'Finally,' Jerk Flavors Jamaican Cuisine Opening On Jefferson St.

JOLIET, IL — The wait is over, Joliet. Restaurant owner Gary Hayles received his certificate of compliance from the city of Joliet on Wednesday. During Thursday afternoon's interview, Hayles said that his Jerk Flavors: Authentic Jamaican Cuisine will be open for business at 11 a.m. Monday.

"Finally, after all the ups and downs," Hayles remarked. "It's been more than a year coming."

He will be open seven days a week. He's located at 1003 West Jefferson St., it's right next door to the old Louis' Family Restaurant property, which remains vacant.

Jerk Flavors will be carryout and delivery, according to Hayles. He was born and raised in Jamaica and came to the United States in 1990. Joliet marks his third restaurant venture.

The main items on the menu will include: jerk chicken, oxtails, curry goat, curry chicken, jerk tacos, jerk chicken alfredo as well as a jerk chicken burrito.

What makes his jerk chicken stand out from the competition?

"The spices are authentic," Hayles said.

Patch asked Hayles what he would recommend for Joliet area residents coming out next week to try his food for the first time.

"The chicken," he responded without hesitation. "Because jerk chicken is the No. 1 thing."

Since 2018, he has operated the Jerk Flavors Restaurant and Lounge on 159th Street in Markham. Hayles said he also owned the Jamaican Jerk Flavors restaurant in Matteson from 2012 until he sold it to a friend in 2020.

One of his aunts owns a Jamaican restaurant on Chicago's Southside and a cousin owns the Jerk Choice restaurant in Calumet City and the one in Oak Forest, he said.

"It's a family business," Hayles said.

Hayles gave Patch a copy of his restaurant's two-page menu for Joliet's West Jefferson Street location. Jerk Flavors will also do deliveries for all orders of at least $25, he said.

Patch was able to publish most of the menu at the bottom of this article.

The Joliet Jerk Flavors phone number will be 779-206-4693. The takeout restaurant will be open from 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Monday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and noon to 7 p.m. Sunday.

Getting to this point was a long time coming.

A professional sign company installed the Jerk Flavors restaurant logo for 1003 West Jefferson in March 2021. For the past year, Hayles remained busy remodeling his future restaurant space, working through several officials with the Will County Health Department and the city of Joliet's building services director Donald Pallissard.

"I have no idea what business is going to be like," Hayles said, regarding next week's grand opening. "I'm very excited to be here. I like that it's a highly visible area."

At the end of November, Louis Polimenakos retired after being open for 29 years as Louis' Family Restaurant at 1001 West Jefferson St. His sons Nick and Michael moved the restaurant four minutes away, and gave it a new name, Louie's Waffle House.

If his new takeout business does exceptional, would Hayles consider taking over the empty Louis' Family Restaurant sit-down restaurant property right next door?

"Absolutely," the Jerk Flavors owner told Joliet Patch.