My local take
Scotchies is the jerk center most visitors hear about first, and it earns that by cooking the old way: chicken and pork laid on pimento logs and covered with zinc sheets, not grilled in a split oil drum. The setting is casual and no-frills, with tables under thatch and zinc. It suits anyone who wants real jerk without hunting down a roadside pan in a town they don’t know.
The Drax Hall outlet, west of Ocho Rios, is the easy one for anyone staying on the St Ann coast. The Coral Gardens outlet on the North Coast Highway near Rose Hall serves the Montego Bay hotels. My take: order the jerk pork as well as the chicken. Pork is where pimento-wood jerk shows the difference most.
From Drax Hall it’s an easy stop after Dunn’s River Falls or on the way back from Green Grotto Caves near Discovery Bay. For more around the area, see my Ocho Rios guide.
How to get there
Drax Hall (Ocho Rios): The restaurant is on the main road at Drax Hall, St Ann, about 8 km west of Ocho Rios town (map distance), between Ocho Rios and St Ann’s Bay. It’s a few minutes by taxi from Hotel Riu Ocho Rios on Mammee Bay. Knutsford Express lists Drax Hall as its Ocho Rios stop on the Montego Bay route, with the trip from Montego Bay airport scheduled at about 110 minutes.
Montego Bay (Coral Gardens): This outlet is on the North Coast Highway at Coral Gardens, east of the airport toward Rose Hall, about 6 km from Sangster International Airport (map distance). It’s a short taxi ride from the Rose Hall and Ironshore hotels.
Kingston: The Kingston restaurant on Chelsea Avenue stopped trading as Scotchies when the owners withdrew the name, and the brand’s current location list doesn’t include Kingston. I couldn’t confirm a Scotchies operating in Kingston now.
Without a car: For Drax Hall, a licensed taxi (red PP plates) from Ocho Rios or the Mammee Bay hotels takes a few minutes, and route taxis between Ocho Rios and St Ann's Bay pass the gate. For Coral Gardens, take a licensed taxi from the Montego Bay hotels or the airport.
What to expect
The menu is built around jerk chicken and jerk pork, sold by the quarter, half or whole, with jerk sausage and roast fish filet too. The Jamaica Tourist Board lists fish cooked to order, soups of the day, coconut water, local juices and Red Stripe beer. Sides are the classic jerk-center ones, such as festival and bammy; check the board for what’s on that day.
You eat at the shaded tables under tin-roofed huts and palapas, or take it away.
Scotchies’ own Instagram profile lists Drax Hall and Coral Gardens among its current locations, along with smaller outlets at Main Street Rose Hall, Fairview and Falmouth Pier. Check there before you go to a smaller outlet, because those can depend on cruise days or mall hours.
Hours aren’t published on an official page, so check the Instagram profile or call ahead for a late visit.
Local tips
Go at lunchtime for the widest choice; the best cuts can sell out by evening.
Try the jerk sauce before you pour it on, or ask for it on the side. It is scotch bonnet hot.
Share a pound of pork and a half chicken between two or three people, then add sides.
Carry Jamaican dollars in case card machines are down.
If you’re flying out of Montego Bay, the Coral Gardens outlet is close enough for a last jerk lunch before the airport.
Before you go
- It’s smoky and casual, with simple seating. Don’t expect air conditioning or table service.
- It’s a well-known stop, so lunchtime can be busy, especially when tours come through.
Free trip checklist
Planning a trip here?
Get my printable Jamaica trip checklist, then local guides to Ocho Rios.
Your checklist is ready
Download it below, then print it or tick the boxes on screen.
Questions people ask
Where are the Scotchies locations in Jamaica?
The two main outlets are at Drax Hall, St Ann, west of Ocho Rios, and at Coral Gardens on the North Coast Highway in Montego Bay. Scotchies’ Instagram profile also lists smaller outlets at Main Street Rose Hall, Fairview and Falmouth Pier.
Is there a Scotchies in Kingston?
Not that I could confirm. The Chelsea Avenue restaurant in Kingston lost the right to the Scotchies name, and the brand’s current location list doesn’t include Kingston.
What are Scotchies' opening hours?
Hours aren’t published on an official page. Check the Instagram profile or call ahead, especially if you’re planning a late visit.
What should I order at Scotchies?
Jerk chicken and jerk pork, sold by the quarter, half or whole, are the core of the menu, with jerk sausage and roast fish too. Add festival or bammy, and wash it down with coconut water or a Red Stripe.
How is Scotchies jerk cooked?
The meat is cooked on pimento wood logs and covered with zinc sheets, according to the Jamaica Tourist Board. That slow, smoky method is the traditional way, different from the oil-drum grills you see on the roadside.
Sources & updates
- Scotchies: official Instagram profile (current locations) · checked
- Jamaica Tourist Board: Scotchie's Jerk Center listing, Ocho Rios · checked
- Jamaica Tourist Board: Scotchies Jerk Center listing, Montego Bay (menu, cooking method) · checked
- Jamaica Gleaner: 'Reopen even if it's not perfect' (Montego Bay reopenings after Hurricane Melissa) · checked
- Jamaica Observer: Scotchies withdraws name from Kingston restaurant · checked
- Frommer's: Scotchies, Montego Bay (menu) · checked
- Knutsford Express: schedule (Montego Bay to Ocho Rios, Drax Hall stop) · checked
- OpenStreetMap: Scotchies, Drax Hall and Northern Coastal Highway, Montego Bay (map locations) · checked
Update log
- — Rewritten as a researched guide; facts re-checked. Kingston location removed (no longer trading as Scotchies); post-hurricane status added.
- — Moved source citations out of the text
- — Removed repeated advice
- — Trimmed hurricane references to where they change the advice
Spotted something out of date? Tell me and I’ll check it.