very hard and good. the jerk was amazing definitely would try again. although was a little pricey. read more

Montego Bay - Jerk Chicken Dark - Caribbean Near Me - Bellwood, Illinois

See all

I had heard about Jamaican restaurants dotted throughout Maywood and Bellwood. None are on the main stretches that I've taken throughout the two suburbs. I decided to venture off the usual path and find one of the many restaurants. Montego Bay Restaurant was my landing spot. I think that before the pandemic, they used to have seats. Looks like all of the tables and seats had been removed with the exception of one booth that was mostly a sitting spot while waiting for food. It was quite smoky inside, which speaks to the grilling being done inside rather than outside. That should be a ventilation concern. But the good part was the food. I ordered a quarter jerk chicken that came with rice and peas and cabbage. There was heat to the food and I loved it. The scotch bonnet had clearly been cooked in oil before the rest of the food had been added. That explained why there was pepper without the ring of fire around the lips afterwards. I was reminded of the jerk malls in Port Antonio, Jamaica, which isn't an effect that I get at a lot of restaurants throughout Chicago. Counter service was welcoming and laid back. Since there is no in-house dining, I can't speak to table service. But I can speak to me going back the next time I am in the vicinity. read more

Montego Bay - Quarter jerk chicken. Rice and peas. Cabbage. - Caribbean Near Me - Bellwood, Illinois

I entered and saw a lady look out from behind the counter. She disappeared for several minutes before coming out to get my order. I tried to order from the menu they had out. I was told they don't offer the combination dinner on the menu. After waiting for 20 minutes my order is finally ready. She gives me a total amount that's more than the menu price. When I ask, her response is they raised the prices. I ask where they say that, anywhere? She says nowhere. I say so you can just make up prices, she smiles and says yes. She was rude and smug. I hope she enjoyed those extra few dollars, because she won't get any more from me. The food was ok, but not fantastic. read more

The food was tasteless the presentation wasn't appealing , they packed everything on to the rice full of gravy made the rice saggy. The food was a little over price . The customer service was bad no good. I could've turned away pulling in the parking spot the minute I saw the appreance of the place but being a yardie myself I went to support my countryman . Was very disappointed!! Will not be going back and I wouldn't recommend this place . read more

Great Jamaican food. Love their chicken and sides. Just wish they carried seafood and meat pies more often.

Placed an order on 2/3/24 at 3:09 pm. Got there at 3:45, they had sold it. She told me she had called me at 3:35. I didn't hear the call, my ringer was low, and my phone was in my coat pocket. Who sells food after an order has been placed? I can see after an hour. I still had to drive there, geesh. They sold it to I guess the two white men that were sitting there eating. The cashiers personality is dry as overcooked cornbread. Take payments over the phone if that is your madeup policy that is not posted anywhere. When I've ordered in the past I've always taken the same amount of time to get there..She might as well said just place your order when you get there but they can't because they would have run out of food...lol.. That was bad customer service for a quick what 16.00?, and lost a customer, but that shows they don't care about a customer. Sorry. I don't live around the corner....lol Won't be back. 1 star for the dry apology for selling my food....They are always out of something. I wanted oxtail, but "they were out" by 3:09 when I called. You can't buy extra sides. You can't get all white meat or all dark because all they have is mixed. They don't sell the sourdough bread. Is the food good? It"s decent, but like most businesses, they are lacking in areas. There aren't many Jamaican restaurants, so this is the goto. So after this, I called another restaurant, JG Jerk Grill, in Hillside, IL. Ppl seem to like it they were getting a lot of traffic. While I was there picking up my food. read more

Since I was in the area I decided to grab some takeout from here. Small spot on the corner. Nothing fancy but it is clean. I ordered the wings with fries (with mild sauce in the fries of course) and the jerk ribs dinner. The wings were jerk wings. They were large wings and had good flavor, even without the hot jerk sauce. The ribs came with rice and peas and cabbage. The ribs were really good. A hint of spiciness, very tender with a lot of sauce. The rice and peas were average and the cabbage was a no for me. Not much flavor at all. I've had better. I wouldn't mind getting the ribs again by themselves or with some fries. Overall, the food was decent but it would not be my first go-to place for Caribbean food. read more

