Calabash Bistro - Vancouver

My friends and I had such a great time at Calabash! The food was delicious we shared the veggie curry (which comes with fragrant rice, a beautiful salad and plantains , a side of roti and the coconut dumplings with mango butter (to die for! . The spicy plantain margaritas were amazing our server added a special touch for us, so that made us feel pretty special. The staff were all so kind. After we left, we went back for dancing later. They played great music and it was a wholesome, fun vibe. The place is highly secure. We felt very safe inside despite it being in the DTES area.

Our server was patient and entertaining, even though we were a large and demanding group. I loved the music and atmosphere on the dance floor - it was energetic and welcoming, attracting a great crowd. I witnessed a touching moment when a man brought a very drunk woman a glass of water, warming my heart.

My friends and I had such a great time at Calabash! The food was delicious we shared the veggie curry (which comes with fragrant rice, a beautiful salad and plantains , a side of roti and the coconut dumplings with mango butter (to die for! . The spicy plantain margaritas were amazing our server added a special touch for us, so that made us feel pretty special. The staff were all so kind. After we left, we went back for dancing later. They played great music and it was a wholesome, fun vibe. The place is highly secure. We felt very safe inside despite it being in the DTES area.

I was extremely disappointed with my experience at a restaurant that supposedly specializes in Caribbean cuisine. Despite the menu clearly listing the items they serve, the vegetarian curry I ordered was subpar with undercooked potatoes and sweet potatoes. The hot sauce was the only saving grace, which I had to add to my roti to make it palatable. To my surprise, I was charged extra for the sauce, which I had ordered two of. The roti itself was tough and resembled more of a fajita than the soft, fluffy texture I was expecting. Overall, I left the restaurant feeling very dissatisfied and forced to eat a meal that did not meet my expectations.

Read here for Honest Review :The food is Caribbean INSPIRED, not Carribean. The staff is nice friendly, chatty, understanding. Unfortunately we came out expecting Caribbean food and music and vibes. The drinks are on point, the new manager is attentive. The food presentation was amazing I had the oxtail with rice and peas. It was a good dish except for the plainish taste. I don 't cook with salt ever, but the oxtail was missing a taste. A little salt and pepper made it a good dish. I tasted the Chicken Curry. If this was a competition... A Curry Chicken would win hands down. The roti skin looked and tasted more of tortilla style. To be fair making roti skins can be hard. The music was techno and loud, not vibey at all, as we were told due to an exception. The jerk wings are worth eating. The fried dumplings are more similar to rock buns maybe. I would not come back for a Caribbean vibe. The place has great potential but perhaps they should hire an authentic team to assist. It felt more catered to those looking for drinks and perhaps a party or chicken wings. It 's not an epic fail but hopefully it comes back to what people say it used to be likePS yes I 'm also Carribean.The most disappointing part of the experience is even after we nicely expressed tips and dissatisfaction, the soup that we did not eat was sent back to the kitchen. We were charged for sauce that should be included as basic for Carribean food.Wheelchair accessibility: None