Maroons Restaurant

best combination of soul & carribean kitchen
too bad, they closed

So a group of us went to Maroons for another friend’s birthday party. Our reservation was at 8 PM. We were running late, so we called and told them that we’d be about 20 minutes late — they told us that wasn’t a problem. So we get there, and we end up waiting for like 2 and a half hours for a table, meaning that even if we’d arrived 20 minutes earlier, we still would have had to wait forever for a table. The place is extra tiny, so we had to wait next to the bar.
When we were finally seated our waitress came out and took our drink orders. Then she came back to take our dinner orders. It took FOREVER for our food to come, and when it came most of the orders were wrong! I ordered the jerk chicken with mac and cheese and fried plantains (calories and carbs galore, I know… mind your business!). My order came out with jerk chicken, seasoned rice and greens. When I told the waitress what I ordered she told me ok, then came back out to show me what she wrote down… I guess to imply that I forgot what I ordered. I pointedly told her again that I ordered the mac and cheese and plantains as sides — she then went to the kitchen to get them. Although most of the orders were messed up, she was prompt with bringing our requested sides. The mac barely had any cheese at all! It was just eating a plate of boiled macaroni — no thanks.
Now on to the cake. Two of the guests bought three small cakes and they only cut one… for 13 people, which means we all got slivers of cake! I don’t understand why they just didn’t cut larger slices and give us reasonable sized slices.
On a brighter note, their watermelon martinis are good!
Anywho, it was an interesting evening, but I don’t really think I’ll go back. I mean, I really liked this place the other two times I went, but the food just didn’t taste the same.

I had high expectations of this place b/​c everyone says the food is so tasty. Was so hyped and even trekked from the east to the west side for this place in the rain. I walked in and everyone was super friendly! The bartender complemented me on my haircut and she was super pleasant on a rainy Sunday. This made me really happy… I got a mimosa and waited for my friends. THEN — the food. I really wanted to try the fried chicken but it was the weekend after Thanksgiving so I felt like I’d been eating a lot of fried things and opted for the Eggs Benedict instead… usually my biggest comfort food.
This review is purely for the Eggs Benedict during a Sunday brunch. I realize I didn’t order anything remotely close to a speciality of this place. But come on, you can’t screw up the basics. It was by far the worst eggs benedict I’ve ever had. The poached egg was completely cooked through… as in, completely solid through the center. It was so disappointing. My heart dropped. My friend got the same thing and his egg was completely solidly poached also. And I got corn grits on the side that were good, but freezing cold. Heart dropping even more. Sad sad rainy sunday.
As an aside, we were there at 1PM on Sunday and there was no Jazz performance during their «Sunday Jazz brunch.» False advertising. Adding insult to injury of hopes of a great meal dashed…
My review may not be the fairest b/​c I’m sure on a normal night if I got Southern food, it would be pretty good. Brunch isn’t the best judge — but if you have eggs benedict on the menu — please, learn how to make it correctly.

There were too many people for the staff to handle on that Saturday night. for that i am a little compassionate.
We got there at 8:20, sat at the bar at 9:45 to continue to wait, sat at 10:30 to order, got our food at 12 am. UNACCEPTABLE
The drinks were okay, not strong, but slightly tasty. The baby doll was yummy. and the peach Cosmo was good too. For something stronger during our dinner we all ordered rum punch.
When our food finally came some people’s plates were half hot and half cold. i waited nearly 4 hours and you cant even microwave my damn food thoroughly at the least. Told the silly waiter that thought he could convince ME, to be even moreee compassionate. ABSOLUTELY NOT. CALL YOUR MANAGER.
manager was at least apologetic, and explained that they had more people that they could handle. (which isn’t my prob but whatever). He offered to comp the drinks. Which would’ve helped if he comped my bar tab too. but whatever. The gratuity was still on there. Definitely should not have been. Little annoying s#!t…
I got mac and cheese and the catfish. my mac was cold and too hard on top. my fish was not seasoned well enough.
maybe ill give them another try when they are not having a really hard time.

