Fisherman’s Dawta

This place is excellent, the jerk chicken is super tender and falls off the bone. A hidden bk gem.

Fantastic food and adorable backyard patio. Perfect for warm weather!

Really good Jamaican food served in a relaxed, pretense-​free atmosphere that will fool you (in a good way) into thinking you’re eating in someone’s dining room in a romanticized version of Jamaica.
You order your food from a chalkboard menu near the counter with a few daily staples and a rotating cast of other items. I went with jerk chicken, codfish cakes, and mango juice.
The chicken was delicious, perfectly done, lightly sauced, and with a depth of flavor I’ve rarely experienced from less authentic jerk-​spiced things and a subtle heat that built up throughout the meal. It comes with stewed cabbage over rice and peas (what I call beans), both of which were excellent, sturdy accompaniments.
The codfish cakes were pan-​fried right there on the stove behind the counter after I ordered them, so my expectations were high. I’m happy to say they were exceeded; the cakes came out thin, light, and crispy, with a mild seafood taste that paired well with the accompanying subtly sweet and nutty tamarind dipping sauce.
The fresh mango juice was luxuriously silky and actually tasted like drinking a mango, not mango-​flavored sugar water, if you catch my drift.
The prices seemed a little high compared to other similar establishments I’ve been to, but that’s a minor complaint. I’m more than willing to pony up a little extra for good, honest food prepared by someone who clearly takes pride in her craft and enjoys sharing her native cuisine with people of all stripes. If you can manage to come here, tuck into some delicious food with the soothing sounds of reggae in the background, and not walk away feeling good, you might just be a jerk.

Randomly stumbled upon this small establishment while on a recent NYC visit. We were hungry and jonesing for something delish for take-​out. I really liked the vibe and the welcoming feeling the young woman behind the counter had. The prices are reasonable and the portions are okay.
We had jerk chicken, which was good, but not as rave-​worthy as some seem to think. We also had a stew which was very good. Overall, I was impressed and definitely think this place deserves support.

a hidden gem, it does not look like much from the outside, you walk through to order your food and take it to the outdoor seating area to eat. The food is amazing and spicy. Felt like a Jamaican mother’s cooking.

Great place to get authentic Jamaican food! The owner is very pleasant and they have a backyard seating aread where you can byob and just hang out. They have an assortment of hot sauces to spice up your meal and it sure wont dissapoint. I got the jerk chicken my first time and I fell in love!

The food is very good. The vibe is chill. The staff is friendly. But they really have to be consistent about the hours they are open. I have gone there for lunch, but now I’m not sure if they even open for lunch any more since I went by twice since and they were closed. Hours on the door would help. But then you have to abide by those hours. Every time I see this happen at a good spot, the restaurant closes shortly thereafter. If people do not know that they can count on you being open, they go elsewhere. No one likes to get their mouths set for a particular meal just to find out that it isn’t going to happen. I hope they get it together. It is a good place.
Call first.

It was good to eat a Caribbean restaurant; they’re sometimes hard to come by. My jerk tofu tasted fine, but there wasn’t much of a jerk flavor. I was pleased with how much food I got, though, and it was reasonably priced.

Got jerk chicken to take back to my hotel. It was a huge well prepared serving. The owner was friendly and personable.

YUM! Its easy to Miss Fisherman’s Dawta and we didn’t even know it was there until we went for a stroll in the «hood.»
If you like jerk chicken, this is probably one of the BEST I’ve ever had. I can’t believe we didnt discover it earlier. The woman who runs the place cooks everything from scratch. The jerk was moist, extremely tasty and with just the right amount of heat.
R and I can’t wait to go back and try the other Caribbean dishes!

Every so often, I have a thing. Sometimes, it’s to dress up and go to fancy-​schmancy restaurants, or to find the best Neapolitan pizza. Right now, it’s to find small neighborhood restaurants with the coolest, laid back vibes, and that is what you’ll find at Fisherman’s Dawta.
Open the door, and you’re instantly greeted by the woman who runs the place, whose warmth and friendliness is mirrored by the bright blue walls and colorful paintings inside. The restaurant is supposedly designed more as a take-​out establishment than a place for a sit-​down meal, but there is outdoor seating in the backyard, which looks perfect for a warm night. Even inside, there are cushioned benches adorned with light-​colored pillows, inviting you to chill out and enjoy your meal with Bob Marley playing softly in the background. The owner occasionally hums along, and the atmosphere is so relaxing, it really feels like you’ve left the raucousness of the city. I would be content sitting there all day with a book or laptop.
The food is just as playful and vibrant as the restaurant. I highly recommend the jerk chicken and brown stew chicken. For $ 10, it’s a good value for what you get — three big chunks of dark meat chicken falling off the bone and smothered in a sauce that doesn’t taste spicy at first, but builds up over time. In the end you’re not sweating or scrambling for water, but it’s spicy enough that you taste it, without jeopardizing your taste buds. Both options are solid, and come with rice and peas and cabbage. In terms of differences, the jerk chicken tastes tangier while the brown stew chicken is sweeter.
So when you’re feel like you need a break from the city and you can’t make it to Jamaica, Fisherman’s Dawta is a respite until then.

The menu doesn’t really get any simpler — 3 or 4 main dishes written up on a chalk board and not always the same things. I’ve only eaten there twice (so far) and got the jerk chicken both times. On my second trip I thought I’d try something else but really I couldn’t turn away from the jerk chicken. It’s that good!

The best Jerk Chicken I’ve had in a while! Yummmmm!

