South Coast●○○○

Pelican Bar

Name: Pelican Bar
Address: In the Caribbean Ocean 1/2 Mi Nw Of, Treasure Beach Jamaica, AW
Price range: Cheap Eats
Rating: 4.4

★★★★☆4.4 out of 5 · 407 reviews

beachfront

seafood

caribbean

Photo: © TripAdvisor contributor via TripAdvisor

Pelican Bar is a $ seafood & caribbean beachfront restaurant in South Coast rated 4.4/5 by 407 TripAdvisor reviewers; walk-ins welcome.

About

Pelican Bar is a wooden shack on stilts half a mile offshore from Treasure Beach on the south coast — you take a fisherman's boat out to get there. It's the kind of place that exists because someone built it, not because anyone planned it, and the 4.5 atmosphere rating makes sense when you're drinking a Red Stripe in the middle of the ocean with pelicans circling overhead. The food is basic grilled fish and lobster, nothing fancy, and the 3.9 scores for food and value suggest you're paying mostly for the setting. Service moves at island time. Bring cash, wear a swimsuit, and don't expect Wi-Fi or a menu. The ride out can be choppy depending on the weather, and there's no dock — the boat pulls up and you step off into ankle-deep water. It's a novelty, but it's an honest one.

At a glance

Area: South Coast
Vibe: beachfront
Price: ●○○○
Reservation required: –
Kid friendly: ✓
Cuisine: seafood
caribbean
Dietary options: —

Make a day of it

Tours & things to do nearby

Captain Dennis Boat Tours

Captain Dennis Boat Tours runs from Calabash Bay in Treasure Beach, on Jamaica's South Coast. With a perfect 5/5 across 284 reviews, it's consistently the top-rated boat tour in the area. The trip usually follows the coast east toward Pelican Bar or west into the mangrove sections, depending on conditions. Captain Dennis knows the water — he's been running these routes for years, and the boat handling shows it. The pace is relaxed, not a party cruise, and he'll talk about the local fishing culture and coastline history if you ask. Most trips include a swim stop. Treasure Beach doesn't have the infrastructure of the north coast, so this is one of the few ways to see the shoreline from the water without chartering something private. Cash is standard for booking.

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I filtered the crap out of this pic. Lol It's not the same. The place is filthy. The beach has a

South Coast●●○○© TripAdvisor contributor via TripAdvisor

Little Ochie

Little Ochie is a seafood spot in Alligator Pond on Jamaica's south coast, right where the fishermen come in. You pick from whatever's fresh that day — snapper, lobster, shrimp, conch — and they cook it on open grills with the smoke drifting over the water. The food rating at 4.5 reflects what happens when the catch is local and the prep is straightforward: jerk seasoning, festival, bammy on the side, nothing complicated. It's mid-range pricing, which makes sense given the location and the fact that you're eating actual market seafood, not frozen imports. The setup is casual — wooden tables, tin roof, sand underfoot — and service moves at island pace, so don't come starving or in a rush. Atmosphere sits at 4.1, probably because eating under the trees with pelicans circling overhead does something for the experience. It's a working fishing village, not a resort town, so the drive is the commitment you make to get here.

local

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South Coast●●○○© TripAdvisor contributor via TripAdvisor

Gurley Aston Wine Bar & Gril

Gurley Aston Wine Bar & Gril is in Long Bay on the south coast, a stretch that doesn't see many tourists. Seven reviews, all perfect fives for food, which is a real signal when you're this far from the resort corridors. The value rating sits at 4.0, so you're paying a bit more than roadside jerk, but the food score suggests it's worth it. This isn't a wine bar in the sommelier sense—it's a neighborhood spot that happens to stock bottles and knows how to grill. The kitchen clearly does something right to hold that food rating. Service is solid at 4.0, which for a small operation in Long Bay means they're keeping up without the infrastructure of bigger places. If you're driving the coast road or staying somewhere between Treasure Beach and Alligator Pond, it's worth the stop. Just know you're off the beaten path—Long Bay is quiet, and that's the appeal.

local

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Scotchie's

Scotchie's is a jerk institution on the Ocho Rios end of the north coast, and it's the real thing — open-air grills smoking all day, picnic tables under zinc roofs, no frills. The food rating is higher than the atmosphere rating because the point is the jerk chicken and pork, not the decor. They cook over pimento wood the traditional way, and the spice mix has enough bite that you'll remember it. It's cheap, it's crowded with locals and tourists who've been tipped off, and kids are everywhere because nobody's pretending this is a date spot. Lines can stretch during lunch, but they move. Service is straightforward — you order at the counter, they call your number, you sit where you can find space. Value is strong; portions are big enough that you'll have leftovers if you're not starving. Cash speeds things up. If you want jerk done the way it's supposed to be done, this is where you go.

local

caribbean

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Nature Provides Youth and Youth I-Reation

Nature Provides Youth and Youth I-Reation is a tiny vegan spot in Black River on the south coast, and it's the kind of place you'd miss if you weren't looking. Six reviews, all perfect scores across food, value, and service — that's rare enough to mean something. The menu is Ital, which is Rastafarian vegetarian cooking, so expect no salt, no meat, just vegetables, beans, and grains prepared simply. The price point is genuinely cheap, which in Black River means local pricing, not tourist pricing. It's run by people who take the lifestyle seriously, so don't expect compromise or shortcuts. If you're curious about what actual Ital food tastes like outside of a resort approximation, this is the place. Cash recommended, and patience — the pace follows the philosophy.

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