Go See Tyce BBQ on Route 1 in Saco specializes in traditional Jamaican jerks and curries. Photo by Tim Cebula
SACO — I’ve driven past Go See Tyce BBQ on Portland Road countless times over the past couple of years, always meaning to go in and try it, always suspecting there’s some really good food coming out of its humble storefront.
Go See Tyce is located in a little white shed behind a white house on Route 1 that’s flanked all around by car dealerships. I lived in the Deep South for some years, and my experience there taught me that the best barbecue is often found not at the established downtown joints, but at unassuming operations set along thoroughly unscenic roadways.
I pulled in at lunchtime on a recent Wednesday afternoon, met by an intoxicating reggae groove blasting from a speaker in the parking lot. Chef-owner Mabel “Tyce” Reid-Wallace greeted me warmly inside her tiny takeout-only operation, noting the outdoor dining area of three picnic tables – painted in the Jamaican flag colors of black, green and gold – just beyond the parking lot where I could take my food if I chose.
Judging by the restaurant’s social media photos, its menu seems to rotate offerings from time to time, though the standard dishes include jerk chicken or pork, curried chicken or goat, and braised oxtails. The main dishes, which come with a side of rice and a vegetable, run from about $16 to $24, depending on whether you order the small or large portion.
The alluring smell of jerk and curry spices like cumin, turmeric, cinnamon and allspice filled the room as Tyce removed the lids from the steam table containers to show me what she had to offer. I went with a large order of the oxtails ($24), which looked scrumptious, and because I was torn between that and the goat curry – you don’t always have a chance to order goat – Tyce made mine a combo plate for an extra $5.
Oxtails with butter beans and goat curry over rice and kidney beans, with warm cabbage slaw and fried plantains from Go See Tyce BBQ in Saco. Photo by Tim Cebula
She ladled the goat curry and the oxtails over a flavorful bed of Jamaican rice and kidney beans, a well seasoned and satisfying starchy complement for both mains. The oxtails were deeply beefy tasting and tender, braised well enough so the connective tissue in the tough cut had melted away, and the collagen turned to gelatin that gently held the meat together as the tails slipped off their tiny bones. Big, creamy butter beans were mixed in with the oxtails, lending a nice textural contrast.
The goat meat in the curry was succulent and mild, with a natural sweetness balancing any faint gaminess. The curry stew held chunks of potato and carrot, and its overall flavor – accented with notes of turmeric and ginger – was brighter than the richly beefy oxtails.
The meal came with braised cabbage with bell peppers and carrots, a lightly sweet, warm slaw balanced by a nice vinegary tang. The chef also threw in a few pieces of her fried plantain: sweet, fruity and tender, with a date-like texture.
When I was ordering, Tyce pointed out that her jerk dishes are spicy hot. But while the oxtails and goat curry had a very low-grade background heat that melded with the melange of spices and aromatics, neither could be considered spicy dishes, so anyone trying to steer clear of fiery foods can find safe options here.
I also ordered a sorrel-ginger soft drink – made in Jamaica by the Tropical Rhythms brand – because like the goat curry, it’s not something you run into often. I enjoyed the first couple of sips, which were refreshingly tart and warmly spicy. Then I looked at the label to see the 16-ounce bottle had 55 grams (!) of added sugar, making it more of a decadent dessert beverage than a palate cleanser. Still, tasty nonetheless.
While I may not order another soft drink, I’ll surely be back to try more of Tyce’s menu. Go See Tyce’s little barbecue shack and its blaring reggae are a kind of auto mile oasis, with fragrant, succulent Caribbean food that makes for a delicious break from the routine.
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