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I ordered the Boston Bay Style sandwich, which is jerk chicken and caramalized onions. The portion is small and inide the sandwich is tomato and avocado. There's no mention of this on the menu, so if yiou're allergic to it or just dont like it, you're in for a surprise. The decor is ugly with darks colors which darken the restaurant and the music is so loud, it's hard to talk.
Bringing a date (or anyone for that matter) to 'Mango Caribbean' that cannot handle spicy foods is definitely NOT a good idea. It will cause them extreme discomfort, to sweat profusely, and make excruciatingly awkward faces as they take each bite. They will constantly use their dinner cloth napkin to wipe down their face as they gulp down cups and cups of water. (Not attractive.)
I can handle spicy foods, but their dishes numbed my mouth. I REALLY wanted to like this place due to its great, attentive service, cute island aesthetic, and yummy tropical rum drinks (Jamaican Trouble). Maybe we just chose the wrong dishes? (Jamaican Jerk Shrimp & Runaway Bay) If you decide to go here, maybe ask which dishes aren't so spicy? Either that or wear strong deodorant.
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Mango is a staple in my peninsula lifestyle. OMG! If you have never dinned here you are in for a treat. Ask your server to guide you through the menu; they will even bring you a taste of their famous jerk recipe. (if you are brave) It is spicy! If you like the heat ask for the green sauce, it is green papaya hot sauce. yum yum! The ambiance is unlike anywhere except for Jamaica i expect, relaxed, friendly and superb cuisine. My boyfriend and I always order takeout, which is consistent with eating-in, I recommend it.
My favorities are: Welcome Hall, plantine chips sauteed not fried
Cod Fish sands, cod dumplings served
over cucumbers, spicy,
No Problem Soup, jerk chicken and dumplings, spicy
Shrimp Pond, Jamaican style yellow curry, mild
Tabago Special, jerk, rice, veggies and coconut milk
and for dessert: Fruitville, mango, pineapple + other fresh fruit with honey
Rum raisin ice cream
don't forget to try the Bread pudding!
Be adventurous and try a dark n' stormy or just a Red stripe will do with your meal. The waitstaff is nice, the price is right and the food is amazing! On Saturday nights they have steal drummer, ask him to play "stairway" you will not be denied.
Palo Alto's Best!
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Definitely not the Mango I remember. The dining room is much improved. I remember when the place used to be always packed and the tables crowded close together. The tropical decor was a bit much but it does make you feel a little like you're on vacation somewhere tropical, just somewhere very touristy.
I still remember when it was BYOB if you wanted to put rum in your smoothie so the full bar is a nice addition. I do miss the giant fishbowl glasses the smoothies came in though. They now come in a tall glass decorated with the little fake umbrellas of course.
My special lady friend (SLF) and I decided to order two entrees that we would share. The Grand Caymen Special which is the mango chicken served with red beans and rice and sautéed vegetables was one of our choices. We also ordered the Black River which is the breaded salmon sided with a fruit salsa & white rice. I guess I should've checked the Yelp reviews more closely as it seems these two dishes weren't well received and our experience with them was also sub par. The chicken was very dry and dark. It reminded me of a pork shoulder. There really wasn't any mango flavor either but there were a few slices of fresh mango that came with the dish. Maybe it's just the style of how they prepare the dish but we didn't much care for it. The salmon was also dry which made it taste not very fresh. Again, maybe it's the style but not how I like my salmon cooked.
Luckily, my SLF who normally doesn't care for spicy food but is always willing to try something new, ordered the jerk chicken soup to start us off as she figured it would be a good way to try jerk chicken without setting her mouth on fire. It was very much like a chicken noodle soup except with jerk chicken. They also had no problem splitting the order for us and it was more than enough for each of us. To me, it wasn't super spicy but it did have a little heat to it.
So after the success with the jerk chicken soup and the disappointment with our entrees, I ordered the jerk joints and my old favorites, the beef and chicken patties.
