Dat Jerk, Fast-Casual Caribbean Char-Grill Chicken in Waldorf

[Simul Parikh]

New Jerk Chicken place opened up, "Dat Jerk", in Waldorf. Jamaican chef and owner, they are from California. The website is very professional - not too many businesses in Southern Maryland are that savvy. It's a jerk chicken fast casual, modeled after Cava Grill/Chipotle/etc. You pick your protein - jerk chicken (mild or spicy), curry chicken, jerk pork, beef jabobs (not a spelling error - maybe they mean Jamaican kabobs?). Two sides (rice and beans, red beans, plantains, vegetables, few other things). I saw them using legit wood charcoal in the ovens. The place smelled heavenly. Got lunch for my medical assistant and the locums physicist. 

I got the spicy jerk chicken. It was basted with a scotch bonnet pepper jerk sauce. Tender dark meat chicken, excellent seasoning, and that sauce was spicy. I got some on the side and burned my mouth off. The sides were fantastic, I don't love plantains, but these were tasty, caramelized, and soft. 

It was empty, but I think they do decent carry out business. It's a good concept. They should open a few more, add some Caribbean beers, Red Stripe, and I bet it would kill it in DC.