One Plate, Two Homelands: OSU Jerk Grill Blends Jamaican and Ghanaian Cuisine in Norwalk

NORWALK, Conn. — As Caribbean Heritage Month comes to a close here in Norwalk, there were few formal events or public acknowledgements to mark it. But just off the I-95, the scent of jerk chicken and the fluttering of Jamaican and Ghanaian flags offer a quieter celebration of diasporic identity.

At OSU Jerk Grill, Enoch Sowah, who owns the restaurant with his brother, Joshua Gameklu, sees the kitchen as more than a workplace.

“The goal is to celebrate the diverse cultures of Ghana and Jamaica, but also highlight the similarities of the call of these two countries and our shared history,” said Sowah over a phone call.

Originally from Ghana in West Africa, Sowah, 32, grew up in the Bronx. Sowah and Gameklu took over the site at 182 Connecticut Avenue, which had previously been home to a solely Jamaican restaurant called No Leftovers after its owner retired in 2023.

“We were in the neighborhood visiting a friend,” Sowah recalled. “We started the conversation with the owner of the restaurant at the time, and just kind of hit it off in terms of just how culturally similar we are, even though the two countries are oceans apart.”

And instead of scrapping what came before, the brothers preserved it by celebrating “the similarities and also the differences” between the two cultures and countries that brought them all together.

“[We] kept the authentic Jamaican flavors, kept the staff, brought in chefs from Jamaica and Ghana,” Sowah said. “It wasn’t just these were folks from Ghana who were just going to introduce African dishes, but we saw it as something especially in the city of Norwalk to be a place where different cultures could come together and experience the culture through food.”

The result is literally a fusion. Sowah said it was challenging to think of a dish that is the star of the menu when considering the authentic flavors from both Jamaica and Ghana. But, there is one that has become a crowd favorite. 

“Jollof rice, which is a traditional rice dish from Ghana, and Jamaican curry goat,” he said. “Every time I see someone order that, it brings a lot of joy to my face, because I see someone celebrate both cultures.”

Other dishes on the menu reflect a deeper cultural overlap. 

“One of the biggest staples [in Jamaica] is rice and peas,” Sowah said. 

Over in Ghana, if you cook it a bit differently, it is called waakye, which is also rice and peas, according to Sowah. He went on to explain that even ingredients like ackee, Jamaica’s national fruit, can be traced back to Ghana, where it was known as poisonous and something not to eat.

“As a result of the history of slavery and migration, the Caribbean was able to make something out of it and come up with a very delicious meal,” he said.

The restaurant’s chefs represent both homelands. Josephine Biade prepares the Ghanaian cuisine while Courtney Collins makes the Jamaican and Caribbean dishes. 

“[We are] grateful to have our chefs who do an amazing job in keeping quality and keeping the authentic flavors of both cultures, and make people come back for more,” Sowah said.

While the restaurant opens at 9 a.m., they start the day early, from around 5:30 a.m., preparing meals, usually breakfast, according to Sowah. As music plays in the background, everyone has their assigned roles and tasks in preparing the restaurant for customers, whether it is taking inventory, keeping the place tidy, or ensuring there are enough chairs under the tent outside for customers to sit.

“It’s basically a wash, rinse, and repeat situation,” Sowah said.

The rhythm continues six days a week, with Mondays being their only day off. The location’s visibility from the highway helps to draw a diverse crowd, with customers recommending their dishes to others to try. 

“For us, that has always been the goal,” according to Sowah. “It hasn’t just always been about food, but something that celebrates culture, celebrates people, celebrates diversity, and celebrates togetherness.”

Running a small business rooted in cultural authenticity comes with its share of challenges, and while “exciting,” it is also work that “never stops,” said Sowah, especially with “rising costs and people genuinely hurting.”

“We just want people, regardless of income status or cultures, to be able to enjoy a meal,” he said. 

However, at the same time, according to Sowah, one of the biggest challenges is finding out how to make food that is “affordable for everyone to enjoy, but also making sure that you also meet payroll and meet other expenses.”

At the beginning, there were doubts from customers with a “bunch of African brothers taking over a Caribbean restaurant” in regards to “authenticity and keeping the flavors,” Sowah said. One of the first things customers noticed, according to him, was the Ghanaian accent the brothers have.

However, once customers tasted the food, conversations often followed.

“We just allowed the food to do its talking,” he said. “Then we kind of strike off a conversation and talk to them about the differences and the similarities and just the diversity and the beauty of our two cultures.”

Sometimes these exchanges led to moments of discovery. Sowah said in a discussion with one customer that he pointed out that “the colors of the Jamaican flag come from one of the biggest tribes in Ghana, the Ashanti tribe.” As for the black star in the Ghanaian flag, it “is an ode to Marcus Garvey” and his mission of “the unification of Africans in the diaspora.”

Sowah envisions that in the future, Caribbean Heritage Month could evolve into a small festival in Norwalk, complete with food, drinks, and panels in the parks.

“I think more community-focused events that get people out and get people to interact and mingle with each other could be a move,” he said. 

For now, however, OSU Jerk Grill is one of the few public-facing spaces in Norwalk where Caribbean culture is visible on a daily basis.

“You may not necessarily have to take a plane down to Ghana or Jamaica or any other country in Africa or the Caribbean,” said Sowah. “But once you stop by, you grab a bite, you get to experience the oneness and the togetherness of the people and the resilience and the culture and the love that that you know exists between all of us.”