Built by family.
Rebuilt by fire.
From Manchester Parish, Jamaica to East Waco, Texas — the story of a family, a fire, and a community that showed up.
Three of us, one kitchen
Vivia (Mom), our head chef, carries recipes from Prattville, Manchester Parish, Jamaica — the curries, the jerk, the rice and peas that taste like home because they are home. Aniceto (Son & Brother) runs the business and the community side. Mercedes (Sister & Daughter) keeps the family operation moving.
In 2016 the family bought the building at 937 Taylor Street in East Waco, and in 2019 Tru Jamaica opened its doors as Waco's first and only authentic Jamaican restaurant.
Then, on December 8, 2022, came the fire. It closed our dining room — but it never closed our kitchen. We moved everything into the food truck and kept cooking, and Waco lined up for us day after day, month after month. That loyalty carried us through nearly three years of rebuilding. On October 15, 2025, we finally reopened our doors — and the same community that lined up at the truck lined up again. That is why every plate still gets the family treatment. Read more about our comeback after the fire.
Today Tru Jamaica is more than a restaurant: it's a food truck, a catering team, and a licensed commissary kitchen helping Waco's next generation of food entrepreneurs get their start — all rooted right here in East Waco.
— Aniceto, Vivia & Mercedes
The Family
- Roots
Family recipes carried from Prattville, Manchester Parish, Jamaica.
- 2016
The Family buys 937 Taylor Street in East Waco.
- 2019
Tru Jamaica opens — Waco's first authentic Jamaican restaurant.
- Dec 8, 2022
A devastating fire tears through the restaurant, forcing an extended closure of the dining room.
- Food Truck Era
The family operates exclusively from the food truck. The community rallies.
- Oct 15, 2025
After nearly three years, Tru Jamaica reopens its doors — rebuilt, and welcomed back by a community that never left.
- Today
Restaurant, food truck, catering, and a commissary kitchen supporting local food entrepreneurs.
Did you know?
The heat is heritage. The Scotch bonnet in our jerk and curries is the same pepper Jamaican cooks have used for generations — fruity, floral, and fiery.
Jerk was born in the mountains. The technique comes from the Maroons — freedom fighters who perfected slow-smoking meat over pimento wood while living free in Jamaica's hills.
Rice & peas isn't peas. The "peas" are kidney beans, and the magic is coconut milk — the Sunday-dinner side every Jamaican grew up on.
Our colors mean something. The flag's black, green & gold stand for the strength of the people, the land, and the sunshine — the spirit we cook with.
From Manchester Parish. Mama Vivia's recipes come from Prattville in Manchester Parish, Jamaica — carried across the ocean to East Waco, unchanged.
Rum cake is serious business. Traditional Jamaican rum cake soaks fruit in rum for weeks — ours is made in-house with Jamaican Overproof Rum.
Come eat with the family
The best way to hear our story is over a plate of oxtails. Dine in at 937 Taylor St, or order online for pickup or delivery.
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