With all the great Ethiopian and soul food restaurants arrayed along U Street, it can be easy to overlook The Islander, whose kitchen has been preparing the Trinidadian take on Carribean food for 30 years. Characterized by slow-cooked stews, curried goat and oxtail, all of which can be bundled within a blanket of roti, Carribean cuisine is a colonial fusion of African and South Asian cuisines.

Though the sparsely decorated interior is hardly transporting, the large party that filled the restaurant on a recent Sunday succeeded where the decor did not. We unwittingly stumbled into the middle of what seemed to be a post-church family luncheon/birthday party. About 30 Caribbean revelers occupied more than half the restaurant, talking, passing around family photos, and greeting late-comers with big hugs. At first, the situation bordered on uncomfortable, as we actually felt like we’d just insinuated ourselves into someone else’s life. But, as it says on the menu, chef Mama Addie’s philosophy is that “we cook for ourselves, and we invite you to join.” So we did.

We started out with a small cup of callaloo, a soup blending leafy greens such as spinach and dasheen, the latter of which is also known as the more familiar taro leaf. This hearty stew of green veggies was warm, garlicky, and packed with spices, the combination of which felt positively restorative.