A golf buddy who lives in the neighborhood set the group up to eat & drink (byob- we brought in a large cooler full of beer) at this place after the round. He called ahead of time & talked to Roy the owner to pre-order the food "family-style" for 10 hungry people. When we got there, we were greeted by very friendly staff. My only complaint was even though we called 1/2 hour ahead, it still took them a bit of time to get us the food (more time to drink, I guess). As we realized the food was going to take a little longer, we tried some beef patties & found it to be delicious but very hot temperature-wise (the server warned us!) . Roy then served everyone a bowl of soup "on the house". When we finally got our entrees of cow's foot & beans stew, curry goat, brown stew goat & oxtail w/ butterbeans accompanied by the rice, cabbage & plantains, we were all surprised at how similar it is to Filipino food. The only difference being that Jamaican food is spicy but everyone enjoyed the delicious food & very friendly, accomodating staff. I definitely would go back to De-Jred if I am in the area!!! read more

Great food, feels like you are in Jamaica. I enjoyed the jerk chicken plate. It has great spice with a kick. The 2nd time I eat Jamaican food. read more

The chef and place are very chill. Nice Jamaican decor. but the ambiance would get one star from me. food tasted good for a first timer - ive always wanted to try Jamaican food. But when it came to the menu - I held back and played it safe. We split the tasty platter (beef patty was great) which was enough for two. The fried plantains are recommended. I would recommend the Sop juice bc its a super healthy drink (similar to the green monster). they didnt have it when we were there, but that would be the ONLY thing I would go back there for. For some reason, I expected Jamaican food to be outstanding, and since its not my thing I wouldnt go back there for any of their dishes. If you are a steady Jamaican foodie - you should come here, at least try it once. read more

The best Jamaican food you can get around Chicago. The whole USA is pretty weak on West Indian cuisine anyhow. Chill spot. Not a place to visually wow you foodies. They don't take too long to prepare a meal like other hood spots. So get yourself a small jerk, beef patty, and grab a Ting or ginger beer, zeen? The sauce on the jerk chicken is magical. Big up De Jred. Respek read more

Jamaican dishes that are great in portion, inexpensive, with a small town restaurant feel . The owner is a native Jamaican, dread locks and all, but the food is amazing. Highly recommend the jerk chicken! read more

Had Jamaican food for the first time here, and I can say I'm deff a fan. I had the Jerk chicken which came with rice and plantains, and some cabbage. Loved the chicken and rice with beans, the cabbage not so much. They have this type of savory sauce that part of the chicken you should deff ask for extra on the side. Gotta try the oxtail and curry next time. Only bad thing was the credit card machine was a little outdated I swear it was running on like 56k dialup or something, and booths were a little tight. But good homestyle food. read more

I love me some Jamaican food, and finding a good restaurant isn't very easy. I got lucky when I walked in here last week. The food was delicious ! I tried the beef patty with some Jamaican hot sauce. Then I ordered the small oxtail entree. ( they serve pretty big portions) the oxtail was falling off the bone it was seasoned so well. The rice and beans were perfectly cooked, and the cabbage slaw on the side was amazing. I would have rated this place 5 stars, but I think they should hire a waitress who waits on the tables and isn't sitting around reading a magazine or newspaper in the front of the restaurant. I also don't think the chef should have to come from the back of the house to the front of the house just to slide my card. read more

This place has delicious food, I love the jerk chicken, I get it eveytime. The chef does wonders. Excellent service.

Had the chicken that was prepared perfect and full of flavor,came with rice and beans,plantains and cabbage,also had a nice strawberry kiwi drink,need to try the fish the next visit. read more

The wait is not as bad as others have said. My boyfriend and I went the other day and a few other tables were seated when we arrived. The menu is small, but you'd never know after trying the dishes, they are so delicious. The jerk chicken, ongoing! Spicy and so much flavor! The brown chicken is awesome, as is the sides of plantain and cabbage. The only reasons De Jred gets 3 stars: too many bones. My boyfriend was with each bite spitting out vertebrae. A little gross for dining companions, not to mention him. The fluorescent lights do not add much to the ambiance, either. But who really notices after the first mouthful of dinner, anyways... read more

food was ok, nothing amazing. Honestly there are a few better places i would go to before coming all the way to skokie to have jamaican again. Jerk chicken was very bland and dry. meh..... read more

Very good, authentic food. Just as they say. If I had to say anything more it would be that the rice and vegetables were hearty and fresh. read more

I wish I had two stomachs. The Curry Chicken was succulent.. had it with rice and peas, flavorful stewed cabbage and the plantains. Washed it all down with sweetened coconut water. Couldn't finish all of my rice so I got an order of their Jerk Chicken to go with it for later. Can't wait until I'm hungry again. All I need now is a nap in the sun. read more

Craving jerk chicken all day, I decided to give this place a try. Instead I got boiled chicken with BBQ sauce on it. No hint of grill taste!!! HORRIBLE!! Who puts sweet sauce on jerk? Not an authentic Jamaican thing about this dish. Maybe the other dishes are good, but I WILL NOT be back to find out read more

Friendly staff & great food. Food takes a little longer than normal but that's how Jamaican cuisine tends to be, completely worth the wait.

