So so so good if you want authentic jamaican food this is it. Their spicy sauce for jerk chicken is great. service is casual. no seats only take out read more

Raps Authentic Jamaican - Jerk chicken - Caribbean Near Me - York, Ontario

Best jerk chicken I've had in Canada.... It was perfectly marinated and had a wonderful smoky aftertaste which can only come after grilling on charcoal. The rice and peas were also very good and the oxtail gravy on top was a nice finishing touch. These guys do it right! I'm planning on going back before I leave town... read more

The gal working behind the counter was very nice and the jerk chicken was delicious and very tender. You got so much food with the plate that I had lunch for the next day. The rice and beans were also really good. My friend got the oxtail and it wasn't the best. But maybe we just aren't oxtail people. They also had both kinds of ting which always delights me. I'd go back for sure! read more

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FOOD was good here!! Always line ups. The service is so baddd. The lady working the front line has always a bad attitude. Iy stops me from coming here frequently cause of that. If you do get a meal here go for the Jerk chicken and coleslaw. I can reccomend better places i only go here whenever i pass by. read more

Covid delivery review! Callaloo was definitely not what I was expecting. It's more like bhagee. Was quite disappointed. I've had callaloo from other Jamaican and trini restaurants and it's much better and more soup like. Fried chicken was good but noting special. It wasn't crispy like what you would expect for fried chicken but had a good home made taste to it. Coleslaw didn't have much flavour :( Also while using the delivery app it was very weird to me that medium and small was sold out but large portion was available. I wanted a smaller portion but was forced to get the bigger one. It was nice to try but don't think I'll order from here again. read more

Raps Authentic Jamaican - Large callaloo meal - Caribbean Near Me - York, Ontario

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Delivery review: Under the "new normal" food is available earlier in the day and it's offered through delivery services. There's a strong charbroil aroma that escapes the jerk chicken ($14.99 for a 'big' meal or $12 for a sizeable box of just chicken), even after being delivered. That charbroil flavour stays as you bite into the meat - the other occasion I've had something similar was a kebab at Shombal North. While Raps is not quite as strong, it is a taste that makes the jerk chicken different. It's a flavour that takes some getting used to: I enjoy the extra depth in flavour but found it overwhelms the jerk seasoning. The chicken itself? Oh, wow is it tender! The skin rendered of all it's fat so that it just sits on the meat as an extra layer of flavour. In future visits, I'd opt for the spicy sauce as the regular one is too tame even for me. And since the rice and peas (red kidney beans) is fairly neutral, you need something flavourful to go with it. Such as the oxtail ($14.99 for a 'big' meal) where the gravy mixes into the rice so well. The oxtail is equally tender, falling off the bone and the cartilage soft like jelly. The meal is a good option, aside from the rice there's a vinegary coleslaw that has a hint of sweetness. The salad is tarte and refreshing, helping to tame the heaviness of the meal. read more

Raps Authentic Jamaican - a plate of food - Caribbean Near Me - York, Ontario

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I had Festivals from here, and my goodness they were so good. I can't even explain to you how crispy, and soft, and flaky they were. I truly enjoyed them, I could've just eat and then plain without any meat. The service was also very very good. read more

Raps Authentic Jamaican - a display of baked goods - Caribbean Near Me - York, Ontario

This place has delicious jerk chicken. It's smoked in a barrel smoker so you really taste the smokiness. Generous portions. Coleslaw is made fresh. It was not swimming in that usual creamy sauce that most other places have. The rice and beans was very satisfying too. You can choose from different rice options (with plain or pumpkin) Would definitely come back. They have other options too. Seems very authentic. read more

Raps Authentic Jamaican - Jerk chicken (2 pieces) with coleslaw and rice and beans - Caribbean Near Me - York, Ontario

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Walking down the street, you can see and smell the BBQ/smokey food cooking outside, along with their neighbor; Hot Pot Comparison to Nicey's eatery and Island Spice Flava Pros: - portions seems to be a bit bigger than Nicey's largest size at a lower priced - no sales tax, or price on the board is already included - opens until very late Cons: - chicken was a bit dryer than both places (I did come at 3 am), but it's definitely smokey straight from the BBQ oven / smoker - it seems to lack the spiciness from Nicey's and Island Spice Flava. - doesn't come with sides like in Island Spice Flava - overall flavour it's on par with Island Spice Flava, winning and losing in some areas. read more

