You need to try the new sandwich at this Jamaican restaurant in Fayetteville. Here's why

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Hi foodies,

A couple weeks ago, I interviewed LaQuia Rodriguez, 41, a Fayetteville tax professional, military spouse and mom of four for our Ask a Local series.

She said that one can’t-miss dish in Cumberland County is the new mac patty with oxtail sandwich at SimLo’s Island Cafe.

After hearing her description — a Jamaican beef patty, oxtail meat and macaroni and cheese piled on sweet coco bread — I knew I had to try it. And I’m so glad I did.

The restaurant on Boone Trail Extension, where hot pepper sauce graces every table, reggae tunes play over the speakers and the cooler is stocked with Caribbean sodas, pays homage to owner Simone Atlan’s native Jamaica.

She said her path to becoming the owner of a restaurant that some say has the best food in the ‘ville started when she and her husband hosted a group of his fellow Army soldiers for dinner.

Soon after that, the soldiers requested Atlan’s scratch-made oxtail, goat curry, jerk chicken and other Jamaican dishes for lunch. Before long, she sold lunch plates to soldiers every Thursday. She worked at Walmart at the time, and began selling plates to her coworkers, too.

Her customers asked her to open a food truck or a restaurant, Atlan said, and she took their advice. Now, she’s celebrating more than a year in business.

The new mac patty and oxtail sandwich — which she said is a plussed-up version of coco bread and beef patty, a meal commonly eaten in Jamaica — has made its rounds on social media.

It’s easy to see why Fayetteville has embraced it. Intensely savory meat paired with creamy macaroni and cheese and sweet bread makes for a winning combination.

But don’t take my word for it. This one’s worth trying for yourself.

Happy eating,

Taylor

Taylor Shook writes about food, dining and business for The Fayetteville Observer. She can be reached at [email protected], on Twitter, or Facebook. 

This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Mac patty and oxtail sandwich at SimLo's Island Cafe is a must-try