Rating: 3.5 stars
Typical cost for lunch: $$$ ($10-14)
What was ordered: Oxtails, Brown Stew Chicken, Homemade Pineapple-Ginger Beer
Date of visit: 11 April 2011 (1st visit)
Review: When you go looking for diamonds in the rough, you have to be prepared for the rough. That was our take-away message after visiting Donna’s Home Caribbean Restaurant. Much like Front Page Jamaican Grille, this place is a hole-in-the-wall serving Jamaican/Caribbean food in a rough part of town. We are big fans of Front Page so we were pretty excited to try Donna’s Home.
We showed up and it took about 5 minutes before anyone appeared to take our order. We spent the time perusing the menu which looked quite bit like Front Page’s. When someone finally came out from back (maybe it was Donna?), she told us they had Ox Tails and Brown Stew Chicken. I’m not sure if they just weren’t prepared for our arrival or the menu just tells possible dishes they are serving that day. Either way I was a bit disappointed not to be able to try the Jerk Chicken.
The menu said we had a choice of three different styles of rice (white, vegetarian, or rice & peas). I asked what she recommended. She said the rice & beans but only the steamed rice was available right now. Notice neither steamed rice nor rice & beans is mentioned in the menu. I’m not sure what matches up with what. We opted to wait the 10 minutes while they made the rice & beans.
Like Front Page, they have a list of homemade beverages available. I ordered a cup of the Sorrel, a sour, fruity punch made with hibiscus flowers; however like the rest of the menu only certain items were available. We decided to try the Pineapple Ginger Beer.
Ok, now that we have dealt with some of the rough, did we find a diamond? Well, the food was excellent. The Ox Tail was spicy and delicious; the Brown Stew Chicken had a slight sweetness; and the beans & rice were full of flavor. The real winner, however, was the steamed vegetables. Front Pages’ tend to be over cooked. Donna’s Home were full of flavor but maintained a slight crunch… very nice. My only complaint about the food is that it was too greasy. There were literally pools of grease at the bottom of the container. Now Front Page isn’t health food, but they are able to maintain the same great flavor without so much fat. The Pineapple Ginger Beer was delicious, but you got about half what you get at Front Page for the same price ($3).
Another oddity about Donna’s Home is the strong Christian vibe throughout the restaurant. It’s the kind of place were the walls are plastered with Bible quotes. It didn’t bother me; I figure that kind of cultural kitsch is part and parcel of getting homemade ethnic food. I am sure it is meant to be welcoming to members of the faith. They probably don’t realize how exclusionary it can feel if you’re not part of that faith.
Finally, when the bill came, we discovered two things: 1) they only accept cash and 2) we had ordered the small size for lunch. I don’t mind too much that they only accept cash; I just wish they had put a sign on the door indicating that. Lucky we had enough money to cover our meal. Also, we had got the small size for lunch, but she never asked us which size we would like. The small size was plenty for our big appetites (hmmm… maybe next time I will order the small at Front Page).
Evaluating Donna’s Home Caribbean Restaurant is tough. The food was excellent, but you have to evaluate them in light of your other nearby options. Donna’s Home has an edge on Front Page on a few things but overall Front Page is the better choice, in my mind, for lunch. Why eat all that grease if you don’t have to get the same flavor? Add in everything else you have to deal with when you go to Donna’s Home and Front Page is the clear winner.
-Ben
No comments:
Post a Comment