The Real Jerk Restaurant in Toronto

842 Gerrard St E, Toronto, ON M4M 1Y7, Canada

★★★★☆
(2478 reviews)
Categories: Caribbean restaurant Caterer Cocktail bar Event venue Jamaican restaurant Takeout restaurant

About

The Real Jerk Restaurant has been a landmark restaurant in Toronto for over 30 years. The Real Jerk has developed a strong following of loyal returning customers and is a well-known name with tourists. TRJ has been serving great Caribbean food and Caribbean vibes to residents and visitors in Toronto. This award winning restaurant offers dine-in, take-out and catering options. The Real Jerk Restaurant has been able to capture that island vibe with great service and a wide selection of food, rum, wine and cocktail options. TRJ is a great place to celebrate with family and friends. Give yourself a treat with a taste of the Caribbean. If you're looking for a place with Caribbean food in Toronto with great vibes, check us out. Everything IRIE

Website
therealjerk.com
Address
842 Gerrard St E, Toronto, ON M4M 1Y7, Canada
Plus Code
MM94+4M Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Time Zone
America/Toronto

Business Hours

Monday
Closed
Tuesday
11:30 AM–10 PM
Wednesday
11:30 AM–10 PM
Thursday
11:30 AM–12 AM
Friday
11:30 AM–12 AM
Saturday
12 PM–12 AM
Sunday
2–10 PM

Services

Service options
No-contact delivery Delivery On-site services Takeaway Dine-in
Highlights
Sport
Accessibility
Wheelchair-accessible car park Wheelchair-accessible entrance Wheelchair-accessible seating Wheelchair-accessible toilet
Offerings
Alcohol Beer Cocktails Coffee Healthy options Late-night food Small plates Spirits Vegetarian options Wine
Dining options
Brunch Lunch Dinner Catering Dessert Seating
Amenities
Bar on site Toilets Wi-Fi Wi-Fi
Atmosphere
Casual Cosy
Crowd
Family friendly Groups
Planning
Accepts reservations
Payments
Credit cards Debit cards NFC mobile payments Credit cards
Children
Good for kids High chairs
Parking
Free of charge street parking Free parking lot Parking

Photos

Reviews

4.1
★★★★☆
2478 reviews

Most Mentioned

rihanna (25) parking (25) rum (21) ribs (19) goat roti (15) bartender (14) jerk pork (11) cod fritters (10) filmed (8) the jerk (5)
5 stars
1325
4 stars
597
3 stars
238
2 stars
100
1 stars
218
★★★★★
December 17, 2024

A bit cold inside during winter but this is probably the best Jamaican restaurant in the area! Worth the commute.

★★★★★
October 10, 2024

Honestly, I cannot express to you how amazing the food was at this restaurant. And they had rundown. Where the hell can you get rundown these days? I also have the opportunity to meet the owner and I will definitely be back.

★★★★★
October 7, 2024

I enjoyed my first brunch !! It was good and worth it! I got sorrel and food in the pictures. It was a brunch event for $23.99 per person! The Hominy Corn porridge was soooo good ! And the sorrel is good and stronggg! Keep it up guys! Highly recommend if you’re in the area for some Caribbean food and the atmosphere gives you a vibe like home!! Yaaaddd mi seh

★★★
August 11, 2024

The Real Jerk offers some authentic Jamaican food, and the food is served pretty fast. I had dinner there on a Sunday. I ordered the escovich fish, rice and peas and cod fritters. Despite the food being flavourful, the fish and fritters were cold and the rice somewhat warm. In terms of vibe and atmosphere, the place looks outdated and frankly it is falling apart. Old furniture, cutlery and dishes. Not a cute spot for a date or bday celebration. The space would definitely benefit from a serious upgrade!!

★★★★
August 6, 2024

Come get a taste of the islands here. Warning, it’s usually closed on a Monday, but sometimes opened on a holiday Monday though. Lots of patrons keep coming in and out while I was there. Good food, good music, nice vibes, and they even have a store so you can buy some things like teeshirts and feel Irie. I love the option where you can have two meat dish. The bartender Kyrstal provided great customer service and conversation. Be sure to get one of the homemade drink. The mango, guava, ginger is my fave! Check out the cool seating area made out of barrel!

★★★★★
July 7, 2024

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!! 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!

★★
January 10, 2024

After hearing all the hype I ate here for first time and it was an alright experience. Had the coconut shrimp to start which was done well only thing off was the sauce that came with it which was weirdly sweet. I improvised and dipped the shrimp in the oxtail gravy which was nice. I got the jerk chicken and oxtail combo. The meat had decent flavour and the spice level was perfect, but the meat could have been warmer. I was given white meat and not dark meat. I wasn't aware I had to specify this. At this point I was too hungry to send it back. My friend had dark meat so we shared. I don't see this place being worth the drive from Mississauga. Overall experience was very general.

★★★★★
December 14, 2023

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!

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 22, 2024

Amazing dumplings with gravy!

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 20, 2024

One of the best rum bars in the city...in fact maybe the best. Great jerk , rotis and patties. The real deal.

Local Guide
December 20, 2024

Their quality of food has decreased i am convinced there is no restaurant in Canada that can make Authentic jerk chicken Yardys jerk is the closest!! This jerk was sooo dry and tasted more like Cajun chicken than jerk the chicken was white!!! @The real Jerk I need answers because there is no excuse for jerk chicken to look or taste like this highly disappointed and wont ever be going back there. I will try to add photos for reference.

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 17, 2024

Cozy and warm ambience, the portion was a little bit too small.