The jerk joints were very juicy and the meat fell off the bone. For some weird reason I did miss the old style a little when they were more like buffalo wings, heh.
Both patties were great and very tasty. It's like a pastry with a curry sauce in it.
The service was good and our server was very friendly and happy to make recommendations. I'd probably go back as the jerk joints and patties saved the day and now I know what not to order next time.
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the second you walk in here, its a completely different atmosphere; i felt like i was off to the caribbean! The island decor, jamaican beats, and great outside seating really is a great touch to the place. We had the Mobay to start, which is spicy pepper with sweet plantains over rice and the Reggae Platter (jerked chicken). It was delicious!!! ****They are not afraid to put on the heat on the food here!**** But surprisingly, the spice does not overpower the taste at all. Ask for their Calypso sauce, a perfect compliment to any dish. But be warned, although this is not even the spiciest sauce here, limit yourself! cos before you know it, your lips and mouth will be burninggggg. I'm looking forward to coming back to try the other entrees, and the drinks! YUMMMMMMMMMMM!
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I was always curious about this place so I decided to give it a shot with some co workers.
We ordered several appetizers which were the plantain chips and guac as one and the other was the caribbean jerk chicken. Nothing spectacular about the chips and guac. In fact, I prefer the Chevy's chips and salsa. The plaintains were not dense, light, but lacked flavor. It was like eating clean paper towels. Yummy! As for the caribbean jerk chicken, it had moments of being moist, but it too, lacked any memorable flavor. I was disappointed since this chicken SHOULD be excellent at this restaurant. Wouldn't you think?!
For the main entree, we ordered the curried shrimp in coconut sauce. The shrimp tasty too "fishy" for me (which meant not very fresh and poor marinades) and once again, lacked any strong flavor. This is not what I expected at all from a Caribbean restaurant.
The mango magarita was good. That was its only saving grace to be honest.
Where is the quality?
Their seafood dishes were $17. Too pricey for lunch.
Glad I fulfilled my curiousity. But I am not going to return.
$25 per person including one drink is a splurge for lunch. What can I say? I am a cheap bastard and hello, we are in a recession.
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Avoid.
I just got takeout from here and it was bad. Most importantly - the food was bland. I got the "Jamerican" wrap which is basically a grilled veggie wrap. The vegetables - consisting of mostly onions and then a few red and green peppers - were oily and not seasoned well. The wrap part was fine but unremarkable. And as far as fixins go - that was it. There was some mango sauce that was too sweet and nasty to put on, some creamy salad dressing, chopped watery avocado and oil and vinegar.
THAT WAS IT. No beans, no rice. And yes, that is available as a side. And I asked for that as a matter of fact. But did I get it? No. I got a wilted boring "salad".
The portion was pitiful and would have been rather funny had I not been hungry for a lunch. I finished it in about 5 minutes and was left feeling completely ripped off. $8 for the tasteless equivalent of an appetizer?
Bland, tiny portions, overpriced and got my order wrong. Why bother?
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thursdays/saturdays:
2$ meat patties (shreaded and a creamy type meat put in a patty, may sound gross but its soo good. make sure to eat it with the hot sauce.)
4$ jerk joints (chicken wings, the meat falls right off the bone. recommended)
2$ red stripes
lunch specials daily.
My friend used to own and manage this restaurant before the management changed (around 2006) and i used to eat tons and tons of the jerk joints, which by the way are still delicious even under new management.
I'm a big fan of their chicken roti dish (Trinidad special), last night i shared the tobago special (chicken pelau which is a type of coconut chicken with rice, topped with veggies. it was pretty good but the dish would have been better if served with a side) and i also shared a jamerican wrap dish (vegetarian) which comes with a side of chutney, guac, some bean thing, sauce and rice.
right after the meal i literally had to put my head down because i had overstuffed myself for the 100th time.
the service is good, the owner of the restaurant seems to always recognize me and gives me a warm welcome/goodbye. there is a side room where the walls are painted a firetruck red where a group of up to 15 people can sit. overall, i like the place, i go there every so often when im in the area.
