Negril

This Caribbean spot on 5th Avenue in Park Slope is usually packed with groups drinking soursop rum punch and eating delicious oxtails. The menu here is full of Jamaican staples like jerk chicken and escovitch snapper, and it also has some options like fried chicken and a NY strip. Grab a seat on the first come, first served patio out front, or make a reservation for a table inside. We’ve only been here for dinner, but you should know that Negril hosts a brunch every Sunday with a live DJ and towers of orange, sorrel, and passion fruit mimosas.

photo credit: David A. Lee

Whenever you come, the energy will probably be high, so a meal here is best suited for a fun date or a group scenario. Start with some spring rolls stuffed with salt fish (and dip them in the vinegary hot sauce), then make sure at least one person in your party gets collards on their plate. The greens come finely chopped and screaming with scotch bonnet spice. As a general policy, we encourage our friends to order rum cocktails when we’re all together. This approach feels especially appropriate at Negril.

photo credit: David A. Lee

Food Rundown

photo credit: David A. Lee

Spring Roll

Stuffed with a ton of ackee and saltfish, these spring rolls need a little sweet relief for the optimal bite. That’s exactly where the vinegar-based tamarind dipping sauce comes into play.

photo credit: David A. Lee

Braised Oxtail

Negril’s oxtails come in a notably soupy gravy. Consider this very good news, on account of the fact that the sauce has equal amounts of scotch bonnet heat, sweetness, and deep oniony flavor. If you’re choosing one entree to claim as your own, make it this one.

photo credit: David A. Lee

Jerk Chicken

Every order of this rotisserie chicken comes with a half bird in a thick, shimmering jerk sauce. You’ll fight over who gets the wing.

Seafood Stew

We’d gladly chug the coconut broth in this stew, but the shrimp, mussels, and salmon tend to be pretty overcooked. Skip this in favor of something else (the oxtails, for example).

photo credit: David A. Lee

Cocktails

We always get Negril’s traditional rum punch when we come here, but they also serve a frozen version for two, as well as rum punch made with fresh soursop.