Roseville’s dining scene is becoming increasingly diverse, and a recent exciting addition is Jamaican Caribbean Cuisine. From the moment you glance at their menu, you’re drawn in by the promise of authentic flavors: Cow’s foot soup, saltfish and liver for breakfast, and peanut punch are just a few of the intriguing options. My initial visit quickly turned into several, driven by a desire to fully explore the depth and breadth of their offerings. After multiple trips, it’s clear that Jamaican Caribbean Cuisine (JCC) is serving up Food In Roseville that’s not only interesting and tasty but also truly unique, making it a destination worth seeking out.
A Menu Full of Intrigue and Authentic Flavors
The initial allure of JCC comes directly from its menu. It’s packed with dishes that immediately spark curiosity and promise a genuine taste of the Caribbean. Options like cow’s foot soup, a hearty and traditional dish, or the classic Jamaican breakfast of saltfish and liver, signal an authentic culinary experience beyond the typical restaurant fare. Even the beverages, such as peanut punch, are enticing and different.
Navigating their website initially presented a slight confusion, particularly regarding breakfast hours. While some menu items are marked for breakfast and indicate ordering before 12 pm, the website listed an opening time of 11 am. It appears the breakfast service might be a future plan, as marketing materials at the restaurant suggest an 8 am opening. For now, focusing on their lunch and dinner offerings is the best approach. Similarly, the availability of natural juices listed online was inconsistent during my visits.
Navigating the Service and Focusing on the Food
While Jamaican Caribbean Cuisine works through some initial service logistics, the quality of the food is the undeniable highlight. An early order of jerk wings and cow foot soup revealed some of these growing pains. The soup wasn’t ready until later, and the jerk wings, while delivered quickly, arrived lukewarm and coated in a sweeter sauce than expected for traditional jerk seasoning. The online ordering system also experienced some delays and wasn’t fully functional initially, transitioning to phone orders and eventually improving by the third visit. Even in-house dining, though available at a few tables, is served in to-go containers.
Despite these initial hiccups, the compelling flavors of the food are what truly stand out and make JCC a noteworthy dining experience in Roseville.
Must-Try Soups: Cow Foot Soup – A Liquid Gold Experience
The cow foot soup at JCC is an absolute revelation. Returning later in the day to properly sample it was well worth the effort. This soup embodies the rich, gelatinous texture and deeply satisfying flavor that comes from patiently simmering trotters, full of fat and tendon. Each spoonful evokes the essence of slow-cooked comfort food. It’s reminiscent of Fergus Henderson’s celebrated “Trotter Gear,” a culinary technique using the concentrated flavor of simmered pig’s feet to enhance various dishes. The richness of JCC’s cow foot soup is so profound that a large portion can easily be saved, refrigerated, and enjoyed for days, its gelatinous texture solidifying beautifully overnight. It transforms into a versatile culinary base, perfect for enriching sautéd greens, adding depth to bean dishes, or forming the foundation of a flavorful pasta sauce. This cow foot soup is truly liquid gold and a reason to return to JCC repeatedly. The daily soup specials, including Goat Head soup on Fridays and Red Peas soup on Saturdays, further pique interest and promise more comforting and authentic Jamaican flavors.
Exploring the Main Dishes: Salted Mackerel, Oxtail, and More
Among the main dishes sampled, including salted mackerel, escovitch fish, and calaloo with saltfish, the salted mackerel stood out as particularly satisfying. The stew of sweet coconut milk, combined with the saltiness of the fish and hearty root vegetables, creates a balanced and deeply flavorful dish. (A minor note: be mindful of potential fish scales). The accompanying starches – boiled dumplings, fried dumplings, and festival – are quite dense and substantial. While they might be less appealing on their own, they would likely be excellent for soaking up the flavorful broths of the daily soups. The oxtail, another classic Caribbean dish, was also enjoyable. However, the true stars of the oxtail dish were the perfectly cooked butter beans. Slowly simmered and infused with the rich stock, these beans were exceptionally flavorful, and a larger portion would have been welcomed, perhaps in place of some of the rice and peas that accompanied the dish.
Unique and Refreshing Drinks: Sorrel Ginger and Irish Moss
The beverage selection at JCC offers unique and refreshing options, notably the Sorrel Ginger and Irish Moss drinks. The Sorrel Ginger drink, made from dried hibiscus flowers (not the leafy green sorrel), shares similarities with Mexican Jamaica agua fresca. However, JCC’s version distinguishes itself with warm, wintry spices like clove and allspice, along with a richer viscosity. This makes it less of a thirst-quencher and more of a flavorful sipping drink. Served over ice, the Sorrel Ginger is exceptionally refreshing and hints at its potential as a fantastic cocktail mixer, perhaps replacing ginger beer in a Moscow Mule for a spiced twist.
Irish Moss was a completely new experience. Upon inquiring, the owner offered a sample, playfully mentioning its reputation in the Caribbean for having male performance-enhancing qualities. Irish Moss is derived from red algae, and its natural thickening properties are evident in the drink’s texture, which is closer to a pudding than a typical beverage. Combined with condensed milk, spices, and vanilla, it creates a sweet and intriguing treat. One taster compared it to eggnog in flavor. Its purported aphrodisiac qualities are linked to its high zinc content, a claim supported anecdotally by humorous, if not entirely scientific, evidence. While quite thick to drink in large quantities on its own, its texture makes it a perfect accompaniment to desserts, like the delightful Sorrel Cake available at the register.
Jerk Wings: A Note on Initial Expectations
The jerk wings, while part of the initial order, presented a slightly different experience. They arrived lukewarm with a somewhat limp skin and were coated in a sauce that leaned towards sweetness rather than the expected spicy and smoky profile of traditional jerk seasoning. It’s worth noting that the menu features jerk chicken separately, which appears visually different and potentially closer to the authentic jerk flavor profile. While the wings were consumed, they didn’t fully align with the anticipated jerk experience.
Overall Experience and Why You Should Visit
Overall, Jamaican Caribbean Cuisine offers a menu with far more hits than misses. As they navigate the initial period after opening, any service inconsistencies seem to be diminishing, with the kitchen increasingly hitting its stride. Even if an initial visit encounters minor setbacks, the quality and authenticity of the food are compelling reasons to return and explore further. The genuinely charming and welcoming owner adds to the positive experience. For those in Roseville and the wider Twin Cities area seeking authentic Caribbean flavors, Jamaican Caribbean Cuisine is a valuable addition, filling a notable gap in the local food scene and promising to be a culinary destination for years to come.
Jamaican Caribbean Cuisine, 1237 Larpenteur Avenue West, Roseville, Minn., 651.340.1185, MON-SAT 11am-9pm, SUN 12-8pm