This place definitely has a different vibe than the owner’s previous restaurant Brawta. It looks like it is more of a takeout situation. The restaurant is painted a cheerful blue and has a laid back vibe, with Caribbean music playing in the background. There are a few tiny tables up front. I think they have a nice area out back when its warm. I wanted to grab something quick before a movie and I did, but the tables up front were not particularly clean (they did have an A rating for sanitation however) and we preferred to eat in the car instead.
Onto the food, the food was good, and there was plenty of it. I had the ackee and codfish. I got a plaintain and dumpling alongside with rice and peas and cabbage. This was $ 15. I think it would have been cheaper at other places further into brooklyn, but I think for this neighborhood sounds about right.
Would definitely come back to try the jerk chicken Peter D was raving about.

Hmm I had training to work the poll on election day and I hadn’t eaten all day. So at 2:45 before class began I started roaming, searching for food. Lucky I didn’t have to travel far. Just next door to where I had to go for training was this little spot. I was greeted by the owner for complimented me on my hair! The tunes were nice. The food smelled good I began to search the menu. Usually I tend to be cheap and was gonna walk out to go to wendys but I said hey let me spoil myself. So I opted for sides which I should have just gotten the oxtails but it looked like the lady eating there had no food on her plate. The food was yummy. I had some cod fish and mac and cheese. A little on the pricey side for Caribbean food but I would def. come back her again when i get a real job and possibly try a real meal. I wish i could have afforded some sorrel cause I love me some sorrel!

I have fond memories of Brawta, the owner’s old restaurant, and I’m glad to be able to continue to enjoy authentic Jamaican without going outside my ‘hood.
It’s truly amazing what one can accomplish in the most basic kitchen. And she is basically a one-​woman show. That’s the mark of a great cook (or chef). As expected, the Jerk Chicken was fantastic. But the Escovitch Porgy was transcendent, and so worth the effort it took to pick out the bones. Done to a perfect crispness and coated wth just the right amount of spicy goodness, it matched so perfectly with the pickled veggie accompaniment. I shall be back.

Fantastic jerk chicken and goat curry. All the meals come with spiced rice and beans and some cooked cabbage (softened but still with some texture) and range from $ 10 for the chicken to $ 15 for the seafood dishes.
This is a one-​woman show, all run by a friendly, hardworking Jamaican lady who also makes her own sorrel: a hibiscus, ginger and spice drink you have to try ($ 4).
Great outdoor seating in the back!

This jerk chicken is DELICIOUS. If you only take one thing away from this review, let it be that.
I would’ve walked right by the storefront, but the intoxicating scent of spices and meat brought me inside. A man ordering at the counter was in the midst of saying he’d been thinking about their jerk chicken for weeks, so I would have to be stupider than I already am not to get that.
The chef/​owner with the lovely accent didn’t seem interested in chatting with me (can’t blame her), but I’m not too bummed because for $ 10 she still handed me a generous portion of chicken, rice (with a few beans thrown in) and steamed cabbage. I posted up in the beautiful backyard and dug in.
I repeat, this jerk chicken is DELICIOUS. The meat is perfectly juicy and tender, with no need for the knife provided. And the SKIN. The skin is so flavorful I didn’t know whether to shovel it all into my mouth immediately, or take it home and eat one morsel every day so I never have to live without it. I eventually went with the former, because saving chicken skin forever doesn’t seem like a healthy plan.
The lady claimed it wasn’t too spicy, but I think she assumed I was a man when she said that. The jerk definitely brings the heat, but at least it’s not the can’t-even-enjoy-it heat, but rather the pleasant, gradual, mouth-​is-​smoldering-​by-​the-​end-​but-​still-​fantastically-​tasty heat.
It didn’t stop me from grabbing every morsel of chicken-​juice-​soaked rice out of the bottom of that tin, and nothing will stop me from coming back.

I went to lunch here today with my co worker. It was beautiful outside so we decided to eat at the place instead of our usual take out.
The place is small and mostly for takeout so don’t expect the place to accommodate a group more than 5 ppl.
I ordered the jerk chicken which was good but it wasn’t spicy enough. The chicken was moist and soft but I couldn’t really taste the spice. My co worker had the chicken stew which he compares it to a good BBQ chicken. I’m not sure if that’s what a stew supposes to taste like.
The portions were good and it was 10 $ each for our dishes. I would come here again but I wasn’t wow by anything in particular.

Mosquito bites on the patio? or, sweat inside? Sometimes, when you go out to dinner in a heat wave, there are other serious options to contemplate past entrees.
My friend and I somehow beat the dinner rush at this BYOB restaurant at 7:30pm on a Saturday night… ordering Grilled Snapper, Shrimp, and mango juice. We were told the wait would be 20 min for the seafood, fine by me! Make my food fresh! There is also only one chef and one assistant cooking in the dining area.
When we first walked in, we noticed that the AC wasn’t really that strong but was still cooler than it was outdoors. We decided it’d be ok sitting indoors but as more and more people came in, it quickly heated up… considering the kitchen was in the dining area.
The hot food didn’t help the coolness either… but it was delicious! Couldn’t stop eating it because it was so tasty. There was a generous serving of shrimp in a coconut broth with peppers, cabbage & kale, and rice with beans. I was stuffed before finishing my meal. Mango juice was thick and helped to take the spiciness out of the meal
But boy was it hot. Be prepared to sweat.
We eventually retreated outside, which turned out to be much cooler than inside — not something I thought I’d say in 95+ degree weather… but beware the mosquitoes! Patio is very pretty and perfect for a summer night. Loved the décor of the patio
Another diner ordered the jerk chicken, and mentioned that it wasn’t quite as good as The Island, but pretty good. Bookmarking to try the jerk chicken at The Island and again at Fisherman’s Dawta. I bet neither of those options will be bad.