WEST GARFIELD PARK — The owner of Jerk Taco Man's Jamaican Jerk Shack, a West Side establishment that specializes in jerk chicken, believes his food is well worth the wait.
And he has the long lines of customers to prove it.
"If there's no wait for food, you don't want it. This is the No. 1 jerk chicken spot in the city if you ask me," said Sylvester Brunson, a South Side resident who said he stops by Jerk Taco Man at least three times a week. "You're going to sit back and wait. That's how good the food is."
Evan Moore talks about Julius Thomas' jerk chicken.
Jerk Taco Man, 4001 W. Jackson Blvd. in West Garfield Park, has developed a cult following that was cultivated by owner Julius Thomas, who sold jerk chicken out of the trunk of his car in Jackson Park before buying a former auto shop to house his business.
"People don't mind the wait because of the food and the experience," Thomas said. "The history of how it started played a major role in social media."
Many of the customers who frequent Jerk Taco Man told DNAinfo they heard about the popular establishment from either word of mouth or from the restaurant's Facebook fan page, which has more than 20,000 likes, along with its Instagram account, which has 9,200 followers.
Earlier this year, Jerk Man Taco was featured on the popular show, "Chicago's Best."
Steve Mayberry, a spokesman for Mayor Rahm Emanuel tweeted about Jerk Taco Man.
9 co-workers helped and we STILL have more. Loaded jerk steak fries @ Jerk Taco Man. #NothingShouldBeThatCheesy pic.twitter.com/r1sesthMaP
— Steve Mayberry (@SteveMayberry) July 22, 2016
South Sider Tiffani Lewis heard about Jerk Taco Man on Facebook.
"So, I decided to make the drive a check it out," Lewis said. "My daughter told me about the place. I only knew about the name."
Eric Jenkins, a North Lawndale resident, has been coming to Jerk Taco Man since it opened in 2014. He usually orders the jerk chicken tacos.
"I love Mexican food so the combination of Jamaican and Mexican food is perfect," Jenkins said. "The majority of my family comes here. Not just the immediate family — aunts, uncles and cousins as well."
Jerk Taco Man's menu also has jerk-style pizza, salads, burritos and fries, and Thomas also offers catering.
Customers can order food for pickup online to avoid the long lines, and Thomas even lets them bring in their own turkey for Jerk Taco Man to cook for them.
Thomas said his larger portions are a part of his business model.
"When I started outside, I had very little overhead," Thomas said. "So I could give out large portions. They love it."
The large portions make people like Brunson a repeat customer despite the long lines.
"When most places make jerk food, it's just the seasoning.They aren't stingy with their meat. That's a big thing," Brunson said. "I'm a little dude, so I need all the meat I can get."
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