The Jerk Center — Restaurant in Tarpon Springs

This place is amazing! Anyone who knows me, knows I love me some Jamaican food, mon! I was so happy I found this place right before a weekend vacation to Tarpon Springs/Clearwater. It ended up being the first place we ate for lunch as we arrived. There is a decent amount of parking (tip: there is additional parking in the back)

The restaurant is huge and can easily hold a party, which supposedly happens on Saturday nights. The decor and smells transport me right back to the island. The service was also spectacular...shout out to our server, the owners son. He is very humble and has outstanding customer service skills.

Now onto the food! Literally everything we ordered was amazing and tasted great. The Jerk chicken was cooked to perfection. It had the right amount of spices and was really tender. But the oxtails stole the show. I haven't had oxtails in over a decade and a half, and these were amazing. The sauce was so good that I was putting spoonfuls on my rice even after the meat was done. The rice was good and the steamed cabbage tasted really fresh. There was even a special sauce provided that is made by the owner, which is like a family recipe that is a purée of fresh vegetables! The beef patty and coco bread was awesome too. No lie, if we lived close I would be a regular...

This place is the closest Jamacain restaurant in my area and I'm so grateful it exists. My first experience with this restaurant was back in high school. I tested my luck with the curry goat; I fell in love instantly. After some neglect, I forgot the name and location of the restaurant, but never did I forget the amazing taste of the food and how glorious it made me feel. Years later, while shopping at the Sponge Docks and conversing with local store employees, I'm miraculously told the name of the haven I've been in search of for years; 'The Jerk Center'. I look it up, lo and behold, that's the place. Memories flood my mind along with a strong desire to return... so I did. I had forgotten how good it was and was surprised by the amount of food I had received. I ordered the ox tail and I was made complete. I took a friend of mine one night and he ordered the jerk chicken. He inhaled it. It seemed as if I was watching him eat, looked away for a moment, looked back and he was licking his fingers. I was like, "What?!?" The prices are amazing; the food is even better. After my second visit I became a frequent customer. The thirty minute drive is well worth it. I'm happy every time. If you happen to be in the Tarpon Springs area I highly recommend stopping by for a...

Since my review got taken down an I’m still highly upset. I’m making another 1…. So I decided to take a trip almost an hour away to come to this 4.7 star rated restaurant instead of others. We walk in with such high hopes for this place. Let’s start with the jerk tray TRADITIONAL jerk does NOT have yellow BBQ sauce on it. If I wanted BBQ I would’ve went to a bbq place. The rice an cabbage on the plate were gross my bf didn’t even eat the tray. Next the OX TAIL whoever said they give you nice servings 😂😂 I got maybe 5 ox tails!!! Now the ox tail meat was decent I don’t have complaints on the meat. But them SIDESSSSS rice dry an cabbage nasty! I got Mac n cheese more like baby food it was so over cooked the girl in there that said it was so good should be ashamed. I got a pineapple upside down cake that was MINTY I’ve never had a pineapple upside down cake be minty! Y’all want some real traditional Jamaican food. Come to Spring Hill ! I really want a refund but it’s to late for that. Still highly upset about my $54 dollars...