Boswell's Jamaican Food Store & Grill - Mid-City New Orleans, LA

I am Jamaican so it is mandatory that I have access to a Jamaican restaurant when necessary. I did a search for a local restaurant and only 3 options popped up. The only one that seemed to be authentic was Boswell's Jamaican Grill. 

I headed over there to get my fix. The restaurant itself was very plain and underwhelming. It looked like a cafeteria and under normal circumstances probably wouldn't be the sort of place I would decide to stop into and eat. The inside was a little better, decorated with various hints of Caribbean culture, but still not fancy. 

Anyways, I didn't come for the decor but for the food. I played it safe and order the Jerk Chicken plate. It came with two sides and plantains. I choose Rice and Peas and Mac and Cheese as my two sides. The Mac and Cheese was really good but the rest was just slightly above average. The Jerk Sauce was not cooked into the chicken but given on the side in a cold refrigerated bottle, which I didn't like. Although the sauce had great flavor, how it was presented made it not so good. The chicken itself was a little dry. 

The Oxtail fared much better. It had nice flavor and was falling off the bone tender. I have had so much Jamaican food in my life that in comparison, the food here was nothing special, but if you are looking for a good cooked plate of food, it is definitely a good option to consider.  

The place is owned and operated by a Jamaican, so it is "authentic", but if you are not "authentic", then you will probably enjoy it a lot more than I did. Either way, they sell a few West Indian grocery items that you can't find in a regular grocery store so it is a good place to stop into for that reason alone.

Boswell's Jamaican Food Store & Grill

3521 Tulane Ave New Orleans, LA 70119 

(504) 482-6600