Taste of Jamaica?

I was driving on lower Brownsboro Rd. earlier today & spotted a sign reading Taste of Jamaica (on the right side of the road heading downtown, past the dirty Kroger).
I'm assuming it's a restaurant and I was wondering if anyone knew anything about it. I searched for an old post, but couldn't find one.

I was driving on lower Brownsboro Rd. earlier today & spotted a sign reading Taste of Jamaica (on the right side of the road heading downtown, past the dirty Kroger).
I'm assuming it's a restaurant and I was wondering if anyone knew anything about it. I searched for an old post, but couldn't find one.

Hotbytes review of Taste of Jamaica


Our mon gets down with Taste of Jamaica

Taste of Jamaica has been open for more than a year in the Clifton area, and Eat ‘N’ Blog correspondent KEVIN GIBSON, who’s dined there enough to develop a real taste for Jamaican fare, reports that the Jamaican eatery changed management in October and will introduce a made-over menu this month. Here’s his report:

New owner Ibuka Roach says he is focusing on food quality, particularly by importing spices directly from Jamaica. They’re “not from Kroger,” he said in a friendly Jamaican accent. They are fresh and more authentic. Look for “Jamaica night” on Fridays, featuring fried fish, special soups and dominoes tournaments, a Jamaican tradition.

My girlfriend Jen and I dined there recently and found both the flavors and the portions satisfying. Jen had the callaloo and saltfish dinner ($10.95), a combination of Jamaican callaloo (amarynth or taro leaf, similar to collards) and salt cod, with a distinctive flavor that one has to experience to appreciate. I opted for the traditional jerk chicken dinner ($8.95).

Portions were enormous, and both meals came with huge helpings of rice and peas (actually red beans), lightly seasoned veggies, fried plantain and a fried dumpling, enough to provide us lunch the next day. The jerk chicken is half of a chicken marinated in Jamaican jerk seasoning and slow-roasted until tender and juicy. Absolutely delicious, it was actually better than the jerk chicken I had in Jamaica itself a few years back.

Roach said he doesn’t plan to take many of the current items off the new menu, but he’ll expand the offerings to add such dishes as curry shrimp (curry chicken is already a staple) and a “jerk patty” dinner, featuring a Jamaican-style chicken wrap.

I went back a couple of weeks later with my friend Jerry, and this time tried the jerk chicken wings ($3.50). With all due respect to the jerk wings at Cumberland Brews (excellent) and Buffalo Wild Wings (pretty darn good for a chain), Taste of Jamaica’s rendition is not only fall-off-the-bone tender - just like the dinner - but they pack more of a flavorful punch thanks to the spice-to-meat ratio. If you go, they’re a must-try.

Taste of Jamaica has taught me to love fried plantains, even though I grew up hating bananas, which look similar. But fry a plantain, and its gentle sweetness works so well with the light fried crispness that I could eat them all day. You can get three for $1.99 at the restaurant, where no appetizer is more than $3.50.

Since I moved to the Clifton neighborhood, I can see myself stopping at Taste of Jamaica a lot. Next time, I’ll try the oxtails. Or maybe the brown stew chicken. I might even go back to the curry goat, which is quite tasty once you get past the fact that you’re eating, well, goat. The lunch menu features most of the dinner entrees with slightly smaller portions - and they’re extra easy on the wallet. Ibuka, save me a table.

Taste of Jamaica
2017 Brownsboro Road
896-1055

Here is my post from the old boards

If you go, hope you have a better experience than we did. My two children and I went there to eat two weekends ago. Other than one diner who was finishing up her meal, we were the only ones in the place. We placed our order: 2 house salads and an order of chicken wings for the kids to share, and a jerk chicken meal for myself. We waited 45 minutes and the salads were finally brought out. Another 15 minutes and the wings came. Five more minutes for my jerk chicken. And when it came I did not get the dumpling or plaintains with it- just rice.
During our long wait (made even longer with my 7 year old asking every five minutes when is the food coming?) the hostess never said one word to us or apologized for our wait. She was a very shy, young, timid girl and I felt sorry for her so it really is my fault for not asking what the deal was with our food.
Once the food came, we ate, paid our bill, and left. The food was not that great, I prefer Cafe Kilimanjaro by far. But I was so flabbergasted by the service! I won't be returning to even give them a second chance.

The jerk chicken here is amazing--and very cheap. But be prepared for a laughably long wait. If you have just an hour for lunch you won't make it here.
But the "relaxed" vibe is part of the whole Jamaican zeitgeist, isn't it?


I love this place but lament the service.

Any better luck with getting carry out?