Back A Yard

Michael H

Hell yeah The plates are heavy and delicious. The curried goat slaps and the ox tail is always so tender. Great cooking and great menu options.

Karabo Osenoneng

The best Caribbean food you’ll find in San Jose. Last year they even catered at my graduation party. So glad I made stop here. Good food, good people.

Sylvia

I've been Doordashing their beef a d chicken patties, they are absolutely DIVINE! Decided we'd actually go in and sit down for an actual meal. Tried the Jerk oxtails with beans and rice and plantains and it was as delicious as I imagined it would be. Definitely coming back again and again and again.

Yung-Kang Li

Got Back A Yard to go for lunch yesterday and it is always great at every location. We always get the Ox tail, but I wanted to try something else along with it. So I also got the hot link and bbq chicken. The chicken was so tender and smokey and you can never go wrong with hot links. Definitely recommend getting anything they make. #thisishowichow #omnomnom #hotlink #bbqchicken

Love the food here. I’ve been coming here since 2012. My favorite dishes are the jerk chicken, oxtails and the curry chicken(Tuesdays only). The collards green are vegetarian but super yummy!!

121 in San Jose today downtown on San Carlos Street. We ordered a combo dinner, four beef patties and a ginger beer and mango juice! As always it was amazing!¡!

Delicious, good prices, and good portions. Good wholesome food served in non-fussy plastic containers came out to us hot and delicious in 5 minutes. Staff were friendly, though it was a shame there is no bathroom for customer use. Still, a lovely little spot.

I ordered through DoorDash, and it was my first time trying this type of cuisine. I was absolutely delighted by all the flavors and seasonings! Everything on the plate was delicious, and it was so good that I felt compelled to leave a review. Highly recommend this place, it’s definitely going to be a regular spot for me from now on! By the way I got the Jerk Salmon & my husband got the Jerk Salmon & Beef Oxtails. I wish I would have taken a picture before we eat it lol!

Rachel-Margarita Rodriguez

Love the food here. I’ve been coming here since 2012. My favorite dishes are the jerk chicken, oxtails and the curry chicken(Tuesdays only). The collards green are vegetarian but super yummy!!

Sistah Nedra

121 in San Jose today downtown on San Carlos Street. We ordered a combo dinner, four beef patties and a ginger beer and mango juice! As always it was amazing!¡!

Erica

Delicious, good prices, and good portions. Good wholesome food served in non-fussy plastic containers came out to us hot and delicious in 5 minutes. Staff were friendly, though it was a shame there is no bathroom for customer use. Still, a lovely little spot.

Dareisy Leon

I ordered through DoorDash, and it was my first time trying this type of cuisine. I was absolutely delighted by all the flavors and seasonings! Everything on the plate was delicious, and it was so good that I felt compelled to leave a review. Highly recommend this place, it’s definitely going to be a regular spot for me from now on! By the way I got the Jerk Salmon & my husband got the Jerk Salmon & Beef Oxtails. I wish I would have taken a picture before we eat it lol!

Ordered the BBQ white chicken. I was expecting a chicken breast and a wing. However, I was delivered a white meat chunk of a breast. They give you a large portion of meat, but its a processed chunk, not a piece of natural chicken. It slathered with seemingly store bought BBQ sauce. The fries were almost too over done. The coleslaw was fine and the cornbread was different and not too bad. Service is counter service and pretty quick. Only 2 tables and had to wait for some people who were hanging out to leave to eat. The portions were great but not what I expected.

Back A Yard on San Carlos St, San Jose. Within the SJSU neighborhood. A nice place with no seating inside, 4 tables outside the store gives that home feeling of having a BBQ in your own backyard. I’m glad i ordered the Oxtails plate, the dish came with Rice and Beans and d Plantains on the side, the Jerk seasoning was a sweet and tangy blend with a smoky allspice aftertaste. The stew was mildly hot, the Beans and Rice were mixed together with coconut notes at the end, the plate was served with sweet Fried Plantain, a good size meal. I had a side of Collard Greens, the chop leaves were steamed hot with a slightly bitter taste.

