Ja’ Grill Hyde Park

Food was great, I had the jerk wings. My friends had sides with half and they looked very generous. The staff was very polite and approachable. Definitely makes me feel comfortable to come back many times!

Met with a large group of friends here for dinner and drinks and had an amazing time. The jerk lamb chops were amazing as was the chicken and ox tails. Service was great as the whole staff was attentive and friendly. Stephanie the bartender was phenomenal and because of her we stayed till close. Gave 4 stars instead of 5 because the space needs better air conditioning, but I will definitely return the next time I’m in Chicago.

Tried this place today and I am so happy I did! I ordered (appetizer size) Jerk Ribs and Jerk Lamb. Neither disappointed! I am so happy I decided to try both as both were extremely deliciously tender. I also ordered the Rum Punch (yum meds). My friend ordered the oxtails with cabbage, plantains and rice and beans. Her food was DELISH as well lol. This place is a MUST TRY! You won’t be disappointed

While the drinks are very good, the food takes entirely to long to come to the table, plus our waitress was the best at keeping us abreast of when our fool would be ready or checking to see whether we wanted water while we waited for what had to be 30 – 45 min for food. Will I return, yes, but I’ll make sure that I’m not hungry

Okay food. Servings way too small. Million other better jerk places around the city. The atmosphere is nice, obviously, but the service sucks.

Ok… so me and one of my favorite friends decided to check out this South side popular jerk food eatery. We visited on the Friday of Memorial day weekend for lunch. When we walked in the place was empty with more than enough seating available. It’s not a big place and for some reason I imagined this place to be bigger. Maybe because when I think of jerk my mind automatically takes me to Jamaica, and then again to the Wild Hare with a live band playing Reggae music. I know, I know stick to the review so Ok back to the business. We opted to sit outdoors because it was a nice day. Again, the outdoor seating space is not very large, with around maybe 4 – 5 tables and now I see how this place can easily fill up and get really crowded fast. That wasn’t an issue for us at all and maybe that’s because it was lunch time. Our waiter (her name escapes me) was pretty friendly and informative on what was popular. I always scope the menu and reviews (typical foodie) out before hand so I already knew what I wanted. I still let her give me her waiter speech tho. We started off with the jerk wings and they were really good. Spicy with just the right amount of kick and if you wanted more kick, you have the option to get a hot jerk sauce or an even hotter jerk sauce on the side. I opted for the regular hot jerk sauce, but if you like it really hot, like 911 hot, they got what you want. For our entrees I ordered the jerk catfish and my friend ordered the salmon salad. Both were delicious! My jerk catfish was cooked to that crisp grill/​pit Jamaican perfection. The cabbage, plantains, and bread was delicious as well. My girlfriend salmon was also delicious and full of flavor. For dessert we shared the caramel apple bread pudding and boy was it delicious!!! Last but definitely not least we both ordered a rum punch. Now they gave us the option of a regular and one with more kick. I again opted for regular, I drive in low gear, and let me tell you regular had me buzzed so I can only imagine what the one with the bigger bang for your buck (It’s like $ 2 or $ 3 more in cost) will do. Seriously, two of these and you probably need to call a cab or be the passenger. I would like to go back on a weekend to see the flip side when it’s more of a crowd too and will revisit this review then. So all in all my experience was very good. I enjoyed everything, and Ja’Grill lived up to the hype I had been hearing. It was really Irie Mon! (e.g., for all good)

Ordered the traditional chicken plate, came with cabbage, bread, beans, rice & a cup of hot jerk sauce. I also ordered the kola champagne. Chicken was okay, good flavor but very dry, rice & beans tasted like uncle ben’s, cabbage was watery, probably from being frozen. Bread was delicious though. There are alot of jerk places in chicago, needless to say I wasn’t impressed with this place. It was just okay. With the competition out there for jerk places you gotta bring it!!! Also, the servings are small.

One of my favorite places to eat in Hyde Park!
I usually get the jerk lamb chops, jerk tilapia, jerk catfish, and I love the plantain and the veggie parties. I love the rum punch. I love spicy food however they do have a sauce that is death but muses well in food. If you have a hot tongue as me, ask them for that special sauce!
Depending on what time you get there will depend on your wait. One thing to do is make reservations or get there when they open. No wait time.
The servers are good but believe me they won’t over-​crowd you.
A must try.

