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The Jerk Shack

4.2 (788 reviews)
ModerateCaribbean
Closed 11:00 am - 8:00 pm
Updated 1 month ago

Order The Jerk Shack Takeout or Delivery

The Jerk Shack Photos

Business Info

THE JERK SHACK ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Casual
Classy
Good for kids

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Recommended Reviews - The Jerk Shack

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Reviews With Photos

Marquel L.

After nearly three years of hearing the hype around Jerk Shack, I finally made it in during our 4th of July week trip. It was worth the wait. The jerk chicken is the star of the show. Perfectly seasoned, packed with flavor, and cooked exceptionally well. Every bite reminded me why this place has such a strong reputation. Couldn't tell if it was baked or grilled, I'm leaning towards baked. A special shoutout to Unitas for the excellent customer service. Friendly, welcoming, and attentive throughout our visit. The sides were a mixed bag. The mac and cheese looked better than it tasted, and the cabbage reminded me of the filling in a Chinese egg roll. But those collard greens? Outstanding. Tender without being mushy, full of flavor, and didn't need a drop of hot sauce. The chicken and greens alone are enough to bring me back. If you've been thinking about trying Jerk Shack, don't wait as long as I did.

Trying for the first time!
Frankie M.

Place is hidden just off main highway. The place can get packed real quick since there aren't too many tables and space is small. The menu is basically à la carte! Food was good but nothing out of this world. Lady that took my order was very nice and explained how everything works after telling her I was new. Overall, not a bad place but it does gets expensive with separate sides.

Rex C.

Giving this place a five stars on the chicken. It was top notch. Food: the fried chicken was real good! Full of flavor and very crispy. That was great. The jerk chicken was decent. The rice was ok. The Mac and cheese was dry and not that cheesy. I will definitely come back and try more things off their menu. I just got the wrong sides. Chicken was great. Attention management! Your floors and tables are extremely sticky. You must fix this

Fried chicken with rice and peas, plantains on the side.
Selly J.

Service was well, polite and friendly. Once our order was placed, we received the food within 10-15 minutes. Food was fresh, even after arriving an hour before closing and well cooked. Rice had a decent amount of spice, not overwhelming or easily noticeable. The chicken was fried to perfection and the same of the plantains. Definitely worth a visit!

Michelle L.

If you crave Jamaican food, you have come to the right place! Oxtails and jerk chicken are staple and our go to! We've tried the wings and fried chicken as well - cannot go wrong with those options too. Sides we have tried are the rice and peas, Mac n cheese, greens, plantains, yams, and coco rolls! Food so good my eyes close and puts me in a state of euphoria! The flavors are bold and robust! Come early as they do run out of oxtails and wings! Fun facts - Michelin Star and featured on Guy Fieri's Diners, Drive Ins, and Dives! Veteran, Minority, and Women Owned!

Curry Chicken
David J.

Never disappoints!!! Every time we eat here we always enjoy the food. I would love to eat these dishes with regular utensils instead of plastic, but I understand why they do it. Don't skip this place for the best Curry Chicken in Texas!

The chicken combination plate (jerk and fried chicken) along with marsala fries and brown sugar yams. GET THIS!
Michael B.

Visited the top-rated Jamaican restaurant 'The Jerk Shack' in San Antonio the other day. The place was featured on Guy Fieri's Triple-D show, and I can see why. The interior's rather busy but it's livened up by the wall collages and interesting art. There's a picture of Stan Lee that comes out of nowhere but...hey, Excelsior! :-) Had their signature plate of jerk chicken, fried chicken, marsala fries and yams with brown sugar. Absolutely delish, the fried chicken was perfectly done and both the yams and fries had a delectable sweetness. Some reviewers on Yelp have complained the jerk seasoning was too spicy-hot. Spicy? Yeah, if you normally eat nothing but ketchup or communion wafers, sure. But it's nothing compared to local Thai or Tex-Mex. This place scores a 5 out of 5 on the 'CTJ Scale', as noted below. 5 out of 5 stars: Come-to-Jesus good. Would be OK passing away after finishing a plate here. 4 out of 5 stars: Come-to-Mary good. Would be OK having a nosh here with Mother Mary. 3 out of 5 stars: Come-to-Joseph good. Would be OK having a beer here with Jesus' Dad. 2 out of 5 stars: Come-to-the-Apostles good. Meh. Wouldn't have my last supper here. 1 out of 5 stars: Come-to-Nobody good. I wouldn't have my penultimate supper here, either.

Menu
Mike L.

