Image: Ribs and more.
Last Updated: March 2026
Cane serves classic Trinidadian dishes out of a boxcar-sized space on H Street. If you are looking for jerk chicken wings, doubles, and tiffin boxes of spicy comfort food, look no further.
We skipped the wings (marinated for 12 hours and smoke) on a recent visit, though the next table over got them and the wafting spices nearly made us supplement. Instead, we tried the Trini-Chinese chicken, with big pieces of chicken lacquered in a dark oyster sauce. Pork ribs are under a shower of sliced peppers, though not quite as much as the escoveitch of red snapper. There are many little cups of accompanying sauces. For the ribs, it was garlic culantro. For the tiffin of eggplant Choka we added the spicier red house pepper sauce, which comes with chewy paratha and curried potato/chickpea channa. And, speaking of chickpeas, don’t skip the doubles. It is all deeply satisfying with the sharpness of a practiced kitchen.
A few desserts close out the meal – a caramel drenched flan with coconut sprinkled on top, a layered pastry packed with currants, and bread pudding. Rum is the primary theme of the cocktail program, the restaurant is named for the cane sugar fields of the island.
Originally owned by the brother and sister team of Peter and Jeanine Prime, Chef Peter eventually parted ways. Jeanine Prime went on to add the fancier St. James at 14th and U to Cane, solidifying her successful restaurateur credentials. Cane remains a strong option, good for takeout or dine-in, something to make a casual experience a little more special.
Summary:
Cuisine: Caribbean
Neighborhood: H Street
Address: 403 H St. NE, Washington, D.C. 20002
Website: https://www.cane-dc.com/
Reservations: Walk-in
Other Critics/Voices:
Washington Post: Tom gave it 2 stars in the 2019 Fall Dining Guide.
Washingtonian: Positive first impression. Made Top 100 in 2023 jointly with St. James. On its own in 2024. Then jointly again at #17 on the 2025 and #19 in 2026.
Michelin: Bib Gourmand
