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Caribbean Treehouse Restaurant
Rating Details »
- Price Range:
-
$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good for:
- Lunch
13 reviews for Caribbean Treehouse Restaurant
Hubby and I heard about this place kind of randomly while complaining to a stranger that we had not found authentic caribbean food in L.A. This stranger (who we had kown for all of an hour) swore by the roti - he said he was part Trini and he knew good roti and this place was to die for....Hmmm...serves us right for trusting a stranger.
We went by on a Friday night around 9pm. 10-15 people were lounging around, dancing, talking, etc. in the foyer, parking lot and diner area, but nobody was eating. That was kind of strange. The service was slow, but the manager explained that the waitress was new. My hubby was disappointed in his (amazingly small) portion of oxtail stew. I'd give my chicken roti 3 stars. Not too bad, but not the best I've had. The homemade ginger beer is too spicy. I love ginger but I couldn't get through half of it. The beef patties were...blah.
It's more authentic than Derrick's but we probably won't go back.
I went for lunch here for the first time today. I wasn't sure what their hours were and hadn't bothered to phone ahead, and the street-facing door had a closed sign up. But after I pulled into the lot, I could see the open sign on the side door, which is apparently where everyone enters.
The place is as laid back as anyone has mentioned. I wasn't in a rush, in any case, so just sat at the bar waiting for the menu options. I never did actually see a menu, since it seemed a good idea to go with the chicken and lentils which were the special. I know I'll head back at some point to check out some other selections.
The chicken was pretty tasty, and the serving was really more than I could eat with the lentils and rice. It wasn't spicy, but still had a variety of flavors. As I'd expect from most international cuisines, the chicken was bone-in, which I prefer anyway.
My overall estimation at this point is 3.5, but since the other reviews here are mostly the ethnic self-haters, I figured I should balance that out, since I wouldn't be surprised if this isn't the only restaurant of its kind west of the Mississippi.
I've put up the hours now. They are closed on Mondays and open at 11 a.m. all other days.
We stumbled upon this hole in the wall place one hot afternoon and decided to give it a try. It's really nothing to look at -- looked a little like a shack of a restaurant, and probably people hang out there more for the bar, than for dining in, cos it had that dark, bar like lighting.
We were the only non-Trini's in the house. It seemed like everyone else there were regulars or family...but it was an odd time to have lunch since it was a little late.
I had a craving for goat curry and my partner ordered the jerk chicken. I was really quite happy with the goat curry and rice and plantians I ordered -- I was transported back to mom's kitchen and her curry to-die-for. And this for me hit the spot -- altho it was a tad spicier than I was used to -- or else my palate has been away from spicy for far too long and last the hang of it. The goat surpassed the chicken by miles, tho.
We'd definitely go back there - especially if I needed a goat fix soon :).
I'd stay away from the soda though this time around -- can't really do a glass full of pure diluted sugar with sarsparilla bark....not good for the sol....
As a Trini, who knows good Caribbean food and the fact that my mom was a fantastic cook, I'd have to say that the food sucks. Yep it sucks.
It's authentic crappy Trinidadian food that they don't make an effort to improve. Like a hopeful Trini I come back once a year and alas still crappy roti,pulori,sweet bread, etc with okay service.
I agree with Max. A few years back they were good but the food and staff are not the same when they changed ownership. (Try Cha Cha Cha's - not trinidadian but the food's great and almost caribbean?)
I used to really love this place but I feel that the quality of the food has gone down since it changed ownership.
The roti is still very good but the patties are nowhere near as good as they used to be.
The sweetbread was also a favourite but that too seems to have declined.
My husband's family is from Trinidad so he took me here for the first time for Sunday brunch. It was my first introduction to West Indian food and with a diverse ethnic pallet, I really liked it. Now, that being said - after four years of being a part of a Trini family and home cooked meals... their food doesn't compare. We don't get home-cooked Trini food all the time so when the craving hits and the aunts are away... Caribbean Treehouse it is. They're slow... you can literally watch paint dry while waiting for your food... but it is what it is.
My mom and I were very displeased with the curry chicken Roti. We were expecting authentic trini food. My mom knows roti. She's westindian from crown heights bedstuy so she knows the good stuff. I know too since the last time I had good roti was when I was in brooklyn and that was some DELICIOUS stuff. This crap they called roti was extremely dry with no taste to it. I was like- wheres the curry ??? I couldn't taste the curry!!!! This is an insult to be called trinidadian. And it seems like this is the only trinidadian restaurant in california which is a shame!!! Save your money guys... Don't fall for this crappy restaurant.
