OCHA’s LESLIEVILLE in Toronto
1022 Queen St E, Toronto, ON M4M 1K4, Canada
About
Jamaican Authentic Fusion Restaurant. The Chef brought his unique fusion style from Jamaica, Japan, Dubai! Our famous Smoked Charcoal Grilled Jerk Chicken is the BEST!! We do Cater for Private Parties, School, & Companies.
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Follow @bredgyeats for more food reviews and posts! As you walk into their kitchen, you're greeted by the enticing aroma of freshly smoked jerk chicken, filling the air with a tantalizing flavour promise. The chicken is moist and tender, as you chew through the mouthwatering skin. Smoky, crispy yet moist, with just the right amount of fat that melts in your mouth, with a slightly sweet jerk seasoning that bursts with flavour, making each bite a delight. The rice is cooked to perfection, moist yet retaining the individual grain texture, and layered with a sweet and spicy sauce and soft, buttery kidney beans. This combination adds depth to the meal, complementing the jerk chicken beautifully.
The 20-minute wait notwithstanding, I really wanted to like the food, and would have with more meat and gravy. The food itself is well flavored and nicely cooked, but I expected a more meat for the pricing. It'd be an easy five with the right quantity. The photos I've added are of a small portion each of jerk chicken and a portion of oxtail. Blessed Love down the road is a definite winner in this department.
Delicious amazing authentic Jamaican food. I recently had the pleasure of discovering a hidden gem in our community - a small, family-owned Jamaican jerk chicken to-go restaurant that has left me thoroughly impressed. From the moment I walked in, I was greeted with warm smiles and an inviting atmosphere that made me feel like part of the family.The star of the show, of course, is their jerk chicken. Cooked to perfection, the chicken is tender, juicy, and bursting with authentic Jamaican flavors. The spices are well-balanced, offering just the right amount of heat and a depth of flavor that is truly unparalleled. Each bite transports you straight to the Caribbean, making it a must-try for any food enthusiast.Beyond the jerk chicken, the menu offers a variety of traditional Jamaican dishes that are equally delightful. The sides, such as the rice and peas and plantains, complement the main dishes perfectly, adding to the overall experience. It's clear that every dish is prepared with love and care, using fresh, high-quality ingredients. I highly recommend giving this wonderful family-owned restaurant a visit. It's not just a meal; it's an experience that celebrates the vibrant and delicious culture of Jamaica. You won't be disappointed! Respect to the cook!
**This is a review for Ocha’s “The Best Jerk Chicken” Restaurant next to the coin laundry just west of Pape and Carlaw! Ocha (the owner) makes his own signature Jerk sauce. I tend not to like Jerk chicken but will try it when I know a place is good. I’ve ordered his BBQ chicken (my favourite) and Oxtail from his Soft Opening Menu, so I KNEW this was going to be “different”. NO REGRETS, hands down the best Jamaican jerk chicken I’ve had! When I say tender, I mean it! Listen, 14$ for a meal that I can take home for seconds is a great deal (in my opinion). Ocha seems super sweet, hard working and incredibly personable. Sure, that has nothing to do with his INCREDIBLE food (the rice and beans are, dear I say, perfection), but it makes the difference when *choosing* what businesses to support. Photo: Jerk chicken (mild) with slaw.
I recently decided to try out a Caribbean takeout spot in Leslieville, eager to dive into their reputed oxtail and rice. Opting for the large portion to go, I was excited for a hearty meal. The first bite did not disappoint—rich, succulent, and bursting with authentic Caribbean flavors. The oxtail was cooked to perfection. However, as I dug deeper into the container, my initial delight began to wane. For the price I paid, the portion of oxtail was shockingly small. While the rice was plentiful, it felt like an overcompensation for the lack of meat. It's disheartening when you’re paying a premium and not getting the value you expect. $23.50 Large - While the taste was undeniably top-notch, the portion size leaves much to be desired. For the price, I anticipated a more generous serving of oxtail. If they can balance out the portion sizes, this place could be a gem. Until then, it feels like a splurge that doesn't quite hit the mark in terms of value for money.
