Hard to find parking. That's the major downside of this place. I will say the proteins were quite dry so I was a bit surprised. I did go during peak lunch hours so I would assume it was fresh maybe just overcooked. Greens and Mac n Cheese are great. read more

This review is for the Thanksgiving meal, not for the regular food and experience. We decided to try out Back a Yard for the holiday instead of Whole Foods. We ordered package number 3 with a 14-16 pound Jamaican Jerk turkey, cornbread stuffing, gravy, and cranberry sauce. The pickup experience wasn't great, but it was no worse than what we're used to at Whole Foods. Took about 45 minutes. We should have checked the order before we left, because they gave us an entire tray of cornbread instead of cornbread stuffing. So we had to go back, explain this, and wait another ten minutes. I wouldn't say they were super apologetic, just nice enough. The portions were totally out of whack. We had enough turkey for 20 people, enough gravy for eight people, and enough cranberry sauce for four people. The turkey was yummy but the stuffing was pretty bland - not what we expected from a barbecue place. On Friday we fried up some celery, onions, and sage with butter and remade the stuffing, which helped. But I wouldn't order another Thanksgiving meal from Back a Yard. read more

The portion is very large, but since it was a salad, the meat was cold. The salad was kept in a fridge prior. The jerk chicken didn't taste like much on its own, but when you add the sauce, it becomes savory, salty, and spicy. The cashier did not know about the Yelp Check-in deal for free plantains, so I didn't get to try that. read more

Back A Yard - Jerk Chicken Salad - Caribbean Near Me - San Jose, California

Ordered a combo of oxtail and chicken to go and there wasn't any oxtail and was charged for the combo. Register lady also insisted on getting a tip. Been a loyal customer for years but won't be returning. read more

Delightful!! My favorite things I've tried here are jerk chicken, plantains, and the mango habanero hot sauce. I bought a 16 oz bottle of the hot sauce (which is spicier than you'd expect but has the most amazing fresh mango flavor) and keep finding new things to put it on. Servers are friendly and portions are generous. Excited to try more of the menu soon! read more

I love Back A Yard and happy that they have expanded throughout the South Bay. My go-to meal is the oxtails with a side of their jerk sauce. Their sauce is so flavorful, the ginger mixes so well with the spices. Tried their festival bread for the first time today and it was delicious! Tasted like a combo of a funnel cake/beignet. Service is also good! We usually order through door dash but the one time we picked up they gave me a complimentary dessert. read more

Good food, AMAZING rice. The service was great and quick, the guy who took my order was very kind and welcoming. The lady who served our food was also very kind! Once receiving my food I grabbed some utensils from the side and will say the food is great is you're looking for Caribbean food, the chicken is seasoned well and the salsa they give is good. Definitely recommend the mango drink they have, probably my favorite part of the meal! read more

Back A Yard - Jerk Chicken and Pork Combo & Mango Passionfruit - Caribbean Near Me - San Jose, California

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Our party of 4 was a little disappointed with our experience and this smaller sized store than their others. Not everything we were hoping to order is offered at this location. No jerk steak, no french fries, no beef tasty patties..that was a bummer for a few people in our group. I had the ox tail and jerk pork combo. The oxtail and rice/beans were very tasty. The jerk pork was at least a day old. All meat lovers know the taste of left over meat. I know business can be tough during the pandemic, but don't lower standards by serving old meat. I wouldn't recommend going to this Back-a-Yard store. I question this manager's decision making when it comes to quality food. Try one of the other stores around the area if you looking for flavorful Caribbean food. read more

Sooooo good! We got too much food for just 2 ppl but it was well worth it. 2 platters: See pics, plus wings, champagne cola (tastes like Red Bull/baccahus), and 1 beef pastry. Next time, I'm going to ask for extra of the spicy sauce that comes with the jerk chicken and wings. The plantains were a little undercooked fit my taste but husband ate them just fine! Super sweet friendly lady... we will definitely be back! read more

