Review Chris Jerk - Toronto

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!

This is my second review a year later for this place... cannot say enough good things. Today they opened at 11am and right on the dot the doors opened and food was freshly prepared. Normally I opt for the tender entree, but today wanted to try their shawarma. Seriously impressive, was so delicious and perfect portion size. Surprised I've never had it before. While I love/appreciate Jerk chicken, it's their BBQ sauce for me. The sauce used on the BBQ chicken and tenders is so good! I would buy this sauce in a jar if they sold it. In addition to the food, the staff are amazing. The family-like vibe is very welcoming and they move quick! You will see all walks of earth at this place :)

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 food was truly amazing, it’s definitely worth every penny spent, what I will say is make sure you call ahead because of the fact that it’s really busy. Overall I truly appreciate the experience would say that my personal favourite was the jerk chicken poutine!!

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!

Nice little spot in Scarborough with a Craft, urban market vibe with a modern twist on classic Jamaican favourites. I tried the Jerk shawarma dinner and it did not disappoint the jerk sauce here is nice and sweet and enjoyable if your not really into hot spice . Also had the Jerk shawarma poutine which was actually really good but I would suggest sharing with 2-3 people to finish in one sitting lol Will definitely be back to try the other options!

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.

From the moment you step in you can tell this is a Jamaican restaurant with a difference. The place is super clean, the employees are polite and helpful. And the food are 100% authentic Jamaican dishes. A 10/10 on taste and value.

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 you are craving for comfort food and unique to your taste, this is the best place to be. Food is amazing and the quality of service they have is absolutely great. Waiting time is good (you have to expect waiting time coz people are keep coming) My recommendations is to have a big space to accomodate customers who would like to dine in and or take out. But this place is absolutely highly recommended and no doubt about that!

Been there yesterday, referred to by my friend and I must say one of the best places in toronto for Jerk chicken! Their special chicken plate was $14 with drink and its more than enough, food quality was great! Definitely going there in the future

Duvet place with crazy small seating area; but the smell is AMAZING! And jerk shawarma? Are you kidding me!!????!!!

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.<br/><br/>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.<br/>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.<br/><br/>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.<br/><br/>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.<br/><br/>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.<br/><br/>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.<br/><br/>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.<br/><br/>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 ?<br/><br/>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.

Hands down, one of the BEST jerk places in the GTA!<br/><br/>First of all, let it be clear that this is not the "ideal" dine-in. The space is narrow and small with a few tables on a side and at the end where you are more than welcome to sit but, don't expect it to be fancy or quiet as the place is usually busy with take-out traffic.<br/><br/>That said, besides ordering for take-out many times before, we decided to stop by the other day and grab a sit and, it was quite interesting to see the place "in action" and all the people that comes in and out. Customers got along with the staff so well that some were even addressed by their own names.<br/><br/>We ordered Curry Goat and Jerk Chicken combos which were served in the take-out containers. Our food was delicious and the portions were more than filling as always.<br/><br/>So, when you get good food and reasonable portions with so much consistency at an affordable price, there's nothing to complain about.

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!

Came here with my cousins for dinner. It's located in my childhood neighbourhood and when you come in it's a little shop with a lot of love.<br/><br/>The people who work there are super nice and friendly. They make you feel at home.<br/><br/>The food is the bomb. Love that they use basmati rice for their rice and peas. Gotta have the of tail, jerk pork, chicken and I have to come back o try their shawarma.<br/><br/>A hidden gem in Scarborough :)

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. <br/>I have eaten the curry goat, jerk chicken, and jerk chicken poutine.<br/>Spice levels: CG - mild, no sniffles or sweats. JC - depending on the day ranges from mild to sniffles.<br/>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. <br/><br/>Jerk Chicken Poutine was a nice twist on the Québécois dish. If you like Poutine and you like Jerk Chicken, try it!

It ain't the most visually pleasing food but the flavours at Chris Jerk are outstanding. <br/><br/>Chris Jerk is well known for its shawarma poutine, and rightfully so. The combination of jerk gravy and cheese is an interesting (and delicious) twist on the Canadian classic. <br/><br/>I also tried the jerk chicken, which was super juicy. And again, very flavourful. I'm a fan of this place's jerk seasoning. The steamed vegetables, plantain, and rice and beans were all cooked properly.<br/><br/>The restaurant is small with very little seating and if you do decide to eat in it's a little smokey. There always seems to be a line around lunch and dinner time and the kitchen staff is small, so expect a little waiting.

