Caribbean Restaurant in Clarksville

June 15, 2026

A Caribbean restaurant in Clarksville offers island cooking with real roots: jerk chicken seasoned and grilled the Jamaican way, oxtail and curry goat served with rice and peas, cabbage, and sweet plantains, made by cooks who learned the recipes at home. Clarksville is Tennessee’s fifth-largest city, with a population of roughly 176,000 as of 2024 (U.S. Census Bureau), and its proximity to the Fort Campbell military community has helped support a steady demand for diverse cuisines, including a notable group of Jamaican kitchens. For diners craving island flavors, the city has several full-service Caribbean restaurants, more than some larger Tennessee cities, with options along the Fort Campbell Boulevard corridor and the north side.

Caribbean cooking in Clarksville is led by Jamaican restaurants, built on jerk chicken, oxtail, curry goat, brown stew chicken, ackee and saltfish, rice and peas, beef patties, and cabbage, with sweet fried plantains a standard side. The city’s Caribbean operators include a buffet-style restaurant, a veteran-owned kitchen, and family-run dining rooms, and several emphasize island heritage directly, with owners who grew up cooking Jamaican food. The military presence at Fort Campbell, which straddles the Tennessee-Kentucky line just north of the city, brings a transient and diverse population that has helped sustain these restaurants. Compared with several other mid-sized Tennessee cities, Clarksville offers an unusually deep set of sit-down Caribbean choices.

Caribbean restaurants in Clarksville operate under Tennessee’s food-service rules. Each must hold a food-service establishment permit issued under the Tennessee Department of Health framework, which inspects kitchens for food safety before issuing a permit and on a recurring basis afterward, with the Montgomery County environmental health program handling local oversight. State law sets the annual permit fee by seating capacity, at $210 for establishments with 50 seats or fewer and $360 for those with 51 or more, and the permit year runs from July 1 to June 30. At least one person on staff must complete a Department of Health approved food safety training course. A restaurant that serves liquor, wine, or high-gravity beer for on-premises consumption also needs a Liquor-by-the-Drink license from the Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC), and those sales carry the state’s 15% liquor-by-the-drink tax.

Prepared food sold by a restaurant is taxed at the full combined sales-tax rate rather than the reduced grocery rate, which in Montgomery County reaches roughly 9.50% (7% state plus the local option). The rate is the same for dine-in, takeout, buffet, or catering. Tennessee’s consumer protection framework, administered by the Division of Consumer Affairs under the Tennessee Consumer Protection Act (TCA 47-18-104), handles complaints about deceptive business practices, while food-safety concerns such as suspected foodborne illness or sanitation problems are reported to the Tennessee Department of Health and the county environmental health program. Reviewing a restaurant’s current health-inspection score is a sensible step before a first visit.

Top Caribbean Restaurant Providers in Clarksville

1. T&D Island Spices

Address: 1232 Tylertown Rd, Clarksville, TN 37040
Phone: (931) 802-2573
Website: not available (see social media and delivery-app listings)
Services: dine-in, takeout, delivery, catering, Caribbean entrees and sides
Description: T&D Island Spices is a veteran-owned Caribbean restaurant specializing in Jamaican food, run by Tarmel Rhoden, a military veteran, and his wife Marva Rhoden-Rascoe. The business became a reality in 2015 and sits on the corner of Tylertown and Trenton, connected to a Shell station. The kitchen serves Caribbean classics with vibrant island spices, including curry goat and oxtail dinners that come with rice and peas, cabbage, and plantains, along with jerk chicken praised for balanced, not overpowering, heat. The restaurant has grown to operate a second Clarksville location, T&D Island Spices II. T&D offers dine-in, takeout, delivery, and catering, and its veteran ownership and long run in the city have made it a recognized name in the local Caribbean scene.

