I called and they answered! The food was so good it made me forget about the times they weren't…read moreactually open during their hours.

Wow--just wow! The food here was absolutely amazing! We had the jerk chicken, curry chicken,…read morecollard greens, mac & cheese, and stuffing--and every single dish was bursting with flavor. The curry chicken was so juicy and rich, with deep, decadent flavors that truly stood out. The collard greens had the perfect hint of smoky goodness, and the jerk chicken? Perfectly cooked--not dry at all--and it reminded my husband of the authentic flavors we had in Jamaica! We drove about 40 minutes to try this place, and it was 100% worth the trip. The staff was so kind and helpful, guiding us through the menu since it was our first time. They made sure we got to try the best--and they absolutely delivered. The music choice this evening was perfect volume and great genre. The atmosphere is "mom and pop" so if you're looking for candle light dining this is not the place but we were looking for spectacular food not ambience. Next time, I'm definitely trying the oxtail. We'll definitely be back, and I'm wishing this spot all the success in the world. Highly recommend!

Went for karaoke Had salmon taco (okay)…read more Rum punch (you only need 1- packs a punch) Lemon pepper wings (delish) Live band n karaoke night Good vibes and entertainment Server was friendly

Yep! Amazing. I had a wonderful experience here & I can't wait to come back. We visited on a Friday…read moreevening. It was not too busy but definitely lively, music playing and karaoke about to start. When we walked in multiple workers greeted us right away. I noticed they did this as other customers came in as well. We sat at the bar and had wonderful service the whole time. Very attentive, personable, fun and kind. We ordered our food and a drink & it was ready in no time. We went with the empanadas (a must order in my opinion). They are crispy and flaky, the dipping sauce with it is so flavorful, the best combo! I crave them more than I'd like to admit lol. Our drink was a rum punch and it was potent indeed but definitely nice flavors throughout. For our meal we got the jerk chicken bowl & veggie Rasta pasta. That Rasta pasta was so creamy and cheesy but also with a kick - so good! Next time I'll ask for extra veggies and I'll love it even more. The jerk chicken bowl we enjoyed as well, I loved the mango pieces throughout. The prices were great too & they have specials during the week. Tons of events going on here, lots of fun energy. Wonderful food & service. I truly appreciated how welcoming & kind the staff was. Can't recommend enough! I will be back!

Check out this local business. I have no affiliation and offer an unbiased opinion. The food was on…read morepoint! If you're counting calories this may not be the spot for you.

We really wanted to love Mama Jerk N Tings, but the food really missed the mark…read more I was excited about this place because I love supporting small businesses, but unfortunately with the higher prices and poor quality food we were served, we won't be back. We went around 5 PM, there was one other person waiting when we walked in. First let me say, the cashier was amazing. She was beyond pleasant and professional, and truly the only good part of the visit. But the vibe got super uncomfortable when the cook came out of the kitchen and snapped at her right in front of us over a custom order. Plus, it took almost 30 minutes to get our food, which makes no sense because the restaurant wasn't crowded at all. As for the food, most of it lacked authentic flavor. To be honest, I've had better Jamaican food from the grocery store. The Good: The jerk sauce itself was actually good. The Sides: The gungo rice and peas were unremarkable (parboiled rice, no flavor). The cabbage wasn't fresh at all and used what tasted like canned carrots and corn. The plantains were dry and tasted like they were old and/or microwaved. The Chicken: The jerk chicken was incredibly dry and lacked flavor. It was almost crumbly in consistency. We also tried the jerk egg rolls which had bones in them and the jerk nachos which tasted like cheap nachos you'd get at a high school football game. Nothing exciting. The restaurant itself is a really nice space--honestly, I hope they find other good uses for it--but the dining experience we had left us very disappointed.

