D and D Island Grill JA is a food truck parked in a parking lot at 6245 E. Broadway Blvd. Owners Duwayne Hall and Danny Heath serve fried fish, curried goat, jerk chicken, oxtail, beef patties and delicious fruit-juice concoctions.
We stopped in last weekend and found Hall working away in the kitchen as his kids played in the nearby grass. A steady stream of visitors stopped in to eat or just say hello. Reggae music throbbed and a flag bearing the lion of Judah flapped in the hot breeze.
The food was great, and the fruit drinks they make from pineapple, carrot, ginger, apple, banana and mango were heaven. Another drink made from sour sop is purported to calm the nerves, and was equally heavenly. There are palm trees to dine under, icy Jamaican sodas and a calming island vibe that is a nice counterpoint to the hectic pace of city life.
- The crew.
It can be difficult to find D and D’s, so here are some directions: Get on Broadway Boulevard until you hit Wilmot Road; turn north; take the first U-turn and head back toward Broadway until you see a brightly painted truck in a parking lot on the northwest corner of Broadway and Wilmot, or you smell curry, whichever comes first. Hours are 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., every day but Sunday. They also cater. Call 867-0100 for more information.
This article appears in Jun 3-9, 2010.
I love that place, My co-workers and I have started going there recently and the Jerk Chicken is some of the best in Tucson!
I FEEL SO PROUD, THAT IS MY BIG BROTHER.. HE WORKED SO HARD FOR WHAT HE HAS ACHIEVED…JAMAICAN FOOD IS THE BEST
I so wanted to love the truck, I agree, Jamaican food is awesome. But sorry, $11.90 for a jerk chicken combo and a bottle of pop for a truck lunch. Assumed the combo would be plentiful and in a typical to-go three compartment styrofoam container, but it came in one of those narrow rectangular ones like you get leftovers to go. The chicken was tasty, but it didn’t taste anywhere near true jerk to both me or my husband who has tasted alot in his travels. It was more like spicy bbq with a bbq-like sauce all over it. The chicken was all chopped up bones and all and you couldn’t tell what you were eating, biting into bone fragments, it just wasn’t pleasant to eat. Overall it was thumbs down for me, especially the price for what you get, sorry.
I appreciate your opinion ZOWEE but that is how they serve jerk chicken in jamaica, they chop it up, plus everyone has their own sauce and spices and secret recipes they use. Seconly start up cost for all business are expensive, so it only takes a matter of time to start increasing the food quantity and lower the price to its competitors. It seems to me that you are a very fussy, cheap, and miserable indiviual. you need to lighted up, you want a $ 12.00 meal on china and italian dishes??? my mom always tell me that it you don’t have anything good to say shut you mouth. your talking about left overs, it looks like thats what your use to so you even know what left overs come into. you are one to complain can you cook a one course meal, much less a three course one??? all i see you writing is all crap, so just eat somewhere else then…
I have been eating at D and D’s for the last 6 weeks now – their fried fish is the best! They are always friendly and courteous and the portions are great. As part of my new diet I just get fried fish and veggies – it is low carb, excellent tasting and healthy! Now that I have found them, I will be eating there often. Keep up the good work guys and thanks!
I think this place is great, We have tried everything and have yet to be disappointed. The drinks are not only good, but very refreshing in this hot weather. We also had them cater a party for us, Not one of my guests left hungry and they all left with great compliments. Even though few of them had tried goat, that was the first thing that was gone. The goat was great, but they also fixed goat ribs, let me tell you, you have not had ribs until you have the goat ribs, Yummy. Trust me you will not be disappointed.
Me and my two boys ages 13 and 7 ate there today. And …
With all due respect Zowee, you and your husband don’t know WTF you are talking about.
Don’t know how much “traveling” you and your husband have done, but I have been to Jamaica several times and lived in NYC, probably the most culturaly and gastronomically rich places in the world, for over a decade before moving to Tucson.
To address your criticism about price… I have an office in the general area and will frequently order a sandwich for delivery from Baggin’s or do a pick up from Beyond Bread. My cost for full sandwich alone (and standard tip) without any sides is about $8 or $9. That is not too far off what I paid for the meal today. That is the minimum price you will pay for a decent lunch, Zowee. If you don’t agree, I suggest McD’s dollar menu. But I suspect you are already quite familiar with that.
As for the quantity of the food. Probably like most Americans, Zowee, you have no idea what an actual portion really is. And you’re probably obese as a result. Me and my 13 year old son split a Jerk Chicken combo for lunch served with rice, a couple of fry breads and “Festival” which was a wonderful vinegar/sugar cole slaw like side and had enough for the two of us for dinner that night. Maybe you should consider a lap band if the meal is not filling enought for you. I can recommend a good surgeon if you’d like.
As for your criticism of the jerk sauce… Like our friends from Mexico with their mole, I’m sure there are lots of variations on the ingredients and flavors of a true Jamaican jerk sauce. Perhaps you should be open to expanding your definition of what jerk sauce is instead of criticizing the amazing flavors of D and D’s Jerk Chicken.
Finally, as to the way the meats are served. In the rest of the world, Europe included, fine foods are served as naturally as possible, which includes being served on the bone. Sample fine Paella in Spain as I have done, and the mussles will still be in the shells, the shrimp will still be in their shells, and the chicken will be tender but on the bone. This is as it is at D and D’s.
Zowee, you are unfortunately one of the Americans more used to the highly processed and infantilized baby food (some would say predigested) served in America today. Zowee, your problem is that you are used to chicken being served like chicken nuggets and your beef being served like a hamburger patty. That way, Zowee, you can maximize your volume of intake (which you are clearly partial to from your review) and minimize the attention you actually pay to the entire experience of eating (Again, have the name of a good bariatric surgeon if you need.)
Lastly, while the food was amazing, the atmosphere and service was priceless. While waiting for our Jamaican patties and jerk chicken and chatting with the owner, I mentioned that maybe someday I might be adventureous enought to try curried goat but could never imagine trying ox tail. Without a moments thought, he proceeded to cook up a sample of each. No charge, BTW. Wow! Gonna get curried goat next visit and discovered that ox tail pretty much tasted like the beef short ribs I cooked the weekend before.
Lesson learned. Keep an open mind.
Or not.
As for me, I’ll be back this week for curried goat and the week after for ox tail for lunch.
Zowee, for the price point that apparently fits your wallet and the taste that fits your pallet, try Whataburger.