Thanks for the recommendation sck!
We checked out Ruthies this weekend. According to our server the place opened on Feb 1.
Overall our feeling was the place has great potential but needs work. I have suggestions for the owners, not sure the best way to convey them. The atmosphere of the place could use some sprucing up. The atmosphere is that of a bare bones diner. Not very conducive to enjoying a meal. A change in decor to give it a more relaxing Caribbean vibe would be welcomed. The food: you get to choose an entree and 2 side dishes. Here is what we ate:
Oxtail with sides of Plantains and Mac and cheese. The oxtail was excellent. Definitely the highlight of the meal. The plantains were also excellent tender and caramely. I was curious why Mac and cheese was on the menu because as far as I know it’s not really a Caribbean speciality. But on a whim I choose it. It was dreadful. It was clearly reheated and reheated so that parts of it were warm and other parts room temperature or cooler. It was coagulated and bland.
Curried goat with sides of rice and beans and plantains. The goat was good, but too lacking in any discernible curry flavor. Not at the level of the goat curry we get from the scotch bonnet Jamaican food truck in El Cerrito. They need to bump up the seasoning and spice level. The plantains were excellent. The rice and beans were good but suffered from the same uneven reheating problem as the Mac and cheese.
I hope this place can work out the kinks since it would be nice to have a good Caribbean restaurant in town. Vallejo has a large population and limited decent food options. They just need a bit of redecoration and fine tuning of the menu.
[mod note: restaurant report moved from Berkeley notes discussion]
