For a jerk centre built around the pit, start with Scotchies in Coral Gardens, Ironshore, where the chicken and pork come as jerk portions with festival, rice and peas, roast yam and breadfruit on the side. If you are already on Gloucester Avenue, The Pork Pit at 27 Gloucester Avenue on the Hip Strip is the easiest option, and it grills its jerk chicken over charcoal. Resort guests can also try the jerk cart at Tryall Club's beach bar in Sandy Bay, and Gabinari Jerkhouse on Barrett Hall Main Road cooks over real pimento wood.
Scotchies in Coral Gardens, Ironshore
Jamaica's tourism board lists the Montego Bay Scotchies and calls it a casual, family-friendly, outdoor jerk centre with takeout. You can expect outdoor seating and pimento-wood cooking there. Chicken and pork are served as jerk portions, and fish is on the menu too. The sides include festival, rice and peas, roast yam, breadfruit, potatoes and corn. You can eat in or take your food away.
Pimento-wood smoke is the signature of a jerk centre built around the pit.
Scotchies is associated with its jerk seasoning and its sauces, which matters if heat is a concern. Request the sauce on the side so you can control how hot each bite is. The Montego Bay branch sits at Coral Gardens, Ironshore, along the North Coast Highway, and its phone number is +1 876-953-3301. A 2026 tourism listing also places a Scotchies at Fairview Shopping Centre. Smaller outlets can keep their own hours, so phone the one you plan to visit. Get the price of a chicken or pork portion before you order, especially if you buy by weight.
The Pork Pit on Gloucester Avenue
The Pork Pit is a casual, charcoal-grilled jerk restaurant at 27 Gloucester Avenue, on the Hip Strip. It serves jerk chicken, jerk pork and other grilled meats, with takeaway and outdoor seating. Festival and bammy are among the accompaniments. The Jamaica Tourist Board names it alongside Scotchies as one of Montego Bay's principal jerk destinations, and Tourism Montego Bay's 2026 guide recommends it for charcoal-cooked jerk on the Hip Strip.
Charcoal grilling gives Hip Strip jerk its own character.
Its location suits visitors who are already near Gloucester Avenue, Doctor's Cave or the beach. Hours run Sunday to Thursday, noon to 9 p.m., and Friday and Saturday, noon to 10 p.m.
Confirm before you go: get the current portion sizes and prices before you order, since menus change.
Tryall and Gabinari: resort and jerkhouse options
Tryall Club Beach Bar and Grill in Sandy Bay, St. James, has a jerk pork and jerk chicken cart as part of its beach-bar dining. The bar is open daily from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., subject to operational changes. This is resort dining rather than a roadside pit, so get the cart's prices on site. The cart is part of the beach bar's dining, so it suits a beach afternoon more than a special trip across town.
Gabinari Jerkhouse on Barrett Hall Main Road is a Montego Bay jerkhouse and grill that cooks fresh food over real pimento wood. Hours are Monday to Saturday, 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. For jerk prices, check the menu at the counter.
Which spot fits your plan
Choose by the kind of meal you want. Scotchies and The Pork Pit are the two Montego Bay jerk destinations named together, so they make a natural pair to compare if you have a few days in town. If you want a dedicated jerk centre with outdoor seating and takeaway, Scotchies is the place to start. If you are staying near the Hip Strip and want to sit down somewhere casual, The Pork Pit fits. Tryall suits a meal on the beach at a resort, and Gabinari suits anyone who wants jerk cooked over pimento wood. If you only have time for one stop, pick the one that fits your route and your hours.
Roadside pans are the least predictable choice. They may sell out or close earlier than the restaurants, and their locations change from day to day. Your driver or accommodation host can tell you which pan is open that day. For a jerk meal in the capital instead, read Where to Get Jerk Chicken in Kingston, Jamaica.
Chicken, pork or fish?
Each place leans a little differently. Scotchies serves chicken and pork as jerk portions and offers fish as well, so it is the place to choose if someone in your group wants fish. The Pork Pit grills jerk chicken, jerk pork and other meats. Tryall's cart serves jerk pork and jerk chicken. Half Moon Spice's menu lets you compare jerk chicken, jerk pork and jerk sausage on one page. If your group is pork-first, jerk pork is also on the menu at The Pork Pit, Scotchies and Tryall's cart.
Chicken, pork and fish all come with sides such as festival, rice and peas, or roast yam.
