Peppa's Jerk Chicken
We love bringing you fresh-out-the-box businesses, but Black-Owned Brooklyn is also about the classics. Serving exemplary jerk chicken with crispy, blackened skin and deep-marinated spice, Peppa’s Jerk Chicken in Flatbush is a certifiable institution. “Cooking is a love,” says owner Gavin Hussey (a.k.a. “Peppa”), who has operated the Caribbean takeout spot for the past 15 years. “You can’t cook just to sell some food. You have to put the passion in it to get it right — and that’s who I am.”
The third oldest of 12 children, Hussey grew up in St. Andrew Parish, Jamaica, helping his mother cook for the younger siblings, so he’s had plenty of practice getting it right. Despite popular belief, however, the nickname “Peppa” is not derived from Hussey’s love for fiery foods. The moniker dates back to his teen years. “When I was in all-ages school, I had two girlfriends at the same time,” he explains. “One time a guy looked at me and him said, ‘You must be near peppa, because you’re so hot!’”
Open til 6 am, Peppa's Jerk Chicken is a popular late-night spot, drawing crowds right up to closing time. It's also a destination for the music world. LL Cool J shot parts of the video for his 2014 song “Hustler,” feat. Mavado, here. The restaurant counts Usher and dancehall artist Alkaline among its past patrons. And Hussey himself moonlights as a dancehall musician, recording under the name Peppa Ceed.
In addition to its original Flatbush location, Peppa’s has two other Brooklyn branches: one in Crown Heights (791 Prospect Pl.) run by his daughter, and one in East Flatbush (689 Utica Ave.) operated by his sister. “This is a family thing,” says Hussey.
“You can’t cook just to sell some food. You have to put the passion in it to get it right — and that’s who I am.”
The specialty at Peppa’s Jerk Chicken, needless to say, is its namesake dish. Hussey uses a dry rub for his recipe, first washing the pieces in vinegar for extra pungence. After the birds are charred to a crackled burnish, they are hacked up a bit for easier jerk-to-mouth delivery. (We recommend finishing it off, for extra heat, with the house scotch-bonnet jerk sauce.) Equally amazing is Peppa’s fried escovitch fish, flavored to the bones and topped with crisp, pickled vegetables. And we’re highkey obsessed with the festival, sweet fritters with a perfect crunchy-to-cakey contrast. As Hussey puts it: “It’s a taste of paradise.”
738 Flatbush Avenue, 917-673-6225, Peppa’s Jerk Chicken on Instagram
