Step out of Texas and into Jamaica, resort-dining style, at Chef Ras Kitchen

By Janna Zepp | Photos courtesy of Ras Kitchen

Chef Norris “Ras” Barr was born into poverty in Kingston, Jamaica, the oldest of seven children: four girls and three boys all raised by their single mother and grandmothers. He lived with his maternal grandmother away from Kingston from the time he was 3 months old until he was 9. He and his grandmother would gather fruits and vegetables from around their home and make a meal together. He never truly knew hunger until he moved back to Kingston with his mother.

“There were times when we did not eat for three days. When we did eat, my mother would make the most wonderful dishes and we would eat so well,” Barr says. “My grandmother would bring food with her when she visited. But until then, we had nothing.”

In his Kingston neighborhood, Barr and his friends would fight hunger by “running a boat,” a Jamaican term for a “potluck” meal.

“Friends would gather ingredients to make a dish so we all could eat,” he says. “I would cook all the ingredients together to make a meal. Sometimes, it was really good.”

Barr vowed that one day, he would be surrounded by food, and he would cook it, making the most of what he had to use for ingredients. He would never starve again and neither would anyone he met. To make that dream happen, he left Jamaica and moved to America and began cooking at various Jamaican restaurants.

It was not until he moved to Washington, D.C., where he met an old Rastafarian man who taught him the art of cooking authentic Caribbean dishes. After three years cooking with his mentor, Barr became wildly popular with his customers. Cooking Caribbean cuisine became Barr’s passion, and he coined the phrase describing his commitment to his art as “More Wicked Than the Rest,” meaning that he wanted to be the best at cooking and creating Caribbean dishes, especially Jamaican food.

Eventually, Barr moved to Killeen where he met a future business partner who asked what he did for a living. Barr responded that he cooked great Jamaican food, inviting the man to his home. Barr’s wife, Emilie Wright, says that after one bite of Barr’s fare, the man was convinced he wanted to open a restaurant with Barr. One Love was the name of the first restaurant in Killeen, and it was wildly successful.

As is the way with many restaurants, Barr, like many chefs, went his own way to pursue the dream of owning a restaurant. He spent time cooking at events, clubs, bars, storefronts and private parties to build his brand and make a name for himself in Central Texas.

After a year, he found a location to call his own, spending another eight months getting the establishment up and running. Ras Kitchen was originally on South Second Street in Killeen. He then moved to the Killeen Mall to open an eatery there, becoming one of the first Black-owned and Caribbean-owned restaurants in that food court, but the COVID-19 pandemic forced him to close. He and his wife did delivery-only service until conditions eased. Then they found a new home in Temple.

“There are lots of Jamaican restaurants, but they do not offer sit-down service. Only pick up and delivery,” Wright says. She is Chef Ras’ elegant, gracious, and eloquent hostess who explains each dish to customers and makes them feel at home from the moment they enter the restaurant (be sure to ask her about the skin care product line she has created if you go).

“We want you to feel well taken care of when you visit us,” she says. “Not everyone has experienced Jamaican food, so we want to make sure you are happy with what you’ve ordered.”

“I want to offer a dine-in service with Jamaican atmosphere,” Barr says. “The kind of food you might find in a Jamaican resort. We have a bar, wine and beer. I want you to savor your experience with us when you come.”

Barr and Wright have expanded the menu to seafood items, including whole lobster, soft-shell crab, whole shrimp, and traditional favorites like Escovitch Fish now served on lobsters. Included in the services offered by Chef Ras Kitchen are reservations and a space for events with up to 250 people.

“I want to give back to my community. While we were in Killeen, we participated in more than 30 community events, bringing our food to each one,” Barr says. “No one goes hungry. I know when someone is hungry and cannot pay, they need that love that food brings. I seldom turn anyone away. Someone helped me when I needed it. I want to return that favor whenever I can.”

Ras Kitchen
17 S. Main St., Temple
254-833-9333
raskitchentx.com