★★★★
Local Guide
December 9, 2024

One of the best places in the GTA and around downtown Toronto. Ordered the jerk and oxtail combo with rice n peas with curried potatoes as my two sides. Ask for the jerk sauce as it only seemingly comes on the side when requested. But it s very good and perfectly spiced. Oxtail was tender, not hard. Rice n peas fluffy and properly authentic. Extra gravy is always necessary. Jerk was perfectly bbq d, I think it s smoked. Celebrities and NBA players have been seen eating here. Highly recommended, nice decor nice vibe.

★★★★
Local Guide
December 9, 2024

The food was absolutely delicious

December 2, 2024

The lady at front desk is so unprofessional! Very rude

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 2, 2024

Excellent as all of us enjoyed the beautiful settings at their new location - superbly awesome. I will go there again, and again....

November 25, 2024

Terrible service. I ordered take out food in the restaurant and they took my money. I waited for one and a half hours in an empty restaurant for my food the food was stale. Never again.. I wasted my money and time.

November 23, 2024

THEIR KARAOKE NIGHT IS AMAZING WISH IT WAS ON FRIDAYS SO I COULD GO MORE OFTEN

November 23, 2024

This used to be my favorite Caribbean restaurant, food was so salty, they were cleaning and moving chairs while we were eating, not coming anymore

November 23, 2024

That lady at front who provides take out food has no idea how service customer and food delivery driver also complained about her behaviour

November 23, 2024

I recently visited there and was extremely disappointed with the customer service at the front desk. Upon arrival, I was greeted with no sense of warmth or professionalism. The staff member seemed uninterested in assisting me and appeared distracted, even though there were no other customers waiting. When I asked a simple question, the response was curt and unhelpful, leaving me more confused than before. Additionally, there was a noticeable lack of communication between staff members, which caused unnecessary delays. I expected a much higher standard of service, especially in a place that prides itself on customer care. Overall, my experience was frustrating, and I hope management takes note of these issues to improve future customer interactions.

★★★★★
October 23, 2024

The best Roti Wrap in Toronto. Ordered, chicken, goat and lentils rotis and all of them were excellent

★★★★★
Local Guide
October 23, 2024

Love it

★★
October 23, 2024

Jerk chicken was good but a bit dry. Customer service needs alot of improvement. No one came to check up in between and no drinks were even offered as well

★★★★★
October 23, 2024

Amazing food! Big difference between 2 locations! Service quality Taste amazing Plate size worth every penny ! Goat curry , plantain and soup

★★★★★
Local Guide
September 23, 2024

Ive always loved going to the Jerk since it was at its original location on Queen and Broadview. My mother worked in the bank next door for many many years so I had been going there since I was a young girl. My family and I continue to go there although we live our separate busy lives, it is still a nostalgic comfort. Its too bad some of these reviews had some poor experiences of expediting the food or lack there of, but even running on Jamaican time, I am happy to support local spots. Genuine delicious Jamaican food in a laid back atmosphere.

★★★
September 23, 2024

Overrated, lacked flavour.

★★★
September 23, 2024

Okay, so this was my 3rd time visiting here and unfortunately for the third time straight, the customer service is just about the wackest ive ever experience from a jerk spot in my lifetime thus far. As soon as you come in, no type of greeting and dead stares, & if you dare to say hello then theyll most likely ignore you as if you an opp or something.. Try inquiring about their menu, then youll most likey get vague answers thats not detailed in the slightest, then when finally finishing up my order, the waitress took about 5 minutes before actually informing the chef about it! (and keep in mind she was no type of busy, since she was just literally standing by the table in an apparent gaze ) Ordered the Jerk Chicken/Ribs Combo which stated that it was 20.95$ on their apparently outdated menu, yet came up to 25.93$, gave the cashier 26$, and she unprofessionally didnt even offer my remaining nickel, and i didnt even bother to inquire about it but still its the professionalism principles for me, which this shop highly lacks nowadays but according to their past reviews, they mustve been better at years ago im guessing. Then when i finally get the food, checked in the bag and there is no cutleries + napkins nor a proper receipt with my actual monetary transcript on it, it only showcased the name of the food and table [regardless of this being a takeout order]. Now finally for the food portion of this review since we got most of the negatives out the way, its really a shame that this place is so anti-hospitable since when it comes to their food, it tastes really good. Similar to my momz homemade cooking even. Rice was a decent amount while being just as grainy as i prefer with some gravy on it finally, since the first time ive ate here accompanied by the Jerk Pork, everything was super dry. Cole Slaw was nice but too much liquid at the bottom of the bowl. Ribs was hella tender while being fall of the bone with a good amount of bbq on it, but was under the intention that it wouldve had Jerk on it, but that wasnt the taste case...not a deal breaker regardless. And finally the Jerk Chicken was the right color, lightly seasoned and mild. Wouldve preferred more Jerk in it preferably though, since their competitors in the area never lack in this area. So finally, the overall verdict here is that I came in here feeling happy and then left feeling dead inside Solely due to their customer service alone, so whoever is the current owner here seriously NEEDS to consider either strictly re-training their current staff or just hire a whole new inviting hospitable crew, since most of them look like they hate their lives, jobs and customers apparently lol With my current favorite Jerk options here in the Queen\Gerrard area being Ochas and Blessed Love, theyre basically blowing The Rude Jerk out da water right now by not only actually having friendly customer service, but their food is more flavorful and less pricey too, so therefore i would heavily recommend | suggests those alternatives before resorting to here. #FoodForThought

★★
Local Guide
September 23, 2024

Bad service and very mediocre food. There are better jamaican places in toronto.

