The Real Jerk Restaurant

We visited The Real Jerk after a candlelight concert, craving the Jamaican flavors we loved during our trip in December 2023. We brought two friends who had never tried Jamaican food, and they loved it! They had the jerk chicken and escovitched fish, while we enjoyed a rum punch pitcher, jerk chicken, and jerk shrimp—all incredibly flavorful and authentic. The cool, laid-back vibe made the experience even better. Highly recommend!

Nice, quaint cultural place to visit for a bite to eat. And the portion sizes are huge! Loved the food and service!

This Jamaican spot serves up the most delicious, authentic flavors—every bite is packed with rich, bold seasoning and made with care. The restaurant itself has a laid-back, chill vibe with decor that perfectly matches the atmosphere—cozy yet fun. Whether you're craving jerk chicken, patties, or oxtail, this place never disappoints. A must-visit for amazing food and good vibes!

Spicy Beef Patty - super flakey crust - filling extends right up to the rim! - not very spicy but still tasty! Oxtail - well seasoned and very flavorful - cooked perfectly! - great portions!!! - highly recommend!! 2025: Kamise (I can't spell) was amazing!! She was very quick and efficient in seating me, placing my order and bringing the food out! This all happened in a span of MINUTES!!! Kamise had the sweetest smile and was so polite! From beginning to end, I had a seamless experience here and highly recommend the food and service here!! 2024: Jemahl was highly efficient, attentive, and very detailed-oriented. He made sure my food was not in take out containers. He would go straight to the kitchen to grab my patties each time I ordered. He checked in often despite having so much on his plate. He would leave the bar to grab food, check on people's foods, greet customers at the door, handle take-out orders and all the Uber drivers, provide support to the waitresses, clean, service customers sitting at the bar, as well as make all the drinks! Jemahl did not skip a beat! With his calm and friendly demeanor, he was hands down on top of everything and worked through his night seamlessly. Thank you for being so prompt and amazing Jemahl! Your service was amazing and so was the ox tail and the patties!

Used to eat hear when they were on broadview. Food used to be the best in the city. Came here today for the fried chicken and i can't even believe that this is what they gave me. Food tasted horrible.. small piece of chicken and a bunch of crappy rice. Very disappointed. Oxtail used to be so good maybe just maybe I'd come back and try that again

This is the one and only original Real Jerk Restaurant located in the south east side of Toronto. And was once not too far from me when I was living in the area. The food is amazing and very authentic and fresh and I have tried a few dishes over the years as this was one if my go to and hangout spots when in the mood for real authentic Jamaican cuisine. The staff have always been very customer focused and very down to earth. For me, it's a very fun atmosphere to enjoy the music while eating and hanging out with friends and family. Also, note that this is the original Jamaican Restaurant that Rhianna and Drake did the video for Work.

I love the oxtail here, it was so tender and packed with flavor. Definitely one of the highlights of the meal. The portion was just right, and it really hit the spot.

My family and I have been getting spicy and mild beef patties for years now from this place, however this was my first visit to the actual restaurant. I took my fiancé to get some authentic Jamaican food! It was delicious! I got myself a classic beef patty, as well as the jerk chicken with gravy and rice. The jerk chicken was so tender, perfectly cooked, and had just the right amount of spice. Their homemade fruit punch was also so sweet and refreshing! The service was friendly and I enjoyed the bar with the palm tree leaves and bark decorations. A great local place to stop for some delicious Jamaican eats, and quite reasonably priced for such large, main dish portions!

The food was really tasty. Well seasoned, good balance, rice was fragrant. The curry goat was very savoury, rich curry flavour, very tender goat meat. Definitely not lacking. No complaints. The meat was fall off the bone tender. Added gravy on top of the rice was a nice touch! Jerk chicken has crispy skin, good flavour, and a nice char. Meat was slightly dry but still tender. I only wish there was a jerk sauce to go over it. Not a problem though, added some pepper sauce. They have their own pepper sauce too. A little sweet, not overly spicy but the perfect kick to round everything out. Our server was great! Very respectable, very attentive, soft spoken. Was a little surprising to see the place so empty on a Thursday night.

