jerk-a-rama
we had some take-out jerk from this relatively new spot last night, and i'd say it was a solid B/B+ overall. the spicing wasn't as aggressive as i like it to be, and while the sauce that was squirted over the hacked chicken was hot, it was also too sweet. on the other hand, the meat was cooked damn near perfectly and had an outstanding, deep smokiness. looking forward to future meals from here.
jerk-a-rama, 704 rogers ave, brooklyn.
By wleatherette
on Oct 1, 2008 07:53 AM
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is Cheffy's still operating at 707 Nostrand? that used to offer very good jerk.
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good question... i wasn't there, so i don't know. will ask.
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I tried this place last weekend and the jerk chicken was delicious! I came here to post about it and found wleaterette's post.
It was the wonderful chicken smell that led me to this place, actually. I was walking down Rogers on my way to the Immaculee Bakery for some Patties when I saw the smoker and smelled the lovely aroma of jerk chicken, so of course I had to try some. I've gotten crappy chicken before at other places so I just went with the small order for $5. This chicken was far from crappy, I thought the spicing was really good and I could taste that the blend was home-made and thoughtful--there was definitely a lot of thyme in it and cloves, probably onion and a bunch of other herbs and spices as well. I liked that the actual flavor of the chicken was allowed to shine through, it tasted like the chicken was really fresh (?). I don't know how to tell freshness other than the intensity of chickeny goodness, but this chicken had that in abundance. The meat had a profound smokiness that wleatherette mentioned, it was perfectly cooked and not at all dry. The dark meat was falling off the bone it was so tender and the white meat retained it's moistness. Overall, I would give this chicken an A.
I didn't think the peppa sauce was too sweet. I liked it. I hate when the peppa is so spicy it overpowers the chicken. I can't wait to try more stuff from this place. The menu included macaroni pie and other Jamaican dishes--also, breakfast! I will definitely try some crab and callaloo for breakfast soon.
They also deliver!
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it's good stuff! we just had some jerk from jerk city, and i think that i underestimated the importance of the meat itself in my rating of jerk-o-rama. while i liked jc's spicing a bit more, the chicken itself was just not as good. the meat was drier (though not dried out) and had less "chickeny goodness," and it didn't reach the smoky heights that j-o-r's did. it was still very tasty, mind you, but i don't think i like it quite as much.
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Hey, I just wanted to bump up this thread to say that Jerk-a-rama still rules. I went there today for some chicken and really enjoyed it. Tender, flavorful and perfectly cooked as usual. They gave me the head's up that tomorrow (Friday, April 23) they're gonna be making jerk pork, it should be done in time for lunch. I've adjusted my schedule accordingly, haha. If you're in the area, stop by and get some!
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Awful. They have the worst hot sauce I have ever had. Like a sports bar. The chicken lacked any smoke and sufficient spice that made it actual Jerk, it was broiled chicken with watered down sauce on it. Plus, you have to go into the ghetto to get it. NOT worth it.
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you talking about jerk-o-rama? the ghetto, I have to laugh.
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They make their chicken in a smoker, it seems pretty smoky to me. I live nearby and don't know what freaks you out so much about the location. People are pretty nice here, haha.
The chicken is way better than Peppa's, imo. I also like it better than Exquisite on Parkside, but only because the chicken there is often dry from sitting out. I think Hammonds Jerk Center is better than Jerk-a-rama, but farther away from me. Do you have any other recommendations?
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Maybe I had an off batch, because I couldn't detect smoke at all. If they do smoke it I wish they would give it more. Sometimes smoking meat in small smokers leaves it dry, thus larger slower smokers add more flavor with more juice.
As for the sauce, it did seem tame. More scotch bonnets!
The ghetto comment was simply gratuitous. Glad your reading my posts Jen.
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