Fantastic food, bad hours of operation. Everything is fresh and tasty. Well worth a visit! read more

Jamaica Jerk - Caribbean Near Me - Skokie, Illinois

I was looking to get jamaican food with a couple friends, and we ended up coming to this place. It's currently doing takeout only, so we ate in the park nearby, but it was pretty nice inside. I got the value meal with dark meat jerk chicken, plantains, rice and beans. It was very nice value, around $10 for lots of food. The chicken was good, I really enjoyed the sauce that came with it too. We all enjoyed our meals, and it was a good experience! I think it's a good spot for jerk chicken in the north suburbs and I would definitely recommend. read more

Jamaica Jerk - jerk chicken value meal - Caribbean Near Me - Skokie, Illinois

Hidden gem. My favorite Jamaican food spot. The rice and fried plantains are the best. I've been to a handful of Jamaican restaurants and this is my favorite. Try the jerk wings and let me know why you think. read more

Jamaica Jerk - the inside of a restaurant - Caribbean Near Me - Skokie, Illinois

Love their Jerk Chicken Value Meal of dark meat chicken with a side of sauce, peas and rice, plantain and a drink. The whole meal is amazing - I got plenty (generous amount) of rice and peas! I called my order in before getting there to pick up. Parking is limited, however I rarely have issues with getting a parking spot directly in front of restaurant. Wonderful lunch today on a super cold day in Skokie. read more

Jamaica Jerk - Jamaica Jerk - Front - Caribbean Near Me - Skokie, Illinois

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They have great chicken and ox tail. For someone who's homesick and can't find great Jamaican food in the city this place more than meets my expectations And an amazing price for the food and quantity Great service and homemade ice cream read more

Full disclosure I have a friend that works here but I don't think that affects my perception of the experience. Disclosing because I wanted to avoid even the appearance of collusion. The macaroni and cheese was good but I thought it was a small portion. I've had meat curries at other Jamaican restaurants before but I've never known them to have potatoes in it. It was something new the meat with the potatoes in the curry sauce. The rice and beans were very savory. The cabbage was cut kinda thin for my liking and I thought it could have had more of a kick. More spice. read more

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Delicious jerk chicken wings, everything was off the charts. When I came it was only takeout orders which was interesting and there was no space for dine in. The service was quick and we got our delicious jerk food in minutes. Everything tasted very authentic and top of the line. You know it's good when locals are in there telling you what to get, and which items are the best. Definitely will stop by again when in the area! read more

Drove past this place and decided to give it a shot. I am so glad I did! Take-out only with limited hours, and as much as I'd like to dine-in, that does not hinder my experience one bit. The jerk chicken has amazing flavor and I love to order the greens and plantains as my sides. The coconut shrimp is delicious as well! I will be a repeat customer since I literally crave this place at least once a week, if not more. Excited for my next Jamaica Jerk meal!! read more

Jamaica Jerk - grilled meat in a styrofoam container - Caribbean Near Me - Skokie, Illinois

I have been going to this place since I was in middle school and they were on Howard. The food still tastes amazing. The chicken falls off the bone, the plantain is the right amount of sweet, the cabbage is delicious. Literally EVERYTHING is delicious. The best jerk in Chicagoland area!! read more

Jamaica Jerk - a styrofoam take out container with rice, chicken, and beans - Caribbean Near Me - Skokie, Illinois

This place is so good! I've visited twice now and it hasn't disappointed yet! I really want to try their their oxtail entree, but it's never available/runs out! Hopefully 3rd time's the charm. In lieu of oxtails, I would suggest to try their Jerk chicken entree with 3 sides ($15+). You have various options for your sides! I normally get cabbage, rice w/ beans, and greens, but their plantains and cornbread are also really good! For dessert, I would recommend their raisin rum. It was so good, I bought a pint to take home ($5). They're not heavily staffed, so be patient with your food. read more

