Chris Jerk

Great staff, great food especially since they have added Jerk Pork to the menu. I took my best appetite and have enough food for 3 meals. It's worth the drive from Bowmanville!!

If there is one thing that Toronto does better than anywhere else in Canada: it's jerk. This city has a beautifully robust community of people cooking up the most incredible Jamaican and Caribbean food that you've ever tasted. It's incredibly legit and you won't find it anywhere else (unless you go on vacation). Chris Jerk has been celebrated as the city's #1 Best Caribbean Restaurant as per blogTO and since they're located in Scarborough, you know that they've gotta be good. Their biggest claim to fame is that they're the original inventors of jerk chicken shawarma - and as someone who loves both jerk chicken and shawarma, this is something that I absolutely had to try for myself.

You'll find Chris Jerk in Huntingwood Square, a strip mall plaza, which is exactly where all of the best jerk places are found. In fact, Chris Jerk is located a 10 minute drive from the original Allwyn's and an 5 minute drive from the original Fahmee Bakery. You have officially entered the mecca for the best Caribbean food of your life. I visited on a Saturday afternoon and I came ready.
The shop has a big, obvious sign with a recognizable logo. Upon entry into the fairly small space you are hit with the spicy aromas of jerk. There isn't very much going on for decor (save for the faux brick wallpaper and a few pieces of art) and there are a couple of tables if you prefer to eat in. You don't need more than this. The focal point is the long counter where all of the magic is happening. A steaming hot table houses deliciousness under each lid. For a small restaurant the chalkboard menu is pretty large and exciting - all of your favourites are here.

Approaching the counter, a friendly staff member took my order and made sure that each dish would be prepared just right. (The menu does state that the smiles are still free, after all.) First things first, I ran my eyes over all of the bottled beverages, looking for something interesting. Sure, they've got Ting (because it would be ridiculous if they didn't) but they didn't have any peanut punch which happens to be my favourite. No matter, I found something called Mauby Fizzz ($2.50) which I'd never seen before in my life. That'll do! Unfortunately, this carbonated beverage imported from Trinidad was not my favourite. The flavours are; mauby bark, caramel, aniseed and vanilla. Combined, these create a very bittersweet drink that I found too far on the bitter end for my taste. It's similar to chinotto except the bitterness lingers just a little bit too long. Regardless, I am always pleased to experience something new.

Let's begin with some Sides! Which I kind of considered to be like appetizers. I grabbed some Fresh Fried Plantain ($2.95) because they're a must. Golden, sweet, perfect. I love these as a side because they're piping hot and they add a perfect little sweet treat to the rest of the meal. Dipping them in hot sauce is the actual best.

I also made a point of ordering a Side Jerk Chicken ($3.50) because while I ordered other things with chicken in them, I really just wanted to try their straight-up jerk chicken. As a side, this was decently generous. It came with a leg and pretty much an entire thigh (which are the best parts of any chicken). What I found different about Chris Jerk's jerk is the sauciness! The jerk at some places is a bit more like a dry rub. But at this place everything is covered in a rich, dark sauce that embodies an incredible level of depth and spice. While this jerk chicken was tender and delicious... I think that I still might lean slightly more toward Allwyn's for jerk chicken alone.

OK. Let's dig into it. Chris Jerk has a beautiful section of the menu devoted to Fish Entrees and clearly when I saw my favourite Ackee & Saltfish ($15.45) it was coming with me. I was asked if I wanted this as a meal (I didn't think that they serve it any other way) which includes rice and peas. Yes to all of this. Apparently it also comes with an amazing big dumpling and fried plantains which I didn't know were a part of it but were welcome additions! This dish, the national dish of Jamaica, is my favourite. Typically eaten for breakfast, I will crush one of these any time of day. This version was absolutely amazing. Probably the best that I've ever had. Made with the ackee fruit (which also happens to be the national fruit of Jamaica) and salted codfish, the dish is sautéed with onions, peppers, tomatoes and spices. The whole thing becomes stewy, oily and delicious. This one was extra good because there was tons of ackee and saltfish used, and let's be real, that's what I came for. All of the sides on this dish were great too. I loved the big, long dumpling which almost reminded me of a Chinese youtiao. It was dense and perfect for soping up all of the saucy juices. The rice was nice and I definitely wasn't upset about having more plantains.

The main thing that sets Chris Jerk apart from the rest is their invention of jerk chicken shawarma. It's practically the first thing that you'll see upon walking in the door. The slowly turning spit, piled high with jerk-marinated dark meat. The juices drip and caramelize. Why did it take so long for someone to do this?? Naturally, the Jerk Chicken Shawarma Wrap ($8.95) was born and it put Chris Jerk on the map. Jerk chicken from Jamaica combined with shawarma from Turkey perfectly describes what makes Toronto so special. I was asked if I wanted a white or whole wheat tortilla and I chose white. I was asked if I wanted "everything" on it and I answered "yes" even though I wasn't entirely sure what "everything" involved (it didn't matter). I was asked if I wanted garlic mayo or BBQ mayo, was then told that I could have both, and obviously I went with that option. And lastly I was asked if I wanted hot sauce, and hell yeah I did because the hot sauce at Chris Jerk is legendary. In fact, they bottle it and I should have bought some. Regret! What surprised me the most about this shawarma was how fresh it managed to be. It was packed with crunchy coleslaw, pickles that brought a great acidity, and a delicious creaminess from the sauces. And there was heat! Plus the beautiful, flavourful, spicy jerk chicken. I love how they managed to fill this wrap with full-on Caribbean flavour. It looks like a shawarma... But it's also not. Is it better than a shawarma? I think it really depends on which cuisine you're craving. If you're in the mood for Middle Eastern then a traditional shawarma is still going to be your best bet.

