Restaurant Review: Blue Mountain Cafe

There's been a lot of talk in town about the new jamaican restaurant, , which opened its doors on March 20 at 26 South King Street, in Leesburg. The Jamaican restaurants closest to Loudoun County are in Arlington, Dale City and Winchester. 

Restaurant owner Herman Llewellyn grew up in Jamaica watching his grandmother cook in the kitchen and he decided to use her techniques in his very own restaurant following a job loss as an IT consultant. So, I decided to check it out. 

I've never been to Jamaica so I can't really compare the food or decor to the real thing; however, I'm guessing this was as good as it gets. If it wasn't for the window view of downtown Leesburg, I would have had no problem imagining myself on the islands. The interior was simple, yet the colors, decor and music seemed to play quite well with the Jamaican theme.

I couldn't get over how friendly the staff was. The server handed me a menu, grabbed my drink and placed my order within five minutes. By the looks of it she was the only person working the floor, so I commend her for being on top of it.  

The menu at Blue Mountain Cafe includes traditional Jamaican cuisine. Appetizers range $5 and under while entrees range from $10 and up. I decided to order the jerk chicken spring rolls as an appetizer and the curry shrimp, which comes with a side of rice and steamed vegetables. I was informed that the shrimp would take a few extra minutes, since it is made fresh to order. 

It was worth the wait. Everything looked delicious! I almost forgot to take a picture. Once I did, I dug right in. There are only so many ways that you can describe shrimp, rice and vegetables but I'd have to say that it was the sauce and spices that really made this dish enjoyable. I won't tell you how little time it took me to clear my plate. I was half tempted to order more as take-out. I even went out of my way to tell the server how good everything was before she could stop by my table for inquiries. 

What made the experience even nicer was the fact that Llewellyn took a break from his outdoor cooking to ask how everything tasted. I told him it was "fantastic" and that I would definitely be back. 

I had a hard time finding anything that I didn't like about this place. Perhaps they should add more tables though, as I'm hopeful this place will continue to grow. I was in and out of the cafe in less than 45 minutes and still had 20 minutes left on the meter. Perhaps it was used by the next paying customer at Blue Mountain Cafe. 

Rank: 5 out of 5 stars

Want to see your favorite restaurant reviewed? Email the editor at leah.kosin@patch.com. We'll feature a new restaurant every other week. Until then, what are thoughts regarding Blue Mountain Cafe? Have you eaten there and what was your experience like? Share with us in the comments and you could win a $25 gift card to your favorite Leesburg restaurant in June.