Life Line Tropical Island Cuisine & Juice

Jerk chicken, braised oxtails and curried goat are the calling cards of any Caribbean restaurant. But given the average American’s trepidation about the latter two (or even fear of spiciness associated with jerk), Caribbean restaurateurs know that in order to survive, they need to do business in Jamaican pockets of town or in African-American areas, where equal-opportunity eaters have never been known to turn their nose up at a particular cut or kind of meat, so long as it’s packing flavor.

After success with two Life Line restaurants on the South Side, the owners headed north, creating a tranquil little counter-service spot in West Rogers Park, a neighborhood with similar demographics and a track record of appreciating Caribbean spice. Thatched roofs adorn the custom-built wooden bar, benches and high-top tables; two TVs fill the space with the sounds of Jamaica’s version of MTV; and plump mangoes and ripe bananas lining the counter lend another tropical hand to the downright irie vibe. Accordingly with island time, it may take a half hour to get your whole red snapper, but you’ll be rewarded with a massive beauty—crispy-skinned, flaky-fleshed and smothered in an allspice-dotted medley of peppers and onions that tingles the back of your throat. Jerk chicken emits similar fire, but coupled with a smokiness that can only come from cooking over real hardwood. Slow-and-low cooking turns tough oxtails into supple mounds of cinnamon-laced beef that, admittedly, take some gnawing to get around the bits of gristle, but yield bites so good you won’t mind the work. Between the recession-buster portions—which include sides like tender stewed callaloo greens, bean-speckled rice and cheese-encrusted macaroni—you probably won’t have room for the caramel cake or bread pudding advertised on the menu. No worries—if your visit’s anything like ours, someone in the kitchen probably got a little too lost in the latest ragga video and forgot to make them anyway.

7247 N Damen Ave (773-262-4818). El: Red to Jarvis. Bus: 22, 49B, Pace 290. Lunch, dinner. Average main course: $11.

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