Jerks Caribbean Grill - Review - Brookhaven - Atlanta - The Infatuation

"Jerks Caribbean Grill is a fast-casual, build-your-own-bowl establishment with Jamaican staples. Of course, you can go the more traditional meat-and-sides route: Pick your protein like their juicy jerk chicken and sides like collard greens doused in pepper sauce or a mac and cheese that’s so good we wish we could order it by the tray. But the fun is in the signature bowls, where you get that jerk chicken mixed with ground lamb, rice, chunky sweet potatoes, and a punchy chimichurri. These are not modest portions, and the operation moves quickly, so Jerks is a wise stop when you want to get in and out with a satisfying stretch on your waistband. Food Rundown Caribbean Muscle At $15, this is where you get the most bang for your buck. You can barely see the quinoa and brown rice over a heaping portion of meat. While the ground lamb could stand a tad more seasoning, the juicy jerk chicken and drizzle of herby chimichurri pull all the weight to flavor the rest of the bowl. And if that wasn’t enough, chunks of sweet potato make this even more filling. photo credit: Amy Sinclair One Love Unless you’re looking for a vegan option, we’d say skip this. The tofu is nicely battered and fried on the outside, but the inside is unseasoned and unmarinated like it came straight from the block. The honey ginger glaze is a little too sweet, so it starts to feel overwhelming after a few bites. photo credit: Nina Reeder Whole Red Snapper Although this is one of the priciest menu options at $35, you do get a one-pound whole snapper and two sides, which is more food than we’ve had at plenty of sit-down spots serving the same thing. The fish is scored and fried, so you get that perfectly crispy, chewy skin with moist and flaky meat near the bone. If you’re not eating this right away, ask for the pickled pepper and onions on the side since it’ll seep through the paper to-go box, and that peppery-vingeary mix is what makes this escovitch a winner. photo credit: Amy Sinclair Mac And Cheese Mac and cheese is treated as a vegetable side around these parts (it is, just what it is—we don’t make the rules). But this is the type of mac we’d gladly have as an entree. It’s a baked mac that doesn’t suffer the soupy, waterlogged fate that most cafeteria-style macs encounter, so the cheese lovely clings to tender macaroni noodles. And there are some subtle savory, garlicky seasonings that bring an extra layer of warmth to the dish. photo credit: Amy Sinclair Collard Greens Be prepared for a little heat with these tender greens, so the pepper sauce disciples should try it first before they blindly douse on more. We’re happy with it as is, but with a bite of mac and sip of sorrel in between to cool things off. photo credit: Amy Sinclair" - Nina Reeder