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Reggae sounds wafting thru the false-ceiling rafters can't quite replace the robust smells of ganja, but I understand the legality issues. By far the biggest shocker was having the host/cashier/waitstaff (the only person taking orders) point out the "only three items we have," which were the jerk chicken, jerk chicken wings, and butterfly shrimp. (Talking about feeling like I was getting jerked around!) My wife was starving and had her salivating heart set on some authentic Jamaican cuisine, so we sat down. One other couple sat a few picnic bench tables away. Five minutes later our waiter took our order. Five minutes passed ... then 10 minutes ... 20 minutes our food arrived: Jerk chicken for her, butterfly shrimp for me. Sides (three per entree) included: cabbage, rice & beans, candied yams, plantains, salad (sliced lettuce & diced red peppers), and corn bread. Food portions were good and jerk chicken tasted good, not great. My shrimp were over-sizzled, the crusted crustaceans a bit too toasted for my taste and chewy not in a succulent way that I imagine butterfly shrimp to be. The dipping did not move the Wow dial up in any discernible way. The biggest overall bummer was the food's temperature: Decidedly not hot. What could we expect with the one server who now had to set tables for seven new guests (two who left after hearing the greatly diminished menu options). The VA Lodge ambiance of the place did not dress to impress, despite the hand-drawn map of the Island on the south wall. The three stars represents the food quality to value and my wife's generosity or I would have given the place two stars and felt I was being generous. I don't expect giving this eatery a second chance, unless my wife wants to. The best take-away was the free pint of rum raisin ice cream we got after checking in on Yelp! (And eating it in the car together with my wife spooning my servings as I drove us to pick up the kids from the baby sitter's. Almost nothing more romantic than my Honey scooping ice cream for me and us sharing the spoon!) I wrote this using my wife's Yelp because I didn't have a Yelp account. I've fixed that issue, so to see more reviews written by me, Ron Friedman, see my Yelp reviews or profile. --6/8/19 read more

Jamaica Jerk - Minimalist decor, but who doesn't appreciate a wall placard atlas of Jamaica, right? - Caribbean Near Me - Skokie, Illinois

My only issue with this restaurant are the limited hours. The guy who takes the orders is kind. They only do carry out and the food is good. I just wish they had extended hours. read more

I got the jerk chicken value meal, it came with Jamaican rice, plantains and 2legs and 2 thighs. The chicken literally falls off the bone it's slap ya mama good. It has Pepsi products tho ‍ read more

Jamaica Jerk - a plate of meat and rice - Caribbean Near Me - Skokie, Illinois

Just visited this place for the first time, loved it! I got my order to go. I got the jerk chicken lunch special with 2 sides, I got Mac& cheese and cabbage. The mac tasted like home cooking! It was delicious! The chicken fell off the bones so juicy and the jerk sauce was great, nice kick!! The inside of the place definitely has a very nice Jamaican vibe also! Made me immediately want to go back. I will visit them again! read more

The 3 stars are mainly for the service of the waiter, the owners son. It was 3 of us at the table and he got my order wrong. We all heard me say I wanted coconut shrimp but not him. For my entree I wanted coconut shrimp and he brought me a jerk chicken dinner even though I had already had jerk wing. Why would I order it a second time. My husband ordered jerk chicken but anyway. The jerk chicken was delicious. The cabbage, cornbread, and rice and beans were good too. All the food was nice and hot. I went there on a Friday around 1:30pm. The place is clean and in a pretty quiet neighborhood. Would I eat there again? yes. I just would have my order repeated to me. My granddaughter even enjoyed her fries. read more

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Was not impressed with this restaurant. Wanted jerk chicken on a Friday! Drove from Des plaines to get here, per the website they were open. Nope, closed! No sign on the door. C'mon!!! What jerk place is closed in a Friday?!!! read more

I walked through the warm summer rain to get a taste of the authentic Jamaican food I so missed, spicy jerked chicken marinaded and grilled to perfection, sweet plantains, red beans and rice. Jamaica Jerk is a bright, sleepy cafe just down Dempster Street in Skokie that I often passed because it looked closed. I'm glad I walked in the empty cafe this evening. I haven't had an island meal this good since my time in Jamaica. The chicken was tender and flavorful all the way to the bone. The plantains were beautifully caramelized. I finished my meal with homemade rum raisin ice cream. Oh My God! I couldn't get enough of the rum-rich creamy dessert, I went home with a pint and ate all of it within an hour. I'll be back to try more Jamaican favorites. Hopefully the kitchen will have what's on the menu. It seems that they ran out of half the menu. Jerk chicken (half chicken) with 3 sides for $12.90 Homemade ice cream $3.50 (scoop) $5.45 (pint) read more

Jamaica Jerk - Jerked Chicken with red beans & rice, plantains and cabbage - Caribbean Near Me - Skokie, Illinois

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The BEST Jamaican restaurant I've been to in Chicago. The chefs Paulette and Stanley cook all of their food made to order. This place is a great example of QUALITY over QUANTITY. I highly recommend Jamaica Jerk to all. read more

became my new favorite Jamaican chicken jerk spot. Wings were 5/5 from the first bite! Hreat amount of food for the price. Will definitely be seeing more of me! read more

