Under The Table Restaurant

This place does not look very impressive from the outside looking in. However, the food has never disappointed and the staff always friendly.
The jerk chicken is great. Full of flavour. The oxtail is fantastic! I would get this every time. The meat is tender and melts in your mouth. I also appreciate that they don’t skimp on the meat for every dish.

Finally had the food here given the great reviews. Had the jerk chicken and it was solid. Overall the hype here is well deserved. Around Cabbagetown, you won’t go wrong here.

Hubby and I came to Toronto for my birthday weekend in April. We were looking for Jamician cuisine and found Under The Table in the Unilocal App. After reading the reviews we were looking forward to trying new food in Toronto.
The food was delicious! I had ox tails and hubby had jerk chicken. We received plates FULL of food which we couldn’t finish and ended up taking it home with us. Kim was very sweet. I liked the scenery with candles and dim lighting. Perfect for two. It is small and we did have to wait a few minutes for seating but it was worth it.
I recommend to anyone looking for Jamician food. This is the spot!

Love love this place!!! Everything was delicious! Jerk chicken was moist and well-​seasoned. Great ribs and oxtail! Yummy tropical drink!!! Out-​of-​this-​world funnel cake! Best dinning experience I’ve ever had

Wifey and I came here for brunch during May two-​four and wanted to try a new place on the east end because we didn’t want to deal with the throngs of people lining up for breakfast at the west end.
We were greeted by Kim, who acknowledged my Raptors gear and started talking game 3 with me, and she was kind enough to walk me through the menu. Of course there are your safe choices, including a $ 5 Saturday breakfast special, but I always prefer the road less travelled, so I decided on the lamb sausage with curry lentils while my wife enjoyed the ittani. The waffles were amazing and the lamb sausage was bomb. I must add, though, that you have to ask for the ghost sauce, made from Scotch bonnets, if your stomach can handle the heat.
Some tips and points:
— amazing staff chat them up and don’t be shy!
— little details like cucumber water and the coffee has special ingredients that bring out the coffee flavour, like cinnamon
— if you like it hot, grab the special ghost sauce made from Scotch bonnets/​habanero peppers
Thanks for reading and I hope you will enjoy this place as much as my wife and I did. We’ll be back for dinner! Bottle up that hot sauce for me!

Maybe our expectations for this place were too high… After reading many positive reviews on Unilocal,we couldn’t wait to try this place.
We came here on Friday night for dinner (at around 7). The place was smaller than we thought, probably ten tables or so? It wasn’t packed so we got seated right away.
Both dishes we ordered (jerk chicken and oxtail) didn’t have that much of flavor. The chicken was on the dry side, but oxtail was very tender. Generous portion, and it came out to be a very well balanced meal with salad and rice on the side.
Overall, not worth making a trip just to eat here. If you are around the area and want to have a good amount of food, this will do. There was nothing memorable about this place.

The food is pretty good but it could be a hit or a miss. Not sure if it’s timing or just the chef but there were times where the food was very good but there were times where the food was not cooked fully or prepared in a rush. There have been times also where I saw the waiter/​waitress fight with one of the patrons. It’s a good food place so it’s worth a try.
Food: 3/​5, I’ve gotten the chicken/​waffles very good. The jerk wrap is a bit watery and not as good. Some other people that came with me got the ribs and this is where we thought the food was done in a rush (not fall of the bone; rather, frozen to cook)
Service: 2.5÷5, it’s ok but them fighting with patrons sometimes can be putting-​off as you can hear the yelling. They are not as attentive but I don’t think this is a place that does that generally.
Ambiance: 3/​5, not bad, very diner feel and home-​y.
Price: 3/​5, average around $ 15 – 20 per person. Nothing spectacular

So hard to find amazing food in Toronto for under $ 15 these days. This restaurant kills it by providing unreal flavour, great prices, large portions, AND awesome service. 5 stars!
Ordered the jerk plate btw

We came for brunch this past Saturday morning and were pleased to find that all the great things people say about this establishment are true.
Prices were excellent and the portions were generous. It did take a little while to get our food, but you get the feeling that it’s made with care and love. Kim did mention that she was training someone new. So a little understanding was not a problem for us. My Chicken and waffles were so delicious. I love both chicken and waffles, but I’m not a fan of overly sweet food. UTT, does a savoury version that was right up my alley. My partner’s Prime Rib Benny was outstanding. Such great flavours and the hollandaise was outstanding.
In every review, you read how Kim, the owner is the best. She’s very real, caring and so great at anticipating the needs of her customers. We will be back the next time we’re in the neighbourhood, Kim. Thanks for the awesome brunch!

