This is such a good place for great Jamaican food and vibes. I usually get jerk chicken or pork with white rice & mac and cheese but this time i was just swinging by for a beef patty... OMG I forgot how great they were! I got them super quickly since they're pre-made and sitting in a warmer but make sure to order ahead if you want something cooked. Forever a fave! read more

Surprisingly, this spot is open on Sunday. We didn't expect service would be great (as it was Mother's Day) but it was worse than expected. The location itself was in the cut; you would drive right by it if you're not paying attention - as I did. The restaurant appears to be a house remodel into a restaurant and gave off the vibe that the food was going to be good - straight JA hole in the wall vibe. We sat in the back area and no server came. So we put our order into the kiosk sadly. I think if you give the order to the guy at the register the food may come quicker - at least that would be my hope. Without a person to talk to, I hopped back online to at least get the drinks we ordered. An hour later, I finally made it to the cashier and our food and drink was ready. I didn't like that the cashier was badmouthing other staff audibly. Keep your dirty laundry to yourself. Come to find out, you can order from the table and the food arrives without haste! Jerk chicken- a bit spicy and good. Calalloo tastes decent even though I suspect it was doctored from a can. Rice and pease need sauce/dressing because it Iowa's extremely dry. Brown stew chicken was sweeter than I've ever had but edible. Plantains good. Cabbage really crunchy, not bad taste but I would like it to be cooked a little longer. I would go back to try other things if I thought the service would be better. I'd say go for it - maybe your experience will be different. The outdoor seating and smell of the food being smoked was nice. read more

Here's a combined, detailed review for both: The experience at Jerk Pit was really disappointing. I ordered the curry chicken and a jerk chicken sandwich, and neither lived up to expectations. The curry chicken lacked the rich, bold flavor you'd expect from a Caribbean dish. The sauce was thin and didn't have that deep, well-seasoned taste, and the chicken wasn't as tender as it should have been. It just tasted bland and underwhelming overall. The jerk chicken sandwich was no better. It didn't have that signature smoky, spicy jerk flavor--it was dull and poorly seasoned. The chicken wasn't juicy, and the sandwich as a whole just fell flat. What made the experience even worse was the wait time--it was absolutely atrocious. For such a long wait, I expected fresh, flavorful food, but it definitely didn't deliver. Overall, the combination of bland food and excessive wait time made this visit not worth it at all. Definitely not the quality I was expecting. read more

Called ahead of time to confirm they were open for late hours and they were. The gentleman that answered the phone was pleasantly polite and welcoming. That alone encouraged me to check them out on my way home after a night out. They close really late, like well after midnight. Once I arrived, I walked upstairs since I saw folks up there. When I got up there, I was told I was at the lounge and there was a $10 cover. I poked my head inside and there was a bar and great reggae music playing. I asked where the restaurant was for carryout and he explained that I needed to go downstairs. So I went to the restaurant instead. I hope to check out the lounge another time! Coming down the stairs, I entered a small dining area and the carryout counter for ordering. They were busy, but the same gentleman that answered the phone was able to handle all the multi-tasking quite smoothly. I ordered 2 entrees so I don't have to think about cooking for the next few days. I ordered the Jerk Wings meal with 2 sides, and selected rice and peas and veggies. Ordered Stewed Meat, I think it's chicken but I may have ordered stewed pork, not certain but it's delish, and plantain and rice and peas. Also ordered a side of mac and cheese. Everything was delicious, but you can't be timid with the heat! It was spicy, but really good. Flavors were on point. Ordered food for take out. Next time I'm in that area, I will definitely return. read more

