Critic's Review
I hadn't been in this neck of the woods in a while; I thought I'd pick up some jerk wings. I'd gotten some really tight, spicy wings in 2010; these places in this neighborhood just keep ticking. I parked in the lot and called to place the order; I'd rather sit in the car and listen to Mad Dog Russo for 15 minutes rather than a bar in an empty restaurant. I wasn't going to eat the wings in the car, so I stopped in a Little Italian for a slice.
I went in after 15 minutes and the wings were just coming out.
I opened up the box to find a surprising portion; 10 wings but they were big meaty wings. Can't complain paying $10 for good sized wings.
The sauce they provide is some sort of honey mango; totally disgusting. I had 2 of the wings while they were still warm; they were a little loose and not very spicy. Cold jerk wings are sometimes better; the meat tightens up and the skin isn't as messy. I had 2 more wings as a snack cold; and they just weren't that good. A little spicy but not really enough flavor. I think I'll probably re-heat the rest with buffalo sauce over the weekend.
Conclusion
The wings I got here in 2010 were the litmus test for all of the jerk wings I've had since; but as they say, you can't go back again. These wings weren't spicy enough to catch my interest. Not bad, but not worth a trip across Broward either.
Review 10/1/13
When I first moved here, Calypso seems so far away; so hard to find. It's in a nook neighborhood just south of Atlantic. It's a smallish place with a bar area and a dining room with tables and chairs; no booths.
The place is decorated with an "island theme"; music is the same; Jimmy Buffet, UB40, Inner Circle's "Imagine".
They have a set menu featuring "cutters" for lunch, which are Caribbean sandwiches. They're also known for their fish, which you can get prepared any way that they prepare things (jerk, cajun, fried, etc). Lunch is the best deal for fish; a "platter" with 1 side is about $15; the prices go up $10 after 4pm for a slightly larger portion.
Service is snappy; iced tea was delivered quickly with plenty of extra lemon and refills were prompt; the advantage of a small room.
I wanted to try the conch chowder as this is a Caribbean restaurant. A cup is $3.95.
It was freshly made soup but not as spicy as I'd hoped. In fact it wasn't spicy at all. I should give up on the conch chowder but I keep trying.
I had ordered the jerk chicken lunch platter, which is $9.95 and includes 1 side.
The entire dish was "ok". Very unremarkable. 1/2 chicken for 9.95 is a pretty good deal in a restaurant I suppose. There was nothing wrong with it, but I could do just as well loading up a cutlet at home with Welkerswood Jerk and flopping it on my George Forman.
I think my expectations got the best of me here; I expected something special; but the food was quite ordinary.
Review 7/1/2010
Since 1990 Calypso has been serving caribbean food. The owner Chuck is the executive chef, insuring that the recipes remain consistent over the years. As a result, Calypso has remained a solid and consistent place over time.
Calypso is a bit out of the way. There's virtually no chance you'll be driving by here unless you're aimlessly looking for the Cypress Nook. Its on one of those roads that doesn't have a clear crossroad between US1 and 95. While you can get here directly off Atlantic; from the south you'll need google maps or a good GPS. Luckily I have both.
Calypso looks like a dump from the outside, and I was a bit apprehensive about going in. I had visions of rattlesnakes and Rastafarians smoking dope on handmade straw mats. But Calypso isn't like that at all. Its actually a pretty nice space. There's a glass over wood bar with a modern TV, and wood tables and chairs. The TV has MSNBC on, so unless you lean way left you may want to sit in the dining room. There's a dining room separated by a partial wall that is clean and cozy.
Now Calypso is known for their fish, as well as their other caribbean recipes. But I'm a particular fan of jerk chicken wings. Calypso's wings are special; they're spicy with a very peppery flavor. They serve them with some sorty of caribbean mayo, but I prefer them with ranch dressing, so I do take out.
These baby's are great for a late night snack; you can even eat them cold.
