I lead a fairly boring life. I have never left the mainland United States. I’ve never been to Canada, Mexico, or even the U. S. Virgin Islands or Hawaii. When I caught wind of this new Jamaican restaurant called Jamaican Vibes at Government and Lakeside, I knew I couldn’t be objective without better knowledge of our neighbors to the south.

Sure, I’ve had jerk chicken. I’ve pounded a few Red Stripes in my day. I’ve even sung a Bob Marley tune or two. But to get into the culture and what the cuisine of Jamaica should consist of, I will definitely need a consultant. Enter Dr. Cyphert.

Dr. Cyphert is the only friend of mine who has ever spent more than a vacation in Jamaica. A former resident, Doc is a guitar-playing sailor who happens to teach at Spring Hill College. Before he became an upstanding member of society in Mobile, Dr. Cyphert spent some time posing as a teacher in Jamaica, all the while working undercover as a secret agent for some stealthy paramilitary operation on a mission of an undetermined nature.

All joking aside, he would be the only person who could serve as an advisor on my new adventure. His advice was simple. “When I lived in Jamaica I never heard anyone mention ‘jerk chicken’.” That was an eye opener. “If they don’t have curried goat, they are not Jamaican.” Strong words from a white guy who teaches math. “They should have rice and peas, but the peas will actually be beans.” I’m very interested in seeing if his predictions add up.

Jamaican Vibes has been in business for about a year-and-a-half, but finally got around to putting up a sign four or five months ago. Anyone who can survive that long without a sign has to have some kind of cult following. Pulling into the parking lot at Lakeside and Government, I could tell from the spacious room and overhead lighting that this place would be light on the ambience. Who cares? I’m here to take it home.

First glance at the menu I found just what the Doctor ordered. Curry Goat ($9/medium) is definitely going home with me. Jerk Chicken ($7.50/medium) was a must try for everyone who thinks that is what Jamaica is all about. The warm Jamaican voice that greeted me and took my order said all meals come with rice and peas and your choice of a side. For these two dishes I went with Cabbage and Mixed Vegetables.

I asked the chef “Is there anything you might consider your specialty? Something I might expect to get in Jamaica?”

He replied, “Ackee and Saltfish ($13) is the national dish of Jamaica. The fish is salted cod. Ackee is a type of fruit.” Perfect. Fried plantains rounded out the order as I checked out the killer posters of Bob Marley, Nelson Mandela and President Obama.

Everything is rocket sled-fast except for the Ackee and Saltfish, which is cooked-to-order. There is no alcohol for sale, but a nice selection of coconut water, root beers and Jamaican sodas are available.

I couldn’t wait to find out what Ackee was. It’s a little disturbing to look at. It looks a little like yellow gray matter. It’s actually a fruit not completely indigenous to Jamaica, but popularized there. As it ripens it splits open into three sections with protruding parts that each hold a large seed. The seed is discarded and the meat around the seed is edible. Harvesting the fruit before it ripens will yield the meat poisonous. Wow! The dangers of island cooking make it all the more exciting.

Eating the dish was not a problem. The flavor of the Ackee and the salt fish was really good. The only problem I had with the pride of Jamaica was the difference in the consistency between the fruit and the fish. The ackee was extremely soft in comparison to the cod. It was just something I wasn’t used to. The fish was absolutely awesome and I loved the fried plantains.

Despite Dr. Cypert’s comments, the jerk chicken was incredible. The sauce is on the side. The chicken is cooked fairly spicy with an emphasis on black pepper and it is chopped up post-grilling, bones and all. Tearing it apart was a cinch and the dipping sauce was what really made it. The mixed vegetables were mostly carrots and cauliflower steamed nicely.

I always save the best for last, and this week the best was the Curry Goat. This was my first taste of goat meat, but I am sold. Goat will be the next new trend in fine dining. Larger metropolitan areas are already seeing it pop up in some of the nicer places. The goat at Jamaican Vibes is so tender it is hard to keep it on the bone. Curry is something that very often gets misused, usually erring on the side of too much.

In this instance the curry was not overly spicy and complemented the succulence of the meat. Each savory bite got better and better. The cabbage had a good bit of carrot in the mix, almost like hot braised coleslaw.

If I were a betting man my money would be on Jamaican Vibes as the real deal. Those of you who have tasted the flavors of the islands are sure to enjoy this authentic restaurant as a “nothing fancy” alternative. Call ahead for cooked-to-order menu items. Everything else comes out in two shakes of a goat’s tail. (251) 602-1973.

Jamaican Vibes really has found a specialty niche in the Mobile area. If you are feeling adventurous you should definitely check it out. I will certainly be back for more curry goat.