I had heard the tell-tale stories of this place. There were rumours circling about everything from assaulting the customers to the owners having screaming matches and hurling insults. I was warned. But I am a see-it-for-yourself kind of girl. Also, I just generally do the opposite of what I am advised. So the second I was told to keep clear of Hi-Lo's Jamaican eating House, I ran straight there.
Situated on our slightly kooky Cowley Road, it doesn't stand out a lot. However, if you walk by late enough (2am- yea, that's late for Oxford) you notice that there is something lurking beneath the surface. The place is open until the wee hours of the morning serving overproof rum and Red Stripe along with other drinks. The atmosphere is relaxed and smoky with many bench-like tables and an underground (PT-like) feel. It's not for the faint of heart nor it is a place to take your granny.
That being said, I had an awesome time. The wait on the food was actually ridiculously long but the waitress assured us that is because the dishes are made from scratch in true Jamaican custom. Regardless, we loaded up on drinks in the meantime (standard) and the cook delivered on the promise of a good meal. I had the Goat Stew- well, because I had never had Goat. And it was well-spiced and served with a heap of rice and fried vegetables. It was tender and warm and filling. I had major food envy of the crispy coated Funky Chicken which was fantastic. I had a bite of my friends' and it was to die for. It's like Reggae Island version of fried chicken but with the perfect mix of spice and sauce. Yum. Will come again for that and the tropical drinks. And the Rasta man. Definitely need to get to know Andy better considering he is basically a staple of Oxford Cowley cuisine. My friends literally had their parents come here on a regular basis which led to some nice cross-generation texts and passing along the phone to Andy to recount the good old days. Great night. read more