Looking for a great plate of Jamaican jerk chicken? Try this CA restaurant, Yelp says

Craving oxtail stew and fried plantains? Those in the mood for Jamaican food should look no further than this California restaurant.

Barrington’s Jamaican Kitchen in Bakersfield landed on Yelp’s all-time list of “Must Try Jamaican Eateries” across the U.S. and Canada, and is ranked the best in California.

The restaurant joins the nation’s top-rated diners that serve up jerk chicken and curried goat, among other Jamaican classics. To come up with its rankings, Yelp said it looked at businesses in the Jamaican category with the largest total volume of reviews and their ratings.

Barrington Lewis, the restaurant’s founder and a native of Jamaica, learned to cook “by watching others” and honed his skills in the Jamaican Boy Scouts and Combined Cadet Force, according to the eatery’s website.

“Authentic Jamaican Food in the heart of Bakersfield,” Lewis wrote on Yelp. “Jerk chicken, curry chicken, oxtails, plantains, steamed cabbage and more served with the passion of a chef that’s been serving this food for my whole life.”

Reviewers on Yelp raved about the authentic cuisine, the restaurant’s modest appearance and the owner’s friendly spirit.

“Barrington’s Jamaican Kitchen is a hole in the wall serving up authentic Jamaican food,” one user wrote.

Another review reads: “You know the food’s gonna be good when it’s served out of a random small shack in front of a dollar store.”

“Love this place and always enjoy chatting it up with Barrington at the drive thru,” one reviewer said.

Dishes that were popular with Yelpers included oxtail stew and jerk chicken.

This story was originally published April 16, 2021 at 3:05 PM with the headline "Looking for a great plate of Jamaican jerk chicken? Try this CA restaurant, Yelp says."