Another DC restaurant that's been on my must-visit list has been Jerk at Nite. Being that its roots started at Howard University, I had to come and bring an incoming freshman and her family. I was greeted by the owner Denny, who explained that once we order we're able to dine inside. The Jamaican vibe is heavily prevalent, with colors, paintings, foliage, and wooden sculptures throughout. I had my mind set on the Jerk Box N' Mac once I saw it on Instagram, and boy did it not disappoint. If you're a fan of spicy food, the heat is not lacking here. The jerk was jerking! I didn't find it overpowering to where I couldn't enjoy the meal. Even the mac and cheese had a little kick to it, even in its cheesy and creamy goodness. The slices of Rasta bread were a nice complement to the meal. You'll be hard pressed to find Jamaican food that checks all the boxes like Jerk at Nite. read more

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This experience was actually from the food truck. I ordered the "Yaddie", which was their jerk chicken with cabbage and rice and peas. I really appreciated that it wasn't too spicy. I often can't enjoy Caribbean food because spice doesn't agree with me. This wasnt the case. There was some spice, but it wasnt overwhelming. The meal was fresh with some flavor. It wasn't the best jerk chicken I've had, but far from the worst. I also tasted the rasta pasta which was ok. If I happen upon them again, I will likely try something else that they offer. However, I wouldn't go out of my way to visit them. read more

Jerk at Nite - Caribbean Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I got the jerk chicken plate with mac and cheese huge portions and packed with flavor. The jerk seasoning had that perfect balance of heat and smokiness, and the mac was creamy, cheesy, and comforting. I also grabbed a beef patty, which was flaky and flavorful, just how it should be. The jerk pasta was the real surprise rich, creamy, and full of that bold Caribbean spice. The music while you wait sets the vibe, and the service is always friendly and quick. I do miss the old flavor from back when they were on Howard's campus around 2017, a bit more spice and kick, but the food is still amazing and worth the trip every time. read more

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Food was so damn GOOD!!! I LOVED everything I got except the jerk wings. They were okay 8/10. Jamaican cheese is a MUST with cabbage and curry chicken! So good. Service was bit slow and the lady packing the food forget my cocoa bread . The decor was so lively and vibrant. I enjoyed taking in the colors and vibes. I would definitely return. Check out my video reviews and more on my various platforms: CocoaAlmondJoy/CocoasJoy read more

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The food here is excellent, 10 out of 10. But you are gonna pay for it! Service was good, the line was long outside but we waited about 10 minutes and our food took about 20. Just like everyone says, so flavorful! The portion sizes are good, you'll definitely be full. Highly recommend read more

Jerk at Nite - Rice and Peas: Jerk Box N Mac; Rasta Pasta Chicken - Caribbean Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I recently ordered delivery from Jerk at Nite, and I was really impressed! I ordered the jerk chicken, and it had an amazing savory flavor. The chicken was cooked perfectly, and the taste was spot on. I also noticed that the cabbage recipe seems to have changed--it tastes so much better than before! The Mac and cheese was also delicious, definitely a great side to complement the meal. I couldn't resist adding beef patties as a snack on the side, and they were fantastic as well, perfect spice level. The portions are huge, so you'll definitely have leftovers to enjoy later. read more

Jerk at Nite - Wingz and tingz - Caribbean Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Ordered delivery. Jerk chicken, rice and peas, and cabbage. Full flavor and good. Lots of seasoning and it doesn't disappoint on flavor. I just wish these restaurants would stop serving the bottom portion of the thigh as a standalone piece. It is not! It's all bone. So either serve the entire thigh or pick another piece. Definitely will try something else here another time. read more

Jerk at Nite - Jerk chicken, rice and peas, cabbage - Caribbean Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I wish I had more to say about Jerk at Nite. While I won't say it was bad by any stretch of the imagination, it leaves a lot to be desired, especially because the photos of the food look so good. Dragging my fiancé from my hotel room and using Lime Bikes to travel three miles just to get some actual Jerk Chicken and Mac n Cheese was a dream come true, especially after living in New Mexico for a little over a year ( No Soul food or Caribbean food). I think the excitement wore off when I saw the price, but I'm willing to pay the price for great food. The lady at the window was nice, and eating the Mac' n cheese was actually really good, but the jerk chicken was kind of dry and didn't hit the way I thought it should have. That's not to say it was bad. Either way, seeing as it might be one of the few places to get jerk chicken in DC, I would recommend it, but it's not a place I would go to if I lived in the city. read more

