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.
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.