Oh, plantains. You so rarely show up on menus, but when you do, you dazzle. Encinitas’ Jamroc 101 gives the banana-like fruit more than its 15 minutes of fame as an accompaniment to all combination plates. Highlights include slow smoked jerk chicken marinated in Jamroc’s own Island BBQ sauce, slow jerk pork and even curried goat and oxtail. Each is also served with festival (a fritter) and a choice of two sides.
Sandwiches, popular at lunch, are served in coco bread, a Caribbean carb with a hint of coconut or, for an additional charge, wrapped in roti, a tortilla-like bread found abundantly in fast-food restaurants in the Caribbean. (My Haitian friend recommended the latter.) Each is served with carib slaw and house-made potato chips or sweet potato fries.
Jambalaya, empanadas, coconut shrimp and fried Washington state oysters make cameos on the menu as appetizers. There’s also a seafood menu, soups, salads and a selection of bottled Jamaican beverages.
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The place is small and wouldn’t be out of place if transported to a Caribbean roadside. Located on Highway 101 next to Encinitas Surfboards, it’s decidedly part of the area’s beach vibe that inspires sun-drenched tow-heads to become surfers—and to embrace a more casual Caribbean lifestyle.
