Our travels frequently take us to the Caribbean, where we enjoy sandy beaches, clear blue-green waters, “boat drinks,” and lots of flavorful foods. But one of our shortest, closest authentic Jamaican experiences happened on Powder Springs Street. We were heading south, of course, just outside of downtown Marietta.
That’s where we found Juicy’s Jerk. This family-run authentic Jamaican restaurant gem virtually hides in a roadside strip mall at 1115 Powder Springs St, in Marietta. But it didn’t require a week of sailing and port stops on a cruise ship. We drove to Juicy’s Jerk for a weekday lunch, where we walked in and were served with virtually no wait.
Now, I’ll admit that we almost turned and retreated to our car when we walked through the door into the dark restaurant and accompanying hookah bar. We’re really not into the hookah scene, but fortunately, we continued — hesitantly but undeterred — to the counter for ordering. The smokey aroma wafting from the outdoor smoker provided the encouragement needed, our mouths watering for the authentic Jamaican delights.
We were helped with our ordering by the friendly owners, who made a few suggestions for our midday meal. The menu is not extensive or complex, and we felt well guided by the friendly suggestions. Jerk chicken, pork, ribs and fish made up the main protein choices, supplemented by shrimp, cow foot and oxtails.
We ordered a small jerk chicken meal and a small jerk pork meal, both served with the standard sides of rice and peas, and also with cabbage. What we got was a huge and heavy styrofoam container filled to the brim with wonderful food, each containing enough for two full meals.
Dining in, we sat alone in the dining room and dug in to the heaping servings. First, we feasted with our eyes and noses. Both the chicken and pork were slightly charred with crispy edges, a deep, mahogany-brown color from the smoking process. The jerk spices caramelized on the exterior, creating a beautifully textured crust. It was speckled with bits of fresh herbs, blackened spices, and glistening juices. Steam rising from the meats hinted at the juicy tenderness inside. The aroma was intoxicating, a smokey essence of sweetness, spices and citrus zest.
Then we dug in. Each bite of the proteins delivered on flavor beyond the incredible promise made by the aroma. The first bites and each afterwards delivered a powerful explosion of heat, smokiness, and sweetness, followed by a lingering warmth that danced on our tongues.
The rice and peas brought the heat level down and provided a short break for our pallets before we rushed for the next bite of proteins. Despite our enthusiasm and delight, we managed to finish less than half of each “small” plate before we surrendered with full stomachs. But the great news was we were each carrying home a dinner-sized serving for another meal.
Though we only sampled the two lunch meals, we’ll definitely return to Juicy’s Jerk. In fact, we have our eyes on some of their larger to-go offerings as a carry-home option the next time we have hungry visitors.
We’re also not the only folks impressed by this hidden gem. We checked out reviews from multiple local foodies we follow, and virtually all of them gave Juicy’s five-star reviews. Consistently, they commented both on the quality and quantity of food. And one even mentioned the same initial hesitation we felt, while also continuing in for a delightful experience.
So next time you want a Caribbean food experience in land-locked Marietta, navigate your car on down Sandy Springs St. to Juicy’s Jerk.
Our Restaurant Disclaimer: We eat where we want and what we want, and pay for our meals. And when we find a restaurant we like, we write about it. When we have a poor experience, we tell the restaurant. But we don’t do negative reviews — you just won’t read about any bad experiences on our website.
