The restaurant

When Carl’s Seafood Restaurant on State Road 7 was opened in 1999, it was not because Carl Dixon listened to the people around him; it was because he had a vision and he was going to see it through.

The restaurant business is second nature to Dixon who grew up working in the Sugar Plum Bar & Restaurant, which his parents owned in his native St. Elizabeth, Jamaica. Since it was something he had to do, he was lucky to have liked working in the restaurant. Confident of his knowledge of the business, he used money from his savings to open the first restaurant.

But it didn’t start with his entry into the U.S. in 1985. When Carl arrived in the U.S. he worked at the city of Davie water plant, then he worked as a truck driver. Those jobs weren’t fulfilling enough especially as it relates to money. Carl started selling fish out of his van and soon people started requesting cooked fish, which opened the gateway for Carl’s Seafood Restaurant. “It was easy,” said a smiling, jovial Carl. “I already know the business.”  He added that at that time, he didn’t know of any other Jamaican seafood places around the area.

The restaurant on State Road 7 has been in business for seven years and Carl has no complaints. Though there is jostly take out at this location, it’s quite popular. Following the success of this restaurant, Carl brought partner, Tony Marshall on board and together they open the West Oakland Park Blvd.location. With seating capacity of about 100, this location has a more restaurant feel with its cozy ambience conducive to a lunch meeting or other such event. In fact this location has been the venue for parties such as the mother’s day event held in May.

The Food

Carl’s Seafood, as the name suggests, specializes in seafood meals, prepared the Jamaican way. In fact, the restaurant started out offering only fish, lobster and shrimp meals, but the customers were asking for their regular Jamaican foods like curry goat, curry chicken, oxtail and brown stew chicken. Catering to the needs of the people, Carl obliged and they widened the selection of foods.

Carl told CNWeekly News that people always talk about the fish and the curry goat that they get in his restaurant, but with varied his clientele, each person has his or her favorite dish. O’Neil who sometimes buy take out at Carl’s said they have the best goat fish and for Karen, a Trinidadian, “It’s the ambience, the food and especially the ‘fiesta’.”… She meant festival, but we can forgive her, as long as she loves the taste.

“In the catering business, you have to do what the customer wants, even if it means serving foods that are not on the menu,” Carl said. He is looking towards the future and trying to build on the stores he now has.

The restaurants serve breakfast, lunch and dinner and closes at 11:30 during the week and 1:00 a.m. on weekends.