I’ve been to Ja’ Grill frequently. I love the jerk wings as an appetizer. It is seasoned well and the spicy sauce on the side is just what I need for the extra kick. If you go here you have to try the rum punch. For me two glasses will have you ready to party afterwards. As a meal I get the large portion with half jerk chicken (because I love it that much) and half stew chicken (this stew chicken will change your life)!!! The music here is always great! This black owned business is the perfect flavor in Hyde park! This is a MUST try!!!

STAY AWAY — I wish Unilocal had a half-​star because that’s what this place deserves!
Food — I had the lamb chops, they were cooked and seasoned very well. The catfish — terrible, it tastes like it was cooked a day before and microwaved.
The service was absolutely terrible! My friend and I were sitting at the bar. I ordered a beer. I asked the bartender for a glass, she poured my beer in the glass. When I was just about to take my first sip, I noticed curly hair on the rim of the glass. I didn’t make a big deal. I discreetly told the bartender, things went pretty much downhill after that. She acted like I did something to her. This chick gave me attitude from the minute I mentioned the hair and wanting another glass and drink. She was so rude that I had to speak with two different managers. Never once did she apologize… throw a bone… nothing. Needless to say, I’ll spend my hard earned money elsewhere.

Ok food, terrible service
When we came in we were greeted by a rude host who kept forgetting how many people were in our party and made us stand infront of the bathrooms while we waited to get seated.
When we finally did get a table and ordered our drinks took about 15 minutes which seems a lot for a couple sodas and a bottle of beer. But that’s nothing compares to the fact that it took us about a hour and a half to get our food. Judging by the speed things came out of the kitchen it felt like they were cooking things one plate at a time. The kitchen was so slow that they had to stop seating people. Not to mention that I came in at 4 which is usually not a busy time for restaurants, I’d hate to see how things run during an actual lunch or dinner rush. Also a lady sitting in a table next to me told a waitress that her food was burnt (which it very obviously was) and the waitress argued with her and told her it was just charred. It was disappointing because I’ve heard good things about this place but I don’t think I’ll be going back.

I went here with a couple of friends having heard this is some of the best Jamaican food in the city. The food and drinks were quite good. I had the Jamaican curry as I was curious about it and I’d say it was good but I wasn’t blown away. This was however my first time with Jamaican curry and didn’t know what to expect. The jerk chicken my friends ordered was the best is ever tasted and if certainly recommend it to a friend. To boot the fried plantains were amazing. This place gets 4 stars as while the staff was really friendly and kind we were forgotten and it took us nearly 2 hours to get a table, order, and eat.

4 stars for Robin… the hostess very professional and accommodating!
That’s major.
Our waitress not so much… something was obviously bothering her.
THE FOOD:
lamb chops… a must… simply delicious nothing else needed!
Honey Jerk wings… ordered seconds! Yummy!
Jerk & curry shrimp and Jerk catfish seemed microwaved… I’m believing it was just an off day and willing to try one more time.
I really want to love everything about this place… however I was extremely disappointed with the rice and beans… barely seasoned and served room temp… bad combo.
Cabbage was decent. Beef and veggie patties delicious!
A few in my party complained about the light rum shots and the cost of $ 5 per shot… don’t indulge so can’t judge.
I will definitely come back… atmosphere was great for an early friday evening!!!
Dem’ lamb chops tho!

This place is definitely where everyone be at! I came on a Thursday and this place was packed! The waiter was so nice and attentive. He made sure we were comfortable and satisfied with everything. The oxtail and jerk chicken is a must! The jerk catfish is also delicious! And I love the drinks here it’s always strong and delicious!

This place is between 3 to 4 stars to me. It would be closer to 4 stars if we didn’t have to wait as long as we did. We were willing to wait the hour because we heard how good the food was. I will definitely revisit this review once I try more of the main entrees.
We ended up getting the beef patty (wish there was some sort of spicy dipping sauce that went with it, coco bread (delicious), plantains (just okay), and the Jerk shrimp (good, but very tiny portion size).
I wasn’t blown away by the food, but I will definitely be back to revisit the main entrees on the menu. Service was pretty slow, but I still loved the vibe of the place.

Love the environment, music, drinks and the food is amazing (Jerk Chicken). Service was awesome! The locations of this restaurant is modern and classy.
Enough said go jam and dine!

