Building off of my previous blog post of Top 15 Things to do in Jamaica in celebration of Jamaican Independence Day, I’m moving forward with top Food Experiences in Jamaica that I had the privilege of experiencing. We’ll go off of the map below:
- Montego Bay: Chill Out Hut
When you’re in the Montego Bay area it can be a little challenging focusing your efforts away from Margaritaville and other touristy chains but you’ll really be doing yourself a favor by skipping it for more authentic food. The first place we ate dinner our first night was called The Chill Out Hut. Local place with good music, they stay open late, and a friendly staff. Service was a little slower than what I’m used to but it’s NO Problem Mon! Relax, drink a Red Stripe and chill. Snapper fish and jerk chicken dinner was wonderful.
- Montego Bay: Biggs BBQ
If you’re on the “Hip Strip” you’re bound to see plenty of tourist-focused spots. I’ll admit Biggs BBQ is certainly a tourist food spot, but their food is authentic and fish freshly caught. I was concerned that it was going to be more of an American BBQ joint but that wasn’t the case at all! Plus, the scenery was great. Just expect to pay a little more due to location
- Falmouth: Juici’s Patties
If you look on the map above, you’ll see Falmouth located pretty close to Montego Bay. If you have the time, make a trip out here to have Juici’s patties. You have to get the famous beef patty of course but they do have other flavors like shrimp, cheese, and veggie. SO good. The filling practically melts in your mouth and the crust is the perfect amount of flakiness and solid combination. Since my friend and I were the last stop on the bus, our driver accepted a tip and drove us here. Great experience. Plus, in Falmouth it’s a local town and you get to see where the locals hang out.
- Catadupa Mountains: Croydon Plantation
In my previous post, I talked about the tour of Croydon Plantation itself but here I want to mention the food moments that made me happy. First, you get to taste different types of pineapple, and other fruit delicacies found around the island.
After pineapple tasting, there was a lunch made by locals. Jerk chicken, peas and rice, citrusy cucumber salad and greens. Washed down with none other than Blue Mountain coffee. For those who don’t know Blue Mountain Coffee is grown in the Blue Mountains of Jamaica. Generally located between Kingston and Port Antonio. Rising to 7,402 ft, it’s one of the highest mountains in the Caribbean. combination of climate and rich soil is considered ideal for coffee.
- Negril: Kuyaba’s
On our tour here, we had a stop at Seven Mile Beach but desperately wanted something other than Margaritaville. We stopped into a beachfront restaurant called Kuyaba’s. It was a nice spot with talking birds at the entrance to greet you. I had the shrimp soup and it didn’t disappoint. Service was quick too. They know most people are there from the tour buses so they speed up accordingly.
- Port Antonio: Bikini Beach
If you look on the map up top and look towards the right, you’ll see Port Antonio area. That’s where you can find the beautiful Blue Lagoon. This small beach property was our lunch stop on the tour and all of it was very flavorful.
To summarize, no matter where you are in Jamaica, take advantage of these 5 key items:
- Fresh seafood
- Jerk Chicken
- Juicis Patties
- Red Stripe Beer
- Blue Mountain Coffee
Obviously, there’s waaaaay more to taste but if you’re only there for a few days like I was those are the must eats. Happy traveling! Also, write in the comments if you have any additional food options you recommend in the different regions.