I'm giving this review four stars because my bf loves this place. I think it is just okay. Something about the flavor of the jerk chicken just bothered me and I could not eat it. I enjoyed the fried rice, but i got the chicken one and for some reason their chicken just tastes horrible to me so I had to pick it out. Since, like I said, my bf loves this place and constantly craves it, I'm giving it four stars from both of us. He will definitely order from here again, but I don't think I will. read more

It was ok. Nothing special. 3 stars is a stretch. I can't even adequately explain why this place was just ok. Perhaps it's because I've had Caribbean food numerous times and just wasn't all that impressed by this. I got full. The people were super nice. I had the brown stew chicken and it was ok. I only ate there because the Chicago/Evanston Caribbean places were closed on Sunday. On a Saturday, I would have ventured down Howard and gone somewhere else. Perhaps I would return to this place on a Sunday...maybe read more

Excellent Jamaican food. . Had the ox tail , curry chicken, and beef patties. The parties are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. . Perfect temperature. Even taking 6 patties to go :) read more

I Have to say! The Experience is one of the best that I have had in a long time! The food was beyond great and the Chef personally makes sure the customers understand what they are getting and is satisfied. I honestly wish I could give more stars. I totally recommend you there. I had the Oxtails and Beans with rice and Plantains. DELICIOUS is an understatement! read more

This is the only Jamaican restaurant I have ever gone to, and I wasn't even sure what Jamaican food consisted of. I feel like most of the restaurants around Skokie are frequented by regulars, so when I went, it wasn't too busy. The owner was the one who took my order and prepared my food. I ordered the Jerk Chicken. The food came out pretty fast, which was expected since there was only 1 other table at the time. The owner was very friendly and the food was pretty yummy, all in all a nice experience read more

Best real Jamaican food near Chicago. We don't go anywhere else for oxtail or curry chicken unless we make it ourselves.

Had lunch here today and enjoyed every single bite I took. I started my meal with a beef pattie and it was tasty. Also I ordered the jerk chicken entree. It came with rice a leg and a thigh. Also a cabbage salad. The chicken was cooked perfect and the jerk sauce was amazing. Will defiantly be returning there very soon. Much more on the menu I can't wait to try. read more

The only authentic Jamaican food in the greater Chicago region. The curry chicken was absolutely delicious, and the beef patties seem hand made. The owner cooks all the food himself and to order. He even sells all the jamaican soft drinks (kola champagne, ting and ginger beer). Highly recommended! read more

Good was fantastic. Delicious flavors. Small casual place. Surprisingly not busy for the amount of great food. Tables were a little dirty but we're cleaned right away by the owner when we say down. The owner even brought us a taste of the oxtails and butter beans! Overall delicious food! read more

I just wanted to try their cowfoot, and it was devine. Lola (our waitress) said that they usually make cowfoot daily, in comparison to other spots that only make it on weekends. It came served with rice, cabbage, and plantains and is truly comfort food. My friend had the ox tails meal and was equally pleased. I will go back very soon! I loved that it was in downtown Skokie and not on some questionnable back street. We sat and enjoyed our food in a pleasant atmosphere. read more

Originally from New York, I was reminded by how good this food is. I recommend getting the Reggae Style RotiatinoiO!

Excellent food! Went today with a group of 8. Because of the big group, service was a little delayed (only 2 people working when we got there, in kitchen and serving) Food was flavorful, tasty, served hot! Will definitely return for another good meal. read more

Went here for lunch with a co-worker and loved it. The owner came out and said hello to us, the waitress was awesome and attentive but most importantly the food was great. I had the Jerk Chicken and my co-worker had the Goat Curry. Both of us loved are main items, my chicken was flavorful and cooked perfectly. The sides really complete the meal. The peas and rice was really flavorful and there was a lot of it. I am usually a little suspect of cooked cabbage, but in this case it was sweet with good acid and was perfectly al-dente. I will be back to try the goat curry and the Ox-tails. You could tell that they take pride in what they do! read more

Came here bc I was craving Ox Tails with rice & peas. Service was absolutely horrible. No one acknowledged me as I stood at the counter for almost 5 mins. Reminding you there was only 1 other customer in here at the time. Once my order was taken the food did come out fairly quickly. Small order of Ox Tail was $12.00. I didn't receive any sauce on my plate like normal Jamaican restaurants usually serve with me nor did I receive more than 2 ox tails on my plate!! T make it even worse the service!!-- no one came over to check on me the entire time I was there until it was time to pay for my food! Very horrible atmosphere NEVER COMING BACK! read more

