This canopied, open-air eatery is a great place for island fare like fiery jerk meals, wings, and burgers, or seafood such as fish and shrimp, which are perfectly complemented by frosty Red Stripe beers and signature cocktails. Milder barbecued meats are sold by weight (a quarter- or half-pound makes a good serving). It's busy at lunch, especially when passengers from cruise ships swamp the place.

When you’ve had your fill of the dramatic water, continue by car to the attractive port town of Ocho Rios – where a stroll down Main Street is a must for a glimpse of old time ‘Ochi’. It’s a great place to pick up souvenirs made by local vendors before enjoying lunch at Ocho Rios Jerk Centre, the liveliest jerk centre in town.

The Ocho Rios Jerk Center is a good place to sample some of Jamaica’s traditional food, jerk. The restaurant serves barbequed jerk chicken, pork, fish, and conch. The restaurant is open air and has a casual, relaxed environment, although unlike most jerk stalls, the food is served to you at the table.

Run by crotchety grandparents, this jerk shack makes up in flavor what it lacks in congenial welcomes. There's a wonderful sweet undercurrent to the smoky…

After a long day of fun in the sun or exploring the town, you simply have to try a delicious piece of authentic Jamaican jerk chicken at Scotchies in Drax Hall, or at the Ocho Rios Jerk Centre right in the heart of the town for the best jerk platters, packed with options like jerk chicken, pork, jerk fish, conch and jerk sausage. Several seafood joints dot the resort area, offering dine-in and take-out options. Sharkies Seafood Restaurant, Reggae Kitchen or Seaside Dutchie are known for their curried shrimp and brown stew fish, Jamaican style, so bring your appetite!

Meat lovers won’t want to miss the traditional jerk cuisine on offer at the Ocho Rios Jerk Centre. Sizzling smoked meats create an enticing aroma that wafts through the air from this casual roadside eatery, beckoning visitors to step inside to sample a mouth-watering menu of authentic jerk chicken and spicy pork, barbecue ribs, seafood, fried rice, and daily specials like curried goat and brown stewed chicken. Visitors can wash down their fiery jerk meal with a tropical rum punch or a cold Red Stripe beer.

Plenty of cheaper ($) Jamaican options exist as well, such as Scotchie’s, Mom’s, and Ocho Rios Village Jerk Center. Each offers scrumptious seafood, fantastic jerk barbecue, and favorites such as goat curry, and will allow you to take a break from your vacation and live like a local. While Caribbean cuisine is king here, international options are available as well.

Scotchies Ocho Rios prepares the finest Jerk or Grilled dishes every day. The grill is always on fire with incredibly delicious Jerk Chicken, Pork, and even Fish available. Delicious side dishes include Yam, Sweet Potato, Rice and Peas, Corn, Bammy, Breadfruit and Jamaican ‘festival’ fried dumplings.

Scotchies Ocho Rios Jerk center is the place to go if you are looking for some real Jamaican Jerk- whether Pork, Chicken or Fish. Its usually busy so be prepared for a lineup; however, it's an unforgettable Jamaican food experience. Roast breadfruit, Festival, Bammy, mm…mm… it's all there.

Your stops include the Little Pub on the Village, John Crow's Tavern, Jimmy's Buffett Margaritaville and Ocho Rios Jerk Centre where you will have lunch (Authentic Jamaican Jerk Chicken or Pork served with Festivals) with an ice cold Red Stripe beer or tropical fruit cocktail.

You can also try just about every jerk specialty at the Ocho Rios Jerk Centre. There, you can get a taste of authentic jerk pork or chicken as its seasoned with, among other things, Scotch Bonnet peppers, wrapped in pimento leaves, and cooked slowly on a grill of hot coals.

This open-air restaurant is one of the most popular spots on the island to get authentic jerk. The grill is always fired up and ready to serve your favorite jerk dishes like chicken, pork and fish. Add in some rice and peas or sweet potatoes to make it a complete meal.

This outdoor restaurant and bar is located on Fisherman’s Point just off Main Street Ocho Rios. Over looking the Caribbean Sea, this offers the perfect chill spot for after dinner drinks or a casual night out. Check out its Karaoke Night on Tuesdays!

These two iconic spots offer a no-frills dining experience that really lets the food do the talking. But with that in mind, the basic plastic furniture and low-key decor give it the authentic touch we love so much.

• Some of the menu items: mala chicken, pineapple chicken, bourbon sauce chicken, jerk chicken, red chili chicken, roast chicken, curry chicken, wumin chicken, teriyaki chicken, chicken chop suey

Restaurants are also nearby including Ciao Bella Art Café & Restaurant, Evitas, Miss T’s Kitchen, Lobster Dave, Whalers, Oceans 11 Seafood Restaurant and Ocho Rios Jerk Centre.

The Fall season is also an excellent time to visit favorite local dining spots such as Scotchies, Ocho Rios Jerk Center, and even the top-notch Italian restaurant Evita’s.