Back A Yard Caribbean Grill

Back A Yard is a must try. Service was good & fast, food was delicious. They have limited outdoor seating. It does get busy sometimes because it's next to the university. Definitely check them out if you want a taste of the Caribbean

The food was really good. I was not a fan of some of the desserts. The only thing I wished was, the rice came with some sort of sauce on it. It was slightly dry for me. I know you can purchase extra sauce but that’s just me personally!!! OHH the Sangrias are amazing. Other than that I’ll def come back!

Back A Yard is my favorite spot! Their food is ALWAYS on point. I’ve tried several items from the menu and everything was so flavorful and delicious. If you’re lucky to order on a Wednesday, you must try their brown chicken stew. It was life changing for me! I also love their oxtails and curry chicken. I recommend getting the corn festivals if you are getting an entree in a gravy — they are perfect for mopping up flavorful sauces! I’ve also tried their corn bread, beef patty, collard greens, and mac and cheese. Everything is sooo good! You can’t go wrong at Back A Yard!

Hell yeah The plates are heavy and delicious. The curried goat slaps and the ox tail is always so tender. Great cooking and great menu options.

Back A Yard on San Carlos St, San Jose. Within the SJSU neighborhood. A nice place with no seating inside, 4 tables outside the store gives that home feeling of having a BBQ in your own backyard. I’m glad i ordered the Oxtails plate, the dish came with Rice and Beans and d Plantains on the side, the Jerk seasoning was a sweet and tangy blend with a smoky allspice aftertaste. The stew was mildly hot, the Beans and Rice were mixed together with coconut notes at the end, the plate was served with sweet Fried Plantain, a good size meal. I had a side of Collard Greens, the chop leaves were steamed hot with a slightly bitter taste.

On Saturday night we waited over 30 minutes for our order although the salmon was nicely cooked but the rice and plantains were warm at all. I also order two key lime pies and they were not inside my bag. I called today several times to tell them and telephone was not answered.

I ordered via UberEats. I was pleasantly surprised with the oxtails. While they were too fatty for my taste, the flavor was 🔥 The guava pineapple juice was 🔥 as well. The jerk chicken that came with the oxtails was extremely dry. I'm not sure how this happened as both my pieces were dark meat. The pineapple upside down cake was okay. Overall I think I'd order again if I was in town and skip the chicken and cake.

I ordered through DoorDash, and it was my first time trying this type of cuisine. I was absolutely delighted by all the flavors and seasonings! Everything on the plate was delicious, and it was so good that I felt compelled to leave a review. Highly recommend this place, it’s definitely going to be a regular spot for me from now on! By the way I got the Jerk Salmon & my husband got the Jerk Salmon & Beef Oxtails. I wish I would have taken a picture before we eat it lol!

I waited too long to try Back A Yard and let me tell you if I could go back in time I would have been eating here for decades. Very quant and intimate location right aside SJU. Private parking lot available just know it can get full quick. Our hostess was very knowledgeable about recommendations and how to make the most out of your experience. Now the food....the food speaks for itself. I cannot rant enough about the flavor that exuded from my plate: every single bite was amazing. Can't wait to go and explore the menu more.

This is right next to SJSU! My friend recommended this to me and it did not disappoint I got it right before work and they took relatively fast to pack my order. ! They do not do dine in ! This is a Caribbean place and it's my first time having their cuisines. I want to try more :o The Jerk sauce is a great addition; a bit spicy and mixes well with everything :) Note: This combo I got was $20 but the portions are relatively big, including the salmon and oxtail^^ Yard Combo: Jerk Salmon & Beef Oxtail Combo: side of rice & beans + plantains. * I'm really happy with this place! The salmon was cooked well, and it paired amazing with the Jerk sauce. The oxtail not as good as the salmon and it was hard to eat since they were small but still . The rice was also super flavorful and everything mixed super well with it. The plantains are a good addition to tie it all in and gives a contrast from savory/spicy to sweet!

