Roots Gurl, a Jamaican cuisine restaurant, opened recently at 401 E 4th Street in Bethlehem. The restaurant, run by Easton-based chef Tanisha Anderson, serves up traditional Jamaican fare like curried goat, jerk chicken, oxtail, ackee and saltfish, callaloo, cod, rice & peas, escoveitch, and cow foot. Even some of the drinks are traditional, including carrot juice, Irish moss, and sorrel. Anderson says she learned to cook from her mother, who owns a restaurant in New Jersey.
We were generously served up a complimentary sampling platter when we stopped in to check the place out which included some of the spiciest, most awesome jerk chicken we’ve encountered in the Lehigh Valley. The rice, veggie roti, steamed cabbage, and curried chicken were all solid as well. The restaurant features a long bar area (no booze) as well as dining room seats. Entrees are in the $10-$12 range.
