Hands down, mon. The Jerk Hut nails all that curry and zesty jerk sauce and everything else. Whenever someone at the office suggests the downtown Jerk Hut for lunch, you invariably hear an orgasmic chorus of “Mmmmm, Jerrrrk Huuuut.” The curry chicken never fails; the jerk chicken falls off the bone; the curry goat and oxtail stew make you forget you’re eating goat and ox. The women servers are friendly (and easy on the eyes). The downtown location has a happy hour/buffet/party on Friday nights where you can stuff yourself, swill Red Stripes and groove to a reggae band. Don’t dally. Time to get your jerk on. 207 E. Twiggs St., Tampa, 813-223-4473; 1406 E. Fowler Ave., Tampa, 813-632-9551

The Jerk Huts bring the unique cuisine and color of the island paradise to Tampa.

By CHRIS SHERMAN, Times Food Critic
Published August 11, 2005

TAMPA - Is nutmeg the secret t'ing that puts the magic into Jamaican jerk?

Maybe the special ingredient is the sweetnesses we describe as allspice, which grows wild on the islands. Certainly ginger livens up the flavors as fast as dance hall reggae, and thyme is the unnoticed herb that makes all the difference.

All of them, or the spirit that dips into the sweet end of the spice rack at that same time it sets a fuse of pepper, onion and garlic, is what gives jerk its distinctive taste.