Irie Gardens - Philipsburg

Eating here is really, really delicious. but, although I wasn't here in a year when I was in the past, it was definitiv important to emphasize on the vegan options because they weren't even sure whether the brot they use is vegan. I'd say go for something she's sure is vegan. the food also took a little too long to come. beside these two things, eating here is so good and I recommend coming here.

With very few tourists in Sint Maarten right now due to Covid-19, Irie Garden is nearly empty, just like all the other restaurants. We spent over an hour here and were the only customers. We had noticed before that it was always empty, which is a shame because the people who run Irie Garden put a lot of passion and effort into it. The menu is surprisingly extensive for such a small place. Everything is cooked fresh, which can result in a bit of a wait depending on the dish. I ordered the eggplant lasagna and was informed it would take 30-40 minutes to cook. To help pass the time, we had a juice (more like a smoothie) which was made fresh to order. You can even customize your fruit combination off-menu, which is pretty cool. We ordered two main dishes, bean balls with quinoa salad and the eggplant lasagna. Both dishes arrived when the lasagna was ready. The bean balls came with a sweet and spicy sauce, the quinoa salad was packed with herbs and vegetables, and the side salad included boiled pumpkin, carrots, and fresh greens. Everything was delicious. The eggplant lasagna consisted of layers of eggplant with tomato sauce, herbs, and cheese on top. The cheese had not melted, and the eggplant was undercooked and rubbery. It seems they wanted to avoid making customers wait longer than 40 minutes for their dish. While understandable, the chef should find a way to shorten the cooking time without sacrificing the quality of the dish. The portion sizes were generous and the prices were very affordable. It's a wonderful place with great value for money, and the staff are truly dedicated. I recommend giving it a try, but I would suggest avoiding the eggplant dish until they address the undercooking issue.

The food at this restaurant is incredibly delicious. However, based on my past experience (even though it's been over a year since I last visited), it's important to inquire about the vegan options as they may not be certain if the bread they serve is vegan. I recommend choosing a dish that is confirmed to be vegan. Additionally, the service was a bit slow when I visited. Despite these issues, the food is fantastic and I highly recommend dining here.

With very few tourists in Sint Maarten due to COVID-19, Irie Garden was almost empty, much like all the other restaurants on the island. During our hour-long visit, we were the only guests there. It was disheartening to see, as the people running Irie Garden clearly put a lot of passion into their establishment. The menu was surprisingly extensive for such a small place, and everything was freshly prepared. I ordered the eggplant lasagna and was told it would take 30-40 minutes to cook. To pass the time, we enjoyed a juice (more like a smoothie) that could be customized with various fruit combinations. We also ordered two appetizers, bulgur with quinoa salad and the eggplant lasagna salad, both of which arrived when the lasagna was ready. The bulgur came with a sweet and spicy sauce, while the quinoa was mixed with plenty of veggies. The salads were delicious, but the eggplant lasagna had a few flaws. The layers of eggplant were not fully cooked, and the cheese on top had not melted. It seems they were trying to avoid making guests wait longer than 40 minutes, but they should find a way to pre-cook the eggplant to prevent it from being undercooked. Despite this issue, the portions were generous and the prices were very reasonable. It's clear that the staff at Irie Garden put their heart and soul into their food. I would recommend trying other dishes until they can fix the problem with the eggplant lasagna.

The food was beautifully presented, but the taste was just okay. I didn't finish my entree (vegan mofongo) because I didn't enjoy it very much. I probably should have chosen something else. The service was slow, so I decided not to order another dish to avoid a long wait. The staff was friendly and the location was nice. I would give it 3.5 stars.