Maryland is a state best known for its seafood, especially blue crab. Seafood, however, is far from the only food available in Maryland. There are several ethnic groups that operate authentic-style restaurants at a reasonable price.
One variety of ethnic foods, Jamaican, offers diners a chance to enjoy robust flavored foods rich in spice and flavor. Jamaican food also offers an array of fresh fruit juices and the ever popular Jamaican beef patty, a ground beef mixture available spicy or mild inside of a dough, then baked.
Caribbean Feast, located in Rockville, is not only a restaurant but a shop where diners can purchase authentic sauces and marinades like Jamaica's own jerk seasoning. Jerk, a mixture of spicy peppers and other spices commonly used in Jamaica, is a specialty item Caribbean Feast specializes in.
The restaurant also offers other Jamaican themed novelties, including clocks, salt and pepper shakers, fruit baskets and more. The menu offers authentic Jamaican fare at a reasonable price and catering is available.
Caribbean Feast
823 Hungerford Drive
Rockville, MD 20850
301-315-2668
Caribbean-feast.com
Located in Baltimore, Maryland's biggest city, The Paradise Restaurant & Lounge offers diners an authentic Jamaican experience not only as far as food but in entertainment as well. The restaurant is host to nightly reggae music as well as local bands.
Paradise offers two dining experiences, a casual one in the lounge as well as a fine dining option. The restaurant has different musical acts that are available on its website.
The menu offers much the same as most Jamaican restaurants, including jerk as well as oxtail and beef patties.
The Caribbean Paradise Restaurant & Lounge
1818 North Charles Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
410-332-8422?
Caribbean-paradise.com
Also located in Baltimore, Caribbean Kitchen offers no aesthetics—just home-cooked, authentic Jamaican cuisine. Voted the best Jamaican restaurant in Maryland four times by the Baltimore City Paper, it offers much the same as every other Jamaican restaurant but at extremely low prices.
Live reggae music is also a fixture at the Caribbean Kitchen, although its signature dishes, curry goat and jerk chicken, can be made as spicy as you like or, for the timid, not spicy at all. Caribbean Kitchen is ideal for the diner who wants a taste of Jamaica without any American influence.
Caribbean Kitchen
353 N. Calvert St.
Baltimore, MD 21202
410-837-2274
No internet site available
