Get It Inn Island Cuisine II in Baltimore: Caribbean Takeout with Ackee and Saltfish
Get It Inn Island Cuisine II is a Caribbean counter-service restaurant on the ground floor of a rowhouse in West Baltimore, specializing in Jamaican cooking and serving roughly half its business as takeout and half dine-in at a handful of two-tops and bar seating along the window.
What Get It Inn Island Cuisine II Actually Is
Located on Reisterstown Road in the Gwynn Oak neighborhood, Get It Inn is a no-frills Jamaican kitchen run by the same operator who manages a second location elsewhere in the city. The space itself is modest: a compact ordering counter, a small dining area with plastic chairs, and walls decorated with island travel posters and handwritten specials taped to refrigerated display cases. Most customers order at the counter and eat quickly or carry out. The operation moves steadily during lunch and dinner service, with a customer base that includes both neighborhood regulars and people driving from other parts of Baltimore specifically for the food.
Menu, Signature Dishes, and Pricing
The menu centers on Jamaican standards cooked to order. Ackee and saltfish, the national dish of Jamaica, is available as a plate entree at $12.99 and consists of salted codfish mixed with the soft yellow fruit of the ackee, served with boiled green bananas and fried dumplings. Oxtail stew, braised until the meat pulls from the bone, runs $13.99 with rice and peas and a small portion of coleslaw. Curry goat, made with potato, carrot, and onion in a thick spice base, is $12.99. Jerk chicken comes bone-in, rubbed with the typical allspice-scotch bonnet blend, and costs $11.99. All entrees arrive on a paper plate with plastic cutlery.
Sides and smaller items include fried plantain ($3.99), coco bread ($2.50), and beef patties ($2.99 each), which are sold hot from a warming case and consist of spiced ground beef in a flaky pastry shell. Rice and peas, macaroni and cheese, and callaloo (a leafy green stew) are available as add-ons for $2 to $3.
Prices have remained stable over the past year, but verify by phone before a visit since food costs occasionally force adjustments.
How Get It Inn Compares to Other Caribbean Options in Baltimore
Baltimore has limited dedicated Caribbean restaurants. Negril Village on Pennsylvania Avenue in the Sandtown-Winchester neighborhood serves similar Jamaican dishes, particularly jerk chicken and goat curry, and offers table service in a more decorated dining room. Negril's prices run slightly higher at $13 to $15 for entrees, and it maintains a stronger bar program. Get It Inn wins on speed, price, and convenience for someone in West Baltimore; Negril wins for diners who want a full table-service experience with cocktails.
Caribbean flavors also appear in a few West Baltimore soul food and Southern restaurants as specials or limited menu items, but these are not primary Caribbean kitchens. If you want quick, cheap Jamaican lunch in the Gwynn Oak area and are willing to eat standing or at a small table, Get It Inn is the only true choice. If you want a longer sit-down meal with drinks, Negril is worth the drive.
Who It Suits and Who It Does Not
Get It Inn suits neighborhood residents, people working nearby, and anyone craving authentic Jamaican food at low cost who does not expect table service or ambiance. It also works well for takeout orders, since the food holds temperature reasonably well in a paper container. It does not suit diners seeking a full-service restaurant, a bar, dessert, or a quieter meal. Groups larger than four will find seating awkward. People unfamiliar with Jamaican ingredients (ackee, callaloo, coco bread) should expect to try something unfamiliar; the staff can explain dishes but the menu itself has minimal description.
What the First Visit Involves
Walk in and join the line at the counter. Read the handwritten specials taped to the glass refrigerator case; they often include items not printed on the main menu. Order at the counter, pay in cash or card, and receive a number. Wait 8 to 15 minutes depending on how busy the kitchen is. Collect your plate when called. Eat at one of the small tables by the window, or take the food with you.
Hours, Parking, and Logistics
Get It Inn is open Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., and closed Sunday. Hours can shift seasonally; confirm by phone. Street parking is available on Reisterstown Road and nearby residential blocks, usually without difficulty. There is no dedicated lot. The restaurant is not wheelchair accessible due to the single step at the entrance.
Get It Inn fills a genuine gap for West Baltimore customers seeking traditional Jamaican food at genuine prices, and its steadiness over many years reflects that the kitchen knows its core menu and executes it consistently.
