Ten years of tantalising Caribbean taste and Jamaican culture in Seattle, USA
Published:Thursday | April 20, 2023 | 12:37 AMTamara Bailey/Gleaner Writer
Authentic dishes infused with all the right Jamaican flavours and served in a space that represents the core of brand Jamaica is an experience the Taste of the Caribbean and Red Lounge has been bringing to Seattle, Washington, USA, for the past ten years.
Jamaican owners, Carlene Comrie and Dwayne Blake told Food that the business, which started in April 2013, is a result of love for culture and seizing ideal opportunities.
The restaurateurs, who both migrated from Jamaica to the US during their teenage and young adulthood stage, and met years later at an Anthony B concert in Seattle, struggled to find authentic Jamaican food in the area and had the idea that this could be a need they satisfy for others.
“One of the clubs that Dwayne had a prominent night at [as a disc jockey] was called ‘Stress free Sundays’ with reggae and dancehall music, it had one of the biggest crowds around the block. The owner of that place had an unused kitchen and he told Dwayne that he can use the kitchen because Dwayne’s brother is a chef. And the rest is history,” Comrie explained.
Less than eight months later, Comrie said they took over the full lease of the building and have had consistent success ever since.
“This idea was really Dwayne’s and he brought me along to support the back end of the business. But one thing that we pledged is that it wasn’t going to be a fusion, but authentic Jamaican food and we have kept true to that commitment.”
From curried goat to oxtail, fried dumpling, festival, patties, escovitch fish, jerked chicken, and pork, once it’s authentic Jamaican food, Taste of the Caribbean offers it.
“The jerk wings, oxtail, and patties are our number one sellers. We are not a bakery so we collaborate with Royal Caribbean out of New York to bring the patties in for the authentic flavour. Our menu is strictly Jamaican food and not only do we bring the food but we bring the culture because we also have the lounge. We have Caribbean nights and we have brought in several artistes such as Charley Blacks, Konshens, Mr Vegas, and Christopher Martin. We have had sound systems, such as Mighty Crown, you name them, we bring them,” Comrie said.
To expose those in the pacific northwest of Seattle to Jamaica through food and music, Blake prides his establishment on being able to consistently provide a service that is true to his culture.
“Ninety-five per cent of our workers are Jamaicans, so you know we know how fi do we ting. People always come in and are just impressed with how much like home it feels. We are a cultural hub … My mom owns a restaurant and lounge in Trelawny, Jamaica, and that’s where I got the inspiration too … We have a signature rum punch that is a hit here and we carry the Rum Fire, the Trelawny overproof rum,” Blake expressed.
Comrie added that some of their most noteworthy accomplishments include serving at the stadium during Major League Soccer game season with the Sounders team and during the National Football League game season with the Sea Hawks.
“There are not a lot of Jamaicans in Seattle, so you know we are surviving under people who love our culture, our food, and the vibes that Jamaicans bring. We would not survive here if we were only serving Jamaicans. Our biggest success is survival. We started out as a no brand, no name, sub-leasing a kitchen, and most restaurants die within a year, but we were committed to our dream,” Comrie told Food.
Though a revamp of their business model during the pandemic was required, Comrie revealed that quality was never compromised. “We used to travel to the east coast and Jamaica a lot to get our ingredients. We even used to FedEx products, but as we scaled we made direct links with suppliers from companies such as Grace. We source different seasonings from different brands.”
With ten years under their belt, the restaurateurs are looking to strengthen the foundation of their brand and extend their wings.
“We have been approached a lot to open other branches and that is our aspiration. Scaling is not possible unless we are able to carry on the quality in our food and service and that is what we continue to work on,” Comrie stated.
His partner Blake then added, “We have been fortunate and blessed to have some real talented people working with us and growing the business and we just want them to know that we love and appreciate them and our success is equally their success.”