Back A Yard

Great, casual place downtown. Jerk dinners come complete with salad, fried plantains and some of the most delicious rice I’ve ever eaten! Their own jerk sauce is tasty and spicy, but not too, too much — just perfect for both me and my husband. We couldn’t decide if we liked the chicken or pork better. Love the Corn Festivals (a version of a hush puppy) for their name as much as for their deep-​fried crispness.
For the more adventurous, Back A Yard has oxtails and goat — jerk or BBQ. They also have BBQ, which we’re taking to-​go for the girl, who doesn’t much like spice.
Very warm and friendly atmosphere, as well as yummy food. We’ll definitely be back!

Super tasty and you definitely get a lot of bang for your buck! This was my first time trying jerk chicken and I was not disappointed at all. The restaurant has a nice homey feeling and the dishes seem very authentic and were very flavorful. I didn’t know plantains could be so delicious. The only con is the parking – had to park a couple blocks down (but this is expected in downtown san jose).

Nice place for Jamaican type food. My wife loved the ox tails. The jerk chicken i thought was pretty good too. Must have the chicken. Be sure to check the hours, they close between lunch and dinner.

The ox-​tail is amazing here!!! I’m drooling just thinking about it. The meat is fall-​off-​the-​bone tender, with bits of gelatinous goodness, served over rice and plantains. The deep flavor of this dish must have been simmered for hours, with lots of TLC. This is definitely a must try!!! I can’t wait to come back. :)

Have not been disappointed and I’ve been here a lot in these past 4 months. Their jerk salmon and jerk chicken meals are good. Love the fried plantains. The salmon sandwich is also bomb. My man loves the fried wings.
The servers are usually nice. I have been here in one occasion where one of them didn’t seem to be having a good day but she wasn’t mean, just not as kind as usual.
They have happy hour which is always good. I just wish they offered the curry chicken on the regular menu not just Tuesdays. Its sooo good.
GOOD MUSIC, GOOD FOOD N GOOD VIBES DEF HERE!

«What do you know about black eyed peas, honey?» the woman behind the counter at Back A Yard asked me while secretly thinking what does a little Asian chick know about that.
«Oh, I know all about it. You gotta eat some on New Years for luck!» I told her matter-​of-​factly. «And collard greens for money,» I added for good measure.
With that, she gave me a knowing nod — like two kindred spirits united by soul food. It’s been a little hard to find good soul food on the West Coast and Back A Yard may be more caribbean than Southern, but it still has plenty of soul.
Ordered the Oxtail and Goat curry combo which was a very generous portion. Also ordered the cornbread which was served like a slice of cake; however, the cornbread was just slightly sweet and moist. The collard greens, sadly, were a little too vinager-​y for me.

Casual Caribbean eatery in Downtown San Jose, most famous for their Jerk Chicken/​Beef. It’s basically meat grilled in an extremely flavorful /​spicy sauce, making your taste buds go crazy! In a good way.
Highlights: JERK CHICKEN, JERK BEEF, OXTAIL.
Don’t bother to get the fish. Jerk meat all the way.

Great Caribbean joint in downtown !
Ordering the food reminds me of crepevine — you order, they give you a number stand, and then when the food’s ready, they’ll look for your table and serve you.
I had the jerk chicken entrée — comes with 4 pieces of chicken, two scoops of rice + beans, tossed salad, and fried plantains ($ 9.75) ! The chicken was super moist, tasty, and slightly spicy! Everything on the plate was so good! Good hearty meal!
I also got to try the jerk ox tail entrée as well. The ox tail was flavorful and tender but there was some big pieces of fat. The plate also came with two scoops of rice + beans, tossed salad, and fried plantains ($ 13.25).
Both entrees were good! I prefer the jerk chicken over the jerk ox tail though. Mm yummm. They also have specials depending on what day it is of the week!
I’d come back for the jerk chicken! I also want to try the famous corn festivals that everyone is raving about!