I ordered via UberEats. I was pleasantly surprised with the oxtails. While they were too fatty for my taste, the flavor was 🔥 The guava pineapple juice was 🔥 as well. The jerk chicken that came with the oxtails was extremely dry. I'm not sure how this happened as both my pieces were dark meat. The pineapple upside down cake was okay. Overall I think I'd order again if I was in town and skip the chicken and cake.

Very small shop. If you're expecting a place where you can dine indoors, there is no indoor seating. They have a few tables outside where you can sir and eat. They do not do substitutions. I got the oxtail and wanted to substitute the rice and beans for the collared greens. I was told that substitutions were not an option, and how the customer wants it is how they make it, which was a contradiction. The collared greens were spicy, so if you can't handle spice, I would not get it. The plantains are also okay, not great. Their cream soda was pretty good and not overwhelming with the cream taste. The food comes in a to-go container, which makes it convenient. Customer service was meh, not great, which puts me on the fence on if I would come back.

Michael C

Ordered the BBQ white chicken. I was expecting a chicken breast and a wing. However, I was delivered a white meat chunk of a breast. They give you a large portion of meat, but its a processed chunk, not a piece of natural chicken. It slathered with seemingly store bought BBQ sauce. The fries were almost too over done. The coleslaw was fine and the cornbread was different and not too bad. Service is counter service and pretty quick. Only 2 tables and had to wait for some people who were hanging out to leave to eat. The portions were great but not what I expected.

Emilio

Back A Yard on San Carlos St, San Jose. Within the SJSU neighborhood. A nice place with no seating inside, 4 tables outside the store gives that home feeling of having a BBQ in your own backyard. I’m glad i ordered the Oxtails plate, the dish came with Rice and Beans and d Plantains on the side, the Jerk seasoning was a sweet and tangy blend with a smoky allspice aftertaste. The stew was mildly hot, the Beans and Rice were mixed together with coconut notes at the end, the plate was served with sweet Fried Plantain, a good size meal. I had a side of Collard Greens, the chop leaves were steamed hot with a slightly bitter taste.

Felice

I ordered via UberEats. I was pleasantly surprised with the oxtails. While they were too fatty for my taste, the flavor was 🔥 The guava pineapple juice was 🔥 as well. The jerk chicken that came with the oxtails was extremely dry. I'm not sure how this happened as both my pieces were dark meat. The pineapple upside down cake was okay. Overall I think I'd order again if I was in town and skip the chicken and cake.

Hoangchi Pham

Very small shop. If you're expecting a place where you can dine indoors, there is no indoor seating. They have a few tables outside where you can sir and eat. They do not do substitutions. I got the oxtail and wanted to substitute the rice and beans for the collared greens. I was told that substitutions were not an option, and how the customer wants it is how they make it, which was a contradiction. The collared greens were spicy, so if you can't handle spice, I would not get it. The plantains are also okay, not great. Their cream soda was pretty good and not overwhelming with the cream taste. The food comes in a to-go container, which makes it convenient. Customer service was meh, not great, which puts me on the fence on if I would come back.

Had pork and chicken. Meat was cooked perfectly. Texture and flavor. The jerk isn't as spicy as I remember it though. Also a little salty. Still great favor though. Staff was nice. Atmosphere is as you would expect it to be. A "hole in a wall" unassuming little place with 3 tables outside. Beautiful bay weather on a Sunday when traffic is low, perfect.

Michael Cheng

Had pork and chicken. Meat was cooked perfectly. Texture and flavor. The jerk isn't as spicy as I remember it though. Also a little salty. Still great favor though. Staff was nice. Atmosphere is as you would expect it to be. A "hole in a wall" unassuming little place with 3 tables outside. Beautiful bay weather on a Sunday when traffic is low, perfect.

On Saturday night we waited over 30 minutes for our order although the salmon was nicely cooked but the rice and plantains were warm at all. I also order two key lime pies and they were not inside my bag. I called today several times to tell them and telephone was not answered.

evette valle

On Saturday night we waited over 30 minutes for our order although the salmon was nicely cooked but the rice and plantains were warm at all. I also order two key lime pies and they were not inside my bag. I called today several times to tell them and telephone was not answered.