Growing up Jamaican, this is the closest thing I can find to home cooking (aside from my own kitchen).
The roti is good and I try to make it for Sunday Brunch whenever I can. Service is slow, but what island restaurant isn't?
My only real negative is that last time I ordered their ginger beer it was a homemade version instead of a D&G. Very disappointed with that.
My wife and I popped in here last weekend to get a little taste of Trinidad out here in LA. The place truly is a hole in the wall and nothing to speak of from an aesthetic standpoint. That being said, it has a subtle charm to it that would likely be more appreciated by anyone who has lived in Trinidad.
Having not started my day with doubles in quite a few months, the Treehouse was just what the doctor ordered. While it was not quite like ordering them off the back of a doubles truck, it was tasty nonetheless. We ordered the chicken and beef rotis and found both to be pretty good, but a bit dry. I would recommend the chicken over the beef as they use ground beef rather than more traditional stewed beef pieces in the roti.
Other reviewers have commented on the decline in taste after an ownership change, but I cannot comment on this as it was my first trip.
We're both looking forward to going back to catch a live steel pan performance.
After going back a second time and being treated to another delicious roti, I think a 3.5 is appropriate. The guys there were also kind of enough to give us a heads up on where to find Trini spices, preservatives, and about Carnival here in L.A., which I was not aware existed.
OK. lets get this straight ;-) I looove Trinidadian food, but this restaurant doesn't serve good, authentic food. I am afraid that people go to this restaurant and say, " I don't like Trini food"... If you didn't eat authentic, trini food growing up, and don't have the palate for it, their food may "appear" very authentic, since people who work here are from Trinidad, their " warm &friendly" service is slow like they are on island, AND you don't have anything to compare the food to! But, I am telling you, half of my family is from Trinidad, and I spent my 20's in Brooklyn, I know how Trini Food supposed to taste like. I drove all the way from the valley to find this place & it was such a let down. Does anyone know where I can find good Trini restaurant in Los Angeles?? **HELP**
It's been a while since I've eaten here (I think it was last November but definitely in my pre-Yelp days), but I remember that the food was good and nothing I'd ever had before. A Trini brought me here a few times because it reminded him of the food he ate back home.
This place is nothing to look at. It looks like a dilapidated building that you would easily pass and think nothing of it. Upon entering the restaurant you immediately notice the very real tree in the middle of the restaurant, ergo the name of the place. Once your inside, the inside is really nothing to look at either. There are a lot of rips and tears in the upholstery on the booths. The paint looks like it's ready to peel off too. However, there is a lot of pride in this place. There are numerous pictures of Trini people who were Olympians, former Miss Universe contestants, etc. To complete the ambience of the restaurant, they have live steel drum entertainment. This place is really all about character and the taste of the food.
When I first came here I had no idea what to expect of the food. Just based on the names of the dishes, it reminded me of food I'd seen at Indian restaurants. But, I was quickly corrected that even though curry and roti were mentioned on the menu, it was nothing like the Indian version at all. You'll see what I mean.
I soon discovered that when eating the roti, it reminded me of a burrito except that it had a stewlike curry inside it; not the saucy curry I'm used to seeing in an Indian or Thai restaurant. The one thing I thought was interesting was that the waiter asked the level of heat I'd want. I think I had ordered medium heat which was plenty hot for me. But definitely tasty. I loved the beef roti. I tried a shrimp roti one time and wasn't too impressed with it. Definitely go with the beef. And like Juice C. states in his review, the roti is really filling.
One thing I didn't like was that the service is really slow and I mean really slow. From what I was told, they're working on Trini time. Don't know if that's true or not, but I just went with it. That statment helped explain why the service was so slow. Also, be prepared to park in a very small parking lot. There aren't very many spaces available and the lot can fill up very quickly.
If you're looking for something different to try, I recommend coming here. Give it a try and see what it's like.
Review is actually 3.5 stars.
Ok I am a trini born and raised and this place is the most whacked out trini restaurant ever. Why the hell do you name something "Champagne Brunch" and not even serve champagne with it...the roti is like cardboard. The stew chicken is slimy and gross...why would i bother to pay good money when I can make these things at home where they taste better. And of course let's not mention the damn assed slow service...do they have to go all the way to Trinidad to get the roti? One word describes my experience...DISGUST
Something happened to this place. The food just went down hill. The curry shrimp is good but the staff "FUCKING ASSHOLES".
