Where's the Jerk? — Restaurant in Durham

Let me start by identifying that I really want to see this business succeed, however, with they way they are currently operating, it's going to be challenging.

For many, quality and taste of food are paramount, and while I believe them to be key, they're far from being the only metrics which matter.

The food has amazing flavor, preceded by smelling and looking very tasty. This establishment has mastered that part, but there is always room for improvement, nothing which needs to be articulated in this review.

The part of my experience which causes concern is their efficiency. They get a GRADE F on customer service. I believe all of the food is cooked to order, which is probably why the flavor is fresh, but prepping food for this style of eatery with efficiency doesn't seem to be the business model of choice.

I dined there with a friend earlier today (the day I'm writing the review) and we were greeted by a line which extended to the door. That could be a good sign or bad one. In this case, it was a bad one.

We arrived at 2:10pm and ultimately placed our order at 2:35pm, but we didn't receive our food until almost 4:30pm. The first 45 minutes we spent talking, totally losing track of the time and not realizing we had been waiting for such a long time.

We also noticed from the patrons around us that everyone was hosting similar conversations about just how long they had been waiting. Most of us had never dined there before, but we heard so much buzz about the place via IG and other influencer outlets, that we had to take the dive.

I asked one of the six people working in the food preparation area how much longer it would be before receiving our order and she identified they were only waiting on the ribs to finish cooking. Never mind the fact the balance of our order was already complete. To make this long story short, the ribs took forever to prepare which led to the rest of our food not being hot upon consumption. Again, it tasted great, but it wasn't hot because of ribs. I guess they were slow cooked...rim shot.

SIDE NOTE: While I was waiting with many others, one patron asked the same question of when her order would be completed, while justifiably expressing concern about the amount of time she had already waited (approximately 90 minutes). The cashier said she was sorry about the wait and asked if she wanted a refund ALL IN THE SAME BREATH. No effort was given to offer a concession of some sort other than refunding the money.

This is why they get an F. My time is valuable and if yours is also, then be aware you will be losing a fair amount of it by patronizing this restaurant in it's current form. Forget about grabbing a quick bite for your lunch etc because it won't happen. If you decide to give it a try regardless, just know in the event you abandon the effort due to the aforementioned extended wait times, the ONLY thing you will receive for your trouble is the same amount of money with which you entered the building. Lost time is available for purchase NOWHERE.

Food Ordered (ALL DELICIOUS!) Beef Ribs, Steamed Cabbage & Vegetables, Jerk Chicken Egg Rolls, Turkey Collards, Garlic Parm Fries, Mac-N-Cheese, Rice & Peas,...

Where’s the Jerk? – Multiple Visits, Repeated Disappointment

I really wanted to be excited about this place. I’ve visited four times, but only actually received food three times. My first visit was a while ago—the line was out the door, and I wasn’t willing to wait that long. Fair enough.

On my next visit, the cashier was friendly and the food was decent, but the wait time was excessive. Still, I gave them the benefit of the doubt.

On the second visit, I ordered fish. Unfortunately, the fish tasted like it had been sitting for a while or reheated. It wasn’t fresh—the meat was stuck to the skin, dry, and hard to separate. Again, the wait was long.

My third and most recent visit was on yesterday Saturday, August 2, 2025. The receipt shows 4:22 PM. There weren’t many people or cars there, so I expected a quick in-and-out experience—maybe 10 to 15 minutes. I was wrong.

I ordered the jerk shrimp dinner. The woman at the counter was far from friendly. When I asked if they had jerk shrimp, she said yes. I told her I wanted it with rice and beans and cabbage. I actually timed the process—it took 27 minutes to get my food.

But when the food came out, it was wrong. They gave me jerk chicken. I told the woman, and instead of apologizing, she flatly said, “I thought you said jerk chicken.” No accountability, no courtesy. Just: “So you saying you need a jerk shrimp dinner?”

Then she charged me the price difference—$6.50 plus tax ($6.99 total)—as if it were my fault. At this point, I started wondering if this was some sort of setup. The first (wrong) order was labeled #4, and the shrimp order was labeled #16.

I didn’t have time to go elsewhere, so I waited again. When another plate came out, I saw her top it with mac and cheese. I reminded her I ordered rice and beans and cabbage. She said that plate wasn’t mine, and pointed to another. I double-checked—it was shrimp—but when I was already en route to my next stop, I noticed they had given me Spanish rice instead of rice and beans. And not just that—it was loaded with clumped turmeric. The second plate came out at 39 minutes and 49 seconds.

It felt like a joke. To top it off, while waiting, I couldn’t help but notice the odd music choices playing loudly in the background: Michael Jackson’s “Somebody's Watching Me” with the lyrics and I have no privacy and Wang Chung’s “Everybody Have Fun Tonight.” The vibe was just… off. If they had spent less energy on the music and more on basic service and order accuracy, the experience might have been salvageable.

Unfortunately, I can’t recommend this place. The service lacks professionalism, the wait times are consistently long, and the food quality and accuracy are hit or miss—even after...

I heard so many good reviews so waited 20 minutes in line to order. I ordered a curry chicken meal, jerk wings, 2 extra sides, and jerk chicken egg rolls. The cashier repeated that I wanted jerk chicken egg rolls because they have 2 options for egg rolls. I asked how long is the wait. She said, about 1 hour. Now, they were very busy, so I said ok. Maybe it will be an hour. I go sit in my car for 35 minutes and start to see people who were behind me leaving with their food so I go check on my order. My order is sitting there along with other bags. A different cashier hands me my food. I drive 15 minutes home and check my food and my egg rolls are missing. I try to call the restaurant because I didn't want to come back out. When you call, a voicemail picka up and the mailbox is full so you can not leave a message. I really wanted the egg rolls because I heard they were really good. I drive back 15 minutes just to be told that they ran out of egg rolls and the cashier should have told me. I said the girl confirmed the type of egg rolls I wanted, and also lied about it being an hour wait. The lady at the register tells me, we already refunded your money, you will see it in 7-10 days. I explained to her that the money wasn't an issue. I was not told that they were out of egg rolls and I had to drive all the way back to find this out. I told her, the cashier that took my order is right behind you. All she said was I know who it was, sorry ma'am and took the next customer. I really wanted this to be a good experience, but unfortunately, I will not be returning. You don't treat customers like that. I didn't get offered anything for my inconvenience of driving back to the restaurant and now having to warm my food up in the microwave. This experience was very unprofessional. Just like the news of good egg rolls travels, so does the news of poor...