Jerk It Up in Wasaga Beach

535 River Rd W, Wasaga Beach, ON L9Z 2X2, Canada

★★★★☆
(103 reviews)
Categories: Restaurant
Website
wasagaeats.ca
Address
535 River Rd W, Wasaga Beach, ON L9Z 2X2, Canada
Plus Code
G2G3+JP Wasaga Beach, Ontario, Canada
Time Zone
America/Toronto

Business Hours

Monday
Closed
Tuesday
12–9 PM
Wednesday
12–9 PM
Thursday
12–9 PM
Friday
12–9 PM
Saturday
12–9 PM
Sunday
Closed

Services

Service options
Kerbside pickup No-contact delivery Delivery Takeaway Dine-in
Accessibility
Wheelchair-accessible car park
Dining options
Lunch Dinner
Atmosphere
Casual
Payments
Credit cards Debit cards
Parking
Free of charge street parking Free parking lot

Reviews

4.1
★★★★☆
103 reviews

Most Mentioned

oxtail (13) jerk chicken (9) coleslaw (9) jamaican food (6) bone (6) spicy (6) stars (6) blues (4) chicken curry (4) plantain (3)
5 stars
70
4 stars
9
3 stars
5
2 stars
2
1 stars
17
★★★★
December 18, 2024

Just moved here to wasaga this year and discovered this little hole in the wall ! It's super tasty! So far I've tried the oxtail and curry goat 🥰 I will update to 5 stars once I've tried everything hahaha The guy at the front is super friendly and polite too! Though I must say both times that ive been here there's no fried plantain 😭 one of my favorites. Lol but maybe that's cause I've been here after 6pm 🤷‍♀️ the gentleman did however give me an extra piece of cornbread to make up for the no plantain, which was amazing. I definitely recommend this place

★★★★★
September 17, 2024

Loved the meal I got here. This gentleman was set up at the recent Wasaga Beach Blues Festival. I ordered the large jerk chicken meal with medium spice and it was fabulous. There was plenty of chicken and it was very flavourful. They use actual charcoal to prepare their food and that enhances the experience. The cole slaw was nice and I also got plenty of rice... a bit too much to finish it all. The service was prompt and friendly too. Highly recommended!

★★★★
August 24, 2024

Stopped for a quick bite on the road. So nice to have something other than a burger! The chicken was amazing. The 2 people running the place are kind and funny. The rice needed a little more flavor and there is no dine in option or even picnic table. We drove to another town on our way and stopped in a park to eat. Would go to Jerk it Up again if in the area!

★★★
August 8, 2024

Lovely service but you hardly get any meat for the price you pay. $15 for 3 drumsticks with little meat on the bone, on top of mostly flavourless rice and peas with coleslaw I couldn’t even eat. Nice staff and the patties were fine (nothing special, just fine). It didn’t feel worth the money. Maybe they can improve their portion size and side dishes’ flavour. Otherwise can appreciate their vibe

August 5, 2024

came in to grab a dinner on the go the service from the staff was fantastic, lite and pleasant conversation, not sure if the duo at the counter were related/married but they were great. the food....if fresh, would have been amazing, but it was clearly from the night before, at the very least, the am... you cant leave food out for that long guys, i know things are pricey but you've lost my return business. penny wise...pound foolish.

August 2, 2024

I was excited to try this place as I have driven by it for a couple of years, however I was very disappointed. I ordered a jerk chicken sandwich which had several issues. First the chicken had no flavor, like none, second there was a ton of coleslaw on the sandwich and a tiny piece of chicken, third the entire thing was cold! I’ve ate at many jerk restaurants in the past and Jerk It Up is the worst. I would not consider this place if you are looking for jerk chicken, unless you enjoy flavorless chicken of course.

★★★★
July 8, 2024

As far as I could see this is the only place on the Wasaga strip serving actual real food, the rest is absolute garbage on this strip. With that said, I ordered the jerk chicken meal size small, and it was actually good. You can tell the chicken has definitely been cooked on a grill and has that nice grill taste to it. For a 'small' size, it is actually a pretty healthy size. I think the price is fair and on par with what I would usually pay for this amount. The young guy serving was very polite and I definitely recommend this place for if you're looking for real food and good at that, above anywhere else in Wasaga.

★★★
July 4, 2023

I would call this Jerk "Flavoured" chicken in which there was some flavour to the chicken but not much. Most of the flavor was coming from the grill and not the actual seasoning. The Rice and Beans were average and coleslaw was alright but for the prices they had, I expected much better. $5 for a patty??? $25 dollars for a large order of average tasting Jerk Chicken? Could the cost be justified with better tasting food, definately... but as for now I can't recommend it.