Ya Mon...this place is legit!…read more I am so glad my fellow Yelpers told me about Island Express in Elburn Illinois. Authentic home style Jamaican food with Island Flavor at reasonable prices. Mainly a takeout place with limited counter seating,each meal is prepared fresh. Jerk Chicken,Curry Goat and Oxtails are just a few of their Jamaican dishes. We tried their Veggy Patty and Chicken Patty. Flakey crust loaded with flavor. I didn't care for the chicken patty as it was chicken curry which I'm not a big fan of..wish it would have been listed on the menu in a different way. Ordered a side of their spicey jerk sauce which added additional flavor ....bonus! Also had their Medium Jerk Chicken platter with sides of red beans and rice and sweet candied yams. Everything was delicious. If you want to experience good Jamaican food minus the sand,ocean and Red Stripe Beer,this is definitely the place to go.

Thanks to fellow Yelpers for recommending this place! I haven't had an authentic taste of Jamaica…read morein a very long time. The jerk sauce immediately took me back and the chicken was super tender. The candied yams were sweet but not over done. The beans and rice needed more flavor so I added the spicy jerk sauce. My hubby enjoyed the patties. The storefront is located in a strip center off of Rt 38 and Rt 47 with parking in front. Few seats inside so we took it to go and had a picnic. Ask for extra napkins and two forks if you plan on sharing. .

We are at the mall food court location. My wife and I had a couple of their tacos. Best tacos I've…read morehad in a long time, definitely recommend this place!

omg!!! took a gander down to food truck tuesday down at…read morenicholas conservatory in rockford...and.....got the jerk chicken fries..absolutly to die for!!!!! fyi,, get the hot!!!! going back again to try the philly ...

This is my go to place for Jamaican Oxtail. …read more.................. ...............................................................................................

Taste of Belize gave us an authentic taste of Caribbean culture with the catering spread we ordered…read morefor our office lunch this week! We worked with Justin on our order, who was the nicest person, very attentive and helpful with ordering and delivery all the way from Waukegan to downtown Chicago! We ordered the jerk chicken, curry chicken, rice and beans, plantains, steamed cabbage, and flan! The chicken was so flavorful and tender, people were going back for seconds and thirds, and the jerk sauce was so tasty and not too spicy! They gave us a very generous portion of rice and beans, the plantains were caramelized perfectly, and the steamed cabbage was incredible and still had a nice crunch to it and accented with bell peppers - very tasty! Finally, we got the flan, which was SUPERB! The pan was scraped clean, people couldn't get enough of it! I highly recommend Taste of Belize to feed a large group of people. They offer very large portions, the food is delicious, and it's delivered hot and with extra care. Thanks again for an awesome lunch!!

The food was pricey for what you got. The jerk was a jerk interpretation and there was hardly any…read morechicken in the bowl.

Super nice people and amazing food. Best Jamaican I've had in a long time. Dirty rice and Mac n…read morecheese on point and oxtail was delicious and literally fall off the bone. Will definitely hit them up any time I can

I don't live near or go to Zion, but through a streak of serendipity found myself going that way on…read moreThursday and made a point to finally get to DaDa's Soul for some "Black people wings". So worth the trip. The wings were delicious and cooked right. Full wings, not wingdings, winglets, flats or whatever. Black people wings, y'all. Those sweet potatoes have to be a family secret. I've never had any that were so light, so soft, yet had so much flavor. And that mac and cheese. No runs, no drips, no errors. Nothing kills mac and cheese like being even a little soggy, but you'll never have to worry about that at DaDa's Soul. Somebody's putting a good portion of TLC in that mac and cheese because it WILL make you wiggle from that first bite. The blue lemonade was a nice washdown for this meal. Next time, I'll get it with some ice because I'm sure that will boost the enjoyment even more. I also had a slice of chocolate frosted yellow bundt cake, but had to wait a couple of hours to eat that because the meal was beyond satisfying. There seemed to be a hint of coconut flavoring in either the cake or the frosting, but not enough to turn me away. The young (to me) brother who took care of me really took care of me. I am not used to such personable service in casual establishments, but the welcoming and appreciative energy during my visit ensures that it will not be my last visit. I like that there is only one table in there. I was able to enjoy my lunch without distractions or disruptions.

My dad and I were bursting at the seams but we couldn't stop eating! The food was amazing and owner…read moreis the definition of southern hospitality. Make sure to try the catfish filets!

