Anntony’s Caribbean Cafe has given Charlotte a taste of island life for nearly 40 years

Philip Freeman

September 21, 2023 at 6:30 AM·4 min read

Editor’s note: As new restaurants open every day in Charlotte, it’s easy to forget about the old standbys, the places that have grown up alongside the Queen City. Our Charlotte’s Classic Eats series highlights the places that you have frequented for years, reminding us why they have stood the test of time.

Walking into Anntony’s Caribbean Cafe, all of your senses are engaged — Afrobeats fill your ears, colorful flags draw your eyes and spices from the kitchen welcome your nose.

You’re just as likely to see a lively family sharing a rotisserie chicken dinner as you are a relaxed individual sipping a third Red Stripe and nibbling on Trinidadian roti at the bar.

Although Anntony’s founder, Dr. Tony Martin, has passed on the Charlotte staple, the relaxed vibe remains.

“We want to keep the culture and carry the flag that Dr. Martin established — and take it a little further,” Anntony’s owner, Petula Kwende, told CharlotteFive.

Kwende, a Cameroon native with a background in healthcare and nutrition, is excited to build on the restaurant’s legacy while introducing some West African dishes and drinks.

“Both Caribbean and African foods use a lot of spices,” Kwende said. “Caribbean food is very, very spicy. However, African food is layered in a way that the seasonings talk to each other and give you the final product.”

Healthy, delicious food

Martin opened Anntony’s Caribbean Chicken in Statesville in 1984 — the restaurant is named for himself and his mother, Ann. Martin relocated the restaurant to the Queen City a couple of years later, rebranding as Anntony’s Caribbean Cafe and offering Charlotteans the chance to try family recipes he brought from British Guyana.

“When you taste this chicken you will be transported to a balmier clime, where people are forever dancing on a white, sandy shore,” wrote Charlotte Observer restaurant critic Dannye Romine in 1988.

Anntony’s had a few different locations over the years, including one at Pecan Point on Elizabeth Avenue and another in Brevard Court, before settling into its current spot on Sugar Creek Road at W.T. Harris Boulevard. Preparing delicious, healthy food was always paramount to Martin — a priority that Kwende shares.

Cook Emma Lindsay, right, and assistant Denise Gonsalves put the finishing touches on the lunch entrees at Anntony’s Carribean restaurant in Brevard court in this April 27, 2000 file photo.

“I’ve always been interested in providing healthy food to the public — food without fillers,” Kwende said. Her credentials back up her passion: Kwende moved to the United States in 1992 to pursue a degree in biochemistry from North Carolina State University. After that, she studied public health at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Anntony’s Caribbean Cafe’s half chicken with black beans and potato salad.

Until taking ownership of Anntony’s in November 2022, Kwende worked as a licensed and registered dietician in healthcare facilities.

“I always wondered about my clients’ ability to access wholesome food,” Kwende said. “So I was excited at the opportunity to take over Anntony’s.”

Caribbean staples

Like Martin, Kwende knows that food can be healthy without sacrificing flavor. Caribbean staples are predictable among the restaurant’s best selling dishes: rotisserie chicken, curry chicken, brown stew chicken, wings and oxtails.

“Oxtails have to be seasoned correctly,” Kwende said. “And ours are great — ours have a lot of meat on them.”

Anntony’s Caribbean Cafe’s famous Jamaican Jerk Sauce.

“A lot of people think we’re a Jamaican restaurant,” Kwende said. “But we feature different Carribean island foods. Most Carribean food is so spicy that we have to tone it down in the U.S. — most Americans can’t handle the heat.”

Anntony’s also sells a lot of pork chops. “Ours have a great combination of seasoning and sauce — almost like a gravy,” Kwende said. “Pork chops tend to be dry, but not ours.” Side dishes such as greens, cabbage and plantains round out the menu.

Adding some African flair

Kwende cherishes childhood memories of visiting her grandparents in their West African village. They lived next to a market, where they purchased ingredients and prepared dishes for those traveling to and from the market.

“Whenever I visited, I enjoyed being at the restaurant,” Kwende said.

Decades later, Kwende plans to add West African street food to the menu of her own restaurant. She’s particularly excited about introducing the Charlotte community to jollof rice. Originating in Senegal, other countries have developed variations of jollof rice that feature the flavors of specific regions.

Suya, a brisket dish from Nigeria, is another dish that Anntony’s will soon offer. “I want to slowly expose people to African dishes,” Kwende said. “It really depends on how adventurous people want to be, though.”

So don’t worry if you’re torn between savoring a Caribbean staple or trying a new West African dish. After all, as Martin said for years: “Hey Mon! Don’t Worry ‘Bout Nothing.”