Jamaican Yard Vibes, Owensboro’s only option for authentic Caribbean cuisine, will open Friday at 2845 West Parrish Avenue. Owned and operated by Dwayne Whyte and his wife Shanetha, the restaurant will offer traditional Jamaican dishes with no shortage of flavor.
The restaurant is sandwiched between the U-Haul storage facility and Ollie’s Bargain Outlet and will offer only carry-out during the initial stages. The opening process presented some challenges, delaying the grand opening by a few months, but Whyte said he’s ecstatic to bring his home-style cooking to Owensboro.
“It’s a pleasure,” Whyte said. “I love seeing people enjoying the food; it brings pleasure to my heart. It feels so good for my wife, my family, and myself to put all this together. It makes me happy.”
Whyte previously sold plate lunches online but can’t wait to try his hands in an industrial-sized kitchen. However, one thing is for sure — he will continue to battle the weather to grill his jerk chicken on his custom BBQ grill.
Family and friends gathered at the new location on Wednesday night to sample some of the menu items, along with Jamaican soda. Those signature items include jerk chicken, curry goat and mutton, stewed chicken, beef patties, rasta pasta, and much more.
“It was a little challenging at first, especially getting the system for the kitchen,” he said. “We finally put everything together. It took a while, but it feels so exciting. We have all this space in the kitchen, no one is bumping into each other, and everyone can roll.”
The couple developed their passion for cooking for others when they began selling small plates of Jamaican cuisine to fund their wedding. Exponential success drove them to start cooking even more, eventually propelling them to open the carry-out restaurant.
The restaurant will open daily from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., offering specials for lunch and dinner. Click here to place an order. To see the full menu or for more information, visit the Jamaican Yard Vibes Facebook page here.
“The food is delicious,” Whyte said. “Everyone tends to think that everything is spicy, but it’s not. Some are spicy, and some are not. We have something for everyone.”