2. Jamrok Caribbean Buffet

Address: 3441 Fort Campbell Blvd E, Clarksville, TN 37042
Phone: (931) 546-8153
Website: https://www.jamrokcaribbeanbuffet.com
Services: dine-in, takeout, delivery, buffet, fresh juices
Description: Jamrok Caribbean Buffet is a Jamaican restaurant on Fort Campbell Boulevard owned by Andral Dawkins, who describes himself as a proud son of Jamaica and discovered his love of cooking at an early age. The buffet format lets diners build a plate from seasoned dishes including jerk chicken, cabbage, candied yams, rasta pasta, and plantains, with oxtail available by weight scooped into a separate container at the counter. The restaurant is open seven days a week and offers dine-in, takeout, and delivery, along with fresh juices. The all-you-can-build buffet style sets Jamrok apart from the plate-service kitchens elsewhere in the city and makes it a practical stop for diners wanting to sample a range of Jamaican dishes in one visit.

3. Jamaica Flavaz

Address: 521 Heritage Pointe Dr, Suite B, Clarksville, TN 37042
Phone: (931) 538-2803
Website: not available (see social media and delivery-app listings)
Services: dine-in, takeout, delivery, breakfast, Caribbean entrees and sides
Description: Jamaica Flavaz is a family-owned Jamaican restaurant on Heritage Pointe Drive known for generous portions and a casual, welcoming setting where staff take time to walk first-time visitors through the menu. The kitchen serves Caribbean classics including jerk chicken, brown stew chicken, curry goat, and oxtails, paired with traditional sides such as rice and peas, plantains, and cabbage, along with ackee and saltfish and breakfast items. The restaurant offers dine-in, takeout, and delivery, with hours that run from morning into the evening on most days. Its broad menu of island standards, breakfast service, and northside location give Clarksville diners another full-service Jamaican option close to the Fort Campbell Boulevard area.

Frequently Asked Questions About Caribbean Restaurant in Clarksville

Q: What kind of food does a Caribbean restaurant in Clarksville serve?

Caribbean restaurants in Clarksville are led by Jamaican menus, centered on jerk chicken, oxtail, curry goat, brown stew chicken, ackee and saltfish, rice and peas, beef patties, and cabbage, with sweet fried plantains a standard side. Some kitchens serve a buffet of seasoned dishes, others offer plate service, and several include breakfast items and fresh island juices.

Q: Are Caribbean restaurants common in Clarksville?

Clarksville has a relatively deep set of Caribbean options for a mid-sized Tennessee city, including several full-service Jamaican restaurants. The presence of Fort Campbell just north of the city brings a diverse, transient population that has helped sustain a steady demand for island cuisine, giving Clarksville more sit-down Caribbean choices than some larger cities in the state.

Q: Do Caribbean restaurants in Clarksville need a health permit?

Yes. Every restaurant in Clarksville must hold a food-service establishment permit issued under the Tennessee Department of Health framework, with local oversight through the Montgomery County environmental health program. Kitchens are inspected before a permit is issued and on a recurring basis. The state sets the annual fee by seating capacity, $210 for 50 seats or fewer and $360 for 51 or more, the permit year runs July 1 to June 30, and at least one staff member must complete an approved food safety training course.

Q: How much is sales tax on a Caribbean restaurant meal in Clarksville?

Prepared food sold by a restaurant is taxed at the full combined rate, not the reduced grocery rate. In Montgomery County that combined rate is roughly 9.50%, which is the 7% state sales tax plus the local option tax. The rate applies the same to dine-in, takeout, buffet, and catering prepared food.

Q: Can a Caribbean restaurant in Clarksville serve rum cocktails or Red Stripe?

A restaurant that wants to serve liquor, wine, or high-gravity beer for on-premises consumption needs a Liquor-by-the-Drink license from the Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission, and those sales carry a 15% liquor-by-the-drink tax. Several of Clarksville’s Caribbean restaurants focus on food rather than a full bar, offering house-made juices and ginger drinks alongside the meal.

Q: How can I check a Clarksville restaurant’s health-inspection score or file a complaint?

Health-inspection scores for Clarksville restaurants are issued under the Tennessee Department of Health framework through the Montgomery County environmental health program, which also takes reports of sanitation problems or suspected foodborne illness. Complaints about deceptive business practices, such as billing disputes, can be filed with the Tennessee Division of Consumer Affairs under the Tennessee Consumer Protection Act (TCA 47-18-104). Keeping receipts and notes about the visit helps support any complaint.