Tev’s & Family Kitchen

Why Locals Wait Up to an Hour for LA’s Best Jamaican Soul Food | Eater LA

"A Jamaican soul-food spot in Vermont Square that drew long lines from its opening in January 2024 and operates limited hours from afternoon to early evening, with many diners traveling from the neighborhood and surrounding South LA or after spotting viral Instagram and TikTok plates of oxtails, plantains, macaroni and cheese, jerk chicken, and sweet chile wings. The Kool-Aid made on-site is often paired with plates — red (tropical punch), blue (blue raspberry), or lemonade — and, as one visitor put it, “Within the Black community, the colors are the actual flavors.” Owner Tevin Love, who was born and raised in Jamaica, moved to the U.S. at 15 and attended Inglewood High School, started the business as a pop-up in his mother’s kitchen before moving it into the current space in 2023; the shop officially opened in January 2024 and remained a family-run operation as it expanded. Staff and a security guard recounted that the building was a brothel prior to Love taking it over, and during the early days food was prepared from the sidewalk while the interior was finished; health inspectors gave the go-ahead in September 2024 for the business to evolve from takeout-only to a full restaurant with a bigger kitchen. The owner keeps community work front of mind — during the holiday season he donated clothing to residents on Skid Row while still cooking six days per week. On-site scenes from visits in October 2024 and February 2025 highlight the wait: at 2 p.m. in October 2024 the line required a 45-minute wait as it continued to grow, and regulars report coming every few days because portions are generous enough to make two meals (one woman said it was her third visit in a week and she planned to bring back food for her grandmother). By 2025 pre-orders were encouraged and the ordering system felt more streamlined; parking is easier during daytime hours but the restaurant commonly sells out later in the day. The menu changes up to six times a week (every day the restaurant is open); the February 25, 2025 menu focused on chicken—wings or tenders tossed with garlic and Parmesan, hot sauce, barbecue, or lemon pepper—served with roasted garlic mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, broccoli, and the signature Kool-Aid. Weekends tend to feature Jamaican standards such as jerk chicken, oxtails, and short ribs with sides like caramelized plantains or rice and peas; other offerings may include jerk salmon, curry chicken, occasional breakfast specials, and platters starting at $28 (oxtails $38), while a la carte wings and a side of macaroni and cheese are $10 each. The vibe is unabashedly community-oriented and Black-owned, with most customers Black Angelenos; InfluencerLA Try Guy noted it was one of his best meals of 2024. The interior is stark white with crowd-control posts and six tables, plus a shaded sail-covered patio that seats up to about 30; crowds span ages and backgrounds and can swell for nearby Coliseum or BMO Stadium events. Most diners take food to go, though some sit and eat on-site—often hunched over hearty platters of hot jerk pasta or grilled lamb chops. The overall verdict from frequent patrons and visits is that this is some of the best and most soulful Jamaican food in Los Angeles: consistently excellent, generously portioned, run by friendly staff, meaningful to the community, and appealing precisely because of its unfussy, family-first setup." - Mona Holmes