Wha gwan? For those who don’t speak Patois, the local language of Jamaica, that means “What’s up?”. Jamaica is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea between Cuba and Haiti, and it is the 5th largest island country in the Caribbean.

Lucky for us, we can learn about and taste a bit of authentic Jamaican culture right around the corner in Palo Alto, at Coconuts Caribbean Restaurant and Bar.

Coconuts Caribbean is located at 642 Ramona Street in Downtown Palo Alto’s busy restaurant and café district. They offer a great variety of dishes across three categories, with some of the most popular listed:

• Jerk Wings
• Coconut Shrimp
• Chicken and Beef Patties
• Codfish Fritters

• Jerk Chicken
• Jerk Salmon
• Six Hour Braised Oxtail
• Boston Bay Jerk Pork
• Curried Goat
• West Indian Coconut Curried Shrimp

• Warm Sweet Potato Pudding
• Ginger Sweet Potato Creme Brulee
• Chocolate Molten Cake
• Key Lime Pie

Jamaican cuisine is very well-known for its “jerk” recipes. Jerk is a style of cooking in which meat is dry-rubbed or wet marinated with a very hot spice mixture called Jamaican jerk spice. This seasoning is traditionally applied to pork and chicken, but Coconuts Caribbean also offers jerked salmon on their menu.

Some of their most popular dishes are “jerked chicken”, “jerked salmon”, and “coconut shrimp”.

The jerked chicken is seasoned to a zesty and smoky flavor, with a good amount of spice. The meat itself can be a bit dry because of the cooking style, but try the sauce to balance out the texture. The side of fried sweet potatos and collard greens complete the dish.

The jerked salmon is one of Coconut Caribbean’s specialties as a jerked seafood recipe. It comes smothered in the traditional spiced seasoning, along with sweet corn, black beans and okra. The fish is grilled to fresh and full flavor, and is best paired with a couple squeezes of lemon.

The coconut shrimp has a unique flavor, both savory, sweet, and a cross between nutty and fruity at the same time. It comes with a tasty mango sauce to dip. Seafood lovers must try this appetizer!

Coconuts Caribbean’s Bar features several unique cocktails to sip, their Piña Colada and Mojito are classics.

Mojito-Jamaique – Cruzan White Rum, muddled lime, fresh spearmint and cane sugar. You can choose from: mango / passion fruit / pomegranate / strawberry / guava

Pina Colada – Bacardi Rock Coconut Rum, pineapple juice with housemade coconut cream, blended. You can choose from: kiwi / mango / guava

SP Lemon Vodka, muddled fresh kiwi, agave nectar and fresh squeezed lemon, served up with a sugar rimmed martini glass.

Coconuts Caribbean Restaurant and Bar also features live music and dancing nights, usually on Friday and Saturday evenings. Some of their regular themes are “Crab Thursdays”, “Trinidadian Specials” on Wednesdays, and “Jamaican National Dish” on Saturdays. The restaurant is closed Mondays, but open the rest of the week Tuesday – Sunday. Check out http://www.coconutsinpaloalto.com/ for more information, full menu, and their special events calendar.

Address: 642 Ramona St, Palo Alto, CA 94301
Phone: (650) 329-9533
Pricing: $$, Casual
Hours:
Monday- Closed
Tuesday- 11:30 am – 2:30 pm, 5:00 – 9:30 pm
Wednesday- 11:30 am – 2:30 pm, 5:00 – 9:30 pm
Thursday- 11:30 am – 2:30 pm, 5:00 – 9:30 pm
Friday- 11:30 am – 10:30 pm
Saturday- 12:00 – 10:30 pm
Sunday- 12:00 – 8:00 pm

Photos: Coconuts Caribbean Restaurant & Bar