Amazing flavors that are incredibly comforting for a Chinese palate, with a delightful smoky touch. The prices are very reasonable and the portions are generous—truly a hidden gem! Highly recommend! Pro tip: call ahead to order and avoid waiting in the restaurant
We got the oxtail & jerk chicken. Almost $20 for each item. SO WORTH IT. For utensils, she gave us only one fork. I was like “???” UNTIL I pulled off the meat from the oxtail… I realized I don’t even need a spoon or anything. The meat falls off the bone so easily… same with the jerk chicken the meat is TENDER. The flavours are DELICIOUS. Best Jamaican food I’ve tried.
I ordered the medium jerk chicken for $15 and it was DELICIOUS! It was served with rice + beans and pasta salad - both were great! The jerk chicken was seasoned perfectly and so juicy. Good portion and fairly priced. My partner ordered the goat curry and he really enjoyed it - meat was tender & full of flavour. He chose the coleslaw as his side and it's probably one of the best coleslaws we've had! HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!! ✨✨✨
Jerk chicken was delicious with excellent portions, pasta salad too. Going to be a staple take-out place for sure! The chef was very kind and generous.
So incredibly delicious. Fresh fried chicken and fresh jerk chicken!! the hot sauce is to die for if you re a spice lover.
The food is definitely worth every penny. However I came in last night to buy dinner and the male cashier assumed that my change from my grace soda was his(cash).He didn t even offer me the change even though I already tipped with my food purchase (debit). As someone who ALWAYS tips this was a bit disheartening. Never assume a customer doesn t need their change. Also never assume a customer doesn t notice a $4 soda actually cost them $5 because you kept the change.
Excellent. Proper attention to flavour and tenderness of the chicken, and the rice and slaw don t get ignored. Worth a regular visit.
Amazing
So glad I came across Ocha s! The service is amazing, very welcoming. It s a warm and cozy spot, the air honestly smells delicious. And the food is sooo good, the best jerk chicken and oxtail in Toronto. The chicken and oxtail was cooked perfectly and was soft and tender. Definitely a must try ! Food
Very nice !
Great food and customer service
Ochas is a great spot for really good food. We had the curry goat and the oxtail and it was so tender and flavorful. The coleslaw was amazing also. We found our new go to spot for Jamaican food.
I got the jerk chicken meal to go with plantains. This food smelled so good I almost pulled over to eat it before I got home lol tasted just as good. Highly recommend!
I eat here weekly! Best jerk chicken I ve had. Friendly service too.
I just want to say that the oxtail is great tasting. However what throws me off is the inconsistency when they are open and closed. It is never the same on a daily basis. Take for an example they closed close to 8 last night when it says on the site 9. I have seen many people come at 12 when they should open and don t open until 1or 130. The timing is everywhere. Not sure the owner of this place knows about this.
Possibly the best jerk spot in the east end. The smell when you walk in to the restaurant is mesmerizing and you just know it s gonna slap
Pasta had a nice touch of sweetness and spice
The sweetest people! Ordered tonight but my new bank card wasnt working, after trying an atm and calling my banks help line i asked them to cancel the order cause i was gonna be on the phone for forever but they ended up just giving it to me for free!!! the food is delicious and thats the kinda community vibe we should be supporting love yall made my day!!!!!!
Top Jerk chicken in the east ends! Everything made in house and with love. That hot sauce is crazy good. The slaw alone is worth coming back for
the best oxtail in town
The jerk chicken and rice was amazing!
Incredible food and very nice staff. Other Jerk places I m carefully chewing as to not impale myself with a split off bone in the roof of my mouth. Not this place, didn t find a single bone fragment.
Incredible jerk chicken!
I was looking for a good Jerk Chicken and Ocha s is Wow. Yes the pasta salad is sweet, but the rest was incredible. The oxtail is a hit too
Tasty jerk chicken
We finally got around to picking up dinner from Ochas on Queen Street. Food is delicious! We got the large jerk chicken, with rice & peas, and coleslaw. It was definitely plenty of food for the 2 of us. We were asked how hot we wanted it and while we both like spice, Im glad she ordered it just a little hot for us - it was plenty spicy!