Raps Authentic Jamaican - Prices as of April 2023 - Caribbean Near Me - York, Ontario

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Food is good service is good vibe is ok I don't like when I feel funny about the service but it's all good I'd go back read more

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This is my first time eating jerk chicken since I was in Miami. I must say this is delicious! I got the jerk chicken and rice. I made the noob move of coling right when it opened so the whole menu was not readily available. I will be coming back once everything is available and will be trying something else! Two thumbs up! read more

Raps Authentic Jamaican - Jerk Chicken and Rice - Caribbean Near Me - York, Ontario

Jerk Chicken Review Pro: Loved the fact it was cooked in the steel pan and it was falling off the bone. The sauce they topped it off with had really great flavour as well. Con: I was hoping that it was some authentic Jerk Chicken considering the steel pan... however it was not. The Jerk seasoning and spice was completely missing. There was no flavour at all to be honest. If you're looking for some authentic Jerk Chicken... look elsewhere. If you're looking for some smoked chicken with a nice sweet sauce you've found your spot! read more

Fall off the bone jerk chicken and curry goat! $22 for the family size jerk chicken is value for money! Very friendly owners and workers too. Just be prepared to wait a little as it's not the fastest place! read more

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Jamaican me crazy with this jerk chicken!! My god, the flavour, the savoury, the sweetness of it all wrapped around my lips as it slides off the bone, to die for. There is a bbq char left from the bbq out front left on the chicken that is so great! Tender, juicy chicken to satisfy your late night craving if you so desire! I also grabbed a dumpling which was an awesome ball of goodness, just basically a HUGE dense chicken ball (no chicken) with all breading inside! Get it! Dip it in your juices if you must! Friendly service, friendly man who served my meal alongside the lady helping clean up. I will be back for your jerk chicken!! Well done :D read more

Raps Authentic Jamaican - Their hot table - Caribbean Near Me - York, Ontario

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Came here on a Sunday night at about 9:30. What can I say, great place to come for a jerk chicken craving. Totally satisfied with the serving portions & tremendous flavour. Rap's has been around for a while and well known to people around the area. It is also known for being open during late night hours (up to 4am). Great for late night quality food cravings that go for a decent price! Upon arrival, there is fresh chicken being bbq'd outside of the resto. Smells amazing!! The Bbq drum piping hot is sure to leave an amazing scent of Bbq on your clothes & get your taste buds aroused. I ordered a medium order of spicy jerk chicken with beans and rice with a side of coconut water. The first bite, makes your mouth water! As you cut into the jerk chicken, it falls right off the bone, and you can tell that it's been seasoned to perfection, very moist, tender, and yummy! The chicken is saucy over the rice. They also drizzle a little gravy on the rice which is perfect so the rice is not left so dry. Also comes with a side of coleslaw on top of the rice which is good as well. The spice was pretty spicy, but not too too spicy where it'll affect your experience. If you can handle spice get spicy, if not medium or mild (no spice) will do. My only downside...***EXPECT a long wait. It seems as though Ubereats has priority as they have to fulfill the incoming orders as the uber drivers are eagerly waiting for the staff to quickly rush to make the orders. If they're making a fresh batch of chicken, the wait is long BUT WORTH IT. Don't be discouraged to try this gem out because of the area it's in. It's not the best area, but hey, for the food, it's well worth the trek! Verdict- would definitely come back, would recommend this as the best jerk chicken joint I've tasted by far! Must try. read more

