The Jerk Shack, a Jamaican restaurant in San Antonio, Texas, has been included on GQ magazine’s list of the best new restaurants of 2020. The list comprises 16 restaurants located throughout the United States; The Jerk Shack is a walk-up food stand that has been serving authentic Jamaican food in the area since 2018. The eatery has received particular praise for its jerk chicken, braised oxtail, and chicken wings. In addition to making the 2020 GQ list. The Jerk Shack secured a spot in the Express-News “Top 100 Dining and Drinks” guide and was included on the list of best new restaurants of 2019 created by Esquire magazine. In its review of The Jerk Shack, EspressNews.com noted that the “heat” of the dishes served there set it apart among San Antonio dining choices.

The GQ list was developed by Brett Martin, a writer for the magazine who visited 93 restaurants in 23 states before the lockdowns imposed by US states in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Commenting on the sad state of affairs for restaurants in the US resulting from the lockdown, Martin said that every one of the restaurants he visited in now closed, limiting services to take-out dining and delivery, or will soon be either closed or take-out only venues. The Jerk Shack is located on the West Side of the city, and while its patio area has not yet reopened, it offers take-out and delivery services available by calling ahead to order.

GQ’s Martin cited its spicy jerk chicken and “the beefy joy” of its oxtail dish for special praise. His article on the restaurant noted that its chef and owner Lattoia Massey, better known as Nicola Blaque, and her husband Cornelius Massey, welcomed their new baby boy to their family in April of 2020. The couple is also enlarging their restaurant family as they plan to add a new Caribbean sandwich stand to be called Mi Roll at the Pearl Bottling Department food hall in the near future.

Information and Photo Source: GQ, Jerk Shack Facebook,  My San Antonio.com