What we had: jerk chicken poutine, ox tail dinner, tiramisu cake
Taste: ⁹⁄₁₀
The food here is flavourful and if that’s not enough they provide a hot sauce with a great kick. I was a little worried that the jerk chicken would be dry, but it was not dry at all! The poutine was solid and I particularly enjoyed it with their hot sauce.
Steven had the oxtail dinner, which was good in terms of flavour but the oxtails seemed to be overcooked. Some of the oxtails were hard to chew and a little dry on the inside. The rice was really good with the hot sauce. Did I mention their hot sauce is delicious? Haven’t had hot sauce like that in any other restaurant.
Tiramisu cake was good but didn’t actually have any coffee flavour so it was really just… a slice of cake. Didn’t seem to be made in house. The funnel cake that everyone is raving about in the other reviews wasn’t available when we went. Wanted to try that out.
They serve water with cucumber in it so it tastes refreshing.
Value: 7.5÷10
I forgot the prices of the individual items, but I do remember the total price.
**Average cost per diner: $ 20 after tax and tip
Service/​Convenience: ⁸⁄₁₀
This place has a sign facing the street, but you would have to go down a flight of stairs to enter the restaurant. The inside of the restaurant was not very spacey and tables are packed closely together. We were lucky that we went in the time that we did, because we took the last non-​reserved table. This place gets packed FAST.
When we entered, we were felt a little misplaced as the server at the counter did not try to engage us. It felt like we had to make some effort to get her attention at first. Once we did get her attention, she seated us quickly and took our orders quickly. As she was taking our orders, she seemed to be very distracted by something.
Our food came after a long wait that day. The owner later explained that it was due to their delivery person being late and throwing a tantrum when he was confronted about his tardiness, so I won’t hold that against the restaurant. That was why the owner and likely the server were so stressed.
The owner was nice and she even gave us an extra slice of tiramisu cake on the house as an apology for the wait. :)
Would go back? Maybe, this restaurant is fairly out of the way for us but we might come back when we’re craving solid Caribbean food.
Would recommend to friend? Yes, if they enjoy Caribbean food.
Similar places: None that we know of.
**Disclaimer: Average cost per diner constitutes the amount (per person) we eat to get full without drinks. Total cost is usually divided between 2 diners, one of whom can regularly eat 7 slices of XL pizza

I came on a Sunday evening and made sure to make a reservation because fellow Unilocalers had mentioned it was a small place. In the end, I’m very glad to have tried it and enjoyed it all.
Staff: I didn’t catch the name of the lady serving us, but she was very friendly and personable. They were definitely on top of clearing dishes and providing fresh utensils which provided this great sense of comfort.
Ambience: It’s definitely a cozy place. Dark wood all around, a television airing sports and music that I grew up listening to (Lauryn Hill FTW!). It had a great sense of welcome.
Food: They provide cucumber water and it was quite refreshing especially since there are so many spices. I had the Coconut Shrimp to start which unfortunately overcooked. It probably would’ve benefited if they had use jumbo shrimp. However the coconut coating was light and the dipping sauce was yummy. I had the Jerk Chicken Dinner which was jerk chicken with rice, a garden salad and coleslaw. It was so filling and very yummy. Excellent jerk! Lastly I had shared the funnel cake and it was probably the best dessert I’ve had in a long time. It was fresh, it was topped with all kinds of berries and a giant scoop of ice cream. It was heavenly!
I definitely want to come back and try their wraps because they sounded delicious too.

Do you miss the Caribbean? Are you longing to go back on a cruise so you can experience that Caribbean flavour of food you missed so much while intoxicated with Jamaican rum on your last all inclusive resport. Well here’s your place!
Under the table simply put has some of the best food TO has to offer. Their jerk chicken and fried chicken are things that cause prison riots. The super secret funnel cake is so good, you’ll think the one you get at wonderland every year tastes like wet diapers from a 76 year old senior citizen.
If you like Caribbean food, or just eating in general do yourself a favour and come here.

Came here after seeing the positive reviews
Jerk chicken is delicious. Cooked really well and excellent flavors. Its probably the best that I’ve had.
Oxtail dinner is really good as well. As others mentioned, the meat just falls off the bone… I didn’t even use my knife once. The sauce was great too.
And to top it all off, extremely good value and friendly service!

This tiny hole in the basement wall is all about value. What you pay for the food here is far outweighed by the value you get.
Heaping portions, service with a smile, authentic food catered to the Torontonian taste — it’s Jamaica food with a touch of refinement at a normal Jamaican restaurant price point.

Had a wicked brunch here yesterday with fellow Unilocaler Meena A. and our SO’s.
We all really enjoyed the food (I had chicken and waffles for the first time ever!), and the owner was so cool.
For the price point, quality and quantity you get here, you really can’t go wrong.

