Caribbean Grill is one of the more popular food trucks in town, and for good reason. There is virtually no other place in town to get Jamaican and Caribbean flavors; Caribbean Grill not only fills this void, but fills it will tasty and delicious food.
Caribbean Grill will open a fast-casual restaurant on South Neil in the Shoppes of Knollwood plaza sometime in the first quarter of 2017. (Don’t worry, the food truck is still open unti then.) The restaurant will likely be open daily from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., but those specifics are still yet to be confirmed. The much-loved regular items will be on the menu, but the restaurant space allows for the development of vegetarian and vegan items as well.
Owner and Executive Chef Mike Harden was kind enough to answer a couple of questions. The press release follows.
Smile Politely: What will be on the menu? Will there be specials? Will you serve 
liquor or beer?
Mike Harden: One of the things we’re most excited about with the move is the ability to source more local ingredients from area producers, in order to provide the freshest and most flavorful food experience possible. At the start we’ll mainly be sticking to the core menu items that have worked well for Caribbean Grill in the past, and that C-U has come to know and love. In the future, we’ll add some authentic new additions to the menu either as regular items or specials. We plan to mix things up with Caribbean Grill’s current roatation of weekly specials, by offering a fresh choice daily instead of only weekly. We’ll also feature some flavorful jerk options for vegetarian and vegan guests to enjoy as well. Once we’ve got our legs under us and if we see enough of a demand, we’re definitely open to exploring a liquor license.
SP: Will this new restuarant be a causal dining place, or more formal, with a waitstaff?
MH: Caribbean Grill will operate within the limited service restaurant segment as a fast-casual concept. We will offer the same high level quality of food and service our customers have come to expect when visiting Caribbean Grill’s food truck. Guests will be able to place their order at the counter, receive it quickly and accurately, then choose to dine-in or carry-out based on their preference. Caribbean Grill will have a fresh, clean, and welcoming atmosphere for our customers to experience while enjoying a taste of paradise.
Check out our reviews on a few occasions here and here.
Top photo is of the culinary team; left to right: Chef Aaron Beasley, Executive Chef/Owner Mike Harden, Chef Richard Anderson, Chef Caleb Smith. Photo courtesy of Mike Harden.
Food photos by Jessica Hammie.