The food was okay. The service was all right too. I ordered the pepper shrimp for appetizer, The jerk pork sandwich main and rum cake for dessert . I like the pepper shrimp. The jerk pork sandwich I could have passed on. The pork slices were way too big and chunky for the sandwich and the rum pie was good but I felt could use ice cream instead of whipped cream. You're never disappointed with tap water are you? LOL The restaurant was pretty dim. Didn't really give me a Caribbean Vibe aside from the colors. I probably wouldn't go again to be honest, but give it a try if you haven't before

I really enjoy The Real Jerk, the service is always fast and friendly. The food is always great, fresh and the portion sizes are always large. My favourite Jerk restaurant in Toronto. Highly recommended. The only reason I didn't give it five stars is that the parking can be a challenge on a Saturday evening when it's busy.

We love this spot! Authentic, big portions, very reasonable prices and the service is consistent. Plus the Thursday night karaoke is super fun!!

Great Jamaican and Caribbean spot. Jerk chicken was juicy and tender. Their hot sauce also hits the spot.

Their chicken roti taste like chicken was just cooked in chicken broth. There was no curry flavor. There was no spice absolutely disappointing. The hot sauce was almost black. I've never had hot sauce that was almost black, especially from any Caribbean place. The chicken and dumpling soup was basically water with a little chicken broth flavour with 2 small pieces of potato and a bone with not even a spoon full of chicken on it.. Question

I finally got to try this Toronto institution. I had a bit of reservations that maybe it was overhyped, but I'm glad my experience proved otherwise. One thing you'll get at The Real Jerk is ambiance. Most Jamaican places are utilitarian (which is okay), but it's good to have a place that offers more of a dine-in experience too. The aesthetic is very much to capture the Island vibes. The food is a bit pricier as a result, but not as much as you might think. It might add $2-3 per plate, but the servings are pretty large. Beyond that, they offer combos which I really haven't seen elsewhere, where you can get two different meats. Those are only another $4-5 than the regular plate and it's really good value in getting a full serving of another type of meat (rest assured they aren't just doing two partial servings). Their jerk chicken is more homestyle, but was very nice. Since I ordered a combo plate, I also had the jerk pork, and really liked it. Some may find it too salty. I won't deny that it was salty, but I enjoyed it and it paired well with the meat being served in smaller, crispy and savory pieces. I tried a few bites of some of the other food at the table, including a beef patty, fried plantain, and curry chicken, along with oxtail. All of it was very nice, being prepared in a homestyle way.

Had to visit after it appeared in one of Drake's music video. Food was average, the jerk pork stood out the most as it was freshly cooked. Service was a bit slow. Has nice view of live sports if you dine in.

Food excellent Service was unbelievable. I had ordered a drink. A Friend me after we ordered thought my friend would get hos drink. We waited to the point that I was able tona second beer We ordered appetizers and a meal. Ate the appetizers. I asked for my meal. Had to take the meal home. Too long. The bill came faster then the meal. I know the west indian personality no hurry. Maybe stay on top of the only server.

Food: 5/5 I ordered a chicken patty over the phone to try with a side of the real jerk sauce a few minutes after the restaurant opened in hopes the wait time wouldn't be too long. To my surprise, the gentleman there mentioned I could just walk in then, they had just just baked a fresh batch. I tried two other places for patties while in Toronto, and this one was by far the best. Flaky crust and thick, spicy sauce. Service: 5/5 Although the tray of patties was right on the counter and I had asked for one already I still had to wait a few minutes inside which is understandable. I had come in shortly after they opened. Ambiance: 5/5 Again, the restaurant was empty, but I still loved the colors, decor, and music playing. I felt comfortable there. I can't imagine how fun this would be later in the day.

