My family is Eastern European and from Pittsburgh, which means I — like many of us — grew up on a potato-centric diet. It takes a yinzer long enough to try a salad without fries, let alone order a meal that’s not some version of beef between two pieces of bread.I give this preamble as justification for what I’m about to say next: Before this year, I’d never had Caribbean food.At Barrel & Flow earlier this year, I met a reader who offhandedly mentioned some of his favorite Jamaican restaurants around town. That brief interaction instilled in me a quest to forsake my potato parentage for sweeter starches like yams and plantains.I wandered Pittsburgh’s neighborhoods looking for some of the places I’d driven past but never ventured into — the places that hand you an overstuffed styrofoam container of food you know you should split between two meals, but can’t help devouring in one.Anyway, here are some of my new favorite Caribbean spots in no particular order.Leon’s Caribbean Restaurant 823 E. Warrington Ave., Allentown, & 2282 Broadhead Road, AliquippaIf you poke around for delicious Caribbean food in Pittsburgh, odds are you’ll land yourself at Leon’s. I haven’t ventured out to its Aliquippa location, but the Allentown spot is the definition of “blink and you’ll miss it.” The gray and green storefront disappears amid the similar nearby establishments.Leon’s jerk chicken was one of the best bites I’ve had in Pittsburgh.My jerk chicken came with rice and beans and a side of steamed cabbage. The whole meal had a peppery heat, the kind that builds up in the back of your throat and makes your nose cry. It may seem cliche, but when I tried to pick up a drumstick, the meat literally fell off the bone.Leon’s doesn’t have much in terms of seating — just a single table tucked along a storefront window. If your walk through Allentown was interrupted by a man in a Subaru sedan crudely shoveling rice into his mouth, I apologize sincerely.In Allentown, Leon’s is open Mondays through Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. The Aliquippa spot is open Mondays through Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. 876 Island Spice’s Kingfish Meal with macaroni salad and rice and beans. Photo courtesy of 876 Island Spice.876 Island Spice Authentic Jamaican Restaurant 7930 Frankstown Ave., WilkinsburgThis Wilkinsburg eatery has all the classics: jerk chicken, oxtail, escovitch fish — you name it. Island Spice’s dishes also tend to incorporate more vegetables than some of the other places I’ve tried. I’m never one to complain about a steamed carrot or sautéed pepper, especially if it’s drenched in sauce.Many of the Jamaican restaurants around town sport mac and cheese on their menus, which is why I was kind of surprised to see macaroni salad offered as a side instead. Steaming hot take: I think I prefer it to its cheesy cousin.Island Spice is open Mondays through Thursdays from noon to 8 p.m.; Fridays and Saturdays from noon to 9 p.m.; and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.Fireside Caribbean Restaurant 796 Penn Ave., WilkinsburgStay in Wilkinsburg; warm yourself by the fireside.I love when restaurants with similar offerings pop up near each other. To me, it’s akin to bouncing between all the Polish and Ukrainian churches around town to find the pierogi that suits you best.Here’s something unique to Fireside: oxtail stew. I live and die by a good beef stew, but the Irish version I’m used to tends to be seasoned … modestly. Here’s stewed beef that has a gamey flare and spice to boot. Sign me up.Fireside is open Mondays through Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Fridays and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.A bowl from ShadoBeni. Photo by Jennifer Baron.ShadoBeni 1534 Brighton Road, North SideWant to pass on the meat? Check out ShadoBeni, a vegan, Trinidadian restaurant right on the edge of the Mexican War Streets.ShadoBeni’s entrees feature bowls loaded with seasonal vegetables and sauces, alongside an oyster mushroom sandwich and oyster mushroom wings. And since most Caribbean side dishes are veggie-based anyway, there are no substitutions when it comes to fried plantains, rice or slaw. The spicy pickled vegetables are my pick.Also check out their gluten-free desserts and sorrel (a tart leafy-green) tea.ShadoBeni is open Wednesdays through Sundays from 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.Pepper steak with rice and plantains and jerk chicken alfredo from Pauline’s Caribbean Soul Cuisine. Photo by Roman Hladio.Pauline’s Caribbean Soul Cuisine 1204 Federal St., North SidePauline’s is like a secret all my foodie friends around town waited for me to discover on my own. “Oh, I love that place! The curried goat is the best!” Thanks for letting me know after I did the hard work myself, Sarah.I, unfortunately, got to Pauline’s before the curried goat was ready, so I settled for pepper steak and gave the jerk chicken Alfredo a shot. The pepper steak was tender and had a touch of the fragrant, earthy island seasonings, but didn’t stand out. If you’re a less adventurous eater or a little worried about heat, this one’s for you.The jerk Alfredo, on the other hand, was bursting with scotch bonnet heat. It’s a simple dish, but it’s two meals’ worth of decadence: penne drenched in Alfredo sauce drenched in jerk chicken and jerk sauce.Pauline’s superstar, in my opinion, is the plantains. They’re coated in a sweeter sauce with a crisp exterior and soft, gummy interior. I would and could eat them like popcorn given the chance.Pauline’s is open Mondays through Fridays from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturdays from noon to 7 p.m.Jerk chicken wings. Photo courtesy of Abby’s Jamaican & American Fusion Cuisine.Abby’s Jamaican & American Fusion Cuisine 2408 Reed St., Hill DistrictTucked in a triangular storefront at the intersection of Reed and Brackenridge streets, Abby’s is bridging the gap between Jamaican and American food. You want a platter of chicken and a beef patty, but the kids (or that friend) will only eat a hot dog smothered in cheese? Here’s your spot.Catch me ordering jerk chicken wings — ideal for heat lovers. Throw on a heap of cheesy steak fries, and I’d call that the ideal impetus for a food coma.Abby’s is open Wednesdays through Fridays from noon to 8 p.m.The post 6 Caribbean restaurants you need to try around Pittsburgh appeared first on NEXTpittsburgh.