My lunch at Back a Yard was 10 hours ago, yet I can still remember it like it was 10 minutes ago, after multiple meals (I eat a lot). I wish this hadn’t been my first meal in San Jose, because the meal is gonna be pretty hard to top.
I ordered the jerk chicken platter, which came with rice (with pinto beans like, embedded? Sure, why not?), a simple tossed greens salad with lemon vinaigrette, and fried plantains. At just over $ 9, this seemed like a huge deal, as this could have easily been two meals, if not for the fact that I eat like a teenage boy.
The meat is SO tender and flavorful. It comes with a sauce that you can dip the meat in to accentuate the flavor — oh god, I’m drooling just thinking about it again. The fried plantains serve as a bit of a palette cleanser, if you will. The jerk chicken is definitely the way to go, especially if you’re a first-​timer, although my mom went balls-​to-​the-​wall crazy over the tofu platter, which, unbeknownst to me, can be prepared Jamaican style.
I also ordered the corn festivals because of an insistent SJ native friend. Corn festivals are kind of like ugly ducklings. They look like bloated witch fingers on the outside, but are heavenly and flawless on the inside. I don’t really know how to describe them except as pillowy fried doughs of goodness. They’re a little bit sweet, and are the kind of side dish that can double as dessert if you want.
We were lucky in getting here right around noon, before the lunch crowd really descended. I wish service were a little bit faster, but that’s just because I’m an impatient American. This wouldn’t stop me from coming back to Back a Yard — My body is most definitely ready.

Hey, the rice and beans like exactly like the photo. What a family resemblance.
Okay vegetarian viewpoint to come:
Thanks to work catering, I got to try:
— Jerk chicken and bbq beef ribs (didn’t try)
— BBQ sauce — This is the thick and hearty stuff. I wanted to use it as my salad dressing. or eat it plain. Yah, it was good!
— Mac and cheese — Oh mannnn, not to be cheesy, but it was cheesy. A layer of melted cheese on top and even more cheese in the middle. Even potentially a different type of cheese on top as in it.
— Corn bread — Nothing can hold a candle to cast iron skillet cornbread. This was totally meh and pretty tasteless to be honest. Not much sweet… or salty… or anything really. And pretty dry.
— Coconut curry tofu — A very tasty sauce filled with tons of sauce. I kinda wanted to lap up the sauce off the plate. This is where my mind goes when I think of Caribbean. The tofu itself was soft tofu, which isn’t my favorite. The sauce on the veggies though was ace!
Rice with beans — This was nicely spiced
Mixed greens salad — There were greens. And hey, they really were mixed this time with a lettuce blend and romaine. And some cukies and large tomatoes.
In summary, skip the cornbread (I’m warning you…), get the other stuff.

Came by for a quick dinner the other night and it was great! Back a Yard was a Michelin recommended restaurant in 2015.
Ordered the Oxtail and Jerk Chicken combo with dark meat at the counter. The combo came with some delicious and fresh plantains along with a side salad, and two scoops of rice. The highlight of the meal was the oxtail that melted off the bone that was slightly spicy along with the chicken legs that were flavorful, fresh, and also slightly spicy!
Service is minimal at the fast casual restaurant. Meals came out ~5 minutes after ordering.
~$ 17 after tax and tip for a quick dinner.

Featuring legendary Caribbean food with a decided kick, Back-​a-​Yard seemed like the perfect pit-​stop for us prior to attending a flick at the Cinequest Film festival later that night. We had no trouble finding the place, and street parking was easy. The place is very popular, the servers are friendly, and the venue has a loud, warm, and decidedly funky vibe. It’s not the kind of place to wear your diamond cuff links ;-)
My cufflinks were at the jewelers being cleaned, but I did bring along a bottle and my aerator. I asked our server about corkage, and he said there would be no charge, but I’d have to go and find a corkscrew somewhere nearby — they don’t have any here. I decided that beer would do, and ordered a Heineken instead.
My partner in crime and I consulted both the menu and our server Ahmad extensively. Ahmad was both mellow and helpful; he gave us the 411 on the various meat options, and set me up with a custom combination.
I had been craving Curried Goat for days, so I went with Curried Goat and Pork combination.
My partner in crime got the Jerk Chicken and Salmon Combo
, and we got an order of Corn Festivals to share.

