By: Matt Weingarden, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Tilbury Times Reporter
Jerk chicken, Curried goat, Oxtail – all served up with rice and peas…washed down with a Grace soda.
If you are a fan of Caribbean fare, a Taste of Jamaica House is the place for you to get all your favourite dishes.
Tilbury has a new flavourful eatery boasting fresh options for lunch and dinner in the downtown area.
Located at 40 Queen St. North, Jamal Lewis and his colleagues prepare fresh jerk and curried fare based on recipes that they grew up on back home in Jamaica.
“There is a noticeable lack of ethnic options for lunch and dinner in the downtown core, especially for those who come from the region itself looking for a taste of home,” said owner/operator Jamal Lewis. “Recognizing this market gap, we firmly believe there is a great opportunity to establish an eatery that provides Caribbean-style lunches to the downtown offices, local schools and businesses. We offer $6 student specials everyday.”
Lewis notes that the lack of ethnic options is surprising considering the popularity of Caribbean options in places like Windsor.
“We pride ourselves on being locally owned and operated,” Lewis said. “Additionally, our menu focuses on fresh healthier options cooked daily, swiftly, at a cost-effective price without compromising quality.”
Lewis shares that chef Richie has been cooking Jamaican fare since the young age of 11 and like the other team members, grew up in Spanish Town, St. Catherine Parish in the historic county of Middlesex, Jamaica.
“He grew up drawing on his family’s heritage to create award winning dishes and rave reviews,” added Lewis.
Restaurant manager Cassandra aims to provide with exceptional customer service that keeps people feeling at home and keeps them coming back. Creating a sense of community as a gathering place is important to Lewis and his team.
“Together we have come up with a fresh concept, a popular menu and ambitious plan to build our thriving new business,” he said. We firmly believe in a sense of familiarity and sense of belonging.”
And so far, the restaurant is proving to be very successful garnering great on-line reviews. He says that they hope to expand to franchises and set up shop in small towns.
“People are loving the taste of the oxtail and jerk chicken – they are the number one sellers,” Lewis said.
“It’s a new taste for the Town and we’ve been doing very well since we opened our doors.”
A Taste of Jamaica House is located at 40 Queen St. North in Tilbury, find them on Facebook or call 249-535-2747.
