JAMAICA 🇯🇲
Not much can go wrong at Goody's, around since 1989 in Arverne. You can certainly find its fair share of one star reviews posted by disgruntled customers, but it is more than likely no one ever read those and even less likely anything changed. Because why would it need to? The line is out the door but there is a smile on each and every face, even the children in strollers are not fussing. Everyone knows that something delicious is coming their way.
Once you make it past the threshold, there is enough activity and history to keep you occupied for a long time if necessary. The walls are covered with baseball and basketball teams that Goody's has sponsored over the years, and the signs and demeanor look as if not much has changed since the first kids had the name of the place on their jersey. The shirts of the many employees simply state "The best darn BBQ in town," and from the look of things this title will not be contested, at least on this evening.
The exhaust here works just fine, but the air is still under the spell of everything on the grill. Seemingly dozens of chickens are back there being prepared for jerk and barbecue orders. Fat hamburger patties line one side. The grill master constantly squirts a plastic bottle of oil into the coals and makes the flame jump up over a foot past the meat. Just watching all this is enough to whet the appetite but the smells were already hitting you from the sidewalk.
An order that contains more than two items will probably have to be repeated eventually, but the busy folks here do not mind being reminded. Everything about the feeling here is old school and oozing with charm from the hospitality and character.
Get straight to the Jamaican roots of the joint with a small cup of rasta pasta ($3, above), which is covered with a cheesy creaminess that is perfect, all with just a touch of pepper lingering somewhere. Larger portions are great for takeout to the beach, but for meals here it is preferred to order and sit in their covered patio dining area.
The small jerk chicken dinner ($7.50, below) was unavoidable after seeing the birds on the grill. The "small" is of course never small in New York City's Caribbean restaurants, a healthy portion of rice and peas is laid down before five or six pieces of chicken. Oxtail gravy seems to be made in big batches here, as not one customer declines it atop their rice. Follow suit, and do not turn down their fried sweet plantains either.
Somewhat hidden as the last item advertised in the window the Goody burger with cheese ($5, below) is joined by the word "famous" to start tipping you off. On the menu board inside the description says "Best burger in town." After the addition of it in the order, a woman turns around to ask if this was a first time and made it obvious the treat that was in store.
After all of this, the anticipation was high. Unwrapping the foil reveals a workaday sandwich, not much to look at but plenty of value for the price point. But this is a burger that hits each and every pleasure point in your mouth and has no problem living up to its hype. A slightly spicy tomato sauce gives it a unique aspect and separates it from other burger experiences. It almost seems criminal that one five dollar bill is all that it takes to enjoy one of these.
The roti, for whatever reason whether it be an off day or just not the place for it, was the only thing that did not wow here. An order of goat roti ($10, below) had good guts but its wrapper just was not necessary. Maybe next time a simple order of the curry goat will be paired with rice instead. The on the bone chunks of goat are joined by large pieces of potato.
Their patties are pretty darn good as well.
With the next trip to the beach happening soon, it will be very difficult to stay away from Goody's to grab a meal both before and after the time in the sun. With that being said, it is not a stretch to imagine a craving in the winter as well.
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