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This spot has that true old-school Jamaican charm. You can feel it the moment you pull up to what used to be a house, complete with a drum-style BBQ smoker out front blazing jerk. The flavor is on point. Smoky, spicy, and everything you want from real-deal Jamaican jerk. Parking is easy, but getting in can be tricky depending on which way you're coming from on Route 1. The real letdown here is the service. The staff was short with me, not rude, but definitely not welcoming. It feeds into that cliché of Caribbean spots where the food is fire, but the vibe inside is cold. All things considered, if I'm craving jerk chicken with a side of good service, I'm heading to Jerk At Nite or St. James instead. Still, if you're all about the flavor and don't mind a little attitude with your meal, this might be your spot. read more

The Jerk Pit - Jerk wings, brown stew chicken, rice and peas, and cabbage - Caribbean Near Me - College Park, Maryland

I'd consider this a hidden gem honestly, and its standalone location makes it feel like home! It's definitely more visible than it used to be thanks to the fence painted in rasta colors. If you don't know where it is, it's very easy to miss the turn -- but fortunately it's easy to make a U turn. The Jerk Pit used to be in the plaza with the McDonald's, Pandora's Cube, and other things... and believe it or not that entire plaza is gone now! Jerk Pit moved way before this occurred, but it was a symbol of nostalgia, and now it's gone. Anyways, Jerk Pit has a few normal parking spaces, and then the rest is gravel, but it's all up for grabs. There are two entrances -- well three actually. There's the front entrance, there's the entrance near their rather spacious outdoor seating area (it's great when the weather is nice, but the bugs can get wild), and if the upstairs is open, there's a second floor entrance. The front entrance has a table with a bunch of local upcoming events, and then you see the register and some high tables to eat at. Bathrooms are easy to locate and there's a separate room. Now, it wasn't until recently that I learned the upstairs was even open to the public -- it's a whole epic lounge space up there! There's a long bar, some TVs, and quite the lounge space. I didn't even discover it until I came for a weekly karaoke experience that started a few months ago. It took place up there -- though it has since moved to the private room downstairs. I'm a sucker for their jerk wings, they're quite good. And they have a happy hour now -- rum punch, margaritas, jerk wings, patties, and more are up for grabs, and the specials last from 5:00-8:00pm... nice! It's great to see they've been around for so long, and even better to see there are reasons to come still. If you're not ordering to-go and trying to hang out for happy hour or what not, sometimes they have someone take your order, sometimes they don't -- it's been inconsistent, but it's primarily revolved around karaoke. But if the bar upstairs is open, you're in great hands! read more

I love this place. Honestly one of the best if not the best Jamaican spot in the area. This goes for the flavor and taste. They have good jerk chicken, ox tail, meat patties, rum cake, cabbage and rice and beans. The service is okay. You order from the front desk and wait for your food. There is seating inside in the back but I tend to do to go. The food can take a bit so I recommend ordering online before going there because a lot of people order to go which can cause your food to take longer. I have drove past this place several times and wonder what the house was for. I read more

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I work so hard and I needed to treat myself for my amazingness. I decided to order some jerk chicken, mac and cheese, and plantains from this spot. I ordered through DoorDash, so it was delivered right to my door. Delivery was smooth. My food was nicely packed. I loved that they put my Kola Champagne drink in a bag so it wouldn't crack or break. This food was so so good. You can tell from my pics and videos they BLESSEDDD me with a lot of chicken. I was able to split this into two servings: dinner today and lunch tomorrow. The chicken was so flavorful, and the mac and cheese was creamy in all the best ways and delicious. I wished they'd given me more mac and cheese and plantains, though. I literally only had exactly five plantains :/ Now, yeah, I was hungry, and if you see my name on the order form, you might as well fill my platter to the brim with chicken, plantains, and mac and cheese. It was so so good, and I will be back :) read more

The Jerk Pit - Caribbean Near Me - College Park, Maryland

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I'm back. The chicken soup was flavorful and actually had more than just chicken, carrot and a piece of potato like some others do. The lady upfront was very pleasant. The rice and peas, curry chicken and jerk mix min nice bad. Food nice man. Keep doing yah thing. Me nah stop come day read more