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Friendly Service, Great and relatively spicy food -- it does need some more of the habanero sauce to add the right zing.
Love the jerk chicken, their pasta, the roti and their beer. Smoothies are good and started way way before Jamba and co came along.
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I'm not generally a big fan of Caribbean food (nor have I had a lot of experience either) but I quite liked Mango's entrees. Their curried goat and jerked chicken were fantastic. In fact, the chicken was cooked so well, that the meat melted off the bone. Very tasty. Beware, though, their food is uber spicy and there's no air condition in the cafe.
I ordered the Boston Bay Style sandwich which is a bbq jerk chicken sandwich dish. Not good.
The bread it was served on was just some safeway brand bread (pretty forgettable) except for the fact that the bbq chicken went right through the bread. A soggy piece of bread and chicken was left on the plate as I attempted to lift the "sandwich" up the first time.
Rice - not good. It was a white rice with beans and it had the weirdest taste. Didn't touch it. My fiancée tried it too and didn't like it.
A good 90% of the plate was covered in lettuce I guess to actually hide the lack of food. If I wanted a salad, I would've ordered a salad. Give me good bread and more meat.
Also, totally overpriced. The bill was somewhere around $85 dollars for 4 people and everyone thought it was super over priced for the quality/quantity of the food.
Also, the chairs in the place are huge and low to the ground and the tables are really high. It's pretty uncomfortable to eat here if you are inside. I kept hitting my elbow on the wall.
Mango Caribbean Restaurant & Bar.
Fail.
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Mango has changed ownership again at least once, maybe twice, since my previous review... and for some reason I can't quite put my finger on (slight variation in spices? slightly smaller portions? jerked chicken too spicy now for the kids?), I no longer find myself regularly excited for their food. It's still nice for a change from time to time and I still like their islands-style vibe, but it's more of a 1-2x per year stop now than the 1-2x per month standby that it once was. Ah well, change is inevitable for all of us I suppose.
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09/15/2005
My favorite hole-in-the-wall on the Peninsula. Good food, mellow atmosphere and cheap. Rotis and… Read more »
Who knew? I'm not a huge fan of Caribbean food. =P But if I WERE...well I don't think I have much to compare with. This is the second Caribbean place I've eaten at and they were quite similar.
I ordered the coconut chicken dish that everyone else recommended and be warned that it may be a bit...much. Its a big plate of a LOT of the same thing, which could be good or bad. I enjoyed the first 15 bites and then I was ready for something else. I'd suggest you and your party order a few different plates and family-style it.
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Okay... I really don't understand what the fuss is all about! The website and the menu looked great... but the food was mediocre. The only good thing about this place was that I went with great company (the lovely gastro-"gnome" Linda T) and the saving grace of the dessert. I ordered the jerk chicken which came out with little pieces of bone in there that I kept biting into... and the fact that it tasted reheated or something. The chicken was in small pieces but mushy... totally overcooked. I drenched my food in the Jamaican hot sauce to try to add some kick to it. The service was pleasant but the food was mediocre.... The rice was ok, not a fan of the beans but the fried plantains were GOOD!
Linda ended up with the chicken coconut dish. Both dishes didn't really impress... the portions were huge and filling. It has great ambiance but the food was mediocre..... Bathroom was decently clean!
I hated those darned wicker chairs! They kept snagging my shirt and the two chairs were way too wide for the table!
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Not bad place to eat. But it's kinda dark inside, and a little pricey.
Went on a date (it was the day before her birthday and wanted to spend time together..)
We got a pitcher of the Sangria with red wine (dude... the drinks aren't strong at all...) They shouldn't even be called alcohol..
Also got the Welcome Hall as an appetizer, and for entrees, she got Jamdown, and I got Soca Special.
Quite good food... except I was so embarassed b/c I ate so much that when I got to her house, I had liquid poopoo and pooped out my whole meal (but I felt better after a couple hits to the toilet)....
