Among the forsaken ruins of Eureka, Calif., rests a home of Rasta flavor.

Beside Highway 101 South, with the county jail just blocks away, Rasta man and lawyer alike can enjoy some of the unique flavors Jamaica has to offer.

The scent of curry flows from the front door of the humble restaurant Ijal’s Jamaican Kitchen while the servers, comprised of family and friends, hurriedly wait on tables.

Reggae music plays low in the background while a handful of couples and friends seat themselves at the sparsely arranged tables underneath track lighting.

Jerk chicken, which is “Free-range chicken smoked in a hot, spicy, uniquely Jamaican seasoning,” and ital stew (red beans, chard, eggplant, sweet potato, carrot, coconut, celery and spice) are some of the many meals that highlight the modestly priced menu.

My companion and I decided to try both of these meals with a side of water and were pleasantly surprised.

Spicy skin seemed to rub right off of the jerk chicken and sent me reaching for the water to cool down the fiery sensations accumulating in my mouth.

Sauce dripped from the chicken onto the fried plantains and traveled toward the red beans and rice.

Although mangoes were not mentioned as an ingredient in ital stew, my companion and I agreed that it tasted unmistakably tropical.

“Ital is a Rastafarian cooking style that does not include milk or salt and uses all-natural foods,” co-owner MiHsü Minter, 27, said. “We use coconut milk a lot.”

Made from scratch (as everything served at Ijal’s is), the sweet fried plantain complemented my meal as dessert with its creamy coconut ice cream centerpiece (above right).

Key lime pie was my companion’s choice, and she was delighted by how sweet it was.

The total cost of dinner came out to $25.42 and was well worth it.

Chef’s specials and meals at the restaurant range from $5 to $10.95, which are low prices, considering the sides that come with the dishes.

In the close-quartered restaurant flags of red, gold and green, along with photos of reggae greats and family, adorn the walls (left).

One of these photos was of Ijal (below right), the owner’s 3-year-old son, after whom the restaurant was named.

“We never wanted the [standard] restaurant,” Minter said. “We wanted more of a homey atmosphere.”

Minter began the 4-month-old restaurant with her partner Melbourne Morgan, 46, after they lived together in Oregon selling wholesale foods and jerk sauce.

“We sold our jerk sauce and patties at festivals in Oregon and people really enjoyed them,” Minter said. “We are here (in Eureka) for the long run.”

Ijal’s Jamaican Kitchen is located on 4th Street in Eureka and is open for lunch between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. and dinner is served from 5 to 9 p.m. seven days a week.

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