Back A Yard - Jerk chicken - Caribbean Near Me - San Jose, California

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Amazing food! It was the first time for us trying Caribbean food and we were surprised at how delicious it was. The goat curry rocked and salmon was good too. Definitely recommend them and it was worth trying them out. Portion size was good too for the value. Definitely recommend them!! Curried Goat and Jerk Chicken read more

Save yourself the disappointment and go directly to the OG Back A Yard in Menlo Park!!! They never skip on flavor. Service was wack. I had 2 beans in my beans and rice. Who's making the jerk sauce?! It's SALTY and oily, not flavorful and had zero spices. Zero stars for this location. read more

This location is so awesome smack middle in the neighborhood with no hassle on parking on a busy street! Called to order and was able to pick up almost instantly. Staff was super nice! My favorites: Jerk chicken & Ox tail plate comes with coconut rice and plantains, and a Beef patty pastry on the side! Been my go to Jamaican restaurant since I moved down to Cali! Visited 3 of their store locations - Palo Alto, Downtown San Jose, and this one. Quality is always consistent. read more

Back A Yard - Old photo of my favorite dish in 2016 - they no longer serve it with salad on the side. - Caribbean Near Me - San Jose, California

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Meh.. I'll stick to Sweet Fingers. Ox tails were super fatty and stuck to the bone. Mac n cheese was ok plantains and beans and rice were kinda dry. Heard nothing but good things but.. read more

Street parking is free but sparse so might need to walk a bit, not a big deal. I ordered (Jamacian) Yard meal: *Jerk Pork - best value, they give big portions, no bones.   *Ox Tail - stewed tendered and perfect seasoning for this kind of meat.  *Curried Goat - my favorite but a bit too salty, eaten with rice and bean was perfect Fried Plantains - it was good but I remembered it used to be better, was sliced thinner so crispier outside and softer inside.  Rice and Red Beans - normally I don't eat beans but mixed in rice made it fine. Corn Bread - just OK Juice - Mango Passion was great on its own, but spiked it with Tequila at home and became even greater. Next time, I will order their Sat special, Jamaica's National Dish - Ackee and Salted Codfish. read more

The food was amazing!! I can eat at this place everyday, and not get tired. You can't go wrong with ordering anything here. They have veggie, pescatarian, and regular options. The food is top notch! Best Jamaican food in the Bay! read more

This Back a Yard was ready for COVID-19 before COVID-19 was even a thing. The 13th St location does takeout and catering orders only, perfect now that we're all sheltering in place. It's in a less busy part of San Jose, meaning there's much less of a wait compared to the main location at Market St. The wife and I placed a phone order and the food was ready when we got there 10 minutes later. The menu here is mostly the same as at Market St. We both just wanted the signature jerk chicken plate served up with a helping of rice and beans and fried plantains. The wife got the regular plate ($10.45) while I opted for the version with white meat ($11.45). My plate came with a really big chunk of chicken breast, but it was a little drier than the first time I had it. It was still good, especially with the accompanying sauce that added a spicy kick! This sauce was only mild, so I'm sure the medium and extra hot sauces would've totally set my mouth on fire. The sauce came in a tiny cup; in retrospect, I should've asked for some more sauce to go with my chicken. The wife's plate came with 1 drumstick and 2 thigh pieces. Delicious jerk chicken without the dryness of white meat. These did not need as much sauce, though the sauce made them even better. Yeah, I'm totally getting this next time. The rice and beans and fried plantains were tasty as always, though I missed the coconut flavor that the Market St location has in their rice and beans. We also got the mango passionfruit juice ($2.95). No ice, cup filled to the brim, very flavorful and very sweet. This definitely spiked my blood sugar, but so worth it. Tasty food, short wait times, and friendly service make this location a real contender! read more

