New Jamaican Truck Shares Jerk Chicken and Plantains in East Riverside

A new Jamaican food truck opened in Austin this month. Mr. Pimento opened at Buzz Mill Coffee on 1505 Town Creek Drive on December 7.

Mr. Pimento focuses on what owner and Jamaican immigrant Clay Spence describes as “the experience of true jerk cuisine outside the boundaries of the island,” in an email to Eater. This means jerk dishes with comfort dish twists, like jerk chicken paired with mac and cheese, thick wedge fries seasoned with a bunch of spices, and caramelized sweet plantains. The truck serves regular jerk chicken and a vegan version with mushrooms.

Spence wanted to open a food truck dedicated to the cuisine he knew well. The name of the truck stems from the allspice berry tree, which is an important ingredient in Jamaican cuisine.

About 10 years ago while living in New York, Spence had been cooking on his own making food and sauces. His wife Tiara Spence said his sauces were so good he should sell them. The couple moved to Austin in 2021 with the general plan of opening their own truck. He shares that he “saw what I thought to be an incredible opportunity to add to the already robust food truck scene.”

At the time, Spence had been working a retail job in the meantime, but when he lost his position in June, he ramped up his food truck plans through learning by reaching out to food parks and cooking. He worked pop-up events like Juneteenth in Plufgerville, as well as cooking at various Austin-area apartment complexes.

Mr. Pimento’s hours are from 5 to 10:30 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 1:30 to 5:30 p.m. Friday, and 7:30 p.m. to midnight on Saturday. To-go orders can be placed online.

Mr. Pimento

Mr. Pimento