I never tried Corn Festivals before, so I was ready when they came! Cutting in to one, I found it to be piping hot, fluffy, light, and doughy. I took a bite, and it tasted like a sweet, soft, corn doughnut, but much better — it was GOOD!
My friend, who had been starving all day, scarfed his Chicken & Salmon combo in record time — I didn’t even get to try a bite. When I asked him how it was, he gave it a thumbs up with a nod :-)
As for my Curried Goat & Pork combination, the Curried Goat is ridiculously good, and the pork was tender and flavorful. There was a decided kick to both, and there weren’t too many small bones in the Goat, which has been my experience at Coconuts (Chef Robert Simpson’s more upscale restaurant in Palo Alto).
We enjoyed our meal at Back-​a-​Yard. It’s nothing pretentious or fancy, just good, hot, Caribbean food at very reasonable prices. I’ll be back, and I might bring a corkscrew :-)

When ever your in San Jose, gotta try Back A Yard for Amazing CARIBBEAN Food.
Ordered the Jerk Chicken entrée ($ 9.75) that came with red beans with rice, salad and Plantains. The Jerk Chicken was extremely juicy, very well seasoned with jerk spices, and had the perfect spicy kick flavors. It also came with extra jerk sauce on the side. The fried plantain were soooooo yummy and sweet… perfectly cooked. Even the salad on the side was delicious. Portions are huge.
The atmosphere is casual. You order at the counter, find a table, and a server will bring you your delicious entrée. They serve sangria, 11 different types of beer and fruit juices. Good customer service.
I will definitely be back to eat more of this deliciousness!

The first time I told my co-​worker about how good the oxtail was here, she gave me a look that basically said, why would anyone every want to eat oxtail?
And in her defense, she isn’t a particularly adventurous eater and therefore oxtail would be a rather incomprehensible but mostly weird thing to eat.
But for those of us who know the delicious delights of oxtail, we know when it’s cooked right, it will amaze.
That being said, Back A Yard knows their oxtail and you would be most remiss if you never tried this dish.
The meat is cooked (as advertised) to where it falls off the bone and yes, it is oh so tender but still has that requisite morsel of fat that stores some really fantastic flavors.
The thing is when you combo it up with the jerk pork, the meal becomes out of this world.
My tasted buds get so lost in that succulent and juicy roast pork that I almost forget about the spice. .. almost. But once it hits, it gives just enough of a kick to open up your sinuses and have you wanting more at the same time.
My only thing with Back A Yard is that they aren’t closer.
But whatever. It’s worth the drive every once in awhile.

Holy moly, huge portion sizes. Ordered one the combination specials: grilled salmon with goat curry. The combination meal comes with a salad, two scoops of rice mixed with red beans, and plantains. The grilled salmon had a nice charred taste to it. The goat curry was tender and yummy. I liked the tangy dressing that came with the salad. I also was pleasantly surprised by the coconut fragrance coming from the rice. The plaintains were good. My friends ordered the white meat and jerk chicken combinations. The white meat (add $ 1) was dry. The jerk chicken combination I would order for next time.
Until then!

My first time trying Jamaican food and everything was spectacular! I wish I tried it sooner!
Came here for dinner and ordered the Jerk Chicken & Pork Combo. The dish came with a side salad, rice & beans, and some plantains. The food was delicious especially drenched in the spicy vinaigrette sauce! The Jerk Chicken was cooked perfectly and I loved how juicy it was in the inside. The pork was also worth trying and had a nice crisp taste to it. As for the plantains, I will definitely have to pass on it next time since I’m not a huge fan in general.
My only complaint is the slow service here and I wish they were just more attentive. Overall the food is still worth coming for, despite the service. :)

