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The Caribbean is a big place. Its islands share sugarcane, rum, rice and beans, plantains and a love of slow-cooked meat, but each has its own accent. Palo Alto has two islands covered. Coconuts on Ramona Street cooks Jamaican and wider Caribbean food under a Jamaican-born chef. La Bodeguita del Medio on California Avenue has poured mojitos and served Cuban food since 1997. Just across San Francisquito Creek in Menlo Park, the Coconuts chef also runs a takeout counter called Back A Yard.
This guide searched for Caribbean restaurants within about 15 miles of downtown Palo Alto. The three below are all within about 2 miles. We could not confirm other Caribbean restaurants farther out through their own websites in late 2026. Coconuts and La Bodeguita were checked through their own websites and verified pages in our directory. Menus change, so treat dishes as examples.
What Caribbean food is
Caribbean cooking blends West African, Indigenous Taíno, Spanish, British, French, Indian and Chinese traditions. Enslaved Africans brought okra, rice skills and one-pot stews. Indian indentured workers brought curry and roti. Spanish colonists brought pork, rice and sofrito. Each island mixed them differently.
- Jerk. Jamaica's signature. Meat marinated in allspice, Scotch bonnet chile, thyme and scallion, then grilled over fire.
- Oxtail. Beef tail braised for hours until soft, often with butter beans.
- Curry goat. Bone-in goat stewed in Caribbean curry, a legacy of Indian cooks.
- Rice and peas. Rice cooked with kidney beans and coconut milk. In Jamaica the "peas" are beans.
- Plantains. Ripe plantains fried until sweet (maduros) or green plantains fried crisp.
- Ropa vieja. Cuba's shredded beef stewed with peppers, onions and tomato. The name means "old clothes."
- Mojo. A Cuban marinade of sour orange, garlic and oil, used on pork and seafood.
- Cubano. A pressed sandwich of roast pork, ham, Swiss cheese, pickles and mustard.
- Rundown. Fish simmered in coconut milk until the milk "runs down" into a thick sauce.
Coconuts, 642 Ramona Street
Coconuts Caribbean Restaurant & Bar has served Jamaican and Caribbean food a block off University Avenue since August 2008. Chef and owner Robert Simpson began cooking in Jamaica, worked at Caribbean resorts and trained at the Culinary Institute of America. The room has 110 seats, a private area and a patio, with reggae, calypso and steel pan on the sound system.
The restaurant's menu calls starters "small t'ings" and mains "big t'ings." Jerk chicken is marinated for 24 hours and fire-grilled, with dark meat as standard. Oxtails are braised for about four hours with butter beans. Curried goat comes "dancehall style," simmered with curry and habanero. Roasted sea bass arrives in a coconut rundown with okra, pumpkin and spinach. Starters include coconut shrimp with mango sauce, a Jamaican patty sampler and jerk wings. Mains come with rice and beans, fried plantains and roasted vegetables. Sides include collard greens, skillet cornbread and festival, the sweet Jamaican fried dumpling.
The bar is a rum bar, with cocktails made from fresh fruit and house infusions plus a range of Caribbean rums and beers. Coconuts is closed on Mondays. It opens at 11 a.m. Tuesday to Sunday and closes at 9 p.m. Tuesday to Thursday, 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and 8 p.m. on Sunday. Tables are first come, first served. Groups of 10 to 15 can book ahead. Prices sit in the mid-range for downtown Palo Alto. Check the menu online for current figures.
La Bodeguita del Medio, 463 South California Avenue
La Bodeguita del Medio is a Cuban-inspired restaurant and rum bar on California Avenue. Its tagline is "A little Cuba. A lot of Palo Alto. Since 1997." The name comes from the Havana bar of the same name, which the restaurant translates as the little bar in the middle of the block.
The menu on the restaurant's website starts with pork empanadas, plátanos maduros, camarones con mojo, crispy yuca, potato croquetas and mariquitas, thin plantain chips. Cuban black bean soup is a staple. The Cubano leads the sandwiches. Main courses include arroz con pollo, pork masitas and ropa vieja, plus family-style paella Cubana and a seafood ajiaco for two or three. Cuban flan and Havana bananas are among the desserts.
Rum is the house specialty, with a long list for sipping in a lounge called the Divan. The cocktail list starts with the mojito and runs through the Cuba Libre, El Presidente and a Hemingway cocktail. Cuban Social Hours, the afternoon happy hour, run from noon to 5 p.m. The kitchen is open from noon to 9 p.m. Tuesday to Thursday and to 9:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. It lists no hours for Sunday or Monday. Reservations are taken online and by phone. Prices are mid-range for California Avenue. Our California Avenue guide covers the rest of the street.
