Excellent find thanks to Unilocal.Was in the mood for something completely different post Christmas gatherings and this hit the spot. Husband and I were reminiscing about the Bahamas and the fish fries we had almost every night –this place was as close as we could get. My husband got the fried red snapper with Festivals –great portion and flavor. I got the shrimp in brown sauce –enough portions for two meals. The only drawback was the lack of heat in my meal, it seems I should have told them I wanted it to be spicy, maybe they assumed we couldn’t handle the heat! The décor is simple and the area doesn’t stand out, but the people were friendly and they were busy the entire visit with take-out orders –definitely give it a shot!
Darryl H.
Place rating: 5 Chicago, IL
One of the best Caribbean restaurants in the area! Fresh and flavorful fish. The brown stew n curry with snapper are my go to options. I would recommend calling ahead for pick up.
Allison B.
Place rating: 5 Alexandria, VA
The. Best. Hands. Down. So good I’ve gotten off of a plane from jamaica and stopped for dinner on the way home and it was amazing!
Joe T.
Place rating: 5 Silver Spring, MD
Wow, the food was just amazing!
Shon O.
Place rating: 5 Washington, DC
The place is high on my list, I was not disappointed please try the pepper shrimp suck with the shell on its a game changer. Get the pineapple with ginger the staff is friendly it’s hidden in a shopping center but it’s a gem. If you looking for a fancy place this ain’t it!!! It’s about the food which is bloody good!!!
Michelle B.
Place rating: 4 Silver Spring, MD
I am ashamed that it took me so long to write this review. I have been coming to Caribbean Sea for a long time and I really love the food. Most of the time, I get the same things off of the menu because I crave it so bad. For me, its all about the Shrimp Scampi and the Brown Stew Snapper! OMG, the sauce is delectable. I always have leftovers because I cannot fathom one dish without the other. They also give you a lot of rice and peas. The décor is not much to be excited about, but the food is so good that I don’t even care! Writing this review is making me hungry for some Caribbean Sea right now. 4 Stars!
Nicoleen R.
Place rating: 4 Washington, DC
Small quaint. Very cozy and diverse. Had the Morgan stew red snapper fresh and crispy. My Jamaican foodies say its a must and authentic
R B.
Place rating: 4 Washington, DC
This place has awesome, awesome seafood dishes but is pretty low on ambiance. Service was good, but given the décor(wood paneling, linoleum floors, long dining room with seating away from any windows), tv and uncomfortable seating(folding metal chairs, you would be better off ordering takeout and enjoying it at home. There were a fair number of takeout customers who came by when we were there. I had escobeche snapper(yum!) which comes with a mountain of rice and beans, and a ginger beer, which was fabulous and freshly prepared. Prices were what you might expect for seafood but reasonable. My husband was really happy with his spicy seafood dish. You can request how spicy you want things. Hubs grows and eats peppers raw and said his dish really packed a punch, but he ate the whole thing anyway. The menu is extensive and it is hard to decide. I asked for a recommendation and the waiter said they were all really tasty. That’s definitely what we found. If you have kids, this place is definitely family friendly. Location is in a strip mall where the Shoppers Food Warehouse is the anchor.
Wayne H.
Place rating: 4 Bowie, MD
Very tasty Caribbean style sea food. I will definitely go back for there King Fish. The décor gets a 3 because it looks like they were under renovations when I went there. The service was kinda slow but they were very polite and explained it was because they received a bunch of orders at once. Décor — 3 of 5 Service — 4 of 5 Food — 4 of 5
M J.
Place rating: 4 Chillum, MD
Great food, Generous portions, and wonderful customer service. Their rice and peas is among the best, if not the best I’ve had at a restaurant. The steamed snapper was done to perfection. Additionally, I got a small side-order of spicy shrimp. Usually in the US when it says spicy on the menu, it’s not really spicy by Caribbean standards, but these shrimp were the real flaminghot deal. I love spicy foods, so I enjoyed it, Albeit in three separate sittings. My recommendation; if your tolerance for spice isn’t quite that of a West Indian, avoid ordering spicy shrimp here. On the not so positive side, the dining area is very small, and therefore needs expansion. The few tables they have are closely situated. Unfortunately, I haven’t gotten the chance to revisit in a while, but I’ll definitely be back there soon.
Lanell E.
Place rating: 4 Glen Burnie, MD
All I can say is read this link below !!! Wow Amazing restaurant
Raycal B.
Place rating: 4 Laurel, MD
The food in this place in one word: AMAZING! I have never had Caribbean food this good in a restaurant EVER! Not in the DMV. A local artist(my fave) told me about this place on Facebook and said she’s been going here for 15 years. I have never heard of them. They are located in a shopping center in Takoma Park. I will say the shopping center looks a bit run down and the look of the restaurant leaves a little to be desired but that is so irrelevant when it comes to how good the food is. Customer Service is on point. They are so friendly and courteous and accomodating. This will be a place I frequent often. NOTE: It is SEAFOODONLY! So if you have allergies to shellfish, like my Jamaican husband does, this is not the place for you. I feel sorry for him because we have been looking for really good Jamaican restaurant food since forever and i have found it but he can’t eat it. Too bad for him but more for me. I purchased two meals, one for dinner that day and for Lunch the next. I got Shrimp Scampi and Curried King Fish. Honey, that Curried King Fish was something special. I throughly enjoyed it. The Shrimp Scamp was good too. They give you a lot of rice and peas so next time I will ask for more veggies in lieu of so much rice because I’m trying to eat healthier. I also got Festival with my order and they were so tasty. Please make sure you try this place. You won’t regret it.