Seeing that I’m Southern and that the real deal is not that easy to come by up here, finding Maroon’s was a warm welcome to my southrn’ missin’ taste buds!
The corn bread, though incredibly tasty, cake like and milky is not authentic southern style, but gone within a few minutes touching my plate. The grits on the other hand are Fabulous… you can tell there’s some lovin’ going on here, lots and lots of stirring and I’m sure a lot of cream, but they never disappoint.
We’ve also dinned on the most famous friend chicken and waffles «Oh my god, who would eat that for breakfast!» chimes the typical NY diner. Well, don’t knock it til ya’ve tried it… deliciousness-​crispiness-​sweetness-​saltiness. the best combos ever!
I also recommend the Jerk chicken… definitely don’t shy away from dark meat, IT is the supreme ruler of flavor between the two!
I think the biggest difference between a real southern place and this one is that the customers are a lot skinnier up here! :) Anyway, go and enjoy some good ol’ grub.

When you want, eh hem, when you need fried chicken. come here. They’ll take you by the hand, sit you down and give you your fix.
Mac & cheese plus cornbread round it out to make it the perfect meal, right before the coronary.
I don’t care what the others say Maroons– I totally heart you.

I am boycotting this place… My friend and I tried to plan a party here and called for 2 weeks straight… no one every returned our phonecalls!
And the food is mediocre too! You want good caribbean food? Go to Negril’s near NYU. The bartenders are cute and the food is good. That’s where I held my friends bash… and EVERYONE loved it!

Overpriced «Jamaican» food. I’m ¹⁄₁₆^th Jamaican, but I still know what good Jamaican food tastes like. It’s not here. I really wanted to like this place because the service was really nice and inviting. However, when I got my food, I was left disappointed.
Jerk chicken spicing was alright. Yes, it was ok. Hate to say it, but I can go to Golden Krust and get something similar or even better. That’s right! You heard right. The fried chicken did taste good though. So there were some redeeming part of the experience.
I’m not a hater. I’ll go once in a blue moon still. There drinks kick arse! They’re pretty strong, so go slow or watch out.

The most delicious and moist cornbread I ever had…
End of review! Yay! 5 Stars!
Sadly, I didn’t actually leave after eating the cornbread. The place is cool, nice ambiance. Its spacious, high ceiling, with huge portraits of artwork of people like Bob Marley.
The food though, was kinda lacking. I was reading reviews that the Jerk Chicken is their best dish. Well, if that’s their best dish, then even I can cook for Maroons, cuz the chicken is average. The portion is pretty decent, a ½ a chicken, but I can probably polish that off if I was really hungry. As for the sides that came with the chicken, let just say they can only make average chicken taste better cuz its really bad that you don’t want to eat it. I had Mac & Cheese and Candied yams. Both were regrettable selections.
The gem of Maroons is really the appetizers. The best are the baby back ribs and the jerk shrimps. Both had great flavor (the jerk shrimps have a spicy kick), and are well worth their price.
Don’t think I will come back anytime soon, unless I’m craving some fry, spicy stuff.

Solid 3.5.
Good portion size and definitely good food. The prix fix brunch special is very well priced and tasty. Though small they were able to accommodate a fairly large group of kiddies that I came in with one time and had our food our quickly and everyone was happy with their orders. If you know teenagers, you know that deserves props. Let’s see, I’ve highly recommend the macaroni and cheese, fried whiting, fried chicken was good though I’d ask for a better, sharper knife so you don’t look all tacky (of course get it with the waffles), the garlic shrimp, and the jerk shrimp. I like the collards and the orange juice too. Oh… the hush puppies! I think I need to go back… lol.
My only complaint is that once I got there at like 2:59 and they wouldn’t seat us for brunch even though the last seating is supposed to be at 3pm. I was definitely salty and that hostess’ attitude really stinks. All of the other times I’ve been there though the people were pretty gracious.
The space is small so convo carries but people are friendly. Sundays they have some decent jazz to go with your brunch.