Raps Authentic Jamaican - Caribbean Near Me - York, Ontario

Raps is a mom and pops Jamaican restaurant located in Little Jamaica. Little Jamaica runs from West of Allen Rd to East of Keele St in Toronto. Little Jamaica once a bustling area with Caribbean restaurants, grocery stores, barbershops/beauty salons and record stores is slowly changing due to gentrification. Rising rents and the ongoing construction of the Eglinton Crosstown LRT are a few of the reasons contributing to the decline in the neighbourhood. One mainstay fixture in the community over the years is Raps restaurant which has been there since 1982. I went there this past Saturday to grab some takeout. There are a few tables inside but everybody inside was there to grab takeout. I ordered a small jerk chicken dinner ($9.50 including tax) and a large oxtail dinner ($16.50 tax included) both came with rice and peas and coleslaw. The oxtail was pretty good, nicely seasoned and pretty tender, rice and peas and the coleslaw were pretty standard. The jerk chicken was outstanding, definitely one of the best in the city. Nice and tender on the inside but it's the outside skin that makes it amazing. Really nice seasoning and sauce and it's got an amazing smokey flavour from being cooked outside in the oil drum. You only get that smokey flavour from cooking the jerk chicken in an oil drum. Not a ton of places in the city use that method. If you are looking for authentic Jamaican food and amazing jerk chicken, definitely hit up Rap's. It's open late every night (until 3am Sun-Thurs and until 5am Fri & Sat). It's probably not the most ideal place to dine in but definitely a place that's worth getting take out. read more

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TL;DR I've never had any blander jamaican chicken than this one. It tasted so bland with no aroma of spices, barely any kick to the face, and the edges were beyond burnt. This chicken literally tasted like they blanched it, threw it in a grill with some bland ass salt and sugar rub with some pre-packaged "Make your own Jerk! with this pre-mixed spice package!" that was probably $2/bag, and then ppoured on about an ounce or two of watered down tobasco sauce (i ordered spicy). Not only was the jerk chicken smelling like it should, it tasted like water. The last time I complained something tasted like water it was some shitty rice at some shitty 24/7 chinese joint. Like no. Do yourself a favour and if you're gunna order from here don't. I'm sokad at 4 a.m. I decided to waste my time and money on something literally a 4 year old could do better with any knowledge of Jamaican cooking. How do any of these uber places have 4 stars??? I swear the last 10 uber eats I've ordered I've given them 1 star and that's generous. I've learned my lesson; if it's listed on uber eats, don't eat there cause it's gauranteed disappoint served on a plate with a hefty price to pay. Zzz //UNINSTALLED read more

Raps Authentic Jamaican - 18$ jerk chicken (uber eats price) not worth it cause it tasted like blanched chicken - Caribbean Near Me - York, Ontario

The throwdown is on! Oakwood Village (Toronto) is the home of one of the best Jamaican Beef Patties. The place is iconic and has been around for decades. The Place is Randy's Patties (I'll review that next time I visit). But also on this strip of Eglington the home of three popular Jamaican joints that serve up jerk chicken into the wee hours of the morning. In fact, they don't start serving until 18:00 (Jamaican time, so it's really anywhere between 17:30-19:30 and I recommend that you don't come until at least 18:30). Regardless of when you arrive, expect to wait, there's always a line. Always. There is metered street parking as well as a Green P nearby; and you can probably find free street parking on the adjacent streets. The area isn't the best, and the locals can probably smell fear, so don't show any of it. Service doesn't really exist even though there are tables, the business is 99.99% take out. The three restaurants competing are less than 100' apart. They are: Hot Pot, Raps, and Spence's. All three places serve a variety of Jamaican cuisine, saltfish (cod) and ackee, goat, ox tail, plantain, rice and peas, etc. but the focus of this throwdown is JERK CHICKEN. All three places serve it the same way. You go into the restaurant, line up to order, pay, and receive an empty take out container for your chicken order. The prices are all the same for the same size containers. Small is $5, Large is $10. Cash only. Bring exact change. Your container is simply filled up. No measuring, no weighing, your portion is what the chef puts into your container. There are basically two elements to Jerk Chicken; there's the flavour of the chicken itself (spices and dry rub), and the flavour of the sauce that complements it. For all three places, the chicken is cooked in the ovens inside the restaurant and finished off on the charcoal grill outside. Wood chips are added for extra smokiness. Your order is served "Street Meat" style, the chicken is removed hot off the grills, chopped up, and put directly into your container. Sauce is optional, but if you get it, they put it directly onto the chicken (no separate containers)... you can't beat street meat! Raps jerk chicken consists of full chicken legs only (no breasts), a typical and good choice since the dark meat contains more fat (for flavour), and retains more moisture so the meat doesn't dry out. It also contains more bone, and it's much cheaper than chicken breasts (good for the store, not so good for the consumer). Being a purist, I needed to taste the chicken naked and sauced, so I asked for sauce only on one side of my container. The chicken was fully cooked, moist and tender as would be expected from dark meat. The skin was crispy and burnt in some areas, despite the lack of a flame on the grill. The rub was excellent. Tonnes of flavour, allspice with hints of garlic, pepper (chipotle), chili pepper (not flakes), cloves, thyme, and probably at least 5 more. There was heat, but not enough to make me sweat. The crispy skin and the tender, juicy meat, was an absolute treat to my taste buds. 4,5 stars. The sauce. There are two types, mild and spicy. I went for the spicy. There was definitely some heat here, but not too much that your tastebuds would be destroyed. While it was tabascoey, it wasn't pure tabasco. I didn't taste any flavours of Habanero, so it was most likely to be Scotch Bonnet. The sauce was runnier than gravy, yet thicker than tabasco, a good consistency for the dish. Other than the heat, the sauce did not do much to enhance the flavour of the chicken. 3 stars. Overall, I pretty impressed with Raps Jerk. The flavour was infused into the meat and not just on the skin. I definitely preferred the naked chicken to that of the sauced chicken. 4 stars overall. Next up: Hot Pot! If you would like to experience more, come dine-with-me.yelp.com I'd love to have your company... Bon Appétit! read more