Back A Yard, Menlo Park
Coconuts' own website names Back A Yard as chef Robert Simpson's other restaurant, mainly takeout and catering with limited seating. It is in Menlo Park, just north of Palo Alto, on Willow Road according to local coverage. Past coverage describes the same Jamaican base as Coconuts: jerk chicken, jerk pork, oxtail and curry goat with rice and beans, plantains and collard greens. We could not find a current menu or hours for Back A Yard on a site run by the restaurant, so call before you go. Treat it as a quick plate to take home rather than a sit-down dinner. Our Menlo Park food guide lists other places nearby.
At a glance
| Place | Where | Known for | Price level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coconuts | 642 Ramona St., downtown | Jerk chicken, oxtail, curried goat, rum cocktails | Mid-range |
| La Bodeguita del Medio | 463 S. California Ave. | Ropa vieja, Cubano, mojitos, aged rum | Mid-range |
| Back A Yard | Menlo Park | Jamaican takeout and catering | Budget to moderate |
How to order
At Coconuts, a combination plate is the easiest start. It pairs jerk chicken with oxtail, salmon, curried shrimp or goat, so you taste two signatures at once. Add coconut shrimp or a patty sampler to share and order festival on the side. If you like heat, ask for extra jerk sauce rather than ordering everything spicy.
At La Bodeguita, come during Cuban Social Hours for small plates and a mojito, or book a table for a family-style dinner. Ropa vieja with black beans and maduros is the classic Cuban plate. Groups can share the paella Cubana.
Vegetarian and allergy notes
- Vegan. Coconuts marks vegan dishes with a V, including crispy jerk tofu, coconut curry tofu and pepper pot soup. La Bodeguita labels its crispy yuca, black bean soup, Palmitos salad and Impossible picadillo hash as vegan.
- Gluten. Coconuts marks gluten-free dishes GF. Many grilled and curried mains carry the label. Patties, festival and cornbread contain wheat.
- Heat. Scotch bonnet and habanero chiles are very hot. Jerk and curry goat can bite.
- Coconut. Rice and peas, rundown and many curries use coconut milk.
Our vegetarian and vegan guide has more meat-free options in town.
Rum and drinks
Both Palo Alto restaurants double as rum bars. Coconuts leans toward fruit-forward island cocktails. La Bodeguita leans toward Cuban classics and aged rums for sipping. Either works for an after-work drink. Our cocktail bars guide covers other bars in town. For catering, Coconuts sells pans of jerk chicken, oxtail, curries and sides for parties. See our catering guide for more caterers.
Good to know
- Coconuts and La Bodeguita are both closed on Mondays. La Bodeguita lists no Sunday hours.
- Coconuts does not take reservations except for groups of 10 to 15.
- Coconuts closes at 8 p.m. on Sundays.
- Back A Yard is a takeout counter. Call ahead for hours.
- Coconuts closes on major holidays, including Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a Jamaican restaurant in Palo Alto?
Yes. Coconuts Caribbean Restaurant & Bar at 642 Ramona Street downtown has served Jamaican and Caribbean food since August 2008. Its chef and owner, Robert Simpson, began cooking in Jamaica. The menu includes 24-hour jerk chicken, braised oxtails and curried goat.
Is there Cuban food in Palo Alto?
Yes. La Bodeguita del Medio at 463 South California Avenue is a Cuban-inspired restaurant and rum bar that has been open since 1997. Its menu includes ropa vieja, pork masitas, arroz con pollo, a Cubano sandwich and Cuban flan, with a long rum list and mojitos.
Do Caribbean restaurants in Palo Alto take reservations?
Coconuts seats walk-ins first come, first served and takes bookings only for groups of 10 to 15. La Bodeguita del Medio takes reservations online or by phone and welcomes walk-ins. Both are closed on Mondays.
What is jerk chicken?
Jerk is a Jamaican way of seasoning and grilling meat. The marinade is built on allspice and Scotch bonnet chiles with thyme, scallions and garlic. Coconuts says it marinates its chicken for 24 hours before fire-grilling it.
Are there vegan Caribbean dishes in Palo Alto?
Yes. Coconuts marks vegan dishes with a V, including crispy jerk tofu, coconut curry tofu with vegetables and pepper pot soup. La Bodeguita labels its crispy yuca, Cuban black bean soup and an Impossible picadillo hash as vegan.