A taste of home in Crenshaw

Potwah Jamaican Cuisine is a family-owned restaurant in the heart of Los Angeles' Crenshaw District, founded by Raymond Blake to share the food he grew up on — real island cooking, made the way it's done back home in Jamaica.

"It was destined for us to open a restaurant," Blake said when the doors first opened. "I'm a good cook, so what can I say?" The name Potwah nods to Patois, Jamaica's English-based Creole — a reminder that heritage and language sit at the center of everything that comes out of the kitchen. Today, owner Courtney Thompson carries that tradition forward, plate by plate.

From fall-off-the-bone oxtail and smoky jerk chicken to curry goat, brown stew chicken with johnny cakes, golden beef patties, coconut rice & peas, and the crowd-favorite Rasta Pasta, every plate is cooked slow and seasoned bold. No shortcuts — just real ingredients, real spice, and real island hospitality.

"We're just trying to bring the culture and the authentic flavor to the U.S. so other people can enjoy our cooking."

Come as you are, leave full

Whether you're a Crenshaw regular or tasting Jamaican food for the first time, there's a seat and a plate waiting for you. Stop in, call ahead, or order online — we'd love to feed you. We cater, too: call us to bring Potwah to your next event.