“Yard Food”

The term yard in Jamaican patois means home, but for Jamaicans living abroad, it refers to Jamaica itself. A yardie is a Jamaican. Yard food is essentially Jamaican peasant food that is good, plentiful, and cheap! For $5.US or less, you can expect a delicious meal that will satiate you for many hours.

--Fatties (across from Travelers): Don’t let the crude simplicity of the board house scare you off. Eat in or get your food boxed up to go. The restaurant is named after the owner’s unflattering nickname. Feel free to ask for her.
--Cool Spot (across from Foote Prints): Not as conveniently located, but worth the long walk or quick taxi, this newer discovery of ours is a clean and professional establishment where you’ll get a lot for your money. My favorite a convenience store is next door.
--Sweet Spot (across from Trombone): sister restaurant to --Cool Spot, same great food/price, closer to Beach House Villas
--Norm’s Yard Food (located at Bar B Barn, on the beach): take-out food only
--Juicy J’s (Coral Seas Plaza, behind Scotia Bank): A bit weather-beaten, but still respectable – indoor/outdoor dining, mismatched chairs & tables, pinewood bar in the back, 957-4213
--Coconut International (next to Mom’s Place): picnic tables on the beach or open-air restaurant seating, traditional family-owned restaurant that is one of the older properties in Negril still in operation. Ask Miss Angie to tell you stories.
--Chicken Lavish (West End Road, across from Blue Water Ice Cream): a longtime favorite of many,
--Spring Park (across from Mariposa)
--The Royal Kitchen (West End, across from Paradise Cove): simple, Ital restaurant

Moderate/Expensive for Jamaica (cater to tourists)

--Hungry Lion (West End, across from Dream Scape Villas): The menu offers simple and well-presented vegetarian and seafood dishes. Dine upstairs in the newly renovated space with outdoor deck. You should call to make a reservation and check they are open, as they have been known to close down at certain times of the year. 957-4486.
--Sunrise Club (across from Gloria’s Sunset, beach road): Italian-owned hotel/restaurant/bar, pastas imported from Italy, brick oven pizza, linguine lobster, pink gnocchi in parmesan cream sauce, espresso and cappuccino
--Norma’s at Sea Splash (two doors down from Treehouse): Creative Jamaican food is served in a newly renovated beachfront restaurant. More formal than your average beach restaurant, Norma's provides a stylish dining experience in a romantic setting. For free pickup, call 957-4041.
--Bar B Barn (next to Mom’s Place, not to be confused with Angela’s): If you’re homesick for pancakes, eggs, homemade banana bread or if you would like to try finer Jamaican cuisine than the more common yard food and you don’t want to go far, then Bar B Barn is your best bet; you won’t be disappointed.
--Rainbow Arch (next to White Sands): Run by two sisters, Miss Joy and Miss Denise love to talk about their favorite show, “The Biggest Loser.”
--Selina’s Coffee Bar & Eatery (across from Yellow Bird): Big Roy and his Canadian wife, Selina, use fresh/healthy ingredients, freshly roasted Blue Mountain coffee to drink or buy by the pound, famous for their Sunday brunches with live entertainment and memorable banana pancakes, coffee, and Bloody Marys, less greasy Jamaican fare, and back-home favorites such as quesadillas, salads, etc.
--Jus Natural (West End, across from Xtabi): voted best natural food/vegetarian restaurant. This quiet spot is set in a lush garden.
--Rockhouse (West End, next to Pirate’s Cave): The Rockhouse Restaurant was designed to live in harmony with the natural environment. The thatched-roof, airy bar tiers down to an outdoor balcony suspended directly over Pristine Cove, where the service is attentive and respectful. While reggae plays in the background and the ocean laps against the rocks below, the unpretentious, relaxed environment is sure to lull you into a tropical mood. Signature dishes include Lobster Blaze, Crab Turnover and Blackened Mahi Mahi served with mango chutney. Meals are complimented by a solid international wine list, island- inspired cocktails and Jamaica's famous Blue Mountain coffee. 957-4373

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SWEETS/SNACKS/TEA


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Patties: similar to the Spanish empanada, they’re great for a quick snack ~ filled with beef, chicken, or vegetables in a filo pastry pocket and served hot
Coco Bread:an oversized, slightly sweet, buttery bun. It does not contain coconut, but it is called this because you split it open like a coconut.

If you’re looking for a heartier, more adventurous snack, you can have your patty served in the coco bread. The soft sweetness of the bread nicely offsets the spicy filling and the crisp crust of the patty. Whether together or alone, coco bread and patties are the quintessential yard food since their homemade, tasty, filling, and cheap! This is lunch for many Jamaicans.

--Juici Patties (Tait’s Plaza, next to Devon House Ice Cream): They sell veggie, chicken, or beef patties, callaloo bread, and buttery, carb-infested coco bread.
--Devon House (Tait’s Plaza): worth a trip at least once per day for ice cream and homemade cakes/pastries
--Fresh Fruit Lady (next to Beachcomber Club, on beach in front of Moon Dance Villas): Take your early morning power walk to Miss Marlene. She’s a lovely woman who will cut your fruit for you, squeeze oranges for juice upon request, and, best of all, won’t rip you off.
--Neville the Patty Man: If you see a petite, old gentleman with kind eyes and a sweet smile pushing his bicycle down the beach, hail him over! He’s a hard-working man that sells patties and coco bread up and down the beach, day after day, year after year. You will love Neville and his homemade goodies in small paper bags. (You may also want to purchase fish tea or ice cream from two other bicycle vendors.)
--Café Le Vendome at Charela (next to Idle Awhile): serves high tea from 3:30-5:30 PM, featuring: assorted teas and herbal infusions; coffees – espresso, cappuccino, Jamaican ---Blue Mountain; homemade ice cream, pastries, cakes, biscuits and fresh fruit sorbets; dainty sandwiches; and fruit juices, 957-4414
--Barry’s Bold as Love (hidden in a pocket between Mom’s Place, Gloria’s Sunset): It’s a short walk away and has a variety of goodies such as snacks, fried chicken, drinks, and yard food. This is very Jamaican establishment is open 24/7, but avoid it after dark since Jamaican men, rum, and gambling don’t mix well. It’s good for homemade snacks and take-out lunch.

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