Best of Jamaica Awards 2025: Celebrating Jamaican Excellence Across the US, UK & Canada

2026-02-11 - 21:17

The 27th Annual Best of Jamaica Awards 2025 celebrates the very best of Jamaican excellence, both on the island and across the world. While the winners at home in Jamaica spotlight the island’s top food, hotels, and experiences — this list honours the businesses and events carrying that same spirit far beyond our shores. These diaspora awardees are People’s Choice winners, selected by the public who live, eat, celebrate, and build community around them every day. From restaurants and jerk spots to patty shops and cultural events, they represent the places where Jamaican identity continues to thrive in cities across the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada. For nearly three decades, the Best of Jamaica Awards have served as a living record of the culture, creativity, and resilience that define Jamaican life, celebrating favourites nominated and voted on by Jamaicans at home and abroad. These diaspora winners are not just businesses. They are cultural ambassadors. They keep the food authentic, the music playing, the traditions alive, and the flag flying high in communities thousands of miles from the island. Through their work, they continue to represent Jamaica to the fullest, ensuring that no matter where Jamaicans settle, the culture remains visible, vibrant, and proudly rooted. Best of Jamaica in the United States Jamaica’s close geographic proximity to the United States has made it a natural migration point for generations of Jamaicans seeking new opportunities while staying connected to home. As they settled in cities across the country, they carried their food, music, language, traditions, and entrepreneurial spirit with them. Over time, these cultural expressions did not remain on the margins. They became woven into the fabric of American life, adding to the rich cultural diversity that defines many communities today. The Best of Jamaica People’s Choice winners in the United States represent the places that continue to keep that connection strong. Chosen by the public, they are trusted staples in their communities, proudly representing Jamaica and ensuring that wherever Jamaicans go, the culture remains visible, vibrant, and deeply rooted. ATLANTA, USA Best Restaurant: Kool Runnings Jamaican Restaurant Best Patty Shop: Golden Krust Caribbean Bakery Best Jerk Spot: Mercy’s Jamaican Kitchen Best Event: Jamaica Independence Ball and Scholarship Gala (AJA) Evette Taylor-Reynolds, The Atlanta Jamaican Association, Inc., 2025 Best Jamaican/Caribbean Themed Event in Atlanta BOSTON, USA Best Restaurant: Flames Jamaican Grill Best Patty Shop: Jamaica Mi Hungry (Food Truck) Best Jerk Spot: Jamaica Mi Hungry (Food Truck) Best Event: Boston JerkFest Nicola Williams – Boston Jerk Fest CHICAGO, USA Best Restaurant: Ja’ Grill Hyde Park Best Patty Shop: Caribbean American Bakery Best Jerk Spot: Jerk Villa Bar And Grill Best Event: African Caribbean Festival of life DALLAS, USA Best Restaurant: Reggae Wings and Tings Best Patty Shop: The Island Spot Best Jerk Spot: Reggae Jerk Hut Best Event: Dallas Reggae Festival Marci LaBeach of Reggae Wings and Tings, Dallas with Commissioner Eddy Edwards FORT LAUDERDALE, USA Best Restaurant: Hot Off De Grill Jamaican Kitchen Best Patty Shop: Taste Rite Jamaican Bakery Best Jerk Spot: People’s Choice Restaurant Best Event: Jamaica Hi-5K Run/Walk Winston Grant- Hot Off De Grill The Jamaica Hi-5 5K Reggae Run Taste Rite Jamaican Bakery HARTFORD, USA Best Restaurant: Dunn’s River Restaurant Best Patty Shop: Scotts’ Jamaican Bakery Best Jerk Spot: Island Fish Head Jamaican Restaurant Best Event: West Indian Independence Celebrations Parade HOUSTON, USA Best Restaurant: Jamaica Paradise Kitchen Best Patty Shop: Jamaica Pon Di Road Best Jerk Spot: Val’s Jerk Pan (Food Truck) Best Event: Annual Houston Reggae Fest Olivia Hopkins and team – Jamaica Paradise Kitchen, Dallas LOS ANGELES, USA Best Restaurant: Hungry Joe’s Jamaican Restaurant Best Patty Shop: Natraliart Jamaican Restaurant & Market Best Jerk Spot: Ackee Bamboo Jamaican Cuisine Best Event: LA Caribbean Carnival Marie Kellier – The Los Angeles Caribbean Carnival MIAMI, USA Business of the year (USA): Circle One marketing Best Restaurant: Dukunoo Jamaican Kitchen Best Patty Shop: Golden Krust Caribbean Bakery Best Jerk Spot: Jamaica