The Montego Bay area offers some of the finest -- and most expensive -- dining in Jamaica. But if you're watching your wallet and don't have a delicate stomach, some intriguing food is sold right on the street. For example, on Kent Avenue you might try spicy jerk pork. Seasoned spareribs are also grilled over charcoal fires and sold with extra-hot sauce. Naturally, either dish goes down better with a Red Stripe beer. Cooked shrimp are sold on the streets of Mo Bay; they don't look it, but they're very hotly spiced, so be forewarned. If you're cooking your own meals, you might want to buy a fresh lobster or the catch of the day from a Montego Bay fisherman on the harbor.
A True Taste of Jamaica -- Wherever you go in Jamaica, you'll see ramshackle stands selling jerk pork. There is no more authentic local experience than to stop at one of these stands and order a lunch of jerk pork, preferably washed down with a Red Stripe beer. Jerk is a way of barbecuing spicy meats on slats of pimento wood, over a wood fire set in the ground. You can never be quite sure what goes into the seasoning, but the taste is definitely of peppers, pimento (allspice), and ginger. You can also order jerk chicken, sausage, fish, and even lobster. The cook will haul out a machete and chop the meat into bite-size pieces for you, then throw them into a paper bag.
Mo Bay Street Meat -- The densest concentration of street food in Montego Bay is available at the junction of Gloucester Avenue and Kent Road. (The .8km/ 1/2-mile strip of beach-fronting boulevard stretching along both sides of that junction is also known as Bottom Rd. or, less formally, as the "Hip Strip," the edges of which are lined with bars, food stands, and shops catering to the beach trade.) At any of these stands, you might try authentic jerk pork or seasoned spareribs, grilled over charcoal fires and sold with extra-hot sauce; order a Red Stripe beer to go with it. Peppered and cooked shrimp are also sold on the streets of downtown Mo Bay, especially along Saint James Street; they don't look it, but they're very spicy, so be warned. And if you have an efficiency unit with a kitchenette, you can buy fresh lobster or the catch of the day and make your own dinner.
