Long-Awaited Jake’s Soul Food Cafe Finally Opens in Tuscaloosa

It was a long and bumpy road from announcement to opening, but a Caribbean soul food restaurant launched in Hoover has officially expanded into Tuscaloosa.

As the Thread first reported, a second location for Jake's Cafe has been planned here for more than 18 months but a series of delays pushed the grand opening back again and again.

The happy day finally arrived Saturday, and CEO Christina Renteria was on site at 3615 McFarland Boulevard East to celebrate with fans new and old.

Get our free mobile app

"We are so excited, oh my gosh. I think I've heard the word 'finally' more in the last 72 hours than during the entire rest of my life because everyone's excited that we're finally opening," she said. "It's definitely been a journey! We wanted to be self-sufficient and not take any bank loans. We're doing this on our own and really bootstrapping our second location because of all the things we learned from the first location."

Finding funding even as prices skyrocketed on just about everything meant the Tuscaloosa location got off the ground way later than expected, but Renteria said it has given them time to get things right.

Jake's is open daily at 11 a.m., serving lunch and dinner seven days a week. The menu features jerk chicken, oxtails, jumbo wings, curry chicken and other Jamiacan-style favorites alongside soul food classics like collard greens, black-eyed peas and cornbread.

"When you step in every Jake's Cafe location, we want you to feel like you stepped into the Caribbean and it's not just another restaurant," Renteria said. "And we're super excited to be a part of the culture here! We love Alabama football, we love what that brings to the community and the family involvement that it generates. That's really what Jake's is all about, family and culture and bringing diversity to the community with great food. We always say, 'Once you eat our food, you're part of our family,' I don't care what color you are, black or white, how tall or how short in my case."

The grand opening drew a crowd Saturday morning, and Renteria said she's excited to offer something new to diners in Tuscaloosa.

"This is our second location, but we're trying to have 150 of these," she laughed. "What we look for, as we continue to expand, is to go places that are missing the cuisine."

The restaurant is open now, and the CEO said they will also soon be available on Uber Eats, GrubHub and other online delivery services.

She said their menu will change frequently, with the first additions coming in the new year, so people can always expect something new.

"Make sure to follow us on all social media sites, on Facebook and Instagram and TikTok," she said. "Let us know how we're doing and how we can get better because you can only grow if people let you know. People should never feel like they can't say anything. Let us know how we can do better for you, because we're here to serve you. That's our whole purpose."