The popular Caribbean-style restaurant will open its third location downtown at Hemisfair. Photo: Jason Risner, used with permission.
Popular Caribbean-inspired restaurant, The Jerk Shack, is excited to announce its third brick-and-mortar location coming to Hemisfair in downtown San Antonio. The new Jerk Shack restaurant will be located in the Schultze House, one of the historically recreated homes in the Hemisfair district. The 1,740 square foot restaurant is set to open in the summer of 2022. (The Jerk Shack, 2021)
Jerk Shack’s third location will feature the menu and flavors of the original Jerk Shack that San Antonians have come to love, but will also have an elevated menu featuring steakhouse-like items and more for an added traditional dining experience. The Hemisfair location will also feature a full bar and cocktail program, which is not currently available at the other Jerk Shack locations.
The Jerk Shack’s cuisine is inspired by the flavors of Jamaica and the Caribbean. Chef Blaque and her team have incorporated the flavors and techniques of Caribbean cooking into American favorites like mac and cheese, tacos, and more that create a unique blend of cultures. Of course, more traditional Caribbean dishes like braised oxtail, jerk chicken and more are also available at the restaurant. Chef Blaque will also have her Executive Chef from Mi Roti, Chef Lionel “Butch” Blache, run the kitchen with her at Jerk Shack’s Hemisfair location.
The third Jerk Shack location marks the fourth restaurant opening for Chef Blaque in San Antonio. In addition to her flagship location, she recently opened Mi Roti, a Caribbean-style concept in Pearl’s Bottling Department, in July 2020. The Jerk Shack’s second location at 10234 State Hwy 151, San Antonio, TX 78251 is set to open for service this summer.
The Jerk Shack is a concept by Chef Nicola Blaque and her husband Cornelius Massey. After serving ten years in the Army, Blaque began working as a private chef to explore her passion for cooking. She relocated to San Antonio from Hawaii to pursue a degree at the Culinary Institute of America where she graduated in 2016. Blaque returned to her Jamaican roots and began focusing on Caribbean cuisine, working to bring the unique flavors to South Texas. In 2018, the team launched The Jerk Shack, a restaurant inspired by the flavors of Jamaica and the Caribbean. The Jerk Shack has received national praise including being featured by Eater as one of the 2019 Top 16 New Restaurants in America as well as being included in GQ’s 2020 Best New Restaurants in America.
“The response to The Jerk Shack has been amazing, which has allowed us to expand across the city. Our fans and customers have been extremely supportive of our growth so we’re looking forward to bringing The Jerk Shack to Hemisfair.” – The Jerk Shack Chef and Owner Nicola Blaque
Sandra Gonzalez is one of the artists chosen to curate murals for the community mural project. Courtesy photo, used with permission.
As part of the generous grant awarded to the San Antonio Museum of Art by the Art Bridges Foundation this spring, SAMA has selected three local artists to create community murals celebrating the vibrancy and community of the Alamo City. Positioned on San Antonio’s eastside, westside and onsite at SAMA’s campus, the artists will begin creating their works this July and will showcase their completed murals this August. The community is invited to participate in the process through voting this June and sharing their ideas starting this week. The purpose of the initiative is to celebrate the importance of community through the arts, connecting San Antonio’s culturally diverse neighborhoods and their traditions through a creative framework. (San Antonio Museum of Art, 2021)
The mural curation project is a joint effort between SAMA’s education department, the San Anto Cultural Arts, and the San Antonio African American Community Archive & Museum
About the Artists:
Suzy González – Mural Location: San Antonio Museum of Art Campus Suzy is an artist, curator, zinester, educator, and organizer based in San Antonio, Texas. She has had solo exhibits at Presa House Gallery, Hello Studio, Palo Alto College, and two-person exhibits at Texas A&M University Corpus Christi and the University of Connecticut. Suzy co-publishes the Yes, Ma’am zine, co-organizes the San Anto Zine Fest, and is half of the collective Dos Mestizx, who recently curated XicanX: New Visions in New York and Texas. She has created public art with the City of San Antonio, the San Antonio Street Art Initiative, Centro San Antonio, and the City of San Marcos, and is currently working on a project with the City of Pasadena.
Victor Zarazua – Mural Location: Wicho’s Mexican Deli on the Westside As a practitioner of the Graffiti Art Subculture, Victor started painting at the age of ten. Victor used this medium as an escape from outside influences in his neighborhood and schools. As a youth, he began to appreciate art, what it could do, and where it could lead him to. During high school, Victor found himself looking for like-minded youth and found SACA & SAY Si. Those two programs opened the door further for him to delve further into the arts and the “lowbrow” art movement.
Sandra Gonzalez; Mural Location: Tony G’s on the Eastside (Mural to be created in partnership with Malachy McKinney) Sandra is an active muralist in South Texas and an art educator at Roosevelt High School in San Antonio, who has also participated in numerous art exhibits throughout the U.S. In 2013, Sandra received a Master of Fine Arts degree from the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. Sandra learned about engaging with the community through her work for the City of Philadelphia Mural Arts Program where she worked for over a year and assisted with various large-scale murals, involving different communities such as inmates, mental health patients, students, and several artists.
From Saturday, June 26, 2021, to Saturday, July 10, 2021, the San Antonio community will have the opportunity to vote on one of three themes designed by each artist to create for each mural location. Those interested in voting may do so by visiting SAMA’s website where a landing page will be available for voting or in-person at SAMA using the onsite voting box; both will be available starting in late June. Each mural will be constructed throughout the summer starting July 12, 2021, and the completion of each will be revealed on Sunday, August 15, 2021. The San Antonio community is also invited to join in a special conversation between the mural artists and committee panel that Sunday.
The San Antonio Museum of Art serves as a forum to explore and connect with art that spans the world’s geographies, artistic periods, genres, and cultures. Its collection contains nearly 30,000 works representing 5,000 years of history. Housed in the historic Lone Star Brewery on the Museum Reach of San Antonio’s River Walk, the San Antonio Museum of Art is committed to promoting the rich cultural heritage and life of the city. The Museum hosts hundreds of events and public programs each year, including concerts, performances, tours, lectures, symposia, and interactive experiences. As an active civic leader, the Museum is dedicated to enriching the cultural life of the city and the region, and to supporting its creative community.
Art Bridges is a nonprofit arts foundation whose mission is to expand access to American art across the U.S. Founded by arts patron and philanthropist Alice Walton, Art Bridges has been creating and supporting programs that expand access to American art around the country by partnering with institutions of all sizes and in all regions on projects that deeply engage communities via thematic traveling exhibitions, long-term loan sharing collaborations, among additional initiatives.
“Murals have always been a powerful tool to educate and commemorate local histories. By asking for community input and having residents of San Antonio be a part of the mural selection process, we are emphasizing that art is for all and that art can be enjoyed anywhere. Communal relationships are the foundation of any society, so we must continue to build and grow with the people of San Antonio. We hope that the selected businesses continue to be an anchor in their community, and that these murals shine a light on how San Antonio is a beautiful, culturally rich city.” – Yohanna Tesfai, Public Programs Manager for San Antonio Museum of Art.
SA Examiner 