Behind The Business - Island Taste Grill (A Jamaican-Haitian Restaurant In San Jose)

Island Taste Caribbean Grill, a new restaurant that opened in the heart of downtown across from City Hall, has a mission to introduce Caribbean culture to a broad audience. The owners, Dorianne and Marc St. Fleur, along with head chef Imani Manning, a Jamaica native, are determined to share their Caribbean roots with the Bay Area community.

The St. Fleurs, who are the children of Jamaican and Haitian immigrants, had no intention of pivoting from their careers in HR and real estate to open a restaurant. However, they discovered that many West Coasters had never been to Jamaica, or to the Caribbean, for that matter. Moreover, West Indies cuisine was much harder to come by in the Bay Area than in New York.

During the pandemic, while isolated at home, Marc began teaching himself how to cook traditional Caribbean dishes by watching videos on YouTube to help ease the feeling of homesickness. One day, he had the bright idea to open a restaurant that would bring a taste of the islands, along with their Brooklyn swag, to the Bay Area. The only problem was that they were not chefs.

Despite this challenge, Island Taste Caribbean Grill was born, featuring authentic, made-from-scratch dishes from Jamaica and Haiti, along with flavors from across the Caribbean. Each dish has a name that is special to the owners. For example, their jerk chicken dish is called "Bolt" after the fastest man in the world, Usain Bolt, who was born and raised on the island of Jamaica.

Their mission is not just to serve delicious food, but to also introduce guests to their culture. The restaurant's walls are adorned with artwork that represents their heritage, and their playlists feature music that speaks to their hearts. Island Taste Caribbean Grill is more than a restaurant; it's a place to experience and connect with Caribbean culture.