That sucked.. I mean... in your date's toilet... thus, no late night play...
anyway, this place is supposed to be a Caribbean restaurant, yet everyone dresses up like they're in Hawaii. And there's hella palm trees everywhere. Too much decoration, and the path straight down in the restaurant is really narrow (because of the palm trees). Anyway. Good food, but not a great place to hang out or anything at all.
Wasn't really a good date place, but whatever, I liked the food...
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To continue on with my mango themed day in Palo Alto, Phil and I headed over here to get some yummy Caribbean grub and mango mojitos before going to the show at City Lights Theater.
It had been years since I last came here, mostly because the last couple of times I ate here, the lighting and temperature of the dining room made me nauseous. I was pleasantly surprised to know that all of that was adjusted, and I'm happy to say that I can enjoy dining here again.
The portions are huge, so you can skip appetizers, dig into your main entree and still have leftovers. I had the jerk chicken platter, which had a major kick to it. The more bites I took, the spicier it got. It was delicious though, and I had my mango mojito to cool my mouth off. Those mojitos were strong! Just what I needed :)
Service was friendly, though we had to work hard to get our server's attention even though there were hardly any tables. I think she figured that the loads of food and strong drinks would keep us chatty with each other. Loved the Sean Paul music, which is always cheesy but fun! http://www.youtube.com...
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as soon as i walked through the door, i felt like i stepped into this parallel universe... greeted by the owner (?)... welcomed with lively music and seated in the "front row".
they are/were having this summer special on appetizers for less than their usual prices... had the jerk joints and the chicken turnovers.... REALLY good. my mouth is watering as i'm thinking about it right now haha...
had the st. lucia (tropical mango chicken, avocado, lettuce and tomato).. it was really good! i think like $9... good portion.
i'd come back.... it's kinda "rustic" looking... lol... i'm not into "rustic" looking places
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[spoken in a heavy patois accent]
"Eh, fo' like nyami-nyami, come yah fo' Mango, but supm jess so-so, say'n?"*
The short of it...
Cool locale/interior, AWESOME AWESOME SERVICE, ... but the kitchen misses, IMO.
The long of it...
We arrived for Venus H.'s birthday, a party of 18 with a reservation, and were seated in a quarters that shouldn't be occupied by more than 14 comfortably. But it was cozy and festive, if a little warm, and the hospitality from the staff was awesome and welcoming from the get-go...
The restaurant is homey and culturally immersive; wood, rattan, and bamboo furniture everywhere, the richly-colored walls ornamented in Caribbean kitch, a fishing net spread across the ceiling over the bar. Though we noticed some track lighting and lamps overhead, they are left off to keep the mood intimate, illumination coming from candlelight and few incandescent sconces.
The music playing on Friday night was a soundtrack of noteworthy hip-hop. On Saturday, (...yes, I went twice in a row; took mom and gramma out for an early Momma's Day, and they wanted to try it...) there was an incredible steel drum player with an expansive and fun repertoire of music...
Service on both occasions was OUTSTANDING. For the party of 18, our waitress was impressive, pleasantly and unflappably tending to our large rowdy group. For we three tonite (ma, grams, & i), our waitress was cheery and personable and the manager personally cleared and set a table for us, an awesome showing of hospitality and concern for me grammy's comfort.
The food...
Plantain chips appetizer...
- the chips could have done with some seasoning, cucumber dipping sauce and avocado salsa(?) not withstanding, the chips taste simply of oil. Blah.
Cornmeal dumplings appetizer...
- okay. Like rustic beignettes deep fried to a crispy outer shell with doughy inside. Sweetened with a sugary/cinnamony(?) glaze.
Codfish Fritters appetizer...
- fantastic!! Tablespoon sized dollops of a codfish batter, fritter'd, served with a dill cream atop a cucumber slice. The still-batter texture inside seems... unfinished. Sneakily spicy...