The oxtail was not from an adult ox. There were only a couple of pieces of ox tail and a lot of rice. The curry goat was also minimal and mediocre. The beef patty took an hour to be made on a Sunday at 2pm. I recommend bringing your own food for them to cook for you if you are going to dine there. read more

Unsure if it's just because it didn't quite match my tastes, but the jerk salad just disappointing for me. Don't get me wrong, I came because I wanted to try the jerk chicken, but didn't have the capacity to do a full meal. Ordered the jerk salad mainly to get a taste of the meat, so I'll disregard the fact that it was jsut regular bag salad, but the chicken was very reminiscent of a saucy bbq chicken. read more

Some folks I knew, visited this spot and put in an order for me. I wanted to try a beef patty (mild), coco bread and festival and was informed they had no mild beef patty nor any festival. So, I had to settle for a spicy beef patty instead. Soon after, I was informed it wouldn't not be spicy. Well, that was good to know. I trusted what was said. However, for those expecting a spicy beef patty, they might be disappointed as this didn't have a kick to it, as It was mild. I did notice the patty was rather flat like they skimped on the meat inside, but it still tasted good, so I am glad I got two. I placed one of the beef patties in between the coco bread, which was still warm, but the bread was not easy to peel apart. In conclusion, since this was a carry-out order, I was still satisfied with what I got but may try some place a bit different next time. 3.5 stars. read more

Asked for Sauce On Side. Came Smothered in Sauce. Tried to Call Store. Their Phone Number was Disconnected. read more

Honestly when it's good it's GOOD!!! I refer this place to people often. When I see them at festivals I will always patronize. They are slow as molasses service wise. It always takes long, so order in advance. The jerk snapper or oxtail is what I typically order. My only issue is they will legit sell you tough hard non tender oxtail and not bat their eyes twice when you mention it. As if the meal is cheap and won't replace it. So I order when I'm 100% in the mood and pray I'm not disappointed. But you bet your bottom dollar I will mention my dissatisfaction. read more

Food is delicious but you WILL wait a minimum of 45-60 minutes. Both times I picked up food to carry out - I waited about 90 minutes. Ordering ahead doesn't help, in fact, I don't recommend it b/c it's the same wait you'd have if you're whist walking in. Good food but sheesh. read more

The Jerk Pit - Caribbean Near Me - College Park, Maryland

Inside the painted bamboo walls of The Jerk Pit, one encounters not merely food but a dialogue with memory and fire. The jerk pork arrives charred and fragrant, kissed by smoke from a drum pan--an elemental method that feels less like cooking than communion with the earth's slow violence. The meat yields with both tenderness and resistance, as though reminding us that joy is always paid for with labor. Mac and cheese, often an afterthought in lesser kitchens, is seasoned here in the manner of Jamaica itself: assertive, spiced, carrying the ghost of scotch bonnet heat. Even the beef patties, their golden shells flaking apart, seem to whisper of hands that know the craft, not machines that mimic it. Service, attentive and unhurried, subverts the tired stereotype of indifference that clings to diaspora eateries, reminding the diner that hospitality, too, can be an art form when carried out with care. Then there is the pepper shrimp, lurking cold in its humble container at the register like contraband, glowing red with menace, its spice attack so immediate and merciless that it erases small talk and burns away illusions. read more

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Ordered on UberEats and the food was still fresh and hot! Very flavorful I can tell that our love into the food and portions. I'll be paying a visit in person I know it smells good inside the restaurant. read more

The Jerk Pit - Curried Goat, Oxtails, Rice and Peas, and Macaroni and Cheese - Caribbean Near Me - College Park, Maryland

Good food and service. The patties were really delicious. My faves included the beef and jerk chicken patty. I ordered a variety of dishes and they were all really good. The jerk chicken, oxtail and chicken soup were all great choices and good portions. Very busy on the night I went in and a ton of take out orders. There is ample seating inside, though I can see it getting congested on a busy night. The inly thing I didn't love is the hidden entrance to enter and exit- be very careful. Easy to miss the entrance and when exiting make sure traffic is completely clear. read more