Solid Caribbean food. We used to frequent the downtown San Jose location which had indoor seating before that location was closed. This location is really for take out as there is no indoor seating and only two tables on the outside patio. My go to order is the jerk chicken and oxtail combo. It's amazing and I always get an extra order of the plantains. The food can be a bit salty, but it's offset by the rice and beans, so overall flavor is amazing. This location is right across from SJSU, so it gets busy during lunchtime. No bathrooms here so plan to take your food away.

The food was super flavorful! We got the BBQ Chicken and Rib plate with a side of Mac and Cheese as well as the Ox tail with red beans and rice and plantains with a side of greens. The plantains and greens were the only 2 times that lacked flavor, and texturally, it was not my cup of tea. We door dashed the food but I can say that it was fast delivery. The only downside is no silverware.

The food was decent. Overly spicy though imo with no warning of that. Still would give the food more stars than 2 but the girl at the counter taking our order was just so rude and for no reason! I said thank you multiple times and she didn't say anything back at all! Even asked if I needed something else because I was standing there.. When my food was still behind the counter! Lol I am a waitress so I know 1st hand that in the food industry you really need great customer service skills and she has ZERO! Not welcoming at all! I instantly regretted leaving the tip that I had dropped into the jar! I won't be back just because of her sheer rudeness! I can spend $30 somewhere else where a simple "you're welcome" is included! Kaylie G is not the best at making you want to return!

I've eaten at back a yard many times and have slightly different experiences at each location. I'm starting to believe this is a franchise and each location does their own thing. The food is definitely different. It took a while for us to receive our food, but at least it was fresh. The space is small with outdoor dining only. More suitable for takeout. The ginger beer, both bottled and freshly made are a no for me. The oxtail were mediocre, but the curry goat and jerk chicken were winners!

Food, service and portions never disappoint. I was in the area and couldn't miss the opportunity to grab a combo plate. Only downside was no bathroom access. Apparently it's a pick up and go location, yet there are tables outside. Despite that, it still doesn't dissuade me. I was also looking to buy some jerk sauce to go, but was surprised how expensive the 16oz bottle is. I'll pass.

talking bad about a customer right in front of them is very odd. i would think thrice about coming here. seriously! you gave me so much plantains it's overwhelming. i wasn't being threatening at all. i told her i would warm the cold ones at home.

I've ordered from this place using DoorDash maybe ~50+ times over my course of living in San Jose. I always order the same dish - with jerk chicken. Today, I placed my usual order and what they sent me was disgusting. The chicken tastes like its a couple days old. It's not overcooked - it's old. Extremely old, so old the drumstick is shriveled up and completely dry. I know exactly how their chicken should taste, and look, and this ain't it by a mile. Even the plantains are old and rubbery. There's also something really weird with the chicken skin. Another odd thing was that the little jerk sauce container they always give was missing. And, it's not that the driver took too long. I live nearby and he brought it directly to me; it took him less than 5 minutes. They knowingly served me some really old food... Just sad. If this is something that they do, even if their food is amazing as it is when it's made-to-order, I will never order from here again. I'm guessing it'll cost them maybe only a few grand in future sales. Considering how much I loved their food, it'll hurt me more than it'll hurt them. There's no place quite like this place. What a shame. I'll miss this dish.

We decided to have a Cool Runnings night and needed some nutritional accompaniment...and we came across this gem. This is truly incredible Caribbean food. My wife says it was the best chicken soup she's ever had. Hands down. She kept talking about it hours later. She made me write this review so we'd remember when we went here so we could have a Back A Yard anniversary date (not kidding lol). Everything was super flavorful and a touch spicy, but just right. The jerk chicken, rice and fried plantain plates we had were to die for. The coco bread was perfectly done. The mango habanero sauce was true-to-form, so have some mitigation techniques at hand to deal with the heat. All-in-all, the best Jamaican spot around.

Love coming here to satisfy my Caribbean food craving! I've been coming here for years and thankfully the food quality has stayed the same. I tried the jerk chicken, oxtail and goat curry here, but the goat curry was mainly bone shards so I wouldn't recommend that here. I did enjoy the oxtail and jerk chicken, the jerk sauce as well is the best. They don't give it to you if you only order something saucy so not the oxtail but the jerk chicken would come with it. Service is quick since you can order what's already available. Ambiance is great!

