Uncle Joes Diner

Just like the reviews, this place is very inconsistent. Go one day, the food is on point and the employees show some sense of urgency as it relates to customers’ time. You come back again and you feel like hurting somebody. Today’s issues: No plantains, no oxtails (which means no oxtail gravy for the often dry rice), and a soggy beef patty (the waitress says they no longer put them in the oven). What? Where do you put them then?
This could be a solid business with delicious food if someone truly cared. If you don’t care about my time and about having ingredients readily available for customers sometime driving from miles away, then you don’t deserve my money or the money of people in our community.
Nothing is perfect but damn, handle your business.

My favourite is the Oxtail and Jerk Chicken Combo with Plantain.

We had to stand in line to be seated as if we were placing a take away order. No apologies from the FEMALE working the register. She asked where we would like to be seated to only tell us the booth is gonna be awhile before it’s cleaned BECAUSE SHE’S THE ONLY PERSON HERE, oh ok. I asked for a cola with my order, it NEVER came. All white meat? FORGET ABOUT IT. She sets plates on the table as if nothing was wrong with our order. When we brought it to her attention she says «there’s no more all white meat orders.» Damn telling us this BEFORE the food was brought out to us. We DON’T eat dark meat. The oxtail gravy was sooooooo salty that a refill on the water would’ve been a delight. Nope, that wasn’t gonna happen because she never came back during the meal. To make matters WORSE once she cleaned the other tables she placed the place mats on the seats (see pics). This is DEF my last time coming here!

I visited this establishment on 11÷11÷15 ordered a jerk dinner. I got in my car pulled off and got to 83^rd and Langley and opened my bag The food Was LUKE WARM! No steam, no heat, nothing. It smelled like fish and the chicken was pink I was pissed. My phone rang my son football practice ended early due to the storm so I couldn’t turn around. I parked once I picked my son up 8min away and spoke with a young lady. She was very nice a apologetic. She said she would try contacting the manager and would call me back. I live 159^th and I was already on 95^th. Once she called back she said UNCLE JOE THE OWNER SAID HE SORRY AND NEXT TIME I COME IN HE WILL GIVE ME MY DINNER AT THE LUNCH PRICE IF I HAD ALREADY ATE THE FOOD and COULDN’T BRING IT BACK. LOL Really an insult to me and my business. The young lady apologize again and I explained to her I would never patronize this business again and tell him to keep his dinner at the lunch special price. If I could give no stars I would! HORRIBLE FOOD AND EVEN WORSE OWNER! P. S. I NEVER ASKED FOR REFUND OR FREE FOOD JUST CALLED ABOUT MY EXPERIENCE THAT’S WHY HIS RESPONSE IS A INSULT.

I wanted to try something new or switch my usual spot up a bit. I road my bike here to pick up my order of the wing dinner with macaroni and cheese, Sweet potatoes, and a side of plantains. I had read many reviews that said the wings were good. The wings were very dry and it lacked taste. However, the sides were on point. The Mac and cheese was delicious and the plantains were warm and moist. I would like to try this place out again and hopefully, I can give a better rating.

U haven’t had excellent jerk chicken until you had Uncle Joe’s on 82^nd cottage groove. Perfectly seasons, taste great. You’re won’t be disappointed.

I like the food but damn. I havent eaten here in months because the phone just rings and rings

Just left here. Me and hubby had a lunch date. Food at Joes is always delicious as usual. Very flavorful and grilled to perfection. Great service, food was served from ordering to out table in less than 15 minutes. Will be returning.

Great food, great service, if you call in, the food is ready within 20 minutes. They have this great dish named rasta pasta, you must try it… spicy rotini in a jerk sauce with jerk chicken, onions, peppers and carrots, trust me you will try this and be back for more. Adding a pic of the jerk lobster tail, if you are a shellfish fan, this is a must try! I would not steer you wrong.

Came here with my Gf and was a bit skeptical about how the service and the food would be due to the mixed reviews. Fortunately my worries quickly started to disappear as the aroma of food flooded my senses. The service was great, our server was very accommodating. The food was just WOW. I’ve been to other jerk spots but they fall short of my expectations. The food was delicious and the portions were more than I could handle. Overall I left a very satisfied customer.

This place is back up and running better than ever.. new décor very eclectic mixed with caribbean flavor. New staff with great attitude.

Great Jerk Chicken and sides. The service may be bad but the food is heavenly. That’s pretty much all I care about anyway.

Been here a several times over the last 6 years.
Pros: The food is great. Some of the best jerk I have had in the city of Chicago. The curried goat is my favorite. But the jerk chicken, jerk red snapper, jerk shrimp, brown stew chicken, ox tails, etc. — it is all very, very good. The sides, i.e. — the steamed cabbage, rice and beans, plantains — also very, very good.
Cons: Like many of the other reviewers have said, the customer service is horrible, especially in take out. They are extremely and unapologetically rude, regularly run out of food, and can be extremely slow. Dine-​in has been a little better in my experience.
Tips: Do not bother to call in an order, it WILL NOT be ready. Also, as of 5÷1÷12, they are currently, temporarily closed.