Raps Authentic Jamaican - 2017-07-08. Rap's Authentic Jamaican. Oakwood Village, Toronto. Storefront. - Caribbean Near Me - York, Ontario

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Unf. Who knew sketchville could give me such amazing jerk chicken? Careful not to travel to this area alone. I think this place opens from 7pm to 4am - the hours of this resto pretty much reflect the overall calibre of area haha, but... the jerk chicken is DELICIOUS. You order inside the shop, we got just the jerk chicken alone plus a meal - which comes with rice and coleslaw (they ran out of coleslaw that day though, so we ate our own when we got home haha..) After enough people ordered inside the shop, the owner comes out of the store to get the chicken out of the grill outside, and cuts it in front of you. While in line though, expect to be approached by a few homeless people - not for the faint hearted The first few bites were not too spicy.. after a few minutes though, a slight burn sets in. But a delicious burn at that. It's like an explosion of flavours in your mouth and likely the most flavourful chicken I ever had. Not to dry not too oily.. all kinds of Jamaican perfect. read more

Raps Authentic Jamaican - Caribbean Near Me - York, Ontario

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I had a craving for jerk chicken tonight, did a "yelp" search and found RAPS... I would cross town for their jerk chicken!!! It's that good... read more

I consider myself quite familiar when it comes to Caribbean food as I have never been afraid to try out new places regardless of how shanty they look. I had not eaten here in a while and decided to go back recently. Perhaps it is different in the summer but I don't remember it tasting this good. I ordered a large jerk chicken dinner which costs $12.50. I specifically asked for oxtail gravy on the rice which he put on generously then followed the owner to the outside bbq where there were a bunch of jerk chickens smoking/cooking inside. He cuts it up in front of me and puts it in the container followed by gravy and some hot sauce. It tastes really good! There's a smokey taste due to it being in the bbq for so long and the sauces (oxtail, jerk, hot sauce) compliment the flavors well. Next time I crave Jerk chicken I'm going back to Raps for sure. The place is also surprisingly clean (looks like it at least) and the staff (I always get served by the big Jamaican man) is polite. read more

Raps Authentic Jamaican - Jerk chicken with oxtail gravy on rice, jerk sauce (?) and hot sauce. So good! - Caribbean Near Me - York, Ontario

Been here a few times over the years.. Interior looks better . I'm not a big fan of cold food. Makes u wonder how long it's been sitting. Plus over 11 bucks for medium sized dinner?! I'll go somewhere else next time. Plus it's winter, cold outside and inside. Some poor kid at the cash with a HACKING cough, bad experience at RAPS. read more