This place is a great venue for flavorsome favorites from the Caribbean. They had the ackee and salt fish (national dish of Jamaica) and the roti, but what I was truly hankering for was the oxtail and I have to start with this. The oxtail was finished with an exquisite, almost equal ratio of protein to fat, which added an extra punch of flavor. Oxtail can get tough sometimes, but you can tell this place puts time and love into this to ensure each bite is soft and falls off the bone. The jerk chicken was moist and had a generous amount of jerk seasoning. Whether there were scotch bonnets included in preparing the rub or not, the amount of heat was perfect for my taste. Enough to feel the heat travel to the top of your scalp, but not enough to have you reaching for dairy products. The chicken and veggie patty appetizers were the only slight letdown for me as I wish the pastry had been cooked a little longer and the seasoning more potent in the filling.

Hi Its been a very long time since I have been at The Real Jerk and it did not disappoint. I ordered the fish and the flavours were there front and centre. The food was delicious! Whoever the Chef is he is doing his thing back there and I am definitely going to go back with friends! It was my pleasure thanks @TRJ, great Sunday dinner!

Food was cold for us and another couple that arrived just before. Everything was sent back and supposedly "remade" but came back cold again. The server got vexed with us for speaking up about the order being incorrect in addition to cold, then asked her co-worker to take care of us - as she wasn't equipped to handle a dissatisfied customer. The manager came and asked us if we wanted the meal remade again, she said she would check the grill. At this point our dinner date was ruined and we are ready to go. Came here all the way from Mississauga, things have changed here , used to be our spot. They made it up by comping our meals and giving us new meals to go.

Not sure what happened but the jerk chicken meal I had today at The Real Jerk was a "Real disappointment". The rice and peas were dry and burnt. The side of plantain was not fresh but dry. The "Jerk Chicken" didn't even taste like the real deal. The customer service was unpleasant and uninviting. Highly doubt if I would recommend this restaurant as an authentic Jamaican spot.

A good option for Jamaican food in Toronto. I enjoyed the jerk wings and shrimp rubdown. Steamed fish I didn't like how all the cabbage was dumped on top especially cuz the fish has bones in it made it hard to eat. The waitress was nice though! I would return.

This place lives up to the hype! Great Jamaican. Best bang for your buck quality wise for sure.

2023 review loses one star... Still a good portion and a reasonable price. I like the honest bit of heat. Today's takeout of jerk chicken was mostly quite dry, almost chalky texture rather than succulent and juicy... And the rice and peas was quite dried out, hard and chewy. Cooking excellent rice is really not difficult and it shouldn't be overlooked. I expect family style, not fancy, and nobody would feel good serving this to friends and loved ones. I'd like to go back, perhaps they can work on the quality control - thanks.

A group of 10 of came on a Saturday night. The restaurant was 75% full. Half of our table was dark and had no light of it. The service was slow ( which unfortunately has become a norm at Caribbean restaurants) I ordered the jerk pork and oxtail combo. The jerk pork was slightly over spiced where it's not as enjoyable because the spice level overpowers the flavor of the pork. I also found some pieces of the pork had a strong charcoal taste. The oxtail was delicious and tender. I also tried the pinacolda which was delicious and creamy. The escovitch fish was tasty however it was slightly not as hot as you'd want it probably because it was waiting for the rest of the dishes to be ready before they brought it out

Love this place for jerk when I'm in Toronto! I ordered the ribs and chicken combo. The ribs were fall off the bone tender. The chicken,which was dark meat, was juicy. I also loved the rice and peas because it came smothered in gravy. The service was good. Sometimes they took awhile to come to my table to check on me, but I went on a busy day. Only thing I didn't like was that I had to ask for jerk sauce for my jerk chicken and I didn't get that delicious thick bread I'm used to getting with my jerk meals in Chicago.

I've been dealing with The Jerk for oh, 20 years at least. Since they moved to their new location their service has been ABYSMAL. A year ago I vowed never to order form them again because of their poor service. I am taling about a 2 hour wait for food! Even when I was going in to pickup I'd have to wait 30-60 minutes AFTER placing the order in advance by phone. Tonight I ordered through DoorDash. Three different "Dashers" went there, waited, and gave up waiting. I could tell by the delivery tracking DoorDash offers. Again it took TWO HOURS because the order was not ready for pickup. I will no longer order from this crappy place. If you do, expect giant wait times. Better yet, find another resturant to order from. The Jerk is run by jerks who dont care about you and fulfilling your order.

