You might do a double take when you see the name of Silver Spring’s latest restaurant, the Angry Jerk. Its logo is equally head turning: a livid-looking scotch bonnet pepper, the backbone of Caribbean cuisine. “What can I say, it’s a catchy name,” says Jason Miskiri, the Guyanese-born, Maryland-raised owner-chef who opened the eatery on the downtown drag of Georgia Avenue in late July. “People seem to gravitate towards it.”
A former local basketball star who went on to play briefly in the NBA for the Charlotte Hornets, Miskiri also owns the Society Restaurant & Lounge down the street. He was the previous owner of Island Flavors in Laurel before he was convicted in 2015 of conspiring to possess, with intent to distribute, more than a ton of marijuana, which he had delivered to the restaurant.
“You learn from the things you’ve done wrong and your mistakes,” he says. “And you do something positive with it. This [restaurant] is a testimony to that.”
The Angry Jerk focuses on classic Caribbean fare, served as traditional entrees or in rice bowls or tacos. There are three proteins to put in your bowl or taco. Seasoned with garlic, pimento pepper (otherwise known as allspice), and scotch bonnets, oxtail is deboned and braised until it shreds at the lightest touch. Jerk chicken, meanwhile, is a multi-day process to make. The meat gets a dry rub and a wet rub before it marinates for up to 48 hours and is rotisserie roasted over hardwood charcoal. Jerk shrimp round out the choices.
Tacos and rice bowls will be individualized at the counter Chipotle-style as soon as Miskiri has the operation running fully (in the meantime, guests give their order at the counter and dishes are assembled in the kitchen). Current toppings include cheery tropical slaw brightened with golden raisins and purple cabbage, pickled slaw, and tongue-tingling pineapple-scotch bonnet puree, though Miskiri plans on expanded these options in the coming days. Finally, diners can add a drizzle of several sauces: sweet ‘n’ spicy, mumbo jerk, jerked barbeque, spicy chipotle jerk mayo, and a next-level hot pepper sauce.
Standalone entrees include gravy-like brown stew hiding chunks of golden brown-fried chicken, whole-fried snapper, and curried chicken. Miskiri’s 77-year-old Guyanese mother, Olga Morton, makes the roti, a traditional unleavened Caribbean flatbread. “She’s been making roti since I was a baby,” Miskiri says. “It was tough to get her to do it because it’s hard on her hands. She’s done well so far though.”
Sides include mac ‘n’ cheese, fried yucca, and fried plantains, while beverage standouts are gingery pineapple juice and sorrel: a vibrantly red hibiscus juice popular throughout the Caribbean.
The Angry Jerk was inspired by Miskiri observing pandemic dining trends. “I noticed a lot of the small carry-outs were doing pretty well,” he says. “And we aren’t out of the pandemic yet.” Silver Spring is already home to several casual eateries focused on Caribbean cuisine, including Reggae Vibes, patty joint Negril, and Port-au-Prince, which specializes in Haitian food.
The space was once home to the Big Greek Café, which moved down the street. There are roughly 20 seats inside, and Miskiri aims to add outdoor seating. Diners can dine in, takeout, or get delivery from DoorDash. The restaurant will soon start doing its own delivery within the immediate area, using a pair of scooters emblazoned with its eye-catching logo.
The Angry Jerk is located at 8223 Georgia Ave., Silver Spring, Md. Open Monday-Thursday 12 p.m.-10 p.m., Friday-Sunday 12 p.m.-3 a.m.