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I was glad this place opens late because I came here at around 930pm after work for some dinner! My coworker said this was the best Jerk chicken she's ever had and boy was she right!! I ordered a small jerk takeout and gobbled it up in a few mins. The chicken was soft, tender and tasty! Downside is that you gotta watch out for the bones but that's ok! It was cooked to perfection. Along w the chicken were some coleslaw and rice w beans with oxtail gravy drizzled all over it. Mmmm mmmm mmmmmmmmmmm. That oxtail gravy was soooooooo yummmy. I'm still thinking about it! The lady at the counter was also really nice ! I'll definitely go back! read more

I hate to give Raps 3 stars because his food is pretty amazing, which is why I ordered the "massive" portion, I feel like starvin' Marvin as I write this review because what I received was a wee portion on meat(most of this portion of the container was just bone, no meat on it)at least the meat was masterfully seasoned , a large bit of rice n' peas, and to top it off a masterfully done slaw'. I don't want to directly place Blame on raps , just because I ordered through UberEats and am not fully aware of how the app works on the vendors end, but I'm sure he could of canceled the order after realizing he was unable to fully bring the goods. Back to the portions though, as I type this I lay awake craving food!!! I would be eating as opposed to watching Netflix and typing a Yelp review if I was sent the stated amount. read more

Holy Rap the food here is delicious. Super authentic and super delicious Jamacian food. Very friendly staff. If you don't know what's what (I didn't) just ask and they will explain what they have on offer. The chalkboard menus aren't very descriptive. A small combo comes with rice & beans a bit of salad and a meat of your choice for $6.50 and is very filling. They also offer Oxtail & Curried Goat although it isn't listed on the menu. The Jerk Chicken is divine, so tender that it's falling off the bone and perfectly seasoned. Price is super affordable. If you are in the area stop by! They've also renovated fairly recently so the interior is very nice and inviting. read more

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Sweet Jah, this is good! for 12 dollars for the large combo, you get a generous helping of beans, rice, gravy and chicken that is chopped up by a large Jamaican man on the grill outside. The spice was great but not too overpowering and everything was so filling. Also you are across from "Treasure Jah Island Records" for all your Reggae needs. read more

I stopped in to grab some pork at the neighbour's but it wasn't open yet. Raps is open long before 8pm so became a good option; I had planned on trying their chicken on this trip anyhow. I ordered both chicken and pork with rice and fried breads. The chicken is perfect. Great seasoning, not overcooked, perfect. Better than next door, I think. The fried breads were a bit dryish but we all liked them, so they'll be a repeat. The pork was good but disappointing in comparison with the street-cooked version next door. It wasn't as strongly seasoned, was maybe a bit dryish as well. It was still good, but not as amazing as I remember the other (need to go late to double-check it). I ordered a lot and had leftovers. They went into some jerk tacos the next day -- some tropical fruit/chili salsa, the leftover rice, bit of cheese, and the pork. This was a fantastic way of eating jerk pork! read more

There's a lot of choices around here for Jamaican food but I've heard about this place from friends so I decided to check it out. We ended up getting 3 orders of oxtail and rice. The portions are big and the oxtail meat was super tender. The rice and beans were a great complement as well. I'll definitely be back here in the future to try their jerk chicken. read more

I'm currently on a Jerk Chicken craze and trying to try all the joints I can. I came across this from Google and decided to give it a try as it's somewhat close to my work. The restaurant itself isn't the most eye pleasing place but I could tell they cared about what they were serving I got the ox tail which was a large and came up to around $16 which was a little pricey for me when I was simply aiming to get the stew chicken. But the portions is great! There was so many pieces of ox tail in my box and a huge amount of rice and peas which I loved. The lady who served us was very sweet and didn't seem miserable serving us. The wait time was a little long (waited about 15-20 minutes for my food) but other than that this place was good! read more

So good. Best Jamaican/ jerk chicken in the city get the sweet sauce on chicken and oxtail gravy on rice!