★★★★★
Local Guide
September 23, 2024

Paid $12 for 3 patties, was very good and filling

★★★★★
Local Guide
September 23, 2024

Arie Karaoke on Thursdays! Jerk pork, curry goat and oxtail gravy with dumplings are my favorite! Definitely recommend!

★★★★
Local Guide
August 23, 2024

good food

August 23, 2024

Again....as a patron from long....including Queen east...service is good but service knowledge of food not great...3 times in a row I am disappointed...Lets not even include boat cruise I couldnt make because of a family emergency. on the day of...No reimbursement or anything ...They dont care!!!! REAL jerk is dun wid us!!!!

★★★★★
Local Guide
August 23, 2024

Good food, Great music Good customer service Food : 5/5

★★★★★
Local Guide
August 23, 2024

Great Jamaican food, lovely music and nice service. What else can you ask for. The vegetarian options are really tasty. Vegetarian options: They have different beans with potatoes and rice, and the soup. All really tasty.

★★★★
August 23, 2024

The portion sizes were very reasonable and left the place feeling full. The jerk chicken was a little saltier than expected but still an overall solid meal! The oxtail soup gets an honourable mention.

August 23, 2024

Food good as always , but the bartender/server JERMAL is disrespectful, ignored me at the bar when clearly he can see im waiting to pay for my take out order. Does it everytime i come there, and it makes one not want to bother. Waited 15- 20 minutes while my food was getting cold. He wasnt that busy, not sure what his problem is. Get a new front man

★★★★
Local Guide
August 23, 2024

Good food, good service, good prices. The only negative part was that I was supposed to get a goat roti but I got a chicken one instead. I didnt want to send it back because then itd get thrown out. It was still pretty good, but I imagine the goat one would have been even better.

★★★★★
August 23, 2024

The vibes are nice. Food is affordable and great portions. We drive from Bowmanville. Highly recommend! Dont forget to try their festival!!! Best around.

★★★★★
Local Guide
August 23, 2024

Great food and vibes. Attentive staff. Parking is free.

★★★★★
Local Guide
August 23, 2024

My review is for the Legacy - College location As per the east end -Amazing!!!! Shaquel is a great server Food : 5/5

★★★★★
Local Guide
July 23, 2024

Wow that Roti is the bomb. That cook got hands. I dont give 5 stars easily. I am also a chef African chef. The best Roti Ive tasted since I been here.

★★★★★
July 23, 2024

The food was delicious and fresh. Shout out to the bartender, you definitely get your money worth.

★★★★★
Local Guide
July 23, 2024

MY absolute favorite place to get roti. I eat here everything time i go Toronto and buy a bottle of their house hot sauce, also great wings.. really everything is good here.

July 23, 2024

Chicken bones and quality of chicken very bad old one less food for the price .be careful can affect your stomach

★★★★★
July 23, 2024

The stew chicken was delicious and the staff are always super friendly.

★★★★★
Local Guide
July 23, 2024

the only place to go for rice and peas

June 23, 2024

Unfortunately, I will be giving up on this place. The service sucks - they are dismissive so be prepared to raise your hand or yell to be attended to ( I felt like they were being force to serve) do better . The atmosphere is the best part of it all because it is unique and indifferent. The food was cold and definitely not freshly prepared , my rice and peas taste burnt with coconut milk and I altogether didn t bother to eat, also the coconut shrimp were oily-gave me a run belly, along w my guest. If you are seeking a good experience don t waste your time here. God bless you all .

★★★
Local Guide
June 23, 2024

Not the same..I have been going to this restaurant for 24 yrs...food was not the same

Local Guide
June 23, 2024

Sorry again, it was a walk by

★★★
June 23, 2024

Charge $4 for 4 tiny takeout of hot sauce and hot sauce isnt on the side menu charges. Should have bought a bottle of Caribbean hot sauce for less.

★★★
June 23, 2024

Went for dinner , our overall experience was okay, but this restaurant is mediocre. Chicken was dry, not enough jerk. Oxtail gravy was good. Need to come back for patties to determine if we will continue to eat here. Rum punch was not flavourful enough.

June 23, 2024

Former regular at the Gerrard location and have enjoyed the Legacy location quite a few times, but saw the are hosting an All Cis-Het Male comedy show on June 22 so wont be returning. Especially during Pride?! No thanks.

Local Guide
June 23, 2024

The real jerk? More like the real trash! Dont bother wasting your time. The jerk chicken was flavorless. We asked for jerk sauce gravy and we got some weird unseasoned sauce. However the coleslaw and sorrel are good! If you want good Jamaican food downtown, go to Rasta pasta or roywoods.

★★★★★
Local Guide
June 23, 2024

Very good food.

★★★★★
Local Guide
June 23, 2024

In the event that I provide a 5-star rating to a restaurant, it is an indication of its exceptional quality. My servers was jemahl and he was very professional and polite I thoroughly enjoyed the culinary offerings, the exceptional service, and the unique and tranquil ambiance of the establishment. Having resided in Toronto for a period exceeding two years, I have had the opportunity to experience a diverse range of restaurants, encompassing Jamaican, Asian, and African cuisines. Additionally, I possess considerable culinary expertise. However, I can unequivocally assert that this particular restaurant surpasses all others in terms of overall excellence. Furthermore, based on the numerous positive reviews and feedback received, it is evident that this establishment holds a prominent position in the culinary landscape of the city. Notably, it served as the filming location for the music video Work, Work, Work by renowned artists Rihanna and Drake. Oh Well , they have been working in the kitchen Would definitely recommend it .

