TopTaste serves up packed plates of authentic, crave-worthy Jamaican jerk chicken, curry goat, oxtails, and hearty sides in a cozy, vibrant spot in Kingston.
"Jamaican spot Top Taste is where you’ll find the best and most affordable meal in Kingston. For $15, you’ll get a hefty plate of moist jerk chicken or rich oxtails, buttery plantains, brown lentil rice, and green slaw. They largely do takeout, but there are a few small tables inside if you want to watch some local news while digging into tender, spiced curried goat and sipping ginger beer. It takes some planning to eat here since they often close with little notice, posting on their Instagram stories whether they’re open for the day. But it’s worth checking their socials daily for a chance to sink your teeth into that jerk chicken. " - anne cruz
"Top Taste is a casual Jamaican spot with the best and most affordable meal in Kingston. For $15, you’ll get a hefty plate of moist jerk chicken or rich oxtails, buttery plantains, brown lentil rice, and green slaw. It’s the kind of lunch you’ll openly rave about while paying after the meal. The staff will probably respond with something like, "Yeah, we get that a lot." We can feel that confidence in the cooking and the service, and the food easily backs it up. They largely do takeout, but there are a few small tables inside if you want to watch some local Hudson Valley news while digging into tender, spiced curry goat and sipping ginger beer. Either way, making the trip here takes some planning and tenacity since they often close with little notice (they post on their Instagram stories whether they’re open for the day). But it’s worth checking their socials daily for a chance to sink your teeth into that jerk chicken. Food Rundown photo credit: Lisa Nichols Oxtails These oxtails are rich from their long bath in peppery gravy. Each piece yields a surprising amount of meat, and the rendered collagen gives the sauce a slippery texture that gets soaked up by a heaping pile of rice and lentils. Goat Curry There’s enough turmeric in here to dye a grand pyrenees bright yellow. The goat falls apart at the gentlest nudge with a fork, and the curry has a fragrant heat that coats your mouth. It’s hard to say whether we like the oxtails or the goat curry better, so just order both. photo credit: Lisa Nichols Jerk Chicken The jerk chicken at Top Taste is now our barometer for great jerk chicken everywhere. It has plenty of smokey heat, and the meat practically explodes with moisture in every bite." - Anne Cruz
"Jamaican spot Top Taste is where you’ll find the best and most affordable meal in Kingston. For $15, you’ll get a hefty plate of moist jerk chicken or rich oxtails, buttery plantains, brown lentil rice, and green slaw. They largely do takeout, but there are a few small tables inside if you want to watch some local news while digging into tender, spiced curried goat and sipping ginger beer. It takes some planning to eat here since they often close with little notice, posting on their Instagram stories whether they’re open for the day. But it’s worth checking their socials daily for a chance to sink your teeth into that jerk chicken." - anne cruz, clare lagomarsino, keith hernandez, chanize thorpe
"The jerk chicken, escovitch fish, and curry goat are all top notch." - Robert Sietsema
"Midtown Kingston is home to Top Taste, a celebrated low-key Jamaican joint. The chef, Albert 'Sammy' Bartley, a James Beard nominee who runs the place with his wife, Malenda, coaxes incredible flavor out of goat and oxtail."
