Over the years, I have been fortunate to have traveled to some amazing places outside of the USA including Belize, Jamaica, Bahamas and the Cayman Islands. I have fond memories of some of the Caribbean cuisine that made each trip spectacular such as curry goat, oxtails, rice and peas, jerk chicken, fried red snapper, spicy beef patties, and much more. Caribbean cuisine is a fusion of different cultures, including Cajun, Creole and African influences. Finding a restaurant that specializes in Caribbean dishes sometimes can be a challenge, but that is not the case in Roanoke.
Caribbica Soul restaurant in the Roanoke City Market Building is the dream of owners Will and Joanne Williams. Joanne is known as Chef Luv and is originally from Brooklyn, and Will is from Belize City in Central America. The restaurant recently relocated to 215 Market Street in Downtown Roanoke. Their love of food and authentic homemade cooking was the driving force behind opening Caribbica Soul. The couple explained they wanted to combine Caribbean and American cuisine to create a cultural food experience. Having been in the restaurant business for more than 20 years, they once owned another eatery in Roanoke – Millennium Restaurant. Chef Luv has an associate degree in culinary arts. Will learned to cook under the tutelage of his mother and grandmother.
Grammy award-winner country music singer Kacey Musgraves is one of their biggest fans. In 2019 Musgraves and her band were in town as the headliner at the Floyd Fest Music Festival. They stopped by the couple’s restaurant and really liked the food. This led Musgraves to invite Will, Chef Luv and their family to the show and backstage after the show. Once backstage, Musgraves asked if they would cater their after-party following their last tour stop in Nashville. They accepted without hesitation. Since some of the members of the group did not eat meat dishes, they had to prepare vegan dishes, too. Musgrave’s manager requested the jerk chicken be made extra hot due to her love of spicy food. The family left for Nashville on Oct. 24 for the big catering gig. Musgraves rented a house for them with a full kitchen where they prepared all the delicious fare. The food was a big hit, and as Will stated in his interview with WSLS 10, they did not disappoint. Musgraves gave the duo a shout-out on her Instagram page as having the best jerk chicken she had eaten and the best sweet daddy tea (made with ginger and lemon). They also have catered for singer songwriter CeeLo Green, Reggae artist Freddie McGregor and Bob Marley’s legendary guitar player Al Anderson.
Since the jerk chicken ($14) is such a hot menu item, I started with that. Jerk seasoning is spicy and is applied to protein such as beef, goat and seafood. The meal comes with your choice of two sides – fried plantains, steamed cabbage, rice and beans, collard greens, candied yams and baked macaroni and cheese. I opted for the traditional Caribbean sides – cabbage and rice and peas. My meal arrived quickly. The aroma was mesmerizing, and the portion size was ample. The cabbage was steaming hot, flavorful and not overcooked like some I’ve had at other Caribbean restaurants. The fluffy rice and peas were just as good. The star of the show was undoubtedly the jerk chicken leg quarter. The seasoning on the chicken had a warm profile and complimented the moist, succulent chicken that was cooked perfectly making it clear why it is one of the most popular menu items.
One of my favorite island meals is curry goat ($15). Goat meat taste like a cross between beef and pork. It is normally chopped (bone included) into bite-size pieces and stewed with curry powder and other ingredients. Collard greens and rice and peas are perfect side dishes. Keeping with tradition, Chef Luv simmers the curry goat until it is fall-off-the-bone tender. It was hard to stop shoveling it in my mouth. It had the right balance of curry and other seasonings that made for a well-balanced stew. The collard greens were tender and flavorful. Curry goat aficionados, you want to try this classic.
On my most recent visit I invited my wife and daughter who had never been to Caribbica Soul. I convinced them to try some menu offerings that I had not tried. I ordered the braised oxtails ($18), second most popular dish with my two favorite sides, rice and beans and steamed cabbage. My wife ordered the jerk salmon ($14) with steamed cabbage and rice and peas. My daughter ordered the jerk shrimp ($14) with baked mac and cheese and candied yams. I also got a side of curry goat ($8.99) so they could try it. As the saying goes, you eat with your eyes first and that is exactly what they did as I could tell from the expressions on their faces. My beefy oxtails were cooked perfectly and the brown gravy they were swimming in was delicious, among the best I’ve ever had. My wife raved about her large piece of jerk salmon but was not a big fan of the leaf lettuce that accompanied the dish. She enjoyed the steamed cabbage and rice and peas. My daughter enjoyed the spicy jerk shrimp (minus the leaf lettuce presentation) which were plentiful and the candied yams. Her favorite item was the piping hot mac and cheese. After sampling, I had to agree. It was rich and creamy, a cheese lover’s dream.
In the future I plan to try other dishes such as the Fried Red Snapper ($16), Jerk Chicken and Waffles ($14), Brown Stewed Chicken ($12) and the Jerk Plantain Burger ($12). They have a full bar and offer specialty drinks such as the “Mz. Luv Pain Killa” that consist of cream of coconut, orange juice and Captain Morgan rum. It can be purchased during happy hour, which runs from 2-6 p.m. daily. They offer Coke products and Caribbean sodas.
Will and Chef Luv, do it all from the food preparation, serving tables and greeting customers, who they treat like family. The couple is exploring offering Sunday brunch with live music. If you are craving a taste of the islands, head to Caribbica Soul where you will not be disappointed.
Tags: Eat. Play. Stay.
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