Calabash Bistro

I booked my birthday with a group of 15 people. From the start of booking the confirmation which is done on Tock costs $2/person which doesn't go to the service or food once you show up. I emailed them regarding some changes of the size of the party and the spicy level of the food and to my surprise, they needed to get 50% deposit for the event before my booking could be confirmed. Well, I thought I had already paid for the confirmation on Tock, so why would I need to confirm again? :(
I told them to call me to get my cc details and no one called to get it but I went Saturday anyway hoping that the table I reserved on Tock would be there waiting for my group and it was.
The servers were clueless on what to do since my party was bigger than 15 people while there were some available empty tables and chairs. The servers even had an attitude towards a guest who did not have their drink ready and took a little of bit of time to order.
And the food was ok but not the best Jamaican I have had.
The only reason I had booked dinner here was because we would go down and dance reggae, but there was no reggae on Saturday (it was techno) and no one mentioned to me & on the website it clearly states reggae night on Saturday & on top of it all, they wanted to charge us cover! I had to show proof that the cover was part of us having dinner there.
It is a shame this experience was not what I was hoping for.

Absolutely delicious food with a few extremely well-done vegan options.

My wife & I stopped in for dinner on a Friday at 6pm, and we were the only diners, surprisingly. (I suppose they get later visits, as they're open till 2am.) Anyway, my wife ordered the Vegetarian Platter ($23; vegan by default), and I got the Roti Stack ($26; made vegan by omitting the goat cheese). The food came out in about 10 minutes.

The portions were extremely generous, definitely matching the rather high prices for a casual spot. The curry on the Vegetarian Platter was phenomenal -- we had never had a curry quite like this. And the fried plantains that come with the dish go very well.

I adored my Roti Stack, which was served sort of like a quesadilla in that too pieces of roti held together (very loosely) the fillings (spinach, plantains, and spicy veg), and the whole thing is drizzled with some sort of coconut sauce -- absolutely delicious and unique. Each dish came with a side of their homemade coleslaw, which I loved -- crunchy cabbage, some bits of fruit, etc. Lovely stuff.

Staff were extremely friendly and eager to please. Can't say enough good things about our experience. Highly recommended.

Downtown Vancouver seems to be lacking in unique, cultural dining experiences these days, but we found this little gem based on online recommendations. We were not disappointed.

I brought my wife and daughter with special needs here, and while it is on East Hastings, having lived in Vancouver I didn't feel particularly concerned about the locals.

The service was fantastic. I wish I'd caught the name of our server, but she was incredibly nice, attentive and informative.

The food was spectacular. We had the coconut fritters (which were to die for) and jerk guacamole to start with. Both were delicious. My wife had the Roti Stack and I had the Chicken Currie Roti. Both were absolutely delicious and portion sizes were large enough that all 3 of us ate well. We finished with the Mago Banoffee Pie, which is lighter than it sounds.

We would gladly come back anytime. If you can get over the street life, it's well worth a visit. Cocktails were really good too!

Came here for the first time last night and loved it! Great cocktail menu and lots of amazing food. We tried the Jamaican Patties, Coconut Dumplings, Vegetarian Platter and Roti Stack. I was a bit concerned the food might be too spicy for me, but it was perfect. This is coming from someone who usually orders mild or no spice at all.
The service was great as well, and I loved the cozy atmosphere. I'll definitely be back!

GET BACK TO YOUR ROOTS YA'LL!

Calabash is goin off - again. This time the three lions (Sam, Chef Culin & Roger) have truly outdone themselves. The food is incredible as usual, the beats are always right on point and the vibe is as thick as ever. I fell in love with my wife here 12 years ago - tonight we celebrate Vancouver's Premiere Caribbean Cuisine!

By the the way, the recent renovations are so gorgeous, romantic and beautiful to look at. Spectacular visual additions and a few surprises for old fans from back in the day. Nice work on the head to toe fresh paint job place looks spotless & tight.

Expect only the best time ever & shout outs to the whole crew including Kat, Bryce, Aaron, Josh, Jonathan, Colleen & Matt! Two for the bar!

Xo Dman & Cene

Came back after many years as originally ate downstairs when they had live music several years back with some coworkers. This review is based on the more recent experience from abt 2 months ago. We walked in and at that time, we didn't have a reservation but I was able to make one on Open Table on the spot, it was for an early dinner. Had the famous dark & stormy cocktail they're known for with their chicken Jamaican patty w/ aioli sauce (which was good) to start. Then shared the chicken curry Roti as it was a substantial portion and it was also good but the ratio of potatoes to chicken was off as ate more potatoes than chicken, and had the mango hot sauce but was not as spicy as I was hoping. That area is a bit unnerving, would be a bit reluctant to go back unless the city can do more.

Interesting place. Only issue is that this restaurant is located a block from a street that should not be named. Police in sight doesn't mean the area is ok.

Food was good but not wow. I came here with my colleague. I had no idea what kind of food this place serves until I arrived. My colleague said this place has some pretty good whisky. Well.... He likes whiskies.

I ordered the ox tail poutine and we both shared the porkbelly. My colleague ordered curry. The porkbelly was delicious. Porkbelly was definitely a 5 stars dish. The poutine was not. They used Brie for the poutine but then it made the fries mushy.