Daddy from Chicago, MAMA LOUISIANA!!! You mix that with this creole and you get Wesley Reign!
If you have no idea what I am referring to, please exit now. This is a Beyonce version of a Beyonce song. Not yet released yet! LOL AH, HA MOMENT.
Seriously, the JERK is the BEST. My hubby wanted to be el cheapo and buy 1 big plate. We tore it up. The rice (yum) nanas (yum yum). I wanted more, but did not wanna go overboard. They only take reservations on weekends so we ordered takeout and ate in our ‘tel lobby! Tear… …
I wanna go back and have a civilized meal next time. Oooh, they have booster seats for the mommies.

After waiting 45 minutes to receive my salmon salad it was served severely undercooked. I under salmon should have a slight pink center– this rare. I was sick to my stomach. This is on top of me waiting 15 minutes for someone to say hello and take my order. An hour of my time wasted. By the way, I love sushi… if I wanted sushi I don’t visit a jerk/​Jamaican inspired restaurant.
The noise level is extremely loud and the staff is running around even when the place had five tables empty, so a quarter empty and the place is slow in service.

I do not eat meat, first of all. But my partner does. We recently had a night to ourselves and decided to give this place a try. Service was pretty good and I really enjoyed my meal! Vegan Jamaican food that actually has some bass in it, who knew?! The vibe was buzzy, loungy and the crowd was impressively diverse. I am really glad this place is in HP. I’m no expert on what counts as authentic Jamaican food, but I had no complaints about the food I was served here.

The food was awesome!
I had the chicken jerk and could not complain. It was all delicious! The waitress was also nice and attentive. Definitely coming back.

everything was ahmazing!!! the lambchops grilled to perfection! the rum cake moist and melts in your mouth! ooh this was a wonderful dinner the bottle of riesling got me to the light!

My favorite restaurant in Hyde Park. The food and drinks is amazing. Great service and atmosphere.

Food and drinks are amazing here and the service is great. Def try their version of a long island so strong and delish. Also their honey wings and catfish are the bomb. I will definitely return soon.

I’m definitely a fan. I had the tilapia curry and it was delicious. I look forward to going back.

Well, as I am Jamaican I take my Caribbean food very seriously :)
This is a lovely little spot for several reasons. It’s perfect for date night on account of the atmosphere. It’s dimly lit and is saturated in the colors of Jamaica. It’s a sexy little spot and I got a table for 4 on a Thursday night rather quickly around 5:30…it quickly got packed a few minutes later though. It’s got a nice vibe and is located in a really hip area in Harper’s Court.
I could stand for a lot more heat on the food but everything was delicious and well portioned. I had the curry goat, jerk chicken, jerk ribs and beef patties (shared) I loved it all. Seasoned nicely. I had a Mango Colada and a Yellow bird to drink and both were really good! Expect to really taste the rum in the Yellow Bird… and these drinks aren’t over priced, just right. So even if you just want to get a couple apps and a few drinks it’s cool to sit back here and do just that.
I will be back because the food is good, the drinks are good and it’s a nice vibe.
And because I keep my reviews honest, this place looses a star for a couple of reasons. Nothing serious enough to keep me from coming back and not serious enough to not recommend going there.
It is loud in there. I loved the music that was playing but I couldn’t really hear it above everyone’s talking. Instead of hearing the sounds of Jamaica, all I heard was the collective gather of chatter. I would have preferred to hear the music better.
Second, our waitress was very robotic. She wasn’t rude or anything, just not friendly or engaging. Our order was taken correctly and brought out correctly, and she checked on the table properly and brought everything when asked. She just wasn’t fun and didn’t add to an experience.
The service overall is great. All of the food runners and bussers ran a smooth service. Other than the two things I mentioned, Ja Grill is a place to check out.

Several years ago, I went to Ja’ Grill in Lincoln Park with a friend. That was the first Jamaican restaurant I featured on my food blog. Well, the Lincoln Park location closed and the restaurant has moved to Hyde Park during the Hyde Park revitalization.
Being the son of a Jamican father, I am a bit more in tune with authenticity. The Ja’ Grill location in Lincoln Park had a bit more authenticity to it. The Hyde Park location seems to be holding back a bit, and part of that may be to pander to the local palates.
The curry chicken was tender, but very mild in flavour. The rice and beans didn’t have the hint of coconut milk in it that I was accustomed to tasting when eating my grandmother’s cooking. I must admit that the coco bread mentally transported me back to Negril. Also, the curry soup was a plus for the cold weather we’d experienced in Chicago.
I give high marks on the service. Having gone early in the afternoon, I was there before the dinner crowd. The Hyde Park location is more spacious, and I imagine it packs out nicely in the evenings. I will give the restaurant a few more months before a return visit

The food is good — the service is terrible — ive been there twice and eventually walked out of the restaurant on the 2^nd visit because I was disappointed that I waited at my table for 15 min and never saw a waiter/​waitress — I will give it one more try before I write it off.

