One Of Washington Ave’s Best Restaurants Weathers Gentrification

PROSPECT HEIGHTS – Seven months after reopening, The Islands, an exceedingly popular Jamaican restaurant in Prospect Heights, has a sparkling new review in The New York Times and a packed house almost every night.

The Islands operated at 857 Washington Avenue, near Eastern Parkway, for 16 years. It closed in March 2017 to make way for a condominium development. The Caribbean restaurant reopened in January at 671 Washington Avenue between St. Marks and Prospect.

On a recent Saturday afternoon, The Islands is doing brisk business. One of the owners, Marilyn Reid works the stove preparing calypso shrimp. She is happy to be reviewed by The New York Times, but she says not much has changed, “We have our core customers who eat here no matter what. Of course there are people from all over the world coming here to try our dishes, but when you cook good, wholesome food, people will keep coming back.”

She also mentions that The Islands has some experience with the limelight. They were reviewed in the Times in 2005, only four years after opening.

Pete Wells, the food critic for the Times, focused his review on what could have been, for a lesser restaurant, a gentrification-related setback. But in the article, Reid didn’t seem surprised they had weathered the storm. She and co-owner Shuon Letchford knew a change was in the cards. The former location, a cozy, triangular two-story space, had always been too small. Reid told Wells, “We were always looking because we had outgrown it by the second day.”

Wells praised the food at The Islands, including the curry goat, escovitch fish, and the curry vegetables. He referred to the typical sides of rice and peas, cabbage, and plantains as “mandatory.” He wasn’t thrilled with the jerk chicken, which is baked instead of grilled. Many customers would surely disagree with his assessment.

For now, the restaurant is BYOB. “We’re just waiting for the liquor license to go through,” Reid said. Paul Lau, the owner of The Winey Neighbor two storefronts down at 679 Washington, says that business has picked up since The Islands opened in January. “We get busy mainly nights and weekends because of them. But that will change once they get their license,” he said with a laugh.

With an encouraging review and booming business, The Islands has weathered neighborhood change and come out the better for it.

The Islands
671 Washington Avenue (between St. Marks Ave. & Prospect Pl.), Prospect Heights, 718.398.3575
Open seven days, 12pm to 10:30pm