Hidden away in the Gerard Square food court, this place is truly a gem! The jerk chicken comes with a refreshing small side of vinegar based slaw (not the creamy kind). The jerk chicken is so flavourful. It also comes with cuts of soft curry potatoes. Rice and peas comes perfectly drenched in the rich oxtail gravy (upon request) - the only way to have it in my opinion. The gravy is added at no extra cost. Also have tried the Jerk pork and oxtail dish, 2 thumbs up! The staff always fill your take out container with so much food, they can barely close the lid. I tell you the staff rarely close the lid on the first attempt because it's so packed! This container comes bursting at the seams, that I can typically stretch one order over 2 meals! Win - win! If you have it this way for dinner and pack the rest for lunch the next day, you're looking at spending $7.50 per meal (as the bowl is about $15). read more

I tried this small grub hub. I can't say I've had a better experience with a surprise suggestion. My friend convinced me their patties were good, but I think they were excellent. We grabbed two patties spicy beef, the pastry was delicious and the filling was just enough, moist and only mildly spicy. I kinda wished they offered chili flakes or something. The sandwich really is the star of the show. The chicken pieces were so big, I had to deconstruct the sandwich to be able to eat it! This was definitely worth the $10, and I'm surprised how cheap this was. I cannot wait to go back and try the rest o future menu. read more

Tropical Joe's - Jerk chicken sandwich in a patty - Caribbean Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

I've been coming here for years, and have never been disappointed! Their patties are the best in the city, so buttery and with such a good filling. And at an incredible price point too. Service is quick and friendly, especially for a food court. I love their other st James town location too! read more

The stuffed Pattie was 20/10 it was sooo good!!!! The oxtail was really good but I didn't love the roti... it seemed like the one you liked can buy in the store.. the service was really great. The young woman who took my order was funny and friendly. The location is in a good court.. so I can't really comment on the ambiance. But I will absolutely be back for that stuffed pattie ! read more

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This place has been on my radar for many years. Working fairly close from Gerrard Square (where this joint is at) and hearing good reputations from multiple first generation immigrants from Caribbean area, this place has always been my thoughts. I finally had a chance to visit here very recently! yey! I was in a hurry, rushing to the next work related meeting soon. But the service was super efficient. From my order (Jerk chicken set - large - with bean rice and potatoes) to payment & receiving the order took only 3 mins. The portion was huge, I saved the half for the next day lunch. The chicken was super tender. I asked for extra hot sauce but next time I may not, as the jerk chicken itself was very flavorful with nice spice kick. I wanted to enjoy the jerk chicken as it is. The flavor of the rice was with full of nutty, spicy richness. The texture of both rice and beans was perfect! The service was polite and friendly. I MUST come back again. read more

Tropical Joe's - Caribbean Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Straight up from a old west Indian, this place makes some of the best curry chicken roti i've had in a very long time. it was really well made, i was really blown away as i was not expecting it to be that great, and great it was. I can;t say i have had anything else there as i always order their large chicken curry roti. that Dal purri Roti is super fresh too, super delicious. Sadly their menu on Doordash is messed up, you can't order a regular curry chicken roti or any roti, the default has rice and peas in it, and that's just not my kind of Roti, Skip the Dishes menu also has a similar issue. Their standard roti's are +3.30??? they really need to look at their menu's, the only delivery menu that's right is uber eats. but you will pay a premium ordering from them sadly with their stacked up fees + tip... I would order more often if they had their doordash and skip menus fixed. If they only knew how much business they are losing because of these menu errors read more

Food: 4 Stars Service: N/A Ambience: N/A Fill Factor: Filling I haven't visited Gerrard Square in quite some time but I've dropped by a few times in recent months. Of course I checked out the food court but nothing really drew my interest except Tropical Joe's. However it wasn't until my most recent visit that I decided to give Tropical Joe's a try as I had forgotten to eat breakfast and lunch that day. Long story short, I thoroughly enjoyed the food and Tropical Joe's alone is enough to convince me to frequent Gerrard Square more in the future. I ordered the regular jerk chicken instead of the large which is fortunate because they really pack the food in the container. Remember how I said I didn't eat before coming here? Well given how hungry I was I struggled a bit finishing the food so that might give you an idea of how much food they pack into the container. In terms of taste, the chicken was actually spicy and they were very generous with the yummy gravy which is a plus for me as I like my food saucy. I've had jerk chicken where the chicken was completely bland so the fact that the chicken here actually had flavour and wasn't dry was a surprise for me. Also note that the jerk chicken is cut into small pieces with no bones so if you want a bone-in piece of chicken you may be out of luck here. All in all, I was very happy with the food here and it was a much better experience than I had at a larger jerk chicken restaurant not too far away. I will definitely use this as an excuse to visit Gerrard Square more in the future and hope to try out some of their other offerings. Recommend giving it a try if you've never been. read more