Four family members decided to dine at Ja’Grill on a Tuesday evening. We arrived around 5:30 p.m. and were seating right away. The restaurant was ½ full but by the time we left it was completely full with people waiting by the door. Our waiter, Steven, was excellent. Very helpful in explaining the menu choices and offering drink advice. I had a combination plate of jerk catfish and chicken. It was very good. Their cabbage was excellent and the rice and beans were as well. The portion size was average. I would say that the waiting time from ordering to our food being brought to the table was just a little longer than normal but not exceptionally bad.
I think the seating is too close for this small restaurant. You can hear everybody’s conversation in front of you, in back of you… just all around. I complained to my son that the place was too noisy for me and he said that’s because it’s a bar and grill. Well I’ve been to bar and grills before but the noise level at this place was just awful for me. I couldn’t enjoy our conversation because it just seemed to intermingle with all the other conversations in the place. I don’t like to talk loud but I felt I had to do that to be heard and after awhile I actually started getting a headache. I was glad to leave and if I go back it will probably be for lunch and not dinner. Maybe the lunch hour is a little quieter and not so cramped.

3.5!
I’ve been twice. The first time I wasnt impressed. Got the jerk chicken, it could have been better, kind of dry. The specialty drinks aren’t that great.
Second time I got the jerk catfish, way better. Service was still slow though. Drinks were better.
You can honestly get better food at the hood jerk chicken store fronts !
However, the atmosphere is pretty good.

I love Ja’ grill. the food is pretty good, people are nice the vibe is great! Also, given the quality that you get, it is pretty cheap!!!
They have nice tables outside, so conditional on Chicago weather, you can enjoy your meal in the Harper court. But the décor inside is quite nice too!
I hope that they can stay in the neighborhood for long! we are really happy you joined us!

THIS REVIEW IS ABOUT THE «SERVICE» NOT The Food …
I don’t usually write reviews but tonight I had a hankering for some jerk chicken from one of my favorite places… so we walked into Ja Grill Hyde Park. A spot i Love… The Hostess was on the phone for quite a while… so we went and took a seat. She got off and asked us to return because she needed to seat us «…in case there was a reservation» There clearly WAS NOT a reservation and the restaurant was ¾th’s empty. While we are waiting two guys came in behind us without a reservation and out of SPITE she went and gave them the table that we were waiting on. #BitchMove101 … Had dinner at Promontory:)

Everytime I go to Chi-​town I try to get to Ja’Grill. Service is always great. Yummy food, great portions and awesome music. The food is seasoned well and I love that I can combine the platters b/​c it’s really hard to choose between goat curry and jerk chicken (I don’t think it says it on menu but they allow it when I ask w/​an upcharge). The plantains are great as are the beef patties. Good place for groups too.

Good drinks, music, and food. Love the honey wings and oxtails. Make reservations for the weekend!

This place deserves a solid 3.5 stars but that is not an option. For a match up between Uncle Joe’s and Ja’ Grill, scroll to the bottom.
Appetizer: My patty took awhile to get and then appeared to be microwaved! I know the difference. I bake mine and patron other Jamaican bakeries and was sad to have paid $ 4 plus tax and tip for a microwaved dish. The outer texture of the dough and the sunken center were the immediate clues to a microwaved dish.
Entrée: I ordered the large jerk chicken dish, because why only get two pieces for $ 12 when you get an half chicken meal for $ 14? I really liked their cabbage, but everything else was ok. The peas and rice were dry so I used jerk sauce on them and the three small plantains were also dry. The plantains are more of a garnish then an actual included side. The chicken was actually very tender, but lacked the flavor I was expecting so I just dumped more jerk sauce on it.
Dessert: I ordered the apple caramel bread pudding. It was the best thing they had out of everything I ordered! It is a big portion and the caramel sauce is just sweet enough and not too thick. Well done.
Staff: The hostess was nice, but clearly overwhelmed trying to manage her station and assist the servers. My waitress was kind, but may have been only one or two servers on duty on a busy weekend afternoon. From what I’ve read, this seems to be a consistent issue when dining here. Needless to say service was slow, but they tried to be attentive.
Environment: The layout of the tables and hostess/​host stand is awkward. I was seated by the door, which meant people had to come through my table to get out, while I was eating. The décor is nice and vibrant and the ambiance elevates their overall rating. I just think they need to re-​structure the table layout and host stand.
Overall, I would revisit knowing the food to be of C+ or B– quality. The ambiance and location is an A. The dessert also gets an A. Street parking nearby.
**In Hyde Park and trying to choose between Uncle Joe’s and Ja’ Grill?**
Put it this way, if Ja’ Grill hired the chef at Uncle Joe’s, that spot would be fyah (fire)!
For ambiance (date or girl’s night out), choose Ja’ Grill. For better food, choose Uncle Joe’s.

