Kelly’s Jamaican Foods

I normally give disgusting little hole-in-the-wall’s a break and refrain from writing bad reviews, but this place was so bad I can’t not say something about it. First of all, you walk in there and there is absolutely no air-​conditioning (this is especially a problem when it’s 90 degrees out and you’re sweating over jerk meat). The service there was just awful. Maybe it’s a Jamaican culture thing, but the lady working behind the counter wouldn’t talk. Like she wouldn’t say a word, not a hello or a thank you or anything; it was quite awkward. But that’s nothing compared to the real problem: the food! My friend and I both ordered the jerk pork meal with mac n’ cheese and «rice n’ peas.» The pork didn’t taste like anything. It was just mushy, burnt pork in a sauce that was spicy to the point that it had absolutely no flavor. I mean, there’s flavorful spicy such as with Mexican or Korean food, but this was just disgusting spicy. It was the kind of spice that makes you sweat but doesn’t actually have an ounce of taste to it. The mac n’ cheese… well how can you screw that up? And let me just say that the «rice and peas» had no peas in it; it actually tasted like those red beans and rice you can cook in the microwave. We also suspect that the «cornbread» was actually spice cake from a box. Maybe it floats other people’s boat, I don’t know, but as far as I’m concerned, the small portions, unfriendly staff, and out-​of-​this-​world dumpy atmosphere made this restaurant a most unpleasant lunch date. The icing on the cake is the fact that this meager lunch cost us $ 18! Good God, I could buy a month’s worth of ramen for that much and for sure be guaranteed a better meal than what Kelly’s could offer. I’m sorry Kelly, but maybe owning a restaurant just isn’t the best line of work for you to be in. Also, Athens-​Clark County needs to hire new health inspectors because any inspector who keeps a place as grimy and dilapidated as Kelly’s open is obviously not doing their job correctly.

I love Kelly’s. The Jerk chicken and pork are great and very spicy, especially the pork. The curry chicken is extremely tender as well. I usually go with the spicy cabbage/​spicy squash and mac and cheese for the sides. Every meal comes with cornbread and sweet tea. The cornbread has a very dense moist consistency, similar to cake. The sweet tea is overly sweet but it compliment the spiciness very well. The only qualm that I have with Kelly’s is that ever since I started coming, they have increased the prices a couple of times and now the small plates are $ 9. They give you a good bit of food though, so its a trade-​off.

I’m so confused as to why this place has 4.5 stars on Unilocal.There were several issues with Kelly’s.
1) The setting is kind of run down and it looks really dirty. They also received an 85 on their restaurant score as of 1÷16÷16. I don’t need to guess where the 15 points went.
2) The woman who is supposed to greet customers has the worst attitude. She doesn’t say hello or smile when you come in, she just stares at you; she’s stand off-​ish and cold.
3) I ordered the small jerk chicken plate with mac and cheese and rice and peas. For over $ 9, the portion size was filling. However, the food was just dumped onto the plate. It was so messy and haphazard. At least try to plate the food properly instead of splattering it everywhere.
4) When it comes to flavor, the jerk chicken itself was actually really good. The meat had a lot of flavor and spices and it fell off the bone. Now to the sides… they were just awful which was really surprising. The mac and cheese was soooo bland. It was crazy… if you’ve ever made even Easy Mac, you know that cheese can add a lot of flavor so I’m not sure why the mac and «cheese» tasted like there was NO cheese in it. The mac and cheese also had red stuff on it. When I asked what is the red stuff, the answer I got was «cheese.» Well, I have never seen red cheese so I still have no clue what that is.
5) The rice and peas was soo bland as well! Just absolutely zero flavor and very dry. The meal came with cornbread which tasted nice, but had a thick cake like density instead of the normal soft, crumbly yet melt in your mouth cornbread texture.
TL;DR: Very dirty place with poor customer service, tasty jerk chicken and horrible bland sides. Would not recommend nor revisit.

This place is fantastic. The food is always delicious and Mr. Kelly is a treat to talk to! My husband and I have been here many times and never been disappointed. I especially recommend the jerk macaroni and cheese :)

Kelly’s is the best restaurant in Athens hands down! Literally everything is good with my personal favorite being the spicy cabbage. Ate at Kelly’s for four years and now miss it daily. Kelly himself is a great guy who is always happy to see you. He even brought the grill over to our place to cater my grad party. Give me a shout Kelly if you ever open up a shop in Austin!