My first time trying Caribbean food did not disappoint! I recommend getting the Yard Combo, which comes with 2 meats (we got beef oxtail and pork) + fried plantains + rice (with beans mixed in it) Beef oxtail - the meat is so tender and juicy. Nothing wasn't overly spicy or salty. Portions were big too! Highly recommend the oxtail Pork - tbh the pork kind of tasted like the oxtail because the sauces were mixed together but this still tasted tender and great! Fried plantains - my favorite!! It's slightly sweet and crispy, which paired perfectly with the stewed meat. Side of coleslaw - we mostly got this so we could have some veggies on the side. It's better than average but nothing amazing. I still suggest you try it if you're looking for a light side dish. We'll definitely try the mac and cheese next time!

One of the better food spots near SJSU. Jerk chicken and salmon packed with flavor and added spice with the sauce. Has a slight kick but not overpowering. For the price point it is worth going back. Staff was nice a quick to fill orders. Plenty of street parking around. Limited seating outside so it's definitely a better option to order to go.

Service, meh! But that's a Caribbean thing in general. Food, 10 stars if possible. I've traveled to Jamaica many times and I'm telling you, this place has the best jerk sauce this side of Negril! They have a handful of locations lately, but for lunch, I used to travel 30 minutes each way to pick up the jerk pork and the oxtail, which are both outstanding. Pumpkin soup is incredible and pretty much everything I've had has been very good at the least. Even if you're not a big fan of plantain, try theirs. It's perfectly gooey and crunchy at once, caramelized to perfection! Personally, I take food out and re-plate somewhere nicer as the portions are enough for two light eaters and the restaurant itself is like a fast food place. Enjoy this little-known gem!

Being a frequent jerk chicken enthusiast, I thought it was time to switch things a bit my Wednesday afternoon. For $14.55, you can get a superbly spiced Brown Stew Chicken Special that comes with their rice and plantains. For an extra $3, you can add oxtail! The stew is essentially their signature oxtail, but with tender chicken that easily separated from the bone. They do not skimp on the meat! There were bits of potatoes and carrots, but was completely overwhelmed with chicken. My friend and I came in, instantly welcomed and encouraged to try the special. They gave us a whopping sample, which had spices overwhelmingly filling your nostrils with its peppery fragrance! Customer service was exceptional. I devoured this in less than five minutes. I marinated my rice in the stew, because it was so fiery! The spice kicks surely satisfied my taste buds.

Jerked and bbq chicken are super tasty. They have so many options and sides and desserts. It would be great if more seating but great takeout place.

I always favored this restaurant when it comes to Caribbean foods. Their curry goats, bbq ribs and jerk chickens are always cooked to perfection! I'm a bit disappointed though when they closed their location in downtown San Jose. Now I have to drive a little bit farther to the San Carlos location and the parking is almost none to zero. But it doesn't stop me from reaching any of their locations when I crave for their food. They're the best and pretty consistent on their menus.

Me and my boyfriend been eating Back A Yard for years! We usually go to the Capitol Expressway location, but since that restaurant is closed on Mondays, we settled to go to this location. The food tastes so different at this location! The oxtails were so spicy, I couldn't even eat my meal! I told the lady that I usually go to the other location and the oxtails are NEVER this spicy, she proceeded to say "all locations season the food the same," which I told her again, that I go to the other location all the time and it's never THAT spicy. I just ended up getting a refund for my food. I'll continue just going to the location on capitol expressway.

Their receipt doesn't have prices so you are not sure how much you are being charged or prices. I ordered this today and wanted beef patties and they said it would be a 30 min wait. So I said I'll just get chicken instead. They didn't even pack my patties. Don't even bother try calling them they don't answer at this location. Phone just rings then disconnects

*3.5 stars This place was OK -- not amazing, not terrible, but OK. The portion sizes were on the smaller side and the oxtail was not fall-off-the-bone level of tender. The rice and beans tasted a little on staler/hard side. To be fair, we did go later at night, closer to closing time, so it may have been sitting there for a while. The food was pretty well seasoned, though. It was a little saltier than needed, but had a good amount of spice and flavor. The chicken patty was OK, would skip on that next time. The cornbread, however, was solid -- would get again. I did hear good things about Back A Yard in other locations, so I'll definitely be open to trying out this restaurant in other places. I think this one in specific fell a little short.