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 have been going to Chris Jerk for about 2 years. This place is delicious, with authentic flavours. One of our favourite restaurants. Go now!

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.

Ordered a jerk chicken dinner for take out. <br/>Chicken was moist and juicy .. Rice wasn't that great. Not a fan of their basmati rice. Whole meal was drenched in gravy .. Was hard to enjoy. If you get a jerk chicken meal ask them to go light on gravy before it ruins the whole meal. Other than that positive experience.

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.<br/><br/>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. <br/><br/>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.

I love this place. I work around the corner and we frequent here for lunch to get our jerk fix. The food is always delicious, but be prepared to wait for it! I've now started getting take out as the limited seating space is, well, limited. I think it may be time for Chris and his crew to start thinking about getting a bigger location.

My boyfriend has been raving about how amazing the food quality is at this restaurant. He is a very picky eater so I didnt doubt that it was. He loves the shwarma wrap and apparently its a big hit. However I am a vegetarian so my choices were pretty limited, nonetheless the vegetarian meal I tried was still very tasty. <br/><br/>On the other hand, I find the female cashier to be very rude. Not a pleasant person to be dealing with customers. If you ask her a question about a dish or order additional items, she gives the impression that you are bothering her. I hope that the owner will find a new employee because this persons negative ora will just deter customers away.

Had the most talked about Jerk Chicken Shawarma and it was really tasty! One word comes to mind...HOT. But if you can deal with some spicy chicken, then you're fine.<br/>Another pleasant thing was the staff that worked there. Very nice and welcoming people.

Their hot sauce is amazing ! Their Jerk chicken and curry goat are good but doesn't stand out from other places. The jerk poutine is a good idea. I would give this place a 4 star but I don't like that they serve steamed veggies instead of coleslaw and their gravy is too thick (still taste pretty good though). Also, I ordered takeout and they told me that it will be ready in 10 minutes, when I got there they haven't even started on my order yet because they were "too busy". Well.. if it was too busy then you should have told me a different ETA -_-

I have been to many different carribean jerk restaurants, in search of finding the best and most perfect carribean food (more specifically, the jerk chicken). I've been to restaurants where I find it to be way too sweet, way too bland or just nothing special. Then, I discovered Chris Jerk.<br/><br/>Atmosphere<br/>Chris Jerk may seem like nothing special on the outside. It's located in a small plaza near Mexico Lindo (a nice mexican place). Inside, there are only a few tables and not the ideal place for dine in. I have been going here for a while now but unfortunately, the service is not the best. The lady at the front seemed a bit rude a few times I have been there. She tried to persuade customers to get their homemade gravy (please stay clear from this - tastes like actual canned gravy). <br/><br/>Food<br/>Their food is the only reason I keep going back. I can say they are probably the best when it comes to Carribean food. Ritz Carribean comes pretty close to them as well. Chris Jerk makes a rice and peas using basmati rice which gives it a different texture. Their jerk chicken is slow cooked and flavourful. They've got a great chickpea curry to add as a side to any meal. Their coleslaw is the perfect balance of flavour. Their plantains are yummy, sweet and melt in your mouth soft. Yet, what takes their food to another level is the oxtail gravy and hot sauce. You must add oxtail gravy and hot sauce to any rice dish you get, or else it won't be the same. <br/><br/>Be sure to check out Chris Jerk next time you have Jerk cravings. I'm sure you'll love the flavours!

I had heard good things about this place and my friend has never had Jamaican food before so I thought I'd take her here. My friend and I ordered the Jerk Chicken dinner, and my oh my, it was really really good!!! We're planning on going back to try out the Jerk shawarma. I'd definitely recommend this place :)

I don't recall how many times we have driven up Birchmount Road on the way to a restaurant further north and driven right by Chris Jerk Caribbean Bistro. It is a hidden gem in the northeast part of Toronto. We finally decided to stop because of a friend's comments on Twitter. I went for the stewed beef oxtail while my +1 had the fried chicken meal. Unfortunately the excellent jerk chicken was just much too spicy for her. I'm not really a fan of Oxtail but I wanted to try something different. Other than a few too many bones, which were not unexpected I quite enjoyed my meal. My dish came with basmati long grain steamed rice, fresh seasonal vegetables and fresh fried plantain. The menu is a varied mix of modern and traditional Caribbean dishes like stewed beef oxtail, jerk chicken shawarma and jerk chicken poutine. I would have no hesitation in recommending Chris Jerk Caribbean Bistro for its fresh food served by friendly staff at a reasonable price. There is plenty of free parking in the plaza.