Really good. I got the curry chicken, Mac and cheese, and plantains. Everything was good. The cornbread is more or a cake texture than crumbly but good. The plantains were amazing as was the curry chicken. It was a big portion for a good price.

Always friendly and always good. But be warned his Jerk can be a bit spicy not for the newbee. If that is not your style don’t worry his other dishes are just as good. Go for the cabbage as a side and you won’t be disappointed. Cornbread is a must for this food.

This is one of my favorite restaurants in Athens Kelly is a great guy and he always has the food hot off the grill when I go I recommend this place if you like Jamaican food. I give it two thumbs up for sure!

A true standout among Athens’ many culinary gems, and now one of my favorites. The jerk chicken and pork are spicy and incredibly tender. I don’t think I have had better! The veggies are delicious as well. Several other customers that came in while we ate were regulars and chatted with Kelly like old friends. He was so kind to us as well.
I will definitely be back to Kelly’s many many times to come and am sad I have not tried it sooner.

Kelly’s Jamaican Foods is located in a tiny shack next door to a Subway, which didn’t seem like the safest place to park your car at 8pm on a Saturday night.
Inside was the quaintest little restaurant, where a bored worker leaned against the counter and took our orders. I wanted the jerk pork but they were out. I had jerk chicken in Atlanta the day before so I ended up ordering the curry chicken, with the spicy cabbage and the mac and cheese, which came with a huge slice of cornbread.
The curry chicken stained my nails yellow, but was sweet, tender and tasty. The spicy cabbage was ON POINT. I wish I had ordered two servings of it. Thank god, my friend wasn’t a fan so I ate almost of his portion. The Mac and cheese was disappointing. Soggy and lacked the flavor that the cabbage had. The cornbread was sweet and reminded me of a carrot cake, while remaining fluffy and light.
I tried some of the jerk chicken and it wasn’t as spicy as people were claiming in their reviews. I feel like I’ve had more authentic in Atlanta. However, it was very smoky and tasted more like BBQ chicken. But I’m not a «jerk» expert.
I was surprised to see the man I saw working at CariSoul Cuisine in Atlanta stroll in after we ordered and start doling out food and orders. I just saw him the day before and his jerk chicken was BOMB. So good.
Definitely a hidden gem in Athens but not the best Caribbean food I’ve had.

Most authentic Jerk you can find. I’ve been all over the country, nothing compares to Kelly’s. It is really spicy and will burn your mouth lol. You know the song, «Hurts so good»? Yeah, that’s Kelly’s. You will love it if you love spicy food.

The best Jamaican food ever they must anytime I’m in Athens The Jerk Chicken the jerk pork absolutely mouth watering my best advice for the menu is just tell them you won’t some of all of it

I went to try the bbq chicken but they were out. I was hesitant to get Jerk chicken because I don’t enjoy spicy foods and I’ve had jerk before and couldn’t eat it because it was too spicy. Against my better judgment I went with Jerk chicken, green beans, and rice n beans w/​corn bread that comes with. First let me state that yes the Jerk was spicy but not like omg spicy, it was just the right amount to what I could tolerate and very flavorful, which is key, in fact I enjoyed the whole meal. The portion was huge for a 9 $ dinner. I am planning to return for the bbq chicken.

Kelly’s is amazing. I was introduced to this place through friends while at UGA and even though I’ve graduated and left Athens now, I still eat here every opportunity I get. Kelly is one of the kindest people you will meet and his cooking is some of the best I’ve had. I usually get jerk chicken with rice & peas and spicy squash. The jerk chicken has an incredible smokey flavor and is fall-​off-​the-​bone tender, thanks to the big smoker around the back. The spicy squash lives up to its name, as do a few other items on the menu, so take advantage of the complimentary iced tea– you might need it! The freshly-​baked cornbread that comes with the plates might be the best part. Everything I’ve had here is incredible– highly recommend!

Worst jamaican food ever. Jerk chicken tasted like I had a mouth full of red hot peppers. Never eaten anything so hot and spicy ever. I’ve had jerk chicken from many jamaican restaurants and I have been to countless jamaican restaurants, but this place was just straight awful. Worst jamaican restaurant I have ever eaten at. Will not recommend to anyone looking to eat some good authentic jamaican food.

