My husband and I hit the town for a late lunch and landed at Island Delight, specializing in Caribbean/Jamaican fare and a generous helping of "sweeties" and "dears" on the side.

But, don't make the trip to the Eastside if you're looking for a snack; you can't help but leave stuffed.

The mood

The scenery isn't much to write home about; tables were accented with plastic coverings and a mish-mash of chairs.

But our host greeted us warmly, rather like a grandmother, and made sure we had our fill of whatever we needed.

The food

Simple, home-printed menus get the job done, showcasing traditional jerk chicken, rice and beans, cornbread, curry chicken and more. We missed out on the appetizing soups, but made it just in time for the lunch buffet -- complete with dessert -- that is served from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. every day. A seafood buffet also is served on Friday evenings. Most of what is on the dinner menu is also on the buffet, so it saves you time, money and you can eat as much as you'd like.

After we both placed our orders ($6.99 buffet), we headed up to the spread to scout our choices. I started with a salad, but my husband jumped right in and filled his plate with red beans and rice, jerk chicken and pork, stew and curry chicken and a big chunk of cornbread.

When my plate-piling turn came, I chose stew and jerk chicken, calypso rice, stuffing and green beans. I'm a wimp when it comes to spicy food, so I knew I was in trouble when my hot sauce-addicted husband had to wipe his eyes after a bite of the jerk chicken. I was successful in finishing mine and, ignoring my tingling mouth, I found the stew chicken to be more my speed.

After a pause in the action to decide if we were too full for dessert, we headed back up for a piece of delicious, moist pound cake. It had been calling my name.

The drinks

I chose a very sweet strawberry lemonade; my husband had unsweetened tea, each $1.25. Both were refilled frequently and topped with more ice. Island Delight also has selections of authentic Jamaican sodas and ginger beer.

The damage: $18.88

My only advice is to show up early for the buffet to get dibs on the components of your perfect plate. Eating at Island Delight made us feel right at home, free to get seconds (or thirds) and relaxed by our quick and caring service.