I had the jerk chicken with red beans and rice and was blown away. Definitely would go back!
In my constant search for new and fun restaurants hidden away throughout Huntsville, it's a shame it took me this long to find Island Jerk in the Wal-Mart shopping center on Sparkman. Google only indicates a previous location that has permanently closed, but it must have just relocated. I went at the recommendation from a good friend who has spent a lot of time in the Caribbean and grew up with Caribbean parents. He kept telling me it was the only place in town to get authentic Caribbean cuisine. I can't speak to the truth of that statement, but I can tell you that shit is delicious.
I got a large order of stewed chicken with a side of fried plantains and my fiancee got the special fried chicken and a large peach-mango smoothie. We were told the fried chicken would take 10-15m because it was made to order, and the wait was made more difficult because of how delicious everything smelled. I didn't time everything but it seemed to take a while (the smoothie didn't come out til 10m after we got our other food) so this might be a good 'call-ahead' place.
The menu is a little lacking in description, so I ordered the fried plantains as a side because I didn't know if my dish came with anything. As it turns out, the side was completely unnecessary (you can tell in my picture). Each of our dishes came with a healthy portion of rice & beans, steamed cabbage, and fried plantains. It was a lot of food. We took home pretty generous portions to enjoy later. All told it cost us about $21.
The food was incredible. I've had the stewed chicken at Mangos and enjoyed it, but it doesn't really compare. The spices were amazing and the chicken fell right of the bones (lots of bones, for those of you unfamiliar - this is a dark meat, slow cooked kinda dish). This was absolute dynamite. I can't recommend it enough. My fiancee's fried chicken had a delicate batter and was very tender and flavorful. Even the steamed cabbage, a dish that I've enjoyed elsewhere but never thought much of, was impressive. The mango-peach smoothie, despite its late arrival, did not disappoint. I'm pretty sure they used fresh fruit and orange sherbet to make it, which tasted bright and sweet and finished the meal off well.
The decor was a little lacking. It looks like they just moved in, although I asked and the woman who took our order said they'd been around for a year and a half
... keep reading on reddit ➡I know of foods that slaves and later, plantation workers made, specifically in the south. But how much of that came from their cuisines in their home countries?
Having a Caribbean party on Sunday and could really use some good recipes!
Southern food is a mix of French, West African, English, Spanish, German, and Caribbean cuisine mixed with any animal big enough to eat, and whatever you can grow on a subsistence farm
