May 7, 2021
By Casey Cirne
Staff Writer
Lyndhurst Jerk and Gyro Spot, located on 307 Ridge Road, serves both Caribbean and Mediterranean cuisine.
The restaurant’s website advertises Lyndhurst Jerk and Gyro as a black-owned business and features photos of various gyro and platter dishes, which made my mouth water immediately.
The website also spotlights an “About Us” section, providing information about the chefs and where they are from: Montego Bay, Jamaica. This addition to the website adds a personal touch that made me even more excited to order their food.
Browsing the menu, I chose to order foods that sounded most appealing, with Jamaican beef patties at the top of my list. This patty, as well as some jerk wings, concluded my appetizer order.
The beef patty was delicious and perfectly crispy. Wings are not typically a food I love, but these chicken wings were seasoned to perfection. They had the perfect balance of crisp texture with juicy meat and flavorful sauce. I look forward to ordering these again, as they were an appetizer my whole family loved.
Dipping the pita in the sauce from the chicken was a highlight of the meal. Also, the meats themselves were all cooked excellently.
For the main course, I definitely wanted to try their jerk chicken platter with rice and a side of pita, as this seemed to be a staple in Caribbean cuisine. The chicken and pita were a great combination as the textures complemented one another.
The platter also came with festival, which is a Caribbean cornbread treat. I do not personally like cornbread, but the cakey texture was a complimentary side to the meal.
Unfortunately, I didn’t realize the rice would be mixed with red beans and peas. Looking back, I would have liked to have specifically asked for white rice, and I would have ordered the boneless version.
The rest of my family chose to order gyros: jerk chicken, lamb and a mix of lamb and beef. They loved the meat on the warm pitas with tzatziki sauce. With a side order of fries, my sister enjoyed every bite of her meal.
For a side order, my family chose baba ganoush, a dip made of roasted eggplant and tahini sauce, and hummus, which is a dip made of ground chickpeas. The dips came with pita bread. I do not like either of these, so I did not try them, but I was told they were a bit bland.
This lack of flavor was made up for by the intense flavor of the other dishes. Dipping the pita in the sauce from the chicken was a highlight of the meal. Also, the meats themselves were all cooked excellently.
I look forward to the next opportunity I get to eat food from Lyndhurst Jerk and Gyro Spot because there are many items on the menu that I am still eager to try, such as the brown stew, chicken kebabs and chicken patties.
Having ordered from Lyndhurst Jerk and Gyro Spot before, I particularly like the consistency of their menu items. I always know the food will be delicious because of their quality meats and jerk seasoning, a personal favorite of mine.
The website says the meats are seasoned and marinated for days before cooking, and this is obvious through the intense delicious flavors. The ingredients are also said to be sourced from local farmers markets.
Lyndhurst Jerk and Gyro Spot is a delicious place for quality Caribbean and Mediterranean foods. There are dozens of options, variations and substitutions offered on the menu, ensuring all will be satisfied. Also on the website is a vegetarian section, accommodating specific needs.
I highly recommend this local restaurant to all Lyndhurst community members eager to try delicious, flavorful cuisine.
PHOTOS BY CASEY CIRNE
The Jamaican beef patty has the perfect ratio of meat to crust.