Local Guide
November 23, 2024

The curried chicken had absolutely no flavour and was filled with bones there was more bones than chicken.

★★★★★
Local Guide
November 23, 2024

awesome food & service for me and my wife. nice and spicy jerk chicken! :)

★★★★★
September 23, 2024

Food was great, vibes were high, 5 stars all day long!

★★★★★
September 23, 2024

The Jerk Chicken Poutine was Seriously one of the best poutine I have ever had.

★★★★★
September 23, 2024

The food is always great! Service is always fast and friendly. Prices are on point. I ll be back soon!

★★★★★
September 23, 2024

Tried a large jerk chicken on rice and beans at the Wasaga Beach Blues Festival and ohhhhh man was it good (would have posted a photo but we ate it too fast) Food

★★★★★
September 23, 2024

Wasaga blues festival Best jerk since trip to Jamaica! Food

August 23, 2024

Absolutely terrible. We got the chicken poutine and got food poisoning. We had to pull over and puke up all of the disgusting Gravy and the rest. Never ever again. It was just awful.

★★★★★
Local Guide
July 23, 2024

Was looking for something quick to grab for lunch, stopped in and ordered a beef and veggie samosa. Holy moly, if youre looking for authentically spiced samosas, I recommend trying this place out! I definitely would like to go back and try their jerk dishes, as the smell from the kitchen was insanely delicious smelling! Parking: Its located in the Pioneer gas station when heading out of Wasaga beach on 92 towards Elmvale. Huge parking lot, tons of space!

★★★★★
July 23, 2024

This was our first time here and it was amazing! The owners were so nice, we felt welcomed as soon as we stepped in. The food was delicious. I cant wait to try everything on their menu.

★★★★★
June 23, 2024

Friendly, tasty, upbeat atmosphere. Not to be missed.

★★★★★
April 23, 2024

Food is really good. Try the special!

★★★★★
March 23, 2024

Ray is an incredible chef. He s mastered the Art of culinary excellence.and customer appreciation He s our Go to spot to grab a quick lunch or .full on oxtail dinner with dumplings and plantain . Curry stew Amazing jerk dinners !!His rice and peas are always fresh and his gravy is the best most flavourful .strongly recommend.Jerk it Up

February 23, 2024

Jerk it up is the worst Jamaican food i ve ever had in my life it s soo bad it forced me to write my first review ever on google i ordered a oxtail, pattie s, coco breads and 2 jerk chickens the food was wayyy over priced which i have no problem paying a little more if the food is booming but his food is trash it s not authentic Jamaican, and there is no love put in the food so disgusted and disappointed the chicken tastes like it s been sitting in a fridge for 3-4 days it just taste old everything is bland no flavour no salt it s the fakest Jamaican food i ve ever had i asked for extra coleslaw and got a little bit of dried up cabbage coco bread is not authentic neither is the oxtail jerk it up brings shame to the jamaican name i wish i could give it no stars but google won t allow that if you want fake old attempted Jamaican food jerk it up is the place for you otherwise please don t waste ur money on this garbage.

★★★★
Local Guide
February 23, 2024

Nice spicy chicken and rice. Its like eating in a neighbours home

★★
February 23, 2024

Drove there for lunch ,on January 26th, 24 around 12 noon and their OPEN sign was ON & flashing, Knocked on door for 5+ minutes and then two other, new customers came up and looked inside and called but NO ONE picked up or responded...John

★★★★★
January 23, 2024

Just had the jerk chicken and it was great! The chicken had amazing flavour, the rice and coleslaw were very tasty. I ll for sure be back

December 23, 2023

Imagine this place was ever open .

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2023

Just had small Jerk Chicken , ox tail and some coco bread. 5 stars ! Perfect spice level, great flavour....finger licking good. Great valu for your $.

★★★★★
December 23, 2023

Great food, always fresh and cooked for you. Proper jerk best Ive had since moving away from Toronto and by far

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2023

Makes really good food and friendly

★★★★★
December 23, 2023

Amazing Jerk chicken with rice and coleslaw. We will definitely be going back, 5 stars, as good as any jerk I had while living in Toronto.

★★★★★
December 23, 2023

This place is definitely 10/10! The food and service are fantastic and we will definitely be returning.

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2023

Best place for jerk in Wasaga!

★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2023

25 dollars for 12 of the smallest wings you have ever seen in your life.. jerk was so mild and bland..

