Where to Find the Best Jamaican Food in Greater Boston

Satisfy tropical tastes with hot spices, warm hospitality, and cool ice cream.


Jerk chicken from Jamaica Mi Hungry. / Photo by Michelle Schapiro

When you’re craving fiery jerk chicken, rich oxtail, and tasty beef patties, Greater Boston’s excellent Jamaican restaurants and food trucks are ready to oblige. Here are nine spots to seek out, from Mattapan to Medford.

Last updated in February 2025; stay tuned for periodic updates.


See also: Where to Find Boston’s Best Caribbean Food


Blue Mountain Jamaican Restaurant

In late 2024, Blue Mountain reintroduced itself to Boston with a move from one Mattapan location to another, thanks in part to a SPACE grant from the city. The standout spot is named for the island’s longest range of cloud-brushing peaks, and it’s open from sunrise to sunset. That means we can start the day with a breakfast of ackee fruit and saltfish, Jamaica’s national dish, then move on to dinners of stewed beef, curry goat, barbecue chicken, and more, all nicely spiced with scorpion pepper, ginger, and other Jamaican-grown ingredients. Need to douse the flames? Turn to a tall, tangy drink of sorrel (Jamaican hibiscus) or a scoop of gelato or sorbet in flavors like mango, grape nut, or rum raisin.

1301 Blue Hill Ave. C, Mattapan, Boston, 617-533-7255, bmjrestaurant.com.

Overhead view of a styrofoam container of chicken in a yellow curry sauce with rice and steamed vegetables.

Curried chicken from Flames. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal

Flames

It’s usually hard to find sequels that live up to the original. But somehow Flames, a Boston-born mini-chain of Jamaican fast-casual restaurants, has managed to expand while keeping quality consistent. You can now find its vibrant curry stews, jerk chicken, and other classics—not to mention sweet treats like rum cake and bread pudding—in three parts of Boston (Mattapan, Mission Hill, and Dorchester), plus Brockton, Randolph, and Providence, Rhode Island.

663 Morton St., Mattapan, Boston, 617-296-4972, and more locations; flamesjamaicanrestaurants.com.

Irie Jamaican Style Restaurant

Its name nods to a patois term for feelin’ happy and fine—and that’s exactly the vibe this Dorchester stalwart delivers. The counter-service space (which relocated in late 2022 from Ashmont to Fields Corner) will probably have some reggae playing when you stroll in to try the jerk-style ribs with guava barbecue sauce, creamy rasta pasta, and plates of tender oxtail with plantains, rice, and steamed veggies. There’s quite a bit of seafood here, including fried lobster tail, a few options for conch (curried, sautéed, or in soup), escovitch haddock, and lots more. Don’t forget a house-made juice or a bottle of Ting.

1450 Dorchester Ave., Dorchester, Boston, 617-929-3866, iriejamaicanstylerestaurant.net.

Overhead view of two white plastic takeout containers full of Caribbean food, including fried, breaded shrimp, saucy ribs, mac and cheese, charred corn on the cob, and more.

Coconut shrimp, beef ribs, and various sides at Jamaica Mi Hungry. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal

Jamaica Mi Hungry

Best of Boston winner, 2020 (Best Food Truck), 2o23 (Best Caribbean), and 2024 (Best Jamaican Restaurant)

Jamaica Mi Hungry’s award-winning truck is still on the road with regular hours and availability for special events, but chef Ernie Campbell’s tasty operation is also thriving as a restaurant, with a popular Jamaica Plain location—and a Downtown Boston one joining the mix in early 2025. The jerk-style pulled pork and spicy pork or beef ribs are highlights here, and stellar sides make the experience even better, including thick and creamy mounds of mac ‘n’ cheese. On the go? Try the perfect handheld feast: a beef, chicken, or veggie patty with coco bread.

225 Centre St., Jamaica Plain, 617-708-0465; 289 Devonshire St., Downtown Boston (opening early 2025); jamaicamihungry.com.

Murl’s Kitchen

The oxtail is a must here; get it as a rasta pasta topping or as a plate with some combination of rice and peas, vegetables, and/or plantains. Other highlights include jerk chicken mac ‘n’ cheese; fried, sautéed, or jerk lobster tails; and the soup of the day, be it chicken foot with red peas, cow foot soup, or something else. There are a handful of meat-free options, too. Planning a trip to Franklin Park Zoo? Murl’s Kitchen is conveniently located nearby—make it your post-zoo dinner stop.

143 Washington St., Dorchester, Boston, 617-506-7331, murlskitchen.com.

Only One Jamaican Restaurant

Not to nitpick, but the name isn’t entirely accurate: There are actually three Only One locations. Somehow, we don’t think you’ll be stuck on this detail once you’ve tried the singular stew peas, pineapple chicken, and Jamaican beef patties wrapped into soft coco bread. The portions being particularly generous isn’t the only reason the place stands out—but it certainly doesn’t hurt. Each location is a casual operation, but you’ll find the most space for dining in at the Hyde Park outpost, which is in a former D’Angelo sandwich shop (and still looks the part, with classic red-and-green tiling and wooden booths).

160 Norfolk St., Dorchester, Boston, 617-822-0444; 1345 Hyde Park Ave., Hyde Park, Boston, 617-360-7387; 192 Warren Ave., Brockton, 508-587-8770; instagram.com/onlyonejamaicanrestaurant

P&R Restaurant & Ice Cream

You’ll find a pretty wide variety of Jamaican-inspired cuisine at this two-location business, from egg, plantain, and cheese sandwiches to curry goat plates to beef patties to, why not, a side of fried Oreos. What really sets P&R apart, though, is its ice cream selection. Cake batter, bubble gum, and butter pecan are among the indulgent flavors ready to be scooped on a hot summer day (or any other time, for that matter)—and there’s Richie’s Italian Ice, too.

1284 Blue Hill Ave., Mattapan, Boston, 617-296-0922; 208 Dudley St., Roxbury, Boston, 617-442-2020; eatpandr.com.

Taste of Eden JaMerican Restaurant

Heavenly flavors abound at this Jamaican restaurant (with a bit of American fusion, hence the name), whether you come for breakfast (featuring seafood dishes like codfish with ackee or okra) or lunch and dinner, with hearty plates of cow feet, jerk pork, tofu curry, and more. Of note: house-made juices and smoothies in flavors like sorrel, sea moss, and pineapple ginger.

38 Norfolk St., Dorchester, Boston, 617-282-0077, tasteofedenjamerican.com.

Overhead view of two takeout containers, one with chunks of spiced, grilled chicken, the other with steak tips, each with rice and a bit of mango salad.

Jerk chicken (left) and jerk steak tips with coconut rice and mango salad from Work Hard Eat Good. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal

Work Hard Eat Good

This Medford food truck and catering business—find it right by the new beer hall—offers a concise ode to Jamaican flavors in simple dishes perfect for takeout and delivery. Choose your protein: grilled jerk or curried chicken or steak tips, or jerk mango wings; each comes with delightfully coconut-y rice and mango salad. Easy and delicious.

114 Mystic Ave., Medford, 857-200-0708, workhardeatgood.com.