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| - I grew up close to The Real Jerk's original location, mesmerized by its giant bright sunshine mural draping over the facade, a landmark of my neighbourhood. Ate there a few times. And then they got kicked out of their building, caught in an ugly real estate dispute; a blow to the Riverside and the city's Jamaican communities.
Eventually they found a new place to set up again in a dilapidated plaza in a corner of Gerrard and Carlaw. It's not Queen Street Riverside, and there's no giant sunshine, but close enough. The requisite and unavoidable big yellow signs sure brighten up the block.
The bar where the regulars always be found still commands the whole place, and there's an additional dining room fit for a private event. Washrooms are tiny (and likely kept as-is from the previous tenants-certainly not wheelchair-accessible either), and the hand dryers are old and loud as a lawn mower.
The happily pleasant staff seems to be a mix of new and old, and the dining rooms brighter than ever-a mix of simple classy and Jamaican vibe that makes this place a decent choice for a date or a fun dinner, with brand nostalgia covering everything from the tables to the walls. The menu is stripped down from their old place, but from what I heard, you can always get them to make something else if nostalgia strikes your palate.
I love their oxtail. It is blubbery tender, it is bloody delicious! I usually have it with the jerk chicken dinner combo; the chicken has a good tasty mix of spicy and sweet tang. Not mindblowing hot if that's what you are into though; my crazy chilihead friend insists it's not as hot as the stuff you can get further northwest in Little Jamaica.
{TTC: take the 72 or 506 to Gerrard/Carlaw. There's no way you can miss this place, or not notice the tiny plaza parking.}
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