The Real Jerk definitely lived up to the hype for me. I was visiting Toronto for a couple days, and decided to stop by. The space is pretty vibrant. Decorated Caribbean trinkets, and decor. The wait staff was friendly, and gave great suggestions on what to eat. There were a few large parties ahead of us, but the food still came out in a reasonable amount of time. We ended up order a ton of food between two. If I run down the list: Beef Roti, bread with oxtail gravy, jerk chicken, jerk pork, curry goat & jerk chicken combo, and plantains. Every single item delicious. The meats were cooked perfectly. Moist, seasoned, and just overall great presentation. I'll have to call out that whatever is in the oxtail gravy should be sold in supermarkets. I came to The Real Jerk, and had a smorgasbord of items. Left full and happy.

Came here to dine and was promptly seated. I ordered the goat curry roti and a side of 1/4 jerk chicken. The food took a while to come, but when it did...I noticed the roti had chicken. After a few bites, I pointed out the mistake to the server and she promptly brought me a goat roti. The jerk chicken was quite dry and not impressive for a jerk place. Alwyn's is way better! The roti was better, but i have had better at many spots in the GTA. It seems like a cool hang out place and has a great vibe...but food's sub par and it seems like it'll keep being busy because of the Drake video.

I've been to The Real Jerk before, ordered and dined in. My rating would have been a 4 if it wasn't for one thing (which I'll get into). I went for their summerlicious lunch special and ordered cod fritters, goat roti dinner and the cheesecake. The fritters were perfect (crispy and flavourful). The goat roti dinner was a huge potion, great for the price, nicely seasoned and just a tad bit too salty but I could look past that. The cheesecake was a bit too dense but by the time it had arrived to the table and we packed up the rest of our mains I saw a cockroach on the wall. Too shocked we did not finish our desert and threw out our food after we left. There goes my lunch for tomorrow. I'm annoyed because I like The Real Jerk, my family likes the Real Jerk- the food is really good but obviously seeing a cockroach in a restaurant doesn't leave the best taste in your mouth.

Super disappointed. Had the half and the quarter jerk chicken dinner. Quarter chicken had a piece of breast and a wing. So very dry. Half chicken was the same. Couldn't even eat the breast it was so dry. A shame. Was NOY coleslaw. Just raw dry cabbage. Rice and peas were OK but mushy. Food has really changed

Was craving for Jamaican food so decided to drop by here. Ordered the jerk chicken and oxtail entree. You can choose two items to go with it: rice and peas, plain rice, coleslaw, salad or potatoes. I chose the rice and peas and potatoes and had no regret. The top of the rice was covered with jerk/oxtail sauce but near the end of the rice, it tasted a bit plain. The potatoes was a good mix to the meal. Both the jerk chicken and oxtail was super delicious- although I wished there were more oxtails and more sauce to it. Oh, there's also hot sauce on the table that added an extra kick to the meal!