After I kept hearing about this restaurant and reading the great reviews I finally managed to organize a brunch date with my girlfriends to check this place out. Boy am I glad that I did because it certainly met up with my high hopes.
It’s not a fancy place by any means but it certainly delivers on food and service! We went for brunch around 11am on a Saturday and it was about half full… but an hour or so later there was a line at the door so make reservations or come a bit earlier.
First the restaurant is located down some stairs in case you are trying to find it. Don’t be expected to be blown away with the décor — it does look dated but who cares if the food is good. right?
I’m assuming the owner Kim was the one serving us that day and she is a pleasant delight! Genuinely a nice person. I ordered the lamb sausage with the curry lentils and the scrambled eggs dish. I also had their brunch special drink which is all kinds of delicious — it’s mixed berries with chardonnay with coconut juice and some other good stuff in there. It’s an absolute must have delight. The lamb sausage was delicious and a big portion (not some shriveled up piece of meat) and it wasn’t that typical game-​y taste to it. The curry lentils was lovely and I scooped them up with the bread that comes with your dish. I can’t comment on the eggs because I don’t really like eggs but since it came with the dish (most brunch dishes do) I just left them. It does take a bit of time for the dishes to come but I think they are making them fresh — not like some other places that make them before hand and then just warm them up.
I’m looking forward to coming here again but this time to try out their dinner menu! The oxtail seems to be a favourite and I’m looking forward to another great meal.
Check in Unilocal off of 10% off (not lunch specials though).

We visited a couple of months ago on a Saturday around 12:30 PM, going out of our way to walk from Union Station to this place (35 minutes at a leisurely pace!) and overall, while I was really excited to visit this spot after reading the glowing reviews, personally, it was only slightly above average and wasn’t a total 5 for me.
We were seated promptly by, who I can only assume, is the famous Kim (although she wasn’t as overtly friendly the morning we visited — she later mentioned that she had a cold and wasn’t feeling too well). We ordered: a) the chicken and waffles topped with crispy bacon and maple berry sauce ($ 13.00), and b) the Sunday Special eggs benny with avocado and smoked salmon ($ 9.00). The chicken and waffles were decent but a large portion of it was dark meat the morning we visited, which I’m not personally a fan of. The waffles themselves were crispy, fluffy, and I actually ended up liking the waffles more than the actual meat! The eggs benny was fine, if not a bit salty, and the home fries were nothing more than your usual seasoned potatoes. Overall, the meal was pretty ordinary (aside from the insanely delicious waffles!).
Seating is minimal, so call ahead and book a reservation. If we’re ever in the area again, perhaps we’ll stop by and try out the other menu options, but we won’t go out of our way to try it out again like we did for our first visit.
For two people, with tax and tip, our total came to around $ 28.

I was really hyped for this place, given the amazing reviews on Unilocal,but I guess I set the bar and expectations too higher. We came for dinner and I had the oxtail dinner while my friend had the signature salad. The oxtail fell right off the bone, but I found the dish a tad too salty and strong in flavour. The salad was very well done, with mango, almonds, grilled chicken, and a tangy cranberry sauce. The speed and quality of service did leave something to be desired though, we found service quite slow and had to flag down a waiter for something. Contrary to other Unilocal experiences, I didn’t find my server friendly, if anything she seemed more pushy and annoyed.
It is a small restaurant, with around 20 seats, so if you’re coming in a big group, or just to be on the safe side, I’d say make a reservation beforehand. Also, they have a black curtain/​cloth right behind their door, which makes it look completely dark inside the restaurant when looking in, so just push the door to come in, even if it looks closed and dark inside!

This restaurant will forever be known now as the restaurant that popped my Unilocal Check-​in cherry. Kim who runs the show in the front is extremely hospitable and makes you feel right at home so I finally checked-​in somewhere for the first time, against my personal weird privacy philosophy, for the 10% discount but mostly for hoping to do something nice for her.
This place is not only seemingly a hole-​in-​the-​wall, but a hole-​in-​the-​basement wall, that i would not have volunteered myself to go down save the wonderful Unilocal reviews for this place. And Unilocalers were right, the food here is as good as it gets.
I ordered the oxtail that fell off the bone with the delicious rice and peas. Next time, I need to have me some of that jerk chicken and some waffles. Yum!

It’s been on my list for EVER and finally finally finally, I can mark this off with a big fat 5 star.
When I got there, I was already prepared for the down-​the-​stairs, «wait, is this it?» moment. So don’t expect to be blown off your toes with the décor. Inside is a clean, slightly dated look with a mirrored bar.
First off, Kim is so sweet and helpful. As my party ordered, she made sure to warn us about the Jerk Chicken Spice-​o-​Meter, asking each of us what our spice level was. One adventurous friend said «7»…and his eyes were watering near the end. One other friend said «3» and her dinner was sufficiently spicy by my standard! I ordered the oxtail dinner ($ 15), which comes with rice and peas and coleslaw. The oxtail was melting in my mouth. I’d barely had my first mouthful and I was swooning. It was SO good. Highly recommend. In fact, when I come back, I may do the unfoodie thing and order the same thing again. Each dish is made to order, so everything is freshly cooked, but takes a bit of time (15 min)
For the finale, even though we were all stuffed, because their portions are fantastic, we ordered a funnel cake to share. This funnel cake was HUGE and for $ 6, it was a steal! Freshly deep fried, topped with vanilla ice cream, maple syrup and blueberries and strawberries… oh goodness, it was so good. But sharing is caring — this was a big dish.
Fantastic place! Love and will keep spreading the love.