House Restaurant Best Event: Best Of The Best Music Fest Suzan McDowell – Circle One marketing Dr. Shrusan Gray of Dukunoo Jamaican Kitchen NEW JERSEY, USA Best Restaurant: 14 Parish Jamaican Restaurant Best Patty Shop: The Jamaican Patty Wagon Best Jerk Spot: Violet’s From Jamaica with Love Best Event: The Jamaica Organization of New Jersey Scholarship Gala NEW YORK, USA Best Restaurant: Blue Mountain Restaurant Best Patty Shop: Golden Krust Caribbean Bakery Best Jerk Spot: Jamrock Jerk Best Event: Meadowbrook High School/UJAA Annual Fun Day ORLANDO, USA Best Restaurant: Caribbean Sunshine Bakery Best Patty Shop: Caribbean Sunshine Bakery Best Jerk Spot: Jamaican Jerk Company Best Event: Jamaican American Association of Central Florida Independence Ball Peter Daley – Caribbean Sunshine Bakery PALM BEACH, USA Best Restaurant: Bull Top Taste Restaurant Best Patty Shop: Golden Krust Caribbean Bakery Best Jerk Spot: Curly’s Caribbean Flava Best Event: Jamaica Independence Festival (JamminFest) Bain Hinds – Jamaica Independence Festival (JamminFest), Palm Beach PHILADELPHIA, USA Best Restaurant: Careda’s Caribbean Cuisine Best Patty Shop: Reggae Reggae Vibes Best Jerk Spot: Kingston 11 Jamaican Restaurant Best Event: Philadelphia Caribbean Festival Tatia Wilson-Cross – Philadelphia Caribbean Festival SAN FRANCISCO, USA Best Restaurant: LITA (Walnut Creek) Best Patty Shop: Flavas Jamaican Grill Best Jerk Spot: Flavas Jamaican Grill TAMPA, USA Best Restaurant: Jerk Pit Tampa Best Patty Shop: Caribbean Trade Bakery Best Jerk Spot: Jerk Hut Jamaican Restaurant Best Event: Tampa Bay Caribbean Heritage Festival WASHINGTON DC, USA Best Restaurant: Spicy Delight Best Patty Shop: Golden Krust Caribbean Bakery Best Jerk Spot: The Jerk Pit Best Event: JamFest, Jamaican Embassy Silver Springs Best of Jamaica in the United Kingdom The United Kingdom has one of the deepest and most influential Jamaican diaspora communities in the world, shaped by decades of migration and cultural exchange. From the Windrush generation to today’s entrepreneurs and creatives, Jamaicans have played a defining role in the UK’s cultural landscape, especially through food, music, and community events. Across cities like London, Jamaican-owned businesses and cultural celebrations continue to preserve identity, create connection, and introduce new generations to the flavours and traditions of home. These People’s Choice winners represent the spaces where the culture lives on, proudly keeping the Jamaican flag flying high across the UK. LONDON, UK Best Restaurant: Ma Petite Jamaica Best Patty Shop: Jamaica Patty Co. Best Jerk Spot: Maureen’s Brixton Kitchen Best Event: Notting Hill Carnival Theresa Roberts – Jamaica Patty Co., London Best of Jamaica in Canada Canada is home to one of the largest and most vibrant Jamaican communities in the diaspora, particularly in Toronto, where Jamaican culture has become a strong and visible part of the city’s identity. From food to festivals, the influence is felt year-round, with generations proudly maintaining traditions while contributing to Canada’s multicultural landscape. These People’s Choice winners reflect the businesses and events that continue to bring the community together, serving as cultural landmarks where the taste, sound, and spirit of Jamaica remain strong thousands of miles from home. TORONTO, CANADA Best Restaurant: HQ Lounge & Restaurant Best Patty Shop: Tinnel’s Patty Shop Best Jerk Spot: Gem’s House of Jerk Best Event: Jamaica Canadian Association Independence Grand Gala Carrying Jamaica Forward From Toronto to London, Miami to Atlanta, these Best of Jamaica 2025 People’s Choice winners represent far more than business success. They are the heartbeat of the diaspora, the ones creating spaces where Jamaican culture is lived, shared, and celebrated every single day. Through their restaurants, patty shops, jerk centres, and cultural events, they keep traditions alive for generations born abroad while proudly introducing the wider world to the richness of Jamaican identity. They serve as connectors of community, preservers of heritage, and everyday ambassadors for a culture that continues to shape global cities in meaningful ways. Together, they embody the spirit of Best of Jamaica. No matter where Jamaicans settle, the culture remains strong, the pride remains visible, and the flag continues to fly high across the diaspora.