Food: 2 Stars Service: 3 Stars Ambience: 3 Stars Fill Factor: Filling* I have only been to The Real Jerk one other time during the time when they were closing up their old location at Queen and Broadview years ago. I was not too big into food back then but I remember enjoying the visit. Fast forward to 2020 and I happen to pass by their new location at Gerrard and Pape so I figured why not stop by for a quick bite. Unfortunately I probably should have just kept walking as it ended up being quite a disappointing experience. When I walked in, the restaurant was fairly empty except for a few tables. There was not anyone at the front desk and there was no signage so I was unsure whether I needed to wait to be seated or if I could just seat myself. Finally after a few minutes someone came out from the kitchen area and I showed myself to a table. I ended up ordering the 1/4 jerk chicken dinner with rice & peas and curry potatoes. I was surprised when the food arrived less than 5 minutes after I had placed my order however I am not one to complain about quick service. My first bite of the chicken was promising as the piece of skin I got was a little crispy and there was a nice kick from the spices. Sadly that would be the best bite of the meal as the rest of the chicken was unbelievably dry and bland. I found myself drinking water after every bite of the chicken to wash it down or trying to sop up whatever curry sauce from the potatoes because the chicken was so dry. I also did not taste much seasoning aside from that first bite of chicken. The rice and peas came with a bit of sauce drizzled on top of the mound of rice. It tasted pretty good with the sauce, however without it the rice and peas were pretty flavourless. The amount of sauce they gave was not sufficient in my opinion so I ended up eating most of the rice plain as well. The curry potatoes were forgettable as there was little taste to it. *A note on the portions which were pretty decent though I am unsure whether I felt full due to the amount of food or whether it was because of how dry the chicken was. The service here was ok. My waitress was friendly so that was a plus. But outside of taking my order, bringing me my food and my bill there was no other interaction (ie. checking in). Again the place was fairly empty when I was there so maybe that explains why no one checked up on me. There was not anything fancy about the decor of the restaurant though it feels comfortable to be in. It seemed pretty clean and spacious and I enjoyed the music playing in the background. It was a bit dark in the restaurant but it did not really bother me. I had really high expectations as the photos from other Yelpers look delicious. Maybe I came on a bad day or just ordered a bad dish but nonetheless I was extremely disappointed with my meal. With so many other great restaurants serving Caribbean cuisine in Toronto I do not think I will be back to The Real Jerk.

Jesus Christ! Top five places I've ever ate at. Just came back from Toronto and all of my friends are planning an immediate trip. Just order everything on the menu!

The only thing good here is the appetizers, food quality is no bueno,and the drinks here are mediocre

This place has gone horribly down since Covid-19. Ordered here for my wife, so. And myself and let me tell you!! WORST EXPERIENCE EVER!!!!!! The first time i ordered the jerk chicken and oxtail combo thing, 4 dumplings, side of gravy and a side of rice and peas... First off my oxtail was not even in the dish lol, 2 dumplings were missing. Ok i get it so i contacted the restaurant and DoorDash, was given a refund so my silly self decided to try again with the refunded money!!! Boy do i regret that cause the second order was even worse then the first! The order must have opened in the bag upon delivery and was worse than taco's in a bag lol! So contacted the store directly and the "Manager" seemed to not give 2 Sh**s about my complaint and just instructed me to go thought the app i ordered from (DoorDash).. refund was AGAIN provided but like wtf?? Im still Hungry and don't have edible food lol.. don't order from this location!! Order from The Beaches location WAYYYY BETTER SERVICE!!!

Being from south Florida, aka Caribbean USA, I thought I knew Jamaican food. Apparently I have been deceived, as confirmed By our Jamaican dinner companion. This is by far the most authentic Jamaican restaurant I have been to, which is shocking considering we are all the way in Canada! I discovered dishes I never knew excised. A couple highlights on the night: - Dumplings with oxtail gravy. Insanely addictive. This is basically a funnel cake with dipping sauce. The ultimate challenge is to not stuff your face with so much of this that you can't eat the main entree. I failed - Jerk Pork. Apparently everything and anything can be jerked, but this is my personal favorite. Sooooo much flavor. - Red pea soup. This is the type of soup you crave on a cold rainy day. Dumplings, peas, carrots, cabbage....deliciousness ! I do have to warn that the wait for your food can be excessively long. This put a damper on the experience as a whole.

We had GREAT service. The food was delicious, despite the Jerk pork being on the very dry side. We got the curried goat, jerk chicken, and jerk pork. For sides: the vegetables (cabbage and carrot) and plantains. Everything was well seasoned and tasted great. I'd recommend it all.

Worst night ever. I got food poisoning and they had no lamps inside. Dark as shit in here. 0/10 do not go.

Man oh man! The food was good. The service was good. I enjoyed the music and atmosphere. I had the oxtail. I also ordered a roti shell and a fried dumpling. The dumpling was flaky and delicious. The oxtail fell right off the bone and i enjoyed the Cole slaw. I wanted plantain but the waiter was honest is saying they probably weren't as ripe today which I appreciated. I stuffed myself to a pulp and still had leftovers. I ordered the sin & Ting as well and I enjoyed it. I will definitely come back to visit whenever I'm in Toronto.