Jerk chicken was flavorful, subtle notes of spice, and a touch of sweetness. Staff who served us was very friendly. Portion size is good too. I would come back again.
Tried here for the first time. Amazing oxtail with delicious jerk chicken. Good sized portions and great price. Also the guy was very helpful. My new spot whenever i crave some oxtail.
Awesome Jerk in Leslieville!! A welcome addition to the neighborhood
The best jerk chicken I ve had so far in the city! The chicken was so flavourful and moist and the sauce from the jerk chicken coated on the rice with beans was perfect! It also came with pasta salad and I found it to be a great mix with the jerk chicken.
Ive tried all the best places for Jerk Chicken/Jerk Pork in the GTA and this is hands down some of the best chicken Ive ever tasted. It even smells amazing when youre walking on Queen. Chicken is unreal, I had the Jerk Chicken but would love to try the BBQ and Fried Chicken next. Also, the festivals?? AMAZING. Again, some of the best festivals Ive had. Overall very good, a little pricey, but thats understandable considering its downtown.
Best jerk chicken and bbq chicken I have ever had. Way better than other restaurants around town. I only do takeout since the place is small. It takes a while for the food to get ready even though you think they are already cooked. So call well in advanced. Otherwise, totally worth the wait. Get the large portions and share amongst people or have delicious leftovers. There is no wrong way to enjoy this!!!
I rarely do reviews but I have to do one for OCHAS. A gem thats newly opened. My daughters introduced me to this insanely delicious oxtail and Im hooked. Their rice and peas with the oxtail and pasta is just gratifying to my palate.
I want to gatekeep this new hidden gem so badly because I can easily see them getting hugely popular for a small spot but this place deserves ALL the attention/hype and more. I dream about (and violently crave) their fall off the bone tender and savory oxtail. Pair that with their delicious rice and peas and pasta salad *chefs kiss* literal perfection. They give a generous amount of oxtail for the price, super meaty and not just fatty, a true rarity. Service is friendly and vibes are irie. Best in the city, hands down. I ll be back again and again and again. Please don t ever leave!
Awesome flavours and fresh food
Ocha is the best genuine Jamaican restaurant in Toronto. Now I am a picky eater and ocha restaurant shocked me the food the food was so good that I can t complain about nothing I love to complain and not one complaint it was worth the travel to finally get some authentic good food. Ok I have to complain they need to have more restaurants in the city they didn t cut corner on flavour and taste
I used to think I didn t like Jamaican food, that was before I tried THIS Jamaican food. Everything on the menu is delicious. After I tried it for the first time I was counting down the days until I could come back. I can t express how good the food is you just have to try it for yourself!
Just melt in your mouth
23 for great food One person Food
Everything is so sweet. The first time I went I really thought the cooks confused salt with sugar. I went back a couple more times and it was the same result. The chicken, oxtail, gravy, and even coleslaw are extremely sweet. There is much better Jamaican food in the neighborhood despite their sandwich board proclaiming they have the Best Jerk Chicken
I waited to post this review until I had eaten here more than once. I dont know why or how, but EVERYTHING on this menu is overly sweet. The slaw and pasta salad taste like candy... Even the oxtail and jerk chicken are sweet?? I wanted to give them a fair shot but unfortunately I wont be coming back.
I come in weekly to grab dinner on those lazy days. I usually get their jerk chicken with rice and peas and coleslaw. No coleslaw so replaced it with pasta salad and was not disappointed. Amazing food and great service!
I was blown away!!! Just ate the the Leslieville location.. and wow wow WOW! Super yummy!
Absolutely FANTASTIC. The jerk chicken was so tender, juicy, and perfectly seasoned. Portion was amazing for the price as well.
curry goat and jerk was so delicious!
