Jamaica Jerk Is A Real Find!

food and drink

You're in store for a great treat if you brave the less than delightful expanse of Howard Street just east of the subway stop.  This is the kind of storefront restaurant I just love.  Sadly this sort of place is disappearing in Chicago because the increasingly high rents in the city are a big  deterrent.  Jamaica Jerk is in a red brick terra cotta trimmed building that appears to be rehabbed.

About a year ago Jamaica Jerk opened at 1631 W. Howard.  The food is Jamaican of course and the quite extensive menu boasts all kinds of marvels that you've probably never tried before but should.

First of all this place is as neat as a pin.  The restaurant has white tablecloths topped by white plastic sheeting in case you get messy.  The walls are painted blue to resemble the sky and white lattice woodwork adds an appealing accent.  There's a great visual trick in store for you if you keep your eye on the  potted plant in the window between the two rooms and watch for the weird effect.

The cook works in a spotless kitchen but was reluctant to have me take a photo because "it was a mess."  Hardly, I thought but obliged.

We tried channa cakes for an appetizer.  They're fried patties of ground chickpeas seasoned with curry herbs and spices and through some miracle they are as light as a feather.

We also loved cassava bread or "bammy" which is made by grating the root of a tropical tree (cassava or manioc are identical) and combining it with liquid from same.  It was unusual and just delicious.

Cordelia Williams our waitress, (see left photo) was very helpful and pleasant, explaining, for instance that I might not want jerk pork because it's made from the part of the pig that's used for bacon and sometimes is fatty, sometimes not.  There's her picture at the left.

We had jerk pork anyway, jerk chicken and curried goat.  I wanted to try the vegetarian special which is jerk tofu with spinach and plantains but will have to return for that.  Plantains, a relative of the banana are a sweet fried vegetable that's heavenly tasting.  I can't see them on a menu without succumbing.  All of the entrees come with two sides and are priced differently for lunch and dinner.

Jamaica Jerk is a BYOB but I was ecstatic on the hot night we visited to try non-alcoholic homemade ginger beer which recalled a gingery beverage I had once on a hellishly hot day touring the palace in Bangkok.  It was only because of it that I survived and JJ's drink tastes just like it!  We also tried sorrel made from a relative of the hibiscus plant which was good too but not as sensational as that ginger beer.  (It's sweeter.)

Stanley Waite, the manager on duty the night we visited wondered how we had heard about the restaurant.  It was through the recommendation of a friend and as your friend I pass this terrific "tip" onward.

It's pretty clear that Jamaica Jerk does a good carryout business but I highly recommend eating at the restaurant itself since the food without the atmosphere amounts to only a part of the potentially delightful experience.  There's parking on the street or in a free lot in the back.

Jamaica Jerk, 1631 W. Howard, 773.764.1546.  Closed Mondays.

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