If you’re looking to enjoy Jamaican cuisine in a restaurant filled with culture, then step into The Door. This dimly-lit restaurant helps to set the mood if you’re looking to just kick back and relax. While you wait for your meal, you can take in some of the artwork hanging on the wall or simply listen to the reggae music playing lightly in the background.
The Door is the perfect example of what it means to do the best with what you have. Although you can see that they were trying to draw in a more mature crowd, the décor itself is mediocre. The burgundy and beige color scheme works well together, but when it comes to the table setting, everything falls apart.
The flowers, combined with the kerosene lamps, give it a Martha Stewart meets the Underground Railroad aura, which looks as if they just threw anything on the table and hoped for the best. The duct tape covering the holes in some of the chairs was also a bit of an eye sore, but because of their excellent service and otherwise clean environment, these things can be forgiven.
One of the most notable aspects of their service is that after being led to a table, the hostess goes around to every member of the party, opens up their napkins and places them on their laps. Once you’ve settled in, a member of the wait staff immediately comes and fills up your glasses with water.
Thanks to their attentiveness, your glass is sure to never go below the halfway point.
Aside from their obvious commitment to exceptional service, there are a few special events that also make this restaurant unique. For reggae lovers, they have a live band that plays every Saturday night. If you prefer something a bit more laid back, they also have a live jazz performance by Frank Dellon on Sundays.
The Door’s menu specializes in traditional Caribbean meals ranging from mouthwatering oxtails to flavorful escovitch fish. Each meal comes standard with a side of plantains and mixed vegetables along with your choice of plain rice or rice and peas. Their motto describes the restaurant as “an elegant Jamaican restaurant,” and The Door delivers without breaking your pockets. A typical meal here will cost approximately $20 per person.
The Door
163-07 Baisley Blvd.
Jamaica, NY 11434
(718)525-1083
