The smell of grilled jerk chicken and pork fill the block on Wisner Avenue in Newburgh with customers, from both in and out of town, lining up to get their share at Hummingbird Restaurant.
The Jamaican restaurant is the former Ubuntu Restaurant and Grill that was once located at 57 Carpenter Avenue. However, over the past year they have moved to 132 Wisner Avenue and rebranded as the Hummingbird Restaurant.
“The other location was smaller and less business,” said Shardae Brown, daughter of the owner. “Up here is a better location. We have had a lot of customers coming in.”
The new location is currently undergoing renovations, which they hope to have completed within two weeks.
The renovations include a better way to serve customers, where they can view the food behind the counter while ordering.
They serve breakfast, lunch and dinner. Breakfast includes dishes like salt fish with ackee, cabbage or callaloo. For lunch and dinner guests can order fried, jerk or curried chicken.
“Our best sellers are the jerk chicken and oxtail,” said Brown. “I know people really enjoy the jerk chicken with our homemade jerk sauce that’s made from scratch. People ask for their own bottle to take with them.”
Some items on the menu are only cooked on certain days. Mark your calendar for BBQ chicken on Fridays, peppered steak on Thursday and Fridays, jerk pork on Friday and Saturdays and cow foot on Thursdays.
“The food is mouthwatering, especially the jerk chicken and pork,” said customer Roxy Roxanne on Facebook. “The food is so good, it normally doesn’t make it for dinner time, so if you really want to try it go around lunch time”
Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 12 to 3 p.m. they offer a lunch special for $6 with a choice of curried, fried or stewed chicken.
When asked about how they were affected by COVID-19, Brown said, “It affected us in the beginning but not too much long term because we have our regular customers.”
Hummingbird Restaurant has been following CDC guidelines and masks are required for all guests.
Both indoor and outdoor dining is being offered at this time. They are planning on extending outdoor seating to the backyard area as well.
“We’re friendly and like to make people feel welcome when they come in,” said Brown. “We want to make sure they enjoy their time when they’re here.”
Hummingbird Restaurant is open every day from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Contact them at (845) 563-0075.