Since its opening in August, Spice Island Grill has made Colorado Springs a little bit sunnier. It’s a brightness that can be seen in everything they do, from the smiles of the staff and the new paint to the fantastic spice combinations and the fresh lime and orange juice in the rum punch.  

While true to the relaxed and fun vibe many people associate with Jamaica, Spice Island Grill boasts more than the Jamaican image alone. It’s instead built on solid culinary skill and delicious food, both backed up by owners who are passionately invested in the restaurant’s success.  

Starter highlights

 The fact that they call their starters “Jammin-tisers” may be a little cheesy, but the actual offerings are all stellar and nicely priced. The Fried Codfish Balls ($6.99) are a masterpiece. The kitchen magician combines salted cod flakes, spices, batter and a deep-fryer to transform seafood into a fluffy, savory donut.

 As with most appetizers and jerk entrees, they’re served with a side of the specialty jerk sauce, a blend of spices and pickled scotch bonnet peppers — which I’ll admit the server caught me licking off my fingers. Sriracha, Frank’s RedHot, you name it: This jerk stands with the best hot sauces on the market.

 If seafood balls are too adventurous for you, try the Jamaican Patties ($3), dough filled with spiced beef or chicken, or the plantains ($4). The spacious bar, which has a patio, is a great place for drinks, and the daily happy hour (5-7 p.m.) offers discounts on rum punch and/or bottled beers. Sadly, there’s nothing on tap.

Entree highlights

The world is full of different jerks, but I have never tasted better. By definition, jerk is spicy, but Spice Island gets it right: The heat rises up from underneath the spices, never overwhelming the flavors of allspice, pepper and the other ingredients of the house-blend Jamaican marinade.

All of the jerk incarnations were stunning, especially the Jerk Pork ($12.99 dinner, $8.99 lunch). The pork shoulder is slowly grilled to juicy perfection, the slow speed avoiding the mouth-drying, hard crust of some grilled jerk. More delicate tilapia ($14.99) stood up equally well to the jerk seasoning, though its heat was kicked up a notch in comparison (unrequested.) The empty plate had no complaints. 

I’ve never grabbed one by the tail, so the traditional Beef Oxtail Stew ($14.99 dinner, $9.99 lunch) showed me that cows have thicker, meatier tails than I’d imagined — once cut into sections, they’re similar to spare ribs. Slowly simmering this tougher cut of meat has rich rewards, both in the intensification of beefy flavor and fall-off-the-bone tenderness.

Whatever your main, choose the sautéed veggie mix for the side, which contains bell peppers and red and green cabbage, and acts as an ideal counterpoint to Spice Island’s robust Jamaican flavors.

Overall, the portions are generous — especially the lunch servings, which, for the amount of care and prep put into the food, cannot be rivaled for the price.

Drawbacks

I honestly can’t label anything at Spice Island Grill a huge drawback. Although there were no outright failures, there were a few mehs on the menu, including the mac-n-cheese and the rice and peas (a Jamaican dish with red beans, not green peas), both of which seemed like grocery-deli-counter quality.

Preparing meats is one of Spice Island’s talents, but the kitchen makes a point to include several enticing vegetarian dishes like jerk or barbecue tofu. However, the mild Tofu and Chick Pea Curry ($8.50) left my socks firmly on, and the tofu was slightly overcooked and chewy.

While it’s not a drawback per se, this should probably be a caveat, especially for first dates: Spice Island can be messy. Some diners don’t enjoy meat on the bone  or shrimp in the shell.

Service

 Every time I dined, the general manager visited my table and all the servers were ready with explanations and recommendations. I got a high-five for ordering my server’s favorite on one visit, and I don’t think the fun he was having doing his job was at all feigned. The dinner service was perfectly timed and gave diners plenty of space; at lunch, when time is more pressed, however, the servers should probably speed things along more.

Ambience

I did see some fruit flies. I was enjoying myself so much that I tried to close my eyes and unsee them, but I have no such Jedi abilities. On another visit, the air was clear, and management says the problem has been addressed.  

That tiny annoyance aside, the former El Tesoro has been brightened up with Caribbean blue, yellow and green paint. A “Best of 2007” sticker from El Tesoro was left in one window. Go ahead and take it down, guys. If the public votes with their palates the way I would, you’ll have an award or two to put in its place soon enough. 

Chef Clovis Nathan shows off a plate of Jamaican Jerk Chicken with Fried Plantain and sides of Rice and Peas (rice and beans) and Veggie Slaw. Photo by PHOTOS BY BETHANY SCHOEMER

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