After a fellow blogger shared their travel experience to Jamaica, I found the desire to experience the island for myself. Since boarding a plane wasn’t an option, I settled for a local taste at the Reggae Shack Café. I first heard about the Reggae Shack Café on television, and had been dying for a chance to visit.
When we first got to the restaurant, it seemed a little small.
The atmosphere of the restaurant reflects the size of the building. The staff is laid back, and you can hear parts of other patrons’ conversations. The better part of the Reggae Shack being a small restaurant is that when our waitress discovered it was our first time eating there, she made sure the experience was a good one.
It became time to order, and I decided on a basket of six jerk chicken wings ($5.99) and an order of their dutty fries ($3.50). My boyfriend ordered a jerk chicken sandwich ($8.99), minus the lettuce, tomato and onion. It took a fair amount of time to receive our order, and the first time around his sandwich still had the unwanted ingredients. The wait staff noticed right away, and brought out another sandwich.
For those not familiar with jerk sauce, it is notorious for its heat. The waitress commented on its spiciness, but I assured her that I loved food with spice. When I started eating my wings, but I realized the island spice was mothering like I was used to. It was delicious, but not for those with a weak pallet. The dutty fries were seasoned with a mix of salt, pepper, and white and brown sugar. The sweet fries helped take the edge off the slight burning sensation. My boyfriend said that his sandwich was really good, and that the chicken was tender and perfectly spiced. We also both decided to try Ting, which are Caribbean soft drinks made with grapefruit. The citrus flavor made the experience more authentic.
General Details:
Price Range: $$
Good For:Lunch, Dinner
Must Try:jerk chicken, oxtail, dulce de leche festivals
Hours:11:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. Monday - Sunday
Location:619 W University Ave, Gainesville, FL