I like Back A Yard, all the food is great and very Jamaican authentic. I'm a fan of the jerk chicken breast. There are a few locations, I've been to the one in Palo Alto and San Jose, the flavor and taste are the same in each place. If you like Jamaican food give them a try. My only disappointment is that the chicken is dry, I'm not sure if it's because I ordered chicken breast or what. Now to compensate for that I'll splash on a little water or order extra sauce. Either way, try out Back A Yard and you'll most definitely like it. On a side note I have been to Jamaica and had jerk chicken there also. The taste is the same. Very good !!!! read more

Food here was so good! The jerk pork had this very meaty but tender texture to it, and the seasoning was on point. The oxtail was also very tender and delicious. The most pleasant surprise was how great the vegetarian options were. The veggie hand pie had a great pastry dough that was crispy on the outside but with a bit of a chew in the middle, and the filling looked to be a veggie medley. The coconut curry tofu was probably my fav - lots of delicious carrots, zucchini, and tofu. Rice and beans and plantains were spot on too. There wasn't a single element of the dishes that I didn't enjoy. Shout out to the gentleman at the front (Michael?) who was super friendly and helpful. read more

WOW! I came to get takeout from this location during COVID. Their parking situation was pretty difficult. Since it was located in/near downtown SJ, you would mostly have to find street parking. They do have a small lot that you can park in, but when I say small, I mean SMALL. It looked there were about 3ish parking spots? Most were already taken by the vehicles that I assumed belonged to the business. There was one spot available when I got there, but it was pretty cramped. I wouldn't recommend parking there unless you feel comfortable backing out the parking spot, through the narrow alley, and into the street. My friend and I ordered the Jamaican Patty, Jerk Chicken Plate, and the Jerk Pork Plate for takeout. I had low expectations for the Jamaican Patty since I've never had it before, but it was delicious! I'm typically a fan of the pastry outside when it comes to something like this, but the meat inside was so flavorful and moist. I would definitely recommend this item. The pork and chicken plates were basically the same--the only difference was the protein. They both came with the same seasonings, rice/beans, and plantains. When I looked at the popular items, the chicken was definitely more popular than pork, which was surprising to me because I felt like the pork portion was WAY better. Also, the chicken was on the drier side compared to the pork. The pork also had some dry pieces, but the fat really kept most of the pieces moist. THE SEASONING. WOW. The seasoning used for both of the proteins and the sauce that they give you on the side were both super flavorful and very different than other cuisines that I've tried. I personally would use a food delivery service over trying to find a parking spot here, but I would without a doubt eat here again and would definitely recommend anyone to try the food here! read more

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Great place, great service . Sometimes there is a long line, so it is better to arrive early. The food is good, not gourmet, but for American food it is good. In general I recommend read more

Love it. Consistent and a great meal every time. Favorite restaurant. Definitely top tier in San Jose.

This place right here. Visiting the Bay during Father's Day weekend and I ran across this place (shout out yelp for black business list). When I got there they weren't quiet open so I go find parking (Peking at facility isn't really a thing). I come back, place opened for like 5 minutes and surprise my I was 4th in line. Ordered, waited like 20 min, got to the car and went in on the meal. The jerk chicken and ox tails was amazing. Plantins (idk how it's spelled) was great, Caramelized and not dry. Overall a great meal, I'm coming back to this place ASAP! read more

Back A Yard - Jerk chicken & ox tail combo - Caribbean Near Me - San Jose, California

My friend loves this place and always raves about this place. She always tells me I have to try it because their beef oxtail and jerk chicken is very good. When we got together one night she suggested we order Back A Yard for dinner. We went onto Door Dash and order a couple beef oxtail and a couple jerk chicken plates. When the food arrived everything smelled so good. Unfortunately for us ALL of the chicken was RAW. Not a little raw but very raw. On the outside the chicken looked cooked but on the inside it was just not edible. That's so nasty and I was disgusted. My friend felt really bad that she recommended this place and the food was not edible. The beef oxtail was very good and that's what my one star is forare forWe ended up eating the beef oxtail and just ordered pizza. Back A Yard please check your grill or cooking temperature because your chicken looked cooked and almost burnt from the outside but it was NOT COOKED ON THE INSIDE. read more