I came here for dinner, (thanks Unilocalers) and was pleasantly surprised. My dad is from New Orleans, so I know soul food done well. When I saw they had grits on the menu I almost swooned. Grits in NYC are almost nonexistent.
We started with the fried catfish finger, which were delicious, crispy on the outside, and warm and yummy on the inside. For the main course my bf got the jerk pork (yummy but super spicy) and i got the fish special, with a side of grits of course! (both ended up being from the Jamaican menu). The food was amazing and so satisfying.
we did get dessert, which was totally unnecessary, because we were really full, a peach cobbler, which was really disappointing. it tasted like it was store bought. Overall the dinner was fantastic, and the service was very attentive and friendly.

What they do, they do well. We had the cod fritters to start; delicious nuggets of cod and breading with a honey jerk glaze drizzled on top. Crispy on the outside, moist on the inside, much like my Cujo’s jerk chicken. Arguably the most succulent chicken I have had in my life, grilled to perfection with spicy jerk rub. I did not want to share.
My dining companions had the jerk pork (the chicken was better) and the oxtail (also delicious, but mine was still better). White corn grits doused in butter and sweet collard greens on the side? You can’t beat the Cujo’s jerk chicken. Take it from me.
And because the chicken is huge, I’ve got me some Caribbean for lunch today. Yeeeeeah.

Stopped in after a movie.
We got in just before a large group. This place is the size of NYSC locker so making reservations is a must.
This weekend must have been my weekend to be waited on by inept, dingbat waitstaff. After being seated, it took 10 minutes just to get water. Hello!!! Once we get water, it takes 5 minutes for just for the waiter to come back to take our drink orders. He can’t understand our drink order and someone else has to come over. ugh!
Finally our starters arrive; Ribs, catfish finger and fried tomatoes. We’re not sure if the tomatoes are green, but other than that, the orders were de-​lish!
For my entrée I got the stuff pork chop and my dining companion had the oxtail’s. The (one) pork chop was small and a little dry and the stuffing was bland and tasteless. The oxtail’s were a home run! Tangy and falling of the bone with just a lil kick!
I love this place and this is the first time I’ve had a bad entrée. The service is «hit or miss» and bad service always brings down the ratings and tip amount in my book!
No deserts as the bar starts to fill up and I just want to get out.

This is my secret brunch place. When the hordes of crowds waiting for a table at Cafeteria gets to be too much, I amble over to Maroon’s, which has a lovely brunch in quiet, relaxed surroundings, and live jazz on Sundays.
For $ 15 set price, you can start with your choice of mimosa, bloody mary, or champagne, then pick an entrée. The brunch menu is more expansive on Sundays, but take my word for it, don’t pass up the fried chicken and whatever you don’t miss the grits, which are buttery and creamy goodness all over. The little home made biscuits they serve you are delicious too, especially with a pat of butter.

Mac & Cheese, Fried Chicken and Yucca Puffs.
I died and gone to heaven. Or maybe I just stepped a little closer to dying by eating all of the above, but goddammit — it was good!
Came here for my brother’s 27^th birthday and we got a long table in the middle room where we had our southern comfort version of the last supper.
Our waitress was a little nuts, but great with service. The cocktails were fab and the atmosphere was chill.
Only reason this place doesn’t get five-​stars is because it’s small. If you be servin’ fried chicken, you better have enough room to let loose those pants!

You will likely smell the fried goodness and notice the interesting b&w pictures hung on the walls when you step into Maroons —
For food, I had the yucca puffs and crab cakes, followed by the special tilapia. Their watermelon martini is also delish. And though I had a pleasant experience, I found the restaurant to be slightly pricey for just comfort food.

