Best of Cleveland 2016: Food Court Fare

Irie Patties’ jerk chicken, braised oxtail and more has us acting like teenagers hanging at the mall.

by Jason Brill | Oct. 11, 2016 | 4:00 PM

We’re considering a new career as professional mallrats just so we can eat at Irie Patties every day. Sandwiched between a Charlie’s Subs and Asian Chow, Omar McKay’s Jamaican restaurant at Richmond Town Square takes a butcher knife to traditional mall food court fare. From tender, beefy oxtail ($12) braised for four hours to the namesake patties ($2.50) of spicy ground beef or curried chicken stuffed into flaky baked dough, Jamaican native McKay has introduced us to food he grew up making with his family. “The word irie means happy,” he says. “It’s good-feeling food.” 691 Richmond Road, Richmond Heights, 440-684-9997, eatiriepatties.com