Alright... it pains me to do this because I don't believe in leaving negative reviews in any…read morecapacity but this feel necessary and earned by the business. My recent visit to this restaurant was the first visit in over half a year. My last visit was quite a bit ago because I was upset at how poorly resolution was for a missed meal I ordered for one of my co-workers. This recent visit as of tonight will be my final visit. I try to see it through and remain a good patron of businesses I appreciate but good service must exist. Do I expect a business to get it correct all the time? No! But I do expect there to be some semblance of competency, grace and determination to find resolve where error was made. Tonight I placed an order for myself and my gf. I received an automated email response suggesting the order would take between 30-45 minutes, which is totally fine. I figured I'd allow some extra time before arriving. When I get to the restaurant, I'm told my order would be ready in another 15 minutes. While I was slightly upset, I didn't let it bother me. I just went back and sat in my vehicle for about 20 minutes. I came back into the restaurant and waited a few more minutes before being called to get my food. Upon stepping to the counter, the lady looked at the receipt for my food almost confused and said "sorry, there aren't anymore beef patties but I can swap that item with another side" I'm not certain if she was aware or not from the kitchen staff that this item wasn't present but it struck me as odd based on her reaction. More importantly, I'm more than upset now but I handle this situation as calm as can be, by pausing to think about how to respond. I choose a side to replace for lack of the beef patty but can't help but notice the price difference doesn't even align. Shortly after making a decision on item to swap, I ask how long ago did that item sell out today. She replies and says, "it's been sold out since around noon" and at that point I just try not to stare or show emotion. While she did apologize for this mishap, it just didn't go over well with me. The lack of communication prior, struggle to find proper resolution for this incident and the previous one. Do you not have a POS system which updates automatically against your live stock? Or being attentive to detail would have helped and a simple phone call would have sufficed had they known this. Btw, the previous incident was an order they forgot to give to a delivery driver, only to blame that driver. I had to drive to the restaurant to pickup my co-workers meal during a busy work day after they realized they messed up and actually left that meal on the side of one of their counters. This restaurant has pretty good food and options for food in general but that alone won't solve your problems running a business if you screw up and struggle severely with customer service. I've come here more than several times in the past but no longer will that happen.

Every time we've ordered from here we've come away with happy bellies and tastebuds!…read more What we get: Jerk Chicken - So good! The sauce is bright and tangy--obviously spicy, but so, so good. And there's really no place similar in this area. Paired with the rice and beans and cabbage helps tone down the spice. Goat Curry - So spicy but so flavorful! The meat is tender and it's addictive. Beef patty - This is different than others, and it seems deep fried where I'm used to baked. Always love a beef patty and our kids enjoyed it. Plantains - Our kids love plantains in whatever form. Plus, these aren't spicy so they eat them all. Mac and Cheese - I'm usually wary of getting mac and cheese for kids because it's bland and watery (my child's words not mine), but THIS mac and cheese was SO good! So much flavor and gooey cheese sauce. Both our kids loved it and said it was delicious. Easy win! Candied Yams - Of all the tasty things, this is probably my least favorite. Everything on the menu is packed with deep, rich flavor. But candied yams are just too sweet for me. I think people who like sweet things will love this, but my preference tends to lean less sweet and more savory. So if you're not huge on sweets either, maybe skip this and go for the other items. The staff here are so nice--we ordered with the high hopes of ox tail (one of the non-spicy items) but they were all sold out! My husband was so disappointed that she took pity on him and just gave him the sauce and bits and bones that were left because they couldn't sell it anyway. It was SO good. Almost better than the first time I remembered it. I could be entirely too full and still want a taste of these ox tails! Please never go out of business or change hands--this place is a gem.

We had jerk chicken , dark meat and red snapper dinners from their pop up at Art History Brewing in…read moreGeneva. OMG... the best chicken ever. Spiced nicely that wasn't over the top, I got extra spice sauce which was amazing but again it didn't overpower. The fish was a challenge to get around bones at first but in no time into the flesh and it was so moist and well seasoned. Sides of cabbage and rice were delicious and a great complement. It was pricey but each was easily shareable by 3. Get to the next pop up. It is crazy good.

I've been looking for some good Jamaican oxtails and rice & peas since moving here, this did not…read moredisappoint!!