Coconuts Caribbean Restaurant & Bar

About Coconuts

Coconuts Caribbean Restaurant & Bar has served Caribbean and Jamaican food on Ramona Street in downtown Palo Alto since August 2008. Most people just call it Coconuts. The idea, it says, is to bring a true feel of the Caribbean to Silicon Valley, with reggae, calypso, steel pan and salsa on the sound system and island cocktails at the bar.

The restaurant is independently owned by chef Robert Simpson. His biography on the site says he began cooking in Jamaica and worked in Antwerp, Belgium, before cooking at Caribbean resorts including Sandals and Superclubs. He trained at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. He also served as captain, mentor and manager of the Jamaican Culinary Team. In the United States he cooked at David Burke's Park Avenue Cafe in Chicago, ran banquets at the Drake Hotel and served as executive chef of the Swissotel Chicago. In 2002 he became opening executive chef of the Crowne Plaza in Burlingame. He also runs Back A Yard, a mostly takeout and catering spot with limited seating.

What is on the menu

The menu calls starters "small t'ings" and mains "big t'ings." Mains come with rice and beans, fried plantains and roasted vegetables. Highlights from the current menu:

• Jerk chicken: marinated for 24 hours and fire-grilled, with dark meat as standard and white meat for a small extra charge.
• Braised oxtails: slow braised for about four hours with butter beans and herbs.
• Curried goat "dancehall style": bone-in goat simmered in curry and habanero.
• Roasted sea bass in coconut rundown with okra, pumpkin and spinach.
• Starters such as hand-breaded coconut shrimp with mango sauce, a Jamaican patty sampler and the restaurant's jerk wings.

Combination plates pair jerk chicken with oxtail, salmon, curried shrimp or goat. Sides include mac and cheese, skillet cornbread with honey butter, collard greens and corn festival. An island bowl with brown rice, greens, avocado and sweet potatoes can take a protein. The bar focuses on handcrafted cocktails made with fresh fruit and house infusions. The restaurant also stocks a wide range of Caribbean rums and beers. Ask your server about daily specials. Check the website for the current menu.

Vegan and gluten-free choices

The menu marks gluten-free dishes GF and vegan dishes V. Many of the grilled and curried mains are marked gluten-free. Vegan options include crispy jerk tofu with tamarind glaze, coconut curry tofu with vegetables, a sweet and spicy eggplant and tofu starter and the Caribbean pepper pot soup. Rice and beans, plantains, roasted vegetables and collard greens are vegan sides.

The room and booking

Coconuts says it has 110 seats, a private area and a patio. Tables are first come, first served. The restaurant takes advance bookings for groups of 10 to 15 and asks larger groups to call. It is closed on Mondays and on Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas Day and New Year's Day. Gift cards are sold online. Takeout can be ordered on the restaurant's own ordering site. Delivery runs through DoorDash, Grubhub, Postmates, Uber Eats and Caviar.

Catering

Catering covers social and corporate events. The restaurant says it can customize a menu for your guests. Food comes in pans, with a full pan generally serving 20 and a half pan about 10. Choices run from jerk and curried chicken to oxtail, jerk salmon, curried prawns and vegetarian dishes such as ital stew, plus sides and party appetizers like mini patties and jerk shrimp skewers. Orders of $500 or less must be picked up. Same-day and next-day events carry a rush charge. Big events should be booked well ahead. Email orders or call the restaurant to plan.

Tips for visiting

Coconuts sits at 642 Ramona Street downtown. It serves until 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday but closes at 8 p.m. on Sunday, so plan an earlier dinner at the end of the weekend. Our downtown Palo Alto guide covers the surrounding blocks. Our Mexican and Latin American food guide includes Coconuts among its Caribbean picks. For an overview of eating out in town, see our food and drink hub.

Location and getting there

Coconuts Caribbean Restaurant & Bar is at 642 Ramona Street, Palo Alto, CA 94301, in the Downtown area of Palo Alto. Our Downtown guide covers what else is around.

The nearest train stop is the Palo Alto Caltrain station, about 0.3 miles away. That is roughly a 7 minute walk.

Parking: street spaces and city garages with posted limits (see parking in Palo Alto).

Hours

Hours from the business's own website, checked October 29, 2026.

What is nearby

• Joe & The Juice Hamilton Avenue, cafe, under 0.1 mi
• SkinSpirit, salon or spa, under 0.1 mi
• Sephora Downtown Palo Alto, salon or spa, under 0.1 mi
• Romi Boutique, store, under 0.1 mi
• Lee Optometrics, practice, under 0.1 mi
• Pacific Art League, under 0.1 mi
• King Plaza and City Hall, under 0.1 mi
• Downtown Library, under 0.1 mi

Other restaurants nearby: Buca di Beppo (under 0.1 mi); Pizzeria Delfina (under 0.1 mi); Reposado (under 0.1 mi); Meyhouse (under 0.1 mi). Browse the full restaurants list.

Before you go

• Popular dinner spots in Palo Alto fill up on Friday and Saturday nights, so book ahead where the restaurant takes reservations.
• Many kitchens close earlier than in big cities. Plan to order by about 9 p.m. on weeknights unless the posted hours say otherwise.
• If you have allergies or dietary needs, call ahead or check the current menu on the restaurant's website.

About this listing

Checked October 29, 2026 against Coconuts official website; About us; Restaurant menu; Catering. How our listings work. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Frequently asked questions