If you haven’t been to Back A Yard we can’t be friends. This place has vibes as well as some of the best Caribbean Cuisine in the Bay Area. Oxtails and Curry Goat are my go to. Jerk chicken is amazing as well.
I was visiting with my daughter in Santa Barbara, and we drove to visit. My son in San Jose for the weekend. On our last day, we decided to get some Jamaican food before we left and came across this place. OMG, their food was delicious! Some of the best Jamaican food I’ve had in years the service was on point. Even their Mac and cheese was good, oh, and let’s not forget the ginger beer. It was so tasty, just the right amount of ginger to complement the delicious meal. We were stuffed! We highly recommend this spot on Capitol Expressway in the Gould Shopping Center ❤️ we will definitely be going back!
Really great Caribbean place. Not too many food options. But whatever they offered was great. Tried the combo of oxtail and jerk chicken. The meat was cooked and was moist and tender. Loved the seasoning. The plantain fry was superior as always.
Tried the mango passion drink. That was my favorite. The ambience was amazing. Must try in San Jose.
Not to crowded. Food is served in Togo containers.
I liked the food very much. I ate jerked pork and chicken. Both tasted very good and were well seasoned. Also the portion size was very good for the price.
The staff was very nice and I would definitely come again.
Only downside from my perspective was that they didn't have real plates but plastic bowls.
A good place to get Jamaican food. We especially like their jerk chicken. It is so tasty. And the accompanying sauce is even tastier. Their corn festival (Jamaican fried dough) is also our favorite, but somehow it’s not on their online or printed menu. It’s on the menu on the wall though. The yard plates come with rice, beans and fried plantains, enough to fill the hungriest.
We both got the salmon and oxtails. It was WONDERFUL. First time trying oxtails and they were amazing. I didn't like the seasoning on the rice, but I really never like rice so my opinion on that doesn't count. The portion was perfect. I would highly recommend going to the dim sum bakery next door. EVERYTHING WAS SO GOOD.
The food was really good. The flavors went well with each other, just the textures of everything was all just mushy even the fried plantains were soggy. The customer service was not as good as expected, the guy seemed like he didn’t want to be there taking my order like almost annoyed which was unpleasant.
The oxtails are good, but the jerk chicken leaves a lot to be desired. The sauce wasn't doing it for me. They do give great portions and the customer service is great.
The ribs were fantastic. Lots of sauce and flavor without being spicy. Don't worry if you like spice though, the optional sauces will blow your socks off - if that's what you like. My wife really enjoyed the ox tail, and the kids loved the sautéed vegetables.
K u r t i s s W r i g h t
+5
Was taking a road trip up to Palo Alto from so cal and was hungry. This place came up first on Google for local restaurants ,so we were already in San Jose so we stopped in. Atmosphere was good and the food was delicious. The service was a little lacking. I think they were a little short handed that day as well . We ordered to dine in and it took almost 40 minutes to get our food while all the time it was sitting in a bag to go . Miscommunication on someone there that day. Anyway we just ate it there anyway. I'd definitely try this place again. I'll assume service is usually good , but it wasn't the day we went.
I'm visiting my family from Long Island, NY. I'm vietnamese with a jamaican gf and mannn this food here was good. I brought my mom and sister here for the 2nd time. We all loved the corn festivals, the sweet plantains, the oxtail. The jerk chicken had a good smokey taste to it, could use a little more spiciness though! When I come back with the girlfriend, gonna bring her here! The festivals, we're crispy on the outside, chewy and soft in the center, and just the perfect sweetness. The beef patties are 🤤 too!
This place popped up in my recommendations.
I looked at the menu and it seemed interesting.
I haven't had Caribbean food for a while.
Ordered the Jerk Chicken & Salmon combo along with some Corn bread and Coco bread.
Not sure if it was a miss from DoorDash or the restaurant but I didnt receive the Corn bread and Coco bread. I'll give the benefit of doubt to the restaurant here.
The food:
The Jerk Chicken and Salmon combo was very flavorful. Fried plantains made for the perfect side for the combo. The dish also came with a spicy sauce on the side which enhanced the flavor.
Will order again to try the other items on the menu.
Very clean establishment with cury goat daily. I had the combo plate with the goat and some jerk chicken. It came with 2 scoops of rice with red beans mixed in and fried plantains. It was so much food I was super full and it was all delicious. The lady at the counter was super helpful and nice. She even brought our food to us. I highly recommend this place.
8/11 @ 6pm Indoor dining half of the room. Bathroom closed. Tasty ox tail not too spicy. Meat falls off bones. But extremely slow service. Took about 15 minutes after order to receive. Not very crowded. Would not want to be here while busy. I see 2 people in kitchen and 2 at front desk. They don't wipe table after people have eaten and left table.
Oh my lord. We travel from Fresno, Ca. I was curious so we had to try. I'm not a big spicy eater. But ordered jerk Chicken after asking how spicy, I was offered to try sauce before ordering. It had a little kick to it. We Ordered Jerk Chicken Plate, Saturday's Special, hot link plate, Corn meal bread, Mac and cheese, Pineapple upside-down cake. Everything was great. So much Flavor. Chicken was juicy. But the plantanes were fire 🔥. We will definitely be back
AMAZING! Fresh, perfectly cooked, so flavorful, and very fast service. So impressed with this restaurant and I will definitely be back again and again!
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Jerk Chicken- fresh, moist, spicy but not too spicy. Huge portion!
Plantains- OH MY GOODNESS! So perfect. Not mushy- cooked to perfection with perfect flavor.
Rice & Beans- They have a sweetness that doesn’t overpower and balances beautifully with the plantains and chicken. Again- so fresh.
Coco Bread- Have I mentioned how FRESH everything is? I could eat this bread all day.
Tossed salad- FRESH, crisp, giant portion for a side!
Mac & Cheese- THE BEST I HAVE EVER HAD from a restaurant! I often find mac & cheese to be bland and uninspired. The mac & cheese at Back A Yard, however, is the opposite of those things. Creamy but not soggy, flavorful, balanced, and a great portion.
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EAT AT BACK A YARD!! You will not regret it!
Finally went to back a yard again after 2 years I think. My buddies and I went to the location on Capitol Expressway. It's in the Gould Shopping Center in the far left side.
They are open for indoor with about 5 tables. They are staffed sufficiently and are doing a lot of to go orders in person and/or website.
We got there around 7 Saturday and there was no line. We ordered the special combo curry goat and oxtail and the combo jerk chicken and oxtail.
The curry goat was so damn good because the curry has a nice kick to it. I didn't remember the curry having that extra kick. Not Hot spicy but flavorful spicy. Anyway, I had a Sam Adam's and wasn't able to finish because they close at 8.
The place was clean and not crowded at all.
If you like oxtail and goat like I do, you'll love Back-a-yard. They have 3 or 4 locations in SJ and the original in Menlo Park.
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