Jerk at Nite - Jerk Box N Mac - Caribbean Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Cant you see this???!! No notes. Food has so much favor and I didn't wanna stop eating. It did take a while, but that's normal for Caribbean spots, but everyone was very nice. It was tight in there, but I assume that's because they only had to take out part open read more

Jerk at Nite - Jerk chicken rice, and peas and Mac - Caribbean Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Hey friends! I promise I didn't come here because of the Keith Lee hype lol! I was craving authentic Caribbean food so Jerk At Nite was the only correct answer. I ordered the veggie Rasta Pasta($20). It was delicious and packed with flavor. It had a unique flavor palette that had sweet notes that typical rasta pastas don't have! Only distaste is that the sauce was a little loose. My boyfriend ordered the Jerk Box n Mac. He enjoyed it. I stole some of his Mac and it was so good. I love Mac that has mustard in it. There's no indoor seating, take out only. There are a few outdoor benches. Parking is veryyyyy limited. We went on a Saturday night and had about a 25 minute wait for our food. *FYI, order ahead on weekends!* I definitely will be back. Enjoy and be safe! With love, The Picky Pescatarian. read more

The oxtails were extremely spicy, more than I'm used to, especially for oxtails. The spice overpowered the flavor for me, and the oxtails were also very fatty. The onions on top felt like an odd touch, and I'm not sure they added much. Felt like a waste of money because I barely ate it. The cabbage was underwhelming bland, which was surprising given how overpowering the rest of the meal was. You can see by the picture that there doesn't appear to be any seasoning on them and they taste that way too. The rice and peas were decent, and the jerk chicken (which I sampled from a friend's plate) had a good flavor and was also very spicy which is expected. A bit too much spice for us but it was okay... Overall: complete waste of money. We eat Jamaican food pretty frequently and this establishment is some of the worst we've had. read more

Jerk at Nite - Jerk chicken - Caribbean Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Disclaimer: This is not about the food or this location. This is specifically about the service provided at the Capital One Arena pop up. Another stereotypical Jamaican establishment that doesn't have enough inventory of what they sell, and has rude staff to boot. They were truly jerks at nite (particularly the woman handling checkout, the man was nice). Glad to see the cuisine option at the arena but super disappointed by the experience. I didn't spend any money here and probably will avoid doing so in the future. Management, please hire and train better. read more

So, many of my friends recommended this spot to me and I now understand why. Jerk at Nite offers delectable dishes that are seasoned to perfection. The rice and peas were absolutely scrumptious and the jerk chicken tacos lacked nothing. The Coco bread was overpriced, in my opinion, and seemed to be missing an element that I'm used to, however, it was still fairly good. Needless to say, I left no crumbs. My only downfalls were that there wasn't much seating in the establishment and my food seemed to take awhile to come out. Either way, I will definetly be coming back. read more

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After doing some chores and coming from the arboretum I came to check out Jerk at Nite and tried the beef patty with coco bread and the jerked chicken & rice pea combo. Overall the meal was underwhelming, but the rice and peas were flavored with a little sauce. The portion of chicken was small and the edible parts were hard. I couldn't eat them. It was if they were on the grill too long. The beef patty was overcooked, burnt and hard which meant I couldn't eat most of it. The coco bread was fresh though. The establishment itself once inside is okay where you order the food. Service was okay. Being that there aren't so many places that specialize in Caribbean food in the area I would be willing to try again in the future, but not sure when that will be. read more

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I have been wanting to check out the Howard Alum and Black Owned restaurant for some time and it met all my expectations. During this foodie field trip I was definitely spoiled by the numerous amount of dishes that were being sent to my table. The standout for me was the fish that was succulent, juicy and cooked to perfection. This will definitely be my go to dish from now on. read more

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If you haven't eaten here you are missing out, delicious authentic Jamaican good and the portions are sizeable. Live the tacos, jerk chicen, brown stew chicken, Rasta Pasta....the whole menu is bomb. Used their catering service for Christmas dinner. Call ahead because they're always busy, prices are decent. The decor is a cute island vibe, creates a nice ambiance read more

Jerk@Nite truly never misses. This is my first time at this location and I opted for takeout. I ordered the Wings and Tingz with Mac and cheese and cabbage and it was 10/10! The line wasn't long and I got my food in less than 10 minutes. read more

Jerk at Nite - a meal in a styrofoam container - Caribbean Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