The Jerk Pit - Jerk chicken - Caribbean Near Me - College Park, Maryland

I order thru Uber Eats , took about an hour and a half to receive three pieces of under cooked tuff oxtail, dried out white meat jerk the wing was petrified a ton of rice and peas and cabbage....$55!!!!! Called several times , no one ever answers the phone and when I did get through it was ...oh well, maybe next time t will be better...wtf!!!! I'm posting this because I was just about to order again and just remembered that...clear cart !Not going there again... I was a loyal patron of the Jerk Pit however they poor customer service, lack of cleanness, long wait times, staff attitudes, order inaccurateness, and hit or miss food quality.....I do not recommend this place and have moved on to better options... To the Owner, You really have you work cut out for you, start with you cashier!!!! And clean , clean, clean read more

Have a craving for some Jamaican food? Try the Jerk Pit; it was so good. I was so hungry; I didn't even take pics. I had the brown stew chicken with vegetables and a side of cocoa bread. So good The service is okay, and the building is large with amble parking and colorful Jamaican vibes & decor. The place could be a bit cleaner. That would be my one con. Nonetheless, I know there are nights that the grill outside is on loud reggae music playing, and crowds of people there dancing and enjoying themselves in a lounge/club atmosphere. read more

100% recommend the jerk pit! Food is amazing , but be prepared for a long wait. I ordered the oxtail and jerk chicken combo and was given a buzzer and told 25 min wait. I decided to walk around outside and saw the chicken on the grill - my 1st sign that the food was going to be amazing! There's lots of seating inside and out, so I waited outside to enjoy the weather. Once my buzzer went off, I went back in to get my food. Customer service was pretty good. I enjoyed the food, the ambiance, and can at least appreciate that they were honest about the wait from the beginning. read more

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Came here for happy hour and karaoke on Thursday afternoon. This place is so easy to miss if you are not paying attention. I got nervous and turned too early but was able to hop back on to the main road and then make another quick turn. Once inside, it gave me a feeling of being back in Jamaica. A little small on the main floor for a lot of people but with our group size it worked. I ordered food off of the happy hour menu. I tried their jerk wings and a patty and both were delicious. I even took some of the jerk sauce and added it on to my patty and *chef kiss*. For my drink of choice, i ordered the rum punch off of the happy hour menu and kept them coming all night. lol they were delicious and quite dangerous. It was good enough to make me get up and sing (which i cant) LOL. I did try a little bit of stewed chicken my husband ordered and the flavors were perfect. I had a good time here and cant wait to come back. Shout out to our bartender. She was sanging too! read more

The food is good, but the establishment clearly has no respect for its patrons or their time. I called in an order, and because of previous experience at the restaurant, came 15 minutes after the projected pick up time. Imagine my frustration to learn that the order wasn't ready. (Spoiler alert: It would not be ready for another HOUR.) Over the course of the hour, I was either not acknowledged while standing at the counter, not given an update, or told "It will be just a moment. The food is going into the boxes now." One hour. No acknowledgement. No explanation. No offer to recitufy ii or correct the situation. It is a shame that any business could operate with such disregard for it's customers . I would never even consider repatronizing of recommending. read more

It's a nice place but I've had better food from other establishments. I ordered the 3 meat platter with sides. The curry chicken is good. The jerk chicken was a little dry. The brown stew chicken was a "Take it or Leave it" situation. The rice and peas were drier than a sun beaten cactus. It was hard to consume it. I had to mix gravy from the brown stew chicken to moisten it. The cabbage was fairly good. Again, I've had better at other establishments. I was not fond of the Pineapple Ginger Drink as it was super duper strong to the point that after a sip is swallowed, there is a strong burst of ginger that burns afterwards. It's so strong that it burns your nose and throat. I love both pineapples and ginger but this combination (for me) was not working. The homemade ginger beer was good. If ginger has to hit hard, then the g-beer is where it should be prominent. The service was good although we had to wait a good while for our order to be ready. There is lot of things to look at upon entering. Lots of positive messages, Patios, and art. All in all, it's an "Eh, as long as I'm here, I guess I'll order something," restaurant. read more

