Food Truck ยท Jamaican ยท Fire-Grilled

Real
Flavor.
Island Soul. straight from the grill

Slow-cooked oxtail, 24-hour jerk marinade, escovitch snapper, lamb chops and a 20 oz mountain of loaded fries. Cooked over fire and served from our truck across the DMV.

Catering Welcome Cash & Card Fire-Grilled to Order House-Made Sauces
our promise

Cooked the right way.

Four things we never cut corners on. It's how we earn the "Real Flavor. Island Soul." we put on every plate.

01
overnight

24-Hour
Jerk Marinade

Scotch bonnet, allspice, thyme, scallion. Then we wait. Every chicken sits in our house jerk a full day before it sees the grill.

02
low & slow

Slow-Cooked
Oxtail Daily

Braised down till the meat falls off the bone, in a rich brown sauce with butter beans and island herbs. Made fresh every morning.

03
no shortcuts

House-Made
Island Sauces

Sweet island sauce, jerk BBQ, mango habanero, rum-pepper glaze โ€” all built in-house from scratch. Nothing out of a jug.

04
fresh fire

Fire-Grilled
To Order

When you order, the grill lights up. Char marks, smoke, and a finishing glaze brushed on right before it hits the plate.

our story

Built from friendship,
fueled by flavor.

Island Smoke & Grill was built from friendship, passion, and a deep love for authentic Caribbean cuisine. What started as conversations between two close friends — Vanessa Powis and Kevin — turned into a vision to bring bold island flavors, culture, and community together through food.

Vanessa Powis
co-founder · kitchen
9yrs
Kitchen Manager
3yrs
General Manager

Specializes in kitchen operations, food quality, team development, and creating flavorful dishes that keep guests coming back.

Kevin
co-founder · operations
21yrs
Restaurant Leadership
โˆž
High-Volume Service

Over two decades as a General Manager, building strong teams, delivering exceptional service, and leading high-volume operations with consistency and passion.

Growing up around Caribbean cooking, family gatherings, and recipes passed down through generations, food has always meant more to us than just a meal. It represents family, celebration, culture, and connection. Island Smoke & Grill was created to share that feeling with every customer — from our fire-grilled jerk chicken and tender oxtails to our loaded island fries and signature island flavors.

Our journey has been built on hard work, sacrifice, and determination. Like many entrepreneurs, we’ve faced obstacles along the way, but our passion for food and our commitment to building something meaningful continues to push us forward every day.

At Island Smoke & Grill, we believe every plate should bring people together and every customer should feel the warmth and energy of the islands. Whether we’re serving from our food truck, catering private events, or growing within the community, our mission remains the same: authentic flavors, genuine hospitality, and unforgettable island vibes.

This is only the beginning of our story — we’re excited to have you be part of it.
find the truck

Where we’re parked.

We move around. Catch us at our regular spot, or follow along on Instagram for pop-ups, festivals and route changes.

This Week’s Schedule

Hours and location may change week to week โ€” check Instagram for the latest.

  • MonClosed
  • Tue11:00 AM โ€“ 8:00 PM
  • Wed11:00 AM โ€“ 8:00 PM
  • Thu11:00 AM โ€“ 9:00 PM
  • Fri11:00 AM โ€“ 10:00 PM
  • Sat11:00 AM โ€“ 10:00 PM
  • Sun11:00 AM โ€“ 7:00 PM

Edit these times in your GoDaddy editor โ€” replace any line above with your real schedule.

Get in Touch

catering welcome

bring the island to your next event.

Weddings, birthdays, corporate lunches, block parties โ€” we cater all of it. Tell us the date, headcount and vibe, and we’ll put together a menu.