Grand Cayman... mango chicken w/red beans & rice, and vegetables.
- somewhat dull. Simply chicken white-meat(?) that was topped with two slices of mango. No infusion of flavor, no kick.
Reggae Platter... jerk chicken w/red beans & rice, and vegetables.
- marginal. Whatever potency the jerk seasoning/dry-rub has is muted. Again, no infusion of flavor, no kick.
Boston Bay BBQ Sandwich... rice/beans, salad.
- decent. Slices of jerk chicken and tangy slaw on whole wheat.
Raggamuffin... oxtail stewed with butterbeans...rice/beans, veggies.
- deceptively bland. Despite the dark, glistened gravy, the very tender oxtail tastes like... oxtail.
Four entrees, three appetizers, two visits. Items that wow'ed me? One, the spicy codfish fritters.
Would I go back? Eh, sure, but not for the food. The waitresses are cute and Palo Alto is RAMPANT with pretty people who chat, drink, & flirt with 5'5", stocky, middle-class'rs. It must be a charity thing... I'LL TAKE IT!
Oh, and be careful with that Matouk's Pepper Sauce! That scotch bonnet sauce can hurt you and haunt you!
____________________________________________
Patwa/Patois translation: "If you're not a picky eater, check out Mango, but something [the food] is a little off, understand?"
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The first time I had food from Mango I was less then impressed... My BF had gone out to dinner with his sister and brought me back what looked like food he had gone out and hunted.... A huge amount of Chicken with not much flavor... kinda dry and it basically just kind of grossed me out. So when I was told we were going there again with his whole family this time, I was less then thrilled..... You truly feel like you are on a tropical vacation in Jamaica when you walk into this place....Ambiance adds a lot to restaurants.... So with an open mind and an empty stomach I opened the menu and felt inspired.... I actually couldn't decide on what to have because so many things sounded good.... I eventually settled on the Jamerican Special which is kinda of like veggie Jamaican fajitas.... sooooo good with Roti bread and a magical dill sauce that I could drink straight..... There were lots of vegetarian choices (which I have been tending towards as of late) ... A must try is the plantain chips with cucumber honey dipping sauce.... So Yummy!
After a little red mango, we headed over to Mango Caribbean Cafe to continue the mango theme. I had never had Caribbean food before so I was pretty stoked.
We split two dishes, I forgot what the names of the dishes were, but one was a jerk chicken soaked in coconut milk mixed with rice and beans and the other was a almond crusted salmon. The chicken soaked in coconut milk was SOOOO good. I wanted to horde the plate and not share any at all. I was wolfing down that food like I no longer had to chew. There was a slight heat to it, that was perfectly masked by the cool milk.
The salmon was good as well. But it didn't really stand out for me vs other places. I guess what made this dish really Caribbean was the mixed rice and beans that it came with. Their sauteed veges were also delicious.
They also had a wide array of frosty beverages, but alas we were already cooled down by froyo we didn't feel the need.
Note: On a hot day the back of this restaurant is an oven. We asked if we could move to the patio when a table opened up and thank goodness we did. After that it was a lovely cool evening. I'm glad someone suggested this restaurant as I would have probably never found it.
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this is one of the placest in with the most sincerest service in palo alto. in stanfurd country there are too many snooty places that don't really deserve to be around. however, the staff here is really nice. i love how they have the tables on the sidewalk patio. they let us bring our cute, well-behaved jindo and gave her a paper bowl of water. we first fond out about this place because of the entertainment book discount. it was a _great_ deal.
my wife ordered the raggamuffin style - the oxtail dish. i ordered the trindad special with goat. we were surprised at how similar this cuisine was to south asian and some southeast asian cuisines. i mean, we're no experts with caribbean food, but we sure eat a lot of south asian food. one earlier reviewer said he or she _heard_ that this food was americanised for the palo altoan palate. i honestly don't know. however, the roti was like a south/southeast asian roti. the on-bone goat had an asian-ish curry sauce with potatoes. the red beans and rice and sauteed vegetables were a little less asian. the oxtail was pretty good. the meat there as in the trinidad goat was fall-of-the-bone tender. i suppose they stew this stuff for a long time. both were really good. i also ordered a black and tan - which is guiness and red stripe instead of bass ale. pretty cool! my wife ordered a bahama mama, and i'm glad they have these blended drinks.
overall, it was a very enjoyable experience; so i'm giving them a 4-star rating. (if you know me, i very rarely give _restaurants_ five stars, and four stars is very good.)
