Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Claire's Korner

    4.5 (122 reviews)
    ModerateCaribbean, Beer Bar
    Closed Closed

    Claire's Korner Photos

    CLAIRE'S KORNER ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for kids

    You might also consider

    Recommended Reviews - Claire's Korner

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    Oxtail
    Irene C.

    Omg. So DELICIOUS. Husband and I devoured it. Claire and company were kind and helpful. Amazing food is worth the wait! We ordered a large dark meat jerk chicken, large oxtail, and the fried catfish. Sides were Mac and cheese, candied yams and the plantains. I had initially ordered the first two, but then heard they still had catfish. So we had to order it! It added to my wait BUT it was so worth the wait! They were catfish steaks- so flakey and moist inside with a nice crisp to the outside! Went in the next day too. Got more catfish. The greens are so yummy has some heat to it too!!! Highly recommend!!!!

    Curry goat and jerk chicken
    Nazia C.

    I've ordered from Claire's Korner for my family but this was the first time I had it for a catered meal. Claire's catered a funeral service at my church. The delivery was very professional and the food arrived warm and ready to eat! There was jerk chicken, curry goat, festival, cabbage, rice and peas, and white rice. The food was incredible.

    Side of Mac & cheese
    Joani O.

    I was a loyal customer of Da Jerk Pit for years and despite growing up in Evanston, had never had Claire's. While her and her son decided to merge earlier this year and Da Jerk Pit closed, I hadn't been here until tonight when I finally needed my Jamaican fix. They didn't have their greens so I ordered the cabbage as my side with my jerk chicken and rice and peas. The jerk chicken was perfectly done, not too spicy, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the cabbage was chopped/shredded nicely (I recall larger chunks before)...very tasty, and the rice and peas were fresh and moist. I love, love, love the Mac & cheese from the former place so I got a side of that too and it was as good as I remember. I forgot my plantains (I'm a Caribbean woman, how could I forget??), but I'm glad they're here and the food is just as good if not better. My husband loves ox tails and I know from friends that they are good here so I will be back. We have several Jamaican restaurants in the area, but this is my place. So glad Claire taught her son to cook and they are in this same location she's had for years on Emerson, minutes from my house.

    Oxtail dinner with plantains, rice and cabbage
    Shelah S.

    My family, bf and I had an inkling for some real Caribbean jerk chicken and oxtail and...we stumbled upon this place with the help of Yelp. Based on the stellar reviews, I figured hey! Why not give it a try! I ended up ordering some large oxtail dinners and a jerk chicken dinner to go. Working in the area, I called my order in the morning so I could pick it up in the afternoon. The lady who took my order the phone who I'm assuming is Claire was sweet and kind. She took my order and was willing to make any adjustments I had asked for. One things for sure, I'm glad I called the order in because based on this fabulous food, you already know this place be selling out. Anywho, when I came to pick up my order in the afternoon, it wasn't busy and I was able to park on the street. This place is pick up only so there isn't much inside which is fine with me. Claire knew who I was when I got in and she was sweet with her greeting. I got my food promptly and headed home. Now! The best part, the taste test! My family members and I LOVED their oxtail dinners! They were served with rice, plantains and cabbage. Oh my goodness when I say the flavor was popping, the flavor was popping! You got a nice amount of oxtails with the most succulent and juicest meat ever. It was drenched in spices and the meat was fall off the bone tender. Mmm mmm! The spice isn't so hot, it's unbearable but there is a definitely a kick kick to it. The rice was yummy and the plantains were good too! Succulent but not too sweet, I was all for the plantains. The cabbage was crisp and fresh. Added some nice texture to the dish for sure. My bf absolutely loved the ox tail as well as his jerk chicken dinner too! My bf said that the spices were perfect. Not too hot where you couldn't enjoy the meal but just enough to add some zing! He said the chicken was moist, succulent and cooked perfectly. He loved how the jerk spices carried over into the rice but not how it carried into the plantains. Other than that, A+ meal! I definitely would love to go back and try more deliciousness of the menu. Price is a bit steep here but it offers quality and quantity. Don't let the outside of this place fool you, they make killer food! If you're having doubts thinking if you want to try something new, just do it, come here and thank me later.

    Curry goat
    Sandra G.

    Worth the 30 minute drive. Greeted promptly and warmly. Jerk chicken review by diner "they know what they're doing." I had the curry goat with cabbage, white rice and plantain, excellent. Stew chicken was very delicious. Wasn't too heavy in my stomach and was freshly made. Also had cabbage, rice and peas, and plantains along with it. All workers were kind and generous. Enjoyed Pattie's on our roadtrip back. Relaxed professional atmosphere.

    Claire oxtails and rice and peas
    Jeffrey H.

    Tonight was my first time going to Claire's Korner in Evanston. I was not disappointed. I had the oxtail dinner which was fire! The oxtail were fork tender and the rice and peas were very moist. Not dry and hard like I've had it before. My dinner came with a helping of greens with smoked turkey meat in them. My wife got the Jerk chicken, it was fabulous as well. She also got a side of the mac & cheese because she loves it from here. My only issue with my plate was my plantain was not very soft or sweet. But hey that was not a problem I found that Puerto Ricans have the best sweet plantain. Well, thank you for a wonderful Jamaican dinner Ms. Claire, I'll be back. The service was excellent as she was there to provide our dinners to us. We got it to go so the ambiance I couldn't speak on but it's a small quaint restaurant with a few seats.

    1/4 jerk chicken dinners!
    Nikka C.

    Delicious jerk chicken! We had 2 dinners with rice and peas, plantains, and the greens. We also ordered shrimp and Mac and cheese. Everything was solid and their staff was super nice. Support local businesses!!!

