The Jamaican offerings were absolutely perfectThe delicious Caribbean food served outside someone’s backyard
Getting your hands on well-priced food these days is like trying to find a unicorn roaming the aisles of your local Lidl. So when I learned a Jamaican takeaway in the magnificent and bustling neighbourhood of Brixton sells a jumbo platter for £20 I was absolutely cock-a-hoop. Maureen’s, on Railton Road, is owned by Maureen Tyne, who’s turned her small home into a fully fledged restaurant.
She’s gone viral for her culinary triumphs, with the likes of Professor Green showing up to get a bit of grub. I’ve wanted to go and stuff my face stupid for ages. So when the opportunity arose for a spot of lunch, I leapt at it.
Maureen’s is one of the most talked about takeaways in South London, partly because it’s run from her house, but also because the food is said to be delicious. It’s a popular spot, so I cunningly rocked up at 3pm to avoid standing in a queue that stretches back to the banks of the Thames. But even then there was an eclectic mix of peckish South Londoners standing outside, desperate for their foodie fix.
Maureen has converted her small home into a fully fledged takeaway(Image: MyLondon)
I was impressed with the very efficient ordering system: walk in through the side gate, place your order, pay, then wait for your initials to be bellowed out, collect your bounty, and make off.
The food
For the modest sum of £20 you get three meats and three sides. I opted for oxtail, peppersteak, jerk chicken, a bit of mac and cheese, steamed veg, and plantain. I also bought a pot of coleslaw and a bottle of homemade lemonade for good measure.
Twenty quid isn’t nothing, but it’s also not a huge amount of money – especially in 2026. So after a brief wait I was presented with my food and I slithered off.
The first thing that struck me was the heft of the bag. A heavy bag equals lots of food, and lots of food equals happy customers. It’s basic maths, innit.
We then sampled the goods on one of those civic benches that had been painted round the corner. I didn’t know where to begin when I opened the metallic takeaway platter, as I was overwhelmed with the colours, smoky aroma, and sheer volume of what lay before me.
I started basic by trying the rice which was fluffy, coconutty, with an ever-so-slightly pepper underkick. If this was the warm-up act, then the main event was sure to be a blinder.
Talk about delicious bang for your buck!(Image: MyLondon)
It was some of the best plantain I’ve ever had: adequately sweet, but not so overdone that it’d morphed into a caramelised sludge. It was a sticky thumbs up from me.
At this point it was only right I got my teeth into some proper protein. ‘What to choose?’ I asked myself. Oh go on then, I’ll have some peppersteak.
Peppersteak is by some way my favourite Jamaican meat – it’s tender, salty-sweet, and warming. But sometimes it’s a disaster: chewy, flavourless, or worse, it’s a lump of fat. I’ll keep it short: Maureen makes the best peppersteak I have ever had. I’ve had plenty in my time which you can cut with a fork, but I’ve never had any that dissolves into the gravy like a sugarcube in your 4 o’clock cuppa.
It literally made my day, and I took a moment to compose myself and give a quiet word to the man upstairs.
Next was the oxtail. I had high hopes as, like peppersteak, I’m a massive fan. Oxtail comes on the bone so I got my hands involved. But then I was presented with a problem.
I picked up a piece and the meat… just fell off the bone. Now I didn’t say it was a bad problem, did I? With the now boneless piece of meat sitting atop a glorious mound of rice, staring back at me, I scooped it up and savoured every moment as it melted in my mouth.
Maureen has a varied menu, offering a plethora of delicious delights(Image: MyLondon)
The food at Maureen’s is cooked fresh everyday, and as you enter you’re greeted by these humungous smokers in the garden where they prepare my main event for today: the jerk chicken. I’d been eyeing it up from the moment I got my food.
It was that perfect shade of charred brown. It smelt smoky, and Maureen doesn’t skimp on the sauce. This is a problem I’ve had with other takeaways but not here – it was swimming in the good stuff.
Who am I kidding, it was some of the best food I’ve ever had. I knew it would be, which is exactly why I saved it until last. Sweet and smoky, with a wonderful kick that leaves a pleasant tickle on the back of the throat.
I would absolutely recommend Maureen’s to anyone wanting fresh, homecooked, delicious food sold at a brilliant price. And with that, I closed the container to finish it for supper.
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