When people play that game: "You're on deathrow....What would your last meal request be?" Back A Yards curried goat and jerk chicken combo plate now resides on my top 5 list. Ive been a fan of Back A Yards Southbay locations for years now and owe them a solid review for always being consistently the best jerk food Ive ever tried though out my travels and attempts to try jerk whenever I come across it. Perfect spiciness and flavor. Portions are legit. Plaintains are always perfectly ripe and cooked. Chicken is always bone sucking , slap your mama, good. Dont forget to try the oxtail and festival bread too. Especially after a solid Saturday morning hike/bike/workout/whatever, this place hits the spot for your empty stomach woes. read more

We spent $250 on a Thanksgiving meal and were told to come anywhere between 4 and 5pm. I've picked up food from a lot of restaurants during Covid and during Thanksgiving. THIS WAS AN ABSOLUTE S**T SHOW and they have no regard for people's time. We ended up waiting for.....ONE AND A HALF HOURS!!!! And they still didn't have the mac n cheese ready. How we supposed to have thanksgiving without mac n cheese My little kids were stuck waiting in a car. We drove an hour each way to support their business but they couldn't have the food ready even close to the pick up time. Not cool! read more

One of the best restaurants in the bay. I love the fact that I can come here and get 100% vegan food. I used to eat here before I became vegan and was so excited to see they had an option. Their jerk tofu is soft but firm, seasoned well, and tastes amazing! I would highly recommend it! I love the ambiance they have at their restaurant locations, it makes me feel like I stepped into a new world. read more

Great food. Beef Patties are . I love the jerk pork and the ox tails. Staff is friendly and place is cozy.

The combo jerk oxtail and chicken were good and side of the Jamaican beef patty. So, Yummy.

This is the second time this week I've eaten at Back-A-Yard. Do I regret it? Absolutely not. However, I switched it up and got their jerk salmon and their pineapple upside down cake instead of my normal jerk chicken. What's great is that this location allows for online ordering, which is always a plus. The jerk salmon was a little dry, but nonethelesss, very worth the price. They give a lot of salmon for 13ish dollars and with the plantains, rice, and beans, it was the perfect meal for me. But then again, I ended up eating it for lunch and dinner. The pineapple upside down cake isn't overly sweet and it's super delicious. It's also the first place I've eaten pineapple upside down cake at a restaurant. I definitely recommend it. Staff here is also very friendly and definitely check it out and support them. (and to reiterate get the pineapple upside down cake) read more

Back A Yard - jerk salmon bowl + pineapple upside down - Caribbean Near Me - San Jose, California

Everything is so good! This is a takeout/catering location in addition to their downtown location. It is very small with limited seating but their food and desserts are delicious!! My husband gets their spare ribs which are incredibly juicy and I go for their jerk chicken which has a deliciously spiced flavor but not too spicy. Their collard greens are to die for and their rice/beans side is delicious as well. You really can't go wrong in ordering anything off their menu. Parking: Limited, street only so can be tricky. If you live nearby and can make it by 6pm walking is a great option. Hours: currently only open until 6pm but may expand hours based on business flow. Tip: If you like spicy, try their mango habanero sauce!! Sooooo spicy! read more

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I was in San Jo and remembered I had saved this place in my Yelp to try out one day and I'm so glad I did! Best $18 I ever spent and they serving size, in my eyes, are pretty dang big. I ordered the oxtail combo which came with their oxtail stew, Caribbean rice and red beans and plantains. Now I had no idea how to incorporate them dang plantains but when I figured it out, BAYYBEEEE THA ISH WAS FIIRREE!! The gravy from the stew with them plantains and everything else all together...makes ma mouth water lol The oxtail was cooked perfectly and me and my tastebuds REALLY enjoyed ourselves. Next time I'm asking for more plantains cuz I ain't ever had plantains like this and I want to try their other menu options. They also got some desserts as well which I didn't try. Y'all enjoy!! read more