    Jerk chicken plate with jerk shrimp, white rice and mac and cheese

    See all

    5 months ago

    Claire is super friendly. Beef patties were delicious. Oxtail was tender. Loved the mac and cheese. Plantains weren't too sweet.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    9 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    1 year ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Joani O.
    293
    1124
    3716

    3 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 4
    Oh no 0

    4 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 7
    Thanks 1
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 2

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 4
    Oh no 0

    10 months ago

    Claire's food is fantastic. I've been going there for over a decade now. I'm a snob for Jamaican food, but this one meets my pallet.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    5 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Ric S.
    0
    12
    1

    2 years ago

    First time there and I'm in love anytime im in the area definitely am getting a bit there!!!!!

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Great food, always good and perfectly cooked, great service. Best authentic Jamaican restaurant

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Best Jamaican food in Evanston, hands down. If you love cooked food from a restaurant, this is it.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 5
    Thanks 0
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Perry M.
    99
    101
    34

    2 years ago

    Like being in Negril. Great Jamaican food. Love the jerk chicken and collards. Tasty and fresh every day.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 5
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Eva R.
    0
    54
    3

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Ken A.
    148
    252
    1620

    8 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Teri R.
    0
    12
    18

    5 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of T A.
    0
    2
    0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    You have to try this place. Fresh homemade food. The Curry goat is delicious. Can't wait to try the Oxtail.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 0
    Love this 6
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    The food was great environment was great The plantain was really good and sweet the chicken was really moist and have very good flavor

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 5
    Thanks 0
    Love this 6
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 1

    2 years ago

    Claire is the best and the food is incredible. Tastes like home Always order the ox tail and beef Patty she never misses.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    Page 1 of 4

    Ask the Community - Claire's Korner

    You might also consider

    Double Clutch Brewing - Berliner Weisse

    Double Clutch Brewing

    4.3(160 reviews)
    0.4 mi
    $$

    I had never been here before/didn't really know about it. It's a hidden gem and much bigger than I…read morewas expecting it to be! I came here for trivia last night with a few friends who love this place. The food looks great (I had already eaten, so I didn't partake this time), and I appreciate that they have quite a few vegetarian/vegan options. Their beer menu is extensive and my friends liked all the varieties they tried, and they have a few NA options as well. All the staff were super friendly. It's a great space. I'll be back. Side note: Parking was a bit complicated, as the lot isn't big enough for the size of the venue, but there are street parking options around. At least they have a dedicated lot though, which a lot of other places in Evanston don't have.

    I'm not much of a beer drinker and rarely make it to the bars these day (#old), but my first…read morethought when walking in was how have I not been to an event here. It's spacious and a super cool venue, which was used for my daughter's high school fundraiser last weekend. I visited Double Clutch twice within one week. The first was a meeting held at the venue right before the event where everyone got to enjoy some beer (except those of us who don't love beer and opted for water) and some of the food that would be served at the event the following weekend. I munched on some turnbuckle pretzels, fried buffalo bites and cauli wings- all were pretty good! A few days later we sold out with a 300 person event, although honestly we could have fit way more in the space because there was plenty of room to move around. The band Go Ask Your Mum was playing lots of fun 80s and 90s hits, there was a buffet of the food we had tried a few days beforehand and the bar was busy. I opted for wine, which was good. The acoustics here aren't great, which i noticed during the meeting and during the event. The band was fun to listen to, but i could hardly hear anyone i was speaking to. But that's really my only complaint since it's a great space!

    Photos
    Double Clutch Brewing - Chill Bar area

    Chill Bar area

    Double Clutch Brewing - Large beer

    Large beer

    Double Clutch Brewing - Pilsner !!!

    See all

    Pilsner !!!

    Firehouse Grill - Husband's fish tacos with tater tot side.

    Firehouse Grill

    3.4(463 reviews)
    1.7 mi
    $$

    Wonderful neighborhood restaurant Many choices…read moreVariety of styles Friendly helpful staff Notary food Parking Lots of room

    I'm revising my previous review of Firehouse after an absolutely appalling encounter at this…read morerestaurant tonight. I'm an Evanstonian and have been for many years now. I've been to firehouse many many times and have always had positive experiences. Tonight, my friend and I were outright disrespected. We arrived at the restaurant at about 5pm this evening. Surprisingly they were not crowded, there was no wait, and there were several empty tables (including booths with 2 ppl in them). When I've dined here, I have always requested a booth - no matter the day, no matter the time, no matter how busy or calm the restaurant is- and without fail, the kind employees have always said no problem and make it happen. As the young man led us to a table right next to 2 empty booths, I asked if we could have a booth instead and his response was "Ooohhh nooooo! Those are for reservations." Never in the history of coming to this restaurant have I ever been told I needed a reservation to sit in a booth. So my friend and I immediately decided we would not be patronizing this place. When this guy realized we were leaving he then offers me the empty booth and says "the reservation for this booth isn't for a while so you can take this one if you want." I told him I have never ever been denied a booth or told I needed a reservation. He replied on Fridays and Saturdays they get booked up. I cannot even fathom what would have provoked this young man to be so rude and unaccommodating; not to mention we were apparently the only ones being denied a booth when there were empty booths sitting open and they were not at all crowded. This was the first visit for my friend and it was such a terrible experience. I will not be back.

    Photos
    Firehouse Grill - Firemen are welcome here

    Firemen are welcome here

    Firehouse Grill
    Firehouse Grill - First time at the Firehouse - woo hoo yeah!!

    See all

    First time at the Firehouse - woo hoo yeah!!

    Claire's Korner - caribbean - Updated May 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...