One of the few Caribbean places in the area. Food was ok. Oxtail was super tender jerk chicken ok didn't really taste like jerk chicken. Rice and peas ok. Favorite item was beef patty super flavorful

They closed the one on Market but opened this place over by SJSU!!!! Even closer to my office now..dangerous..hahaha! It does not matter which site I visit food NEVER disappoints. Quality always on point. These oxtails..dont even play...fall off the bones..seasoned to perfection and just everything you crave! That rice..with that perfect hint of coconut..yasssss girl..yassssss! I had never tried their patties before. It just so happened they had some in a little oven and it rang just as I was about to pay so I took it as a sign. Then the lady said they also had vegan and vegetarian patties and girl forget it..just take my moniessssss!!!! The veggie patties or for my son but you best believe I tried the chicken and beef. Spicy..meaty ..the dough flaky and crispy. Come on!!!!!!!! The bbq plate is my husband's but I pinched a piece of that chicken thigh and it had me licking these fingers as not to waste a single drop of the deliciousness. If you've not tried them, any of the venues what are you even doing with your life?!?! You better not be an Elite either never having tried this place cuz who'd you pay for your credentials?..jk! Like I said this place is right across the street from SJSU so might wanna keep that in mind. Parking is scarce, it's street parking. The inside of this place is small but they have minimal outdoor seating. This place would be worth it to just take to go..walk across the street to the school and cop a seat somewhere to enjoy. Don't think they have public restrooms either. I met one of their chefs. He said he was a chef at the catering kitchen on 13th street. Nice guy. This place is definitely growing as they should. I feel they consistently are opening up new spots. For your next event/party you should give this place a call. I coordinated a wedding once and they were the hit of the wedding. Ok enough reading..go already!

They forget things. You must double check your take out, so I wouldn't use any of the delivery services. The food is good when they remember to give it to you. If they do miss something they will put your name on the list, the next time you come in they'll get it to you. Simple fact that they have a list tells you how often this must happen.

I love coming here on Thursday's (unintentionally) lol the body knows it's Thurs ;P and what it craves!!! i absolutely love this new location. i'll always remember my go-to, the OG, off of market st! i really miss the team from that location and wish this location was a bit more welcoming or engage with customers or maybe it's just me. anyway, NO seating INSIDE only outdoor seating and it's really small. it's like jamaican fast food style. i love the art they included at this location and beverage cooler they have in the right corner really reminded me of Miami Caribbean food spots. i really enjoy almost everything from here! i recommend everything from Jerk Chicken, Pork and Salmon! protein to your liking and the same deeelicious jerk sauce!! 38¢ for extra sauce. my favorite plate from here is most definitely the Coconut Curried Shrimp SO. DARN. GOOD! but i really wish they used better quality shrimp, this is definitely not fresh shrimp, but it's a great dish option available on Thursday's.

This pains me to say but my favorite restaurant's new location let me down. I ordered 3 meals to go. Customer service was great and the food was ready fast. I live 45 minutes away and didn't check my plates until I got home. When I did go to devour my ox tail and jerk pork plate, there was no ox tail to be found. SUPER DISAPPOINTED. It was something I was looking forward to, as I had not been to the restaurant in months. Then I tried my jerk pork and it was pretty dry. The next few bites were decent. The jerk chicken that was on my plate was good but not the ox tail I had been waiting for. Not the end of the world but pretty disappointing.

Look, there's no doubt the food is good. The problem is that the workers here seem to hate their jobs. Why is that? Maybe the company needs to pay them better, treat them better, or hire more people? I don't know, but it's bad enough that I don't want to go here, even with the great food.

One of my favorite places to go! Their food is delicious! Legit everything on this menu is mouthwatering!