No need to go above and beyond, when your place is next to SJSU. Your demand for the product has allowed the franchise not to care. For me it's the small things. As I write this review, please note that I am Hangry. Ordered the Monday special, using uber eats. Food never comes. I did handle that part with uber. I did get my money back. I have been to this Back a Yard and several others. The customer service is really good. So I took it upon my self to drive to this one, ( which I was not able to do early in the day, because work had me working) and make them aware of the above situation. I only thought to go in person because they have in the past had great customer service, even with out of the box things like uber eats not doing there part. I have been in the storefront before when the same situation happened to some else, and the response was a better out come. Bad taste in my mouth, not from the food. read more

Tried the jerk chicken and curried goat. Both were very flavorful and the meat quality was amazing. Highly recommend!

My forever love to this place, especially the goat curry. The number of times I try the goat curry my love for it is multiplying.

I don't even know where to begin! Their Jerk Chicken Plate is so mouthwatering, I absolutely love this dish!!! THE BEST jerk chicken I have had in the Bay Area so far. The yumm plantains, and the jerk chicken are a killer combination and I can have this every week! If you haven't tried this place, you are for sure missing out! From placing the order to picking it up, there was no confusion and excellent service!! HIGHLY recommend it!!!! read more

The jerk chicken plate was sooo good! My boyfriend and I enjoyed it and found everything super flavorful.

We ordered via UberEats for lunch. They were really fast preparing the order. They beat the latest estimated time by about 35 minutes! I ordered a BBQ chicken plate that was $10.45 for a ton of food! 2 drumsticks, 2 thighs, fries, and a condiment container of coleslaw. The fries are crinkle cut which I think makes things a little more fun. I really liked the coleslaw too which struck a really good balance between creamy and still tangy. I often find places are one way or the other. The chicken had a light amount of BBQ sauce on it. There was a nice smokiness to the outside while the inside was still pretty moist. There was a tiny hint of spice on some bites. I think it may have been from the base of the chicken itself rather than the sauce. I got to try a bit of my boyfriend's sides. The plantains are sooo good. I love having a sweet bite of them between spicy bites. I usually try to avoid filling up on rice because it's usually not the star of most meals. This rice was really good though - it had a strong coconut flavor. The jerk spices were a bit too much more me, I'm a mild gal myself so if you're afraid of spice I'd stick to the BBQ options. read more

I LOVE back a yard.. it's actually one of my favorite places to eat but yesterday I got food from here and it was extremely disappointing. The chicken was so dry I choked on it several times. The plantains were cold and the dry was good but just tossed in there like it was messy and usually it's really nicely scooped in there. I knew when my food was ready 30 seconds after ordering something was up. I should have checked my food before I left but I usually enjoy back a yard so I trusted them. I will never go to this location again unfortunately it was that bad. The location near those Tesla chargers is way way nicer even with theirs weird staff. read more

Back A Yard - Caribbean Near Me - San Jose, California

So delicious and filling. Their jerk chicken is one of the best I've tried BY FAR. Will come again! Thank you so much for your kindness & service. read more

Wow! What a surprise! Great job on the food ! Did not expect the quality of food that I got ! the food has plenty of TLC . Im a foodie the food together sings a melody but to try one item at a time would just be like hearing just a couple of notes . I tried it samples then I ordered the plate and everything complimented one another ! The jerk chicken was my favorite but mixed with the ox tails and the sweet savory plantains was another level lol The rice was also a subtle compliment I did not expect. the rice looks plain but it has a more tame flavor as to not overwhelm your senses from the peppeTy spice they serve up here . Very pleased with the food and highly recommend this place! read more