Best jerk and curry goat I ve had in a long time!! Worth the drive if you re coming from the west.
omg, its so good. Update: 2 months later and its a regular spot for us. Food : 5/5
Wow! Definitely recommend the jerk chicken.
Just got food here the first time and it was immaculate, service was good and the guy in the back was awesome he was cheffing it up
OCHA serves up some delicious jerk chicken at an economical cost and portions are great too. A great spot for take out in the east end!
This was my first time having authentic Jamaican food and I was so impressed. I am definitely going to come back. I have never had chicken so tender before. I was literally able to cut the chicken off the bone with a plastic fork. The flavors were amazing, and the staff were extremely welcoming to My friend and I.
A filipino and portuguese walk into a Ocha s. They come out satisfied. Oxtail was tender and savoury, as was the rice and peas being perfectly cooked, and coleslaw having the right flavour to perfectly enhance the complexity of the meal. I already knew the food was gonna be absolutely fire by the way the owner greeted us (very hospitable). I will make a return.
The oxtail is phenomenal!! I mean best in the city by far. Great job on the flavour and texture and I can t wait to try more items.
A welcome addition to Leslieville. The owner and staff are exceptionally friendly and kind. Great jerk chicken and oxtail!
Just came back from my Jamaica vacation and popped in to Ocho s to try them out as the have just opened up. The jerk chicken was superb -tastes authentic for sure. Loved the flavours - they got it just right.
The food was AMAZING. Two of us had the jerk chicken and one of us had the BBQ chicken with a side of plantain. The plantain was sweet and tender, and the meat fell off the bone. Also a very reasonable price and perfect portion size. If I had to give one piece of feedback I would love to see some chicken curry on the menu too.
Absolutely incredible Jamaican food, and dare I say the best take out spot I ve ever had. The jerk chicken is incredible, the oxtail melts in your mouth, and the curry goat is fab. I m usually not a macaroni salad guy, but theirs is to die for. It s also so well priced - a true inflation buster. So so pumped Ocha s is in the neighborhood.
Fast service, super friendly and the food is just to die for. I ordered a medium Oxtail dinner and it was nothing short of phenomenal. Came with rice and peas and pasta salad (could have also chosen coleslaw instead). The oxtail was fall-off-the-bone tender and so flavourful. The sweetness of the pasta salad was a beautiful complement to the savouriness of the oxtail. Great portions (they didn t skimp on the meat at all) and great food. Will definitely be back. My hope is they do a boneless chicken curry roti at some point.
Alway passed, walked by this spot with Hubby. So we just took the leap and tried it. We both love jerk chicken, and man, this hit the spot. Portions were good. Price was reasonable. We didnt make a bad decision. And we shared the meal this was good.
The food tastes good. However, they dont give enough rice at all. Its mainly all chicken and just a scoop of rice. I can see the bottom of the container.
I m not even finished my lunch but decided to port this before I forgot this may be the best jerk chicken I ve ever had, certainly the best in Leslieville area. Got small jerk chicken, which is a large portion. Chicken is so tender and seasoned perfectly, rice and beans and amazing, and the coleslaw . I could eat that everyday. Will be back, soon!
Fantastic jerk chicken, falling off the bone tender! Coming back for sure
Great jerk and fried chicken! The chicken here is halal from Sargent farms!
The food is very tasty and the portions are good. I had oxtail and my partner had the jerk chicken. The music was banging, the staff were lovely, and the vibe was everything
Tonight I got dinner for my family and I wanted my mom to try Jamaican cuisine. It turns out shes a big fan and she especially enjoyed the rice and peas as its new for her. I bought 3 meals, the fried chicken, the classic jerk chicken and a BBQ chicken. The food was fantastic, flavourful, juicy and plentiful! We had to wait alittle bit for the pasta salad to be ready but it was well worth the wait and the owner was very kind. Id recommend anyone to come try their food, youd not be disappointed and Im already itching to try the ox tail too!
Excellent food and nice people
food was BOMB, jerk chicken was fall off the bone so delicious, they played great music and service was fast and friendly!!! Def coming again!