Really cool Caribbean spot in Hyde Park first time here nice atmosphere. Outdoor, indoor seating and bar seating. Great for going out to have drinks and get a bite to eat. One of the first jerk restaurant I’ve been to that actually delivers what they described on the menu. Very casual spot near a small shopping center. The service was excellent.
The food was really good for and appetizer we had a beef and curry chicken patty. My dinner was ribs rice and beans and cabbage. The ribs were super tender the rice and beans were the perfect texture the cabbage wasn’t as tender or as seasoned to my likening but over all everything was really good. This is the only Jerk spot that has got and mild jerk sauce (thank you). I had the Lake Park rum cocktail which was super amazing I recommend to anyone who likes sweet drinks. I will go here again I really want to try the jerk Catfish.

Ok if you have ever ever in your life been to Uncle Joes in Hyde park Continue!
We ordered the jerk wing appetizer it came with 5 winglets…$ 6 this made me nervous but I continued on. Huge mistake!!! Next I ordered the jerk chicken meal which comes in small $ 12…now if you know about Jerk chicken you know your always over served so I’m thinking a small would be enough… WRONG!!! You get a anorexic chicken leg and thigh… the food wasn’t good the jerk chicken doesn’t have that grilled taste. Our bill $ 40.Without drinks. won’t be back

I really don’t understand what all the negative reviews are about. Maybe people went on a wrong day but I went on the right one because my experience at Ja Grill was AMAZING. I just left there, so I’m providing this review as it’s fresh on my mind. Starting from the door, a friendly waitress came and greeted me right away and allowed me to sit anywhere I desired as I waited for my guest to join me. She immediately came over with a menu and glass of water and stated that if I wanted anything while I waited she was more than happy to get it for me. I appreciated her willingness to be accomodating while I waited for my other party.
So after my other party arrived, she came back and immediately introduced us to the specials along with providing her honest option on the entrees. She was so good, she didn’t need a pen and paper to remember anything.
We started with the Honey & Jerk Wings and Beef Patty! DELICIOUUUUUUSSS!!! OMG. We accompanied our meal with drinks a Rum Punch for me a Long Island for him. We were pleased with the strength of our drinks. I’m definitely feeling it as I type this review. From there we had our entrees Lamb Chops, Jerk & Curry shrimp, Cabbage, Plantains and Rice & Beans. Every bite was heaven!!! Do you hear me!!! Omg!!! The Lamb was so freaking tender. Listen, you reading these words won’t do this place any justice. Try it for yourself. Please! Oh and I took home the Apple carmel bread pudding… just took a bite and did the Good Food Happy Dance. You know what I’m talking about. Food is so delicious you can’t help but break out in a Happy Dance

I love Jamaican food. I make curry goat and jerk chicken myself. So I was eager to try this popular place. It was hopping all the tables were occupied and it was busy. We just missed the rum tasting. Darn.
So there was three of us. We lucked out and got the last open table. The cocktails were well done. The wine list is essentially non-​existent. The food was just okay. My wife had the catfish and it was baked not fried. It was okay but not something to come back for.
I had the curried goat that was easily half gristle. What I had was decent but light on the curry. After mentioning it to the waitress, she said that a lot of people had returned the goat. Why would you wait until after serving the goat would you tell a guest? They offered to comp us dessert but we had had it. They did not discount the food. (A sign of poor focus on pleasing your customer. Especially if a lot of folks had the same reaction.)
Service was okay. Had to wait for 15 minutes for a drink to arrive.