★★★★
Local Guide
June 23, 2024

Love that they actually load your meat with gravy but I think the quality has gone down since the last time I ve went there. Regardless, portion size is satisfactory and I d still come here if I am in the area

★★★★
Local Guide
May 23, 2024

The ox tail was very good, the jerk chicken had good flavor but was dry. The rice and slaw was also great.

★★★★
Local Guide
May 23, 2024

I am a original customer from Greenwood and queen

★★★★★
Local Guide
May 23, 2024

Great dining experience, vybz nice.

★★★★
Local Guide
May 23, 2024

Solid Jamaican experience. Chicken was slightly jerked and was mild and tasty. Oxtail was quite savory and good. Roti shell was a little dry. Coleslaw refreshing... highly recommend that you order it on a separate plate. Parking: Small parking lot difficult to enter.

Local Guide
May 23, 2024

Ij8kk

★★★★★
Local Guide
May 23, 2024

Amazing spot for authentic Caribbean experience with various dishes to try

★★★★★
Local Guide
May 23, 2024

Authentic. Food is always great. If you like island food, if you like spicy food, you gotta go here.

★★
April 23, 2024

The Jerk Chicken was a disaster

April 23, 2024

Ordered from Skip the dishes. The order took over an hour to prepare, then the restaurant did not let the app know it was ready so no drivers were dispatched. I called the restaurant 5 times before they picked up, then told me they could not hear me because of the noise in the restaurant....asked me to yell! She could have gone to a quieter area of the restaurant. She told me it was ready but the app kept on saying it was being prepared. So I guess she confirmed it was ready and then my order was dispatched, but that took almost 45 minutes to finally get to my house. Terrible service!! Now to the food! This is what I found in my food.....2 sticks of wood. I did not try and call the restaurant again to complain because of my experience with them not answering the phone and I would have to yell!!! Skip the Dishes did give me credit for part of my food order. Horrible service from this restaurant!

★★★★★
Local Guide
April 23, 2024

Love it, the business is slow but the food is really good and the energy is fun.

★★★★★
April 23, 2024

I like to go after my muay thai class, order the oxtail and then devour it like I forgot Im human

★★★★
Local Guide
April 23, 2024

Great place to grab quick lunch or dinner

★★★
Local Guide
April 23, 2024

The jerk chicken was pretty bland, had to eat it with a solid bit of sauce. Sides were pretty good, but nothing to write home about, dont understand what the hype is about this place.

★★
April 23, 2024

I used to order from this place via Uber eats a lot. A couple months back I had a shady experience with them in which I placed an order via Uber eats and shortly after received several calls from a number coming from Windsor. I do not answer unknown numbers so I just ignored it. Several minutes later my order was cancelled so I called the shop (different number) to figure out why. The girl on the phone told me she was trying to reach me and told me Uber eats is *allegedly* cancelling orders on their own (which is strange to me because I received the calls from her BEFOFE my order was cancelled) she told me to order via DoorDash. I did and everything was fine but the situation rubbed me the wrong way so I stopped ordering from them. I decided to give them another try today after a while. I waited a whole hour for my oxtail meal even though it says 40 mins max only to receive bones and rice over sauce. Not even edible. Got my refund asap. Will likely just give up on them completely. I m giving them two stars instead of one because I have had decent experiences in the past I would just appreciate some consistency especially if you want to maintain regular customers.

★★★★★
April 23, 2024

Got a roti for takeout. It was pretty good. Not as spicy as I hoped it would be, but definitely decent. The jerk chicken is pretty good here too

★★
Local Guide
March 23, 2024

Chicken is dry and waitress is rude.

★★★
Local Guide
March 23, 2024

Not spicy at all. Ox tail was bone tail and gravy. Since Covid quality at all restaurants has gone down, in my opinion, I wont be going back anytime soon. Im going stick to my hands for the price I was charged.

★★
March 23, 2024

It was alright, the food was kind of cold and the utensils were not clean. The girl who served us was pretty nice I would give the store a 3.5/10.

March 23, 2024

Horrible, this place fell off. Whoever is cooking idk.. get a new cook. Only thing worth your money is the fritters made fresh. I ve ordered a few times HORRIBLE. The chicken roti had to huge potatoes curry wasn t it, the partha plain it has chickpeas which they don t mention, the chicken and ribs horrible under cooked, jerk chicken wasn t jerked, the curry shrimp I threw out, hard rice n swimming in gravy. Do not eat here. Its horrible. If I could get my money back I would. Don t order of Uber eats either. They don t care.

★★★★★
March 23, 2024

Some of the best food youll ever have

★★★★★
Local Guide
March 23, 2024

During our visit to Canada, we couldnt resist trying the restaurant where Rihanna filmed her Work Work Work video with Drake! The food was delicious, the staff were friendly, and the restaurants setup authentically resembled Jamaica. The music set the perfect vibe while waiting for our meal, and the RUM punch was absolutely fantastic! Plus, the prices were very reasonable. Excitedly looking forward to going back!

★★★★
March 23, 2024

Yummy. Been around a long time.

★★
February 23, 2024

Ordered from this restaurant through Ubereats. It was horrible, does not taste like authentic Caribbean food. The rice & peas tasted like it was out of an Uncle Bens packet, the oxtail was overcooked pretty much mushy not even tender with a lack of flavour. After all the hype I was really disappointed with the food at this restaurant and would not recommend anyone who likes genuine Caribbean food to order from here.

