The Real Jerk
709 Queen East, 416-463-6055, therealjerk.com
Back when Ed and Lily Pottinger first opened the doors of their east-side Jamaican take-away in 84, Toronto didn’t know jerk from jack. Nearly 30 years later, they’re still at the front of the pack, delivering substantial island-style plates heaving with fiery chicken and nutty rice ‘n’ peas in a riotous two-storey room complete with palm trees and Christmas lights that was built for non-stop partying. Sometimes the original is still the greatest.
Runner-Up
Island Foods
1182 King West, 416-532-6298, and others, island-foods.com