What a delight the food here is. I've had the jerk pork on rice meal here a few times and it doesn't disappoint. My favourite Jamaican cuisine place hands down. Inside Gerrard Square food court. read more

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Amazing price and portion that can't be beat anywhere else. It is a food court style food. The jerk chicken was nice and tender. We wish there was more sauce for the jerk chicken poutine. We tried the patty with everything and it was a good loaded sandwhich. Worth the visit. read more

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Delicious food; perhaps the healthiest option in a food court setting with sweet service. Definitely my first choice at Gerrard Square Mall... read more

Not gonna lie, this being in a mall was a deterrent but I'm glad we tried it! Firstly, polite and friendly service which is alway good. We split the regular sized jerk chicken poutine which was more than enough for two of us. Chicken was cooked perfectly and the flavor was amazing. For me, it didn't feel like poutine since there were no cheese curds. Add them in and I would bump it to 4 stars. read more

Oh my GOODNESS. We just ate here on a whim and are BLOWN away. We got two Jamaican patties as a snack but then saw them making their jerk chicken sandwich for someone else and it looked too good to not try. Let me tell you this sandwich is INCREDIBLE. The chicken is flavorful, moist and drenched in sauce. The coleslaw is crispy and sweet and the coco bun it's on is soft and melts in your mouth. This sandwich changed my life. It's in the back of a food court in a basic mall but it is a hidden gem. Service is quick, friendly and zero hassle. Highly recommend this secret gem. read more

My absolute go to for jerk chicken for years. Tj's is a gem. Anything with jerk chicken is a MUST here. I've gotten the roti, rice, poutine and beef patty. The portion sizes are astronomical, they stuff it every time. I usually get a large and it covers 3 meals. Make sure you get it with oxtail sauce and hot sauce! Highly recommend. read more

Tropical Joe's - Jerk chicken with rice and potatoes - Caribbean Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Having grown up in the neighbourhood and being very familiar with what Gerrard Square had to offer including at its dimly lit food court (which overall isn't much), it was a shock to hear lately including from my sister of a stall in the mall making decent grub and being labelled as a hidden gem. I think Tropical Joe's been around here for quite some time, located at a back corner of the food court beside the back mall entrance nobody uses such that it makes it easy to miss. But holy moly you order something and realize how much food you get for the prices, what a rare deal. It's smashing mall Jamaican fast food, including their signature jerk poutines. Even the small size seems like an entire meal in a takeout box. The jerk chicken poutine was creamy and flavourful and with a right kick of spice, with a slathering of obligatory cheese curds and gravy over the meat and fries in a wonderful blend. Highly a unique Toronto kind of poutine and highly worth a visit. read more

Solid boneless jerk chicken no need for hot sauce it's plenty spicy (unless you're a spice fanatic). Soft curry potatoes a bit of Cole slaw and a ton of rice and peas rounds out an awesome combo. $13.50 tax in with drink. Best food court meal I've had in a while. read more

I normally go here for the curry chicken roti but this time I decided to get the ox-tail with rice and peas with hot sauce on the side. They give you a generous amount of meat. The ox-tail is tender and flavourful. They also give you some very tender stewed potatoes. The rice and peas don't taste dry like it does at many places. This is my favourite food court Caribbean restaurant. The only negative is they forgot to give me the hot sauce I ask for on the side... read more

Tropical Joe's - Ox-tail with rice and peas - Caribbean Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

I haven't tried everything on the menu yet, however consistently really good & flavourful!

Shockingly Good For a food court, especially a food court in one of the worst malls you'll ever step foot in... Busy for a reason! Solid JERK read more

We happened to be in this mall and was attracted to this particular food stall in the food court due to the consistant lineup of patrons. We had to give a newly discovered jerk placed a try and was not disappointed. We had the jerk chicken sandwich, which came with your choice of sandwich toppings. The bread was coco bread but there was a generous serving of chicken inside. The jerk chicken was absolutely delicious, with the right amount of heat and tender delicious meat. The coco bread could not stand up to all the sauce and juices, crumbling very quickly as we devoured the sandwich. Regardless, it was only a vehicle for the meat so it was of little concern. As we sat in front of the shop, there was a never ending line of patrons putting in orders and picking up food. It seems like everything here is popular, with a most popular being the rice combos. Will definitely buy again. read more