Ordered the large oxtail platter was fantastic will come back if Im in the area again
delicious and cost effective
Easily the best jerk chicken in the area
Great little spot on queen. Small Jerk chicken was delicious. Super friendly staff as well. Just a great addition to leslieville!
Happy to have Ochas in the neighbourhood. Already been many times. Great food made to order. Good portions. My go to lunch place.
Big fan of the Jerk Chicken here
Leslieville finally has its go to jerk restaurant!
The staff was very kind Food was immensely flavourful Food
Best Jamaican food on queen street
Jerk chicken lived up to the hype!
Lovely people and place! Good portion size as well. Jerk chicken, rice and peas, and pasta salad were great!
Welcome to the neighborhood. Had one of the best Goat curry after long time, juicy and tender! I definitely will go back there. FRIENDLY staff!
Delicious, juicy, saucey
Wow - so happy with our lunch here. Jerk chicken was delicious and quantity was generous to say the least. I loved the coleslaw and service was friendly! Will coming back soon for sure.
Went in during their soft launch. They got it going on. Good smoke, sweetness, and just enough crisp on the jerk chicken skin. Ill be coming back for the full menu
So many great jerk chicken in the area but this one is now my new favorite.
Super friendly staff, and great food! Jerk was so good, the gravy especially
Damn good
Welcome to Leslieville! Went in and grabbed Curry Goat on Rice and Oxtail on rice, it was delicious.
two words, jerk chicken. puts places like allwyns to shame
Incredible jerk chicken, Great rice, Incredible coleslaw all around really nice place happy too be near
Best Carribean jerk chicken. I cant even.
The staff is friendly and the food is tasty, affordable, and with good quantity. I got the oxtail dish and it was spiced well. I like that they give the option for coleslaw or pasta as a side; I chose pasta and it was great! Will definitely come back here to try more menu items.
The oxtail was fantastic! Tender and flavorful served with rice and peas and coleslaw. The owner/chef is super nice, works with his wife and niece, wonderful family run business! They currently have a limited menu for their soft opening but will expand when they settle in. Seating is limited but there are some tables and perfect for take out! We will be regulars!!
The oxtail here is great!
I tried the curry goat and it was super tender and full of flavour. The staff member at the counter was super friendly and the food came quickly! Their soft opening menu still has a decent amount of options but can t wait to see the full menu! I m a sucker for jerk pork so hopefully they have that soon!
Flavours are outstanding. So far I ve had the jerk chicken, oxtail and goat. I can t pick a favourite. Lovely owners. Generous portions. 5
I ve been three times since they ve soft opened, the jerk chicken is absolutely delicious and the coleslaw is excellent. Staff are friendly and the food is better than my aunt s!!
Very juicy tender chicken. Good coleslaw too.
Super good still 5 stars. Only grief is that I ordered jerk chicken and got American bbq chicken. Still real good and loads of food. Maybe there was a mix up with my orders. Nbd. Still tasty
This jerk chicken was so good I ate it like I haven t ate in days. Must try for sure if you re in the area.
Sign outside is right. Best jerk chicken - it was smoky, juicy and delicious. Can t wait to try the rest if the menu
Played some nice reggae, the store was very clean. Its a small spot but the customer service was great. I got the bbq chicken and it was fresh and flavourful. I will definitely be back to try some more on the menu. Welcome to Leslieville
Unbelievable jerk chicken . Tasty, juicy. I had my order with pasta and rice too.
Workers, AMAZING. Food, AMAZING. Service, AMAZING. The jerk chicken was one of the most amazing dishes I ve ever eaten. It was a beautiful combination of flavours and spices. The textures were absolutely perfect in every way. I recommend this to everyone, seriously.
Food and staff are equally amazing!
What a delicious meal!!! My husband had the BBQ Chicken and I had the Oxtail. I would highly recommend both dishes. The chicken was perfectly cooked - crispy and sweet at the same time! The Rice and Peas are also wonderful. The Oxtail was perfectly seasoned and fall off the bone tender. We will be back for more 5 Stars!!!