This post contains images of our lunch at Chris Jerk. We ate from the daily menu Stewed Beef Oxtail with Basmati Long Stewed Beef Oxtail with Basmati Long Grain Steam Rice, Fresh Seasonal Vegetables and Fresh Fried Plantain and the Fried Chicken Meal with French Fries, Vegetables and Fresh Fried Plantains $8.95 (extra mild). The menu is a varied mix of modern and traditional Caribbean dishes like stewed beef oxtail, jerk chicken shawarma and jerk chicken poutine. I would have no hesitation in recommending Chris Jerk Caribbean Bistro for its fresh food served by friendly staff at a reasonable price. There is plenty of free parking in the plaza.

You know how you can go eat somewhere that you haven't been for ages and then remember why you used to eat there all the time in the first place? That would be Japango in the Beach for The Kid, right now. After our tasty Easter Sunday dinner last week, we returned for more unagi sushi pizza to end the week. Chris Jerk On Saturday, Shack and I were out doing errands and found ourselves peckish in Markham. The first couple of regular haunts were packed so we started to drive south and I frantically searched for somewhere new and tasty to try out between there and home. As he often does, Shack just sort of pulled into a strip mall on Birchmount in Scarborough, got out of the car and started walking towards Chris Jerk. I asked if he had been here before and he said no, but he has heard good things so I followed him into a bright, spotless little place where a full house was waiting patiently for take out orders. The smell, alone, made me very happy that all of our regular noodle houses had been too crowded for us to find a table. At first, the Jerk Shwarma menu freaked me out but then I thought "Why not? I am the one who makes Butter Chicken Sopes and Chile Verde Pastitsio, so who am I to judge?" Well, as it turns out, Jerk Chicken Shwarma is brilliant. You get all the great jerk flavour but wonderful texture of chicken shwarma. We ordered the Jerk Shwarma plate, some jerk shwarma poutine and a chicken soup. I am very picky about my rice and peas and hate nothing more than being served dried out rice, or rice that was cooked with too much liquid that is fully of mushy clumps but this was not a problem at Chris Jerk. The rice was perfect and the jerk shwarma chicken was moist and full of wonderful flavour (if you are looking for intense heat though, you better ask for some hot sauce). Skip the steamed veggies and opt for the vinegar based coleslaw instead. Next time, Shack will try a wrap but this time, I wanted to really taste the chicken so I made him get the plate and

A gem in Scarborough. Wow! The food here is really, really good!! We tried both the jerk chicken dinner (excellent) and the curry goat (amazing) and both left us wanting to return. Living downtown we've tried few caribbean restaurants but none compare to this. Huge portions, really nice staff combined with delicious yet inexpensive food. A definite five star. The place is in a divy-looking mall but don't be put off by that. We ate in - very fast-foodish set up - but were comfortable and the place was very clean. Lots of people were coming in asking for their jerk shwarma but they were all sold out. We overhead the lady saying over and over again that it's usually sold out by 5 pm, so if you want to try this, be forewarned!!

Jerk chicken poutine is a MUST TRY!!!. This place is amazing! I have tried a few different dishes but hands down the jerk chicken poutine is the BEST! Make sure you go early enough though cause they do tend to run out late in the day - only cause it's so amazing though :) Great food at a great price! Staff are super friendly and everyone I've ever brought there falls in love with it.

Best Caribbean food in t.o. Everything is worth tryin no other Caribbean resturant is on the same level..delish :)

Amazing food!. Very Clean and the Chef is very professional like you would find at a fine 5 star restaurant. He takes care, quality and put heart and passion in everything he puts out. Also remembers us when we come in... hard to find now a days. One of the best jerk chicken spots in Toronto.

Give this place a try...Best caribbean food!!. This place opened up not too long ago and I pass by it everyday. Today, I decided I was going to stop by and give it a try. To my surprise the jerk chicken was amazing! chicken was moist, flavorful and fresh! I will definately be coming back here as it's one of the best caribbean restaurants in Scarborough!<br/><br/>I spoke woth the owner today and he told me there jerk chicken shwarma is sold out everyday. I will have to come back earlier to try this amazing shawarma.

Amazing! The Jerk Shawarma is just a great idea. Make sure you take some extra hot sauce on the side. You won't regret it. My only problem is that I live in Ottawa. Worth the drive.

Best food in Toronto! Compliments to the chef!

Love the jerk chicken shawarma and the fish soup ! Must try !! Love this place ... Fry fish on weekends !