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Really good ackee and saltfish with boiled dumpling!! You have to call ahead though to make sure they can make it. It's usually crowded but the food has always been good and worth the wait. read more

Yesterday I went to the jerk pit because I love their Mac and cheese. I got two orders. When I got home I opened the containers and it was big clump of cheese not cooked. Once I got past that I took one bite and it did not taste what I was used to . Now it's been about 2 years since I've been back but I never thought it would change dramatically. I didn't bother calling to inform the business because I know they wouldn't refund the money so I just tossed it and decided I will not be back. Response to the owner: when a restaurant is popular and known for quality made dishes it doesn't matter how long it's been. The reason why I came back after 2 years was because I do remember how good the Mac and cheese was. There was in face a large clump of cheddar cheese on top that was not cooked. Perhaps you should check it out for yourself. I have no desire to return to your restaurant for Mac and cheese ever again. Lasting impression last a lifetime . Thank you for offering, read more

First time trying this restaurant and it was worth the money spent. I had gotten the combs oxtail with jerk chicken and it was delicious. I also got a side of jerk sauce for the rice and when I said it was fire it was. The chicken was juicy and not dried like I thought it would be. The oxtail was juicy and had flavor. They gave me a decent size amount of small oxtail and big oxtail so I can't complain there. Sadly I didn't get a chance to dine in but next time I'm in Maryland I'm definitely dining in. read more

Almost missed the entrance for this place. It's hidden--a hidden gem! We ordered at the counter and was told the wait would be about 30 minutes. There were 7 of us so it was a reasonable wait time. There isn't a lot of seating available, but we were lucky to find some tables. There's also outdoor seating, but it was too hot that day. 4/5 Jerk Wings - this was originally my order, but traded with my bf. Wings were well-seasoned and came with a delicious dipping sauce. 4/5 Beef Patties - flaky shell, yummy filling. I dipped these in the jerk wing sauce lol. 5/5 Oxtail - originally my bf's order. He said it was too much work with all the oxtail bones. I was happy to trade because omg, the flaaavor was so good! I've been craving more ever since. It's just so far from where we live. I believe they're opening another location in Adams Morgan which is closer to us so I hope it opens soon! read more

The Jerk Pit - Beef patties, Jerk Wings, Oxtail meal with rice and peas, plantains - Caribbean Near Me - College Park, Maryland

I called in my order, and there was still a long wait once I arrived. When I asked how much longer it would be, the lady had an attitude. Oh, and my shoes were sticking to the floor. Won't be returning. read more

My plantain so good My jerk was smoked and so good Rice & peas absolutely! My boyfriend put me on and I'll definitely be back read more

I'm not sure where to start. We have passed this place several times over the last few months. We finally decided to stop in on our way home. We are so glad that we did. This is a mostly carry-out out type of place with a couple tables inside and a couple of tables outside. You ordered at the counter and can take your food to the table. It was a Friday night, and they were BUSY! We did not order ahead, so the wait to get our food was just over 30 minutes. It was worth the way. The jerk flavor was amazing. We got half dark jerk chicken with steamed vegetables and upgraded for mac and cheese. It definitely has a kick but not too spicy. The mac and cheese was delicious and cheesy. It is even better with a little of the jerk sauce from the chicken. We also got the jerk shrimp. What is there to say other than YUMMY! Definitely will be visiting again but will order ahead the next time. read more

