than enough for Lunch even after skipping Breakfast (yes yes, I know. it *almost* never happens). The Chicken was very tender and flavorful and I loved the dressing on the Salad. What I liked most is that it comes so that you can make the wraps yourself.
Service was just like of the Caribbean, very laid back. Once our server vanished the owner Winston was out the front of house keeping watch over his business and we had a short chat with him. Very nice guy! He told us how his family had owned this business for 26 years! That’s quite impressive.
The menu is more ‘Americanized” that traditional Caribbean with lot’s of Wraps, Sandwiches and even Quesadilla. Happy Hour is Thursday and Saturday with $ 2 Rum Punch and Beer with a few food specials.

Jerk chicken = to die for.
Mango doesn’t get enough love because it’s not on University, but it deserves it!!!
They also have an amazing selection of drinks, and there’s a really homey atmosphere. I feel like I’m in Bob Marley’s family’s home in Jamaica here.

I felt as though I’d stepped into some sort of transporter and really gone to Jamaica, with all of its pros and cons.
Tons of atmosphere!
The jerk sauce was too spicy for one member of our party.

I’ve been wanting to try Mango for awhile because it’s right across the street from my office and I love Caribbean food. I got off of work early the other day & the boy & I finally made it in. We weren’t especially hungry, so we shared the jerk salmon wrap and a mango smoothie. The mango smoothie wasn’t very good, so I stopped drinking it pretty early. The jerk salmon wrap was good, but the spices weren’t strong enough for me. The mango salsa was bomb though!
Food was a solid three stars, but our waitress was very attentive&professional. The owner was just chillin’ there as we left, and he was really nice as well. However, I think if I want Caribbean food, I’d rather just go to Back a Yard.

Loved it.
Had the chicken roti and plantains. The roti was very flavorful and the plantains were sweet with a slight char on the edges. The owner was very nice.

This used to be an amazing restaurant. in the late 1990’s I don’t think I will ever be back after today’s experience I left feeling queazy & nauseous.
It is grimy & dirty, someone need to clean off 15+ years aging. The wickered chairs are black with dirty, the lime green paint is chipping off the walls, the chair cushions which was once light colors is now dark brown.
The food was terrible, I used to always get the Trinidad Special (veggie roti) which is now a bland curry in a driest piece of re-​heated roti. The curry was full of chickpeas (which I am highly allergic too), frozen green peas/​corn, onions & over-​cooked green bell pepper. The rice with red beans on the side were dried out & tasteless and they replaced my side salad with the same veggies in the curry but sauceless & steamed. My dining partner ordered the «Rasta Pea Cookoff» which was described as a black eyed peas dish which ironically did not have a SINGLE black eyed pea in the dish & was replaced with chickpeas again. We also ordered the ‘Welcome Hall’ appetizer which was said to have honey/​cucumber sauce which they did not include.

If you haven’t tried this place yet, you should.
PLACE:
Located right next to a laundromat with a tree infront of it, the place is tiny that you might missed it when cruising down Hamilton Ave.
CUSTOMER SERVICE:
There’s usually only two people working here on weekdays and three on weekends or busy days but they move pretty fast. Victor is the BEST ever!!! His customer service deserves a whopping 5 stars!!!
FOOD:
I had the Jerk Chicken or Jerky Chicken or whatever you wanna call it (to go pweese). After the first bite, beesh be like waaaaaattteeeeerrr!!! Seriously, this baby right here
is HELLA spicy! Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m not complaining. I lurves it!!! I like the combination of spices. the right amount of sweetness and hotness. Just like Liz, this chicken is the way i like my man, Sweet, Hot & Spicy! Wuuutttt?! :)
Definitely a cool spot to check out if you want that kick in your food. This is not for the weak.
See yah!

I typically like to write positive reviews but I have to be realistic, not every place will hit the mark. While I wanted to love this place (I frequent Sol Food in San Rafael), it was pretty disappointing.
I ordered the Trinidad Special (veggie roti) and I was pretty much disappointed. Now, maybe it’s because the owner (he is super friendly!) hasn’t found the right chef, but I can’t be sure. The vegetables were generic and overcooked. There was a lot of pepper, which might be typical of the cuisine, but it was overpowering to a flaw.
The roti itself was ok, I’ve had better, and the rice and beans mix was dried out. Maybe the drinks are ok? I don’t know since I don’t drink alcohol.
Anyway, in addition to the Trinidad we ordered the Festival «corn dumplings». These were literally corn meal balls deep fried. It was saturated in oil and mostly inedible. I would think there is a way to steam them and get a better flavor out of the corn.
We also got the plantains (Welcome Hall). Those were probably the tastiest thing I had; that was to say they were okay, but I’ve had much better.
Sigh, I won’t be going there again, and I feel bad because the owner is a genuinely nice person, but he needs to get his kitchen in order.

