Best Jerk Chicken in Brooklyn

[NYJewboy]

What are some of the great Jerk establishments in Kings county? Is there anything like Vernons' in the bronx (circa 1990)?

[ryan]

The Islands - on Washington Ave. just off of Eastern Parkway. The woman who runs it is like a Jamaican Lidia Bastianich. Damn it's good.

[Peter Cherches]

I only had the jerk lamb at Islands (see photo). The lamb was too dry, but the jerk sauce and the sides were wonderful, so I plan to go back for the chicken. Mike's International, on Flatbush near Lincoln Road used to do a good jerk chicken, but I haven't been there for quite some time. I remember Vernon's Jerk Paradise near FIT--same Vernon as the Bronx?

http://petercherches.blogspot.com

[racer x]

I love lamb and I love jerk, so I'm drooling. But where's the picture, Peter? That's a pretty long blogscroll.

[Peter Cherches]

The picture is attached to my post above. Click on the little icon.

[racer x]

There used to be a Jerk Center on East Gun Hill Road in the Bronx, about a 10-minute walk from the subway (and a Golden Krust shop across the street from the subway). I think they were listed as offering the top jerk chicken in the Village Voice Best of the City in the early '90s. The shop was somewhat triangle-shaped, with the apex at the front door, just past a handful of tables. They served the absolute best jerk chicken I've ever had, served by the pound. Spicy but also very smokey - almost like traditional american barbecue.

I went back to the area this past fall after not having been in years and found new management serving a different style of jerk chicken - the baked instead of grilled kind that is so common these days. Very disappointing.

[Luther]

I checked it out a couple years ago, after it got a mention or two as having good jerk. The lady behind the counter was unhelpful and the chicken was flavorless. Rice and frozen carrots/peas were unseasoned too.

[bklyndiner]

There's a woman in Prospect Park who sells great jerk chicken.
Head to an area of the park called Drummer's Cove, which is right near the Zoo and not far from the Boathouse. Drummers congregate there every weekend and play day and night. It's a very lively scene and vendors have decided to sell their wares right there too.
The woman sells jerk, along with other Jamaican fare, and even had a vegetarian jerk soy dish. I didn't try that, but it looked good.
After that, if you are up for dessert, look for the three women selling home made ice cream out of a cart. Their coconut ice cream is incredible. And, get this, occasionally they bring along home made pies. The day I was there they had red velvet cake on offer.
It's a great food scene there and a great NYC scene as well.

[missmasala]

wow, i never knew that food was sold by the drummers. I'll have to check that out. Thanks!

[monkfanatic]

What is jerk chicken? never heard of it

[Woodside Al]

Jamaican style dry-rub spicy grilled chicken. Pretty much ubiquitous in NYC.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jamaican...

[bigjeff]

if only it were ubiquitous like crown or kennedy fried chicken! otherwise, quite scarce, especially good jerk.

[Woodside Al]

Maybe I've just lived in a lot of Carribean neighborhoods during my years in NYC, But my feeling is that I've seen it around just about everywhere I've lived, particularly in Brooklyn (but not in this part of Queens). Anyway, I agree with you that the real thing, and especially the real good thing, is hard to find.

[HankyT]

I really like MacKenzie's on Utica Ave between Crown and Carroll in Crown Hts.

[JackS]

I second the MacKenzie's recommendation. Just a caution: you can't eat there, it's strictly takeout.

Boston Chicken is great, but really far from a subway. Utica and Foster.

Exquisite is OK, at Church and Nostrand.

Mo'Bay for a fancier sit-down restaurant in alright too, on Dekalb near Fort Greene Park somewhere.

[smcgill]

Peppa's on Flatbush is terrific. Load up, walk the few blocks to Prospect Park and enjoy. Nothing better for me in the summer. The hot sauce is very good, but go light (if at all) on the BBQ sauce.

[Gnu23]

Where on Flatbush is Peppa's?
I have only ever had jerk chicken in Brooklyn from Islands, Christies, and Brawta. My favorite is Islands - 803 Washington Ave.

[missmasala]

peppa's is good. their jerk sauce is good, but boy is it hot!

also, on church right near flatbush is ram's--good jerk and good roti.

[Woodside Al]

738 Flatbush at Woodruff (which is Clarkson on the other side of the street), a block south of Parkside.

[Luther]

It's good chicken, and you might pass a guy grilling some pretty good corn out on the sidewalk, too. The chicken at Danny & Pepper (before the split) was way better, though.

[vsingh67]

Sally's Jamaican restaurant is amazing! they have a couple of locations
http://www.sallysrestaurant.com/