★★★
February 23, 2024

This place likes to play games with people. I placed an order on Uber eats and they did not fulfill my full order after I called before hand to confirm the order. They never called once to let me know what I ordered was out of stock or if it could be substituted. The ppl who work here aren t stupid they know what they re doing. They like to play games forsure

★★★★★
February 23, 2024

Ive been going to the real jerk since it was located on Queen st. So its been years .. never disappoints Curry goat and jerk wings are my top 2 favorites

★★★★★
Local Guide
February 23, 2024

Exceptional quality at reasonable prices in a friendly and authentic atmosphere. Full waiter service in a real restaurant, yet very informal and down to earth with friendly service. You have to wait a bit, but its worth it. They do a busy takeout business and at lunch a single waitress does a lot (including bartender, cashier, and handling takeout orders.) But be warned: The portions are huge! The 1/4 portions are more than enough and youll need to ask for a takeout container if you order the 1/2 portions. Go fo it! And also ask for a takeout bottle of the home-made hot sauce. It will last for weeks or months. I have sampled almost everything by now, and its all great. Best to come in a big group and order a bunch of stuff so you can all share. Its so cheap you can splurge on beers and rum drinks and that hot sauce to go. Update (February 2024): I went for Winterlicious lunch and it was again great. The price of $35 for 3 courses (including tax and tip) seemed a bit steep...but again, portions were so huge it was really two meals for the price of one. There was so much left over I needed two takeout containers. Pumpkin soup: Yum. Delicious and I would never make this myself. I was about to ask for more pepper, but then realized it was already perfectly seasoned. So no need. Jerk Pork and Rice and Coleslaw: more like the gourmet elevated version. The pork came in huge cubed chunks, and was super tender. Maybe call it fillet of jerk pork. No burnt end, which I usually enjoy, but this version was different and delicious. The gravy and hot sauce were already added and at the perfect level of spiciness. (Many jerk places underseason to appeal to a boarder audience; not so here.) There was also a small container of coleslaw, which was okay but nothing special. Rum cake: Outstanding, and again a double portion. Pretty sure real rum was used, not rum flavour, and it was soaked for a long time. Vegetarian options: Can be acomodated

★★
February 23, 2024

Ordered the cod fritters which were exceptionally done. Spent over $50 and the half jerk chicken/oxtail gravy was a disgrace to Jamaica. The jerk chicken had no jerk marinate at all and was brown stew chicken grilled. The oxtail was tender, however no beans , no seasoning and tastes like bbq. Plus, I didn t get my coleslaw. It s a first for me, even from a location in Toronto that may have slipped catering to western expectations. Just why?

★★★★★
February 23, 2024

The good is unreal. The stinger will mKe the rest of your night great

★★★
Local Guide
February 23, 2024

Waited long time (over 5 min) to be acknowledge and take me to the table. Took a whole while to come take our order. Food was too salty. Coleslaw was okay. Seems to be short staff.

February 23, 2024

got a chicken roti , hardly no chicken at all and a few potatoes - very disappointed , will not be going back there

★★★★★
Local Guide
February 23, 2024

The best Roti

★★★★★
Local Guide
February 23, 2024

Top notch spot for jerk chicken. Service is a tad slow but warm and friendly nonetheless. Go for the 1/2 jerk chicken dinner if you ve got an appetite, otherwise the 1/4 is a decent portion.

Local Guide
January 23, 2024

Food was very salty. Rice and peas only beans rice and salt. No flavor. Steam fish was dry, cabbage very hard fit for pigs. Oxtail gravy was only salt no flavor. The Jerk Chicken was horrible. I decided to stop on my way home bets I had buy pizza instead. Ive had way better Jamaican food than this. Even Alberts in the west is better tasting. This restaurant is THE REAL JOKE. I Would never recommend any good thinking West Indian Person to dine in or take out.if I had order this from UBER eats I would have ask for a refund.

Local Guide
January 23, 2024

For god sake clean the wash room its disgusting you serve food

★★
Local Guide
January 23, 2024

Food takes too dam long,especially when the waitresses would rather take payment from all the whole restaurant before they serve you,sitting waiting an hour before we got our food,,literally brought guest to this place to have them ask if it usually always takes this long,first time wasnt that bad,its just the principle,,food waiting in the back Im sure by now,serve the customers who been waiting,then go back to collecting the bills,those people who are paying already had their food,and aint going nowhere,dont expect a tip,its not even packed.. If Im writing this for soo long,guess how long my table of 4 been waiting???????

★★★★
January 23, 2024

Great food but had to ask for water

★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2023

Ok food, bad service.

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2023

Best taste of Jamaica in Toronto.

★★★★★
December 23, 2023

Great service, really nice workers, very tasty food, great music and all round just a great atmosphere. Tokeem H was really nice and treated us properly.

★★★★★
December 23, 2023

Food was amazing!! Definitely a must try! Our sever Tokeem H was very nice and friendly, he made me and my friends feel very comfortable. Overall 10/10 service from Tokeem H Wheelchair accessibility: Big ramp that leads into the restaurant

December 23, 2023

Terrible customer service will never go back. You have no right to give me any attitude, I AM A PAYING CUSTOMER. I see now how you treat your own people, its disgusting.

★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2023

Ordered first time from Uber having some good expectations considering the reviews but disappointed by the extremely dry bland jerk chicken, mushy rice, even the gravy was more like a thick sauce. The drink was very room temp. didnt even seem refrigerated.

★★★
December 23, 2023

Was here yesterday, the food has gone down hill. Such a disappointment.

