Ja' Grill Restaurant & Lounge

My taste buds LOVE spice and Ja' Grill is definitely the spot to satisfy your spicy needs.

I came here for a friend's birthday and we pretty much had about 4 tables full. I got here a little earlier and ordered drinks from the bar. They make awesomely strong drinks that don't break the bank and after 1 or 2, you feel nice. The place has 2 levels but the bottom was empty when I went, so I just peeked in and out. They play mostly reggae music, which can be expected from a Jamaican place and that was cool.

I ordered the plantains to start and the jerk tofu as my entree. Being Hispanic, I'm critical of plantains and love the many ways to fry, saute and eat them. This place definitely does the plantain justice and I commend them. They tasted soft and sweet and I knew they just weren't previously frozen from a box.

Ooh wee, the jerk tofu was spicyyy! It was amazingly flavorful was indeed very hot. I liked the texture and taste but I did have some tummy aches later in the evening. I would probably go back as the servers were prompt and the food was good, I just might need to take a Maalox before or after.

5 stars for:
The tender fall off the bone jerk ribs
The tender jerk chicken
The tasty beff patty
The tasty calaloo (no one ever has it!)
And the warm apple caramel bread pudding (I would swear that I don't eat bread pudding until I had this one!)

The worst customer service I've ever had by far. The hostess was  my waitress and the bar tender. Couldn't tell me about the menu and when I saw another table with Lamb chops I ask her where on the menu are Lamb chops because I didn't see them and her response was I ordered to fast and didn't give her time to tell me about the specials, WTF so anyway my food comes out 50 minutes later in a to go box and now I'm furious and she says I thought you wanted it to go because I sat at the bar. No you asked me did I mind sitting at the bar even though there was on five other customers in the restaurant.  So I say forget it because it seems to be getting worst the longer I stay so I head to work a little early to eat my food and there is no forks or knives in the bag now I hate her. I thought about her situation for a while because she was doing a lot and she is a very beautiful woman so I think of a reason to forgive her and give it one more try. I have a Groupon and it says you must make reservations so I've called them 3 times today and been put on hold and no one comes back to the phone.  I will be calling groupon for a refund. And I don't know if she's the receptionist today or what but it seems the staff needs to be replaced.  I can't tell you how the food taste because I was so mad while I was eating but if they where the last Jamaican restaurant in Chicago I would never eat Jamaican food again and just so you all now all I do is go out to eat you can look at my instagram page (Redearl ) and see