I used to love Back-a-yard, but it has changed so much that I do not see myself going back. It seems like every time I go, the quality of my food and the price gets worse. But this last time was huge!! I do not order the platters because the rice and peas are always overcooked and very soggy, so I ordered the 6 piece ala cart oxtails and ala cart macaroni and cheese. This time, the oxtails were good. I did not get six big pieces, I got more small ones than the big ones. But that macaroni and cheese was garbage!! I don’t know what cheese sauce they put on it, but it was disgusting!!!! I tasted no real cheese in it and it looked real creamy. The macaroni and cheese was bland and the consistency was horrible. I literally took one bite and spit it out and had to waste the whole container. In all, I paid $26.16 for an ala cart oxtails and of course it didn’t fill me up and I had to go out and get something else to eat. I think I’ve had enough of Back-a-yard. The quality of the food has really died, and I can’t take another chance spending money on such sub par food. Buyers beware, you were warned.

Jeffrey Bolton

I used to love Back-a-yard, but it has changed so much that I do not see myself going back. It seems like every time I go, the quality of my food and the price gets worse. But this last time was huge!! I do not order the platters because the rice and peas are always overcooked and very soggy, so I ordered the 6 piece ala cart oxtails and ala cart macaroni and cheese. This time, the oxtails were good. I did not get six big pieces, I got more small ones than the big ones. But that macaroni and cheese was garbage!! I don’t know what cheese sauce they put on it, but it was disgusting!!!! I tasted no real cheese in it and it looked real creamy. The macaroni and cheese was bland and the consistency was horrible. I literally took one bite and spit it out and had to waste the whole container. In all, I paid $26.16 for an ala cart oxtails and of course it didn’t fill me up and I had to go out and get something else to eat. I think I’ve had enough of Back-a-yard. The quality of the food has really died, and I can’t take another chance spending money on such sub par food. Buyers beware, you were warned.

I've ordered here many times in the past. This week I've ordered twice over the phone asking for the "jerk tofu rice plate." The first time I received what I always get, which is jerk tofu with plantains and rice/beans. The second time I got almost sauceless tofu over a salad. I called and let them know, and the manager blamed me, because apparently the salad also comes with rice/beans so is a rice plate. Not sure if that's the case, fine, but my salad didn't even come with rice/beans. As shown in the picture it's just lettuce, tofu, and a few cucumber slices, as well as a tiny cup of ranch that I can't eat since I'm vegan. Seems like other reviews have had problems with this location taking accountability for messing up orders (they didn't even make the thing they thought I ordered correctly), so order at your own risk. Edit: the chat-GPT response from the owner below sours me even more on this spot's customer service. Weird reply that doesn't address anything in the review.

R

I've ordered here many times in the past. This week I've ordered twice over the phone asking for the "jerk tofu rice plate." The first time I received what I always get, which is jerk tofu with plantains and rice/beans. The second time I got almost sauceless tofu over a salad. I called and let them know, and the manager blamed me, because apparently the salad also comes with rice/beans so is a rice plate. Not sure if that's the case, fine, but my salad didn't even come with rice/beans. As shown in the picture it's just lettuce, tofu, and a few cucumber slices, as well as a tiny cup of ranch that I can't eat since I'm vegan. Seems like other reviews have had problems with this location taking accountability for messing up orders (they didn't even make the thing they thought I ordered correctly), so order at your own risk. Edit: the chat-GPT response from the owner below sours me even more on this spot's customer service. Weird reply that doesn't address anything in the review.

Constantly come to this location and they always get my order wrong. Not sure why asking for a jerk salmon plate is always difficult to understand and get correct. Always receiving chicken and other items. I love the food but the customer service is terrible

Katelin Oliver

Constantly come to this location and they always get my order wrong. Not sure why asking for a jerk salmon plate is always difficult to understand and get correct. Always receiving chicken and other items. I love the food but the customer service is terrible