Introduction

Jerk Chicken originated in Jamaica and has become one of the most popular dishes not only in its country of origin but also across the entire Caribbean region.

Chicago is home to literally hundreds of different restaurants that serve Jerk Chicken, and each has its own variation and take on this dish. The unique cooking method and endless Jerk Chicken marinade options leads to an unlimited number of Jerk Chicken recipe variations. Personally, I think there are a ton of different flavor combinations and no single type of marinade is the best.

I’ve eaten at plenty of great Jerk Chicken restaurants in the city, but my friends and I pretty much agree that Jerk 48 is our favorite. I first tried it after reading multiple reviews online raving about the food, and I was not disappointed! Jerk 48 is my favorite Jamaican Jerk Chicken restaurant hands down. Read more below to hear why this authentic Jamaican Jerk Chicken restaurant receives my personal recommendation.

About Jerk 48

Jerk 48 is located on the South Side of Chicago in the Woodlawn neighborhood and just south of Washington Park. Open seven days a week, you can always go grab some delicious food from this authentic Jamaican Jerk Chicken restaurant. They don’t have great parking options, but it’s on a relatively quiet street and I’ve never had too much of a problem finding nearby parking.

The Food

Jerk 48 has a great, wide selection of Jerk Chicken options. You can try the Jerk Chicken on its own or with some of their side selections such as fries, rice and peas, mac & cheese, cabbage, and yams. They also offer specialty dishes like jerk tacos and burritos as well as Jerk Chicken Alfredo dinners.

They offer delivery from Uber Eats and DoorDash if you ever don’t feel like making the trip yourself. I’ve done this my fair share of times during the cold Chicago winter when I have no interest in leaving my apartment, but I still want their delicious food ordered to my house.

Reviews

Like I said before, I personally think this is one of the best Jerk Chicken restaurant in the city of Chicago. I’ve tried many before, but Jerk 48 really makes the most authentic Jerk Chicken I have found anywhere. I think its their special marinade sauce that makes the chicken extra tender. Not every time, certainly more than half, but most of the time I order one of the Alfredo Dinners. I think they do a great job combining these unique flavors that don’t always work together. I don't know why, but I've always really enjoyed Jerk Chicken Pasta.

As far as sides, I think the rice & peas and the mac & cheese are both terrific, but you really can’t go wrong with most of them. The only knock I have is that I don’t think the candied yams are particularly good, but that is just about the only thing on the menu I stay away from.

You don’t have to just take my word for it though. I found some other people online who can attest to the high quality food you can get from Jerk 48.

Reviews are from Yelp:

Obviously I’m not alone when I say that Jerk 48 is definitely one of the best Jerk Chicken restaurants in the city of Chicago.

Go alone or grab some friends and make the trip down to Jerk 48. You won't find any better Jerk Chicken in the city any time soon.

Wrap Up

If you’re looking for a great Jerk Chicken restaurant with delicious and authentic Jamaican inspired food then Jerk 48 is a great option. I highly endorse it and recommend that any Jerk Chicken fan in Chicago try it at some point. They have generous portion sizes and reasonable prices making this my favorite restaurant in Chicago for Jerk Chicken.