Ting & Ting Carry-Out

TING & TING AUTHENTIC JAMAICAN CUISINE IN THE HEART OF MARTINSBURG

Photos by Josh Triggs

Ting & Ting Carryout LLC, located in downtown Martinsburg, is a family-owned and operated business focused on providing authentic Jamaican cuisine of the highest quality.
Downtown Martinsburg may seem like a challenging place to open a new business, but for many residents desiring to grow their dreams, it’s the perfect setting. For Tony Powell, owner of Ting & Ting, the downtown area provided a prime opportunity to open his specialty restaurant.

“H.D. Boyd influenced me to open my business here,” Tony emphasized as he credited the councilman with motivating him to put his faith in the historic area.

It turns out that this little corner restaurant packs a big punch in taste and quality, and is able to draw people for miles. In fact, customers come from as far as Baltimore to enjoy the incredible Jamaican fare and laid back atmosphere.

As patrons enter the restaurant, they’re greeted by a colorful, Jamaican-themed decor, a wall lined with a bar-style eating area and high stools. The order area is inviting and features a variety of handmade goodies (typically snack or dessert items) available for purchase.

After ordering, customers are welcome to sit and eat at the raised bar or head to the back lounge area which has been outfitted with modern furniture and a television.

Tony loves the lounge area he created for his customers; he’s happy that he can provide an area for them to relax and enjoy their time in the restaurant.

Tony’s pride in his business shines through as he explains the menu items, the decor, and greets each guest who walks through the door. His passion for providing excellent Jamaican cuisine to the community is shared by all of the Ting & Ting employees, which consist of his brothers and his father.

Tony’s father, Everall Powell, who moved to the United States from Jamaica in the early 1980’s, has shared his love of food and cooking with his boys throughout their lives. It is Everall who inspired Tony to pursue this dream of opening a Jamaican restaurant.

“My friends were always in the kitchen,” Tony laughed, explaining how as a boy, when he couldn’t yet appreciate the importance of homecooking, his friends always wanted to come over and eat instead of hanging out.

“In a Jamaican household,” Tony explains, “everyone learns how to cook.”

This important and enjoyable household activity provided a strong, healthy foundation from which father and sons could build a business.

Ting & Ting’s menu wasn’t just designed around Jamaican fare; it is real Jamaican food. Everall, the executive chef, has carefully created their extraordinary, authentic Jamaican menu from his own tried and true family recipes. Making excellent food is what he loves to do, and all of his sons were excited to have the opportunity to let him do just that – cook high-quality, true-to-recipe food that people can enjoy, savor, and come back for time and time again. It’s a good business model – offering delicious food that makes people very happy.

On the weekends, even Tony’s seven year old daughter Ava gets involved as he seeks to share his family’s traditions with her. Ava helps make cookies to sell at the counter – ask about them early in the week, because they go fast!

Yet, this isn’t just a business for the Powell family, it’s a way to share their passion for great food with the community they love. Tony grew up in Martinsburg, playing football for both Martinsburg and Hedgesville schools.

Tony stayed close to home and worked in area businesses for many years, gaining experience and learning all that he could. Eventually, he developed a plan to bring his long-time dream to life, put it to paper, and then he put it into motion. Tony and his brothers were able to begin renovations to his restaurant in January 2015, and they worked tirelessly to create a beautiful space.

At the core, Ting’s & Ting’s Carryout is about family, food, and community. Those three pillars are the supports for this dream of providing excellent food, building a business as a family, and doing all of it in a way that brings pride to their family and to the community.

With the community in mind, they’ve worked hard to keep their business as locally-sourced as possible. This effort has resulted in them sourcing their meats from the Crestview Amish Market, which has great reviews from the community regarding freshness, flavor, and quality of their meats.

For produce needs, they work with a specialty Jamaican goods distributor in Baltimore, as having the correct ingredients is what makes this food authentic, maintains its unique flavor, and keeps it true-to-recipe.

“People have thanked us for bringing this food into the town,” Tony smiles as he discusses the community’s feedback since they opened their doors at the end of September 2015.

Reviews which have been posted to their Facebook page are consistently high, excitedly sharing their experiences with dishes such as: the Oxtail, Mac & Cheese, Seasoned Cabbage, Jerk Chicken, Rice & Peas, and Curry Shrimp.

“We want to give that consistent customer service,” Tony says as he emphasizes how important it is that each of his customers walks away satisfied. Although that customer service is also highlighted in many of the reviews, it’s certainly the food that’s resonating with people.

Their success isn’t based on having a unique menu and no local competition, it is built on the taste of their food and the quality of the ingredients they use.

“The food speaks for itself,” Tony reiterates. “Our Jerk Chicken is slow cooked on the grill,” he explains, describing all of the various ways in which they go above and beyond to make sure that each item is authentic and cooked to perfection. “Come get a taste of Caribbean Soul!”

The food is excellent, and worth every five star review that the restaurant has earned.

The “Rice & Peas”, as it’s called by Jamaicans, is actually rice and beans – and it’s an immediate favorite. It’s not heavily spiced, and this light and fluffy rice is paired with soft, flavorful beans.

They serve exceptional Collard Greens that aren’t just edible, they’re incredible! It’s a spicy dish that makes you want to eat your greens!

Wow! For anyone who believes that they don’t like cabbage, Tony has a challenge for you: “I love people who say they don’t like cabbage.” “Try our cabbage,” He dares, “we’ll make you a believer!”

The Jerk Chicken is unlike anything you can get locally. You’d have to search high and low for a restaurant whose fare can begin to compare to this mouth-watering meat!

If you like Jerk Pork, you’re in for a treat. If you don’t like Jerk Pork, you’re in for a surprise – the smoky flavor elevates the taste, and the pork is so tender it falls apart in your mouth. Beware: it’s so delectable you could eat it forever!

As for the Curry Chicken and the Curry Shrimp, if you think you know curry because you’ve had Indian fare, think again. The two curries are vastly different, and these two dishes offer you an experience apart due to its Caribbean essence.

Is your mouth watering yet? Head into downtown Martinsburg and find a real Jamaican experience – and Tony – waiting for you!