The cashier is rude and needs customer service training. They never have catfish, but it's on the menu. They often claim to have run out of food when they don't want to make the order. read more

Being honest this is more of a 3 star but I feel bad what I about to say..... The Good.... The food surprised the hell out of me. The Jerk chicken tasted like something you expect at a family BBQ that actually knows how to cook. I was really expecting to get the worlds tiniest winglets something the size of a penny and maybe Buffalo wild wings. Instead they were steroid pumped jumbo wings...SNAP! Fries...frozen from a bag so nothing really special there. The wings were SPICY. like grab some water if you're going to eat two or more of these. I'm interested in trying the jerk shrimp, curry chicken and oxtail. The bad.... I almost hate to write this cause I think if you coming here you slightly already know what to expect. basically it's a chicken shack/neighbor Hood chicken spot. Where you order your chicken and go. (JJ's,Shark,Harold's etc) Montego Bey had closed, not sure how long maybe 2 or 3 months in 2014 to early 2015 during the winter) I pray for renovation and not cause they were shut down. *crickets* knowing this.....why the hell is their so much dust on the hoods where the food is cooked? Not sure if it's because they don't use the 2nd grill or whatever...the main one where most of the food seem to be cooked was clean....but that's still not an excuse...you just re-opened. The counter and tables are clean but a closer inspection of the hoods over the grilled looked like you can draw clean me with your finger and it would be very visible from a far. The decor is terrible. the walls are painted nicely with the Jamaican colors but then you have 3 or 4 different kinds of table sets literally. the fact one of them is a folding table with folding chairs makes me wonder are people really eating here. I think they are using big aluminum garbage can's like grills/smoker, but the place was way to smoky. I wasn't sure if I should pull out Incense, my asthma pump or ask how for some Marry Jane. I could only imagine what being in there is like during the summer time when people really start ordering food.. The cashier was nice (it's only a handful of dishes but no "menu" above the counter you have to look at what appears to be a bad photo copy of the take home menu) which brings me to menu. Can I get one to take home so I can call my order in? I had to ask what the Bob Marley Plate was that costed 9.99....sadly I forgot. I still wouldn't know if I had a menu in my hand because it doesn't explain what it is. Forrest G. Mention his first few trips was decent and then the cook start burning his food..lol I pray this isn't the same conclusion where I'm going to have to take back my 4 stars. read more

Montego Bay - Front enternce,,,right on the cornor - Caribbean Near Me - Bellwood, Illinois

See all

I'm new to the Chicagoland area and found Montego Bay on Yelp. I'm a huge fan of Caribbean food and I'm so happy I found this restaurant. I ordered the pick 2 with oxtails and curry goat dinner. They have good lunch and dinner prices. Food came with rice and red beans, cabbage, plantains, and bread. My fiancé ordered the jerk wings that were fresh and full of flavor with fries. The fries didn't have much flavor though fresh, but there is the option for mild sauce. Food was very tender and flavorful. Food was hot and fresh. I will def be returning to get my Caribbean food fix in the future and recommend anyone to return. Also, I like that there is parking upfront. Not really a sit in restaurant since they only have a couple tables but great food and prices! read more

Montego Bay - Montego Bay Menu first time here!! Someting abt Caribbean food - Caribbean Near Me - Bellwood, Illinois

See all

We ate here over the weekend and it was amazing! We had ribs with red beans and rice and cabbage (it was on special) and we had some jerk wings. It was seriously some of the best, most flavorful food I've ever had! The lady at the counter was very nice too. The restaurant itself isn't much to look at but don't let that deter you from trying this place, it's a hidden gem! I can't wait to go back. read more

This was my first time eating at this restaurant, I must say the jerk chicken was very good!! I ordered the jerk mixed chicken dinner, that includes cabbage, Jamaican rice and plantains...The restaurant is clean, the employees are polite and there is a place to park... read more

My favorite jerk chicken spot on ol of Chicago and the burbs. Fire in south Chicago by Hyde Park is my number two. The second you walk-in the smell just intoxicates the stomach and soul. U can taste the scotch bonnet in the side sauce they give u. It's hot!! And you won't be able to get enough of it! Amazing. Every time I'm in the area I stop here. You should too. Right off 290! The owner is an amazing man deep rooted in Jamaican and Indian culture. He spent ten tears in India and it was an honor to speak about some amazing cool things with him. If you are looking for the very best and unique jerk chicken in Chicago and Chicagoland.. it's here. Period. read more

