My favourite place for brunch - nothing beats a couple of johnny cakes and a jerk salmon eggs benny!
Great food, friendly staff and awesome music. One of my favorite restaurants.
Iāve probably passed this place dozens of times but never thought to actually try it. It has this kind of mesmerizing aura that just draws you inā¦maybe itās the music, maybe itās the unique decor. In any case, it led to a great dining experience!. The first thing that youāll notice inside is the neat signs, posters, art, and the likes scattered all about.
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Iām a huge fan of Caribbean food and I really love knowing where to get the good stuff. Reef Restaurant Main Street The is one of the most solid places in Vancouver to keep in mind when youāre craving those unique and spicy flavours. They have two locations in the city; one on Main and one on Commercial (and a food truck too!). You might have seen them on You Gotta Eat Here! and Westender named them as #1 Best Caribbean 2017.
We decided to visit their Main Street location on a Saturday evening and were immediately welcomed by the warm atmosphere. Even though the weather was cool, the patio out front was warm enough to sit and eat thanks to the heaters. We sat inside though, right next to their toasty wood-burning oven. The vibe is very laid back and the decor is lively and colourful. The space feels very much like a cross between a casual Canadian restaurant and a little joint that you might find in Jamaica. I enjoyed finding things around the room; such as the steel drum and the surfboard hanging above the bar. The server helping us was extremely friendly and accommodating.
I wanted a cocktail (and I wanted to feel like I was on a beach!). I really liked how each cocktail is accompanied by the name of the place that itās from. I found myself in the āDe Coconutsā section and assumed that getting a beverage served in a coconut was the way to go. I chose The Original āGet Juicedā Beach Punch (3oz J. Wray overproof, dark & white rum & tropical juices - $12.00) from Jamaica and was ready to get juiced. As promised, a cocktail in a coconut. It was boozy. But in a really great, not too alcohol-tasting way. Just what I was looking for! Refreshing and fruity, this is the perfect way to get juiced, even on a winterās day in Canada.
I looked to the āSmall Tingsā section of the menu and happily found a Jamaican Patty (House made, lightly seasoned ground beef or tofu - $4.00), one of my favourite things. I ordered this with beef inside, of course. This version was nice and obviously made with care. I liked the flaky pastry and the beef inside was savoury and very good. I could have used a little bit more spice. Not the best patty of my life, but pretty good.
Next time I would probably favour an order of their incredible Plantain Chips (so thinly sliced and deliciously seasoned!) or the Cheesy Crab Dip... Actually, the Tasting Platter may be the true way to go.
For my main dish I ventured to the āCaribbean Special Tingsā section and bee lined on over to the Ackee & Saltfish (Jamaicaās national fish of ackee fruit, salt cod, onion, tomato & peppers with rice ān peas & coleslaw - $19.00), my favourite Jamaican dish. This was a really excellent version of a dish that I enjoy a lot and have tasted in several different restaurants as well as in Jamaica. Sometimes when I order this I find that there isnāt very much fish and that the little fish bits are barely noticeable. Not so in this case, in fact this was probably the best example of beautiful large chunks of fish, bursting with salty flavour! I did not find myself searching for fish at all. It was there, in every bite. The ackee was tender and scrambled egg-like, which sounds weird but becomes an endearing part of the experience. All of the vegetables were bright and fresh. The entire mixture was deliciously oily and a perfect embodiment of this unique dish. The rice on the side was nice (but quite plain) and the coleslaw added a good crunch.
Next time I will absolutely be excited to try their Jamaican Jerk Chicken. It sounds like they have an expert recipe for it and I cannot wait to see how it is.
Another thing that I appreciated about The Reef are the clearly designated menu items for various dining preferences such as vegetarian or gluten free. They are also partnered with Ocean Wise. And they serve breakfast too! The quality of this Caribbean food is some of the best in town, treat yourself to a tropical vacay on over to this restaurant!
I remember the food being really good here so I took the bf for his first time. We came early, about 5pm on a Saturday night. Only a handful of tables were sat - which is why I lowered the rating as our service was terrible. The server never brought us the red stripe beer. We finished all our food and then the jerk wings finally came out.. server told us they waited to get 'fresh one's.. . Whatever that means. Food was great, roti in particular was our favorite. Maybe do take out here.. because the service needs work.
Back in my old stomping grounds stepped in for some brunch ordered the Sam Lords Breakfast withš¤¤bacon and a side ofšjerk chicken breast added someš„hot sauce with the meal.The sauce started off sweet and "WHAM O" š³!!! theš„š„heat OM Gosh!!!š it was soooo good. Overall it was the best breakfast i've hadšin a long time i would highly recommend this locationšš»šš»
We did have to wait quite a while for food, but the server was nice about it and even took our drinks off the tab, which was nice. The food itself was a cool, and different experience. I had the tofu jerk, which was spicier than I expected, but still really good. I like the spicy sauce they give on the side for you to pit on as well. Also, the bread with the mango butter was really delicious, though I kind of wish it came with more bread.