The jerk chicken and curried goat ($13 and $16, respectively) were positively delicious. Rich, spicy and flavorful--with an extra container of sauce on the side. Both came with a generous portion of rice & beans and fried plantain (described below). The brown chicken stew ($13), not so great. We found it palatable, but decidedly bland and "lifeless." The brown stew at Clare's (at Emerson & Dodge, about 1/2 mile away) is clearly better. Side dishes and appetizers included: * Crab cakes ($6.25): Decent, if not outstanding; could have used a bit more crab. * Coconut shrimp ($6.50): Very light and flavorful--a real treat. * Cornbread ($1.30): A little dry and crumbly, but tasty nonetheless, and not too sweet--a welcome change from most other restaurant cornbread recipes (which are usually much closer to desert cake than bread). * Rice and beans (included): Very good, with a nice hint of seasoning; not the bland, mushy afterthought dish so often found at other Caribbean, Mexican, and South American eateries. * Fried plantains (included): Based on the fact that they were separately wrapped in saran and rather mushy, I suspect these may have been prepared earlier tonight, then microwaved just prior to serving. The flavor was fine, but the overcooked texture just didn't make the cut. Note: I absolutely adore plantains, but only when they're served sizzling off the griddle, and slightly crisp on the outside. Ordering them for take-out--from most anywhere--is usually disappointing. First (take-out) visit rating: 3.5 stars out of 5. We'll definitely be going back to try some of the other items on their surprisingly large menu, including the escovitch fish, conch fritters, island battered fish, and Jamaican collard greens. P.S. Our host and the chef (his wife, I suspect) were especially friendly and welcoming. That was a nice touch. read more

Jamaica Jerk - Caribbean Near Me - Skokie, Illinois

Love the food here! My gf and I stumbled on this gem by random. We love the jerk chicken and sauce. It's very flavourful and delicious. The staff is very friendly and the cook will randomly stop by to greet us and thank us for visiting, gestures like this from the staff is very nice. Will definitely keep coming here! read more

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I had looked this up because i had craving for some Jerk Chicken and it was not disappointing at all. There are faults like having only one waiter/cashier, but he was attentive to his customers! The long wait time was confirmed from one of the reviewers, but it was worth the wait. I would definitely order here again even for take out too! read more

Jamaica Jerk - Caribbean Near Me - Skokie, Illinois

Food is beyond delicious. Just wish they had normal hours right now. Been craving their jerk chicken during the shutdown.

This is an excellent restaurant! Their food is so succulent and delicious. Customer service was perfect and the owner was very friendly and talkative with me and my mother. I ordered the jerk chicken wings and my mom got the chicken curry. We were both very satisfied and the waiter was attentive. I also tried their ice cream which is unique and creamy! I'll be back! read more

I had the jerk chicken dinner and everything was amazing. The plantains are some of the best I've ever had. The chicken was literally falling off the bone! I took a meal to go :-) read more

The jerk chicken and the hibiscus-pineapple juice were excellent. I also loved the rum and raisin ice cream and the grape seed ice cream. So much flavor at the wonderful place! read more

This place is PERFECTION. The jerk chicken is the most delicious jerk chicken I've had in the Midwest. So moist and very balanced! The stout ice cream is TO DIE FOR (as for the super strong version). Grapenut icecream is also incredibly delicious, as is the rum cake. I wasn't a big fan of the rice and peas, but when everything else is so yummy, who cares? read more

Ehhhh... very mediocre! So I was toolin' down Dempster when I noticed a new Jamaican place opened up across from Herm's. Awesome, I love Jamaican food! So I put it on my list of places to make sure I hit just to try them out. The atmosphere is serviceable but nothing special. About what you'd expect from a run-of-the-mill suburban just opened and can't afford the good stuff yet restaurant. Nothing wrong with it, but you're not going to be wowed going into the place with the decor. The dining room was empty at 6PM on a Wednesday, which I thought was strange. Ken's diner just down the row in the strip was overly mobbed by comparison. That creates competition for parking, but there's a public lot just 1/4 of a block north that you can park in, which eases the pain greatly unless you're handicapped. It feels strange to write that a Jamaican place is bland on the spices but that's exactly what this place is. You know how there's a difference between spicy (tastes good) and hot (chemical heat)? Jamaica Jerk doesn't seem to know the difference, and serves food that while it's chemically (and temperature) hot isn't actually all that well spiced. I had the jerk chicken (since for some reason the jerk pork was not available) and while it looked like it was jerk chicken it was mainly just hot not spicy. (If I'm being truthful, it really wasn't all that hot either.) The big problem I have with Jamaica Jerk is the value, though. I had jerk chicken which was a bit more pricey than usual, and the portion size wasn't skimpy but was far from generous. My wife and an unlucky friend we brought with both decided on the seafood combo, which was $20 for three shrimp, a couple of fish sticks, and a crab cake. There's just not $20 worth of seafood there! (Barely $9 worth of seafood there any place else!) Additionally, even though the restaurant was completely empty when we went and no takeout orders were served, it took almost 50 minutes from the time we ordered until we received our food. One has to wonder if the cook ran out to buy the ingredients the moment we ordered. When we were served everything was hot so it wasn't sitting around, but no idea what caused the large delay in food preparation. Hate to compare it to the other Jamaican place in town but when you serve the same style of food the comparison is inescapable. Hands down after eating at both I'd eat at De Jred 10 times out of 10 before I'd eat at Jamaica Jerk again. It's not that Jamaica Jerk is bad per se, it's just not great and barely eeks into OK territory; the combination of relatively bland spicing, a very long cook time, and low-ish value for your money is just not a winning combination. read more

