There are several places to eat in Jamaica along with hot spots around town. Then there are the street vendors, selling authentic jerk chicken, jerk fish, jerk pork and roasted food such as yams, corn, sweet potatoes and more. Since you asked, what will your visit to Jamaica be like as a food lover? your Jamaica Experience will be absolutely fabulous. Yes, the

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beaches are just as you imagined, post card picture perfect with beautiful white sand. Yes the water is super blue as you look from a distant yet crystal clear when you step in and watch the tropical fishes swimming around. And if you are a sunglasses kind of person, don’t forget your sun glasses during your Jamaica visit because you will be assigned your own sun or what seems like your own sun as it follows you around. The hotels range from magnificent with superior services to great with superior services; therefore, there are accommodations to fit every budget.

OK, so you are not staying at an all inclusive hotel and you would like to move around town and try some of the great authentic Jamaican food, no problem. Whether you “live to eat, or eat to live”, either way below are the names of some of the popular places to eat during your visit. These restaurants below are not listed in any particular order, you can visit them and enjoy some good authentic Jamaican food and various fusions cooking to match many nationalities of people living on the island; as the motto for Jamaica states, “Out of Many, One People.”

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Some of these places are fine dining as well as local eateries. Choose your preferential dining, whether it’s eating on the run or sitting down for a full course breakfast, lunch and dinner, let your mood decide. If you decide to rent a car and drive around the island the roads are lined with food vendors, your nose and eyes is always a good judge on what smells good and looks good. If you decide to hire a private tour guide which is always a good idea, they will guide you to

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great authentic Jamaica food or you can tell them where you would like to go and choose from the list below.

Montego Bay                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

• Pier One on the Waterfront is your open air seafood Jamaican dining with great atmosphere.
• The Pelican Restaurant serves mouthwatering authentic Jamaican dishes.
• The Houseboat Grill offers a cozy settings on the inside and upper deck.

• Day O Plantation Restaurant just outside Montego Bay offers fine dining with their fusion cuisine.

• Pork Pit slow separately roasted jerk flavor dishes to eat in or take with you on the go.
• Native Restaurant and Bar serves breakfast, lunch and dinner with great view.
• Royal Stocks English Pub and Steakhouse brings out the English in you.
• Scotchie’s Coral Garden offers the island flavor in jerk dishes.
• Jerky’s Bar and Grill
• Margaritaville offers more than just food.
• Dragon Court Restaurant serves authentic Chinese dishes and sushi bar to eat in or take with you.
• Angela’s Italian Restaurant in a relaxing atmosphere. Take out is also available.
• The Twisted Kilt is your Irish cuisine with a twist.
• Devon House I-Scream, great flavor ice cream is the talk of the town in Jamaica.

Ocho Rios

• Ocho Rios Jerk Center serves authentic Jamaican food in an island setting to stay or go.
• Ruins Restaurant fine dining offers great atmosphere with strong history.
• The Almond Tree Restaurant serves authentic food with great view.
• Passage to India fine Indian cuisine dishes.
• Casanova serves French cuisine.
• Evita’s Italian American dishes.

Negril

• Xtabi’s Restaurant servers seafood and more with great view.
• Roots Bamboo Beach Restaurant serves great authentic Jamaican food.
• Norma’s Jamaican cuisine on the beach serves breakfast lunch and dinner.
• Swordfish Restaurant and Bar Caribbean cuisine.
• Ossie’s JerkCenter
• Border Jerk
• Blue Mahoe Restaurant at the SPA Retreat serves a fusion cuisine.
• LTU Pub serves sea food and jerk dishes.
• Niah’s Patties local cuisine food
• SupremeJerkCenter
• Ras Rody’s Roadside Organic lunch and dinner takeout.
• Reggaeman Restaurant vegetarian food.
• Sweet Spice Restaurant serves breakfast, lunch and dinner.
• Chicken Lavish restaurant ideal for families and large groups serving breakfast, lunch & dinner.
• The Lobster House at Sunrise.
• Bentley’s Crab House
• Margaritville
• Salt and Pepper Grill Jamaican and Mexican food.