Wow, I really didn’t expect this…
Well, when you walk into the restaurant, there’s really cool and colorful murals on the wall. It’s also the type of restaurant where you order your food in the front and sit where ever you’d like! This place does get really packed on the weekends so beware!
Jerk Chicken and Oxtail (~15): This comes with plantains, rice, and salad. Wow, seriously? I’ve never tasted flavors like this before. I’ve never had Caribbean/​Jamaican food but this was just SO GOOD. Both the chicken and the oxtail had meat that fell right off the bone! So tender, so juicy. And the juices and sauce come out from the two meats… UGH so good. The winner of the plate? Jerk chicken!!! My friend took a bite of it, and she really stared lovingly into my plate.
Goat Curry and Oxtail (~15): Almost same thing as the one I got but with Goat curry instead. Again, awesome, bold flavors with fall-​off-​the-​bone meat. I did like the Jerk Chicken better though.
And can I say how perfectly cooked the plantains were too?! I’ve had plantains before, and it was always too soggy and sweet. However, these had the perfect crunchiness on the outside and right amount of sweetness on the inside! Also, these plates came with their special jerk sauce (that’s 25 cents more if you want extra). Don’t mistake it for salad dressing!!! Because that’s what I thought and I poured it all over my salad. After trying my salad, I was wondering why it was so spicy!!! Then I realized that that tiny cup of sauce was not dressing… lol.
Coming back to try more stuff! Or maybe just get that jerk chicken again!

My friends and I met for dinner here recently and had a great time. The food was good and the staff was attentive. The place was packed on a Thursday night. Luckily we got a table right away. It was dirty from the previous diners and the staff cleaned it off right away for us. You order at the counter and they give you a number which you take to your table. They then deliver your food as its ready.
We had a variety of dishes — jerk salmon, jerk pork, jerk chicken and oxtails. Everything was delicious. Not too spicy but very flavorful. The jerk dishes come with salad, plantains and beans & rice. The sides were all delicious too.
The only complaint I have is that they were playing the piped in music way too loud. It was hard to talk to each other across the table.
Definitely a place I will try again, maybe before a Sharks game.

I think anytime someone mentions Caribbean food, the first thought is Jerk Chicken. Me, included.
As I’ve said before, moving up to the Bay Area and also joining Unilocal,has helped to expand my palate. The closest thing to exotic food I had was Thai food. Now, I’ve had Middle Eastern, Indian, Malaysian, and Peruvian to name a few. Now, I can add Caribbean to that list. Yes, I’ve had Jerk Chicken before. But, when it comes from the frozen food section at Vons, it doesn’t count.
Once again, the Unilocal group of followers didn’t let me down. Most gave it 4 or 5 stars. Yes, of course I ordered the Jerk Chicken. But, I also got the Oxtail special. I know a lot of people are scared to eat tail (LOL! sorry, the pervert in me had a funny thought), but give it a try! It’s basically just über-​tender beef. The seasoning on both the jerk chicken and the oxtail are phenomenal! The jerk chicken is spicy though. While it’s not a burn-​your-​mouth kind of heat, it isn’t really subtle either. Just throwing that out there for people who like a little heat, but don’t want to feel it later that night. I almost always get the Corn Festivals, too. It’s basically like a chewy corn fritter. While you can take this to go, it’s best enjoyed while eating in. It comes fried and when it cools down, can become a little tough.
I usually come right at 11, so metered parking in front is a cinch. With that being said, even at 11:05, there always seems to be 4 or 5 people ahead of me! You can also call ahead or use one of those food ordering services like Door Dash or Order Ahead. If you’re ordering for multiple people, it’s probably worth it. If it’s only for you, just go in and save yourself the $ 6 and delivery fee and tip.

Food: Mediocre mess on a plate
— Oxtail was a bit too salty with too many bones and more fat than meat
— Jerk chicken was under flavored
— Fried plaintains were inconsistent in texture, some where well fried and others were too mushy
— Bbq spare ribs were okay in terms of flavors but came with more fat and tendons rather than meat,
— Corn festival aka corn bread beignet was pretty good
— Sweet potato pudding tasted more like a melted scented candle
Service: Unenthusiastic and careless
— Got overcharged for a platter of bbq spare ribs instead of the a la carte ribs I specifically asked for, wouldn’t care as much if the extra money turned into something better than a giant pile of bland as balls crinkly fries on the side
— Nobody smiles, sad place for a meal