The restaurant wasn't busy when we came. During the whole night they only had 2 patrons (this included us).

My colleague said he will return to try the other whiskies.

First review in a long time - hope everyone is doing well. I came here with a couple of friends because Yelp recently posted a list of Black-owned restaurants to support and I'm so glad we chose to come here. The bistro is cozily tucked right in between Gastown and Chinatown, 2 of my favourite neighbourhoods.

I was pleasantly surprised to find a live DJ once we got seated in the basement. During normal times I could see this place turned into a dance floor, with a bar by the stairs. In the future I would love to have a private event here if that is an option. Along the walls there are beautiful paintings of Black women by Patricia Sparks(@patriciasparksart on IG), and while they are for sale the prices are fairly reasonable.

We had the luck and privilege of being served by the owner Roger who took care of us, and it wasn't until the end when we found out who he actually was through his staff. The chef also came out briefly when our mains came out. Service was excellent and with a personalized touch and our water was always refilled. They didn't even want us to take photos of our food with empty glasses on the side!

The food was amazing. Their coconut dumpling with honey guava butter appetizer is a must try. The dumplings resemble more like falafel and are so unique I've never had them anywhere else before. For the 6 of us we each ordered a main and shared 2 appetizers. The other popular dish is the oxtail poutine which sold out but I was able to try it in my other friend's main dish served with rice. The oxtail melted in my mouth..... yum. The spices can be strong in each dish (jerky chicken, curry chicken roti which I had) but the flavours are very well balanced and defined. My roti was not too thick, translucent enough to see its fillings. The portions are extremely generous and well-priced, I have enough for a second meal tomorrow. I liked everything down to the dressing and oil that accompanied the greens. Overall I was very happy with the food and service and hope to be back in the future!

Calabash Bistro's slogan is, "Not just the place to eat, but the place to be", and I couldn't have said it better myself. Calabash ticks all the boxes to a spectacular dining experience: the food delivers on bold flavours and stuns in presentation; the staff are exceptionally warm, attentive, and genuine; and the ambiance transports you with its vibrant live music and art displays.

My friends and I made reservations for 8pm on a Friday, and were quickly seated downstairs in the live music venue. We decided to share two appetizers and order our own mains. We chose the Jerk Pork Belly and the Coconut Dumplings. Upon Roger's (the owner) recommendation, I settled on the Roti Stack for myself.

JERK PORK BELLY ($14): Dumplings and pork belly is a winning combination. Fried coconut dumplings and crispy pork belly with jerk sauce? Now that's something else! To give you an idea, the coconut dumplings are like a fritter-falafel hybrid--a crunchy exterior, with a denser, doughy interior. Swirl a dumpling in the flavourful jerk sauce, stab some pork belly and caramelized pineapples, and you've got a flavour bomb to sink your teeth into.

COCONUT DUMPLINGS ($6): If you have a larger party, then this is a must to ensure that everyone gets a taste of these fried bundles of joy. I slathered my dumpling with the intoxicating mango/guava butter (sweet, creamy, and velvety!), as well as the remaining jerk sauce from the Jerk Pork Belly.

ROTI STACK ($19): Aside from the small bites of Jerk Chicken and Braised Oxtail that I had from my friends' dishes, I did not have any meat whatsoever in my main. Did I miss it? Not at all. The Roti Stack is an abundance of flavour: there's the spicy veggie filling, the juicy ripe plantains, the creamy goat cheese and sauce, and of course, the buttery pieces of roti to envelop everything in. Along with the tangy coleslaw, this may not be the cleanest dish to eat, but it is certainly one that I am excited to demolish later today as leftovers.

While the food was outstanding on its own, the service from Roger and the Calabash team was above and beyond. Quite honestly, it was some of the best service I have ever received in my life. Roger took the time to answer our questions about the menu and the artwork, gave us several recommendations, and checked on our satisfaction with our meals. He thanked us at the end and further expressed his gratitude for groups like ours dining in during these trying times. Two members of his team, in particular, stood out to me for their equally exemplary service. Our server cracked jokes throughout the night and even apologized for not being able to pack our food himself due to COVID precautions. At no point in the night was my glass of water ever empty either. A female server upstairs even offered to go downstairs to take our group picture (because of the livelier atmosphere) despite us already leaving the restaurant. I was blown away and left beaming by how genuinely courteous the team is at Calabash.

To Calabash Bistro, thank you for an absolutely fantastic meal and dining experience. To Yelp Vancouver, thank you for compiling a collection of local Black-owned businesses to support. I am ecstatic to not only dine at Calabash again, but to continue expanding my palate at other Black-owned restaurants.

I enjoy Jamaican cuisine, but this place made that certain!!! Food was absolutely fabulous. The environment is kind of loud though so didn't enjoy that part too much, but the restaurant is super chill and the service was great.

My friends and I got the Roti and Dip, Jerk Fish Duo, and the Oxtail. My friend enjoyed her Jerk Dish and my other friend and I split the Oxtail. It was sooooo goood!!!! The one Oxtail dish was the perfect amount of food for the both of us.

All of us weren't too fond about the Roti though. I'm used to Rotis being super thin and fluffy and with plenty of dipping sauce. This one was like a tortilla, so was thick, and they barely gave us any dipping sauce so we only could eat half the Roti.. so ehhhh.