I guess those people who stand out on the street corner and spin signs really work. I might not have known Mark’s Caribbean Cuisine even existed if I hadn’t spotted someone waving a sign on University Boulevard near Dean Road recently. I pulled in to the little corner strip mall with a sudden craving for goat.

The cheerful young woman at the counter, where guests order their food to have delivered to a table, waited patiently while I looked over the menu. Curried goat would fill the goat urge, but I wanted something extra, so I settled on a salt fish fritter figuring it would serve as an appetizer.

However, the entree was delivered well before the fritter, so that didn’t work out the way I’d planned. Never mind, I liked everything I tasted, including the tardy salt fish. The goat stew had a wonderfully rich gravy with layers of seasoning. The meat was tender, at least the pieces without bone still attached. Having had lots of Caribbean-style goat, I knew to chew with caution because the meat is generally cleavered on the bone. But I wonder how many dentists have gotten rich from curry novices.

The plate included a large mound of rice and peas, plus some braised cabbage and some fried plantains. It was an ample serving, though I thought there could have been more meat in the curry.

The salt fish fritter was a large, shapeless hunk of fried batter. The fish was more evident by taste than by site, and true to its name, it had a wonderful salty note.

Mark’s dining room is dark but neat. The space features a large mural of a Caribbean coastline, which I’m pretty sure is a required decoration in every Jamaican restaurant.

Mark’s Caribbean Cuisine is at 10034 University Blvd. Orlando. It’s open for lunch and dinner daily. Most entrees are under $10. Here’s a link to Mark’sCaribbeanCuisine.com. The phone number is 407-699-8800.

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