Desert Island Eatery is a small Caribbean and Vegan Take Out Restaurant located in North Phoenix Arizona. You can dine in if you are lucky enough to get one of the three small tables the restaurant has.
Desert Island Eatery has limited hours. They are open for dinner from 5pm-9pm Tuesday-Saturday. They are located in an older strip mall on Bell Road behind a Taco Bell so you will not be able to see them from the road. The inside is very small but is decorated with homey things.
The mother and her youthful son will wait on you.
I look at the menu. What will I get this time?
Maybe next time I might change things up? I’m getting my favorites from last time again.
We start again with the lentil balls ($5.00).
I have been told that the recipe was changed. The lentil balls are now gluten free and do have a different texture. They are noticeably more lentil like and less falafel like. Still delicious and covered with a bit of jerk mayo and guava drizzle.
Last time I had the tri-plate with three kinds of chicken (jerk, curry and bbq). They all were delicious but for my taste the most special flavors were the curry and jerk so I had to get a combo plate of curry and jerk chicken ($16.00).
Both chickens are incredibly moist, flavorful and are falling off the bone. The curry is just as delicious as I remember from last time. Today the jerk is also delicious but maybe one notch spicier. I do believe this jerk chicken is the best jerk chicken I’ve ever had anywhere. The yellow rice is very flavorful (and abundant) and the cabbage is delicious. This is a very large portion and is two dinners for me (SCORE! WHOO HOO!). ((I love bringing home leftovers when the food is delicious))
My husband asked for a special combo of jerk chicken with jerk shrimp with rice and peas ($18.00).
Everything was prepared well and everything was delicious.
We expressed interest in the vegan Mac and cheese. We were told it was made with cashew milk, potatoes and carrots. That doesn’t sound so tasty to me but a small sample did come out and I have to I was wrong…It actually was delicious. It looked just like macaroni and cheese. It didn’t taste really cheesy but had a very good flavor and it felt like macaroni and cheese in your mouth. I think it might have been laced with vegetable soup flavor. I might order some next time.
The desserts do differ depending on the day.
Today they had Johnny Cakes with spiced apples ($5.00).
They weren’t what I was expecting….I thought they’d be yellow pancakes but we got balls that were sort of doughnut-like with a tasty not too sweet apple topping.
Last time we had-
Tri Plate Combo curry chicken, jerk chicken yellow rice with cabbage ($18.00).
Jerk Seafood Combo (Jamaican Jerk Style) Shrimp Swai, rice and peas ($20.00)
Desert Island Eatery is Forking SCRUMPTIOUS Caribbean and Vegan Food.
Worth a Fork!
www.DesertIslandTucson.com
Everything is subject to change and your experience may or may not differ.
