Cafe Trinidad

I love this place. I used to eat there all of the time when they were located on 75^th and St.Lawrence.But no matter if it’s the old spot or the new spot… I always order the same thing… Curry Salmon Stir Fry. It is the best yet!

Food was delicious even though it did take a couple more minutes than expected for a slow restaurant on a Saturday night.
For a deal, I would go back just like I the way I came but not dying to get there anytime soon!

Wish I could give 2.5
Went Saturday afternoon with a Groupon was able to order only dinners
Pro: ample street parking
Food: Curry chicken jerk chicken moist
Rice and beans decent, their version of jerk sauce is chicken gravy in oil
No Champaign cola, no jerk sauce, no hard dough bread, plantain was dry, sorry will not be back ! The old lady waitress with the tats was good tho…

So I tried Café Trinidad for the first time tonight. My experience was more than underwhelming. I ordered curry chicken roti for myself and stew chicken dinner for my friend. The service was quick which I like. But during the short time I waited there were 4 kids running around the dining area being very disruptive. I tried the stew chicken I bought my friend and it was extremely bland. No stew flavor what so ever. And my curry chicken was bland as well. These meals had no spice to them. Either they toned down the flavors to make them more American or someone in the kitchen doesn’t know how to make traditional trini food. I won’t be going back.

PROS:
1. Free parking (although a bit sparse, narrow and awkwardly designed)
2. Clean, spacious restaurant (loved jamming to the nice music)
3. Large portions and selections
CONS:
1. Availability (don’t display things which aren’t there)
2. Inconsistency (both orders were wrong)
3. Quality (ginger beer was flat)

OMG I never knew what roti was til I happened to step in on a whim at 6:45 right before they closed at 7. Apparently roti is like a Caribbean pot pie or pasty in a wrap typically filled with a curried meat and potato. Once I saw they had goat I was SOLD. But coming in right before closing I was honestly expecting a lil attitude or slightly shittier service cuz everyone wants to go home. Naaah they hooked a brother up with no qualms and that roti was succulently delicious! Think I found my new post work treat! If only the goat roti was boneless, I had to find out the hard way after a big bite haha. But shit was too good to complain

My daughter and I went there on last week, we tried to order the ox tail chicken combo meal but they were out of oxtails so we ordered the jerk chicken dinner, it didn’t taste like jerk at all it tasted like a spicy baked chicken. The white meat was bone dry, the cabbages, rice and peas were tasty but had bits of bone through out them that we had to keep spitting out. We had the so called homemade lemonade which tasted like sugar water no lemon flavor at all! Overall the meal was horrible! The sever was nice!

To say I was disappointed with my meal today would be a huge understatement. I’ve been patronizing Café Trinidad for years, since they were in their old location on 75^th street, so I thought I knew what to expect from this establishment. Good Lord was I wrong!
My bad experience started when I opened the container to the Mac and cheese pie, and to my surprise, there was hardly half of a scoop for the serving size. Cmon yall… you charge almost 5 bucks for a side item like Mac and cheese, and you only give the customer 50 cents worth. I guess I wouldn’t have been as upset if the Mac and cheese was any good, but alas it wasn’t. The top was thoroughly burnt and overall there was no flavor, let alone cheese. I’m something of an expert on such things so I would rate this Mac and cheese a 3 out of 10.
Next was the shrimp roti, which I’ve had several times from this location, and although it has never been able to hold a candle to something like Teddy’s in Washington DC, it was always pretty decent and cheaper than airfare to the nation’s capital. I don’t know if this place changed owners, cooks, or what… The whole thing was just really subpar. Especially the shrimp! Oh my… They tasted freezer burnt and were the size of sea monkeys. I ended up picking all the shrimp out of the roti they were so bad.
I guess what sucks the most is that for the $ 15 I spent today there are TONS of other options here in Chicago. Even on the south side! JJ Fish would’ve been a better bet. Geez, probably even McDonald’s and I haven’t eaten there in a decade. Hopefully a better Trinidadian place opens up soon or I’ll just save my roti craving for when I’m on the east coast.

Had two jerk chicken tacos they were great chicken was fresh an tacos were a great size most definitely will have again

I enjoy the goat tacos from this place. The only drawback is that they don’t fully de-​bone the goat and you can happen upon a shard or two of goat bone. This can be very dangerous if you are not careful. Therefore, I wouldn’t suggest this item for children. The sauce that they offer with the taco is very tasty as well. Service is fast and cordial. The parking lot is tiny and street parking can be scarce depending on the time of day that you visit.

The jerk chicken tacos were tasty. The goat was so tender and the gravy was perfect. We washed it all down with lemonade that tasted as if it was fresh-​squeezed. Thumbs up!

This place is awesome! Takes me all the way back to Trinidad. It’s as authentic as they come. Only place in Chicago to get the true Trini flavor. Get Curry chicken roti, and an order of doubles. Doubles is a vegetarian concoction from curry and garbanzos they call chana. Order plenty spice with the magic habañero hot sauce so popular in the island! Just ordered. My mouth is already watering!