Jerk pork. Jerk pork. JERK PORK! Okay seriously if you're in the mood for authentic Jamaican food this is a must. Extremely reasonable prices, straight to the point menu (jerk pork, jerk chicken, peas and rice, plantains, etc.), fun decor, good service. Menu offered good lunch specials and after work happy hour options. PS, this is also the place where Rihanna filmed the "Work" video Pros: Well seasoned authentic Jamaican food, "cheap" food price, fun decor

Service was good and prompt. The food was so disappointing .... portions were frustratingly small on the Jerk chicken ... two drum sticks and a thigh constitutes a 1/4 chicken meal $25 tax and tip included with a TING and a minuscule portion of coleslaw . One drum stick was so pale that no Jerk seasoning was noticeable ... it looked unpresentable and killed my appetite. I had kindly asked for a healthy hungry size helping on the rice and peas and the gravy served still left the plate dry upon finishing the meal. This establishment shows a lack of ownership pride that leaves clients not happy and not satisfied. This review brings me no joy to write about and is not meant to trash the establishment .... however an overpriced experience that left me discontented and strongly influenced me to reminisce of better times when the owners cared what and who they served.

Very good jerk chicken (all I've had). oh and patties also good (not the best). New location looks nice, much better signage.

Honestly this business I use to love since I was a kid, my family is also in the Caribbean restaurant industry so I know goat comes with bones; however I recently moved downtown and have been ordering more frequently yet I've noticed when I first ordered again after several years the food was immaculate, yet every time after it got worse and worse. I felt they acted like they had me and did not have to impress me any further and like a dealer they just kept cutting the goat with more and more Bone and less quality. Today was the last straw there was so much bone and damaged looking meat I count even eat it. I actually asked them politely not to put too much bone in this time, maybe the chef got mad and instead of putting her foot in it she put put her A** in fix up or get out

So I'll admit it. I came here because it was the restaurant in Rihanna's video. I mean I just couldn't be soooo close and not give them a try. If I were just rating on the food they would deserve all 5 stars. I mean hands down this food is absolutely amazing. I ordered a beef patty, and the curry and jerk chicken plate with rice and beans and salad. But here's where they lost the stars...they are slooooooooow and service could use some work. My goodness. First we ordered drinks, then played the waiting game for the drinks and then straws...finally I gave up and went to the bar for straws and the crappy attitude that the lady gave me was ridiculous. If service ain't your thing...that's fine. Just don't...you know....work in service. But let's get back to the meal, next we ordered apps a few beef patties and plantains. And then we waited and waited again. When they finally arrived I devoured it before I could take a pic. I was starving. Then we finally ordered food everyone for something different and we mixed up the sides so we could try everything. Cue the waiting music....... ONE HOUR later our food arrived. This was after our server stopped by the table many times to say our order was "the next out the kitchen". Ugh. When it arrived we had the wrong sides. I ordered salad and ended up with cole slaw but I was too hungry to send it back. I don't recommend the slaw but all the rest of the sides I sampled were pretty tasty. So if you're going to give this place expect delicious food...a long wait and good luck with the service.

I watched this place move from their famous old Broadview location and being built and open in this location, but somehow never tried it until now? Service: the waitress who served us sounded like she had a bit of a "whateverrr" attitude, or just tired from working, but wasn't rude to complain about Food: We ordered the Curry Goat Dinner, and a side of 1/4 Jerk Chicken (dark meat), and a side of Stew Chicken Curry Goat Dinner - we ordered it with rice & peas, and curry potato. The portion was big, very filling, and tasted great. However, the goat meat could be a little more tender as it was somewhat chewy. Also, be mindful that some pieces may come with huge bones. 1/4 Jerk Chicken (dark meat) - it came with 3 pieces of meat, a pretty decent portion, and very well seasoned and a little bit hot Stew Chicken - I've never had this before, but the flavour in this is STRONG with a little bit of smokiness. The meat of the chicken was stewed well where the meat easily falls off the bone. I ordered this as a side just to try, but I think this dish would be better with rice as it came with a lot of gravy.