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I was excited to try this place. I ordered half chicken white meal with two portions of steamed veggies and a side salad. Order was missing the side salad. Chicken was extremely dry and burnt so bad that parts were inedible. Steamed veggies were fine, what I would've expected. Sauce was very good. For$20 I expected better. read more

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I adore this spot! Not to far and good quality food. My only slight issue is the wait time. When I first came here, I didn't order ahead and the wait was long considering the time I showed up. I learned my lesson and ordered ahead for a pickup around 12:30pm on a Tuesday. Purposefully got there at 1pm and there were probably five others. It took another 45 mins. I say this is a slight improvement since I've never had an issue with service or food quality. Keep up the good work! read more

The food was excellent! The chicken was spicy, seasoned well, and cooked through. Even got jerk chicken sauce. Cabbage and rice and peas were good. Everyone enjoyed their food, jerk Kingfish, oxtail , and jerk chicken. Service was good, but know the wait is long. Only cons/floor is extremely sticky, the tables are unbalanced, and bags are .$.20 But I went there for the food. read more

The Jerk Pit - Jerk chicken, cabbage, and rice and peas - Caribbean Near Me - College Park, Maryland

AN UNFORGETTABLE MASTERPIECE! I ordered the jerk tofu, rice and peas, and callaloo, WOAH! I didn't even make it to my veggie patty because my entrée was so good. I also added my sister's food for reference she was, SPEECHLESS. There's a bit of a wait because of how much care they put into the food. They actually grill outside!!!!! The homemade sorrel was worth every penny too. Hurry up and buy! read more

The Jerk Pit - Jerk Tofu Callaloo Rice and Peas - Caribbean Near Me - College Park, Maryland

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So good my favorite place to get Jamaican food I love the jerk chicken from the grill just like Jamaica if you know you know! The snapper is good also! Order in advance to kill your wait though. read more

Needed a quick lunch. Stopped by The Jerk Pit. Asked for a lunch special. They don't offer them on Fridays. Understood. I ordered a small curry chicken with rice and peas (rice and red beans to Americans) and macaroni and cheese. The portion was good. I needed more flavor in everything. The macaroni and cheese was overcooked and needed some salt and pepper or something to spruce it up. But then again when the noodles are overcooked you can kiss it goodbye for me. I also tried a sorrel with rum drink that was bottled. I think it was homemade. I liked it. I've made a huge batch once myself and it tasted similar. My guy liked mines better but The Pit's was good to me. Inside the establishment was full of culture. Love the art work and vibe. Cashier was really busy but had a great demeanor and was kind. I'll probably try their jerk chicken one day. Pray for me, as I don't like spicy food that's so spicy it's unenjoyable. read more

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Everything about the Jerk Pit is great and if you are headed there plan ahead the food is that good.

The food is pretty good in comparison to other Jamaican restaurants but the service is lacking. During my initial visits I was always confused as to picking up my order. There were several people at the side counter and I felt there was no order in how you're called to pick up your food. Also, the customer service is lacking, I always feel a little intimidated and truly welcomed and appreciated. This leads to my last encounter where I placed an over the phone order for 3 half, dark chicken orders. The jerk sauce wasn't included, which is like eating Mac n cheese without the cheese. When I called the young lady who picked up said "there's nothing I can do.". I was shocked at the response and very disappointed. read more

It is very unfortunate how good the food is and the lack of organization. it is clear that they cannot maintain the volume they are receiving. just about everybody in the restaurant when I came to get my food were waiting for an 1hr+. They barely acknowledge you or take a moment to actually check on the status of your food they just shoo you away. Then when asked for a refund, they refuse to process it at the moment, don't ask why, don't try to reconcile the situation. Your food can be as good as you want it but this restaurant lacks serious structure, customer service, and order. They are nasty with you when you ask for an update on your food. just nasty all around for no reason. This was only second time eating here and will be the last. They think they can operate a business in such chaos and it will ugly last so long. The food is not worth everything you have to go through to get it. Disgusted! read more