The Jerk Shack is a really solid spot overall. The food was the highlight across the board. The curry shrimp plate was amazing--rich, flavorful, and cooked perfectly. The fried chicken definitely lived up to the hype, crispy on the outside and juicy inside. The jerk chicken was also really good, though I was hoping for a bit more heat to really bring that authentic kick. It was just a few things that kept it from being a 5-star experience for me.  It seems that the  service and overall ambiance didn't quite match the quality of the food. The restaurant felt like a fast food type of place. When we arrived, staff were eating and drinking at the counter while we were trying to ask questions and place our order, which made the experience feel a bit unpolished and inattentive. Those are things that are correctable and could be different on the next visit. Despite that; the food and the flavors alone make this place worth trying.

Ox tail plate
Katie G.

The jerk shack was absolutely delicious! We went with some friends and together we got a little bit of everything so we could try a lot. They have a variety of options but it's not an overwhelming menu. It was our first time having jerk chicken but everything we ordered was seriously so good! The service was great. The employees were nice and the food was pretty quick and definitely fresh. The spot was nicely decorated, lots of natural light and plenty of options to choose from. We enjoyed the spot overall.

Mixed chicken plate with fries and Mac n cheese
Johnny H.

I got the mixed chicken plate which comes with jerk chicken and fried chicken as well as 2 sides. I chose Mac n cheese and masala fries based on their recommendations and added the coco honey butter rolls. The rolls were soft and pillow-like but maybe a little too greasy from the butter. Mac n cheese was average. The fries though were heavenly and seasoned with the perfect blend of spices. Both types of chicken were good, but I preferred the jerk over the fried chicken. The fried chicken was crispy but didn't stand up to the spices of the jerk chicken. If I'm ever in the area again I'll definitely be back to try their other dishes.

Oxtail plate
Janel F.

My husband and I visited The Jerk Shack today, and everything about our experience was excellent from start to finish. My husband ordered the oxtail plate, and I had the fried chicken plate with mac and cheese, rice with peas as my sides--all absolutely delicious! Every bite was full of flavor and clearly made with love. The chef personally came over to ask how we enjoyed our food, and I told her, "10/10. Highly recommend." She was so kind and offered to let us try the bread with coco honey butter (I cannot recall the name) and the yams--on the house! Let me just say... man oh man, were they good. I'd never had yams before, but theirs were so flavorful and perfectly sweet that I'm officially a fan now. I can't believe it took me this long to try it finally. The food, service, and hospitality at The Jerk Shack were all top-notch. The decor and dining area are good. Parking is a bit scarce. We'll definitely be back soon for a third time.

Interior
Esme N.

Food is expensive, but really amazing, so it's worth it. My group of three shared a mixed chicken plate (with grilled and fried chicken) and a curry chicken plate. Everything was hot and delicious. My favorite was the cheesy grits - so tasty! However, they had the Jamaican music going a little loud. This wouldn't have been that big of a problem except they had the TV playing World War Z at about the same volume. So we were trying to enjoy our food while listening to both chill island music and people screaming as they were getting killed by zombies. It was funny for like 5 minutes, but we couldn't really talk to the people we were eating with because of how chaotically loud everything was. But still, I'd go back and take friends to try the chicken and cheesy grits!

Doretta W.

Its been a while since I visited this shack. Long over due. My experience today was not what I remember. The curry chicken had an adequate flavor but nothing amazing. The cabbage and rice were good. The service was nice and helpful when I ordered but she spent so much time on her phone.

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2 months ago

Amazing food, great service. Everything I have ever had there is great. Jerk Chicken, Fried Chicken...great sides!

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1 month ago

Food was fresh & so good , customer service was excellent also . The yams was so good and omg the jerk chicken was amazing

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1 year ago

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The Jerk Shack Reviews in Other Languages

Ask the Community - The Jerk Shack

Are they BYOB?

Yes. They are BYOB. On my last visit, there was no corkage fee too.

Hello Yelp! My Wife and I eat gluten free. Are there decent options here? Are they conscious of such things? Thanks!

Unless she has some secret gluten ingredients, the jerk, rice & peas and oxtail dishes should be gluten free. I would ask Chef what kind of flours she uses for everything else (like the fritters and fried chicken)

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I went to the new brick and mortar restaurant on New Braunfels near Carson. It used to be a…read moreTank's Pizza from back in the day before Tank's moved. I could tell by the parking lot signs. I went inside and noticed how big and spacious it was inside. The service at the counter was friendly. I ordered a beef patty, jerk shrimp with rice and peas and cabbage and a ginger beer. The ginger beer was spicy but it wasn't anything that I would order again. The shrimp, cabbage and rice and peas were delicious. The beef patty was a little burned but still good. I'll return to try their other items in the future. I'm grateful that a Jamaican restaurant opened up a little closer to me and I didn't have to drive further out to San Pedro and 410 or 151 and Military. I wonder if this is the same Little Jamaica that used to be off Walzem and 35 back in the 2010s.

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The Jerk Shack - caribbean - Updated July 2026

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