★★★★★
December 23, 2023

Absolutely amazing and fresh food ! The jerk chicken was the best Ive ever had. Tasted like it was cooked on an angels bbq! 100% recommend everyone

December 23, 2023

The food is extremely overpriced for the quality and taste they are providing.

★★★★★
December 23, 2023

I and my husband just got our food in jerk it up ( location: beside gars station). Really good food. Oxtail and jerk chicken. Definitely we will come back to you when we come to Wasaga beach!

December 23, 2023

The lady serving was very rude. The jerk chicken tasted as if it were sitting there all day, very dry considering it was cooked in a smoker. The rice was inedible and the portion of coleslaw was laughable. Avoid this establishment.

December 23, 2023

Worst fast-food place ever. I never been to Wasaga Beach and i order a chicken wrap not only the dont describe what is in their menus, but there was also a bone in my food. The service here is really slow too, i went up to talk to some other customers waiting in for their food before me and they said they have been waiting an hour for the food. And a chicken wrap for 18$ definitely not coming back again. Dont waste your money lol

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2023

Amazing jerk chicken. And an amazing guy coming it

December 23, 2023

I don t know where these 5 star reviews r coming from but this place is horrible. First off food is overpriced, 2nd they don t even tell u what is in the food that u r ordering like really?! And don t even get my started on the wait we waited 35 min for our food while the staff members went behind the store to talk to their friends and that s not even the worst part. The worst part is my friend order a chicken wrap and nearly choked on a bone and swallowed it this place doesn t care and they only care about money word of advice DONT COME HERE SAFE YOUR MONEY THIS PLACE IS A SAFETY HAZARD!!!

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2023

Juicy flavourful fall off the bone would give more than 5 stars if I could! Reminds me of my favourite spot in toronto - Pats Homestyle. Can t wait to come back to try the oxtail and curry coat

★★★★★
December 23, 2023

Super great jerk chicken :)

★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2023

Food tasted good. Just a bit pricey.

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2023

Jerk it Up at Stonebridge Wasaga Blues today ...Oxtail soooooo good! Food

★★★★★
December 23, 2023

Delicious food and great service. Cant wait to go back and try more!

★★★★★
December 23, 2023

Needs more stars, 5 isnt enough!! Been coming here for about a month and a half, once or twice a week, and the only thing wrong that I could find is... that the food is so good, it tastes like I need more, and soon :)

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2023

If youre looking for a flavour explosion in your mouth you have to try this food! Ive had the jerk chicken, curry goat and the patties and its all wonderful! Go see Ray you wont be disappointed.

★★★★★
December 23, 2023

Dropped in on a whim. Tried the Jamaican patties. Amazing food!!!! Pastry nice and flaky, not dried out at all and beef filling is terrific, moist, good spice, but not to spicy. Owner is very nice and accommodating for special requests like roti. Food

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2022

Amazing food

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2022

Have been driving by this little take out restaurant for over a year on my way to and from work. Decided to stop in this past summer and discovered (to my delight) an incredible spot for Jamaican food. The owner is the cook and has mastered this cuisine. My wife and I take out from here on a regular basis and have never been disappointed. If your in the mood for Jamaican food and your in the area I certainly recommend you give it a try.

★★★★
December 23, 2022

Stopped here a few summers ago when it seemed it had just opened. Food was excellent. A nice, unique addition to Wasaga Beach s restaurant scene.

★★★★★
December 23, 2022

Honestly the best please to eat in Wasaga Beach, I love Jamaican food and this is the spot to go! The man who owns it definitely know how to cook and always has great service. This is a must to stop & grab delicious food.

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2022

Delicious, Authentic Jerk Chicken

★★★★★
December 23, 2022

Food was extremely flavorful and the owner was very friendly, will definitely be back. Not sure what some of the reviews are complaining about, all of our chicken had plenty of meat on it and the rice was great.

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2022

Big up Ray!!! Seriously the best jerk chicken. Miss it being around the corner. Hope to make it over more often this year. Bless up yourself with good food and friendly vibrations at Jerk It Up!

★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2022

$5 special is worth it as a cheap, easy lunch but not something Id be excited for. Looking forward to trying the bigger food items though because the chicken was tender and spicy, just not fresh.

★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2022

The fact that you can get some good oxtail or jerk chicken at a gas station in wasaga beach is awesome. Good food good peeps. The scents are heavenly.

★★★★★
December 23, 2022

This spot has really amazing jerk chicken. Im excited to try the chicken curry and oxtail next!

★★★★★
December 23, 2022

The best sandwich I have ever had!!! Highly recommend the chicken sandwich. Amazing food :)

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2022

Amazing!!!!!! Best jerk Ive had yet. Super fast and great service.

