One of Tucson’s only brick-and-mortar Jamaican restaurants is introducing Southern Arizona to bold Caribbean flavors while carving out a cultural niche in a city with few ties to Jamaica.

The aroma of spices, garlic and Scotch bonnet peppers emanates from the kitchen at Kingston Kitchen, located at 5305 E. Speedway Blvd. Since opening in 2021, the restaurant has served up the flavors of Jamaica while creating a community hub for both Jamaicans and curious locals alike.

Owner Damion Williams grew up in Kingston, Jamaica, and moved to the United States at age 15, following his parents, who had immigrated earlier. He settled in Florida and later Phoenix, where he gained experience learning how to run a small business.

“I had owned my own cell-phone store in Phoenix,” Williams said. “Then a friend of mine who owned this place called me and told me he’s selling it, so the opportunity came about.”

Williams took over the existing Jamaican restaurant’s space and launched Kingston Kitchen during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It was slow at first,” he said. “COVID time, you know how it was. But we kept going.”

Williams doesn’t do the cooking. He has a dedicated chef who runs the kitchen and ensures every dish meets his high standards.

“I cook at home,” he said with a laugh. “Here, I let the chef handle it, but we make sure it’s done right.”

The menu features island staples such as jerk chicken, oxtail, curry goat and brown stew chicken, each seasoned with bold spice blends and cooked until fall-off-the-bone tender.

“The jerk chicken is my favorite,” Williams said. “But everything on the menu is good.”

A typical plate at Kingston Kitchen is a parade of textures and tastes: spicy, smoky jerk chicken nestled next to soft, flavorful rice and peas, buttery cabbage with a hint of sweetness, and ripe fried plantains that offer a sugary contrast to the savory mains.

The curry goat, often a first for newcomers, is rich and fork-tender, cooked slowly to achieve its complex depth.

But Kingston Kitchen is more than a place to eat — for many, it’s a cultural bridge.

With few Jamaican businesses in Tucson and a relatively small Caribbean population, the restaurant fills a crucial gap.

“In Phoenix, the Jamaican community is much bigger,” Williams said. “Tucson doesn’t have that many Jamaicans.”

He takes that cultural representation seriously.

“It’s about bringing our culture to people who might never go to Jamaica,” he said. “It’s about showing them what real Jamaican food tastes like and representing the culture.”

Getting Kingston up and running wasn’t easy. The bureaucracy of permits, renovations and equipment installation created a long and stressful process, Williams said.

“It’s not just open the door and start cooking,” he said. “You have to get the proper permits, do the tons of paperwork, everything.”

Despite the initial hurdles, Kingston Kitchen has found its footing and its following. Williams credits the community for keeping the business alive and expresses deep gratitude for the support.

“A lot of people just come to support us and support the culture,” he said. “We appreciate every single one of them.”

The restaurant is open daily from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. The menu is available on its website.

Griffen Engelberg is a journalism major at the University of Arizona and reporter with Tucson Spotlight. Contact him at at gje1@arizona.edu.

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