Maroons must have known it was a special day for me because they laid out the rose petals. Rose petals were sprinkled on the tables, rose petals were in the bathroom, rose petals were on the sink, everything was coming up roses.
As soon as we were sat down, my sis, her bf, and I were each greeted with a warm biscuit topped with sugar crystals. It was doughy and delicious. Later, we noticed that others were given cornbread. While I love cornbread, I am really happy we got the biscuits because they just tasted so homemade.
I had a truly wonderful meal at Maroons. It blows Blue Smoke and Amy Ruth’s away. I’ve never had Amy Ruth’s but my sister said Maroons is way better and I’m happy because I suggested the place. For starters, we got the appetizer sampler platter with hush puppies, ribs, and fried catfish. So good! The hush puppies had bits of jalapeño and tasted a bit cheesy. They came with a spicy molasses sauce. The ribs were tender and falling off the bone. While no chewing is required, I do recommend it. And the catfish had just the right amount of batter and was cut into little strips. They were a little bit fishy but when dunked in the remoulade, it was dandy.
For our entrees, we all got the fried chicken with waffles and a side of collard greens. The fried chicken and waffles were perfect. I can not stress how good the friend chicken is here. I got dark meat and my sis and her bf got white. The chicken was piping hot and crispy. It had tons of flavor and not just on the skin but throughout the meat. If you get white meat, your portion of chicken will be significantly larger than the dark meat. But trust me, the portion of dark meat is plenty to make you full. The waffles were square and served with warm syrup. They were fluffy and crispy. A few slivers of fresh strawberries added color and flavor to the waffles. Strawberries in the wintertime? Could they be a gift from God or Santa? All I know is that everything on my plate was jammin. The collard greens were also a winner. They came with slivers of ham on top and were just so flavorful and reduced to the right consistency.
Maroons still had a decent crowd for 2PM. It was pretty quiet but full of life. The service was very good and the place is quaint. And with all the rose petals, for all I knew it felt like Valentines Day! Except I was not on a date. The food at Maroons is very very good. So if you have something to celebrate, are craving soul food, or just wanna treat that special someone– eat at Maroons! You will not be disappointed.
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Edit: 3÷12÷08
I’ve been back twice in the past two months and I’ll gladly go back again. The food is just so good here. Very good mac n cheese. Its spicy! Awesome grits. A little cheesy. Very good jerk pork and chicken. The jerk pork is next in line for my dinner order. Be careful– sometimes the chicken errs to be on the pink side. Be careful if you don’t want salmonella poisoning.
Also– I saw a lonely cockroach running around in cricles for about 15 minutes. I said silent prayers so that it would stay away from us. I didn’t tell anyone because I didn’t want to ruin our dinner. Alas, the cockroach can’t ruin the star rating of Maroons. A week on the throne couldn’t either. The food here is just soooo good! I have not met one person yet who doesn’t like it.
And last but not least– the red velvet cake is THE RED VELVET CAKE to have here. It’s 9 bucks but worth every penny. Light, delicious, red, and just the right amount of non-​sickening frosting. Don’t believe the hype of red velvet from other bakeries in NYC. Red velevet is here at Maroons. Ya heard?

Did you know that I am incapable of Unilocaling without some gangsta’ rap in my eardrum!!!
Have you heard of Maroons? Did not all these reviews convince you that it is one of the hottest Southern/​Jamaican joints in town! If you didn’t believe the hordes of people that have reviewed it so far… doubt no further! Hugo has spoken!
It seems serendipity led me to this restaurant. The owner/​chef happens to be a neighbor of mine. Some time ago we had a barbecue at the terrace at my building. Her restaurant donated some delicious plates to the festivities. The stand-​outs were the mac n’ cheese and ‘cawwwn bread’! Fast-​forward to last month. I was planning a housewarming party for yours truly! Maroons was at the top of my list to cater it. So me and the inamorata went down to sample the goods! It just so happened to be Halloween night! Cue Vincent Price and «Thriller». The streets were packed. We walked in and the hostess was donning the yellow Kill-​Bill body suit. Which fit her body much nicer than Uma Thurman. Despite the craziness we were seated immediately. The calmness and coolness of the restaurant was in staunch contrast to the foolery going about 14^th street. Booby and I got down to business.
We went through the appetizers I was considering for my party but wasn’t too sure about. We got the Po’Platter…three appetizers for about 21 bucks. We got the beef/​chicken patties, crab cakes, and cod fish fritters. Each came with a different signature sauce. The crabfish came atop a bed of sweet apple filling. The codfish fish fritters came with a ginger-​caramel sauce. The patties came with a peppery hot salsa concoction on the side. And the ‘caaawwwn bread’. Jesus, Mary, & Joseph if that ain’t some of the best tasting cornbread I’ve ever had. Moist and rich like those fudge brownie commercials on tv. The service was top notch. Prices were more than comfortable. Everything was fit for a king… for HugoBoss.
Update: So I ended up getting six diff appetizers for my housewarming… patties, crabcakes, fritters, baby back ribs, coconut shrimp, and jerk chicken wings plus ‘caawwwwnn bread’! The food (plus my jungle juice) turned out to be the –ish! Also, Maroon’s is slated to open up a new location right on my block in Harlem. The uptown one is going to be huge. Can’t wait for it to open!