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I came here with a friend who had heard about this place from some co-workers, and it isn't that far from where they work, so it was an ideal place to meet up for lunch. The staff was extremely friendly here and gave us some helpful recommendations on what we ordered.
Appetizers: Fried Plantain chips with a pepper chutney and cucumber-honey sauce. It was OK, probably order something else next time.
Jerk Chicken Sandwich - It was the lunch special of the day, pretty good price and the chicken carried a good level of heat and was perfectly cooked, moist, tender, flavorful.... YUM!
Rasta Plate - It was a jerked chicken severed with some pan fried vegetables, rice and beans. The chicken was like the sandwich just mentioned, perfectly cooked and seasoned. I have a hard time cooking chicken perfectly without having to take it on and off and cutting it to check, if someone can cook it well without doing that it makes me happy....
The smoothies here were large and really tasty, if you so desire you can have them add-in a rum of your choice (they have something like eight choices!) I was thankful that they provided such a large smoothie that would help cure some of the tongue scorching relief from some of the sauces that were brought to the table. Let's just say, one was hot and the other just an interesting experience of a smoldering log burning slowly burning through my stomach lining. It made for a few good laughs in between tears. I thought I could handle spicy foods and heat that's why I drenched a piece of jerked chicken in that molten sauce much to my friends amusement. The smoothies during lunch we also a daily special, as well I think it was 2-3 bucks, not to bad.
If I'm in the area and in mood for some Caribbean food I'd like to give a few more items on the menu a try...
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so, my best friend warned me last week "mango is overrated. do not, DO NOT do the mango." so, what did i do? i did the mango.
for starters, the chicken patty was microwaved. the salad w/shrimp was way too salty, way too much pepper--i choked on my first bite.
i had the chicken palau; no flavor; chicken was burnt, dry, and overcooked. everything was mushed together--looked unappetizing and tasted even worse. and the "sauteed" vegetables were semi-raw and tossed on top of the rice. my friend and i had stomach aches after we left.
overall, one of the worst meals i've ever had and at $50 for two people, way overpriced. there were two redeeming qualities--the smoothies were good and the service was pleasant. but i will never mango again.
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Mango is one block off of University so sadly it does not get as much play as it really should. I stumbled across it because it absolutely started pouring rain one day last Winter when I was walking to the bank from my office & I ran inside Mango for shelter. I wound up having a seat and eating lunch. EXCELLENT! Really slow (relaxed is a better word) but really friendly service. I felt so at peace in there. Just like on the Carribbean Islands! The atmosphere is cute and they really do capture the Carib culture as best they can with the music, lighting and other decor. The food though is to die for. Yes, I love food so much I might just die for it. My fave is the Reggae Wrap and the No Problem Man! soup. Take yourself off University Ave....forget the mainstream trendy spots for a minute. Let's be honest, you won't miss much. Try Mango. Prices are reasonable, it's small, intimate and you'll find parking.
We went there last night for dinner.
I had the mango chicken and a dark & stormy. The chicken was incredibly tender, it came with rice and beans and sauteed veggies. All the food was done as it should have been. Very tasty.
It was chilly out, and they had all of the doors opened so I was a little cold through the meal.
Droooooooooooooooooooooooooool........
Mouth Watering. I almost made a man-made lake with my saliva.
I went here last night with my amiga and it was fabulous. Jammmin' Music is great and this place has a sweet ambiance that makes it excellent to take anyone; Your friends, your mom, my mom, Chuck Norris, a date, your second to third cousin's brother. Anyone, i tell you.
