This Caribbean fast-casual restaurant is bringing the flavors of the islands to Downtown Brooklyn

Situated on the corner of Fulton Street and Duffield Street is Imani Grill, a fast-casual restaurant that prides itself on providing authentic Caribbean food to the bustling metropolis of Downtown Brooklyn. Their offerings pay homage to popular dishes from the islands of Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Hispaniola, and more, all while perfectly emulating a homemade style. We spoke with Imani Grill’s Director of Operations, Dannielle Kellogg, and learned about the restaurant’s story, mission, fan-favorite menu items, and what’s coming soon.

DBP: Hi! Tell us about yourself and Imani Caribbean Grill. How did it all start, and what is the brand’s goal or mission?

Dannielle Kellogg (DK): Hi, I’m the director of operations for all the Imani restaurants, I’ve been with the company for four years now, and I’ve seen the brand grow in that time — including most recently with the grand opening of this location here.

The Imani story began when we opened our flagship restaurant four years ago on the corner of Adelphi St. and DeKalb Ave. in Fort Greene. The goal of the brand, first and foremost, is to provide an excellent dining experience. Our location here in Downtown Brooklyn is a more fast-casual offshoot of our flagship location, but we’re focused on creating a family-friendly vibe with a Caribbean fusion concept. When people walk through our doors, we want them to feel that island hospitality.

The menu was curated by our executive chef and part owner, Chef Banta, who used different dishes from different parts of the Caribbean to create that fusion concept, so you’ll see that some of our dishes are Haitian, some are Trini, some are Jamaican, and so on.

DBP: Why did the Imani team want to expand to Downtown Brooklyn?

DK: Brooklyn is our home, so we definitely wanted to stay here. We felt like this was a great location, and it’s not too far from the other sister Imani restaurant, so it made sense for our next step to be in the heart of the borough. We’re happy we’ve been received well by the community and the nearby workers!

DBP: What’s the hottest menu item right now, and which would you personally recommend to someone who’s never had Caribbean food before?

DK: Right now, our oxtail and jerk bowl seems to be a favorite. It has oxtail stew and jerk chicken with your choice of grains and vegetables. That’s our top-selling bowl because you really get to mix and match, so it gives people the best of both worlds. However, I personally recommend our curry goat and our roti bowl.

DBP: That all sounds so delicious! But we’re curious… when you’re not running this well-oiled machine, what do you like to do for fun in Downtown Brooklyn?

DK: I’m basically always working (laughs), but when I’m not, my favorite things to do here are to go shopping at City Point and catch movies at the Alamo Drafthouse theater with a drink.

DBP: Nice! And lastly, what can we expect from Imani next?

DK: Our immediate plans are to continue fine-tuning our menus and to offer a variety of different options. We’re very open to customer feedback, so their opinions have an impact on our next move. If a lot of people recommend something, we’ll consider adding it to the menu. Thankfully, Chef Banta is great at creating new and exciting dishes for our customers. We plan on selling fresh-pressed juices, and we’re awaiting our liquor license so that we can also sell to-go drinks: bottled drinks as well as our signature drinks Imani Rum Punch and Blue Guppy. In the long-term, we see ourselves expanding to even more locations. We’re excited to see where this journey takes us!

If you’re in the downtown area and you’re craving some real Caribbean food, your best bet is to hit up Imani Grill. As a fast-casual offshoot of their flagship establishment, this location provides customers with the option of eating in or taking out. However you choose to dine, be sure to upload a photo of your visit on Instagram with the hashtag #DowntownBrooklyn to be featured on our story, or on Twitter to be retweeted!