Rating: NNNNN
ALBERT’S REAL JAMAICAN FOOD (542 St. Clair West, at Vaughan, 416-658-9445 and Queen West, at Bathurst, 416-304-0767) Albert’s has long been popular at the corner of St. Clair and Vaughan, so now expect dinner-time lineups that snake out the front door at both locations. Minimal decor — a Bob Marley poster, and that’s about it — but no one comes here for the ambience. Although there’s a small stand-up counter, most opt for takeout. Best: slowly stewed bone-in Island-stylee jerk chicken with allspiced rice ‘n’ peas and JA slaw melt-in-the-mouth oxtail dinners salt-cod fritters fresh sugar cane juice. Complete dinners for $10, including all taxes, and a bottle of Ting. Open Monday to Wednesday 11:30 am to 3 am, Thursday to Sunday 11 am to 5 am. Unlicensed. Cash only. St. Clair access: one step at door, no washrooms. Queen access: barrier-free, no washrooms. Rating: NNN
ALI’S WEST INDIAN ROTI SHOP (1446 Queen West, at Close, 416-532-7701) This Parkdale fast-food parlour offers terrific Trinidadian treats. Best: dhalpoori, sada and paratha rotis stuffed with spicy exotica like roast duck, Caribbean conch, shrimp or veggie-only pumpkin, eggplant, chana and potato adventurous foodies will want to try the tomato and breadfruit in an incendiary stew homemade soursop ice cream helps to control the afterburn. Complete dinners for $10 per person, including all taxes. Open Monday to Thursday 10 am to 11 pm, Friday and Saturday 10 am to midnight, Sunday 10 am to 10 pm. Unlicensed. Access: barrier-free, washrooms in basement. Rating: NNN
BACCHUS (1376 Queen West, at Brock, 416-532-6191) Tortilla wraps stuffed with all manner of exotica are king on the Left Coast, but here in multiculti Metro we prefer rotis. Here, they get a Guyanese twist with baked-to-order wheat shells. Best: fabulous shrimp, spinach, squash and cheddar curried chicken, beef or goat topped with lettuce, onion, tomato and x-rated hot sauce vegan mix ‘n’ match sweet squash, green beans, cabbage, okra, channa, potato, eggplant or meatloaf-like tofu crisp, deep-fried plantain peanut butter cake. Complete meals for $10 per person, including all taxes and tip. Open Monday to Wednesday 11 am to 10 pm and Thursday to Saturday 11 am to 11 pm. Closed Sundays. Unlicensed. Access: barrier-free. Rating: NNN
COCONUT GROVE (183 Dundas West, at Elizabeth, 416-348-8887) Formerly a fixture at the once-grungy corner of Dundas and Yonge, the Grove has moved several blocks west into much more pleasant digs. Still nothing fancy — place your order at the counter and grab a table or hightail it to a nearby park. Possibly the cheapest eats in the downtown core! Best: authentic curry-gravied rotis like cabbage, carrot ‘n’ potato or eggplant ‘n’ spinach $2.50 jerk chicken dinners with rice ‘n’ peas, minimal salad and a free pop 50-cent deep-fried curried mashed potato balls. Complete dinners for $6 per person, including all taxes and a bottle of ginger beer. Open Monday to Saturday 10 am to 8 pm. Closed Sunday and holidays. Unlicensed. Access: one step at door, washrooms in basement. Rating: NNN
GHANDI (554 Queen West, at Bathurst, 416-504-8155) A favourite of local chefs and an offshoot of the far pricier Babur, plus cousin to nearby New York Subway, this comfortable takeout joint offers fancier wraps than most of its competition. But the higher quality of subzi makes a better roti. Best: boneless lamb roti with spicy potato and chickpea channa tomato-sauced boneless chicken Jalfoorezi with cauliflower and garden peas Dalpoori roti with saag paneer (pureed spinach with tofu-like fresh cheese). Complete meals for $10 per person, including all taxes and tip. Open Monday to Saturday 11:30 am to 10 pm. Closed Sunday and holidays. Unlicensed. Cash only. Access: barrier-free, but no washrooms. Rating: NNN
IRIE (808 College at, Ossington, 416-531-4743) On a street synonymous with Italian food, this modestly decorated Jamaican diner offers island fare with expertise. Best: jerk pork tenderloin — possibly the city’s best — and jerk chicken and shrimp sided with tropical fruit and served with coconut-fragranced nutty rice and peas jerk chicken-breast salad with designer greens and tart tamarind vinaigrette JA-style thinnest-crust-ever roti pizza with avocado, sweet-pepper confetti and Parmesan vegetarian pepperpot soup brimming with Caribbean veggies thermonuclear hot sauce cooling fruit punch and coconut cream pie. Complete dinners for $25 per person ($12 at lunch), including all taxes, tip and a tropical punch. Open Sunday to Friday 4 pm to midnight, and Saturday 2 pm to midnight. Licensed. Access: one step at door, washrooms in basement. Rating: NNN
