Natty's Jerk, Southsea | Takeaway review

Almost every type of cuisine you can think of is catered for, provided by some of the best eateries in Portsmouth.

This is why it is always nice to have a go-to restaurant or takeaway – somewhere you know will serve a meal you will enjoy every single time.

And after ordering from Natty’s Jerk, which recently took over the former Acapulco site in Albert Road, your Dish Detective has found another such restaurant.

Advertised as a family-run business that cooks authentic Jamacian fare, Natty’s is probably known to most from its food truck that is sometimes seen along the Southsea promenade. They have also served their food at the Outside In food court in the city centre.

Now, amid the pandemic, Natty’s is providing a food delivery service.

On a Friday evening your Dish Detective peruses Natty’s menu via delivery app Uber Eats.

Two things are immediately striking – the vast array of choice on the menu, including both meat and vegan options, and the relatively low cost of the meals, when compared to the price of other takeaways in the area. With this in mind my companion and I go rather overboard with our selections, in the mind-set that we’ll try a bit of everything.

As with most delivery apps we are given an arrival time, in this case 45 minutes, and it arrives on time.

However, as we unpack the paper bag, that is brimming to the top with delicious smelling treats, we realise my order of the jackfruit burger has been forgotten.

This is not much of a problem though – a quick phone call using the number provided has the issue resolved and within 15 minutes the burger is at our door while the rest of the food remains warm in its containers.

When we lay the food out it is quite clear we have ordered enough to feed a small army but we have no regrets.

We have each ordered our own meal, with several side dishes to share.

My main dish – the infamous jackfruit burger served with plantain (priced £6.80) was definitely worth the wait.

Jackfruit has become a popular meat substitute in recent years, due to its uncanny resemblance to pulled pork. With the combination of jerk barbeque sauce and fresh coleslaw the burger is tasty and filling. To accompany the burger I opt for Natty’s seasoned fries, which are great value at £3.30.

Despite enjoying my burger I definitely feel a twang of food envy watching my companion eat their ital curry (£5.50) with rice and peas (£3.50.) Luckily they are feeling generous and I get to sample a few spoonfuls of the deliciously creamy lentil and sweet potato curry.

This is another vegan-friendly option and for me is almost the star dish of the evening. I say ‘almost’ because we are both blown away by how good the mac and cheezus (£4.60) side dish is. We agree it is the best macaroni cheese we have ever had being both creamy and cheesy, without being overbearing. It is the ultimate comfort dish.

But we were also really impressed by the cauliflower wings (£6.80), which serve as an alternative to chicken wings. They are seasoned in spices and fried, with a tasty dipping sauce on the side.

Although we have eaten more than enough we find room to try our sweet dish of plantain in a tamarind sauce (£2.50) – a refreshing end to a monster meal.

With every single dish ordered we can’t believe how brilliant each is – especially considering we both went for vegetarian options. But it is important to mention that Natty’s serves a wide range of meat dishes including chicken and goat, to cater for all tastes.

For your Dish Detective though, Natty’s has cemented itself as one of several favourite takeaways in the city, and I will certainly become a repeat customer.

Natty’s Jerk, Southsea

Tel: 07708 609222

Food: 5/5

Value: 5/5