After too long, I finally came in to try the food here recently and wow, it was soooo good! I mean, is it healthy? No. Is it worth every minute you'll spend at the gym the next day? 100%. I got the oxtail tacos, which were simply incredible. It was my first time trying oxtail, but it was so tender and packed with flavor. The order came with three tacos and they were so well filled that you could easily fill up on those alone. Somehow, they also impressively made it so the tortillas didn't fall apart, despite the juicy filling. The only thing is that they bring the tacos out on this cute small plate, but since they are messy to eat, the mess sort of got all over the table. My friend and I also split the Mac and cheese and again, wow. So creamy, flavorful, and with a fun kick of spice. Insane for the taste buds. The interior was small but colorful and the service was nice, but I will say that they play the music LOUD, so the atmosphere isn't great for catching up with your friends. read more

Jerk at Nite - Oxtail tacos - Caribbean Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I stopped at Jerk at Nite on H street and was welcomed by reggae music as I crossed the street by my car. The anesthetic and vibes are on point and really set the mood. I ordered the nachos and the jerk chicken meal, and it took about 20 minutes for them to call my name. Thankfully I checked the bag, because 1 of the 2 meals was missing. The nachos were just ok. There was a little bit of sauce on the top layer, but not enough to get to the other layers, so pretty soon I was eating chips with chicken and shredded cheese. The jerk dinner was better. I enjoyed it and would go back to get that. The chicken is seasoned nicely, but surprisingly wasn't spicy at all. read more

Jerk at Nite - Caribbean Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

The wait time is inconsistent, but the food is consistent everytime I visit. The jerk chicken, rice & peas with cabbage . Do it for me every-time! I normally do takeout , but since the new location in Washington, D.C. opened , I'll dine-in from time to time. The wait time once seated at a table is still not desirable, but once again the food is great! The restaurant is small and quaint with a Jamaican cultural ambiance. Love the attitudes of the employees. Parking is street parking have fun with that in D.C.! However, over all I've been to all 3 locations including the one in Baltimore. (My favorite location) Services is consistent at each location but so are wait times . read more

GREAT FOOD WITH GREAT FLAVORS! I've stopped in a few times, only for carry out, and every time the food was TOP. NOTCH. The oxtail tacos are SO damn delicious and they're actually stuffed! They haven't skimped once! The rice and peas and beef patties are also really really good. Prices are reasonable, especially for the amount and quality of food. I know I should try more on the menu but I'm hooked on the oxtail tacos...so catch 22. The outdoor waiting setting can be interesting depending on the crowd and sometimes, if it's packed, you could be waiting for your food for quite some time (the first time I waited like 30-40 minutes, Another time 10 minutes). Only reason for the 4 stars, and not 5, is the service can be a little lackluster (which I've heard is the sign of a good Jamaican spot), otherwise 5s all around! read more

I also found this recommendation on TikTok (what's new! lol). We were leaving from a day out of bar hopping and figured we'd give them a try! We started at the location on Queensbury and it was just a tad bit to Chaotic for me with the parking and also being right next to a club. So we came to the one on H street. It's more of a walk up stand and place your order to go type of establishment although I did see that you could sit inside but seating looked extremely limited! I really wanted to try the oxtail tacos but they didn't have it so I got the chicken taco instead which came with a side of rice and peas and I also ordered a beef patty as well. The beef patty was just okay. But the tacos and rice and peas were really good! It was soooo well seasoned, I mean literally perfect! This might have been some of the best tasting rice and peas I've had!! I would definitely come back and try other things in the menu! read more

Amazing! I love the food from this place. If so flavorful. All around very tasty! I got these jerk tacos and jerk mac from their food truck that was located near the Harris teeter in the Noma neighborhood. Service was quick and easy. I will definitely be back. read more

Jerk at Nite - Jerk chicken tacos - Caribbean Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Salmon Rasta Pasta, Although the pasta itself was good the salmon was small and over cooked and burnt on the sides where you couldn't eat it. This dish needed upgrading. I know not to order this dish again. read more

Jerk at Nite - The salmon and the uneddible pieces. - Caribbean Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Went to Jerked at note for a late lunch. Seated almost immediately by Anisa, who was our waitress and the window counter staff. The waitresses were nice and attentive. Great music. The table was kind of small and the timing of the delivery of the dishes overwhelmed the table. We ordered Beef patties, wings, jerked chicken tacos, jerked Mac and cheese. All the items were well prepared I liked them. read more

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Enjoyed the ambiance, decor and attentiveness of the servers. Unfortunately when I was there their liquor license had expired but the tacos, curry goat, and mac and cheese made up for that. Will definetly be returning to try more items - thank you Caple & team read more