IRIE FOOD JOINT (745 Queen West, at Tecumseh, 416-366-4743) Its name is similar to the College jerk joint and this breezy, relaxed room also shares some of Irie’s menu, but the two have nothing else in common. Out back there’s a relaxed patio with a tropical vibe up front a glass wall opens to the passing parade. Best: lightly jerked boneless chicken breast over salad greens the same chicken with avocado and smashed beans wrapped in a grilled tortilla over tamarind-dressed mesclun mildly spiced tail-on shrimp atop linguine scented with heat-free curry and sweet coconut milk. Complete meals for $30 per person, including all taxes, tip and a bottle of Jamaican beer. Open Tuesday to Wednesday noon to 11 pm, Thursday to Saturday noon to midnight, Sunday 3 to 11 pm. Closed Monday and holidays. Licensed. Access: steep step at door, washrooms in basement. Rating: NNN
JAMAICA SUNRISE (1959 Queen East, at Kenilworth, 416-691-2999) Finally, the Beach heats up! This indoor-fancy, outdoor-funky Caribbean-spiced eatery serves up first-rate food with appeal that should reach beyond the surrounding white-bread neighbourhood. Cool retro jammin’ tunes and friendly vibes, too. Best: steamed red snapper with crisp okra, cauliflower, broccoli and carrot doused with butter and thyme twigs punchy bone-in curried goat or mouth-melting oxtail with rice ‘n’ peas — make sure to order the big-enough-for-two portion of jerk gravy and insist on the house-made Scotch bonnet hot sauce — and creamy coleslaw hearty vegetarian-friendly soups like red pea with dumpling gingerbread-like sweet-potato pudding homemade ginger beer. Complete dinners for $25 per person ($13 at lunch), including all taxes, tip and a bottle of imported beer. Open daily 11:30 am to 11 pm. Fully licensed. Access: one step at door, washrooms in basement, backyard patio barrier-free. Rating: NNN
THE REAL JERK (709 Queen East, at Broadview, 416-463-6055) An Island oasis in South Riverdale, this cavernous tropical retreat offers groovy grub dished up to groove-y dub. Best: moist, partially deboned jerk chicken with nutty red beans ‘n’ rice and cooling coleslaw smashed banana fritters Rasta Pasta linguine with tropical veggies in coconut sauce Red Stripe in stubbies. Complete dinners for $30 per person, including all taxes, tip and a Jamaican beer. Open Monday 11:30 am to 10 pm, Tuesday 11:30 am to 11 pm, Wednesday 11:30 am to midnight, Friday, 11:30 am to 1 am, Saturday 2 pm to 1 am, and Sunday 3 to 10 pm. Licensed. Access: short stoop at door, washrooms in basement. Rating: NNN
SHANTY’S (1806 Eglinton West, at Dufferin, 416-785-1205) If a film crew ever wanted to shoot in a picture-perfect recreation of a JA jerk shack, this be the place — except they’d never fit. Seating six tops, this tiny takeout spot offers seriously spiced island fare. Best: fried red snapper escovitch soused in lime, onion, red and green pepper and carrot cool salt cod and scrambled-egg-like ackee with deep-fried doughnut dumpling not-too-hot jerked chicken dinners with rice and peas freshly pulped carrot juice intense dark-rum cake with coconut icing. Complete dinners for $10 per person, including all taxes. Open Monday to Friday 9 am to 10 pm, Saturday 9 am to midnight, Sunday 2 to 7 pm. Unlicensed. Cash only. Delivery. Access: barrier-free, but no washrooms. Rating: NNN
WONG’S (930 Bathurst, at Follis, 416-532-8135) Funky little shack on the fringe of the Annex serving a cross-colonial jumble of Jamaican standards and oddball retro JA-stylee Chinese grub. Best: house chop suey with shrimp, chicken, pork and crisp veggies choy fan (ham, pork shoulder and stewed chicken in thyme gravy with rice ‘n’ red kidney beans) red pea soup with slow-stewed beef, onion, potato and leaden hockey-puck dumpling. Complete meals for $12 per person, including all taxes, tip and an imported Red Stripe stubby. Open Monday to Thursday noon to 11 pm, Friday and Saturday noon to midnight. Closed Sunday. Fully licensed. Access: one step at door, washrooms in basement. Rating: NnN
