David's Jamaican Cuisine in Madison

Odd quiet place, good food. They seem to be popular for local take-out. The restrooms were both in an almost shocking state of disrepair. If I could wash and dry my hands would add a star.

Food was amazing, vibes were immaculate. Ill definitely be coming back.

First I must say is OMG!!!!! I ordered the jerk chicken and ribs dinner and oxtail stew today here and cant express enough how amazing everything taste. To me, this place is better than the west town mall Jamaican food restaurant. The only items I wish they made is that cornbread and baked macaroni, however the food definitely outweigh lack of other dishes. The jerk chicken, ribs and oxtail was made with perfection regardless. The portion size are over and beyond what they charge and you can feed 2 people with one dish. I especially loved the side sauce they give you which adds a bonus taste to the already perfectly cooked and amazing taste. I highly recommend this place if youre seeking jerk flavored food.

Dont judge by the exterior (broken windowsor interior (dropped ceiling tiles that have been destroyed by leaky pipes).Its actually really damned good food that doesnt cost an arm and a leg.I got an entrée that I easily spread out across two separate meals. Delicious.Ill be back!!!

Bad portions, Foods bland, and dirty on inside. Don’t eat here. Better Jamaican spots nearby.

Filthy everywhere. Kitchens,bathroom,floors,tables etc Owners wife very rude to paying customers asking for utensils,cups etc. Should be shut down.

When we walked in, we were told by a solo woman that wed have to wait a bit, since there were 3 orders ahead of us, and she was alone. Well, this PRO got the food out in under 10 minutes, and it was hot and generously portioned. We got plantains (again, HOT), veggies and rice, jerk tofu, and jerk chicken. The tofu was not spicy, but really flavorful - and we got plenty of jerk sauce on the side which IS spicy (scotch bonnet peppers). We spent $50 and got enough food to feed our family of four for a week. We all LOVED the food. Easy to eat gluten-free and vegan. We will be back for sure.

Amazing. You will be fulfilled. Best jerk chicken. Straight up the best smoked chicken I have had in the United States. The steamed cabbage melts in your mouth. Food served hot! Steaming! Worth the price!! Get some chilled key lime for dessert!

Amazing food! Bring home a Key Lime pie--you wont regret it. Its delicious and has an amazing buttery crust!

What a delicious surprise!! We ordered the jerk pork, jerk chicken and the fried plantains. Huge portions!! More than enough to leave full and enjoy another meal at home!

Wife and I ordered from here on our way through town. The building could use some TLC, but the food is DYNAMITE. Jerk chicken and ribs had insane portions (2 legs, 1 thigh, and 5 ribsand fell off the bone. Jamaican patties were tender and delicious. The sauce they give you is addictive, be sure to ask for extra.

Ok, im updating this a year later, someone please help me, I cant stop ordering their food, its so goodBeen here a couple times now, both times I got the jerk chicken and ribs combo. Ribs are just downright amazing. Chicken is good but theres times its a little dry and hard to chew on certain spots.The amount they give you though is enough for two meals. I dont know the name of the extra sauce they give you but 1 little cup isnt enough so ask for more, its really good and tastes like nothing Ive ever tasted before.

In town after many years...had to stop!! Got 2 dinnersLot of puck up traffic 😁Didnt care for curry- all dark meat

Amazing food!Just the right amount of heat!!

The Flavors! The portions! This place has it.Got the jerk chicken and ribs, and the papaya seseme shrimp. Getting the wings next time.

I was in town for work, and saw this place. The front door is shattered, and the ceiling had obvious leaks. I ordered beef patties. They were huge, but tasteless. The cabbage had a weird vinegar taste to it. The rice and peas were awful. The entire meal was bland lacking any flavor or spice. I was disappointed having spent almost $20.

Got the Jerk Pork, I couldnt tell you if its authenticate or not but it was extremely good. Just the right amount of spice to it and was very tender. Will definitely be going back regularly.

I live this place they have good food and big portions.

I came from Houston looking for realIsland food I found this place the food is the real ting love the food very tasty, big portions.way to go islanders. Best food in Wisconsin

Best spot in Madison, hands down! Best jerk sauce, best jerk pork, chicken, best everything!

Holy s***. That was amazing. Charcoal grill going in the back. Amazing tender goat. This place is fantastic.

Love this place. Authentic Jamacian food. Not a spicy as when first opened but still great jerk. My wife loves the veggie plate. I like the jerk pork. Its in an old burger king but the food is worth a visit. Order at the counter and they deliver it to you. Red stripe too.

This was my first time trying Jamaican. I ordered the jerk papaya sesame shrimp, pineapple salmon, and fried plantains. This food is delicious and the portions are huge. The only reason Im giving three stars is because I got sick to my stomach and vomited after eating it. Im not sure if it was because of bad food, or because my system isnt used to the new bold spices.

Great Jerk pork and sides! If going for lunch be sure to be hungry as they only have one large dinner size. Leftovers or just count it as a cheat day ;)

Its still here, but looks like its barely hanging on. Best plantains Ive had in a long time.

The food is absolutely delicious. One of my favorite spots. I hadnt had Jamaican food before, tried it once and Ive been back a few times since.

This food was delicious!!! Rice was sooo good! Flavors were BANGING!!! I cant wait to go back! Very friendly and relaxing environment. Please go and try them out!

Just had Davids for the first time and we are seriously impressed. We got an entree and two appetizers and its basically four full meals. The jerk chicken was delicious, tender, falling off the bone. The fried plantains were fantastic. We will definitely be regulars! Thank you so much to the chef.

