Opening a restaurant, especially during a pandemic, comes with a plethora of challenges, but glitches usually will work themselves out. When the food is as tasty as the dishes served at Jerk Fuzion Sports Bar & Grill in downtown DeKalb, it makes dining there a worthwhile endeavor.

The food was almost universally delicious, a double bonus since Caribbean restaurants are rare in rural Illinois, and it’s a style not exactly easy to replicate at home. The oxtail dinner was a winner all the way around, starting with the surprisingly meaty main dish. These oxtails were not just hearty, but very flavorful, and complemented by a good gravy.

The sides were also amazing. Each dinner comes with two (in addition to the rice and beans that are included), and every one we tried was a standout. The green beans mixed with onions and peppers had a nice kick to them. The rice and beans were served topped with the restaurant’s signature jerk sauce, a sweet and spicy glaze that upped the value of everything it touched.

The yams were extra sweet and struck the right balance of being not too soft, not too firm. Among the fries, the sweet potato variation stood out.

The mac and cheese was clearly homemade, always a plus. Not quite as spicy as the other sides, it was still flavorful, boasting a sauce that was neither so thick as to be distracting nor too thin. The main attraction of the side dishes though had to be the fried plantains. Sliced, glazed and then pan-fried, these bad boys were tasty.

While the jerk chicken tacos weren’t our favorite, a young eater enjoyed them. The spice level in all the meals was well-balanced, with enough heat but not too much for, let’s say, tamer eaters.

Both dinners came with ample food thanks to the two sides plus the rice and beans. And the dark meat chicken on the dinner plate was consumed immediately by a young eater. (There’s no children’s menu.)

Though our dining experience was tempered slightly by a long wait for food and an order mix-up, the quality of the dishes kept us content.

And the order snafu turned out to be a blessing. One of the young eaters wanted a burger, but the jerk chicken sandwich was brought instead. After the long wait, he didn’t want to send it back, but his grumpy disposition turned positive as soon as he bit into it. The breaded chicken patty was thin and crispy, buried under the jerk sauce on a beautifully toasted bun.

We also tried the Sweet and Spicy Jerk Mac and Cheese Burger. The Jamaican chicken sandwich featured, obviously, mac and cheese on it. And boy was it a treat. All the flavors worked well together, the bun was sturdy enough to hold it all nicely, and the mix of flavors and textures was great.

So the dining experience may not have been quite perfect, but that happens at young restaurants trying to figure things out. But one thing that Jerk Fuzion really doesn’t have to work out is its food, and that’s already 90% of the battle.

• The Mystery Diner is an employee at Shaw Media. The diner’s identity is not revealed to the restaurant staff before or during the meal. If the Mystery Diner cannot recommend the establishment, we will not publish a story.

IF YOU GO

WHAT: Jerk Fuzion Sports Bar & Grill

WHERE: 930 Pappas Drive, DeKalb

PHONE: 815-375-5138

INFORMATION: www.jerkfuzionbargrill.com