Best Caribbean Restaurants in Houston: Jerk, Oxtail and Doubles
Date Published
Houston has roughly a dozen Caribbean kitchens operating at any given time, scattered across Third Ward, the far southwest and the NASA corridor. The best of them are here: 10 confirmed-open spots spanning Jamaican, Trinidadian and Haitian cooking, each listed with the one dish it does best.
The one you've probably heard of is Reggae Hut Cafe on Almeda Road, which has been feeding Third Ward since 1995. The one most Houstonians haven't found yet: Trinidadian doubles — fried bara topped with curried chickpeas — at Krave Trinbago Eats in Westwood, where a family from Arima, Trinidad serves one of the city's most underrated street foods.
How we chose
We picked restaurants with a confirmed Caribbean or island identity — Jamaican, Trinidadian, Haitian — that were verified open as of October 2026. Seven restaurants showed current hours on their own official website; three additional picks were confirmed via Houston Chronicle coverage or Yelp listings updated in 2026. Hours and menus change frequently at small family operations: treat every "typically" as a suggestion and check the restaurant's own page or social account before you drive.
Jamaican
Reggae Hut Cafe — Third Ward
4814 Almeda Rd (Third Ward / near Museum District) · typically open daily
Reggae Hut opened on this corner in 1995, which makes it Houston's longest-running Caribbean restaurant by the restaurant's own account. What keeps it there is the oxtail: slow-braised with a peppery, rich gravy, served alongside rice and peas. Sorrel and ginger beer are made in-house daily.
The backstory worth knowing: Marcus Davis, the owner of The Breakfast Klub, bought Reggae Hut in 2005 specifically because he didn't want a Caribbean institution to leave Third Ward. The dining room has murals by local artist Tierney Malone depicting the African Diaspora — worth a look before you order. More Third Ward dining in our Third Ward restaurant guide.
Order: Oxtail plate with rice and peas; Jerk Chicken; fresh sorrel or ginger beer.
Jamaica Pon Di Road — Acres Homes
2213 S Victory Dr (Acres Homes / Northwest Houston) · typically open daily
Chef Gareth Powell — born in Clarendon, Jamaica, trained at the Runaway Bay Training Institute — opened this north-side spot. The menu is solidly Jamaican (oxtail, curry goat, jerk chicken, patties) with one standout mashup: the oxtail eggroll, a braised oxtail filling inside a crisp wrapper. It earns every recommendation it gets.
Order: Oxtail Cheese Sandwich, Jerk Wings, or the Nuff Food Plate — one entree, two sides and plantains.
Cool Runnings Jamaican Grill — Southwest Houston
8270 W Bellfort Blvd (Brays Oaks / Fondren SW) · typically open daily
Owners Janay and Terron Henry opened Cool Runnings in 2009. Chef Terron cooked at the Four Seasons, Ritz-Carlton and Marriott in Jamaica before bringing the recipes to Houston. Guy Fieri visited for Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives in 2017 and called the curried goat some of the most tender he'd ever eaten.
Order: Curry Goat. Oxtails and Ackee & Saltfish are also menu regulars.
Epican Authentic Jamaican Restaurant — West Houston
5700 Highway 6 N, Suite 180 (Copperfield) · typically open daily
Epican uses 100% halal meat across its entire menu — uncommon for a Jamaican restaurant, and worth knowing for guests with dietary restrictions. The oxtail and curry shrimp pasta are the first-order picks. The restaurant formerly operated as Island Spice Authentic Jamaican Restaurant.
Order: Oxtail, Curry Goat, or Curry Shrimp Pasta.
Island Flavorz — Southeast Houston
11051 Fuqua St (Southeast Houston) · typically open Tue–Sun (closed Monday)
Island Flavorz does two things no other Houston Caribbean kitchen does consistently: a Sunday Caribbean brunch featuring bake and saltfish — the traditional Trinidad and Tobago breakfast of fried dough with salted cod, onions and tomatoes — and "Flavor Fridays," a late-night party night. If you want Caribbean breakfast food beyond the standard oxtail-and-jerk plates, this is the place.
Order: Bake and Saltfish on Sunday mornings; Oxtails or Rasta Pasta midweek; the late-night menu on a Friday.
Trinidadian: doubles, roti and buss up shut
Doubles are the Trinidadian dish Houston Caribbean restaurants do best. Two pieces of bara — fried turmeric flatbread — are stacked with curried chickpeas (channa), mango chutney and pepper sauce. In Trinidad they're eaten at breakfast, standing at a roadside stall. In Houston, you can sit down.
Taste of the Caribbean — Champions / North Houston
13331 Kuykendahl Rd, Suite 117 (Champions / Willowbrook) · typically open Wed–Sun
One of Houston's few Caribbean all-you-can-eat buffets, with a menu rooted in Trinidad & Tobago. Buss up shut (paratha roti torn and served with curry for dipping), dhal puri (split-pea-stuffed roti), doubles, curry goat, stewed oxtail and curry shrimp are all typically on the spread. The variety reflects Trinidad's mix of African, Indian and Creole cooking traditions — four or five different flavors on one tray.
Order: Doubles, Buss Up Shut and Dhal Puri. The buffet is the best first visit if you're new to the menu.
