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East Flatbush

Caribbean Culture in East Flatbush, Brooklyn

East Flatbush is quietly one of the most Caribbean neighborhoods in all of New York City. Less touristy than Flatbush but equally rich in culture, this residential neighborhood is home to deep-rooted Jamaican, Haitian, and Trinidadian communities who’ve been building here for decades.

The food scene in East Flatbush is all about authenticity — no frills, no fusion, just real island cooking passed down through generations. This is where you come for the oxtail that tastes like your grandmother made it.

What to Find in East Flatbush

  • Home-style Caribbean restaurants — Authentic, affordable, and generous portions
  • Haitian cuisine — Griot, tasso, legume, and diri ak djon djon
  • Caribbean grocery stores — Imported goods from the islands
  • Community events — Block parties, cultural celebrations, and church fairs

Caribbean Spots in East Flatbush (17)

LK Lounge & Event Hall
Clubs and Lounges
LK Lounge & Event Hall
An upscale Brooklyn lounge and event hall, and a gathering place for the Haitian community — Caribbean Fest…
1819 Utica Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11234
Goodas Bar & Lounge
Clubs and Lounges
Goodas Bar & Lounge
A Caribbean bar and lounge on the East Flatbush–Brownsville line — easy on a weekday for happy hour,…
971 E New York Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11212
Drift BK Restaurant & Lounge
Clubs and Lounges
Drift BK Restaurant & Lounge
An East Flatbush restaurant and lounge with a Jamaican-leaning kitchen, happy-hour specials, and weekly DJ nights. Island food…
4315 Farragut Rd, Brooklyn, NY 11203
Meritta’s Restaurant
Food Spots
Meritta’s Restaurant
Cambria Heights Jamaican breakfast-and-lunch institution. Escovitch fish, brown stew fish, fried dumplings, oxtail, rice and peas. Sells out…
223-15 Linden Blvd, Cambria Heights, NY 11411
Footprints Cafe
Food Spots
Footprints Cafe
Long-running Flatbush Jamaican cafe and fine-dining restaurant. Known for curry goat, oxtail, stewed chicken, and a proper Sunday…
5814 Clarendon Rd, Brooklyn, NY 11203
The Waterfall Lounge
Clubs and Lounges
The Waterfall Lounge
Guyanese-owned East Flatbush lounge — dancehall, chutney, and soca parties with full bar and Caribbean menu.
4703 Church Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11203
D Garden Caribbean Bar & Grill
Clubs and Lounges
D Garden Caribbean Bar & Grill
Indoor-outdoor Caribbean lounge in East Flatbush. Reggae, soca, and island eats in a breezy garden setting.
4617 Avenue D, Brooklyn, NY 11203
Trini Breakfast Shed
Food Spots
Trini Breakfast Shed
Authentic Trinidadian breakfast — bake and shark, saltfish buljol, smoked herring, coconut bake. Morning destination in Flatbush.
3209 Church Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11226
The Hills Restaurant
Food Spots
The Hills Restaurant
East Flatbush Guyanese kitchen serving the home-cooking canon: cook-up rice with peas and pigtail, pepperpot rich with cassareep,…
4706 Church Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11203
C & J’s Cafe
Food Spots
C & J’s Cafe
Jerk chicken, oxtail, and breakfast ackee-and-saltfish in East Flatbush. Cash register line out the door on Sundays.
817 Utica Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11203
Best Bites Caribbean
Food Spots
Best Bites Caribbean
East Flatbush mainstay where the steam table is the menu: oxtail and butter beans, brown stew chicken, curry…
4601 Church Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11203
Ali’s Roti Shop
Food Spots
Ali’s Roti Shop
Crown Heights' original Ali's Roti Shop — Trinidadian curry, doubles, and freshly wrapped roti since the '90s.
337 Utica Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11213
German’s Soup
Food Spots
German’s Soup
German's Soup is the East Flatbush institution for Saturday soup — red peas, chicken foot, cow foot, manish…
410 Utica Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11213
Lakou Cafe
Food Spots
Lakou Cafe
Lakou Cafe is a casual vegan-friendly Haitian spot in Crown Heights with some of the best Haitian patties…
195 Utica Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11213
Grace Caribbean Supermarket
Caribbean Businesses
Grace Caribbean Supermarket
A full-service Caribbean grocery store stocking imported goods from Jamaica, Trinidad, Guyana, and throughout the Caribbean. Find Grace…
3515 Church Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11203
Labay Market & Grill
Food Spots
Labay Market & Grill
Canarsie's go-to spot for authentic Jamaican food. Labay serves daily specials from the steam table — oxtail on…
9122 Flatlands Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11236
Buff Patty
Food Spots
Buff Patty
Home of the craveable Jamaican beef patty and coco bread combo. Buff Patty on Utica Ave serves freshly…
1402 Utica Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11203