Aunty Joy's Jerk & Pizza

I wanted Jamaican on a Monday and my usual place was closed, so I decided to try Aunty Joy's. I called in my order to minimize the wait time and the lady who answered the phone was very helpful, explaining that the jerk chicken dinner I was interested in only comes in one size (1/2 chicken) and comes with 3 standard sides (rice & peas, cabbage and plantain) but you can swap any of them out for an upcharge. I got the standard order and also ordered a side of Mac & cheese to try it out.I got a free drink with Yelp check in but the worker didn't know about it and had to call the owner. I got my meal to go and hubby got a meat patty for us to try on the ride home. It was hot, flaky and very tasty! When we got home the first thing I noticed was no sauce, and they didn't ask if I wanted sauce on the side or on the food. Still, the chicken was cooked well and the level of spice was perfect! I'm just used to jerk sauce, at least on the chicken. Yet despite no sauce the chicken was tasty and the white meat was not dry, although I will say that the pieces were noticeably small. The cabbage was a bit crunchy but delicious, as was the rice & peas and the plantains. I wasn't impressed with the look of the mac & cheese (looked like Kraft and not homemade) but it was tasty also. I had enough food for two meals so the value is good. Overall I enjoyed it and I think I found a new Jamaican spot.

Wanted to do a different type of meal tonight, so we gave Aunty Joy's a chance. The food was great. My son ordered the salmon jerk Alfredo pasta and I just had a couple appetizers (jerk chicken with fries and 3 festival sticks). His Alfredo was portioned so large he gave me some and it was terrific! My jerk chicken tasted great and fell off the bone. I thought the festival sticks would taste like bread sticks, but they tasted like beignets! What a great surprise. Definitely want to go there again next time I'm in Chicago.

I got an order of cabbage from this place and it was very good My wife on the other hand ordered the Jerk chicken dish and it was fire! The service was good we ordered to go so I can't speak to the ambiance of the restaurant. There were a few tables but no customers but the food was very good. I would say on par or better than The Jamaican restaurant on Howard. And that place it is very good. If there is one complaint, I would say they may want to offer Jerk sauce in addition to the jerk chicken so it won't be dry.

We called in an order for beef patties, the phone call was quick and painless and the food was ready and fresh when we arrived. Would definitely revisit.

I am not sure what happened over the last few months but this is the third time in a row I've ordered from Aunty Joy's Jerk & Pizza only to be disappointed. There was a time that I would recommend this place to anyone that would listen but it has gone downhill. With the price of things nowadays you cannot waste money at places that are inconsistent. I recently ordered the jerk mac-n-cheese with a 1/4 jerk chicken and steamed cabbage. The great thing is that they have a short wait time for delivery and the food arrived on-time. That was probably the only thing good about the experience. When I opened my jerk mac it was soupy. I was confused as to why but I noticed the jerk chicken was drenched in a sauce. I have ordered this dish before and it did not have this level of sauce on it. The sauce made the dish like a soup and extremely salty. It tasted like I was eating a spoon full of salt with every bite. The 1/4 jerk chicken was cooked decently but it was mostly bones. The sauce on the chicken was so salty that it overpowered the dish. Not being able to get jerk chicken right when it's in your name and you're a Jamaican spot is a sign for me to stop trying. The cabbage was just as bad. It was so hard that it tasted like the cabbage you get from the premade salad bags but with some sauce on it. I couldn't even eat it because it was undercooked. The cabbage used to be my favorite side from them. I think my time with Aunty's Joy has passed. They have forgotten items when I ordered for delivery and the food is always so hit or miss.

