The Jerk Store Called…
Jamaica Jamaica Cuisine & Fresh Juice Bar was such an accidental find, but it was such a good idea to stop in. We had taken the Purple Line up to Evanston on a Saturday with no real plan except to get something to eat and do a little exploring, so we got off at the Davis stop and just started walking, looking for something completely different from our usual menu. We were about to turn around and grab a burger when this place presented itself. We looked at the menu outside and saw a bunch of “jerks” and decided to give it a shot.
The place was empty although it was just a little after one on a Saturday, and the hostess and server was super nice (although it seemed like she was in a bit of a hurry toward the end of our stay; we’re pretty sure that was her boyfriend hanging out around that patio waiting for her shift to end). We knew right away that we both wanted to do some jerk chicken, so I ordered the jerk chicken wrap, and Lois ordered the quarter jerk chicken and fries.
The jerk chicken wrap was not far from amazing. Pure whole chunks of cut chicken saturated in the hot and spicy jerk sauce, and wrapped in a flour tortilla. The taste was absolutely amazing, a huge blast of spices, vinigers, and peppers really set a wild fire ablaze in my mouth. Served with two fried plantains, the only way to balance this out was to order the IRIE smoothie, a blend of pineapple, banana, ginger and honey. Oh did we forget to mention that this place is also a fresh juice and smoothie bar? Yeah. It is. The smoothie balanced this spicy mess of goodness so well, I couldn’t ask for anything better.
Lois’s quarter jerk chicken looked a lot more like a whole chicken sitting on a trough of french fries, with a bucket of extra jerk sauce on the side. It was HUGE. She agreed with my assessment of the chicken, but it was one of those meals where you could eat and eat and not look like you’ve made a dent. Oh well, I had a nice full meal to take home and eat for lunch the next day.
A great experience for $30 and the real expense here wasn’t the food – it was the smoothie. So it’s possible to dine here on the cheap if you stick to the grub (but why deprive yourself?).
By the way, if you want a quick classic dessert after your Jamaican experience try Bennison’s Bakery on Davis. It’s just a short walk, but far enough away that you’ve burned off some of your lunch. Lois was initially drawn in by the cool Art Deco building and sign, but the frosted sugar cookie selection really sealed the deal.