I LOVE LOVE this place. It is definitely my new go to place for Red Stripe and spicy food.
I went with my nephew, he got the jerk chicken which was excellent. Sweet and spicy goodness. I went for the goat curry, also very good. If you like spicy ask for their hot sauce. Will burn you an extra hole. Love it. Only issue, I had was the rotis were a little over done and became hard at spots.
The service was incredible. The waiter/​owner was incredibly friendly and helpful with the menu. You gotta go on Thursdays to enjoy their $ 2 Red Stripe and $ 2 jamaican beef pattys which were awesome.
We will be back as soon as possible. Keep one thing in mind though, do not go here if you are in a rush. The restaurant holds the Jamaican culture of take your time and relax to the tee. Great outing if you have an hour or more to kill.

Offensive customer service
In response to a polite inquiry to turn down rap music in an almost empty restaurant, or switch to reggae, the owner began yelling at and mocking the customer. If he politely denied it would be OK. But he went on offense, insulting and making fun of the guest. Never again.

It’s been years since I last went so I decided to take my girlfriend to go again. I guess a lot has changed since then because it doesn’t get as much business as the last time I reviewed this place. On the other hand, I’ve been going on a Thursday night to take advantage of their $ 2 patty’s and $ ²⁄₄ Red Stripe. I would love to go on a Saturday again and see if it’s just as lively as I remember.
I’ve gone 3 Thursdays in a row now including on Valentine’s day. We’ve had a good time every single time and the waiter/​owner? is pretty cool. My girlfriend found her new favorite cocktail ever in the Jamaican Rum Punch. On Valentine’s day she ordered the «No Problem Man» which is a jerk chicken soup. It had the perfect amount of heat (both temperature and spice) and didn’t lack any flavor. I got the «Mi Good» which is goat curry. At first it looked small but I was so full when I was done. If you like goat and curry like I do then you’ll love this dish.
My only complaint is last Thursday we ordered the shrimp Rasta Pasta and the noodles were quite undercooked. I understand that they didn’t want us to wait but I’d rather wait for properly cooked pasta. If you can get over the fact that it’s pretty empty and happen to order something you like, I guarantee it won’t lack flavor. Also, their cocktails are strong but well made so get a couple and enjoy a walk through downtown Palo Alto before driving home.

i came in here with a cold and ordered a bowl of ‘No Problem Man Chicken Soup’…i think I’m cured. LOTS of flavor and tons of yummy veggies, tender chicken and dumplings.
The service was kind and you can tell that the soup was made with a lot of care. I dig this place. I can’t wait to try out the rest of the menu.

So, so, so delicious! We came here unsure of what to expect and left VERY very satisfied.
My roommate and I bought the plantains and jerk chicken wrap. The jerk chicken was phenomenal– super flavorful and perfectly spicy. The salad that came with the wrap was lovely as well.
The service was outstanding– the owner served us and couldn’t have been a more kind and cool guy.
Great experience– we will be coming back with friends!

They make a lovely home made ginger beer and a really good «mi good» goat curry. Spicey, but not too spicey. And then there is the oxtail stew which is beyond amazing. Spicy, sweet, rich. Amazing.
Perfect for a cool fall day. Very friendly owner too.

I was at Mango’s last night with two of my friends. We ordered the Mango Walk, Jamerican Special Wrap, and St. Lucia sandwich. + two sides of plantains.
The Mango Walk was ok. The chicken was pretty tasty but had SO MUCH fat, skin, bones and gristle in it. This was shredded chicken so it shouldn’t have had any of this crap in it. The Roti came out in small strips, not sure how they expect someone to make a wrap with it. Nothing about the guacamole, dipping sauce or mango salsa were anything special.
The Jamerican Special was pretty much exactly like the Mango Walk but with a side of gross tasteless boiled veggies (carrots and green bell pepper) but no chicken. So my friend didn’t have to deal with all the gross fat, skin and bones but all she got instead is boring veggies. We had figured the veggies would be grilled or sauteed with seasoning or something, wrong again.
The worst part! My friends St. Lucia sandwich used the same meat that the Mango Walk plate did! Meaning she got the skin, fat, and bones but between bread. So gross! A sandwich shouldn’t have bones in it. Did the cook seriously think this was acceptable?
yuuuuuck! I came here thinking it would be similar to Coconuts or Backayard. Boy was I wrong!