Great jerk chicken but HORRIBLE customer service! These people open when they feel like it. Also, if you phone in your order it probably won’t be ready when you pick it up.

Terrible service and even worse food. A co worker had been on my back for years about this place «Girl you need to try them.» Its my fault because I trusted her. I knew that I was dangerously in love with Maxines. «Oh girl, this place is much better than Maxines»… That was a damn lie!
An old, VERY rude, impatient, old man took mines and the bf’s order. I got jerked shrimp, rice and peas and a store bought beef pattie. My bf specifically asked that his jerked cat not include tails. The old man told him rudely «too bad because fish come wit tails, what ya wan me to do wit em?» wow. WOW.
I forget how many shrimp were to come with my meal, I just remember I didn’t have all the shrimp that I paid for. I guess they substituted the missing shrimp for what looked to me like a pube! Thats right! a public hair! It could’ve just been a regular old nappy piece of hair lol, but it was still nasty.
My bf was given his jerk cat, tails included, even though fish only have 1 tail each, and here I was with «jerked» shrimp and naps. Sadly I didn’t realize that I had hair in my food until I got all the way home to 43^rd. I jumped on the phone and called them. The old man answered, I told him I was just there, I didnt have all my shrimp and there was a piece of hair in my food. To say he went off is an understatement. «Waaahh yah wan mi ti do!!!»
Here was his proposition. He told me to come back, bring the food and he would remove the piece of hair. No. I’m not lying. I asked well what about the shrimp you shorted me? He told me he would give me 2 shrimp for my trouble. lol Sometimes you’re willing to deal with unsavory service for great food but this place is not worth trouble at all. Don’t go here if you like good jamaican.

Been here a couple of times and ordered the food for pickup. I usually just order the jerk chicken lunch. It comes with a plantain, cabbage, rice, bread and ¼ chicken.
The chicken is very good and the sauce that they give to eat with the chicken is delicious as well. I have yet to try other things on the menu, but so far, the food is pretty good. The portions are big and is decently priced.

Been hankerin’ for some Caribbean food and for some reason, the only place that serves it in SoLo (but I’m not mentioning names), seems to think they don’t have to answer their phone when I try to call in an order. Their flaky service is what sent me to Uncle Joe’s in Hyde Park. The place came highly recommended and I was willing to make the trip.
I think I may have inhaled the food, but from what I recall, I had the jerk wings (flavorful and crispy like I like ‘em), the callilou and of course, the rice which was perfectly seasoned. I have to admit I have a thing for Ting so you absolutely must try the pink Ting. Tastes like pink grapefruit soda.
Knockin’ off a star for the following foolywangery:
Service is sssslllllooooowwwww! I think we waited about 40 minutes for our order to go.
Shame on them for not utilizing all the sidewalk space with tables and chairs for dining al fresco! They’re sleeping on a business opportunity.
To the robot that took our order… does it hurt you to crack a smile? It’s not our fault you’re stuck there on a Saturday night. Lose the stank attitude and get your customer service game up!

The place has good food but they never have anything on the menu. They never have white chicken. How do you run a restaurant without food inventory? They should consider their customer’s wants when completing inventory. I’ve walked out of this place several times because they are out of menu items.
If you do not eat dark-​meat this isnt the place for you.

Just the jerk chicken please!
I am yet to find a better place in Chicago to get jerk chicken than Uncle Joe’s, and I’ve been a fan for just over three years. While the attitude or service may be less than ideal, and because I only do carry-​out, I’ll suffer it to get my jerk chicken anytime.
The chicken is moist and infused with charcoal smoke. The spicy jerk sauce that accompanies it make my every trip from Humbodt Park to Chatham rewarding.

Uncle Joe’s makes some of the best Jamaican Jerk around… Also unlike some other places, the place isn’t scary to go into, and I don’t feel bad parking my car outside.
The jerk chicken is excellent. Smokey, crispy, and moist all at the same time.
I’ve had jerk catfish and found that to be just as good, if not better than the chicken. There are a lot of bones to pick through, but its well worth it. They have curried goat, too, which is pretty good but not my favorite thing.
The sauce they give you on the side is great, though it can be super spicey so have drinks on standby!
You can order the chicken as a dinner or whole birds. The whole chicken might be a better deal. The sides are slightly lacking (you get a choice of some sort of cabbage… or regular salad. go with the cabbage. and they give you tons of rice too).
I’ve been in a few times when the places was loaded with cops eating. Any place where the cops go out of their way to meet at must have good food, right?
You can dine in at a table, eat at the counter, or take carry out. Very strangely, they add a surcharge on for all dine in orders. I’ve noticed people ordering to go then eating at the counter – what people will do to save 25 cents can be amazing! But its a strange policy anyway…