The Best Caribbean Food in Washington
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The best Caribbean food in Washington, according to the experts: AAA, Condé Nast Traveler, and The 50 have all weighed in, and their honors are what rank this list. Dōgon by Kwame Onwuachi comes out on top.
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St. James and Tail Up Goat hold the next two places. James Beard Awards shows up on more of this list than any other guide, with AAA next.
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Rank 1. Dōgon by Kwame Onwuachi
Caribbean
A chain-link curtain separates the Salamander hotel lobby from Kwame Onwuachi's Afro-Caribbean restaurant, which pulls from his Nigerian, Jamaican, Trinidadian, and Creole roots. The menu is built for sharing, with hoe crab served in the shell alongside plantain cakes, and a crispy lamb bowl that nods to Ben's Chili Bowl. It landed on North America's 50 Best Restaurants list, and the room fills like it knows.
The awards
- AAA AAA: Four Diamonds
- Condé Nast Traveler Condé Nast Traveler: The best new restaurants in the world
- The 50 The 50: #37 · North America's 50 Best Restaurants
- AAA Four Diamonds
- Condé Nast Traveler The best new restaurants in the world
- The 50 #37 · North America's 50 Best Restaurants
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Rank 2. St. James
Caribbean
A Caribbean restaurant named for the Port of Spain district that inspired it, St. James turns shared plates into a convivial argument for Trinidadian cooking. The space is modern and industrial with splashes of color, and the drinks lean hard on rum. The jerk brisket marinates for twelve hours before hitting the smoker, and the macaroni pie has developed a following of its own. The New York Times put it on their D.C. essential list, and Washingtonian ranked it nineteenth in the city.
The awards
- Michelin Guide Michelin Guide: Selected Restaurant
- Time Out Time Out: #4 · Best restaurants in Washington, D.C.
- The New York Times The New York Times: The 25 Best Restaurants in Washington, D.C., Right Now
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- Time Out #4 · Best restaurants in Washington, D.C.
- The New York Times The 25 Best Restaurants in Washington, D.C., Right Now
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Rank 3. Tail Up Goat
Caribbean
The awards
- James Beard Awards 2024 · Nominee · Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program
- The Rammys Finalist · Upscale Casual Restaurant of the Year
- James Beard Awards 2025 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Hospitality
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Rank 4. Cane
Trinidadian
A photo of Obama eating a double hangs on the wall, which tells you almost everything about this small, pastel-colored Trinidadian street food spot on H Street. The menu is a love letter to Port of Spain, running through rich stews, channa, and pepperpot fragrant with cinnamon. It holds a Michelin Bib Gourmand and landed on the New York Times Restaurant List, and the lines make sense.
The awards
- Michelin Guide Michelin Guide: Bib Gourmand
- The New York Times The New York Times: The Restaurant List
- James Beard Awards James Beard Awards: 2022 · Semifinalist · Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic · Peter Prime
- Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand
- The New York Times The Restaurant List
- James Beard Awards 2022 · Semifinalist · Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic · Peter Prime
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Rank 5. Tast of the Caribbean
Caribbean
The awards
- AAA AAA: Approved
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Rank 6. Isla
Caribbean
The awards
- Washingtonian Washingtonian: #28 · 100 Very Best Restaurants
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Rank 6. Qui Qui
Caribbean
The awards
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Rank 8. Bammy's
Modern Caribbean
The awards