Chef Darian Bryan is at it again. This time, he’s opening Jerk Hut at Bratts Hill, in the former Filling Station location at Larkin Square. The restaurant spot is perfectly suited for Bryan’s multi-tiered concept that ranges from fast casual Jamaican take-out lunches (now) to Jamaican-fusion cuisine dinners (starting in July).
What started off as a pop-up series for Chef Bryan has now escalated to a five-days-a-week restaurant, where the staff is serving up some of his hottest dishes, including Rasta Pasta and jerk chicken dinners, as well as Caribbean mango salad and cornmeal pudding.
Currently, the Jerk Hut team is preparing what Bryan is calling fast-casual Jamaican lunches, and starting in July he will be adding Bratts Hill Jamaican-fusion cuisine dinners to the mix. That means that the restaurant is essentially Jerk Hut by day, and Bratts Hill by night – a two-in-one concept restaurant (Jerk Hut at Bratts Hill).
Bryan has already established himself as Buffalo’s go-to culinary authority for authentic Caribbean cuisine, through his Jamaican pop-up events during the summer of 2022 that he referred to as “Jerk Hut.” That’s where it all started, simply enough. But that fast-casual element is only one of the tricks that he had up his sleeve. By infusing his love for fine dining dishes, he has come to be known as “The Fancy Jerk.” The mashup is the direction that all this is heading.
“I just went back to Jamaica in February with my family – the last time I was there was six years ago,” said Chef Bryan. “The last time that I visited my hometown of Clarendon was nine years ago. It’s amazing inspiration to visit my home country, and the place where I grew up. I lived on Bratts Hill, a little town with no electricity and no running water. It’s always been a dream of mine to open an upscale Jamaican restaurant. When I started The Plating Society I was cooking mainly Italian and French cuisine. People wanted me to cook my Jamaican dishes too so I began to do summertime pop-ups at The Filling Station on Wednesdays. Then I was getting texts from customers saying that they wanted pans of Rasta Pasta and other dishes. I figured that I might as well open full time. My sister Nemia just moved here from Virginia to manage Jerk Hut. My mom – Althea Allen – is now moving here from South Carolina in September. And Jamaican chef Christopher Sinclair McCalla just moved here from NYC to run the dinners (Bratts Hill). I’m training him to cook my style and flavors. My wife Jessica is the general manager – I’ve got a great team. I wanted to have my dream come true, and now it is. I love the space at The Filling Station, I love Larkinville, and I love the Zemskys (the development team).”
“We are thrilled to continue to expand the food options in Larkinville,” said Leslie Zemsky, Vice President – Larkin Development Group.” Bratts Hill provides another tasty reason to come to Larkin Square for lunch and soon for dinner too. Chef Darian and his team are already known for their fine dining at The Plating Society and now all can enjoy their food on a more casual basis.”
The Jerk Hut at Bratts Hill is currently open Monday – Friday, from 11am – 3pm.
719 Seneca Street | Larkin Square | (716) 226-0048
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