We heard a lot about this place so thought why don't give it a try.. So we wanted to give our order in the front it took almost a half a hour to get it done. The cc machine stopped working and I think it was a new worker there on the cash The lady beside here( I think she was the owner ) instead of helping the cash lady she just stands there and looking around ... BTW half of the menu was not available. So after 40 we finally got the food got the table We ordered some bread and then chicken and rice with beans. The bread was okish full with oil. The rice was very good tasted very nice but then the disappointment with the chicken I think jerk chicken supposed to have a Smokey flavor which this chicken didn't have at all the marinate on the chicken was very nice but after one bite you could taste it was not Smokey at all. I think they boil the chicken before putting it on the bbq. It's more made for takeout read more

Raps Authentic Jamaican - Caribbean Near Me - York, Ontario

Delicious fall off the bone jerk chicken. Get it spicy - mix of two pepper sauces. No need for rice. Medium is plenty of food. Coconut drink is essential to rehydrate and help with the heat. Peace and lov mon! read more

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I swear this place is always open when I go. On Uber Eats they delivered at 4 am at one point! If you need a late night grub this is definitely the place to order from. I've had their oxtail, jerk chicken, dumplin, and festival. Everything is well cooked, well flavored..just delicious. Highly recommend. read more

Love coming here in the summer nights. Area is a bit scary for some people but the food is delicious. You can taste the smokiness from the jerk. It's a lot of home loving cooked meal vibes. Place decor doesn't look that great, but great hole in the wall food. read more

I ordered food from raps. I was satisfied, especially with the quantity. They blessed up! I wasn't a big fan of the coleslaw and a bit disappointed with the lack of gravy. Although one should ask for gravy and not assume so I ain't gon knock em on that. Overall good spot to get a filling meal.. read more

Raps Authentic Jamaican - As you can see they blessed up!!! - Caribbean Near Me - York, Ontario

We were driving by this place and noticed the smoking bbq and smell at the front door of the restaurant so we had to check it out. Got the grilled jerk chicken with rice which was fantastic. I will definitely have it again if I'm in the area. However that's about it. I don't think they have anything else in the menu and the restaurant is not the best place to eat at (in terms of decoration, setting etc.) so if you don't expect a proper restaurant and want take out this is legit bbq chicken. The price is also very cheap! Food: 4.5/5 (just had the chicken) Price: 5/5 Atmosphere and service: 2/5 Overall: 4/5 read more

This place is a gem all on its own dating back to a decade ago when dates with hubby were on a budget but never lacking taste. Always gotta be worth the allowance the parents shell out since it's either food or clothes so theorizing choices is ideal. I got hooked one summer's night of 2003 when I was driven at 2 am after a house jam to this very famous jerk chicken master, hubby refused to fall prey to my combo cravings with upsize the fries at Mcds so he felt a bit bad ass showing me the ropes of late night munching. Well, Rap's has been the witching hour's main grub served fresh from the grill and that sauce is just brain freezing without ice because WOW! Is it ever hot??! Always burning my tongue like amnesia kicks in after the aroma fills the car. I honestly think the guy grilling 'em overnight has been the same one ever since and hey!!!! He gets it right like I get me when I stock up on icecream before my monthly visitor hits me up! I always get the $20 worth of jerk chicken, beautifully laid in 2 styrofoam containers. One for the ride and one to be devoured at home or if it survives til early morning, these served on garlic rice and eggs overeasy starts off the morning perfectly. read more

Good food, but way over-priced now ($47 for only 20 pieces of chicken when ordering from Uber Eats with $0 delivery fee). On top of that, a lot of their food is usually sold out, so you don't have the much choice anymore. Used to be good, now I order elsewhere. read more

This place is not for the faint of heart. Don't come here alone if you are skittish. You may not make it out of here alive. It's probably scariest to visit this area after dark but that's the only time you should visit. This may be your last meal but is it worth it? YES! Absolutely. I've had my fair share of Jerk in this town. I have scoured the city in search of the best tasting jerk and I think I might have found it. Raps is different from the rest. One bite of this chicken and you will know why. This stuff is tender, juicy, flavourful and damn! it's smokey! All of this goodness wrapped in a crispy, crunchy, grease-less skin. You know this is the kind of stuff that only an old school charcoal grill can deliver. Best damn jerk chicken in the city! read more

Really wasn't a fan of it. The chicken tasted like gasoline. Almost as if the fire wasn't strong enough, so they threw lighter fluid on it to kick up the flames. Threw it out after a few bites. Add to it, food was served cold. The festivals tasted as if they had been sitting there for a few days. While I understand UberEats has paired with the company, and the company is often well-reviewed, this was among the worst places I've been for Jerk Chicken in quite a long time. read more