Horrible customer service for dine in. I didn't care for the host the minute I walked in the door but decided to give it a chance. Unfortunately, the waiter never came but someone in another section sat down after us, ordered, and got their food while we waited nearly 20 minutes. When the host was asked about this, she said there were two separate waiters. It made no sense because in total there were only 2 tables (both parties of 2-4) in the two sections combined. Someone should have waited on us. We immediately left after waiting a few more minutes. Out side of this, the restaurant is junky and needs to be better organized. If you can't keep your restaurant presentable, it makes me wonder about overall cleanliness and sanitization. Not a good look at all!

Tourist Alert: Me and my boyfriend were in Toronto visiting and of course stopped by the real jerk on a Reference from a friend at work, work work. My boyfriend is Caribbean so this review is a conformation from him. He had the oxtail. He enjoyed it. He doesn't like meatless or fatty oxtail and I heard no complaints from this sit down. I had the jerk ribs. So good! Loved them. If you like ribs you'll def in enjoy. We both had rice and peas which were good also and the plantains were damn good also we had to fight over his last bite. The environment was cute. Music was popping. Service was mediocre but hey, maybe just my day.

If your're a lover of Jamaican and Caribbean food Toronto is the right place for you (other than the islands) because there is such a wonderfully robust community in this city. When NOW Toronto said that The Real Jerk was voted Toronto's #1 Best Caribbean 2018, I was ready to try it! The most notable fun fact about this restaurant is that this is where Rihanna and Drake filmed the music video for the song 'Work.' I totally recognized the interior of the restaurant from the video, which is pretty neat! I rolled up to the original location (there is no mistaking it - the signage is massive) in Riverdale (they now have two different restaurants and have been around since 1984) on a Sunday evening and was seated at a comfortable table by the front windows. Everything about the decor screams "Jamaica" and the vibe is patriotic perfection. The colour scheme is red, yellow and green for as far as the eye can see. The space is very large with two separate dining rooms, some lounge areas, and a massive bar right in the middle of the room. I loved the authentic art all over the walls, painted onto corrugated tin sheets. There are scenes of beaches printed directly onto the tables. The feeling is welcoming and warm, which was echoed in the demeanor of our friendly server. The experience seemed pretty legit and I enjoyed feeling like I had been magically transported to a different country entirely. First things first, I began to look at the beverage options. I was very pleased to see favourites like home-made fruit punch, sorrel juice, ginger beer, and of course Ting on the menu. The list of alcoholic drinks is even more impressive, especially their incredibly large rum selection. I found myself looking at the Specialty Cocktails menu (there are lots) and decided that the Real Jerk Cocktail (Caribbean rums, guava juice, pineapple juice & orange juice, and a splash of passion fruit juice - $10.99) was the way to go since it was my first-ever visit. I'm ever a fan of the signature drink. This drink sounded fun and fruity which is exactly what I had in mind. I likely could have assumed that this beverage was going to be boozy and it was! The fruit juices were nice and sweetly attempted to balance out the rum. However, the rum took centre stage in a big way. While it was strong, I liked this drink because it allowed me to enjoy a rum experience without the alcohol taking over too much. Next we moved our attention to the Appetizers. There are some very good options in this section, such as dumplings and patties - I'd like to return to try both! On this visit we opted for a lighter favourite, Plantain ($3.00). The banana's denser, starchier cousin, plantains are delicious all fried up and these ones were no exception. I loved the light caramelization and fresh bites. A nice and fruity way to begin the meal. Our server accidentally brought us two orders of plantains when we only ordered one, but she let us keep both at no extra charge, which was very kind. My choice of main course was fairly obvious to me, given the fact that they offer my favourite Jamaican dish. I went straight to the Seafood Entrees section of the menu and found the Ackee & Cod Fish (Served with rice & peas and coleslaw - $17.00), otherwise known as ackee and saltfish, Jamaica's national dish. The food didn't take long and arrived hot and delicious. As a big fan of this traditional Jamaican dish, I order it every opportunity that I can. I have eaten it in Jamaica as well. The version at The Real Jerk is extremely excellent. The perfect balance of salty and sweet flavours wins me over every time. The sweet and light ackee fruit had been boiled and was very tender, while the cured salt cod adds a great bite and meaty texture. Sautéed together with onions and spices, I absolutely loved this stewy and well-seasoned dish. The flavours were incredibly bold. I would have liked to see more tomato incorporated in the dish for a bit of added fresh brightness, as the lone solitary piece of tomato on my plate wasn't exactly cutting it. Regardless, I would order this dish again and again. I also really enjoyed the sides of savoury rice & peas and deliciously creamy coleslaw. I certainly couldn't miss out on trying their jerk chicken!! I was extremely happy to see that a large "Sides" section is offered, making it easy to toss in any favourites that you cannot leave behind. The 1/4 Jerk Chicken ($6.50) was exactly what I had in mind. I was disappointed to see that I had been given a piece of white meat (however I did not send it back). The menu clearly states that white meat is $1 extra, therefore I purposely did not request it. I'm a dark meat kinda girl all the way! (I was not charged extra for the white meat that I was given.) To my dismay but not to my surprise, the white meat was pretty flavourless and dry. I'm sure that the dark meat would have been much juicier and more flavourful, such is its characteristics. Even the jerk spices seemed to get pretty lost a

