Caribbean Grill Restaurant

I enjoy this place and especially the food. There are lunch specials, which are great, but limited. The have so many choices of sides and if you buy only sides, they are fairly good portions. Ask for thee sauce on the side of you want to control the heat of the meal. They have drinks that are a bit pricey, and I wish they would refill, but otherwise delicious. You can order ahead for a pick up. The packaging will be sealed and include knife, fork, napkin, etc. There is no extra charge for pickup. If you order in, they are still not open to the public to sit down and eat, but you can relax and enjoy the music. There is a bench outside and under an overhang. I am unsure if the restrooms are open to the public. I have seen safe food handling every time I have been there. I once splurged and ordered food for everyone at work one day. The only complaint I heard was it was a bit spicy. I suppose not everyone is up for the hint of heat they provide. If you don't know this place, learn about it, try all the sides, they are all good. If you have to wait, it is worth it. The parking is free. The worse thing is remembering how to get to the little mall they are located and their hours are too short.

2 words: Jerk Chicken. This is one of my favorite restaurants in Champaign. The spices are simply off the chart. The spiciness is not for the faint of heart, but once you take your first bite, you won't go back to normal chicken ever again. I don't know if it is fair to characterize it as a Champaign best in the caribbean food category as there is only one of it's kind down here, but you simply can't go wrong with this food. It is tucked away in a strip mall behind Biaggi, so you can easily miss it. My go to food would have to be the jerk chicken with one side. They given you ample amount of chicken with a side of Jerk sauce. There is a healthy helping of beans and rice under the chicken along with one side. I would strongly advise you try the mac and cheese which has a very mild kick. Normally you get a slice of plantain, however they forgot on my last order. Be careful with the spicy as the last time I had to guzzle a cup of milk to get the burn off my tongue. Pros: best jerk chicken, great spiciness/flavors Cons: long wait times sometimes when they run out of a chicken, at one visit we had to wait 30 minutes for our order Hidden deals: There is a special item served only on certain days. Monday- Jerk fish (tilapia) Tuesday- Jerk chicken burrito Wednesday- Brown stew chicken Thursday- Curry chicken Friday- beef oxtail Saturday- Jerk ribs (pork)

My wife and I have been fans of Caribbean Grill since they were only available as catering. This is our first visit to the restaurant, and we were not disappointed. We both had the brown chicken stew and it was amazing. Made with bone in chicken, so you have to be careful when eating, but the resulting flavor is fantastic. The mac and cheese is always good, and the fruit punch is icing on the cake. It isn't near us, so we don't always think of it, but we'll definitely be back.

Finally got to try the Caribbean Grill after working in Champaign for 2 months. It did not disappoint. I went to the grand opening and got the jerk chicken burrito for $1. Also tried the jerk meatballs, as well as the fried plantains. It was all VERY good, and I'll definitely be back since I work about 2 blocks away!