If you're going to get food from here, call the number on the sign or order online. I made the mistake of walking-in to make an order. My wait time on a Friday afternoon at 5pm had a 40-minute wait time. How do I know? Because I kept feeding the meter on the online parking app. There were many delivery people picking up food, including some folks that may have just finished a work shift and was grabbing food before going home. No I didn't get the pizza. I believe because Loyola University sits in the neighborhood, the restaurant is catering to the college kids by offering pizza. I decided to order some food for myself and husband - jerk wings, brown-stew chicken and jerk catfish - both with candied yams, rice and peas, and plantains; plus one slice of rum cake. After 25 minutes I checked on my order and was told there were no more candied yams, and I can replace it with cabbage and select 2 can sodas. When I got home, one of my orders actually did have candied yams, but somehow both included cabbage and macaroni and cheese. OK?! Well I guess I'll get to sample all of their sides!Let's start with the Jerk Chicken Wings. The presentation could have been worked on, however, the flavor was actually good and different from other places I've been. It had sort of a sweet and spicy flavor, but not overwhelmingly spicy. If I was to go here again, I wouldn't get the jerk catfish because they give you catfish fillet and not catfish steaks - which is what I prefer. Plus for the price - $25, I believe there should be more fish in this container. Can you see the catfish in my attached photos? No?! That's because it's in the top right corner underneath the jerk gravy (great flavor by the way). In fact, all the food had great flavors; especially for carryout.The candied yams were my favorite. Second would be the rice and peas. My hubby tried his food the next day and said the rice tasted mushy but had a good flavor. We believe that it was mushy because it had been over 24 hours and various refrigeration at home and his job. The chicken pieces were all dark meat (legs and thighs). On the online menu, it's called Jamaican Black Cake, but in the restaurant, it's called Rum Cake. Well you taste the rum on first bite, after that it tastes like raisins. I don't have to get that again. I've definitely have had better rum cake, and didn't have to pay $8 for a small sliver. I'm giving this restaurant 3 stars because of the enormous wait time, my order mix up and the not so tasty and expensive Black Cake / Rum Cake.

Food was great! The jerk chicken was flavorful, moist, and they are one business that gives you a good portion for what you pay for (in general). After we ordered there wasn't a long wait, just appropriate for what we ordered. The restaurant has nice decor, looks fairly new. The menu is not overwhelming and is pretty outright.

4 starsAuntie Joy's Jamaican KitchenI stopped by to get a Sunday snack from this establishment. As far as I know there's paid street parking. Parking may be free on Sundays. Check the parking kiosk. Better yet, use the Chicago Parking App to ease your parking experience.The place is lovely and inviting. I'd love to go back and sit outside to eat.When I arrived, not too many people were inside.I had to wait a little while to order my Beef Patty to go. It tasted very good. I will return to try their Jerk Chicken. I hope the establishment improves their customer service. 4 stars because the beef patty was so good.

Ordered the Cajun chicken bowl to go using the BOGO deal and found everything to be absolutely delicious. The plantains were sweet and juicy, the chicken was tender and flavorful, the cabbage was a great form of coolness amidst all the spices, and the rice and beans were so much better than any other rice and beans at most restaurants. While I can't speak to the in-person experience, the food was fantastic and the portions are plentiful. Will be ordering again!

We ordered via a delivery service for dinner. I ordered the jerk catfish with the peas and rice, steamed cabbage, and plantains. My kiddo wanted fries. The foods was delivered in sturdy plastic containers. Thank you. The food smelled good, looked good, and tasted good. The catfish was slamming it had a good amount of spice with a touch of sweet. The fries were not crispy or crunchy I think due to the condensation in the plastic container. But fries were alright and nicely seasoned. The peas and rice was delicious with a few spots of a little undercooked rice. I will say this, I was stiffed on my plantains. The plantains were not in my order which was a disappointment. But overall the food was good. The portion of the meal was large and it took me 3-4 meals to finish. So be prepared to get some good eating. The meal had two medium sized catfish steaks. I do not know what aunty's other meals taste like but I see they mention pizza in the name of the restaurant I was thinking why sell pizza when you are preparing good Jamaican dishes like this jerk catfish. Oh the steamed cabbage was good too. I recommend this restaurant but make sure you get your plantains in your order.