I am all about trying out new, unique restaurants. In fact, I keep a note on my phone so I can keep track of the different places I want to try. This also comes in handy when Noah and I don’t know where we want to go for date night! Plus, it is so much fun to try out new places. Today, Lydia (my youngest sister) and I were trying to to figure out where to go for lunch. We ditched my restaurant note, drove to a part of Canton we were unfamiliar with, and let google go to work.

The first restaurant to pop up? Irie Island Jamaican. A Jamaican restaurant in Canton? We couldn’t resist.  Needless to say it was one of the best meals I’ve had in a really long time (and that is saying a lot for a foodie like me). All meals come with Caribbean cabbage and red beans and rice. If you get the medium order for $10, you get to pick two of the following:  oxtail, jerk chicken, jerk catfish, caribbean fried chicken, and curried goat. Lydia and I both got Caribbean fried chicken. She opted for oxtail as her second choice and I got curried goat. Everything was so delicious. Plus, we were delighted with the pineapple soda that we ordered to accompany our ‘Jamaican’ meal.

Beyond the food, the service was great. Honestly, I’m always charmed by locally owned restaurants BUT this experience was even more special. Although there isn’t any fancy cutlery or cloth napkins, the owners make up for it with personality and kindness. As soon as Lydia and I walked in we were ushered to the front where we got to sample EVERYTHING before we made our final selections. And, as we were walking out Melissa gave us both a fried banana fritter (which was my favorite part of the meal) for free.

When the restaurant first opened in 2016 there was an article in The Canton Respository about The “New Jamaican restaurant coming to Canton.” Check it out to learn more about the owners, their humble beginnings, and their awesome goals for the restaurant.

If you haven’t tried out this little hole-in-the-wall restaurant, I highly recommend it. For $22, I got two meals (which could easily feed four people) of really unique food that you don’t oftentimes find in this area. Also, get the pineapple soda. Trust me!

Do you have any local favs? I’m always looking for new places to try so drop me a comment with the name of your favorite restaurant in the area!