Jerk King

Jamaica sold the first bananas into the Western world.*

The atmosphere at Jerk King (https://www.downtownrochestermn.com/go/jerk-king) was excellent to say the least, with the whole experience feeling custom and individualised, although the restaurant was mostly vacant, as they do most of their business at lunch. The owner was our server and probably the friendliest person I have ever met, because from the minute we arrived he answered all of our questions. While we were eating he answered all of our questions, and when we checked out we had a very friendly 15 minute conversation. The atmosphere was perfect for everybody because there was soft Jamacian music playing, but there was enough background noise to not make people uncomfortable. Because of this I give the atmosphere 5 stars.

The food that we ordered from Jerk King were fries, Curry Potatoes, Jerk Chicken, Oxtail, and Chickpeas. The Jerk Chicken was my favorite of the night, with the chicken having a dry rub seasoning, which made the chicken tender and delicious. The jerk chicken itself was tender and dissolved in my mouth, but it was spicy. The potatoes were my good, but they had little flavor, and the sauce was a bit seasonless, and was a bit spicy. The cxtail was peculiar, it tasted like meat, but it did not have a meat like texture; it was slimy, but not disgustingly slimy. The chickpeas lacked flavor and texture (they were a bit undercooked). The fries were the perfect compliment to the rest of the meal, because they were not spicy and dulled the spiciness of the other items. I give the food 4 stars.

For creativity and uniqueness Jerk King is the only Jamacian restaurant in Rochester. The food at Jerk King was unlike any food that I had ever eaten, while I have had all of the main ingredients before, except oxtail, but was with different seasonings and flavors. Jerk King had lots of different options for vegetarians, so I give creativity and uniqueness 4.5 stars. For the price our meal cost about 30 dollars, and I think that is fair because at the end of the meal we were all full, and the location was easily accessible, so I give price 4 stars, which makes the overall rating 17.5 stars.

It should be noted that we were here prior to the restaurants closing down due to Covid 19. Please support local business now and when they re-open!!!