Pura Vida Jamaican and Costa Rican Cuisine

I’ve driven past by this location countless times. Often my curiosity tugged my shirt tails like a child wanting candy. I’ve held back because the location & appearance just were not the appealing. Fortunately I was refreshed with the clean & cozy themed atmosphere. I wanted to try something different and that it was. In terms of impact & flavor impact Indian is the closest, hence often “West Indies” with a dash African spirit. I sampled the goat curry with regional rice & macaroni salad. Wow was this great! Just eat slowly as goat bones don’t fall off easily. If you’re looking for something more authentic with some grit give Pura Vida a go. My only regret is having not gone sooner.

I’ve driven past by this location countless times. Often my curiosity tugged my shirt tails like a child wanting candy. I’ve held back because the location & appearance just were not the appealing. Fortunately I was refreshed with the clean & cozy themed atmosphere. I wanted to try something different and that it was. In terms of impact & flavor impact Indian is the closest, hence often “West Indies” with a dash African spirit. I sampled the goat curry with regional rice & macaroni salad. Wow was this great! Just eat slowly as goat bones don’t fall off easily. If you’re looking for something more authentic with some grit give Pura Vida a go. My only regret is having not gone sooner.

24° F, windy with snow flurries. A good day to psychologically visit Jamaica, if only for 45 minutes. Having dropped a rider off across the street, the trip was quick. Finding a place to park is harder. When pulled in there were two vehicles parked behind the building with room for just one more, mine. One could probably parallel park two more along the fence ...... This is a cozy place on Woodward. There is seating for just 16. I was the only one eating in at 12:30 p.m. though there were several orders picked up while I was there. In more tolerable weather, there is seating outside. But not today. 🥶 The two women working were friendly, jovial even. It almost felt like eating in someone's living room. There were four $10 lunch specials listed, jerk chicken, curry chicken, oxtail & goat but they were out of oxtail at the time. Jerk chicken is personal favorite so I went there. The meat was fork-tender. The rice & beans delicious & the fried plantains decadent. (I'd have walked miles to eat fried plantains) Watch out for small bones in the chicken, though.

24° F, windy with snow flurries. A good day to psychologically visit Jamaica, if only for 45 minutes. Having dropped a rider off across the street, the trip was quick. Finding a place to park is harder. When pulled in there were two vehicles parked behind the building with room for just one more, mine. One could probably parallel park two more along the fence ...... This is a cozy place on Woodward. There is seating for just 16. I was the only one eating in at 12:30 p.m. though there were several orders picked up while I was there. In more tolerable weather, there is seating outside. But not today. 🥶 The two women working were friendly, jovial even. It almost felt like eating in someone's living room. There were four $10 lunch specials listed, jerk chicken, curry chicken, oxtail & goat but they were out of oxtail at the time. Jerk chicken is personal favorite so I went there. The meat was fork-tender. The rice & beans delicious & the fried plantains decadent. (I'd have walked miles to eat fried plantains) Watch out for small bones in the chicken, though.

The jerk chicken paired perfectly with sweet plantains and the passion fruit juice was refreshing and delicious. The staff had a warm and welcoming energy that made the meal even more enjoyable. The food and the atmosphere truly left a great impression.