★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2022

Not the best jerk I had, but decent for the price.

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2022

Best jerk in the beach ! Located in the pioneer gas station , family run, authentic cooking They also do a $5 special and you just cant go wrong . Excited to try more on the menu Cash and debit only

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2022

Tried this awesome restaurant today service top notch food amazing. Wish we had tried sooner. Coming back soon to try the wings. Cant wait

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2022

This mans a legend! You must check this place if you like carribean food the jerk is fire. Would reccomend

December 23, 2022

I was so disappointed in this food. I ordered the rice and jerk chicken and it lacked all the flavour that I was looking for. I would not recommend ordering food from here.

★★★★★
December 23, 2022

You gotta check out Jerk it Up next time youre in Wasaga Beach. If you are looking for some truly authentic Jamaican Food this is the place to go ! 5 Stars for Value, Quality and Customer Service. Bless Up...

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2021

Thats right, connected to/same building as the Pioneer gas station, but food is amazing. Delicious oxtail. Nice people. This is my go-to take-out place in Wasaga!

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2021

Some of the best Jamaican cuisine Ive tasted, definitely going back.

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2021

Hands down the best beef stew Ive ever had. Asked for hardo bread and he came through. No joke, no need for sauga or btown road trips since finding this local joint. Keep doing you. AMAZING!

December 23, 2021

Says their open. drive there. wasnt no 5 min drive

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2021

The oxtail is off the charts!!!

★★★★★
December 23, 2021

Food is always delicious! Very friendly staff, my husband and I love the jerk chicken, and the portions are awesome! You won t be disappointed

★★★★★
December 23, 2021

I love this place. Simple. Ray Ray is easy going. Fair priced. Authentic. Jamaican. A true mini takeout counter where good is cooked good . $5. box hits the spot. Add a patty and a Ting. Life is good. Huge fan. I support the working entrepreneurs when i can. Often I am rewarded for it! I am always rewarded when i eat here. Why eat fast food.. when you can eat really good fast, cheap and cheerful! Patties were hot and flaky. Curry chicken was balanced. Oxtail was quite nice. Jerk was my favourite.

★★★★★
December 23, 2021

Had the Jerk chicken, was awesome. Will definitely be going back. Very nice people as well.

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2021

Amazing food. Great service. A must eat when your in Wasaga Beach

★★★★★
December 23, 2021

Great guy great food, amazing taste like even the rice is to die for, support the community ! The menu is pretty cheap not gonna lie.

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2021

Cant beat their $5 lunch specials. If youre looking for a quick fix of Jamaican, stop by and enjoy!!!

★★★★★
December 23, 2021

Delicious and great price

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2021

Wicked food!

December 23, 2021

I will not be returning. 15$ (thats including the 1$ surcharge for debit) for jerk chicken, rice and peas and coleslaw. 2 pieces of chicken that had no meat and the rice and peas reminded me or porridge. It was mushy and sticky. I got about one tablespoon of coleslaw. The portion wasnt worth more than 7$. Well that was the first visit and definitely the last. Dont trust the reviews, this place IS NOT WORTH IT. If it continues the way it does, mark my words, they will be out of business soon. Not a very clean establishment.

★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2021

Over cooked - fried chicken & curry rice.and over 25 min wait.

December 23, 2021

Should have read the reviews before I stopped in! Similiar experience to others. Jerk was good. 4 pieces of chicken with little meat. More like 4 pieces of chicken bone. $15 plus tax and $1 surcharge for debit. Overpriced! Will not be going back.

Local Guide
December 23, 2021

Awful experience, such a rip off chicken was more like just bones, barley any meat , it was dry and the restaurant itself was extremely dirty , floors, walls, kitchen etc. Had a bad smell to it so much you can smell it in the gas station attached . I threw most of it away. Waste of $15

★★★★★
December 23, 2021

Amazing Food . Seasoned and cooked perfectly . also Amazing staff .

★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2021

Im only giving 4 stars because they dont have my favorite dish which is jerk pork with rice and peas and gravy but I did have the oxtail and rice and peas and plantains its pretty good . I wouldve loved a bit more oxtail but overall I was satisfied. Friendly service and for the area youre going to be hard pressed to find better. Im definitely going back to try the jerk chicken next and eat my way through the rest of the menu. The smell in there is heavenly. Double yummz

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 23, 2020

great spot for take out! Jerk chicken was tasty ! We will be making this our regularly take out place!

★★★★★
December 23, 2020

Food is so good and fresh! Lots of seasoning on the jerk chicken it was perfect. Will definitely be back.