Heart & Soul Of A Jamaican

This month’s “Local Flavor” takes us north on U.S. Highway 1 to the Mo-Bay Grill in Sebastian. Nestled among local watering holes and a bustling waterfront, this Jamaican restaurant draws a loyal following who return again and again for the tasty food and upbeat Caribbean ambience.

Wesley Campbell, Jamaican native, chef and owner of the Mo-Bay Grill, began educating his customers on the flavors and intricacies of Jamaican cooking back in 2005 when he opened his first restaurant in the Roseland Shopping Center with seating for just 35 diners. 

Ten years later, this seasoned chef has relocated to a prime location overlooking the lagoon on Indian River Drive with a 100-seat restaurant serving lunch and dinner six days a week with breakfast on the weekends. Consistently ranking number one on Trip Advisor, Campbell is proud to say that the Mo-Bay Grill has made its mark on the area’s culinary landscape.

While Jamaican food is undeniably some of the most flavorful food in the Caribbean, it is best known for the most fiery of ingredients, the Scotch bonnet pepper. But Campbell claims it is a misconception to say that it is all about the heat. “It’s about the flavors of herbs and spices in the cooking,” he tells me in his distinctive sing-song, Jamaican accent. “Herbs like thyme and spices like allspice, which we call pimento. The basics of Jamaican cooking are the jerk, the oxtail and the curries, which are much lighter than Indian curries.”