DECEMBER 5, 2025 | FEATURES | By Thomas Nielsen and Miles Katzen
Here in Colorado Springs, it is hard to imagine yourself in a tropical paradise. Be it the barren trees, the dry, thin air or the stony monolith rising to the west, our landlocked, semi-arid existence is ever apparent.
The closest thing to the sea we have near campus is the fetid floodplains of Monument Creek and the swimmer-infested waters of Schlessman Natatorium.
And yet, less than a mile south of campus, you can find the sounds, the smells and most importantly, the tastes of Jamaica. The outside of Dainty’s Jamaican Kitchen might look a little uncouth, sandwiched between a middle school and a smoke shop in a concrete block building painted like a Jamaican flag, but once you open the door, you’re in for a good meal.
Quiet music splits the soundscape with a TV tuned to a Jamaican cooking channel, and you’re greeted with a simplistic menu, a dozen more flags and Dainty herself. The eponymous chef takes your order, prepares your food and sends you on your way, often in five or fewer minutes.
At 12:30 p.m., the spot was almost devoid of patrons – a testament to the restaurant’s efficiency in rapidly delivering food to the hungry, hungry, hands of the customer.
We ordered the curried chicken and the curried goat, with sides of plantains, rice and peas, cabbage and green beans, two apiece, as well as a jerk chicken patty – a sort of meat pie filled with peppered poultry.
Two members of our party ordered drinks: grapefruit Ting, a tangy, citrusy soda and the lavender coconut lemonade, a purple nectar almost divine enough to make you forget the sugar content.
The curried goat was a messy affair. Full of bones, fat and cartilage, we had to work for our lunch, but every bite was worth it. Deep, rich flavors kept us coming back for more, sucking all the marrow we could, and quickly sacrificing our table manners at the foot of the styrofoam to-go altar.
The rice and peas seemed too plain at first, until we used them to sop up the soggy remains of the curry. The plantains varied bite to bite, sometimes sweet and caramelized, melting in our mouths, and sometimes starchier and drier, though still just as delicious.
The curried chicken was much the same, but a little more dignified. The flavor was milder, the price cheaper and the shame of your animalistic, forkless attack of the goat a thing of the past. Tamer and less greasy, the chicken still melts off your fork into slivers of tender meat. Delicious.
Though the food is by no means inexpensive, with entrees ranging from $12 for a small chicken all the way to $24 for a large stewed oxtail, the portions are plentiful and will leave you full – that is, if you manage to finish at all.
In short, Dainty’s is a local business close to campus that provides delicious Jamaican fare at reasonable prices, especially when compared to airfare to Kingston. If you can, find time to check out this Caribbean gem in the steppe of the Rockies.
Price: Lunch / Dinner $15-25
Accessibility: 4.5/5. A medium-sized walk away from campus.
Taste: 5/5. Can’t recommend more.
Value: 3.5/5. For a student budget, on the pricer side but not too bad.