Am i a conaisseur of Jamaican food, no. is the food at De-Jred good, yes! It feels like what i imagine Jamaican home-cooking to be, and they make you feel like they're cooking it just for you. We were a large party of 8 or so. We had the platter of appetizers - yum! especially the fritters and plantains. We had jerk chicken, and the oxtail - yum and yum. The entree servings come with sides - i had plantains, cabbage and rice & peas - all yum! The sour sop drink was yummy - albeit sweet, like a yogurt smoothy sweet. I also enjoyed the Ting soda. I had read that service might be slow, so we called ahead - let them know we were coming. Maybe that was the trick, but service was just fine. It's BYO and the Russian store accross the street sells wine... We ate like you-know-what, so it was a bit more than $10 pp including tax and tip. I am so happy that they're in my neighborhood in Skokie - I am going back for sure. read more

FINALLY!!!!!! Good Jamaican Food North of Chicago. I moved north two years ago and I've tried all the Jamaican spots near me. Leaving the salon one day I spotted this restaurant on the corner. After vowing to NEVER buy Jamaican food north ever again...I gave it a try. All I have to say is GREAT FOOD. I'm from the southside where we have a lot of very good Jamaican Food restaurants to choose from. I must say this spot is now second on my all time favorite list. Not to mention her prices are pretty nice too and she's very nice. All that's missing was a little Carribean music. read more

My wife and I stop by here on Saturday. We were looking to have the fry snapper but the wait was about one hour to prepare it fresh. We ordered an appetizer to share between us. The appetizer was very good and it was so big that we were full. I plan to go get the fry snapper next time I visit. Thy this place, authentic Caribbean food. Nice clean and quiet place. read more

I just threw my husband a 50th birthday party and the food was catered by Degrde. I had them cater the party after having dinner here one random night. After talking to Roy (the owner) about the party I was a little concerned because it seemed he had not done catering before. I took the chance anyway and I was glad I did...everyone raved about the food. Some guests were apprehensive about trying the oxtails, but once they did they loved it!! Along with the oxtails, we had stewed brown chicken, shrimp in brown sauce and the tasty platter (sampler), steamed cabbage and rice and beans. Roy was even generous enough to lend me chafing dishes to keep everything warm. We definitely will be coming back for dinner with friends. I love that this place is so close to where I live I do not need to go to the city or to Oak Park for good Jamaican food. read more

Skip it! Chose this place after being in the area and checking out yelp reviews. Ordered the jerk chicken with a side of mac & cheese. First the chicken came with a bbq-ish sauce on it. Out of the many jerk restaurants I have eaten at this was a first and in my opinion ruined the meal. Beyond the sauce the chicken was very dry. Rice and beans and the Pepsi from a bottle was the best thing about my experience here. I ordered mac & cheese & had I known that I would be served something that looked very similar to and tasted like Velveeta shells and cheese I would have not ordered it. Will not go back and would not recommend. Definitely think the yelp reviewers got this one very wrong. read more

Stopped by on a whim tonight and could not have been more delighted with the food. The flavors were great, service terrific, and the chef was very friendly. Had the curry chicken and brown meat stew. Both outstanding and sooo flavorful. No overboard salt or seasonings, just right! Will go back soon. read more

Excellent food. Excellent service. Found this place by chance and gave it a try and so glad I did. I will be back. Give them a try if you are in the area. read more

If you want authentic "island cuisine" this is the place. My friend, who lived on St. Kitts for 3 years told me about this restaurant. The goat platter was tasty, with the best plantains I have ever had. The service is friendly as you would expect from Jamaican hosts, however, I recommend calling ahead if you are in a hurry. read more

This place is a diamond-in-the rough. The atmosphere isn't much but the food is distinctive and tasty and VERY reasonably priced. Entries vary from the unusual - saltfish, goat, oxtails - to the ordinary but yummy like brown stew chicken. The curry is very spicy but good. Entries come with a salad or cabbage, fried plantains and rice, with or without beans (which they call peas). My husband and I will go back, and we'll order out frequently. I really hope this place survives, it's worthy of success. read more

I'm honestly shocked to see the great reviews of this place - fine with me, as I don't want to put a good person out of business. I came in the other day and asked about the jerk fish -- the owner told me it would take a long time to make. Fine, said I, I'll go with a jerk chicken sandwich. Well, I'll be darned if this didn't take the better part of 10 minutes, way too long for an easy lunch in my opinion. It would've been ok with me if the chicken had been fresh and tender, the spices punch-packing, and the entire sandwich a worthy meal for a 200-lb dude. But they weren't at all. The owner proceeded to take some already cooked chicken out of the fridge, slather some mayo on it, put it on some ordinary White Bread and throw some chips in. Dude, it's jerk chicken -- how can you fudge that up!? The sandwich was unappealing and quickly turned gooey. I had to pull some food out of the work fridge in order to get satisfied. I'm adding a star to my rating bc the owner did seem like a nice guy and the restaurant is bright and attractive inside. Seriously, though, does one have to wonder why this place is usually empty around lunchtime? read more

Ok..you have to be a little patient putting in your order but the people are great and the food is amazing. ..i love Oxtail and here they cook it just right!! We already know to bring some cold beer to enjoy while we wait... def a must go place in skokie if you want jamaican food read more