Jam Doung Style Cuisine

I’ve heard about this place for years. I finally tried it. The cooks were very nice and pleasant. Though not a huge carribean fan, the jerk wings were descent. I usually enjoy carribean cabbage, but I wasn’t a big fan. I will visit this place again, but I would much rather prefer pimento grill.

Solid first experience. My friend owns a ship near by and has told me I need to get to this spot so many times before I actually made it happen.
I stopped in on a Saturday afternoon after a study session at the library. I got the brown stew chicken with cabbage and Mac n cheese. The portion was enough for me and my daughter to eat and still have a bit left over for whoever got back to it first.
The brown stew chicken was flavorful and tasted like I expected it to. I’m a native Trinidadian so I’m extremely picky when it comes to West Indian food! But Jam Doung didn’t disappoint.
I also got a chicken patty, which tasted homemade — a good thing — but could’ve used some more chicken filling. The first bite that I took was all shell, no filling.
The only thing my meal was missing was some homemade peppa sauce.
I’ll definitely return the next time I have a taste for oxtail or brown stew.

I wish I could give a better review. The curry and jerk chicken is mediocre, at best. Service is certainly not with a smile. So many other options in DC. Why call in for food to only wait for 20 – 30 minutes when you get there?

While there food is good the service is HORRIBLE. There is absolutely no sense of urgency when serving customers. Even when you call your food in its a 15 – 30 minute wait. They need to find a system to get the food to customers faster. I’ve eaten at many restaurants and this is the only takeout restaurant where the wait takes this long. There is NO acknowledgement of the customer wait time. This will be my last time coming to this establishment because I work hard for my money and I believe patronage is earned not expected.
I urge you to get a system of you want to survive in the food service industry where food is delivered directly to our doorsteps.
I’m Jamaican and I recognize our sense of time can be a bit off but when people are paying their money I think it’s important to recognize and respect that they deserve good fast service.

You may miss this small delightful hole in the wall If you walk, ride, or drive too fast on North Capitol Street NW, as I did. But luckily I kept searching, and once I found its address I found a Gem!
As you step into Jam Doung, you’ll notice it’s not fancy; it’s basically a large kitchen with a counter separating it from patrons who patiently (or impatiently) wait for their fixings of jerk or curry. You know it’s a Jamaican take-​out joint because their are posters of Bob Marley and «Jamaica», but you know it’s an authentic Jamaican place because you hear other customers speaking Jamaican Patoi, and «Rice & Peas» is on the menu.
I ordered the Combination platter of oxtail and jerk chicken, with a side of rice and peas and cabbage. And let me tell you, everything was spectacular, even the cabbage! The Jerk chicken seasoning tasted like actual Jamaican jerk, and the oxtail was tender. The rice and peas would be a good meal all by itself. And the portions are huge! Jam Doung translates into Standard English as «Jam Down»; and that’s exactly what I did, I jammed all that flavorful food down my throat because it was delicious. Jam Doung is an Irie place!

You won’t regret going here. I love it! I’ve had almost everything on the menu. The female cook is so sweet and you can tell she makes the food with love.

Outstanding authentic Jamaican fare! I recommend the large jerk chicken platter. I will easily serve 2… Or you will appreciate the leftovers! Prices are very reasonable, the staff friendly.
Hint: for an amazing treat order a whole jerked turkey for Thanksgiving — is it Thanksgiving yet?

My favorite place to get authentic Jamaican food. I love their jerk chicken platter, beef patties, coco bread and jerk wings. They provide plenty of food and it’s always good! Highly recommend it

Great hole in the wall spot. White jerk chicken with Mac and cheese + rice and peas is my go to. Service is a little slow and they are often out of things, but the food is so good that I don’t really care that much. I recommend going on the earlier side as they usually sell out of everything each night.

This is some of the best Jamaican food in the city. The curry goat is everything. The biggest tip here is to plan your excursion before you’re hungry. I love Jam Doung, but they are SLOW. Even if you call in your order, they’re slow. If they have the pineapple and ginger pressed juice, do yourself a favor and grab one. Perfectly sweet and spicy. But expect good food and a long wait.

They didnt have any food, they were out of a lot of ting by 3:00. Which is of typical of Caribbean spots. I would suggest, they scratch off the menu items as they run out. Afterall it’s a chalkboard they use, which shouldn’t be that hard. I hope to visit again and taste their food and then i’ll update with a review.

Deliciously seasoned, the heat and spices danced in my mouth and slept soundly in my belly. Had a feast of nearly everything with some folks and I will certainly come back solo. May very well be the best Jamaican in DC.

If you’re looking for a place nestled in the hood in DC, where the women who serve you are the ones who will crack jokes about your attire, throw a momma joke or two, but at the same time do it with a smile and give you the dankest bit of Jamaican food so good that it should but won’t make your drug test show up positive… this is the place to go.
Woke up in a mood for island food, and usually the spots that are good are the ones that take a bit of traveling to get to. This was definitely one of those spots. With a menu written in chalk, and a bigger kitchen in the back than actual store front — you can tell food was given all the TLC and less of the riff raff. This is the type of place that has no seats and just wants to serve you and let you go about your day and those are the BEST places to dine at. If you’re looking for an ELITE experience, depending on the type of person you are you may or may not get it here. I will say this, I NEED TO GO BACK TO THIS PLACE LIKE THE WASHINGTON REDSKINS NEED TO GO BACK TO DC.