Krave Trinbago Eats — Southwest Houston
10418 Altonbury Ln (Westwood / SW Houston) · typically closed Tuesdays
Family-owned, originally from Arima, Trinidad — a town on the island's northern range with deep doubles culture. Regulars who grew up on the island have called the doubles "very comparable to places in Trinidad." The pholourie (seasoned lentil fritters) and dhalpourie roti round out the Trinidadian standards. Krave is one of Houston's only spots dedicated specifically to Trinidadian cooking.
Order: Doubles (the reason to come), Pholourie, Dhalpourie Roti with chicken curry.
Haitian
Griot Gardens — Spring Branch
6806 Long Point Rd, Suite I (Spring Branch) · typically open Tue–Sun
Opened in 2025 by mother-daughter duo Pricia La France and Ariana Dolcine, who relocated from Miami. Griot is one of Haiti's national dishes: pork shoulder marinated in citrus and Scotch bonnets, braised until butter-soft, then deep-fried until the exterior turns amber and crackling. That three-step process takes hours. Griot Gardens also runs an extensive vegan menu — the vegan griot substitutes a mushroom base and gets the same marinade and fry treatment. Reviewed by the Houston Chronicle shortly after opening. More nearby dining in our Spring Branch restaurant guide.
Order: Griot plate (pork) or Vegan Griot (mushroom), with fried plantains and pikliz — the spicy Haitian pickled cabbage and carrot relish that cuts through the richness of the fried pork.
Sonia's Kreyol Kitchen — Third Ward
2616 Blodgett St (MacGregor / Third Ward) · typically open Wed–Sun
Sonia's is in the same historically diverse Third Ward corridor as Reggae Hut. The griot here comes in cubed, crispy fried pork form with three fried plantains and pikliz on the side. The bouyon kabrit — goat soup with potatoes and Haitian Epis spice blend — is the warming pick for a cool evening. More nearby stops in our Third Ward restaurant guide.
Order: Fried Pork Griot plate, Bouyon Kabrit, or Macaroni au Gratin.
If you're in Clear Lake or near NASA
Lucian's Caribbean Grill — Clear Lake
1035 Clear Lake City Blvd (Clear Lake / NASA area) · typically open Mon–Sat
The NASA corridor has a large international workforce and Lucian's is the Caribbean kitchen that serves it — the only full-service Caribbean grill in the Clear Lake area. The menu covers Jamaican standards: jerk chicken, oxtails, goat curry and rasta pasta, plus seafood options. More in our Clear Lake restaurant guide.
Order: Jerk Chicken, Oxtails, or Goat Curry.
Save this: a Caribbean circuit
These kitchens are spread across the city. Build a day around one area rather than crossing town.
Third Ward double-header (south of downtown):
- Lunch at Reggae Hut Cafe on Almeda — oxtail plate.
- Dinner at Sonia's Kreyol Kitchen on Blodgett — griot and pikliz (open Wed–Sun).
West and north in one afternoon:
- Start at Krave Trinbago Eats in Westwood for doubles and pholourie.
- Head north to Taste of the Caribbean in Champions for buss up shut and the buffet.
The quick checklist:
- Oxtail: Reggae Hut, Jamaica Pon Di Road, Cool Runnings, Epican, Island Flavorz, Lucian's
- Curry goat: Cool Runnings (featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives), Taste of the Caribbean, Epican
- Doubles: Krave Trinbago Eats, Taste of the Caribbean
- Roti (buss up shut or dhal puri): Taste of the Caribbean, Krave Trinbago Eats
- Griot (Haitian fried pork): Griot Gardens, Sonia's Kreyol Kitchen
- Bake and saltfish: Island Flavorz (Sunday brunch)
- Halal-certified menu: Epican
For more Houston international cooking, see our guides to African restaurants in Houston, soul food in Houston and Houston's international dining districts. The best brunch guide has the full Sunday-morning picture.
Last verified: October 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I find doubles in Houston?
Doubles — fried turmeric flatbread (bara) topped with curried chickpeas, mango chutney and pepper sauce — are available at Taste of the Caribbean (13331 Kuykendahl Rd, Champions/North Houston) and Krave Trinbago Eats (10418 Altonbury Ln, Westwood/SW Houston), both Trinidadian-owned.
What is griot?
Griot (pronounced 'gree-oh') is one of Haiti's national dishes: pork shoulder marinated in citrus and Scotch bonnets, braised until tender, then deep-fried for a crackling amber exterior. In Houston, Griot Gardens (6806 Long Point Rd, Spring Branch) and Sonia's Kreyol Kitchen (2616 Blodgett St, Third Ward) both serve it.
What is the oldest Caribbean restaurant in Houston?
Reggae Hut Cafe, which opened at 4814 Almeda Rd in Third Ward in 1995, describes itself as Houston's longest-running Caribbean restaurant.
Has a Houston Caribbean restaurant been on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives?
Yes. Cool Runnings Jamaican Grill (8270 W Bellfort Blvd, Brays Oaks/Fondren SW) was featured in 2017. Guy Fieri called the curried goat some of the most tender he had eaten.
Is there Haitian food in Houston?
Yes. Griot Gardens (6806 Long Point Rd, Spring Branch) and Sonia's Kreyol Kitchen (2616 Blodgett St, Third Ward) both serve traditional Haitian dishes including griot, pikliz and bouyon. Griot Gardens also has an extensive vegan menu.
Which Houston Caribbean restaurants are closest to downtown?
Reggae Hut Cafe (4814 Almeda Rd) and Sonia's Kreyol Kitchen (2616 Blodgett St) are both in the Third Ward / MacGregor area, a few miles south of downtown Houston.