Jerk Villa Bar & Grill — Restaurant in Chicago

I don't like the way this place nicknamed it's establishment after my Jerk family, it's leaving the orginal Jamaican Jerk Villa with a bad legacy!

OPINION: This spot is more concerned with being Just a bar!!! Although, they're nick-named after the franchise Jamaican Jerk Villa, let's be frank about the 2 personal experiences I had.

FOOD AND SERVICES: #1.) The food doesn't have the flavor of the historical Jamaican Jerk Villa (only the sauce given). The cabbage is flavorless, it tasted like water as well as either over/under cooked (yes, ive tried them 2wice just to be fair). The meat was absolutely dry the 1st time without seasoning, the 2nd time it were over seasoned (if not burned) but, it's not the worse. #2.) Our waiter seemed unbothered with her position except when the check came (wink, wink) not that she was completely rude with all fairness. I felt she gave only bare minimum customer service so she could stand by the bar chatting. #3.) The music is absolutely EXTREMELY too loud to order your food. I mean i get it.... "bar" but, in this case the music is so loud you're yelling your order to the waitress in hopes she gets it correct. (For me this was/is absolutely classless), heavens forbid if the order was made wrong, then there's another hour wait!

JUST AN HONEST SUGGESTION: Afa, I'm concerned this place should just simply shut down the restaurant part, go ahead and open up as a regular Bar because, poor food and mediocre cutomer service for overpriced jerk food from a very well known respected establishment without the experience really isn't fair to the customers nor the founders.

JERK VILLA HISTORY: The actual real "Jamaican Jerk Villa" establishment is closed! This place just buys Jamaican Jerk Villa spices and seasoning in order to come close to the real jerk taste most Chicagoans loves but, BY FAR comes close to the quality of Jamaican Jerk Villa. I remember when the establishment were open how grandmother will sit in her kitchen and dictate how she wanted the food until it were the way she wanted it served to her customers. I remember the cashier being so firm in personality because, of the area they were in brung them rude customers and then there was the employed workers stopping there on their lunch break (Us). The workers (including myself) will respectfully/patientially wait for our food which i believe will rub off on the community lbs? I will see them overcome their rude ways and turn it into the respect that should've been given from day 1 in my opinion because, the staff/family were really pleasant people who didn't deserve the way part of the community were talking to them. Rude customers are the reason why i will make it my business to make sure i treated Elaine and the rest of the staff with the same respect level i'd want. However, gradually the family will overcome most of the negativity and THATTT!!!!!!.... Is the reason why I say my jerk family deserves better than what the Jerk Villa Bar is offering their customers as a Jamacian Jerk Villa franchise. I watch the family of Jerk Villa stride to their spot in 1 of the roughest areas in Chicago and became #1 as well as family to that neighborhood until grandmother passed and the pandemic happened. This family deserves more respect than some chessy upscale copycat who's destroying their legacy. BTW... THEY HAVE THEIR OWN SAUCE! LBS

MY OVERALL COMPLIMENT: The setting is very comfortable for an upscale druken hangout :-)

VISITORS MEMO: To ANYONE who's visiting Chicago and hear that Jamaican Jerk Villa is the best jerk spot in the city please be mindful that establishment is CLOSED!!!!! So please do not assume this was/is the spot a true Chicagoan is talking about.

MY APOLOGIES: I'm really sorry that you missed out on the for real legacy of...

Jerk Villa Review - 02/15/2020

I and my coworker visited Jerk Villa yesterday, around 3:00-3:15pm after leaving the Car Show.

The wait to sit down was not long, maybe 2-3 minutes tops. We were seated at the table, which was wobbly and moved throughout our entire duration of being there. We had to wait for 13 minutes before being asked what we wanted to order or if we were thirsty. After the waitress, which I don’t even know her name because I don’t remember her saying it, we were enjoying our drinks, the ambiance, etc. I noticed a few other people coming in and went back to conversing.

30 minutes to 45 minutes went by and no update or word from the waitress about our food. Me and my coworker continue to drink and trying to pass the time. An hour goes by, now I’m wondering where or what is going on. Going back earlier to when I mention, I noticed people coming in, well one of the group of people that came in, got their food before us. Now we’ve been sitting there, waiting for an hour. They came in about 30 minutes before and got their food right away.

I grab the attention of the runner and ask, “where is the waitress for our table and update on the food?” She goes to ask and tells us that it’s another 10 minutes. At this point, it has been an 1hr and 15 minutes. My patience and kindness is starting to wear thin because we’ve been nothing but patient.

The waitress finally comes back to our table and she goes on to tell us that what my coworker ordered, one of the sides, the plantains, were out; so that’s what was taking so long. Honestly, I’m quite puzzled at this point because I’ve watched her walk pass us numerous of times, not asking if we’re okay, if we need a refill, etc... NOTHING. Then you give me this excuse of “we don’t have that side she ordered, so that’s why we have been waiting for over an HOUR to eat”.

Then towards the end of our stay, about 29 minutes before, my coworker order a second glass of Malbec and we did not get the wine until we got the check.... at this point just keep it. The waitress stated she didn’t charge us for the three drinks, but only all together for one price. I appreciate that, I really do, but that’s not accepting - Especially not for how long we had to wait and the service given.

The problem that I have is that she constantly walked back and forth and did not ONCE, at ALL stop to say that was the reason until I caught her attention. So my question is, where you going to continue to walk pass and not say nothing? What kind of sense does that make!? I have to flag you down for you to just show some common decency. That’s outrageous.

I am a huge advocate and lover of black own businesses, trying my very best to support in anyway possible, but the customer service is down right disgusting. Why should I come and give my hard earned cash/credit, whatever and I & my coworker can’t get decent customer service.... the food is beyond amazing. Actually quite phenomenal, but that experience Saturday, was not appeasing at all and will definitely determine if I will come back to support in the...

Before arriving I place an online order at about 945 on the Uber eats app they told me my order would b ready 10:10 I arrived about 10pm my friends decided to have a drink we then was seated I told the person that sat us I had place a order for pick up he asked my name told me it wasn’t ready yet . The way that me & my friends was treated I’ll NEVER be back again honestly . The waiters were very mean and rude we waited 45 mins the waiter never acknowledged our table untill we decided to go to bar & place our drink order he then made a comment “I hope yall ordering yall food here to” like very nasty and smart , we tried getting other waiters attention for assistance they just walked past us no one was helpful everyone had an attitude we were not treated well at all. At about 1030 I go back to check if my order was ready the waitress at the door told me they didn’t get my order which isn’t true because I place pickup orders from them all the time Uber would’ve informed me there was an issue with my order I tell the man that he then said what yu order I showed him he like well we outta dark anyway we only got mixed I said okay I would’ve been fine with substitution he totally ignored me went to back him n another person took a shot of liquor and he continued working as if I’m not standing here with an issue it’s now 1050 atp it took for me to ask the security guard if he knew the manager and if they was available he informed me she wasn’t there but she should be on her was he then asked me what’s wrong and as I’m telling him another guy who doesn’t even work there anymore stop me as I was talking and asked me what did I order I told him he went to the back and brung my order right out with no problem he apologized for my experience and the long wait the first NICE person I encountered the entire...