Jerk Yard — Restaurant in Hyde Park Township

THE SERVICE ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

If I could give this place 100 stars, I would. After visiting for a work conference, I decided to try Jerk Yard for the very first time. The cashier was knowledgeable, professional, and extremely personable. Given that I was visiting, the cashier walked me through the entire menu. He explained every detail of the menu and was able to provide great detail regarding every single item. I was very hungry which translates to being indecisive. He didn’t care. He was patient and even volunteered to step to the side and explain the menu so that there would be no wait for the customers behind me. I am a Chicagoan that moved away for school/work and was quite impressed by the customer service displayed by this incredible staff. I have since told every single person in my family about this place.

THE FOOD ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I asked about at least 5 things on the menu. The cashier guaranteed that everything on the menu was good. I took that as a personal challenge because surely that couldn’t have been true. I ordered the curry goat with stems cabbage and yams, jerk catfish with Mac and cheese and yams, jerk egg rolls, Rasta pasta with chicken, and the Callao. Everything I tasted was superb!!!!!! My family and I are true Jamaican food connoisseurs. We visit Jamaica on a regular basis simply because we enjoy the culture and the cuisine so much. My family and I tried voting on our favorite dish and simply could not because everything was delectable. It is seriously that good!

THE ATMOSPHERE ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

We absolutely loved the chill, calm vibe that this place provides. It felt and smelled like a nice summer afternoon on the island. From the smiling faces, to the aesthetic, and the choice of music- I was impressed! The cooks/chefs, who are true Jamaicans, came out and greeted my party. They challenged me to try something else on the menu next time and gave me the same guarantee that I would love everything on the menu. I went multiple times during course of my stay. Each time, I tried something different and they did. It disappoint.

SERVICE AGAIN ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Fast forward to 3 weeks later. I have to turn in my receipts for my reimbursement for my job, and I can’t find my original receipt. I sent my mom to get it reprinted. I couldn’t remember some details regarding the order (I.e., the date or time I came, the amount before tip etc). Those were things needed to for the system to automatically populate the receipt. The owner assured me that he would find the receipt and no matter how long it took him. He was so patient with my mom, who also didn’t have any information. He went through every receipt for the four day period I thought I purchased the food on, but he couldn’t find the total. The owner suggested that we expand the date range just in case and went through every receipt for a two week period until he found what I needed.

I cannot say enough about this restaurant, the food, the employees, the service, or the location. I highly recommend this place for any and everyone looking for fantastic food and amazing service!

10/10 I HIGHLY...

Decided to give Jerk Yard a try as I love to support new businesses. Here are my takeaways:

Presentation: Jerk Yard is clean, nice decor and modern style. The curb appeal is nice as you can dine outdoors and the smell coming from inside is really good.

Staff: The person taking my order wasn’t very knowledgeable of the menu.

Food: I ordered the “Half Dark Jerk Chicken Dinner. I got cabbage, Rice and Mac and cheese. Price came out to around $20 give or take.

Jerk Chicken - When I pay $20 for Jerk Chicken and 3 sides I expect my chicken pieces to be at least medium sized and this was not the case. My chicken pieces were very small. The chicken was also dry in certain spots and didn’t have that smoky flavor that jerk chicken/grilled chicken gives. The chicken skin itself does have great smoky jerk flavor but this does not flow over to the meat.

The Sauce: I received a small cup of sauce to work with. I’d prefer more sauce as the actual chicken didn’t have any sauce on it. For the price, I’d expect at least two sauces.

Cabbage: The cabbage was good. It’s not my preferred taste for cabbage as it’s a savory cabbage. I prefer some savory with a bit of sweetness. If you like savory cabbage, I’d recommend getting the cabbage.

Macaroni & Cheese: The macaroni was just not good to me personally as it was seasoned, but so much so that it took away from the cheese flavor. I found the cheese to be dry also.

Rice and Peas: The rice and peas were dry, and the rice tasted old. Out of all the things that were seasoned, this should have been one of them as it lacked flavor.

Plantains: Plantains were mushy and lacked the sort of firm texture that plantains usually have.

Bread: The meal does not come with the usual sourdough bread slice that you normally get with a jerk dinner.

Speed: I received my order in around 15 minutes which is amazing for jerk chicken. Usually jerk chicken is a 30 plus...

I would I like to say Welcome to the Hyde Park Community!! Your motto on your menu is "This is not baked chicken!" It sure isn't! Nice and Smokey! Good flavored chicken. My husband went in a hour ago and ordered a 1/2 Dark dinner which comes with a plantain and two sides. He ordered cabbage and yams for his sides. His dinner was missing the plantain and he wasn't giving yams like he ordered. He was given rice and peas...which wasn't what he ordered. The rice in the rice and peas were mushy but had great flavor. The cabbage was delicious too! Not the standard jerk restaurant cabbage. It was full of flavor!! I ordered the Jerk Chicken Wrap but my husband said you guys "didn't have it"...Ugh! I was so bummed guys! Normally I would go on a rant about black businesses not having their full menu available BUT you guys just opened up so I will give it a break until next time. So I had him to get me the Jerk Chicken Rasta Pasta. It was good nice flavor. Personally I think a tad more jerk sauce could have been added to the sauce. Also my penne pasta wasn't "Al Dente" it was very soft. I am thinking maybe you guys were overwhelmed with lots of customers and let the rice and pasta overcook a tad. Everything was still tasty and I do understand that you guys have new restaurant and the kinks will get worked out as time goes on. However, I did have to take off a couple of stars for not having the Jerk Wrap and forgetting the yams and plantain. You guys don't have a phone number listed. We would have preferred to have ordered over the phone or online. I will be back to try...