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Jerk at Nite was a lovely experience in the city. To set the scene, it's on a corner unit on the H street block, and there's a to-go station that is outdoors. Parking was decent, I parked in the neighborhood and my friend found parking across the street. There is not really a fleshed out waiting area, so considering the busy nature of the restaurant, you're going to be a bit awkward, either waiting in your car, waiting in the cold, or standing up in the limited space in the restaurant. Our server was quick to share her perspectives on the dishes we inquired about, and showed pride in how jerk at nite differentiated themselves from other food spots. Now, to the meat and potatoes (pun intended) Me and a friend both got the tropical punch, along with a water. The tropical punch had a layered taste to it- you could definitely taste the passion fruit, mango and more. For both my friend and I, we agreed it was a little watery. It felt like either the result of a syrup based drink, or, a jungle juice type drink where there's ice in the jug, and it melts over time. I didn't think it was too big of a deal, as the degree of watery-ness didn't ruin it. 5/10 The Mac & Cheese is an extremely affordable appetizer for the size of dish that you receive. There were 5 people in our party, and we were easily able to split two dishes of the Mac & cheese at $13 a piece. It was extremely seasoned (in a good way), and it didn't have a nasty consistency about it, which is my complaint with a lot of Mac & cheese's. 10/10. The jerk chicken pasta was seasoned TO THE GODS. The sauce was prevalent, but not overwhelming, and the cheese was a nice touch. There even was a kick of spice to each bite. 8/10. I didn't order the tacos, however, the tortilla has a nice char on it, which I appreciate. It didn't fall apart with each bite, and there were enough ingredients within each taco that you're getting a combination of flavors with each bite. Be careful- there was a 18% gratuity included automatically on our check, and our server didn't go out of her way to point it out. One of our friends ended up paying $10 extra, on top of the service charge. That and the tropical punch was the only reason I give Jerk at Nite on H street: 4/5 Stars. read more

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Fantastic spot! From what I understand, the H street location just opened and it is awesome. To start, the hostess and waiter both made an effort to remember my name which goes a long way. They were both expressive of their gratitude for giving them our business which was nice too. All of the food was fantastic. I tried the Goat Curry which was delicious. The goat was tender, flavorful and pretty filling. The mac and cheese was also great! Definitely recommend this place if you are looking to try something new. Expect a more expensive meal. Came out to $35, but I would argue it was worth it for a unique dish like goat curry! read more

Jerk at Nite - Curry Goat - Caribbean Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

The wait time was short , food came out within 10 mins. This location has a small seating area and a walk up ordering window as well. The jerk chicken was moist and flavorful. The spice heat level on the Mac and cheese was much higher than i anticipated and it was more heat than flavor. The beef patties lacked flavor. The service was courtesy and the informative read more

FIRE!! If you are from DC and haven't been you need to go ASAP. I got the oxtail and added an order of Mac and cheese cause I heard it was good. Everything came out faster than expected and hot!! EVERYTHING was good definitely 10/10 must try again. read more

10/10 THIS WAS SOOOOOO GOOD YALL. I would eat this day and night every on go eat some. The beef patty was also really good !!! read more

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Very disappointed in an establishment that says Jamaican but never have beef patties. Also got the jek chicken meal and my rice was swimming in gravy and the chicken was very little. I work up the block from here and have to by pass them to go to the next jamaican restaurant on H st. read more

Food was decent! But didn't have a good experience. I walk inside and they redirect me to order outside.. ok so I walk outside to order. Mind you it's been raining on and off all day. Menu doesn't have any prices on it which is annoying because you know how prices can be in DC. Anyways whatever I order my food and am waiting outside- there's nowhere to siy, and they're blasting music so loud I can't hear the phone call I'm on. These are all minor annoyances I def would have not thought twice about if the next issue didn't occur. They didn't give me a real receipt. Idk why. But they wrote my order down with a marker and just handed it to me that way. No price or indicator how I paid.. nothing. The person working asks me if I ordered beef patties, I said yes. She looks over at the patties then starts tying my bag up. I assume she had put them in there, because she literally asked and I said yes. I can't check the order because the bag is tied up and I gotta walk a few blocks so didn't want to break it. And she double checked with me some food so why would I? Anyways, they didn't include the beef patties which is annoying because they literally asked if I ordered them and I said yes!! Didn't realize until I got home. Annoying because it's $10 for 2 which is crazy in my opinion. I called them to try and sort it out but the number said the voice mailbox was full. I wasn't about to go back because there wasn't any proof I bought them so didn't want to waste a trip. Just annoying. And I feel overpriced for the service. So I won't be back. read more