Amazing flavor! We've tried other Jamaican restaurants in the area and none compares! I tried the jerk chicken and it was so tender! ...It fell right off the bone and the balance of spicey to sweet was perfect. I had to go back a 2nd-time that same day to get more chicken for my family to try! We also had the rum cake which was so gooey and warm -fresh out of the oven -just like I remember having in Jamaica. This place is a gem and we'll continue coming back for consistently delicious and authentic food! read more

This is a outstandingly delicious food! And excellent vegetarian options!! The jerk tofu is not to be missed. And grape nut ice cream!

This didn't even taste like brown stew, it didn't even look like it. Please if you're going to serve Jamaican food make it SOMEWHAT Jamaican. My mom also ordered the jerk chicken and it looks like it was baked then they added jerk sauce. The only good thing that came out of it was the grapefruit ice cream. read more

Jamaica Jerk - Brown stew chicken - Caribbean Near Me - Skokie, Illinois

This place is sooo good. I've been meaning to try this place since moving to the suburbs. I felt compelled to support local business instead of just eating at big chain restaurants like Boston Market. I ordered the Jerk Chicken and came with 3 sides which totaled just under $15.00. When I opened the container it was so much food . My husband and I shared and got full off of one order. I ordered plantains, Mac and cheese, and rice with red beans as a side. The chicken was seasoned well with a little bit of kick but not overwhelming where you can't enjoy your food. Well worth the trip. I would highly recommend Jamaican Jerk. I've had quite a few experiences eating Jamaican food especially in the east coast where they have more choices for Jamaican jerk chicken and this is one of the best. read more

Best Jamaican ever! Best food but needs better opening time and service. Probably the best Jamaican chicken Jerk I have ever tasted. Resto needs more promotion. Everyone should try this tender and tasty Jamaican chicken jerk. read more

Stop in Jamaica Jerk New Place in Skokie for take out. Very inviting Dining Room plan to come back and eat in. Food was fresh authentic LOVED the Saltfish & Johnny Cakes, they were sold out of Conch Fritters so I will be back! Curry Goat was Delicious and portions was large. PS Staff was Super Nice! read more

Jamaica Jerk - Jamaica Jerk In Skokie Authentic Caribbean Food! - Caribbean Near Me - Skokie, Illinois

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Saturday night 7:00pm and they are out of so many things. No curry goat. No lettuce for salads. No jerk chicken wings. No white rice. No macaroni and cheese. No collard greens. And the wait time has been 47 minutes and counting. The guy told us 25 minutes.... read more

The food was fire!!! Omg, I had the rice n peas, plantain and jerk wings. I highly recommend! I wish they served beef patties.

Kind owners, good jerk, a lot for your money. Mac n cheese and greens were very good.

I was in the mood for jerk chicken, there were a few choices around me, i randomly chose this place as it was on my way home from work. The location is a little difficult to get to, when i first walked in i was a little weirded out to be the only person in the establishment. I decided to eat anyway, and boy was it worth it. They offer traditional fare with a handful of side, all homemade, although the chicken really stole the show. read more

A coworker and I went her today for lunch. The chicken was not fresh and had been warmed up probably in the microwave which would explain why the breast portion was so dry. The beans and rice were very bland. The collard greens were just ok. The french fries were blah as well. We were not impressed and some what disappointed to say the least. If I had to order from here again, I would only get the wings(which are party wings not whole wings) and fries... read more

The wait to get your food is extremely long. Went in there to order pick up and waited 45min. On a good note the food is delicious!!!!!! The portions/flavor all good. The corn bread did need some sweetness(sugar or honey). I'm definitely coming back. That jerk chicken is to die for but I wanna try their oxtails next. read more