Food is good... when they have it! Poor business practices though. They frequently don't have items available and today, when I placed my order in advance (before they opened at noon) I was told it would be ready between 1:30-2:00... So I planned my day accordingly. Now I'm being told it will be another 40 minutes... like I have nothing else to do than sit around waiting!!! Furthermore, their business voicemail, which should provide you with location, hours of operation, etc., is more like a residential voicemail - asking you to leave a message! They seriously need to get their sh_ _ together or they're going to lose customers... one dissatisfied person at a time! FYI... I was told that they'd call me when my order was ready. It's 3:43... I'm still waiting for that call!!! read more

The biggest issues with this place are they run out of certain foods and they are rarely open within their business hours. I gave three stars (wish it could've been 2.5 stars) because the food is decent when it's accessible. read more

Good jerk food I just wish the nice looking lady at the desk would at least smile and stop giving dinner prices around noon or just take the lunch menu off read more

We were turned around because we were headed to tropical time but it was closed for vacation. We came upon this place and Interrupted a game of dominoes. The place was a little sketchy. No one in here was eating. Seemed like a neighborhood hangout or social club. The people in the place were pleasant enough. I wasn't nervous. We ordered a dark chicken dinner, curry chicken and curry shrimp. There was no goat, oxtail or beef patties to be had though. :( Not sure I would want to be coming here at night. But otherwise, the food was very tasty. read more

Their jerk chicken is consistently very good. They estimate well in terms of when the food will be ready doe pick up. Great food.

This food suck ! It's not real jerk chicken the shit taste like some burnt barbeque chicken at a pic nic u don't want to be at. They need to get they shit together when they are cooking for the public and charging what they are charging. Close down please. read more

Seems like they got their shit together since gettin that window replaced. Come here for jerk wings, nothing more.

I always enjoy visiting here ... excellent prices... food is magnificent and reminds me of Home. Pleasant and friendly staff and very fulfilling portions . Top notch and definitely a must visit . read more

This location is very close to my home. The service can be a little slow. However, the best jerk in the area. Everything I've had has been great. Of course ox tails are the best. read more

This place has a really good jerk chicken and the Goat is tasty. Just wanna day thank you Curtis for the awesome meal.

A friend at work recommended this place. I had a dinner party last night, and I wanted my guests to try authentic Jamaican/Caribbean food (jerk chicken, curry chicken, and fried plantains). I catered all the chicken and plantains from Montego Bay, and I made the red pea soup, rice and peas, and black cake myself. The jerk chicken was fantastic, and the sauce was absolutely outstanding. It is served on the side in a convenient shaker bottle so that people can try as much or as little as they want. Everyone (15 guests) loved both the jerk and the curry chicken. Most people had seconds, and one guy had thirds! I ordered a large tray of the jerk and a small tray of the curry plus a small tray of the plantains. It worked out perfectly. I am grateful for Montego Bay; they helped to make my dinner party a lot less stressful than it could have been. And the food was delicious! read more