Last but not least... This was my favourite thing: The Jerk Chicken Shawarma Poutine ($9.45). This giant mess is famous in its own right. How could I not? And now we're combining Jamaican with Québécois - does it get any better? YOU NEED THIS. The fries themselves are fine. The shredded cheese would normally be a massive problem for me (see this incredibly particular blog) but somehow it seemed easily forgiven in this case. I'm pretty sure that the gravy is just the same jerk sauce that was slathered all over the chicken? So that right there is genius. And then the whole thing is covered in an abundance of spit-caramelized jerk chicken, which is delicious. This dish is an insane mess and it's special and it's unique. If I had to pick one must-try item at Chris Jerk, this would be it. Otherwise, what are you doing with your life ?

Toronto knows its way around jerk. Chris Jerk knows its way around jerk shawarma. When you come to this city, this is the food that you need to be eating.

This place is a gem in Scarborough not to be missed. The long, narrow restaurant doesn't seat many with bar style seating in the front of the restaurant, a few 2 seaters, and one 4 seater booth in the back. It's not really a dine in place, but the atmosphere is friendly and warm. I was able to try both the Stew Beef and the Curry Goat, and they were both truly some of the most delicious Caribbean food I've ever tasted. The goat falls off the bone and melts in your mouth and is very flavourful. The stew beef is also extremely tender, delicious and not fatty at all. Both come with a large helping of rice and peas, steamed vegetables and fried plantain. It was so much food, there was no I way I could finish it all in one sitting, but I found myself continuously eating because it tasted so good. Highly recommended if you're in the area if you're looking for some amazing take out!

I've been to Chris' 3 times now, and the food is great and consistent. You can tell that Chris really has a passion for his food, he places the perfectly cooked veggies and fried plantain with care. Presentation at a take out place, shows passion.
I have eaten the curry goat, jerk chicken, and jerk chicken poutine.
Spice levels: CG - mild, no sniffles or sweats. JC - depending on the day ranges from mild to sniffles.
Highlights: CG has bones but is soft and tender. JC is delicious with a nice coating around the outside. Dinners accompanied by long grain rice n peas (a very hearty portion), fried plantain, and veggies (cabbage, carrot, broccoli). Veggies are cooked al dente which is nice.

Jerk Chicken Poutine was a nice twist on the Québécois dish. If you like Poutine and you like Jerk Chicken, try it!

The Jerk Shawarma is wonderful.  I could only eat 1/2 at lunch but it was still good at dinner time!  The only negative was that the woman who serves you can be rather rude....

We arrived slightly before noon on a Saturday and it was not yet opened. We see many people approach the place only to find out it doesn't open til noon. We see people waiting in their cars. We know this place should have some good eats. Once the door was open, people rush to the doors. There was already 10 people in line. We ordered their famous dish - jerk Shawarma to go. They have a few tables but mostly take out orders. The dish was quite tasty..a nice kick to their jerk sauce. Loved the fried plantain. It was a huge order with plenty of rice and peas and shawarma. I will be back to try the other dishes.

Chris Jerk is a tiny Caribbean restaurant on the corner of Huntingwood and Birchmount Rd. The place is the size of a hallway and during lunch time, can be kinda tough to get through. They serve up jerk chicken and a variety of ways of which can be unique. Jerk chicken shawarma, poutine, and the like are all pretty popular here.

Got the Fried chicken meal with a jerk leg on the side. The fried chicken here is homemade and it tastes damn good. For $8.95, you get a huge portion of chicken that comes with rice and peas. They use basmati rice, so that's also different. The fried chicken was slightly crisp but very meaty. The jerk chicken leg side was like a full meal. The chicken is doused in sauce but the meat is also tender. Sauce was spicy though so prep for that if you need to. 

The prices here are good and the portion sizes are immense. The service here is real friendly despite the crowd of people. If you are in a hurry, call your order ahead of time or be expected to wait. Definitely will be back to try their other dishes. Coworker of mine downed both a shawarma wrap and poutine, so I don't know how he stayed awake the rest of the afternoon.

Amazing food at an amazing price. The jerk chicken and jerk pork were both amazing in flavour. They include a lot of meat, and I had enough leftovers for lunch the next day. I love the rice and peas, as well as the fried plantains. Highly recommend this location!

Delicious and super popular place. Come early if you want their jerk shawarma - we went at 6:30 on a Saturday and it was already sold out. Despite that, the rest of their food is still really good. Portions are big and the prices rather cheap for what you get. It's a takeout place only but they are popular so you will have to wait a while for your food. Very worth it however

The best Carribean food in Toronto! Been here several times, and the food is always delicious! Be prepared to wait a bit for your order, as it is a very popular restaurant! The wait is well worth it! Enjoy!

Absolutely awesome. Looked up the best jerk in Toronto and after about 20 minutes of research I found that this place had to be one of the best. As soon as I got there I noticed a line of about 20 ppl which is always a good sign. After getting in and asking the staff what I should get, they gave me great recommendations and were super nice and helpful. I ordered the jerk chicken poutine, a side of oxtail and a jerk chicken combo that came with rice, beans, veggies and fried plantain. I LOVED it! There was no dining inside so we ate in the parking lot, the drink selection there was good, good parking and easily accessible for anyone in a wheelchair. I highly recommend this place and can’t wait to go back.