VERY GOOD FOOD. Even though I can’t vouch for it’s Trinidadian Authenticity I have to say this is VERY delicious food. This unassuming, intimate sized, casual dining location offers many dishes to treat and tentelize the discerning palate. Food, ordered at the registered, is brought to your table when ready and usually does not take a long time. When I got done with my plate, they almost didn’t have to wash it… yes it was that good. The location is right on 47^th street and is a short drive from either Lake Shore Drive or I94 (the Dan Ryan Expressway). The staff and management are very friendly and checked to make sure everything was great. I can’t wait to go back.
Personally speaking, parking can be a little tricky and I would LOVE for them to have longer opening hours, say until 9 PM at least. Outside of that, you «must go» here for lunch or early dinner.

It was just ok. called in with a Groupon… online the jerk chicken dinner is 10.50 got charged 12.00. The food was Luke warm like it had already been sitting there. Also ordered Trini tacos they were tasty but cold. Overall glad I had a Groupon cuz I would’ve been upset had I paid full price. I feel they overcharged me because I had a Groupon.

The food at this place is good. The problem is that I asked for 3 different items that were either not available or not ready yet (Curry Crab, Dumplings & Callalloo, Bake & Fish, Phoulori). On top of that I called the order in, which I was told would take 25 minutes. I arrived about 25 minutes later and had to wait an additional 20 minutes.
I tried curry, stew and jerk chicken, curry goat and the jerk chicken roti.
I really enjoyed the stew and jerk chicken. Also the roti was huge.
The food gets a 4. The customer service gets a 1

Nothing going on here but deliciousness! I love food from the islands and Café Trinidad did not disappoint.
I’ve been here a couple of times… dining in and for pickup. The jerk chicken is really good and the jerk sauce is a little different from what I am used to. This version of the sauce was a little lighter in terms of color and is a little sweeter than the Jamaican version I am used to… really good though. All entrees come with your choice of rice (white or brown), peas, plantains and curry steamed vegetables which are really good especially when mixed in with the rice. I have also had the curry salmon and it is really good… the flavor is phenomenal and melts in you mouth. Portions are a really nice size FYI.
The people that work here are really nice and always make sure you are satisfied with your meal. The place itself is small as I think they have about five tables for dining but they make it for the size with delicious food that you can get with carry-​out/​pickup. I love this place!

This is a small restaurant on the corner. The food was a little bland and the atmosphere was nice. It appears clean and the portions are large.

Simply authentic and amazing! Coming from someone who is a Cali native, I must say. I want to come back to Chicago specifically for this chicken curry roti!
Been miserable ever since I got back home. Just such bold and yummy flavors in everything that you cannot find on the west coast! Highly recommend!

The boy loved his ginger beer. Holy hell the food was so good! Well worth the drive into the ghetto, it’s cool there’s parking upfront. We had the jerk chicken roti and the got chicken curry combo. It was all covering rice with beans or lentils it was BOMB! Tender as hell almost too tender but exceptionally delicious… highly recommended!

I was a fan of Café Trinidad when they were located on 75^th and St. Lawrence, so when I learned that they had not closed up shop, but were relocating to 47^th, just west of Cottage Grove, I determined to make my way there! I had fond memories of the Macaroni Pie, Curried Salmon and Vegetables, and Peach Cobbler to sustain me while waiting for them to reopen.
After a couple of false starts, and a blank trip, I finally made it yesterday. I have my fellow Unilocalers, and previous experience, to thank for the wisdom to call ahead and verify their hours AND the availability of my desired culinary delights. I had the Boneless Jerk Chicken Roti (good curry flavor, though not so much Jerk), Macaroni Pie (a good sized serving of well-​cheesed of noodles, only lacking a bit of salt & pepper), some of my friends plantains (perfectly crisp edges, soft centers, and ripe-​plaintain goodness!), Sauteed Cabbage (tasty, not overcooked, with bonus carrots and peppers), and the Peach Cobbler (peaches, cinnamon, sugar, crust – what’s not to like?) for dessert.
As several others have mentioned, this space does leave a bit to be desired. Not nearly as spacious and gracious as the prior location (I HATE that they moved!), there is seating for about six (6) parties in the back, with a couple of high tables in the front waiting/​order area. The Reggae/​Caribbean music was creating a nice vibe, there was a small heater making sure we weren’t cold, and all was well with my tummy!
Welcome back, Café Trinidad!

Having had some authentic Trini food, thanks to a great friend from Trinidad, I was curious to see how Café Trinidad would fare. It’s unfair that I automatically fall in love with Caribbean food since I am Caribbean. But there is something to be said for authenticity.
Curry chicken. Plantains. Rice and beans. Cabbage. Ginger beer.
It may be my accent that caused my food to come out spicy. I am not one to complain about my food having a kick to it, but when I don’t have to request that it come spicy and it does, I’m won over. The chicken was tender enough to eat with a plastic spoon. Yes, you read that correctly. Everything was a hit. I have to go back later to try some of the specials on the menu.