It was sad hearing that our go-to location on No. Market St. had closed as it was our dinner location before events in the area. With an event at the Civic, we decided to check out this new location on E. San Carlos on the eastern side of SJSU. Arriving at 4:30pm on a Saturday, we were able to find street parking at the corner. This location is more geared for take-out business, though they had about four tables on their outside patio. Many of the meat items, rice and plantains were prepared and in warming trays at the counter. We placed our orders and took a seat outside. We were enjoying our mango juice and in about five minutes, our food was brought out. The food was served in takeout containers with plastic utensils and the drinks in to-go cups. The Market St location utilized real plates and metal utensils. I ordered my go-to Beef Oxtail Yard Plate with rice and beans and fried plantains and a side order of Festival, the Jamaican fried cornmeal bread. The oxtails were tender and tasty. The Festival bread were crispy and soft inside. My dining mates had the Curry goat and Beef oxtail plate, Jerk chicken plate and Vegetarian Jerk Tofu Salad and they all enjoyed their food. We all had a bit of the pineapple upside down cake and it was very moist. We miss the large Market St location, which was more of a sit down location. I see the value of this take out format, perfect for the SJSU next door.

Not worth dealing with jerk humans to get jerk chicken. It's bad enough to purposely not answer the phone and shut your restaurant down 30 minutes early. What's much worse is giving attitude to a customer who politely asks for next time when to be there at the latest, and sarcastically lecture about how restaurants like to operate. But the icing on the cake is thinking that because I'm white, I don't understand him talking shit in Spanish about me for daring to show up only 20 minutes early for a to go order. Gross service, truly awful. I LOVE jerk chicken and still won't be back.

The bowl itself fell overly greasy, as if my portion had been sitting for a while, and wasn't like crazy hot or fresh, not only that, but the staff felt rude towards my order.

Got the Jerk Chicken Plate damn that was hella good. The workers were all cool they recommended the Goat Curry if you like spicy food. I'll have to get that next time 10/10 it was fire.

If you are not familiar with this restaurant, you must go try them! Their Jamaican food is the best I've had in the Bay, so good that I wanted them to cater my wedding! Very flavorful food in a very casual setting. Had my usual yard combo of jerk pork and oxtails, plus a side of mac and cheese. Just as delicious as eating at their other locations! Their jerk items are low-medium spicy. My palette can handle up to moderately spicy food in general, and this didn't make me need to drink water or suck in air too cool my mouth down, know what I mean? Regarding the mac and cheese, I often don't enjoy it at restaurants cuz it's either too rich and gooey, or too creamy without enough cheese flavor. Their mac is actually good: cheesy umami flavor but not creamy or gooey. It's not gourmet or fancy at all, but I couldn't stop eating it! So glad they reopened a downtown location for dine-in. No bathroom though. Bring your hand sani!

For Jamaican food in the Bay Area they're excellent-- have been to other locations and this one is just as good. Curry goat FTW, although oxtail and jerk chicken are also very, very good-- no one would judge if you got all three! Like other Back A Yard locations I've been to (okay, only three), there's limited seating, and in the case of this one, decidedly limited/expensive parking due to proximity to SJSU.

Another Back A Yard location, this one is mostly take out focused but there's around 4-5 outdoor dining tables. Service was pretty quick, as it's partially cafeteria style where items like the plantains and jerk pork are already prepared and ready to be scooped. The yard plates all come with two scoops of rice and beans, and 3 plantains. I ordered the jerk white meat chicken, which was a tad dry but the jerk sauce really made the dish special. I sampled the jerk pork, which was very tender and delicious as well. I also tried the curry goat and oxtail, both of which were incredibly tender and rich. For vegans there's a jerk tofu option and coconut curry vegetables dish. There's a good amount of on street parking nearby on the weekend, but no customer parking lot for this location. Overall this is a definitely worth the try.

