Jamaica Observer Table Talk Food Awards judges for the parish of Trelawny, Janet Crick and Marina Delfos, uncover two more culinary gems.

There is a comfortable feeling when you enter Papa Gus’s Restaurant. Maybe that’s because Papa Gus and Mama Gus have been in the business of serving good food and making their patrons feel at home for over 30 years.

Located on Foreshore Road on the outskirts of Falmouth, the restaurant serves just about every type of traditional Jamaican fare. Our choices for the day were the curried goat and fried chicken. A vegetable soup was a precursor to our meals and prepared our palates for the main course, which arrived in short order. The plates were attractively presented, the warm gravy flowing down the sides of the accompanying rice and peas, beckoning us to put down our cameras and dig in! We did and were not disappointed. In keeping with the restaurant’s homey feeling, the food had that very familiar taste of home-style cooking. Steamed vegetables, a fresh salad, and the mandatory “food” – in this case green bananas and boiled dumplings – made for a complete and satisfying meal. Nicely seasoned and tasty, our lunch disappeared quickly from our plates despite the very generous portions.

The large sign on the wall outside reminds passersby and patrons that Papa Gus offers health food options, and one such option is the natural fresh fruit juices which they offer, using various combinations of whatever fruit are in season. The offering that day was the unusual combination of naseberry and tamarind which, as to be expected, had a sweet and tangy flavour, but was at the same time most refreshing and a very pleasant accompaniment to the meal.

Meals are reasonably priced at Papa Gus, both meals and a drink costing an affordable $1,400. The restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner from 7:00 am until, as their sign says, “you say when!”

Papa Gus Health Food Restaurant and Bar

Foreshore Road

Falmouth, Trelawny

Tel: 410-4802