From jerk chicken to beef patties, this Wilmington restaurant offers a taste of Jamaica

Allison Ballard, Wilmington StarNews
·2 min read
Restaurateur Niguel Wood serves authentic Jamaican fare at Jamrock Sports Bar & Grill at 417 College Road in Wilmington, N.C.
Restaurateur Niguel Wood serves authentic Jamaican fare at Jamrock Sports Bar & Grill at 417 College Road in Wilmington, N.C.

Jamaica native Niguel Wood moved to Wilmington in 2006 and worked in a few restaurants before he decided to open his own, Jamrock Sports Bar & Grill, more than five years ago.

As Wilmington’s only Jamaican restaurant, it offers something unique to the area’s food scene. And you can find Jamrock among other diverse restaurants at 417 College Road. For Wood, it’s about bringing locals a taste of Jamaica. 

“This is the food I love,” he said. “It’s grandma’s food.”

And for those who can’t get to the island, it is a meal-time escape. The menu includes the Caribbean country’s most popular dishes – Escovitch, beef patties, curry dishes, rice and peas, and coco bread. Jamrock has a few tables and barstools, but the restaurant also does a lively take-out business.

A plate of Brown Stew Chicken with collards, mac-and-cheese and curry potatoes from Jamrock Sports Bar & Grill at 417 College Road in Wilmington, N.C.
A plate of Brown Stew Chicken with collards, mac-and-cheese and curry potatoes from Jamrock Sports Bar & Grill at 417 College Road in Wilmington, N.C.

At the restaurant: A hot bar at Jamrock offers a selection of entrees and sides -- and gives diners a chance to look before they buy. It’s usually stocked with four entrees like oxtails and Brown Stew chicken with a dark, caramelized sauce. You can add sides like mac-and-cheese, cabbage, collards, plantains, and rice. There’s also a kitchen where Wood dishes up curry goat and makes seafood (from Jamaican style shrimp to Ackee & Salt Fish) to order.

On the move: Last year, Wood added a Jamrock food truck. “I thought it would be a good way to expand,” he said. “I can go to Leland or Pender County.”  Look for a pared down selection of Wood's most popular dishes.

Jerk Chicken: Of course, this is one of Jamrock’s biggest sellers. And it’s a dish that Wood recommends when people stop in for the first time. He said his jerk marinade is a great balance of heat and sweet. You can get it with a selection of sodas, including Jamaican ginger beer.

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Allison Ballard is the food and dining reporter at the StarNews. You can reach her at aballard@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Jamrock Sports Bar & Grill in Wilmington, NC, offers Jamaican food