Gerrard Square's food court has one hidden gem and that is Tropical Joe's. The stuff beef patty with jerk pork is pretty satisfying whether you get it mild or spicy. The coleslaw and tomato slices do aim to cool down the heat. Probably one of the most popular stands in the food court and it's tucked away at the far end so if you know, you know. read more

Tropical Joe's - Spicy beef patty with stuffed jerk pork is so fantastic! - Caribbean Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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I had always seen this place tucked into the corner of the food court. FINALLY after all these years and I tried it for the first time 3 months ago. This is the best jerk place I've ever been and I'm addicted to this place. My husband and I have been coming here about 2-3 times a week. My favourite is the jerk chicken, it is so flavourful and tender. The rice and peas is perfect to pair with the chicken. I appreciate the spicy kick that the jerk has and their hot sauce is the bomb. My daughter loves their beef patties and we always have to get one for her everytime we make a trip to Gerrard Square. The staff are all very friendly and portions are very generous. read more

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Drove up here because I was craving some Caribbean food and a friend was down to venture. We saw this on blog to and decided to give it a try. Value is definitely there. She ordered the oxtail with gravy while I ordered the curry chicken. Approximately 10$ per item which was pretty filling. Flavour was more west Indian then Jamaican so keep that in mind as this is not a typical Jamaican joint! We also ordered the Jerk chicken poutine, that was delicious. Good size, good flavour - well worth the trip. read more

Tropical Joe's - Caribbean Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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Had to stop in Tropical Joes for Jerk Chicken. So flavorful - the spices are perfect. The gravy is almost subtle and aromatic. And the hot sauce ... pow!! I asked for a tiny tiny portion and I got 2 meals worth. Everything looks fresh and made with love. read more

Tropical Joe's - Jerk Chicken on Rice, with potato, gravy and sauce. I ask for a extra tiny portion too! - Caribbean Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

My small Jerk Chicken ($5.50) was jammed full... - Chicken leg chopped up in pieces... (nice and moist and tender!) - Pea with Rice (a little cold though.. but it is fast food!) - Veggie medley (cabbage, broccoli and carrot, I need my veggie) - Oxtail Sauce, Hot Sauce... (lady kept asking me if I want all these sauce) - Big Smile and Thank You from the server Good tasting and satisfying! The Large for $1 seems like a better deal... double the size..but definitely something to share! read more

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Don't go here for the service or atmosphere, just the food. Had the Large Jerk Roti and it was massive. Enough for 2 servings IMO. They really load up the filling and the chicken was boneless, so it was really easy to eat. Yum read more

Tropical Joe's - Large Roti. Jerk chicken was awesome - Caribbean Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

I'm writing this review as I'm eating their boneless curried chicken with rice and potatoes at Gerrard Square Food Court: The taste of the chicken and rice is excellent, but the potatoes r a bit bland inside (flavour didn't sink in and get absorbed). I asked for a size small because it's already a big round container portion, and you do get a lot of food. The guy who served me was great. He asked me if I wanted hot sauce on the food I said no because I wasn't sure if I was gonna like it, but he gave me in a small container on the side for me to try. However, I give them a 3 star instead of 4 because the girl at the cash register just did not give a f about customer service. She was taking her time, doing her own thing, talking to other employees and not paying attention to the customer. I told her I wanted to eat my food here before she was about to put my food in a plastic bag, and tilted over my hot sauce without even caring to pick it up. Overall, it's a good place to go to if you are nearby and want some fast and tasty Jamaican food read more

Tropical Joe's - Small size boneless curried chicken with potatoes, rice and peas (at the bottom), and side of slaw - Caribbean Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

I stop by here during the week for lunch a few times a month. The food tastes great, the portions are usually always stacked which is HUGE for me - I can't stand when food servers cheap out on portions, staff are friendly and approachable, the owner is personable and remembers his customers. Keep up the good work guys read more

Been here many times with family or friends big portions &tastes great would recommend this place to anybody who around here be warned hot sauce very hot. Glad there's a bathroom near by. Lol or you'll be screaming. read more

Tropical Joe's - Caribbean Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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This was the spot for my friends and I for all 4 years of high school. The food at tropical joes will not fail you. Serves as a good lunch spot. Service is quick and friendly. The only problem is the ambience as it is in g square mall. read more

This place used to be so decent, but I think everyone here has stopped caring. Just like my review. (tear) read more

