Where to Get Your Seafood Fix: Rock Instagram Edition
Do you think Instagram‘s founders threw around the aphorism ‘we eat first with our eyes’ in their initial start-up meetings? Food pics now dominate the app that initially appealed to the selfie-obsessed. A 2017 US study revealed that “69 per cent of millennials take a photo or video of their food before eating”. Restaurateurs, chefs, and marketers understand that this is not an obsession; it is now a part of how we eat.
A deep dive into Google Trends revealed that the term “foodie” first started trending in 2004. Close to two decades later, foodies are now a mainstream consumer group. According to one industry insider, “Food is a popular topic among Instagram‘s 1.3 billion users. Instagram is the top visual social network, and lots of us use it for inspiration on what to eat and where.” Ergo, Instagram is the best word of mouth.
Thursday Food took the challenge to see which of The Rock’s seafood spots are most beloved by local foodies and influencers. With Lent underway, we all need a long list of places that offer fresh, delicious and snap-worthy seafood. Spots like Pelican Bar, Sharkies, M10, and Hellshire have tens of thousands of geotags. So we’re sharing the love and featuring spots that, for some of our readers, may be under the radar. Please note: This list is not exhaustive; it’s what was trending on the days of our search.
Surrey
The Place: O’Shea’s 876 Kitchen
Instagram: @osheas876kitchen
Location: Halt Lane, Norwich, Portland
With over 22,000 followers and good engagement, this account will pop up on any self-professed foodie’s discovery page. Though not a restaurant per se, Chef O’Shea will cater a beachfront or riverside picnic for you.
Middlesex
The Place: Lobster Dave Seafood Restaurant
Instagram: @lobster_dave_seafood
Location: Fishing Village, Ocho Rios
When a friend from Toronto landed at Norman Manley International and asked to be taken to Lobster Dave’s “immediately” Thursday Food saw, in real life, the power of Instagram. The friend had only seen photos of the food at the Ocho Rios restaurant and had it atop her bucket list. Like DJ Khaled, Safaree, and Lobster Dave’s 72,000 Instagram followers, she, too, is an avowed fan.
Cornwall
The Place: Border
Instagram: No official account; search geotag “Border, Whitehouse.”
Location: The border of St Elizabeth and Westmoreland
It’s not so much a hidden gem, but it’s the only spot on our list without a dedicated Instagram page. Nonetheless, “Border”, as locals in the know call it, is a certified hit with escoveitch fish-loving foodies.
Middlesex
The Place: Lucky Crab Seafood Bar & Grill Portmore
Instagram: @luckycrabseafoodportmore
Location: 63a Congreve Park, Portmore
Yes, there’s a location on Constant Spring Road, but in the spirit of “sharing the love,” Thursday Food is focussing today on the Portmore location. When heading to Lucky Crab, ensure that your pants, jeans, or skirt have a bit of give. Wearing a belt? Brave! Go ahead and go a notch down when getting dressed; you’ll need the extra inch.
Surrey
The Place: Roun Suh Bar and Grill
Instagram: @rounsuh
Location: 2a Strathairn Avenue, New Kingston
Each week someone else in our circle tags Roun Suh. The followers are growing. Though seafood is not their bread and butter, we have it on good authority that their shrimp rundown and pan-seared snook are sensational.
