New Jamaican restaurant opens in downtown Louisville

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A new Jamaican restaurant has opened in downtown Louisville.

Elliment Restaurant and Lounge, on 3rd Street just south of Broadway in the Weissinger Gaulbert building, held a soft opening in April and is planning a grand opening in two weeks.

Owner Janice Clarke came to the U.S. from Jamaica in 2010 and moved to Louisville during the COVID-19 pandemic. She said she wants to bring the taste of the island to Louisville.

"We not only focus on the food, the food is very important, but we focus on the experience," Clarke said. "So the way I set this up I expect that when people come in, they feel comforted, they feel at home, they feel the Caribbean, they feel the island vibes. That's what I want to bring to Louisville."

Clarke spent months renovating the space to "make it feel like home." It's only missing the island's sand, according to Clarke.

"I want to introduce others to my Jamaican culture because I know they'll love it," Clarke said. "The response has been amazing from the community."

The restaurant offers items like chicken and goat entrees, jerk chicken kabobs, codfish fritters, reggae nachos, curry, soups, salads and more. The restaurant also plans to offer tropical cocktails once its liquor license is approved.

Elliment Restaurant is open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily, except Sundays, when it closes at 7 p.m. Clarke said those are temporary hours because the restaurant will be open later when the bar opens.

The restaurant is also available on UberEats and DoorDash.

Elliment Restaurant is located at 707 S. Third Street.

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