This review is for one event/two restaurants and will be posted on both restaurants yelps!! This past weekend my husband & I hosted an all out "Tropical Pool Party" in our home where we catered/served an array of Caribbean food to our attending 50+ guests. Prior to the party we had diligently searched around for local restaurants to cater our main dishes - we were trying to avoid ordering from the inner city usual locations and wanted to support local suburban businesses. And I must say we are so glad we did. We ordered Jamaican & Puerto Rican cuisines from two separate restaurants and I must say they both delivered Exceptional Dishes. 1) Montego Bay Restaurant & Grill - Bellwood, IL We ordered a medium tray of Jerk Chicken & a medium tray of Jamaican Rice & Beans. I had initially called in to place an order for just the rice & beans, then personally visited that same evening and ended up ordering the jerk chicken as well. Mr. Curtis was extremely nice and very attentive & helpful to us while deciding on the portion sizes for the amount of guest were were expecting. During this time there were 2 other younger gentlemen behind the counter attending customers and I could not help but notice how respectful, polite and courteous they were (oddly we don't see that very often from the younger generation working in restaurants) Much respect for that!! O.M.G.!!!! The portions in these trays were so much more than expected - I can only imagine how much food comes in a large tray. The food was absolutely delicious, the rice & beans was amazing, cooked just right with lots of flavor & seasoning - I could not stop eating the rice, it is so good that you can eat it alone. The BBQ'd Jerk Chicken was cooked to perfection, full with aromatic & smoky flavors, extremely juicy with an awesome Jamaican kick to it - the taste just filled your mouth with delight. We were also provided with extra jerk sauce to add to the chicken - that sauce was "Fire in a bottle" and although it was spicy it had you wanting more. Our guest were completed delighted with the Jamaican food as many had never had it before. Mr Curtis - Thank you so much for catering your delicious food for our Tropical party. We will definitely be back for more. 2) Santiago's Puerto Rican Restaurant Sabores Latinos Inc. - Des Plaines, IL We ordered a large tray of Pernil (roasted pork), Medium tray of Maduros (fried plantains) & a tray of Pastelillos (fried meat pies). First off, my husband (who picked up the food) said the Pernil smelled so good in the car on the way home that he was tempted to pull over to eat some. Again, the portions were much more than expected which is a big Plus when catering for an event. The pernil was extremely juicy and flowing with flavor, the seasoning was perfect, the pernil was cut up into nice sized portions - just what you expect for a great tasting pernil. We were provided in a separate tray with the cuero (pork skin) which was crisped to perfection (that we saved for our enjoyment the next day...LOL). I am guessing and totally speculating that the pastelillos (fried meat pies) were absolutely delicious because they went so fast I didn't get a chance to have one but the guest sure made it a point to tell me how delicious they were as they were savoring the taste. The maduros (fried plantains) were a big hit as well, after all who doesn't like fried plantains to compliment a nice piece of pernil/ Right?!?!! Santiago's I must say you provided some Absolutely Delicious Food!! In addition your attention to detail & customer service is exceptional, the fact that you called me the following day after our event to see how everything went and if the food meet our expectations is by far going above and beyond for your customers satisfaction. That was completely priceless!!! Thank you once again Mr. Curtis from Montego Bay Restaurant & Grill and Mr. Santiago & his beautiful wife Marisol from Santiago's Puerto Rican Restaurant for providing our guests with an ultimately delightful cuisine experience that I am certain will be talked about for a long time to come. I wish both of these restaurants much success & prosperity!! Many Blessings!!! read more

Awesome jerk chicken! Cabbage is awesome! Just wish they would have more white chicken available..Yaaaa monnn

This place was reccomended to me by a friend who works as a union organizner in this part of the near-west side of the city. It features a full gambit of Jamaican dishes like jerk chicken, curried goat meat, oxtails, beans, rice, jicama, and the like. I had an order of six massive chicken wings that were perfectly cooked. The texture was almost like smoked barbecue, and it came with a very potent, dark, rich and delicious jerk sauce you could put on it. The chicken patty I got was the best I've ever had; it was flaky and spcied authentically. The restaurant is clean, bright, and covered with Jamaican themed memorabilia and color schemes. The proprietor was really nice too, though I had a hard time pulling together his island accent :) Worth your while if you are out on 25th Ave. or near Maywood, or just dying for real Jamaican. read more

so i went into this restaurant with D and he wanted some goat, even though i do not like jerk food, i can tell that this was a real Jamaican restaurant because of the smell of spices, music and Jamaican men everywhere but the good thing about it is that i actually found two moving men for 60 dalliers who are going to move my furniture for me this weekend yeah me read more

It's so-so. Maybe I'm at flaw because I'm comparing Montego Bay to Tropical Time which I thoroughly love. Wanted to try something new so I came here today. The dinner I had from here was ok. The goat and chicken was good (I had a combo dinner with both), curry seasoning had a nice flavor to it, almost borderline too salty tho. However I was moderately disappointed with the sides. Only had 2 small plantains but a load of beans & rice. Compared to Tropical Time, the curry seasoning may be better but there's a serious loss with the sides. Tropical time has more sides to choose from, including sweet potatoes. However, Montego Bay is still decent for a quick meal. read more

