Where to Buy Caribbean Groceries in NYC
A neighborhood guide to buying Caribbean and West African groceries in New York City, from yam and plantain to scotch bonnet, saltfish, and ackee.
If you cook Caribbean food, you already know the supermarket chains will not carry what you need. You want green banana, hard food, real yam, scotch bonnet that actually burns, and saltfish that is not an afterthought. The good news is that New York has whole neighborhoods built around this shopping, and most of them are a short train ride away.
What to look for
A good Caribbean grocer stocks the staples fresh and cheap. Before you commit to a spot, walk the produce and check for these:
- Provisions: yellow yam, white yam, dasheen, eddoe, cassava, green banana
- Plantain in three stages: green for boiling, yellow for frying, black for sweet
- Scotch bonnet and pimento peppers, not just generic hot peppers
- Salted cod, mackerel, and pigtail
- Ackee, callaloo, breadfruit (fresh when in season, tinned year round)
- Sorrel, tamarind, and June plum when the season is right
Prices move with the seasons and with the boat schedules. If yam looks tired and costs a lot, wait a week.
Brooklyn: Flatbush and East Flatbush
This is the heart of it. Nostrand Avenue, Church Avenue, and Utica Avenue are lined with grocers, produce stands, fishmongers, and bakeries. You can buy provisions, spice, fresh fish, and hard dough bread within one block. Go early on Saturday for the best produce and the worst parking.
The Bronx
The Bronx has strong West African and West Indian shopping, especially around the Grand Concourse and the East Tremont and Morrisania areas. This is a good borough for West African provisions, egusi, palm oil, and dried fish alongside the Caribbean staples.
Queens: Jamaica and beyond
Jamaica, Queens, is a real hub, with grocers clustered around Jamaica Avenue and the surrounding blocks. It is convenient if you are coming from eastern Queens or Long Island, and the range of provisions and spice is deep.
A few habits that save money
Buy provisions in bulk when the price is good and store them properly. Yam keeps for weeks in a cool dark spot. Freeze plantain when it hits the sweet stage so it does not spoil. Ask the grocer when the delivery comes in, then shop that day.
Browse more grocery shops across the city, or start from the borough hub if you want to shop closer to home.
Written by See The Five · kept current from the directory, last checked 2026-09-07