T B.
Place rating: 5 Washington, DC
When i was eating seafood a few yrs ago this was my go to place to eat
Bill H.
Place rating: 4 Vienna, VA
The standout dish that my wife and I enjoyed was the curried kingfish! I will go back there again!
Paul L.
Place rating: 3 Washington D.C., DC
We had a fine meal here — the pepper shrimp and deviled conch were delicious(and not nearly as spicy as Tyler Cowen suggests), and the whole trout dishes that my wife and a friend had were also good. Although the lack of a liquor license was a bit of a disappointment, perhaps it was just as well because it impelled us all to get some of the home-made drinks — we were all pleased by the ginger beer and the pineapple ginger drink. The blaring TV dominating dinner was a minus
Adelina Z.
Place rating: 4 Kensington, MD
My friend and I had a hankering for some Caribbean food so I broke out old reliable Unilocal to help guide us somewhere to help sate our cravings. This had promise so off we went. I ordered the Port Royal(fried whole red snapper w/peppers & onions in vinegar sauce and bammie) and she ordered the Morgan’s Harbor(brown stew red snapper fish with rice and pigeon peas). For most dishes, they give you the option of getting red snapper or king fish. Both dishes were delicious! However, the well spiced brown sauce that the fish is cooked with in the Morgan’s Harbor dish is nothing short of amazing. You can definitely taste the allspice in there. I can’t wait to go back!
Racquel C.
Place rating: 5 Washington, DC
The food is beyond flavorful and delicious! The owner, Ms. Yvonne, always greets customers with a smile. The service might be slow, but it’s the best place for Jamaican seafood. I’m Jamaican, and this place is the real deal. I’ve been going here for years, and have brought every family member and good friend here. You will never be disappointed.
Yves N.
Place rating: 4 Manhattan, NY
Ignore the ambiance and focus on the food… My meal was a very pleasant treat and when combined with the warm reception from the owners, this place is guaranteed a return trip. I had the shrimp appetizer. Very good and spicy! A bit of a pain to peel but the portion size made up for it. For my meal I had to try their signature dish the escovitch fish(red snapper). Very good! What made the meal, was the peppers, lightly cooked and bursting with flavor. The owner came over and chatted me up when he saw me taking pictures of the food. He said someone came in earlier and did the same thing for a screen saver. He also mentioned that they were going to redo the look. It’s time!
Megs T.
Place rating: 5 Washington, DC
So… have you ever tasted something that was so damn good it made your mouth, body and soul happy? Introducing, Caribbean Sea! I am so happy to say, that after two years of being generally underwhelmed with DC-area caribbean food options, I have found a true gem. Authentic and not for the faint of heart(those who can’t handle some heat to their food). You very well may bite down on a scotch bonnet. If you can’t handle this, stick with any one of the other commercial«Jamaican» spots in the area. Anyways, I ate in here – the restaurant is very simple and unassuming inside and out. Started with a small salad, the pepper shrimp appetizer, and the curry-ginger poached lobster with rice and peas as my main course. The shrimp appetizer was wonderfully flavorful and HOT and spicy! The shrimp came«peel and eat» style and I(not Jamaican) was busy peeling away the shells but was instructed I would not get full flavor unless I ate the shell along with the shrimp. I resisted at first but eventually conceded and it was very good this way and the flavor most explosive! Then came the curry-ginger lobster dish. The first thing I did was use a soup spoon to taste the curry sauce… All I can say is: love. The sauce was hot, spicy, had a wonderful kick from the ginger and a warmth with a hint of coconut. Bold and untimid. I ate every drop of that sauce. I studied it. I almost licked the plate. The lobster chunks were generous. The rice perfect. And I usually do not do rice and peas – but theirs was made with some kind of tiny black peas(looked like black-eyed peas?) and was lovely. I also tried some bammy and escoveitched snapper; the fish was also way above and beyond the norm. Had a pineapple-ginger drink that complemented the wonderfully spicy meal perfectly. Best $ 30 entrée I’ve had in a long time. This is absolutely a 5-star caribbean restaurant as the FOOD is concerned. And that is what counts. And from what I hear, the place has been around a while and has been consistent over the years. Takoma Park aint no short drive from me… but the next time I am craving some food to bust open my nasal passages and make me an all-around happy girl, I know where to go!
Nikki D.
Place rating: 4 Los Angeles, CA
I definitely would have overlooked this place and written it off(I can be a snob sometimes), had it not been for a friend who became giddy when explaining how flaky and tasty the fish was. He loves Caribbean food, so I decided to take his word for it. Walking in, I was doubtful. Not impressed by the décor — very, very plain. To my right, a couple of people are sitting in plain chairs, waiting for their takeout order. Glancing to my left I see a large case of frozen fish. The smell of fresh fish is reassuring, not off-putting at all. The hostess was very friendly and gracious. I scan the menu and decide to go with the fried shrimp. Went shopping next door at Shoppers for about 20 minutes, but came back and had to wait an additional 10 minutes… so I’d recommend getting your grocery shopping in while waiting or calling it in beforehand. Generous amount of large, pinkish shrimp and fries. Seasoning was perfect, I think they used cornmeal instead of the typical flour. Even sprinkled fancy parsley on top, LOL. Better than anything I’ve ever had in DC or in San Francisco. Presentation was excellent as well. My friend’s cut of fish was so large it was cut into two so it could fit into the takeout container. Definitely going back…