I used to drive by this place all the time on my way to Gerrard Square but never tried it in all the years. It took a Drake music video to finally get me to give this spot a try and I'm glad I did. The parking lot is small, the day I went there was also a private function so I ended up parking on the street but no big deal. It also opens at 1 PM on weekends, I attribute this to island vibes; but find me a great Caribbean/Jamaican spot that sticks by their timing :D When you walk in, it's a big spot but slightly cold as they crank the AC. We sat down and had some cheerful conversation with the waiter who was friendly and humorous. For 2 people, we ordered the Chicken Roti & Jerk Chicken/Oxtail combo. They were absolutely perfect, they had the right amount of spice, seasoning, and tenderness to it. I'm upset I hadn't come here sooner. It is a little pricey for the dish as our bill came out to $37 after tax, but you cannot deny the quality. I would recommend this spot to try, but the price range for this won't necessarily make me a repeat customer.

The Real Jerk isn't someone who opened this place because it's got some great food. I'm bias towards roti, but I'd recommend anyone going for Caribbean vibes. Go easy. I'm a jerk for not being able to rate 6-stars.

Three of us came for lunch and will return! The oxtail dinner for $16.50 was a delicious plate of super-tender oxtail on the bone in a rich sauce, rice and beans and coleslaw. Loved it! The 1/2 jerk chicken dinner was good but the chicken was dry. I'm used to Allwyn's jerk chicken. Next time I want to try the rotis.

Had lunch here today and it was pretty good. The curry goat was well seasoned but the oxtail could have used a little more flavor. Service was good though. I imagine I would go back but I'd probably try a few other spots first.

If you're looking for some authentic Jamaican food & you're in the downtown area, come here. The owners definitely put time & thought into the environment & atmosphere of the restaurant, giving you a true Caribbean feel as soon as you step inside. My top Jamaican dishes are Jerk Chicken & Oxtail. Luckily there was a combo with both, w/ rice & peas & coleslaw. It was amazing & the portion size left us FULL! Will definitely be coming back, perfect way to end off the Caribana weekend Did I mention this is where Drake & Rihanna shot the 'Work' music video?

One of my fave places in Toronto. Been coming here for years. Love their jerk pork. Authentic Jamaican food

I've been going to this place since it was at Queen and Broadview. No complaints ever. The service is great all around. The owners are amazing, the bar tenders are great and the food is also delicious. I normally just get the jerk chicken and jerk pork and they've always been nice and tender and saucy and with the perfect seasoning. It's a great place to go if you're craving some jerk!!