Craving Caribbean food? Whether you seek Cuban, Puerto Rican or Jamaican cuisine, these Denver-area restaurants bring an island vibe to a landlocked state.
Hoodline crunched the numbers to find the top Caribbean restaurants around Denver, using both Yelp data and our own secret sauce to produce a ranked list of where to venture next time you're on the hunt.
1. Cuba Cuba Cafe & Bar
Topping the list is Cuba Cuba Cafe & Bar. As the name suggests, Cuba Cuba's chef Carlos Nava serves up elevated Cuban food from its location at 1173 Delaware St. — one of several in the Denver area. It's the highest-rated Caribbean restaurant in Denver, boasting four stars out of 537 reviews on Yelp.
On the menu, diners can expect to find the signature seared shrimp with coconut milk, ginger, and peppers over mashed potatoes, as well as the breaded steak with black beans and rice, fried sweet plantains and black bean reduction sauce.
2. Buchi Cafe Cubano
Buchi Cafe Cubano, located at 2651 W. 38th Ave., is another top choice, with Yelpers giving the casual Cuban breakfast and lunch spot four stars out of 355 reviews.
The house specialty is pressed Cubano sandwiches like the Aye Conyo, with Cuban roast pork, ham, turkey, pepperoni, Swiss cheese, pickles, onions, hot pepper mustard and key lime mayo. Breakfast sandwiches and traditional Cuban coffee and espresso drinks are also available, as are cocktails.
3. Welton Street Café
Welton Street Café, a soul food and Caribbean spot in Five Points, is another popular go-to, with four stars out of 265 Yelp reviews. While the fried chicken and other Southern soul food staples are highly regarded, Yelpers also praise the Caribbean flavors of the oxtail, jerk chicken and red beans and rice. Head over to 2736 Welton St., Suite 107 to see for yourself.
4. El Coqui D'Aqui
Next up is El Coqui D'Aqui, which has earned 4.5 stars out of 59 reviews on Yelp. Customers approve of the generous portions and authenticity of its Puerto Rican fare, like mofongo (deep-fried mashed green plantains) and jibarito (a pork sandwich served between flattened fried plantains instead of bread).
For an extra dose of Caribbean atmosphere, diners can chill out with half of a fresh coconut to drink. You can find El Coqui at 2236 S. Colorado Blvd.
5. Jamaican Grill
Finally, there's Jamaican Grill, a local favorite with four stars out of 146 reviews. Stop by 709 W. Eighth Ave. to hit up the Caribbean spot next time you're in the mood for its signature curried goat stew, brown chicken stew and coconut rice, or whole pan-fried red snapper.
