Well-liked Modesto Caribbean restaurant at risk of closing. Owner asks for help
I’ve never heard anyone say anything bad about Modesto’s Cariblue Restaurant. In fact, Bee readers voted it the best new restaurant of 2024.
It was also named one of Bee reporters’ favorite Stanislaus County small businesses by more than one of my colleagues (and myself).
Despite being well liked and less than 2 years old, the Caribbean restaurant is struggling, owner Abel Cano told me.
“I’m going through really hard times,” he said. “I don’t know what to do anymore.”
Facing imminent closure, Cano has created a fundraiser to help mitigate the debts incurred.
“Like many small businesses, we’ve fallen behind on expenses and are now facing the difficult reality of struggling to keep our doors open,” Cano wrote in the GoFundMe. “Every donation, no matter the amount, will go directly toward catching up on overdue bills, paying operating expenses and helping us stay open so we can continue serving the community we love.”
Struggling restaurant is one of a kind in Modesto
My description of Cariblue’s food in the story I wrote announcing its September 2024 opening still resonates, so instead of replicating the description, I will repeat it:
“You ever dream you’re on an island somewhere, then wake up and you’re still in Modesto? That’s what eating at Cariblue Restaurant on Yosemite Boulevard is like, but not disappointing.”
The restaurant’s menu features Jamaican cuisine, including oxtails, jerk chicken, curry shrimp, chipotle barbecued ribs, plantains, and rice and beans made with coconut cream.
Half of the allure of dining out is the experience, and Cano is known to be personable and inviting. He is not a hands-off owner; you will find him in the kitchen, bussing tables and greeting guests.
As far as I know, Cariblue is still the sole Caribbean restaurant in Modesto. It is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at 3801 Yosemite Blvd.
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