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2023

Food was amazing!!! But it was kinda slow to come out. Vibes 10/10

December 23, 2023

chicken overcooked no gravy on it. The coleslaw salad, not enough seasoned

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2023

No complaints on my ends Food bussin Vibes Service proper things Food : 5/5 |

★★
December 23, 2023

Jerk chicken was dry , curry goat okay

Local Guide
December 23, 2023

I will get this out of the way: this place is a Toronto staple - it looks cheerful. But in all honesty the place made me feel sleezy for conducting business with them. My girlfriend recommended the jerk chicken wings when I randomly craved the concoction. And so after placing a pickup order using Uber eats, I must say the chicken wings were drum dry!!!!!!! Oh and the oil....i mean gravy was mostly oil but paired nice when you had an inkling of the oxtail with their fried dumplings that had a nice little sweetness. Soooooo, what do we have here?!?!? Well for start I did mention the business was sleezy to me from the moment all my wings were drumb parts and I had only ONE, COUNT ONE FLAT part. Why from TEN wings I got ONE FLAT piece wing and nine DRUMS. Anyways Im happy I ordered to go instead of staying in, because Im not in the business of looking at under dressed women when im with my girlfriend let alone when I walk alone to pick up food. If you have decency stay away from in person visits with family or loved ones. The bar looked depressing while I waited and karaoke is trash. Geez Louise!!!!!!!!! Parking: Tight and barely available.

★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2023

Nice oxtail yet the rice was not cooked properly Service not good at all first of all our servant started by saying she did not want to be there, secondly the restaurant was nearly empty two tables only yet servants are no where to be found for a long time I wanted to order more but by the time some one showed up I was ready to leave.

Local Guide
December 23, 2023

Food wasnt bad, but customer service was inexistente. Only 1 girl serving the tables while the others were chatting. Slowest services ever. Food

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2023

The chicken roti is super tasty!

★★★★★
December 23, 2023

Thanks so much. Went there since good Star review about Summerlicious. I was hampered since all food is too spicy for me but my friend was way happy. Food was plentiful and tasty. A bonus was that I may have touched something that Rihanna did.

Local Guide
December 23, 2023

My opinion is just dont buy food here.

★★★★★
December 23, 2023

I remember when this place opened up a beautiful addition to the neighbourhood

★★★★★
December 23, 2023

Good food friendly staff amazing atmosphere

★★★★★
December 23, 2023

Had a great early meal at the college street location. Staff here was super nice and chill vibe was in play. Embarrassingly... my ribs slipped and hot the floor when I was cutting a bite. I was mortified. The owner popped over seeing I had made a small mess. She was so kind and understanding. She replaced the dropped half rack of ribs and brought over plenty of napkins to clean up. Needless to say... I was grateful and happy that I could enjoy the ribs that had gone awol. Highly recommend this super awesome place. Music. Great people and forgiveness. Lol. Jah bless.

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2023

Omg food soooooooo good I went there for my birthday our waitress was awesome ...will be going back

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2023

real Caribbean food the atmosphere is great! food price reasonable? if you want real authentic Caribbean food, thats the place to go to .

★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2023

Good food. Excellent service!

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2023

Great atmosphere, good vibes, and excellent food!

★★★★★
December 23, 2023

Both my partner and I ordered the chicken roti yesterday through our new membership with Doordash. We hadnt been there for a while because it is a little out of the way for us. After we basically inhaled our orders, we both looked at each other and asked WHY?? Why did we not think to just get it delivered before now? (We rarely order in). The chicken roti was exceptional, very satisfying and even better than I remembered! Needless to say, we will definitely be ordering from them again. And often!

★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2023

finally tried this staple carribean restaurant in the east end. disappointed with their jerk chicken but the oxtail was amazing and portions were big. service was a little slow. overall would come back to try roti and get oxtail again. oxtail and jerk chicken combo: oxtail was delicious - tender and flavorful with the gravy. would skip the jerk chicken next time, it was pretty dry and lacked some flavor. rice and peas and coleslaw were good.

★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2023

The Real Jerk is a Toronto institution and a beloved restaurant. It s a great little spot which has dine in, take out and delivery. Love the jerk chicken, oxtail curry chicken. The rice and peas are the best side as I find the potatoes need a little salt. Great sized portions and very quick and efficient service. Will be coming back many times! Parking: About 12 spots in a parking lot in front

December 23, 2023

Just ordered the half jerk half oxtail over white rice and its disgusting. Im too annoyed to expand further considering i paid $40+ (with other purchases) dont waste your time here

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2023

Ive been to this restaurant a handful of times and Im always satisfied! My most recent meal was the half oxtail, half jerk chicken with rice and peas and coleslaw.

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2023

I Iove this place from the owner to the djs to the servers. Everyone Is so welcoming and efficient! The drinks are priced really well and affordable and I LOVVVVVEEEE irie okie on Thursdays. If you love good food drinks and music Thursday is a must!

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2023

Huge portions, awesome vibe, authentic Jamaican food, old school reggae playing in the background, what more can you ask for? A taste of Jamaica. Highly recommended.

December 23, 2023

Brought my son for his birthday dinner and I must say if I could give less than 1 star I would. The worst service and food I have ever gotten from here. I used to go when they were at broadview and queen and now traveled many times from Kingston road and lawrence because the food has always been amazing so I dont know what happened today. From the moment I walked in the service was sub par, I have never in all my visits had food as bad as today. My son was a bit upset because normally this place rocks. Not so much today. I am one very unhappy customer and cant say I will be returning any time soon.

★★★
December 23, 2023

The soup was the bomb but jerk chicken normally is good but the last visit was disappointing did not enjoy it at all

Local Guide
December 23, 2023

Extra $5 for rice & peas?! Excuse me what?!

