Gate-side jerk in T1: Island Grill is your Jamaican option
In T1 after security at MBJ, Island Grill is the spot people name when they want one last plate of Jamaican food before US-bound flights. It sits past duty free toward the main gate area and runs through most departure hours, catching the afternoon rush to cities like Miami and New York. Expect a mid-range bill: about $$ compared to Burger King next door and higher than Island Grill in Montego Bay town.
The move here is simple: order jerk chicken with festival. Regulars on Reddit and TripAdvisor call that combo out by name as their standard pre-flight meal, with fried chicken as the backup if jerk is sold down. Portions run large enough to pass for a full lunch, and sides like rice and peas or steamed veg round it out better than the usual airport fries.
Flavor is decent but not at the level of Island Grill branches in Kingston or downtown Montego Bay, according to multiple reviews. Spice is usually dialed back for tourists, and smoke is lighter than roadside jerk pans on the Hip Strip. Still, compared with the other chains in T1, this is where you actually taste scotch bonnet and thyme instead of generic grill sauce.
Lines spike hard from about 12:00–16:00 when the big US departures board. Flyers report 15–25 minutes from queue to tray during that window, and seating around the counter fills fast. Prices sit above street locations but still come in under some of the sit-down bars in T1, which makes Island Grill a reasonable value play for a hot meal.
What regulars do: clear security, then walk straight to Island Grill before duty free browsing to beat the jerk rush and grab food in under 10 minutes. Tip: if your departure is called from a far-flung gate, allow at least 10 extra minutes to walk back with your tray and still board on time.