The food was simply amazing! I thoroughly enjoyed the flavorful and creamy Rasta Pasta Salmon, which was my boyfriend's and my favorite of all the entrées we tried. The macaroni was delicious, the jerk wings were perfectly seasoned with a nice kick, and the plantains were great, though I personally prefer them fried a bit harder. My only downside is that the carry-out meals are priced lower compared to ordering the same items for dine-in, which was a bit surprising. We also had to wait an hour after they opened to be seated and they did not have any coco bread at the time in which we placed our order. Overall, we enjoyed the food and would definitely go back! read more

Jerk at Nite - Dining area - Caribbean Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Jerk wings Mac Cabbage Great service and cool vibe We couldn't enter the establishment due to a homeless man and dog laying at the entrance but other then that I'd go back to try something else read more

Jerk at Nite - Caribbean Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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my lips are still numb from this seasoning (only embarassing if you're embarrassed.) - if you only read one line of this review, read this: when the worker handed a to go order to a customer, she goes "enjoy your meal b****." and no, they weren't friends. - another one was the "107! 107! Where have you been I've been CALLING you" - tbh the vibes were hilarious and the massive line to pick up food was a fabulous sign. cannot imagine sitting in there and dealing with the energy in a restaurant environment... but as takeout this was a good hit - I swear to god I can handle heat but this unique jerk numbing heat was WOOOO. like a toxic ex , man this HURT but I loved it. - the massive portion of chicken was soft and falling off the bone with a hyper seasoned charred skin - slaw was very very mild, added a fun light crunch to the heavy rice beans and chicken but no flavor on its own or heat relief aspect - the rice was soaking (literally needed a spoon) in juices. I don't like rice in general but this was a mushy pile of flavor like sooooo intense in such a special way. I could NOT make this at home. read more

Jerk at Nite - Di Yaddie - Caribbean Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I have gone to this location about 4 times. Every single time the chicken is over cooked, rice is inedible, you can taste more sour cream than cheese in the Mac, the oxtail is a pathetic portion, though cooked slightly better than the chicken, and THE BEEF PATTIES are worse than the ones you can buy frozen at the family dollar across the street. Hard, and no beef inside. The only good sustenance the have at all there is their cabbage. Their cabbage is delectable! Really disappointed after all the trouble the owner went through remodeling and reopening, they serve nothing but tree bark chicken and high prices. Hope the owner reads this and makes some changes! Great vibe, great people, god awful food! read more

I really wish I'd had the opportunity to give this place a good review. I showed up, hoping for some good Jamaican food. We went inside, scanned the QR menu after we were seated and saw some prices that did not quite make sense. $25 for an appetizer jerk chicken nacho? $42 for jerk chicken? $29 pasta from an establishment that doesn't even make their pasta fresh? Where is all this money going? That's not even the end of it. As someone who frequents fine dining establishments often, I couldn't bring myself to pay so much for this. After heading out, I took a glance at the to-go menu and who would've thought--the same menu items were about half the price. I am honestly appalled; I've never seen any respectable restaurant do anything like this. A business crash course would do this place well, I'd really like to try it one day. read more

What's up good people! Been a while since I made a review but I had to do this one for Jerk at Nite! You know how I do, I have to rate about Food, Service, and Ambiance. Ambiance (4.5 Stars) only reason I did to-go orders both times, from the outside it's your simple walk up and place your order, menu is on the side of the wall and it's a simple menu (maybe 10 items I think). Service (5 Stars) The young lady that took my order was friendly both times and pleasant. Again I only did To-Go so never had a chance to see a full experience with waitress and waiters etc. Food (4.8 Stars) only reason not a 5 star because the chicken was cold but other than that I ordered the Wing and Tings which consist of Jerk Wings, and 2 sides. I ordered Rice and Peas and Mac and Cheese. The Rice and Peas was very very good. Seasoned nice and now I can't lie, most Jamaican restaurants I had, they can't make Mac-N-Cheese, but here it was good and cheesy! Very nice flavor and I had the crust pieces and it had that nice crust on top ohhhh weeee good! I am trying to go back. So far this is the best Jamaican restaurant in DC, now I'm from Miami, Fl and did a 3 month study abroad in Kingston, Ja when I was in college. read more

Jerk at Nite - Wings and Tings - Caribbean Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

The foooood is excellent. Went during the h st festival and the jerk chicken was so tasty. Highly recommend. Service was quick.