Restaurants & Bars
Bernie's Jerk Kitchen: This Meal Deal Won't Leave You Hungry
Bernie's Jerk Kitchen relocated to Joliet's west side in late 2019. Now, Joliet Patch's editor returns to see how the food tastes.
JOLIET, IL — It's been a while since I visited Bernie's Jerk Kitchen, which is now open at 2777 Black Road.
I wrote about Bernie's three years ago when it was located on the east side of Joliet along Mills Road near the Sugar Creek area. Bernie's has since closed that location.
Bernie's moved to the west side of Joliet in late 2019. The restaurant operates in the corner strip mall along Black Road near Infantry Drive.
Find out what's happening in Jolietfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
"Bernie's Jerk Kitchen & Waffles, in Joliet, IL, is the leading restaurant serving Shorewood, Crest Hill, New Lenox, Lockport, Romeoville, Bolingbrook, Aurora and surrounding areas since 2018. We offer Caribbean food, jerk chicken, lasagna, baked macaroni and cheese, seafood, tacos, red beans and rice, fries, jerk egg rolls, breakfast, lunch and dinner and much more," its website proclaims.
Last week marked the first time in more than a year since our family ordered from Bernie's Kitchen. We ordered the Bernie's Special. The Bernie's Special is $29: two whole chickens and two large sides. It was more than enough food to feed our family of five. We also ordered two extra sides.
Find out what's happening in Jolietfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
The Bernie's Special was terrific and for $29, this is a pretty good bargain.
Bernie's is one of the only restaurants in the Joliet area that specializes in jerk chicken. It's an every day staple menu.
Some people automatically assume that jerk chicken is going to be spicy, and some is, but this is not true with Bernie's Jerk chicken.
Their chicken has plenty of flavor, but it isn't flaming hot at all.
If you do want it spicy, Bernie's has a dipping sauce that can give your mouth a fiery feel to it.
However, I prefer their mild sauce, which still has a kick.
Bernie's has lots of great side dishes to choose. I liked their mashed potatoes and gravy. Their greens are impressive. Other family members enjoyed their macaroni and cheese plus the cabbage.
During the pandemic, Bernie's is closed Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.
Bernie's is staying open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Sunday hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The phone to order takeout from Bernie's is 815-630-4153. For more details, visit the Bernie's Jerk Kitchen website here.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
