Jerk House Caribbean Restaurant — Restaurant in New York

Not to humble brag, but I grew up with some of the most authentic Jamaican food outside of Jamaica. When I spent two years living in the Bay Area (where Caribbean representation goes to die), I lived a miserable existence where asking for a "beef patty" was interpreted as asking for a hamburger patty. You couldn't even find them in 7-Elevens. I was so, effing, thankful to move back to the East Coast.

Anyway, the point is, I don't pretend to be an expert on Jamaican cuisine, but I know the real deal when I experience it--and Jerk House is the real deal. From the brusque, borderline rude (but not actually rude) service, to the no-holds-barred spices in the curries, this is just one Ting shy of being as good as the homeland.

We got the Curry Goat with Rice & Peas and Cabbage, and the Jerk Pork also with Rice & Peas and Cabbage. The goat was unbelievably tender--and anyone who's ever tried stewing goat chunks knows that's not an easy feat. The spice level was what I call "real"--no white people spicy here.

Meanwhile, jerk pork is quite hard to find, so when we saw it on the menu, we jumped at the chance to try it. The complex mix of spices in the marinade was phenomenal--I'm pretty sure my tongue hosted a house party and every flavor was invited. I think the cumin brought a keg....and other party favors.

There's only seating for about 6 people, and no nearby parks or seating areas to enjoy your food, so just be prepared to take your food to go. If you ARE lucky enough to eat your food fresh, know that prices are in the low teens for very generous portions.

Come here. Support this perfect example of delicious, authentic, underrepresented cuisine in a no frills, mom 'n' pop setting--the best kind of local...

This isn't your typically designed hole-in-a-wall, mom & pop Caribbean restaurant. It's spacious and on the fancier side, which initially had one of my eyebrows raised because the aforementioned types of restaurants tend to serve up some of the very best food. If you know, you know!

Located in the Midtown East area and simply a standout because there are barely any Jamaican restaurants nearby, if any at all. I've had this restaurant bookmarked for a while now so I'm glad I finally got to try it out. I went to go see a matinee play and I was a bit hungry afterwards. I used my phone to search restaurants nearby and this one popped up. When I walked in there was barely anyone inside, just one couple ordering and some delivery guys in and our with orders. My take is this spot, because of the location, must really rack up business on weekdays with the Midtown East work crowd.

I was torn between the jerk chicken meal and the jerk chicken rasta pasta. I have had rasta pasta in quite a while so I went with that option. It was a nice serving for $15.50. Although some of the pasta was mushy, it was still very tasty especially with the well seasoned and spicy jerk chicken mixed into it. They give you a nice portion of boneless, chopped up jerk chicken to go with it (they chop it up and place the meat right on top of the pasta). I will return to try some other dishes as well. I also love that they were playing some Caribbean tunes to set...

Visited on 5/29 during the lunch time rush. There is much to love about this restaurant—the atmosphere and customer service are absolutely perfect for a fast food establishment. However, the food leaves much to be desired.

The macaroni and cheese, while very cheesy, is dry with overcooked noodles lacking any creaminess. It’s just cheese on dry noodles, reminiscent of a grilled cheese sandwich made with dry bread. The jerk chicken was particularly disappointing, devoid of flavor and tasting burnt, as if cooked with burnt ingredients. The rice and peas were equally unremarkable.

This spot has a lot of potential, but it seems they are trying to serve too many dishes at a fast pace, which is impacting the quality of the food. They need to streamline their menu and focus on taste and quality. The portions, for the price they charge, are small compared to what you typically get at a West Indian restaurant outside of Manhattan. While the portion size and price may be typical for Manhattan, it’s disheartening to pay that much for food that lacks flavor.

I ended up throwing my food out because I had to add salt and sauce just to make it palatable. It wasn’t worth eating. While the environment and the people were great, they really need to work on the quality and taste...