As long time visitors of Negril Jamaica we were so excited to have finally found a place in Chicago that met our expectations! My parents, husband and I tried the place out on a Sunday Eve, there were a few full tables and the atmosphere was perfect! Even the bathrooms felt like Jamaica! We started out with the beef patties, which really hit the spot! Mom ordered the rum punch which she said was fantastic. We decided to get a few dishes and share, the Ox Tail, Whole Red Snapper Escovitch, and of course some Jerk Chicken. The Ox Tail was extremely tender and melted in your mouth, like a roast. The Jerk Chicken was served with a hot and mild sauce on the side. By itself it was fantastic however the HOT sauce was a huge hit at the table. The chicken was cooked to perfection and NOT overdone. It reminded us of the street vendors in Negril serving the chicken out of old trash barrels made into grills! Lastly the Red Snapper was just like Jamaica!!! We decided to get the entire fish and between the 4 of us, we tore it up! It was spicy, FRESH, tender and juicy and served with peppers and carrots, YUM! All entree's are served with rice and peas, cabbage and carrots and fried plantains, all of which were SO authentic! Just like we remembered! For dessert we tried the coconut sorbet and caramel apple bread pudding. First off the sorbet was to decadent it tasted like cold coconut cream pie filling with yummy bits of fresh coconut throughout, and it was served in a cute coconut shell! The bread pudding rivaled our favorites all over the city, it was very moist & the fresh warm caramel was what did us in!!! Overall Ja Grill is going to be our new favorite place and going there just has us itching to go back to Jamaica! We LOVE this little piece of Jamaica in the city! Service was laid back yet VERY efficient. You won't be let down!
Pros: AUTHENTIC
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