Got takeout this past Saturday, the first time ordering from Daves. I ordered the jerk chicken and my friend ordered the jerk chicken and ribs. It took 30 minutes after ordering to pick it up. We were both very pleased, the portions were huge and were easily two meals worth for each portion. Mine included 2 legs, a breast and a thigh, a huge portion of rice and a warm cabbage salad. The chicken was moist and flavorful. The rice and cabbage were also very good. My first experience with Daves will not be my last. Highly recommend!

Such delicious food!! Nice people running the place. However, this location is really run down. Door is shattered, ceiling is falling in and some tiles missing and stained with heavy water damage. Makes one wonder how clean the kitchen area may be. The seating areas are blocked off with tables/benches since it is the midst of the pandemic.But again, the food is good.

ALWAYS A LONG WAIT ! Not Good Customer Service, Lady Seems to have an attitude most of the time. Food Tastes Amazing but it’s NOT WORTH a 1 hour Wait for 1 Curried Goat Plate …. Maybe I Will Open a location for there Competition. They also will Cash you out and not tell you how long the wait is.

The go to since Jamerica closed. Awesome food and authentic as heck. Irie I!

David and Pauline have brought an amazing gem to Madison and the USA. 30 years in the USA! Such tender care is taken to prepare and present their authentic Jamaican cuisine. Thank you both for your efforts! I am happy we made it through the pandemic. 👍

The inside is still closed, so make sure and bring your mask. I ordered, waited outside, and they brought the food out to me. Huge portions! And we’re really into the cabbage.

I had it for dinner last night it was excellent David would be proud It was so much this was the laptop Which will be lunch today.

This was so-so, had better Jamaican. Unfortunate that you cannot sit inside, especially in the heat of Wisconsin Summer. Portions were huge. Chicken was somewhat dry and overcooked, ribs were Ok. Pickled cabbage was sour, not awesome. Maybe try again.

Excellent, awesome and delicious. That whole steamed Red Snapper just fell off the bone... tender, the curry goat... Oh myyyy. The jerk chicken, jerk shrimp with papaya was spectacular. The best food I have ever had off the island... Dont let me forget that cabbage... for you Vegetarians you can just eat a bowl of that with Plantians on the side.

Absolutely the best cooked chicken Ive ever had, falls right off the bone! Huge portions, good for at least two meals, and its very affordable. Highly recommended!

If I could give this restaurant a zero I would. The jerk chicken was dry over smoked, the jerk sauce was not authentic at all the oxtails were bland. Sorry 😐 very unhappy customer. Cabbage was very sour,. Please review your recipe.

Absolutely amazing! I expect ribs to fall off the bone, and they did not disappoint. I did not expect my chicken to literally fall off the bone, but it did! These guys know how to cook meat properly. Unfortunate that they cannot offer dine in at this time, but it is definitely worth making a trip to check this out. We came from Janesville. Worth it!

I ordered oxtails & this is the blandest oxtails I have ever had. I cant taste any flavor. The rice & peas is bland. My jerk chicken is bland. The cabbage is bland...Everything is bland. Hands down the worst jamaican restaurant I ever been to. ETA, the meat is tender, Ill give them that

Ive never been a fan of jerk spices or Jamaican food before. That being said anything I had tried before was no where near authentic like this place. I was still skeptical when my husband wanted to try it out. Less skeptical when I smelled the delicious food. Blown away when I tasted it! Absolutely delicious and one of my husbands and myself new favorite places. He got the ribs and chicken, and I opted for the mango Chicken. Also the sauce they give you has amazing flavor but dang it packs a punch of spice! We of course shared bites and everything was amazing. The key lime pie is to die for and when my husband picked up the food everyone was friendly and the service great. You get huge delicious portions for a great price. Im already craving more!

Davids Jamaican Cuisine is an excellent choice for anyone looking for something off the beaten path. The food is perfectly seasoned and comes in absolute heaps!Theyve been in business since 2002 and their long run in well deserved. If youre looking to support black-owned businesses, they are a fantastic choice.

Davids offers the best in authentic Jamaican cuisine. Every dish is crafted with what must be a true love of Caribbean flavors and a desire to make people happy 😊! I was blown away by the ribs and chicken combo. I hope to go back soon.

Truly excellent food. The jerk chicken was falling off the bone and delicious; it was just the right amount of spicy. The sides were excellent. I highly recommend the fried plantains. Really enjoyed the key lime pie as well. Everything came in generous portions.

I very thoroughly enjoyed the jerk chicken. It was so light and simple and the chicken was falling off the bone- so tasty. The thing that really made it special was the spicy sauce that came with it. I sadly do not know what it is called but has a rich Smoky flavor too it and it makes the dish very good. I can’t wait to come back and try more!

Large portions. Wish there was more smoked flavor, but Im sure we cant get the right kind of woods in the midwest for flavor. Chicken was moist and ginger beer is always great

Excellent Jamaican food, flavor is very authentic. Owner is very friendly.Update 10/11/2019 - Food is still excellent at new location.

I love the new place its about a block down the street from there old location still on monona drive on the same side. Once again like always very good authentic Jamaican food my favorite time to come is during the day for there lunch buffet so you can eat a variety of fantastic jamican cuisine. Jerk pork very flavorful as well as the jerk chicken and rice my favorite is jerk catfish so much flavor. I highly recommend this to anyone interested in real authentic Jamaican food.

Looks kind of shabby on the outside, but dont let that send you away. The inside is clean and comfortable and the food is incredible.Jerk chicken was spicy, flavorful, and fall-off-the-bone tender. It came with rice and beans, plus some hot sauteed greens that were great. Theyve got a selection of Jamaican soft drinks, plus Red Stripe beer.Highly recommended.