I ordered the Reggae chicken platter. Boy, I wanted to throw on my Bob wig and spread the love. Delicious. Rice taste like it had a hint of coconut and the Jerk chicken was so juicy and tender.
I also tried an appetizer, Mobay:Spicy shrimp and Plaintains. The waitress said it was spicy for some, but i personally though it needed more! Yes, my cambodian toungue can take fireeeeee. bring it on. So she did. She brought us this Matouk sauce from west india which had papaya extract. Best runny nose and burning lips i've ever had.
After this I experience i contemplated whether to start singing 'Three little birds' on the bar. But once i began to let out the simple line "Don't worry about a thing, Oh no! Every little thing is gonna be all right", my friend got worried and tackled me to the ground to save her from the embarassment . Wah wah wah.
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My girlfriend and i went here for the first time last weekend after hearing it was good from several people. We walked in and all the tables for 2 were taken, so we took a seat at the bar and ordered a caipirinha. I spent the summer after i graduated from high school doing volunteer work in a rural section of northern brazil. Hanging out on the beach at Ponta Negra sucking down caipirinhas is about as good as it gets. The bar tender informed us that they are replacing the mojito (another one of my favorites) as the "in" drink right now. I wouldn't really know, nor do i care, i just think they taste good. The bartender was nice and talkative, but not to the point of being annoying, a nice balance.
Once our table was ready we sat down with a menu and decided to split the Boston Bay Style Sandwich (BBQ Jerk Chicken with caramelized onions and veggies) and the Mi Good (curried goat with white rice and grilled veggies). We also got a side oder of plantains.
The sandwich came big mac style with 3 pieces of bread. I think it would have been a little bit better without the middle slice, but my girlfriend thinks that it held the sandwich together and gave it some structure, i guess thats a good point. Anyway, the sandwich was great.
The goat was also great. It came in a bowl with curry sauce like it was stew. I quickly emptied the bowl of goat and sauce onto the bed of rice as this is the way this dish was supposed to be eaten. I appreciated that the goat maintained that distinctive goat flavor and wasn't overpowered by the sauce, it shows some guts by the chef. The meat was tender and spicy, just the way i like it. There were some bones, but they were pretty big and easy to catch, i never chomped down on one. The grilled veggies were also great.
They do have ox tail on the menu (a staple of Caribbean food), and next time i might just have to get it. Its one of those dishes that must be done correctly or its terrible, so i very rarely get it at a restaurant on my first visit, i have to see how they do other things first. I can confidently say that i was happy with they way they did the goat and will likely get the ox tail next time i go, unless im not feeling adventurous.
You can't talk about this place without mentioning Back a Yard grill on the other side of 101. I thought back a yard does about the same on the meat preparation, although their jerk is a little bit spicier. The plantains at Mango were good, but the ones at Back a Yard are incredible. However, Back a Yard feels like a hole in the wall place where the focus in on the food. Mango has put a lot of energy into the food but has also thought about the whole experience.
Even though this place is just a block removed from University Avenue, the whole feel is worlds away. Where as University is a circus of over priced food, rug shops, tourists, and insecure, image obsessed Palo Alto residents with more money than sense, Mango is a closed, dimly lit, intimate, mellow, and welcoming place full of like minded souls just trying to get away from whatever is going on at the Cheesecake Factory a few blocks away.
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Reggae Platter. Jerk Chicken over red beans and rice.
Plantains
24oz Red Stripe
Negril Beach
Jesus Christ......
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My husband and I went to Jamaica for our honeymoon and although we absolutely hated the Sandals and their food - we did managed to find that we love local Jamaica food! Specifically we loved the jerked - anything.
So come date night on Friday I was wondering if there were any tasty Carribean restaurants and came upon Mango Cafe in Palo Alto and another place in Menlo Park. The Menlo Park seemed to have better food but I wanted a place I could have wait service, listen to music and walking distance to other places. So I chose Mango Cafe.