I've been living in the neighborhood (Bellwood) for some time now and I've haven't been in this place. I've always wondered about them until I decided to give them a try. I ordered the jerk chicken. Soooooo gooooood! It was tender, juicy, not too dry and the perfect jerk flavor. Not too mild and not too spicy. And I love the hell out of their Jamaican bread! If I could buy a whole loaf from them, I would. The chicken and the bread goes perfect together. I don't know why I waited so long to try them. Then on top of that, I'm a diabetic and I'm watching my diet. I don't feel guilty eating this because the chicken and grilled and there's all natural spices. Healthy and delicious...you can't beat that combination! I will be eating here from now on! read more

The jerk chicken is some of the best that I've had. Flavorful and spicy. I cannot speak the tastiness of the side dishes since I usually on order jerk wings and fries. This is a no frills eatery. You come for the food not the decor. The restaurant is clean and the service is fast and friendly. Definitely my go to spot for jerk wings. read more

Montego Bay - Jerk wings - Caribbean Near Me - Bellwood, Illinois

Hands down the BEST Jerk chicken and fish Ive ever had (outside of Jamaica). The portions are huge. So big that you can probably share a meal. Everything was seasoned very well, I would have liked it a little spicier, but that' s just my preference read more

This is a very unprofessional establishment, I made a call to place an order and as I began to tell them my order they hung up. I then called back 3 times and no answer, I then called from another number and they answered. I proceeded to place my order to them and they took it, only to get done ordering and they tell me they ran out of food. I don't understand where the communication went wrong there, instead of them telling me that the first time they wanted to be rude and unprofessional by just thinking I was gonna end the attempt to order some food. I will never try and support them again, and to think I was looking forward to trying their food but now I'd take my money elsewhere. read more

Went here last night with 4 other guys for a little Jamaican food and while the place is nothing fancy, the food was outstanding. As authentic Jamaican as I've had outside of Jamaica. The owner is originally from Montego Bay and the Jerk Chicken and Jerk Pork were both great with a slight nod to the pork. We were a little disappointed that they ran out of Curry Goat, but he said he makes it regularly. They don't have a liquor license, but didnt mind us going across the street to the liquor store to buy a 12 pack of Red Stripe. The place was not air conditioned and we were there during the heat wave, but no big deal. We had platters of Jerk Chicken, Wings and Pork, plus rice and peas and Jamaican Patties and there were 5 of us and we still had leftovers to take home and the bill was only $63. As for amibance, it is like one of the little roadside Jerk shacks in Jamaica just jammed into a little storefront in Bellwood. Not exactly a great looking place, but the food was awesome. read more

How does this place get 41/2 stars sent me off ordered a whole chicken dark over the phone go to pick it up they don't have it.

Love Caribbean food, especially authentic Jamaican food. Our regular spot never seems to have red snapper, so we looked on Yelp to find an alternative. The reviews for Montego Bay were very good. We ordered snapper and jerk chicken and we were not disappointed. Very authentic and seasoned well. Portions were large and the meals were reasonably priced. We will be back. read more

This place has some damn fine food. My friend and I went here because it was close to where we were, and were not disappointed. I got the jerk chicken, and my friend got the curry chicken, He couldn't finish it all, but I could. The red beans and rice leave something to be desired, but the meat definitely made up for it. read more

Catered food from here for an event. The chicken was flat out amazing! Beware, the jerk chicken sauce is extra spicy! The rice was mediocre, little dry for my taste. Plantains were a good way to finish off the meal. Great customer service, great chicken, overall great experience. read more

Well I was in IL for business and called oh BTW the new number is 708-547-4625. Also let me point out it was a pleasure to find out that it is under new and improve management!!! So I called and they had Ackee and Salt Fish for Breakfast!! I must tell you I ate so much and I am not a breakfast person. It was amazing and I am a food critic not many people can please me because I am a great cook but bwoy I ate there the entire week at least twice a day! The jerk was actually jerk not baked like other places, the curry goat was amazing and the Red Snapper was so big I could only eat half. I have been across the country and never had such a big fish for that price. I recommend this place and I will be back next week for sure!! Thanks Chef!!! read more

I visited the restaurant today for the first time I ordered a quarter chicken to try out first and it was so delicious that I ordered more. The customer service is also excellent. read more