Frommer's Review
No one leaves Woody's without generating memories (about cuisine, about Jamaica, and about life in general) that remain in place long after your check is paid. Port Antonio's most famous counter-culture dining shack occupies a party-colored clapboard-and-concrete roadside compound in Drapers, a nearby suburb, about a 10-minute drive from the center. You'll place your food order at an open window in the main building, and then consume it within a circular open-sided pavilion with a tee-pee-shaped roof. Local hotel owners insist that their vegetarian burgers (made from chopped callaloo, bok choy, and cabbage, first steamed, then fried) are the best in Jamaica; and scads of European clients have photographed every square inch of the place. But despite the torrents of approval for this rustic and down-home Jamaican eatery, Woody (Papa Woody) Cousins and his wife Cherry exude a folksy and friendly allure that is as timeless as the appeal of the food itself.
Our favorite spot is the cozy inside bar, where rum punch costs from J$70 to J$150 (US$1.10-US$2.40), Red Stripe costs J$80 (US$1.30), and Rastafarian-inspired artwork and painted slogans include, "It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice. Therefore, just be nice."
What's a low bridge, and why was this place named after one? It results from the low-hung doorways that require taller visitors to stoop a bit before entering. Miss Cherry cooks and serves the savory food, dispensing wisdom and cheer; Woody mixes drinks, serves food, and if you're lucky, will sing. Don't imagine that the full menu will automatically be available after around 4pm: Although it will probably be open as a bar, dinners need to be pre-ordered in advance. Menu items include burgers; "run down fish" (catch of the day prepared with coconut); "Jamaica Jamaica" chicken that's either curried, jerked, barbecued, and/or brown-stewed; and steak with fried green peppers. Main courses, as part of the price, are preceded with a meatless creamy soup "built" from eight local vegetables, and accompanied with rolls, rice, "festivals" (deep-fried dough), yams, and sweet potatoes. Coconut cake with ice cream is a yummy dessert. The non-alcoholic ginger beer here, by the way, is entirely homemade.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without
notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before
planning your trip.
