Popular weekday lunch stop brings tasty Jamaican cooking to downtown Atlanta.

by Contributor

The Scene
Walking distance for most of downtown's nine-to-five residents, this noisy restaurant gets slammed by regulars. Wait staff can hardly keep up with turning tables at the height of lunch hour, and there's a continuous queue for takeout. The focus here is food; no Reggae or island-view murals embellish this dining experience.

The Food
From Jamaican patties to curry conch, the menu caters to large appetites. Jerk wings and veggie and meat patties lead to entrees such as golden brown stewed chicken and steamed flakey snapper cooked with okra, tomatoes and onions. Recommended sides are rice and peas (a mound of rice studded with black beans), plantains (roundly sweet inside, caramelized outside) and the rich homemade macaroni and cheese. Seasoned insiders opt for the oxtail marinated in brown gravy or curried goat. Never-fail favorites are the tender shrimp in garlic broth and crispy fried bites of fresh conch.

06/01/06

Great food w/ fast service

by junco513

This place serves up some great Jamaican food. And the food comes out fast so it's an ideal place for lunch. Although it does tend to get busy at the peak lunch hour. Definitely try the jerk chicken and the beef patty is really great, too!

• Pros: great food, fast service, reasonable price
• Cons: no parking, gets crowded

02/15/06

Best Jerk This Side of Peachtree

by nurutheguru

I've been dining at Calypso for six years! I LOVE the plantain, carrot & raisin soufflé and curry. The tofu is also pretty good. Try the jerk chicken salad -- spicy and light, and perfect for a quick lunch. Also, if you're lucky, they have the most decadent rum cake.

• Pros: family biz
• Cons: location

11/18/05

Best Food for the price

by isis00723

If you looking for good food for the right price then this is the place!!! a whole lot of food for the money and if you like spicy then please don't skip the jerk sauce!!!

• Pros: Location, Staff, Food