I made reservations based on a few reviews but arriving at 7pm on a Friday I certaintly didn't need them. Walking in I noticed it was a smaller place, the tables way too close together and a little less lively that I had hoped. But the host was pleasant and seated us near the back quite quickly and was certaintly friendly. In our big, high backed wicker chairs we scanned the menu and drinks.
We ordered the beef turnover for an appetizer. The Reggae Platter for the entree and a pitcher of red sangria since I had remembered people liking it from reviews.
Our waitress was nice, attentive, friendly and even made a few little jokes here and there. She was honestly sweet and did a great job. Everything else besides the service was below par especially for the price.
The beef turnover was quite plain - about $7.00. And even when I added the hot sauce it was really lacking. But the hot sauce was ridiculous! Way too spicy to even use a little. Even my husband the king of spicy had to brush some off. So the the app. was too bland but I couldn't even use the hot sauce to make it better. Eh, two little bland beef turnovers with a half a prickle of green onions on top. . .
The entree was cutely presented and when we got to the chicken it just fell apart - a bit too boiled. The taste was quite boring for it being jerk chicken! Not spicy and again I couldn't use that damn hot sauce because it was waaaayyyy tooo hot! The vegetables were either raw or sightly steamed (carrots, broccoli, cabbage) - I like it that way - but I imagine not too many people would. Overall we were quite disappointed.
The sangria was pretty good I'll have to say and had a fair amount of alcohol and pineapple . . . . but a pitcher was $30.00!!!!!!!! Crazy!
The decorations were cheezy, even to the really cheap red stripe beer flags around . . . . I just couldn't get into it. Plus there was a cook in the back being really antsy waiting for orders which was super distracting. I just couldn't get the feel for it. They did have a cute little nook that looked kind of cool - away from the noise and cheesiness - wish we had been seated back there.
The food was really bland, the place just didn't have a great feel to it, the drink too expensive and overpriced for the quality of food. Oh well, we still managed a good night regardless of this very disappointing restaurant.
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UPDATE 7/5/08
I now also love the breezy wrap dish--it's a garlic pepper shrimp wrap. delicious!
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black river salmon entree: jerk outside, superb inside--like butter.
plantains hit the spot.
and with the mojito it was the ultimate balance between, sweet, salty, and spicy.
the lighting was just right--red-eyed, the music a solid mixture of roots and dancehall.
oh, and let me not forget the heddy heddy bread pudding with carmalized rum and rum raisin ice-cream, yo!
i relish in the after-glow
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wow... looks like a vacation in there!
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i love the atmosphere, nice chill music, big comfy chairs, umbrellas indoors.... fun stuff :)
the food was decent. the sauces were pretty good but i think my friends rice was in the cooker for too long!
theres a bar if you just want a drink and though the restaurant is small, it doesnt look like it gets too crowded.
i will return. a new favorite place in palo alto!
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Wow - went here last night with friends and we all absolutely LOVED it!
One of our party actually had the goat and ate all of it. I had the jerked chicken roti plate that was the perfect portion, very interesting, and healthy. The place was jammed at 8:15 on a Wed night.
I'll be back and it is so nice to find a fun, reasonable place in PA with good food!
Casual Fun just like the Islands
The place is tiny inside, but they have tables on the sidewalk that are nice. We went on a Saturday, and they had a steel drum player who was really good. The food wasn't great, but it was good- jerk chicken, and jerk shrimp with plaintains, and red beans and rice. The prices are not cheap, but the atmosphere, the service, and the food are worth it.
The Mango Cafe is fun, casual and great for groups. My department at work had our holiday party there this year. The staff was very accomodating and helped us work out a menu that fit just right with our budget. The result was a nice buffet for 30 people!
If the atmosphere doesn't put you in an island mood, the sangria should do the trick! The Jerk Chicken was also awesome!
Be sure to visit: http://mangocaribbean.com/