Port Antonio                                                                                                                                      

• Wi Yard Anna Banana Jamaican cuisine with great scenic view serves breakfast, lunch and dinner.
• San San Tropez Italian restaurant for the pasta lovers.
• Bushbar Restaurant serves breakfast lunch and dinner.
• Panorama international dishes
• Woody’sLow Bridge Placeserves lunch and dinner.
• Restaurant Mille Fleurs with a romantic setting and a great view.
• Norma’s at the Marina with good atmosphere.
• Blue Lagoon Restaurant serving seafood and Jamaican dishes.
• Grog Shoppe at Devon House traditional English pub with authentic Jamaican dishes.

Kingston

• Akbar authentic Indian Restaurant servers a range of North Indian Cuisine.
• Norma’s on the Terrace, intimate setting and a blend of Jamaican cuisine.
• Bamboo Village Chinese and seafood restaurant.
• Dragon Courtrestaurant
• Gordon’s Restaurant servers oriental cuisine, Korean, Japanese, Chinese or Thai dishes.
• Jo Jo’s Pork pit and more.
• Chilitos Mexican restaurant using local products to serves a twist of Latin food in Mexican dishes.
• Weekenz Bistro & Bar serves casual meals, sandwiches and grills.
• Scotchies great island settings with authentic dishes.
• Cuddyz serves food and cocktail menu international dishes with aCaribbeanflair.
• SweetwoodJerkCenter
• Eden Vegetarian serves vegetarian dishes and natural juices.
• ChelseaJerkCenterauthentic Jerk dishes.
• Caf’e Blue serves hot and cold beverages, pastries and more.
• Golden Bowl Chinese food, serving food for over 30 years.

While you are touring the island, there are several Jerk Centers along the road serving some delicious authentic Jerk dishes. If you are in Montego Bay there are Scotchies, The Pork Pit and Jerky’s Bar & Grill. In Negril there are Border Jerk, Supreme Jerk Center, Ossie’s Jerk Center and Bourbon Beach. Leaving Montego Bay heading towards Ocho Rios, along the way you can stop at Ultimate Jerk Center in Discovery Bay and Scotches in Drax Hall. In Ocho Rios circle is Ocho Rios Jerk Center. If you are heading to Kingston from Ocho Rios passing through Fern Gully, Faith’s Penn Jerk Center is about 30 minutes south of Ocho Rios after passing through Walkerswood and Monigue. Faith’s Penn Jerk Center has multiple vendors serving great authentic Jamaican food.

However if you stay on the North Coast, outside Ocho Rios is White River Jerk Center. Continue along the North Coast towards Port Antonio, you will arrive at Boston Bay Jerk Center with multiple vendors in Boston Bay serving mouthwatering authentic Jerk food. As you get into Port Antonio you will reach Unique Jerk Center in Hope Bay, Pan Di Corner Jerk Center in Black Hill, Blueberry Hill Jerk Center and G&B Jerk Center in Buff Bay. If you are in Port Antonio heading to Kingston the jerk centers to look out for are Chelsea Jerk Center, Sweetwood Jerk Center, Scotchies, Jo Jo’s Pork Pit and Truck Stop Grill & Bar.

Enjoy all the wonderful restaurants and street vendors during your visit to Jamaica. Because it’s not possible to visit them all and try all the delicious dishes in one trip, you must hurry back. The perfectly seasoned jerk chicken, pork, fish conch and more, releasing these magnificent aromas in the air of scented island spices coming from the slow cooking marinated meats will sure to invade the passage of your nose while serenading your brain to satisfy your tantalizing taste buds. As you start eating bite after bite, remember the old island saying, “Better belly bust than good food waste”, but for real, remember tomorrow is another day. Bon Appetite.

Youtube Videos looked at a few places to eat in Jamaica as well as the preparation involved in getting the jerk flavor. See Here.

By

Maxie DaCosta Sr.

Robin Treston Sr.