Ya Mon! Island Grill - Bethesda

I have been meaning to try this place for a few months and I finally took the plunge. It's located right next to Chick fil A in Westfields Montgomery Mall (not a lot of visibility) . The pictures of the food were spot on. The half chicken was very tasty, the rub had some nice flavor and heat. The dark meat was so juicy and delicious, the white meat wasn't shabby at all. I only had one side, it was the mac'n cheese. It wasn't great to be honest, so I will defiantly try the sweet potatoes and/or rice next time....and yes, there will be a next time. The gentlemen who prepared my food was very helpful and pleasant. I hope you all give it a try I think they could use the business.

ABSOLUTELY THE WORSE JAMAICAN FOOD IVE EVER HAD!! No flavor, no seasoning AT ALL. Taste like curry with nothing else. I was sooooo upset I threw it in the trash and didn't even waste time asking for a refund! NAWWWW MON!!

I paid $25 for this. It’s supposed to be a half pound of chicken and two sides. Plus an extra side of chik peas. The side of rive looks like an ice cream scoop instead of one cup. Im beyond disappointed. I even told the lady working I was expecting a full portion she just said “ok”. Definitely don’t recommend go to Negril instead the give more food and it tastes better. Oh don’t be fooled thinking its alot of chicken they put my rice and peas underneath to fluff the chicken making it look like more smh.

Love the j chicken !Updated review : Also tried the curry pea special

I have something to admit... I was gonna get Chipotle at the mall. I know... I should know better. Well, I was waiting in line at Chipotle for about 5 minutes, and it was barely moving, so I just gave up. I was like... I 'll just cook at home. And I 'm walking towards the mall entrance I parked at when I see this new place called Ya Mon. There was absolutely nobody in line and honestly... it looked a bit sparse out in front of the store. There was a refrigerated display case, but it only had drinks in it and there was no visible food. But then I pull up trusty old Yelp and I 'm like whhhaaaaaaa. This place has 4.5 stars and like twenty something reviews. So I 'm like... ok, I 'm sold. So I go up and try to order through their computer at the front. I 'll say, it 's a bit... confusing. Not really the user interface or design I 'm accustomed to in this day and age (harked back to my days as a barista/cashier at Starbucks in 2007 . But the gentleman who was there was MORE than happy to help with the ordering. I ended up getting the 1/2 J Chicken with rice and peas and sweet potatoes. J Chicken: Not only was this chicken well cooked, it was spiced perfectly. If you like SPICY j chicken... you might want to grab some hot sauce. BUT, if you 're like me and like just a little subtle heat, this j is just right for you. So flavorful, well spiced. It was SO good. I literally could put that chicken on anything. Sweet Potatoes: These were mind blowing. These had so much depth, sweetness, umami. Like... EASILY the best sweet potatoes I 've ever had. I 'm having like mouth-memory right now and am salivating. Just off of the J Chicken and Sweet Potatoes, this place gets 5 stars. The service was also excellent. I did order a salad to go with my meal and he informed me that it was gonna be a little bit as he had to make it fresh. For fresh food, I 'm certainly willing to wait. Misses: The rice and peas (which was actually rice and kidney beans were a bit dry. The dressing for the salad I got (Creamy J dressing was a bit lackluster. Additional big wins: The more brown J bbq sauce that accompanies the meal. MAN o man was that good. SO vinegary and tangy and well balanced. They are doing A LOT of things right here and I want to see this little business survive so I 'm hoping you go support them. I 'm SO glad that I could turn to Yelp to see a bunch of great reviews (including Andrew P 's ; My best suggestions for the business: Have something more appealing in that refrigerated cabinet up front. I know this might be a hassle... but try and refine the electronic ordering system a bit. Rice probably needs to be cooked more often, or in a better food holder. Also, maybe set out bite size samples of the J chicken. I guarantee you, if someone tastes that chicken, they 're likely gonna purchase a meal. Use this quote from my review as a testimonial to advertise. These were the best damn sweet potatoes I 've ever had, and I 've had my share of sweet potatoes. I 'm not sure what magic you 're doing to those potatoes, but please keep on doin ' it. Can 't wait to return.