The reef has been a successful business for years. When you enter the decor is very cozy and laid back. They have a huge screen in the back to watch sports. Service is adequate and very friendly. My girlfriend and I came here on a Friday night after walking our husky pup. We started with the epenadas. It was good, the sauce is sweet and savory too. She ordered the June feature which is the gumbo. Wow its very comforting and hearty. It was hugging the wild rice nicely. I ordered the Jamaican national dish, the saltfish and ho ho ho Oh my it hit the spot... Now if you like spice like I do, they give a jar of in-house spice sauce. Slap that onto the saltfish and man, it's a party. Great complement together. Overall, can't go wrong with this place. Oh I forgot to mention they give you complementary dough ball to start. And at the end of your meal you get a free post card, pretty cool.
I'll come back for happy hour, sounds like a good deal!
One of the few Jamaican restaurants in Vancouver, so we had to check it out. First off, the complimentary Johnny cakes are delicious, make sure to eat them with the butter and hot sauce! We ordered plantain chips, the Jamaican jerk with chicken breast, and also a chicken quesadilla. We loved the plantain chips, although the jerk mayo that comes with it is nothing to get excited about. Both the main courses were wonderful, the jerk chicken was tender and very saucy and went well with the rice n peas. We aren't big coleslaw fans so cannot say much about the coleslaw. The quesadilla was great as well, but would probably order something different next time. For hot sauce lovers, The Reef has this Carribbean hot sauce called Matouk's, it truly is the best!
Service was good and prices are very fair considering portion sizes, we would recommend!
I do enjoy the ambiance (I almost feel like I'm actually on vacation), but not so much the service. The first time I visited The Reef, I had a great experience. The second time, not so much. It took our server almost 20 minutes to take our order and then another 15 to get the bill. I enjoyed the fish tacos the first time around, but there was something different about it eh second time I tried it. I loved it so much I came back for it, but was utterly disappointed. But my favourite dish of all time will have to be their yam fries (you have to try to understand).
Just popped in to try! Try the award winning wings. POW it's so much yum in your mouth. It's the punch in your face you love to get! Cheers. Can't wait to be back!
There aren't too many places that offer real Jamaican food in Vancouver, so the Reef is going to be your go-to place for that kind of cuisine. The jerk chicken (and other jerk meats) are really where it's at here, but you'll want to be mindful of your heat tolerance. Service is good, but it can get hectic during busy times.
Had a nice lunch time here! Foods were great, but a bit salty for me when it came to the chicken jerky. However, the pork ribs we ordered was fabulous, very tasty and authentic tomato sauce. Service was more than excellent! The server was so nice and friendly, she made sure we were feeling good with everything, and we actually did! Will come back someday.
We stumbled on this restaurant because we were hungry on our stroll. The restaurant was pretty nice, I liked the vibe. I ordered the jerk wings and yam fries, I thought it was good but I have tasted better jerk. I would go back for the meals though. I really loved the free corn dough it was tasty and reminded me of Nigerian buns. Our server was welcoming too. The prices are good
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Cozy is the word that best describes this place. Even on the patio outside thr heaters keep iT really warm. Old style things always work better.
Little dark inside but making your way through the restaurant to your seat isnāt hard. There is actual fireplace heater inside but the whole place is warm enough. Ok enough talk about warmth.
Food- menu is simple with easy to choose options. Apparently i took my time to read all the ingredients under the dishes and my server helped me understand the cooking process. ( i missed taKing pictures of the menu)
I was gonna try a unique carribian dish so i took my time. Honestly the spices are more or less like indian food but the taste is different. I loved my dish of cod fish n rice with a twist of local fruit n spicess. (Obviously fruit must be frozen ) Introductory fried bread dumpling was amazing. Tofu was marinated in the spices and fried so it gave a very stronng taste of cloves. U must try their cocktails as there are number of interesting ones. Infact there is a tiny open bar.
Overall a good experiment.
My vegan girlfriend and I were really happy to find a Reef location in Mt Pleasant on Main Street. We were used to the location on the Drive which seems to have been turned into an Indian restaurant.
If you're vegan and trying out this restaurant, I recommend the jerk tofu dish with cabbage salad and streamed veggies. Delicious Caribbean good.
We got 2 Jamaican patties and a side of jerk wings!!. Savory and yummy. Thank goodness for water. Oh wee!!
And thanks for doing contact tracing!
Went here with friends for some jerked chicken with plantain chips and it was delicious. Also tried a cocktail similar to Moscow mule but with rum - yummy! Really nice staff, good ambiance and awesome beats in the background. We also got some desert and it didnāt disappoint. Highly recommended!
A properly authentic experience. I saw Tiger Malt on the menu and ordered it. Totally tasted like the fizzy version of the malt extract, this thick gooey product you could buy in a tin when I was a kid. My wife does not like it, but wow, totally took me back. The service is not fast here, don't be in a rush when you come here.
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