This place seems to be off the beaten path, but I decided to try it when the tapas restaurant was closed on Mondays across the street. We were greeted with a very warm and friendly host, great start to a new place! The menu looked really appetizing, so my friend and I proceeded to order an appetizer, 3 entrees, and two desserts. I promise, we are not the heifers you think, but let’s just say, we know how to eat.
I have had authentic jerk chicken before, so of course my standards are set fairly high. The chicken wings were way over cooked and not spicy as the server had described. They were crunchy as hell and tasted like white meat. Lack of juiciness is a complete turnoff (I would suggest going to Negril’s for jerk chicken over Maroon’s). Next!
The Louisiana’s Grilled Garlic Shrimp was well worth the visit. It ranks high for me in preparation and overall flavor. This was the entrée my friend and I split since two entrees were obviously not enough for us. The shrimp were pan-​seared with a monstrous kick of garlic set on a bed of spinach with a side of plantains (maduros). It’s nice you are able to substitute sides, so these sides worked perfectly with this dish, more so than the suggested rice and peas with collard greens.
Entrée 2 consisted of my friend’s Herb Marinade Grilled Salmon which had a good crust to it, but like a lot of other seafood here in the city, it’s not as fresh as I’ve had elsewhere. Maybe it was because it was Monday and the best day/​night to have seafood in the city is on Thursday because of the fresh deliveries. Hmm…
My entrée disappointed me greatly as I would never order this dish again. I had the Montego Bay Broiled Filet Red Snapper which was bland and fishy. The batter lacked all of the above, crunchiness, flavor, consistency, and color. I will sadly have to say, this was the worst red snapper I have had served to me. It’s a bummer because the shrimp was so good!
By now, my belly was full and fairly satisfied. Maroons Hot Bread Pudding and blood orange sorbet were on our dessert list along with an espresso. Ah, now my belly was really full. These two desserts were good, but nothing to really rave about.
You would figure the jerk chicken would be on par considering this is a southern cuisine restaurant. Since this staple dish was not prepared well, Maroon’s receives three stars for the shrimp.

My dInner club outing August 9, 2007:
A very friendly place with good food.
We had 3 appetizers, mostly fantastic:
1. Baby back ribs: sweet, tender and meat falling off the bone. Fantastic.
2. Jerk chicken wings: black, juicy and also falling off the bone. Fantastic.
3. Hush puppies: Not my favorite choice, but I guess it was a decent rendition. Would have been better for desert.
I had the Jerk Chicken and I’m feeling like I probably should have had the Jerk Pork. The chicken was tasty, but I’m not the biggest fan of dark meat (yeah, I know, how pedestrian), so I didn’t eat it all. What I had was tender and juicy, spicy and flavorful.
Can’t really give this 4 or 5 stars because those are reserved for the «mind-​blowing» and the «spiritual» food (in ascending order), coupled with excellent to amazing service. Here the food was very good, but the service was uneven at best, although very friendly.
I’d go back for those ribs, though. Those were pretty fierce.