4.5 score. Only becuase i dont beleive in perfect scores. Easily, one of the best, if not the best, Caribbean-inspired restaurants in Toronto, if not the best south of Bloor Street. Tried the boneless curry chicken and the jerk chicken (both with the rice, small amount beans, and potatoes as the side (you can also have the chicken in a roti instead). Both curry and jerk chicken was AMAZINGLY flavorful! The rice (a brownish-coloured tinge) and potatoes are cooked perfectly and also all work to provide great texture and balance. for about $9-10, the small was a HUGE portion! the large is few bucks more if you dont mind keeping some for later or sharing. Patties are from Allens and fairly priced (great to see here, instead of travelling to Steeles Road to pick up! I tried their chicken stew (which was rarely available) and it was not bad (tiny bit of sweetness and no spice punch). Definitely try the curry and jerk chickens with the rice and potato, its fantastic though. read more

This place is kind of a hidden gem like many others have mentioned, it was only discovered by my fellow colleagues whom recommended that I give it a try as I prefer to dine with poutine and let me tell you. Their jerk pork/jerk chicken poutine is great. They are all boneless and don't require a knife to do the dirty work, I just wish they used cheese curds over the packaged style mozzarella cheese. They also have other dishes that are very delicious. There are always a good line up and everyone is friendly and the portion size are pretty generous. In their conventional oven warmer, you will see they have patties made by Allan's. Always delicious. read more

I've been coming to this place often for their food. I tried many items on their menu, including their rice and peas, roti, poutine and patty. Their food has been consistent as they give a large portion of meat each time. I usually get hot sauce on the side. If you want another hot sauce, it costs $0.25 extra. read more

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Food was not good just spicy gravy with no real flavour, jerk chicken was boneless should have been the first red flag but i was hope it would taste good. Next time i will go to the real jerk. read more

Huge portions and delicious homey food awaits you here. My go to take home dinner is their large jerk chicken dinner with rice and potatoes plus the same with oxtail stew, all drowned in oxtail sauce. My only grievance is that they should be open much much later, but alas the mall closes at 9. They close at ~8:45pm. Obviously don't come expecting a fine dining service from the staff. They're friendly and chatty if you initiate conversation but honestly, who goes to a mall food court looking for an elegant dining experience. Nah, the food and the food alone will bring me back every time. Plus, their prices aren't bad either considering what other Caribbean places charge. read more

I've been coming to this restaurant for at least 10 years. Always get the same thing either a large chicken roti with extra gravy and or ox tail. The food is fresh tasty and the customer service is outstanding. I have since moved out of the neighbourhood but make a special trip there at least once a month. The food and the taste has been consistent for 10 years and I appreciate it. One of my favourite roti places hands-down. West Indian curries. Not Jamaican a heads up. read more

Honestly, I've been around to all the new/old jerk chicken joints in the area (beryl's pepper pot, the new real jerk, and hummingbird) and none of them come close to this taste. It's a little cheesy being in the gerrard food court but the food is worth it. There's usually a line up but the service is friendly and fast. The owner himself is a great person too. Lovin the trop joe! read more

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Since D&D Roti closed down on Gerrard and Greenwood, the (south)east end has seriously been lacking for a Roti fix. Enter Tropical Joe's. I can't believe I hadn't heard about this place until recently. Oh wait, yes I can. It's tucked away in the back of the Gerrard Square food court. Seriously, other than procuring my Insane Clown Posse wardrobe, there would have been no other reason to stumble across this. But now you know and knowing is half the battle http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9UawGGWTg0 The boneless goat roti is good but I found it to be a little too "saucy" and too "bayleafy" (totally legitimate jargon. Look it up if you don't believe me.) for my liking. I believe this is more a regional thing so it's all up to your tastes. But the Channa, ohhh the Channa! Delicious and perfectly spiced. It's actually pretty hot and the fact that my friendly server asked if I wanted hot sauce made me question my manhood just a little. read more

This place surprised me with how good it is. Definitely didn't expect it from food court food. I've only had the jerk chicken with rice and peas here and it's fantastic. It's all boneless meat and the portion size is huge. I came here once when they were closing and they definitely hooked me up with extra meat. Pretty friendly staff too. read more

Use to be one of my favorites places for cheap and cheerful until they switched to the black plastic BPA (poision) serving dishes. The food was good value but the BPA plastic dish scares the hell out of me. Hot food and plastic should never mix. They have paper plates and I ask the unfriendly heavy set female bitch of a manager to please put my food on the paper plate but the very unfriendly manager seems to take great pride in saying no. I haven't eaten here in months as a result. I dont usually use words like bitch but she really earned it. I think it is important to start talking about BPA in our reviews. Wake up people; refuse plastic containers for your hot food. Hot or cold; plastic and food don't mix. read more