Coming home from running errands with Steven, a friend of mine, we began discussing music, which inevitably led to Bob Marley. I chimed in with a random fact that before Bob Marley became a Rasta and essentially a vegan, his favorite dish happened to be oxtails. Steven happened to chime in with another fact that we were right around the corner from a place called Boswell’s (3521 Tulane Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70119) that not only served oxtails, but a myriad of other island soul food that instantly got my mouth watering for some good Caribbean jerk (which is harder to find than you think if you really know jerk). So naturally we decided to pay the place a visit.

The thing I really like about Boswell’s is that it isn’t anything close to gimmicky. Aside from a Bob Marley painting for sale on the counter (the artist was sitting a short way from us enjoying a meal as well) and a few other well placed pieces of island flair, the inside of Boswell’s is not any different from any other regular eatery in town.

I know some of you may like swankily designed places, but I think Boswell’s gets points for its bare bones appearance. It makes me feel like its run by real people who make real food. You know, normal people who wouldn’t fork over thousands of dollars for cheesy decorations.

I will say though, I was a fan of the plethora of Caribbean currency lacquered into the counter.

Long story short, we got pretty decent service, but I will say the food is far from fast. The place wasn’t very packed, maybe five or ten people were in before us and came after us, but our meal still took about twenty minutes after we ordered it.

Why doesn’t that bother me? Because actually cooking food takes time. It’d be good for the rest of America to remember that.

We ordered some imported Tropical Rhythms, an island fruit drink that’s actually pretty good. They come in a plethora of flavors, we settled for the Mango.

My full order consisted of Jerk Chicken, Callaloo (Jamaican Greens made of Taro leaves) and a macaroni and cheese. Admittedly the macaroni isn’t very Jamaican, but I like it, so there.

The jerk was good. Didn’t pack as much heat as I would like, I like my jerks to be smoking. But it was solid, the chicken was well cooked and the callaloo was damn good. Callaloo isn’t exactly an easy dish to do well, Boswell’s recipe was pretty basic, which I think helps make it good. The extra jerk sauce was good too.

I sampled a little of Steven’s oxtails which were evidently slow cooked, since they were falling off the bone.

If my empty plate is any indication, I enjoyed my dish at Boswell’s. And for the price, I definitely say I’ll be returning soon. Both me and Steven ate for a combined total of about $25 bucks. So the value is there.

Of course Boswell’s wouldn’t be a true Jamaican spot without a vegetarian alternative. They feature a variety of vegetarian dishes as well as Ital recipes for Rastas and Vegans alike.

So next time you’re in the mood for something a little out of the ordinary, check out Boswell’s for some traditional island flare. Not on the wall, but on your plate and in your mouth where it matters.

-Craig