Trying to explain my love for Taste of the Caribbean’s jerk chicken nachos leaves me speechless…and this comes from a foodie who’s had her fair share of tortilla chips, queso and salsa.
I first discovered the food truck while attending a natural hair event in the city. The host invited the truck to the event and that is when I ordered and became completely obsessed with their jerk chicken nachos. Any time someone would mention nachos, I couldn’t help but compare them to the flavorful spice found on Taste of the Caribbean’s nachos. Because their dish was so good, they appeared at the Recorder’s Food Truck Friday event in 2015 (look out for our next food truck event July 22!) and again, I was blinded by the great taste of the nachos.
This past weekend, I attended the Taste of Indy held on Monument Circle where 30 or more food trucks lined up to serve their specialties. Of course when I saw Taste of the Caribbean on the map, I immediately ran over to order my favorite.
In fact, my face lit up so much, my friend who I was attending with couldn’t believe my excitement and made fun of my expression for about 5 minutes. She laughed until she, too, experienced the delicious nachos.
Their motto is “giving away Caribbean vacations one plate at a time,” so they offer much more than nachos. The truck also serves buffalo shrimp mac and cheese, lobster mac, Jamaican beef patties, conch fritters, salads, plantains and more. Side items include mac and cheese, spinach and sun dried tomatoes, and Caribbean coleslaw.
The owner, Larry Wharton, explained the story behind the business as we ordered. I learned he grew up in New York but his wife is from Jamaica, which is where the authentic cuisine derives from. He also mentioned the couple would be opening a 107- seat restaurant, Café Caribe, in the Irvington neighborhood within the next two weeks. I was thrilled to learn this as I no longer will have to track down the truck, usually once per year, just to enjoy those nachos. The restaurant will also sell alcohol.
After exploring some of the other food trucks in the area, I decided to pay a last visit to the truck. The line had gotten much longer and smiling customers were walking away with portions big enough for two. I also noticed the beverages sold weren’t the ordinary sodas. Customers can order ginger beer, Ting, kola champagne and even coconut water to go along with their meals.
After seeing a photo of the lobster mac on Taste of the Caribbean’s Facebook page, I’ll definitely have to go back and try that dish.
If you’re looking for authentic Caribbean food with a twist, I challenge you to try a dish outside of the traditional American genre and try Taste of the Caribbean.
To see footage from my Taste of Indy 2016 visit, go to facebook.com/indyrecorder.
Taste of the Caribbean
5603 E. Washington Street
Indianapolis, IN 46219
(317) 643-1092