December 23, 2023

PATTIES are not a good as before, less meat. This review is for the owner of the real Jerk. I visited your location on September 1, 2023 at 3:00pm..my receipt time is 3:11pm . Party name : 190. The waiter with the nickname Jen gave unprofessional service . The bartender Charisse also did not want to give me her name. I can say that i am disappointed and sad i cannot come here again. Drastic changes need to be made zeen. I miss your waiter Peta-Gay. During those days the real Jerk gave great service .

★★★★★
December 23, 2023

Kid-friendliness: Excellent Food

December 23, 2023

First time customer yesterday. I was very disappointed.

★★
December 23, 2023

We had visited this restaurant many times before Covid but seems things have slipped. We had a table of 9 sept 3. The bathrooms were DISGUSTING. Staff was unprofessional. Pattie was one of the appetizers came cold when meal almost done. Barely any meat on oxtail just bone with gravy. The roti was just bone too. One of our family members never received his meal. This was not money well spent and we will certainly not go back. We tried to support our own but..

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2023

I went there with my son for karaoke he actually ate and the food looked and tasted amazing the karaoke was a lot of fun the host was very good and a lot of different people got up to sing so the atmosphere was great

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2023

Go and enjoy!! Think I did I a review on here before.

★★★★★
December 23, 2023

Oxtail was aaaamazing and the dumpling tasty too

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2023

Wonderful and special food :) excellent atmosphere . The dumplings with the gravy are sooooooo tasty

★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2023

I ordered the combo Jerk Chicken and OX - Tail. Curry Chicken Roti!!. Fresh Food. The wait was worth it..

★★
December 23, 2023

Overall terrible experience. They can t take orders properly: I had to remind the person that my dinners come with sides or else she would have just hung up on me. They forget my side when I picked up the order. The chicken was dry and lacked flavour, rice and peas were dry and forgettable. Local family jerk restaurants make much better quality food.

Local Guide
December 23, 2023

I have ordered from the catering menu a few times, for lunch and events at the high school I teach at, with very mixed experiences. Our school is in the neighbourhood and the students love the food, and we want to support local restaurants as much as we can! However, today has left us thinking we wont order again. I called last Friday and whoever I spoke with took my order (mini veg roti, chicken skewers and plantain), which I was pleased with. I had an experience last year where it took multiple phone calls and then having to actually go to the restaurant to make a catering order! However, I shouldnt have been pleased because apparently the person who took the order this time didnt pass it along to anyone. Today when one of our stafff went to pick it up, they had no record of the order. They made it for us then, but it meant that we served lunch an hour late. PLUS, when we received the food, the roti was chicken, not veg - meaning my vegetarian students had nothing substantial to eat. This happened another time we ordered from the catering menu - they served us chicken and not veg! Many of our students have varied access to food, and it is so sad and frustrating to see them go without. I called and spoke with I think Carmise, who was apologetic. However, I think they should have offered to make the veg roti on the spot for free, or offer us a discount or something, but it really seems that they dont want our business. Oh well.

Local Guide
December 23, 2023

My friend brought me here because Rihanna s music video was directed here. Great ambience, however the food was flavourless, chicken and gravy was not it.

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2023

Title I recently had the pleasure of dining at Real Jerk Restaurant, and I am thrilled to share my fantastic experience! From start to finish, it was a culinary delight that left a lasting impression on my taste buds. The roti at Real Jerk Restaurant was nothing short of perfection. It was soft, warm, and incredibly flavorful, a true testament to the chefs expertise. Paired with their jerk chicken, it created a harmony of tastes and textures that made every bite a heavenly experience. The jerk chicken itself was succulent, well-seasoned, and had that perfect smoky flavor, showcasing the authentic Jamaican jerk style. The ambiance of the restaurant was inviting, and the staff was friendly and attentive, enhancing the overall dining atmosphere. The service was prompt, and the staff members were knowledgeable about the menu, which made the ordering process smooth and enjoyable. Real Jerk Restaurant undoubtedly stands out for its delectable cuisine and dedication to providing an authentic Jamaican dining experience. If youre a fan of mouthwatering roti and jerk chicken, this restaurant is a must-visit. I cant wait to return and savor their delicious dishes again. Highly recommended for anyone seeking a taste of Jamaican culinary excellence!

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2023

First time here and whoa it was incredible! Highly recommend the ribs and dumplings. Massive portion for a reasonable price.

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2023

The best oxtail. Also, Thursday night karaoke is so much fun.

★★
December 23, 2023

This redturant is notorious for terrible service slow motion and low quality food. For years no I am under whelmed more and more each time I go here. The prices have increased and the quality and service continue to decrease. Say goodbye to a returning customer who spends over 50$ each time I order.

December 23, 2023

The place is aesthetically pleasing from the outside. However, once you get in, they are serving dry and tasteless chicken. Its sad the place is called the Real Jerk because thats definitely not jerk chicken theyre serving. Wish I would have read the reviews before stopping by. I did enjoy the music.

Local Guide
December 23, 2023

Tried Real Jerk for the first time this past week and it will be our last. Our goat stew roti was a good large serving with lots of meat, however, it tasted very gamey and the roti shell was very dry. We also ordered pepper shrimp which was mainly peppered with black pepper, it was quite underwhelming. Our favourite thing was probably the beef patty which was likely from a frozen box but at least tasted decent.

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2023

Havent been here in a minute but my return was worth the wait. I wanted to take my cousin for some REAL jerk chicken (shes from LA so not much in the valley) and she absolutely LOVED it. So so happy she enjoyed everything so much. If I could, Id definitely bring some oxtail gravy and dumplings back to LA next time I go back.

