Aunty Joy's Jerk & Pizza — Restaurant in Lake View Township

If you’re going to get food from here, call the number on the sign or order online. I made the mistake of walking-in to make an order. My wait time on a Friday afternoon at 5pm had a 40-minute wait time. How do I know? Because I kept feeding the meter on the online parking app. There were many delivery people picking up food, including some folks that may have just finished a work shift and was grabbing food before going home.

No I didn’t get the pizza. I believe because Loyola University sits in the neighborhood, the restaurant is catering to the college kids by offering pizza. I decided to order some food for myself and husband – jerk wings, brown-stew chicken and jerk catfish – both with candied yams, rice and peas, and plantains; plus one slice of rum cake. After 25 minutes I checked on my order and was told there were no more candied yams, and I can replace it with cabbage and select 2 can sodas.

When I got home, one of my orders actually did have candied yams, but somehow both included cabbage and macaroni and cheese. OK?! Well I guess I’ll get to sample all of their sides!

Let’s start with the Jerk Chicken Wings. The presentation could have been worked on, however, the flavor was actually good and different from other places I’ve been. It had sort of a sweet and spicy flavor, but not overwhelmingly spicy.

If I was to go here again, I wouldn’t get the jerk catfish because they give you catfish fillet and not catfish steaks – which is what I prefer. Plus for the price – $25, I believe there should be more fish in this container. Can you see the catfish in my attached photos? No?! That’s because it’s in the top right corner underneath the jerk gravy (great flavor by the way). In fact, all the food had great flavors; especially for carryout.

The candied yams were my favorite. Second would be the rice and peas. My hubby tried his food the next day and said the rice tasted mushy but had a good flavor. We believe that it was mushy because it had been over 24 hours and various refrigeration at home and his job. The chicken pieces were all dark meat (legs and thighs).

On the online menu, it’s called Jamaican Black Cake, but in the restaurant, it’s called Rum Cake. Well you taste the rum on first bite, after that it tastes like raisins. I don’t have to get that again. I’ve definitely have had better rum cake, and didn’t have to pay $8 for a small sliver.

I'm giving this restaurant 3 stars because of the enormous wait time, my order mix up and the not so tasty and expensive Black...

Always, always the best of everything that I've ever tried at this Jamaican Restaurant, 1st time that I tried the Chicken Stew and it was excellent, the Cabbage has always been the best, the Oxtails well, their good but no matter what size Oxtail Meal I get, I always feel cheated on the Oxtails and Plantains. I have yet to try anything CURRY and the GOAT MEAT dinners. Otherwise good food. I would've given them 5 stars, but it was more than once that the Jerk Chicken wasn't so good and the same with the Plantains that I was rather disappointed with.

But even with those flaws because nothing is always perfect. Their completely deserving of at least all 4 stars. I've eaten a lot of Jamaican food up here North and even Southside also, if they served GOOD Mac & Cheese and Cornbread which I've had at other Jamaican Restaurants, their knock it out the park then and probably become the best in all of Chicago 😋

Friday 4/21/23 My last review here, was based on back then, 2yrs ago... But baby, baby, baby. As of the date stated, it's a NO NO for me, the Jerk Chicken meal, was horrible in comparison to what it use to be. When I got home and saw it, before I even ate it, I was angry, especially since I was so HANGRY... my Chicken looked and tasted burnt the skin was rubbery and tough, there was two very small pieces of plantain, the only that was good was the small amount of Cabbage, I never been so disappointed in their food as I was then. I won't buy from them again😡

I think that that either the bossman wasn't present, it's under a new management and/or different or tired cooks. If that had of been my 1st time there, it wouldn't be another chance. I wasn't going to get on the bus in go back for a return.

My son's wedding was catered by Aunty Joys in 2018. I hope that they will get back to the way that they were. Sorry that i couldn't let my disappointment over...

This restaurant is a poor excuse for jerk food. The seasonings don’t jerk you at all. Mildly jerked. Instead of red beans and rice they have little peas and rice. That peas and rice, concoction is the driest combination of beans and rice that I’ve ever experienced. The rice is super try, and sometimes undercooked and crunchy. And they give you a whole lot of it, too. I ordered extra cabbage, and they did not give it to me. Instead, they gave me a very small serving of cabbage. The ox tails are so small, and for $33 a plate they were seriously not worth some money at all. Pete’s produce has oxtails that a tremendous in size these they took what Pete’s produce sales and cut them in half; no, I’m going to say they cut them in thirds. That’s how small the oxtails were. And they looked burnt and they tasted dry. When Grubhub contacted them about the missing food items, they spoke with them the first time and gave some runaround story about how extra food is separate from the regular serving,,etc. They did not give me what I ordered. . When Grubhub called them back after speaking with me, they refused to answer the phone. Very poor customer service! If you have never tasted jerk, chicken before, then this food might suffice. However, if you have eaten jerk chicken before, then you will know that it pales in comparison to authentic jerk restaurants that you have patronized in the past. They don’t know what they’re doing. Awful food. I will never purchase anything from this establishment again, and I advise you...