Love Local: Set Your Watch To Island Time at Negril ATL
Midtown Caribbean restaurant offers innovative dishes and cocktails in a renovated 1907 firehouse.
Published: 02/03/22
Negril ATL's House Creole Red Snapper with "Food" (boiled green banana, Bammie, and yellow yams).
BY ELLIE HENSLEY
Gray winter days have you dreaming of a sunny, tropical locale?
If jetsetting isn’t in the cards this month, you can still experience Caribbean food, cocktails and vibes at Negril ATL in Midtown.
The restaurant, which is the second location of a brand that originated in New York, opened seven years ago in an old firehouse on North Avenue.
Behind the sleek environs of the renovated space is a small Black-owned business that looks to create a home away from home for those from the Caribbean islands. Its Southern fusion dishes also offer those who have never tried the cuisine before a unique chance to experience it for the first time.
Cathy Jack, Negril ATL’s corporate caterer and events manager, gave her recommendations for what to order next time we visit Negril ATL and chatted with us about how business is going.
Caribbean-born Cathy Jack has worked for Negril for 12 years, and said the restaurant feels like
‘You Can’t Go Wrong’
Jack has worked with Negril for 12 years, and helped the company make the decision to expand to Atlanta.
“People said we should have one in Washington D.C., or Atlanta, and then we found the firehouse and the opportunity was there and we said, ‘Why not?” she said. “It’s been perfect. We’re around the block from The Fox, so we get the theater crowd, and office workers from the Bank of America Plaza. It’s been a win-win.”
On the weekends, many of the guests at Negril are people staying in nearby hotels or who drove in from the suburbs after Googling “Caribbean food” options online.
“It’s the most local Caribbean food you can get, here in Midtown,” Jack said. “But it’s really fusion, which will please the appetite of most.”
Negril’s menu includes collard green spring rolls, ackee and saltfish spring rolls, and, of course, oxtails.
“You can’t go wrong with oxtails, no matter where you’re from,” Jack said.
Jack, who is Caribbean, has moved up through the ranks of Negril’s staff from assistant general manager and bookkeeper to floor manager and, now, to her current position.
“I feel like I’m still on the islands here, enjoying a piña colada,” she said.
The interior of Negril, which is located in an old firehouse.
Rum Punch on the Patio
Jack describes Negril’s operation as a “Mom and Pop” shop, and the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic were very hard for the restaurant. But since it reopened in August 2020, business has steadily grown, thanks in no small part to its large patio in front of the firehouse. Tables are regularly packed during its “One Love Brunch” on the weekends.
The brunch menu includes jerk chicken and waffles, shrimp and Grits, and a Jamaican Breakfast with ackee and saltfish, boiled green banana fried dumpling, bammie and sweet plantain. Recently, Negril introduced a frozen version of its island rum punch, and despite the winter temperatures, the drink has been wildly popular even when the weather is cold. This colorful drink may be sweet and come with a tiny umbrella, but beware — it is deceptively strong.
“It’s a top seller, and with all the natural fruit juices mixed with the rum, it’s also a creeper,” Jack said.
Negril offers event packages and also hosts special events, including its Valentine’s Day Dinner on Monday, Feb. 14. Make reservations to bring your Valentine in for dinner and drink specials here.
Love Local
Midtown businesses like Negril ATL have missed you just as much as you have missed them. When you’re ready to come back, please show your support to local restaurants and their hard-working owners and staffers. From posting a positive Yelp review to posting pics of your meal on social media, there are many ways you can show how you "Love Local." Head over to this page for a list of ideas and to read more profiles of Midtown business owners.
