Top five roti shops in South Florida

Roti shops have been a source of comfort for many South Floridians of Caribbean heritage. They specialize in West Indian cuisine; while there are dishes that contain meat and fish, roti shops are also vegetarian-friendly! Here are five South Florida roti shops to keep in mind when you would like to try something new.

Caribbean Delite storefront (Duvasana Bisoondial/SFMN)

Caribbean Delite

9491 SW 160th St.
Palmetto Bay, FL 33157
(305) 254-6606

Opened in 1996 by Joan and Rickesh Seereeram, Caribbean Delite has been a staple in the South Florida community. Joan specifies her top two bestsellers as “buss up shut” (a layered and flaky roti made with butter that resembles a torn-up shirt), priced at $9.63, and dalpuri (roti stuffed with spiced ground split peas), priced at $5.35. This shop is mostly known for its roti wraps (roti filled with any kind of curry). You can choose any type of filling you want from their variety of vegetarian and meat-based options!

Pholourie (West Indian snack) from Sheiks Bakery and Roti Café (Duvasana Bisoondial/SFMN)

Sheiks Bakery and Roti Café

184 N University Drive
Pembroke Pines, FL 33024
(954) 441-4895

Sheiks Bakery and Roti Café opened more than 15 years ago and is a family-owned and operated roti shop, currently owned by Allen and Bibi Baksh. Sheiks is divided into two parts; one side houses the food counter and bakery, while the other is a grocery market that contains items from the Caribbean. At Sheiks, you can create your own roti wraps with a wide variety of fillings; these include spinach curry, chicken curry and eggplant curry. They also bake their own pastries and bread; some that they offer are cheese rolls (a pastry with a cheddar cheese filling), and butter flap (a soft bread that is layered with butter). Known for their baked goods and Caribbean food, their bestsellers are goat curry ($9.75 for a small portion) and dalpuri ($2.85).

Sunset Roti Shop’s food counter (Duvasana Bisoondial/SFMN)

S & A Caribbean Market / Sunset Roti Shop

6232 Pembroke Road
Miramar, FL 33023
(954) 322-0725

Also known as Sunset International Café, Sunset Roti Shop has been open since December 2002. It is attached to the S & A Caribbean Market, which sells cuts of meat and Caribbean items. Both are now owned by Zelena Kadir; she previously owned the establishments with her late husband, Randolph Prasnauth. Dishes at Sunset Roti Shop include aloo pie (potato-filled dumpling), doubles (curried chickpeas in between two pieces of fried flatbread), and chicken chow mein. Sunset Roti shop also sells pastries like pine tarts (pineapple-filled pastry). Zelena immediately notes her chicken curry ($8.95) and goat curry ($10.95) as bestsellers.

Left: Joy’s Roti Delight’s dining area. Right: Street sign named after Joy’s Roti Delight (Duvasana Bisoondial/SFMN)

Joy’s Roti Delight

1205 NW 40th Ave.
Lauderhill, FL 33313
(954) 587-7684

Joy’s Roti Delight has been open for 30 years and is a recognizable name throughout the Caribbean community in South Florida. It even has its own street, named “Joy’s Roti Delight Street.” Joy’s is owned by Sheila Sawh; she previously owned Joy’s with her late husband, Joy Sawh. The menu at Joy’s includes items not usually found in a roti shop; these include peas and rice with any curry you want (prices range from $12.49 to $21.49 depending on the curry you order), shrimp wontons ($13), and conch curry ($25). One of the bestsellers at Joy’s, according to Sheila, is doubles ($2.50).

Singh’s Roti Delight storefront (Duvasana Bisoondial/SFMN)

Singh’s Roti Delight

4301 N State Road 7
Lauderdale Lakes, FL 33319
(954) 735-4686

Singh’s Roti Shop is one of the most famous roti shops in South Florida. Opened 12 years ago by owners Praveen and Urdan Singh, its grand space and popularity allows the shop to host a vast number of customers and even cater for various private events inside. The menu consists of a wide variety of items, which include pepper roti (a roti with a spicy filling) and bake and saltfish (spiced saltfish in between two pieces of deep-fried dough). Praveen says the bestsellers are doubles ($2.25), roti wraps (prices range from $8 to $16.50 depending on the filling you prefer) and bake and shark ($11).

Duvasana Bisoondial is a sophomore majoring in Digital Journalism and getting a certificate in Women's and Gender Studies at Florida International University. Her goal as a future journalist is to highlight the social and cultural contributions made by Caribbean immigrants in America and other parts of the world.
Currently, she enjoys adding on to her list of books to be read and watching Indian movies, both old and new.