Chesapeake keeps visitors active and inspired year-round with our many attractions, restaurants, and shops. Black entrepreneurs are an integral part of our city’s unique offerings. Their contribution to Chesapeake’s economy and tourism scene is dynamic, with an impact felt throughout the community.

Cutlass Grille

Cutlass Grille Restaurant, a family-owned establishment, specializes in authentic Jamaican cuisine. Founded by Shawn and Rachel Dawkins, it started as a weekend concession venture, serving their signature Jerk Chicken and Pork. Shawn's cooking skills, honed by replicating his mother's classic Jamaican recipes, are a cornerstone of the restaurant's success.

The name Cutlass Grille honors Shawn's heritage, referencing a tool commonly used in Jamaican farming. Shawn's commitment to cooking with the same love and care as for his own family remains the restaurant's guiding principle.

“Our most popular dish is a tie between two,” says Shawn. “Jerk chicken and oxtails. They’re the most popular items on the menu. But if someone asks me what’s the best thing on the menu, I tell them...everything. Because when I create a menu, I’m only offering the best of the best.”

The Dawkins and their team cook upwards of 150 pounds of oxtails a day. Goat is also immensely popular at Cutlass Grille, requiring the team to cook 300 pounds of goat every week.

“Seeing how successful the restaurant has become is a humbling experience,” says Shawn. “It keeps you grounded. You just want this to continue putting out good product and having a good report among your customers and making this a community-based space.”

Johnson's BBQ

Dan Johnson’s venture into the BBQ business began in 1988. Little did he know, his recipes would turn him into a five-time winner of Best Ribs in America.

“When I was in the military, there was plenty of seafood here, but I couldn’t find any BBQ,” says Johnson. “It’s the opposite of where I came from in Arkansas and Tennessee.”

Johnson served in the military for 32 years and earned a Purple Heart for a bullet wound he received during the Vietnam War. Smoked meats and sandwiches are menu staples at Johnson’s BBQ, a compact, family–owned BBQ joint in simple digs.

Growing up, Johnson and his family celebrated the weekend by cooking BBQ. “Ribs and brisket are my favorite things to cook. They’re what I compete with around the country.”

Johnson and his team travel nationwide to compete, serving huge crowds that can’t wait to try his famous BBQ. In Reno, where the competition brought in 500,000 people, Johnson and his team ran 12 lines to meet the massive demand.

His signature sauces include a sweet sauce and a spicy, “thermonuclear” sauce first developed by his father during World War II. When asked about what pepper he uses in his hot sauce, Johnson laughed. “You can get military secrets faster than you can get that recipe.”

At age 80, Johnson still travels to compete around the country four months a year, bringing his award-winning BBQ to excited customers all over the U.S. “I like the competition,” he says. “It challenges you to be your very best.”

Now You're Cooking Culinary Studio

Chef Dedra Blount and her identical twin sister, Debra Brabson, opened Now You’re Cooking Culinary Studio to share their passion for healthy meals through education, exploration and invitation to the culinary arts.

In the decade since Now You’re Cooking opened its doors, people of all ages have taken a newfound confidence home with them to their kitchen. Some have even excelled in the professional space—including a young, aspiring student who appeared twice on Food Network’s Kids Baking Championship.

Debra Brabson heads up classes for kids, including those with special needs. “My favorite part of the job is turning a light on for them,” she says. “I enjoy them being proud of themselves and trying new things. It’s amazing how these kids respond to enjoying the fruits of their labor.”

“The expectation is to have a whole lot of fun,” says Chef Dedra Blount. “We laugh a lot, we dance and we make some really good food. We teach them that cooking means both sharing and giving.”

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