I heard about Andrene’s from a few people and so I made the track from VA out there today only to find that they were closed. So I went to visit Jam Doung 10 minutes away since it has comparable reviews on Unilocal.When I walked in, I was not surprised that the place was a hole in the wall since that is what everyone said, and I could care less about that because that is where you typically find the best authentic food. The place didn’t seem particularly clean and smelled a little too much like bleach when I got there but I gave it a try anyway… I ordered a lot of food so that I could try a little bit of everything and save it to eat over the next few days… Jerk Wings, Curry Goat, Stewed Ox Tail, Stewed Chicken (no stewed chicken seemed to make it into the to go boxes), mac n cheese, cabbage, rice n peas. The Jerk wings were particularly good — very spicy and that is how I like my island food. The macaroni and cheese was ok… I particularly enjoyed the melting cheese that was baked on top, but overall… it could be more cheesy throughout. I agree with someone else’s assessment about the curry goat. It is a bit more gamey tasting than I prefer. The rice n peas wasn’t my favorite. The food overall could have had a more spicy kick but it was flavored well overall. They gave HEFTY portions, so I was really happy with that.
The CUSTOMER SERVICE THO??? SUCKS! SORT of. I left confused about whether I should say their service was good or bad. I say that because this place didn’t really come across like it was accustomed to «customers» but rather… people who stop in here and there that are in the family, or live in the neighborhood. There was an argument going on behind the counter and the ladies in the back were shouting at the guy (who looked like he was half homeless) who was talking to a family member in the front of the store. it took forever to even be acknowledged. Finally I moved closer to the counter as if to say, «I’m here to be served not just loiter» and the girl still didn’t say much but just looked at me as if to say, «What do you want to eat?». So, I ordered… had to get another family member or some older dude coach me on how to order so the girl behind the counter could understand. So he was finally like, ARE YOU NEW HERE” and I was like «YES i AM». So he was like, Ok just hook her up and give her some of everything. So, I am very happy with the portion sizes, but sad I didn’t get any stewed chicken… but it is what it is… they definitely haven’t sold me as the best place I could go to to get Caribbean food.
I still plan to try Andrenes… but they ticked me off today too by not having any type of voicemail that indicated they were going to be closed all weekend…

This place is amazing… they were out of alot of items on the menu but the stewed oxtails and mac and cheese were heaven. My first time eating jamaican food and i dont regret it. Def a gem as it is a whole in the wall place.

Soooo good. I’m used to eating the jamaican patties from 7 eleven, so when we were coming to the east coast we decided that it was a must to eat some real patties.
We walked from our hotel to this little gem and was a bit hesitant about the neighborhood. But boy oh boy was it worth every step.
We ordered one beef and one chicken patty. They were both really good. The crust on those things puts 7 eleven to shame. It was the best texture ever.
We also got the jerk chicken and it was packed with flavor.
If we lived here, we would definitely be a regular– surprised that this hidden gem has such few reviews!

I was introduced to Jam Doung about a year ago. For a while I didn’t tell many people about it because I wanted to keep it my little secret. However, I recently decided to bring a few of my friends here to see if they would fall in love with it as much as I did. Well, they certainly did!
Let’s start this review by saying that this food is definitely the real deal. The restaurant is literally a hole in the wall. There is no room inside to sit, only standing room for placing orders. There is a kitchen located in the rear where all the magic happens. I believe the restaurant is owned by a woman and her husband, since I typically see them in every time I have been. There are also a couple of others that I have seen working too, but I think they may be family. Once you walk inside, you simply order your food at the counter.
The food is decently priced ($ 6 – 13. Most entrees come with 1 – 2 sides and you can order plates in small, medium and large. I usually order the curry shrimp with cabbage and rice and peas. Obviously, I always order the large. It is definitely a healthy serving of food. I could probably split it up into two meals, but I usually eat it all in one sitting. I would also recommend the plantains and the patties.
Overall, this is an authentic, straightforward and no frills dining experience. If you like good Jamaican food it is definitely the spot to go. The food is consistent and the people inside are always nice. Definitely check it out if you’re in the area.

I am not sure why I’m just writing a review for this place. Ive been coming to Jam Doung for years and the food quality is still the same. So good definitely worth a visit. I’ve had the oxtails, bbq chicken wings, jerk chicken and brown stew chicken all amazing. Sides of cabbage and mac & cheese are my fave. Portions and prices both great. Love love this place.

Me & fiancé came here after craving Jamaican food! The place is a hole in wall but the food is Yummy! And you will have some left over! I had rice, curry goat, mac&cheese & cabbage! yummy! The ladies was nice

This spot is literally a hole in the wall. Walk through the door, there is a counter, a wall and behind it a moderate hole of a kitchen. At the counter is a woman that looks like she doesn’t enjoy life. However, she was nice enough to answer my questions and give me what I was looking for.
The food was pretty good. The oxtails weren’t full of fat and actually had meat on the bones. The curried goat was tender and not too oily. My only complaint was the coco bread. Not the best that I’ve ever had. Tasted too much like italian bread.
The prices are good and it’s located right on North Capitol, so I can grab it right before hitting the highway. Give it a try.