Reggae Hut

The Best!

by LaelaLoon

I loved it. I have had Jamaican in a few different cities this was by far the best. We don't have a Jamaican joint here so I search in every city I go to. Great portion for the price but most of all good tasting. I had the jerk shrimp and my husband the oxtails and they were both good.

If Jamaican was like a religion this place would convert me.

by favouritethings

I'm writing this as I realize my leftovers are in the work fridge.

Update: I'm writing this after I return from the office to retrieve said left overs.

See, I love Reggae Hut but I recommend you either 1) share 1 plate with 2 people or 2) ask for a To Go plate with your food and immediately put 1/2 - 3/4 of your meal away for later. Trust me, I'm saving you from the worst food coma you've ever had. At least until they offer 1/2 portions or lunch plates.

My 1st trip to Reggae Hut was because they were participating in Dine Out For Life [and clsoe to my office]. There was live music. The food made my knees weak. And the staff was super friendly. But, ya, I dropped almost $20 on my ginger beer, beef patty and jerk chicken ... which I then ate for 3 days.

Then I got adventurous ... I tried oxtail. OHMYHOLYCOW. Dear goodness. Have you had oxtail? I've only had it twice. This time I didn't get a To Go box. About 30 min later I was comatose with the best food coma of my life. The dirty rice is life crack .. but I don't think it's as bad for you.

Fast forward to my last visit this week: Jerk Chicken Salad on Cocoa bread. Smart: 3/4 put away into styrofoam container & skipped the beef patty even though my heart and tummy yearned for it. The plantains weren't as spectacular. The cocoa bread? I would use profanity to describe it's goodness. NOTE: PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF ANYTHING SACRED, EAT COCOA BREAD.

Thing you can't miss: always order the ginger beer and steal 3-4 of their vast selection of hot sauces for your table. Be wary: there might be a line ... it moves fast, don't worry.

• Pros: ginger beer, jerk chicken, oxtail, cocoa bread
• Cons: cost, portions

finally!!

by mc777 , Citysearch Contributor

I've been looking for a Jamaican place around Houston and I'm glad I found Reggae Hut. The beef and chicken patties are so so so great! The dough has the right flakiness to it and the meat filling is flavorful. I also ordered the Jerk Chicken and was able to share it with my husband and still take home leftovers. They give generous portions of chicken, vegetables and rice. It had just the right heat to it but was not overpowering. I wish we had one closer to home!

• Pros: prices, food

GET IT TOGETHER

by Wonder XX

My husband and I ate here about 1 year ago. We vaguely remember the food being ok with slow service. What we really remember is that it seems to be the only place to get Caribbean food in Houston which may be why it's called "the best".

Well, Easter Sunday we ate at the Breakfast Klub & there were flyers for Reggae Hut on the tables. We decided to have it for dinner during the week. So, we called on a Thursday around 4:45 pm to place an order for pick-up and someone answered and asked up if he could place us on hold. We were on hold for about 8 minutes (ridiculous). We then hung up and called right back only to get a recording. Seriously? The food might be good but, we won't know anytime soon. If the Reggae Hut can't handle taking phone orders I can only imagine the chaos and foolishness we might have experienced in person. GET IT TOGETHER!

• Pros: Food might be good
• Cons: Poor customer service

Jammin'

by IronChefDavis , Citysearch Contributor

Before 4 p.m. cars can park in front of the establishment; after that, parking is located behind the shopping strip. Live entertainment on Tuesday nights and free wireless Internet draw people to this intriguing café. The fact that their staff is beyond friendly and their portions are more Texas-sized than those of any other restaurant in the Village should also help draw more people from the Rice community this year. Opening at 11 a.m. for lunch Monday through Saturday, it is a welcome change from barbeque, Tex-Mex and Thai. Soft reggae and essences of irie riddims gently serenade entering customers, while the smells of amazing dishes encircle them.

For appetizers, the Reggae Hut Café has a great selection. The beef, chicken and vegetarian patties are pockets of flaky, crispy bread filled with choice ground meat and spices, making a light but filling snack. The Cocoa Bread, a Caribbean specialty, is a soft, warm, buttery loaf. The café really outdoes itself, however, with its fried plantains. Sliced a massive half-inch thick and lightly fried, they retain their soft, squishy centers and rich plantain flavor.

The main courses are all culinary delights. Served at all times of the day, the menu is divided into seafood entrées and non-seafood entrées. On the seafood menu, the chefs offer curry, jerk and garlic shrimp, as well as brown and curry snapper. The yellow curry is not the sweet, creamy curry offered in Indian restaurants, but a spicy, slightly salty sauce in which the jumbo shrimp and snapper are simmered.

The specialty of the Reggae Hut Café is definitely their Jerk Shrimp. The Jerk Shrimp are perfectly boiled, plump specimens that grace the plate with a homemade jerk seasoning bursting with freshly ground allspice, scotch bonnet peppers, cloves, cinnamon, scallions, garlic, nutmeg and thyme. The jerk is not overpoweringly peppered. It retains its flavor without needlessly scalding mouths and burning eyes. After the kick, it opens into a sweet secondary phase, which is characteristic of good Jamaican jerks. Seamlessly flowing into the soft rice and the zesty vegetable medley, the jerk provides a balance on the plate.

Non-seafood dishes include Oxtail Stew, meaty ox tailbones in a heavy brown gravy stew; Brown Stew Chicken, savory chicken in the same brown stew; and Jerk Chicken Salad, grilled jerk chicken on a bed of freshly cut lettuce.

Diners can wash down meals with numerous Caribbean beverages, although they should beware the ginger beer, which packs a real wallop. The non-alcoholic beverage is infused with fresh ginger and can burn more than it refreshes. To get a real taste of the Caribbean, customers should try the Sorrell drink, made from the fruit of a Roselle plant, or the Caribbean Kolas: Cream Soda, Kola or Pineapple.

Looking for a delicious and different home-style meal just a few minutes from Rice University campus? Definitely give this place a try. On a side note, the owner of the Reggae Hut Café also owns the Breakfast Klub, and is another new addition to the Rice HedgeHopper program.

• Pros: It's A Legit Jamacian Restaurant, Huge Shrimp
• Cons: Parking, Can Go Overboard on the Pepper