I had been wanting to visit Back A Yard for a few years, so decided to finally go before an event with my Mother. The customer service was excellent, the wait time to get our food was a little longer than expected and for me I wished the food had a little more flavor, seasoning. It took a minute for me to realize how close we were to SJSU, so I think this is an ideal place for College Students. Parking was also a little tricky, so ended up rushing through my food and then taking most to go to make sure I didn't get a ticket.

Loved the food. I got the jerk tofu and I wish it was grilled a little longer and had more spice but still liked it in taste. The rice given is generous and the plantains go well with the dish. It was a bit small in portion for the price and when compared to the meat dishes pictures.

The best Oxtails hands down. I dive from Oakland to this location. My mother loved the food as welll. Easter is so cool

They get busy but they always have a smile on their face. If there's a a little longer of a wait it's always worth it. Food is flavorful and the portions are generous. Don't forget to extra sauce!

Wowwie. Zowwie. Best jerk chicken ever. Oxtails to die for. Perfect plantains. The collard greens were so good - I haven't had collard greens that great for forty years. We recommend in the strongest way possible. We travel through here every couple months. It will be our planned stop by en route. We feel lucky to have found it.

Didn't pick up the phone over an hour before closing. I literally called while I was in line in person and no one bothered to answer. Am I crazy or is that kinda rude? Like I get it if you're busy, but damn a busy signal conveys that better than letting it ring forever. Didn't include two of our sides. Let me tell ya, there was nothing fun about these carnivals. They were out of mango habañero sauce and I'm pretty sure the portions were smaller than the Menlo and Campbell locations. And worst of all, the plantains were undercooked! Nearly unforgivable. I almost cried. Almost. But if I did, so what I can cry if I want. This was the first time we tried this location and unless all the other locations are closed or annexed, will probably be the last. Kinda like the Warriors season, this was a rare disappointment from a normally high quality franchise.

When I tell you this is the best restaurant in the world, I am NOT joking. If I could give more than 5 stars, I 100% would. As an Indian, I have had my fair share of spicy food as well as rice. But hands down the rice and jerk chicken beats everything Ive ever ate (sorry mom). I am so excited to come to sjsu for the next 4 years to visit my gf, just so we can come here.

been goin to Back A Yard since 2012 ... never misses !! always good , great prices , awesome customer service..

Amazing food and service!! My table ordered the beef oxtail plate, jerk chicken (white meat) and jerk pork combo, jerk chicken (dark meat) plate, and the codfish with ackee special, and everything was so juicy and flavorful. The mango habanero sauce that came on the side had the perfect balance of sweet and spicy. Will definitely come again and visit their other locations, too!

Got the jerk chicken and jerk pork combo plate. Food was delicious and served quickly to boot. Wait time was only around 2 minutes. Staff was extremely friendly. Only complaint was that the chicken was a bit cold inside when I ate it. Food isn't made to order so this might not always be the case. Would recommend this to anyone in the area.

I've been to two of the other locations before and the food was clearly amazing because I keep coming back I normally get the same thing, the chicken and salmon and mac & cheese but this time the salmon was beyond dry and it was only half the portion size of what I normally am supposed to get so I think a piece broke off and they didn't catch that. I was really upset because I purchased three dinners or so spending that amount of money on food that you're used to being good was very disappointing for me

Food was ok, cashier was mediocre, I had the curry goat and oxtails combo, fountain drink, and a side of cornbread for $28. For the price I would expect more protein. Four to five small pieces each of curry goat and oxtails. Definitely not worth 19.00 without drinks and sides. I wouldn't come here again.

Both the jerk sandwiches are really good ( I haven't tried the salmon one though). Also the jerk wings are really good as well they are big wings and a bit spice.

Never fails me. I get the salmon and goat combo and it's delicious. All the jerk plates are good, I also love the corn festivals there excellent for dipping in to the curry goat sauce or the jerk sauce

I have tried the oxtails and the jerk chicken and they were both very good. Also better priced than a lot of other Caribbean places. I did feel like my oxtail was a little bit of a small portion.

Food is great just like their old market st location. Much smaller and quite basic. Lots of potential to spruce the space up, especially the patio, to make it an inviting sit down joint. If its your first time try the classics - curry goat and jerk chicken.