Mr Jerk — Restaurant in Toronto

I have been coming to this Morningside location for over 15 years. The best oxtail in the GTA. I have tried many places but always some back here for the oxtail dinner. Rice and peas are perfect and generous amount of oxtail meat and gravy. About $23 for a large dinner which is reasonable. Service is always great, Veronica was pleasant and very friendly and efficient even with a line up ahead of me and behind me. Don’t forget to grab an Allan’s spicy beef patty from the warmer as a quick snack on the way out to your car. Also don’t forget the spicy hot sauce on the side counter, pour it yourself in the small container, 2 shot fulls of hot sauce mixed in with the rice and peas and oxtail gravy gives it the perfect spicy and tangy scotch bonnet flavour to the oxtail dinner. Their 2 meat specials are also great which includes oxtail, jerk chicken or jerk pork. My ideal and favourite comfort food and it’s worth the 30 minutes drive from the other end of town. Thanks to all the staff for continuing the great tradition...

In the realm of jerk eateries, finding one that caters to my preference for jerk pork over chicken can be a bit of a quest. Fortunately, this spot not only serves jerk pork but does so with a substantial portion, even in the smaller takeout container.

Opting for the smaller combo might be the way to go, as the difference in meat between the small and large doesn't seem significant, while the larger portion offers more rice and peas. It's a matter of personal preference, but for those seeking a meatier experience, the smaller option might be the hidden gem.

The coleslaw, however, left me with mixed feelings. A fine blend of grated cabbage and raw carrot, it lacked the usual dressing that elevates this side dish. I initially assumed the coleslaw was part of the meal combo, but to my surprise, the server asked if I wanted it separately, then proceeded to charge me $1.50 for the small round takeout container.

The meat is well-seasoned, tender, and the portion sizes are...

I ordered a 1/4 Jerk Chicken. When I walked out I realized I was just given unseasoned seared/oven cooked chicken. I walked back in and requested a sauce or seasoning. The person who served me exclaimed "you didn't ask for any sauce", while the employee at the cash kindly added some sauce to it. The base chicken does not have any rub seasonings one would expect from Jerk (allspice, thyme, brown sugar etc etc), and the sauce provided did not have any pepper heat, whether scotch bonnet, cayenne, wiri or chili. One piece of chicken was soft and tender, the other rock hard and inedible. This leads me to believe there is no advance brining/marinating. I only ate here because I was in the area, and was shown a very low standard of Jamaican cuisine. Also, since it was because it was later in the day, the food had been sitting out for too long, and had not kept at a safe temperature. Probably a better bet for a lunch take-out as the food would be fresh, but I personally...