Getting there, timing and payment
The Pork Pit is the easiest option for people already on Gloucester Avenue. Scotchies, Gabinari and Tryall are better reached by taxi, private driver or rental car. Cruise passengers should allow time for traffic and for the return to the ship.
Sauce on the side lets you set the heat for each bite.
A limited shore day makes the farther stops harder to fit. Start from your all-aboard time and count backward through the taxi ride, the traffic and the walk back to the port, then choose the one jerk stop that still fits.
Lunch and early afternoon are practical times for a jerk-centre visit. Roadside pans may sell out or close earlier than formal restaurants, so plan to go early in the day if you are set on one. Carry Jamaican dollars, and ask whether cards are accepted before you order. The chicken may come by quarter, half or whole, so find out which sizes are on the menu that day, which sides are available, and whether the sauce can be served on the side.
Prices to compare
Published prices come from restaurants and resorts, so they are useful examples rather than an island average.
Queen G's is open Monday to Saturday, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., and closed on Sunday. Those two menus are not a price range for Scotchies, The Pork Pit or roadside jerk. Prices vary a lot between roadside pans, casual restaurants and resort restaurants, so get the price and portion before you order.
More jerk and barbecue places in Montego Bay and St. James
These jerk and barbecue places in Montego Bay and St. James are worth knowing too.
- Pop up jerk station is a fast food restaurant in Montego Bay that serves jerk and barbecue, with takeout. It is open Thursday to Saturday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., and closed Monday to Wednesday and on Sunday.
- Coconut Jerk is a Jamaican restaurant in Montego Bay that serves Jamaican food as well as jerk and barbecue. It is open Monday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Tuesday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and closed on Saturday and Sunday.
- Outta road jerk centre and restaurant seafood bar grill is a coffee shop in Rose Hall with jerk and barbecue, plus cafes and breakfast. On Sunday it is open from 7:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.
- Sun and Fun Jerk at St. Bran's Burg is a Jamaican restaurant serving jerk and barbecue. It is open Monday to Saturday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., and closed on Sunday.
- Juicy Jerk at St. Bran's Burg is a grill with jerk and barbecue, plus a bar. It is open Monday, Friday and Saturday, noon to 9 p.m., and closed the rest of the week.
- Shingle Hut Jerk at Unity Hall is a fast food restaurant with jerk and barbecue and takeout. It is open Friday and Saturday, noon to midnight, and closed the rest of the week.
To find more places by parish, use the restaurant directory, which has a page for each parish, including St. James.
Common questions
Choosing a jerk stop in Montego Bay comes down to where you are staying, how much time you have and how much heat you want.
Where can I find the best jerk chicken in Montego Bay?
Scotchies suits a dedicated jerk-centre meal with outdoor seating and takeaway. The Pork Pit suits a central meal on the Hip Strip, and Gabinari suits anyone who wants food cooked over real pimento wood.
How much does jerk chicken cost in Montego Bay?
The published current prices come from restaurants and resorts. Half Moon Spice lists a one-quarter jerk chicken at US$28, and Queen G's Restaurant in Rose Hall lists a jerk chicken meal at US$25, both as of October 2026. For Scotchies, The Pork Pit and roadside pans, ask for the price and portion before you order, especially when you buy by weight.
Where is Scotchies in Montego Bay?
The Montego Bay Scotchies is at Coral Gardens in Ironshore, St. James, along the North Coast Highway. The Jamaica Tourist Board gives the phone number +1 876-953-3301. A 2026 tourism listing also places a Scotchies at Fairview Shopping Centre, so phone first to make sure you are going to the outlet you want.
What is the Pork Pit in Montego Bay?
The Pork Pit is a casual jerk restaurant at 27 Gloucester Avenue on the Hip Strip. It serves jerk chicken, jerk pork and other grilled meats, with takeaway and outdoor seating. Its hours are Sunday to Thursday, noon to 9 p.m., and Friday and Saturday, noon to 10 p.m.
Is jerk chicken spicy?
Usually, yes. Jerk seasoning commonly uses Scotch bonnet pepper, pimento and thyme, and the Jamaica Tourist Board describes Montego Bay jerk as part of Jamaica's spicy food tradition. Scotchies' tourism material calls its chicken and pork spicy and its fish milder. Ask for the sauce on the side if you want more control, and balance the heat with festival, rice and peas or breadfruit.