ORANGE PARK – Peter Jackson wants every bite of his rich Caribbean cuisine to deliver a kiss from the island sun, sea and Irie spirit.
His Irie Diner Caribbean Restaurant at 1177 Park Ave., is more than plates of food, bottles of Red Stripe beer and glasses of Hibiscus tea. They are transformations of passion and celebration.
“We say: One love. One flavor. One experience you’ll always remember,” Jackson said.
Irie Diner wasn’t just created to serve other Caribbean immigrants. Jackson wanted to reach out to his new neighbors to expose them to new tastes and experiences. He’s found that once they realize flavors like jerk and curry aren’t spicy and are flavorful, they always return.
They also learn that ox tails are really beef. Brown stewed chicken is delicious. And peas and rice is what most know as beans and rice.
“Irie Diner is the place to bring friends and hang out,” Jackson said. “It’s the place to bring your family. The best way for you to understand Irie Diner is to read our mission statement to understand our core statement, and to read what our core values are.”
Jackson said there is a togetherness in the islands that transcends all problems. All share the difficulty. It’s an undertaking that he understood all too well on Tuesday, Oct. 28, as he watched Hurricane Melissa rip through his homeland, Jamaica.
“We are supportive of the community,” he said. “Community extends itself to a village, and a village extends itself to a town, and a town extends itself to a city, and a city to a state, and a state to the Union. And Irie Diner is part of that.”
The best way to spread his message of love and hope is through food. The menu includes Jamaican patties, which are pastries filled with a choice of beef, jerk chicken or spinach made with authentic Caribbean spices; conch fritters; jerk wings, coconut shrimp, jerk pork, chicken, ribs and goat; St. Lucia Snapper; Jamaican Ackee and Salt fish; jasmine rice; callaloo; macaroni pie; and sweet plantains.
At 75 pounds a week, ox tails are the biggest seller, Jackson said. He and Chef Marko also go through 40 pounds of goat meat every week.
Jackson has a meal plan that is both unique and inexpensive. Patrons can purchase five lunches for $55 or three entrees for $36.
“This particular special is for those people who are planning their meals for the week,” Jackson said. “You can buy five lunches for $55, so you can actually plan your week with curry chicken or stew chicken. You get five lunches for 55 and, I mean, where are you going to get a decent lunch for under 12 bucks?”
His other specialty is the “Three the Hard Way,” which allows a patron to select three entrees with two side dishes, for $36.
Jackson could have taken his restaurant to a community with more islanders to make it easier to do business, but he chose Orange Park. And still, he has created a solid fanbase here by winning over hearts and taste buds.
“I wanted to expose Caribbean food to Americans, period,” he said. “I wanted Americans to come in here and to literally take ownership of this place. That was my dream.”