December 23, 2023

I went there with my friends and seen two rats running around the dining area Parking: Gerrad Recommended dishes Jerk Chicken

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2023

The food is good I usually get a roti but I ve been having the chicken soup lately with a fried dumpling. Let me tell you it hits the spot never disappoints.

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2023

I will probably be there tonight for their Kareoke night. The food is outstanding!!!! Very fresh and great cocktails also. Amazing for a drink and food.

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2023

Fabulous food, super nice staff Vegetarian options: A few solid vegetarian options, super tasty Food : 5/5 |

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2023

Food always good and Service is good. Nice people

★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2023

I was so excited to try this place as we were visiting from the US. It was a little hard to find. Once we got there, no one greeted us at the door. Once someone came, they continued their conversation almost like we were an afterthought. We wanted take out as we had already been sightseeing all day. They directed us to the bar, where again we were ignored until the bartender finished flirting with the guy. We asked for a menu , which she shoved at us. When we were ready, we again had to wait until she was done with her conversation with the gentleman at the bar. I would never eat here if thats their customer service, which is sad cause their food is amazing.

★★★★★
December 23, 2023

Delicious

★★
December 23, 2023

Hey got a complaint! The jerk chicken dinner today was super dry, even the dark meat was texture-challenged, and as we were hungry it was still marginally edible but it lacked nice texture. Flavour was decent. Maybe this poor bird was under a heat lamp for 10 hours, losing all its moisture? Sad if that a the case, I mean maybe it was delicious around lunch time. Dang. The rice was very hard to chew as though it had dried out after cooking or been undercooked. Bummer!! Rice and peas are important to this dish so this is a big deal if one can t enjoy eating the rice. The salty thick gravy was nice , and the dab of coleslaw provided is good against the mild heat. Not terrible value for the price but if this is the usual quality standard now, the Real Jerk may be Really Slipping. We might check around for small family Toronto shops that have some pride in their consistent presentation. The dining room and exterior looks decently maintained. I d hang for a beer with friends.

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2023

This place has real authentic Jamaican food. The jerk pork was amazing, had to buy some to take home with me. The roti was also good and the prices were reasonable.. would definitely return

★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2023

Ordered a chicken dinner to go and got an oxtail dinner packed up instead. There were only 2 patrons inside (some old guys playing dominoes and two girlfriends). How do you mess this up? Had to go back to pick up the right order. Left with no apology. Nice.

★★★★
December 23, 2023

Always a great Meal here.Not fancy but good food and vibe in this restaurant.

★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2023

Ive been going here for the past 7 years now, since Ive lived in the neighborhood, and the vibe is always good! Food is always on point, whether its dining or take out, and the services personable.

★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2023

Great staff and location and honestly the food is amazing!!!! One issue - it s so fixable but why is all the food COLD? Even the soup? I would give it 5 stars but I can t do cold chicken rice and potato and soup, or festival. Even oxtail gravy with dumplings - all cold where gravy is clumpy :( fix temperature issue and this place is number 1. Parking: Great location! Sometimes on busy nights no parking available but most times you re good

★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2023

Jerk chicken was really tasty. I like the environment overall. Food

★★★★★
December 23, 2023

Love it here, great spot to hang out with family and friends. Parking: Limited spots available, but we all got parking. Food : 5/5 |

December 23, 2023

I ordered before a came, when I went in there were about 7 employees that I seen walking past me, in the kitchen talking or at the bar on their phone. It was not busy at all I counted 8 guests in the restaurant. One man asked me for my name picked up the slip out of my food ready and waiting said somebody else will help you walked away. I continued to wait at the pick up counter for approximately another 10 minutes as another female employee that was on their phone at the bar I asked her if someone could help me. They asked another girl that was pushing in chairs in the dining area. She took another few minutes to come. I then got my food after being ignored for a full 10 minutes by numerous employees walking around or socializing. This is by far NOT my first time there, but is definitely my LAST. The service has absolutely gone down and it s horrendous the way they treat people this is not the resultant if used to be.

Local Guide
December 23, 2023

The only thing jerk round here is the service its the only place I ever been to where the service was so bad I gave up and left like I sat there like 2 other couples for over 30 mins and nobody even took my order no waiters where even to be seen smh biggest waste of time ever like some people did have food so like idk what happened but wasted my one and only time Id ever bother to go here now dont waste ur time with dine in forsure from the reviews exactly what I went tru dont even bother with take out

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2023

The best Caribbean restaurant in the area. Food was amazing and I have catered a few parties with their food. Never had an issue. Highly recommended. Service was great and atmosphere is also awesome.

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2023

Vibe is on point real island vibes. Good food big portions good prices I will come back

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2023

Hot sauce run out!!! Worlds best hot sauce. Meh go have to wait.

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2023

Its still one of the best Jamaican Jerk restaurants in the city. If its your first time, I suggest you try the Jerk Chicken, Goat Roti or Oxtail Dinner. Must have Cod Fritters for an appetizer. Wash it all down with Ting to clear the pallet. Service is pretty slow by most standards but always friendly. The place is clean, but I still wouldnt say its clean clean. A quick wet cloth over the table between customers was fine pre-COVID, but nowadays they may want to step that up a little. The only downside is that the music is too loud, and you have to talk louder for a conversation. I mean, they are a restaurant and not a club. Parking is available on site but gets filled up very quickly.

★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2023

The food was good but we had to wait awhile for the food

★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2023

The waitresses here have a lot of curves. The food is good and good portions.

★★★★★
December 23, 2023

Great, kind, and attentive service from Shannon!!!!!! Thank you!!

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2023

LOVE IT LOVE IT LOVE IT !!! Amazing food, amazing service, and I found my drinking spot. Its a must try out place. Food : 5/5