Slow.

It’s chill here and felt like we were on island time. We weren’t hungry so it’s cool. Servers were friendly. Raggamuffin style oxtail was tender and got a kick to it. Aruba jerk joints were only $ 4 on Thursdays and Saturdays. The meat fell off the bone. Raggae Platter jerk chicken was very moist. Had the sauces been less salty, the dishes would have tasted much better. Found smudges in glasses.

This little tucked away Jamaican gem makes me feel like I’m on vacation every time I come here. Wide wicker chairs, a small rum tiki bar and sea shells on the ceiling make me forget that I live in tech valley central.
Winston, the owner, is welcoming and sincerely happy to see us whenever we walk through the door. We have been made part of the Mango family.
The rum punches are delicious, although I do order them without the grenadine, as I’m not a big fan of sweet drinks. This way I get them refreshing and a tad sour. Be careful though, these go down like juice and you’ll not notice how strong they are until a little while later.
All food items are phenomenal. A few favorites are the beef and chicken patties and the jerk joints (all on happy hour special on Thursdays and Saturdays along with the rum punches and Red Stripe beer) for appetizers. These are great for sharing and you might just be tempted to order another round! The Grenada Greens salad with mango, avocado, and jerk chicken is my go-​to entrée during the summer months. You can also get it with jerk salmon or shrimp. During the «colder» California months, I opt for the No Problem Man soup — a hardy chicken broth with big chunks of jerk chicken, veggies, and dumplings. This soup cures any cold!
It’s Thursday, so I might just be there tonight ;-)

Before we started having kids, my wife and I used to frequent this place. The décor of this place, and the slight humidity kind of reminded me of being on a tropical island.
Recently, I took a Friday off from work. Our youngest daughter was at day camp, and my wife and my oldest daughter was at home. It was near mid day, and the weather was nice. My wife and I thought it would be a good idea to head out for lunch (and have my daughter take a break from watching Korean soap operas on the laptop).
We haven’t been to Mango Caribbean for a long time, so we decided to check it out. We know this place changed owners. It was originally called «Mango Café» before they changed it to «Mango Caribbean Restaurant and Bar.» We had no problem getting seated. The décor was pretty much the same as we remembered, and with the warm weather that day, it felt a bit tropical.
The hostess/​waitress handed us our menus. We looked it over, then the waitress came back to take our orders. About 10 minutes later, our food arrived:
–Jamaican: This is a meat turnover. The ran out of frozen ones, that morning, so they made one fresh for us. The crust was nice and flaky. The meat was minced finely, if not mushy. Not bad tasting, though.
–Mi Good (
): This is a goat curry, served with a side of rice and sauteed veggies. Nice tasting sauce, well spiced, but not to spicy. Meat was mild, but some pieces were tough and chewy.
–Aruba (
): The last time I had jerk joints from the previous owner, the wings were dry on the outside, moist on the inside, and very spicy. Though it was spicy, and the meat fell off the bone, wings were swimming in a jerk sauce.
–Grenada Greens (
): garlic shrimp, avocado, mango, with a lemon vinaigrette. Very colorful and refreshing salad.
Non-​Alcoholic Smoothies: These were made with nothing but fruit and ice.
–Blue Mountain: strawberry, banana, passionfruit. Tasty and cold. My daughter like how this cooled her down after each bite of the jerk wings.
–Lover’s Leap: pineapple, orange, guava. Just as refreshing.
Overall, this place was OK, but not as what I remembered last time. Not bad, I may come back again.

I’ve visited Jamaica countless times over the years and was excited to try this place. Unfortunately, it was a complete disappointment. My jerk chicken was bland, and the festival was a complete joke. It didn’t taste like anything remotely close to the way festival tastes. and it’s so easy to make, how could they go wrong! I will say that their plantains were good.
Finally, the drinks were a complete waste of money. Terrible. Their female waitress needs to be sent or resent to bartending school before she attempts to make any more drinks!
So I say, if you know nothing about Caribbean food you might find it to be just ok, but if you want the taste of real authentic island flavor, and delicious, addictive drinks, head over to Coconuts a few blocks away.