Food could be ok but didn’t get a chance to try it. The lady was so rude. I walked in no one was behind the counter and when she showed up she didn’t say one word (hello! How can I help you?) then I said: do you have any veggie patties? She replied: no boss, with that evil look I then walked away.
Jamaican restaurants for the most part has no customer service!

This is one of my FAVORITE places in Athens. You know what the tragedy is? I’ve only been here two, maybe three, times.
But the first time I went has left a lasting impression. They aren’t joking with the jerk spice– my best friend, who has no issues with spicy whatsoever, had to take a break from her food. As for me, I don’t like spicy food. I can eat it, but I’m too lazy to sweat and sniffle and be in pain while I’m eating (which is supposed to be an enjoyable experience!). But I will do it for Kelly’s. Because Kelly’s is WORTH IT.
I’m absolutely in love with their spicy cabbage. IN LOVE. I keep meaning to go back just for this. Their meat always falls right off the bone and they give generous portions. I’m not a fan of the mac and cheese, but that’s because it’s not the texture I favor (theirs is crumbly mac n cheese. I like creamy mac n cheese). The flavor is great! And their corn bread!!! My eyes fill with happy tears just thinking about it. On that note, I’m basically always crying by the end of a meal here. First, because the flavors are so bold. The spicy is spicy and it makes me cry but I will power through. Second, because iT TASTES SO GOOD. I can’t press enough how much everybody needs to try the cornbread. I love cornbread, but this is the best I’ve ever had. My heart breaks because I don’t come here often enough, and my boyfriend doesn’t like their food (I can’t remember why, but I think it’s because it’s too spicy for him and not the kind of spicy he likes. Can you believe it? Weakling).

very good jerk chicken. great flavor and it falls off the bone. excellent spicy cabbage, collards, spicy squash. Good prices for the very generous servings and excellent quality.

This is one of my favorite restaurants in Athens. While presentation may not be their strong point, Kelly’s makes up for it in taste. The food is also not pricy. For about 8 dollars, you get a meat two side dishes, a drink and some corn bread. Their corn bread is SO good. I’m generally not a fan of the grittiness of corn bread but the consistency of Kelly’s corn bread is more like cake. I’ve had the barbecue pork, jerk chicken, jerk pork, and curry chicken. My favorite entrée is probably the jerk pork. But be wary! It’s very spicy! Sometimes I order the pork and take it home to mix with my own rice. My favorite sides are probably the spicy squash and the Mac and Cheese.
I definitely recommend you give Kelly’s a try and don’t be turned off by the cafeteria style because the food speaks for itself.
Side note. They have another location on Epps Bridge Rd.

I don’t know how this place doesn’t have 5 stars. Let me tell you how amazing this place was. Me and a group of friends came to Athens to eat at as many restaurants as we could in a span of 6 hours. Kelly’s was stop #7 of 8 on our list, and we truly saved the best for last. As you can imagine, we ate a lot of food today, yet we still ordered a BBQ chicken with two heavy sides of rice and Mac n cheese and we killed it all. We demolished it and only left the bones from the BBQ chicken which conveniently fell off the bone because it was so tender.
That BBQ chicken is in a more soup like puddle than you’d imagine BBQ sauce to be, but the chicken was perfectly brined and marinated that I didn’t care what texture the sauce was. In fact, we soaked the rice in the BBQ sauce to not let the BBQ sauce go to waste. But don’t get me wrong, the rice itself was the best flavored rice I have ever eaten. It was nice and smokey with a kick of spice. We also got spicy Mac n cheese which was tasty, but I think I would order the spicy cabbage instead. The spicy cabbage was so so so good. Nice and soft, acidic yet sweet. Oh and that cornbread was more like a sweet, soft and fluffy cake than it was corn bread. Best cone bread of my life, and that’s hard for me to say because I make a mean cornbread.
It is funny because when my friends suggested we eat Jamaican food on our day trip, I was against it at first because I thought Jamaican food was the same everywhere. I’m so glad they didn’t listen to me and that we went there anyway because it was the best meal we had in Athens.
You must eat at Kelly’s. You must. And there is plenty of parking so don’t let that stop you.
*Disclaimer: I came here for a day trip in Athens and breezed thru local favorite restaurants.