People's Choice Kitchen

People's Choice Kitchen is a Black-owned Jamaican and Caribbean restaurant located at 575 Brooks Ave in Rochester's 19th Ward neighborhood. Founded by Evangela "Van" Stanley, the restaurant serves a menu rooted in Jamaican cooking traditions alongside soul food staples. Stanley was recognized as a 2022 News 8 Remarkable Woman for her work in the community, and the restaurant has become a neighborhood fixture on the southwest side of the city.

The menu centers on Jamaican platters available in small, medium, and large portions, including:

• Jerk chicken
• Curry goat and curry chicken
• Curry shrimp
• Brownstew chicken
• Rasta Pasta
• Oxtails (large platter only)
• Pepper steak
• Jerk salad and jerk wraps
• Haddock and salmon

Sides include mac and cheese, collard greens, candied yams, cabbage, sweet corn, and string beans. The dessert menu features banana pudding, peach cobbler, sweet potato pie, and cheesecake. The restaurant operates primarily as a takeout spot, open Monday through Saturday.

People's Choice Kitchen is known for its jerk chicken, curry goat, and the Original Jerk Salad — a dish that pairs jerk-seasoned chicken with fresh greens. The restaurant also has a strong community presence; Stanley has hosted free bike giveaways for children and operates with a "pay what you can afford" approach for neighbors in need. In 2025, she received a vehicle through a local Hyundai dealership campaign recognizing community heroes in the Rochester area.

The restaurant sits on Brooks Avenue in Rochester's 19th Ward, a residential neighborhood in the city's southwest quadrant. It is near the corner of Thurston Road and Brooks Avenue, close to a Family Dollar plaza that serves as a local commercial anchor. The 19th Ward is one of Rochester's most established neighborhoods, bordered by Genesee Street to the north and Arnett Boulevard to the south. Street parking is available along Brooks Avenue, and the takeout-focused format makes for quick stops.