West Haven Restaurant Offers Caribbean Meals 'like Mama's Cooking'

WEST HAVEN - When Juan Reyes says the food at his Tropical Caribbean restaurant is the kind of "home cooking" you'd expect from Caribbean countries like the Dominican Republic, Cuba or Puerto Rico, he means it's "like my mother's food" . . he cooked.” the cuisine is true to its origins and should be taken literally in the tropical Caribbean.

Reyes' mom and dad work at the Tropical Caribbean Kitchen, located at 701 Campbell Ave.

On a recent afternoon, Reyes' mother, from Argentina, served customers hot rice in a bowl of beef and potato stew just days after the restaurant opened.

"It's the food we eat today and the food we ate growing up," Reyes said. "We want to grow and show what we eat."

Tropical Caribbean's New Haven flagship is currently closed as the space Reyes leases is being converted to a mixed-use project, but envision West Haven as the second location, not the only one.

"We'll go back to New Haven," he said.

Meanwhile, the West Haven, Tropical Caribbean headquarters, formerly The Blue Horse, offers Reyes something she didn't have before: space.

Reyes now has enough space for more diners, a bar, and enough room to contribute to Campbell Avenue nightlife with live DJs, karaoke, open mic nights, and live jazz. Hours are longer than usual for the city, opening at 10am seven days a week and offering happy hours until 2am on Fridays and Saturdays.

Reyes said he plans to offer weekend lunches after the restaurant officially opens on Jan. 9.

But not only do space and working hours increase, but also the number of staff. The restaurant has 17 employees, Reyes said, and has a business partner, childhood best friend Alex Brito, who also owns the restaurant.

Reyes, who spent years growing up in the Dominican Republic, said he's been best friends with his neighbor, Britto, since he was 7 years old. Three years ago, Reyes convinced Britt to move to West Haven, where she bought a house.

"I hadn't planned it," Britto said, "but it's good enough."

Reyes said the restaurant's menu is a perfect fit for how Latin dishes would be prepared in the Caribbean, such as mofongo, which is served in a wooden mortar and pestle. The menu includes Latin dishes such as pernil, arroz con gandules, grilled kid and oxtail, cubans and chimi, the famous Dominican chimichurri burger, but also draws on Reyes' father's experience working in Italian restaurants and the pasta dishes that you can take home .

Brito said the restaurant offers a "new look" for the Campbell Avenue corridor. While the menu and nightlife offer something new to the city, they also adapt to the city's changing demographics, Reyes said. West Haven's Hispanic population increased from 18.2% to 23.7% between 2010 and 2020, according to US Census data.

The co-owners spent months decorating the restaurant with artwork and artifacts that reflect Caribbean history, including Taino masks made in the Dominican Republic and a white motorized scooter shipped directly from the island. The lamps that hang above the bar were designed by the co-owners from empty Brugal rum bottles. The restaurant exclusively produces Don Carvajal coffee, founded by Dominican businessman Héctor Carvajal from New York. Reyes said the mixed drinks are named after Caribbean cities, rivers, famous events and celebrities.

Tropical Caribbean offers Happy Hour from 2pm to 6pm and then from 10pm to 1am Monday through Thursday.