Oxtail Alfredo? Count Me In: Marie Visit Soul Food Gem J's Eatery
By Marie Adams
Hey guys! It's your girl, Marie, with Flavors of Travel, and I have to tell you about this incredible dish I discovered right here in San Antonio.
How This All Started
You know, I started doing food reviews in my community just to support small businesses. Then I visited Richmond, Virginia, and something clicked. I remembered how much I loved to travel and how every city has its own taste, rhythm, and soul. And because I believe so strongly in community, I decided to start bringing those experiences home—recreating my favorite dishes with the people I love.
That's what Flavors of Travel is all about. Food is more than a meal. It's a story, a history, and a bridge between cultures. And on this show, I taste the world and bring the flavors home.
Discovering J's Eatery
So today, I'm introducing you guys to J's Eatery, right here in San Antonio. They're serving up some of the best food in the city, and when I found out they have an oxtail alfredo, I was like, "Yo, count me in."
I met Jeffries, who owns the restaurant with his wife, Ms. Judy Jeffries. He's from Chicago and moved to San Antonio back in 2010. His wife is from Albuquerque, New Mexico, and she has this amazing talent for cooking that he just loves. So they decided to open J's Eatery together—the J stands for Jeffries.
When I asked why they chose the East Side for their location, Jeffries's answer really touched me. Coming from Chicago and being part of a strong Black community there, he wanted to be in the midst of "our people." The East Side felt like the right place to be. That's the kind of intention and community focus that I'm always looking for.
Sitting Down with Ms. Judy
I got the chance to sit down with Ms. Judy herself, and let me tell you, her story is incredible. When I asked what inspired her to open J's Eatery, her answer was all about community and connection.
"Basically, sisterhood," she told me. "I think we need a place to come and chill out and have our girl time, family time. You know, when you're with your partner, your husband, your girlfriend—just a place to chill where you don't hear all the crying and the screaming and the hustle and the bustle, and just to have that one-on-one."
That vision of creating a peaceful space for people to connect over good food? That's what makes J's Eatery special.
A Chef Shaped by Travel
Ms. Judy's culinary journey is just as interesting as mine. She played basketball overseas, and part of her contract actually allowed her to go into kitchens and cook with different chefs in the area. For her, cooking was a way to relax, and she took every opportunity to learn different flavors and techniques from around the world.
But here's what I loved most about our conversation: despite all that international experience, what brought her back home was her love for simple, down-to-earth home-cooked food.
"Don't give me all these flairs with the fire and the flame and this sauce and toss it over your back," she said with a laugh. "Just keep it fresh, keep it real. That's it."
That philosophy—honoring the comfort and authenticity of home cooking while incorporating global influences, is exactly what makes dishes like their oxtail alfredo work so well.
Bringing It Home: My Two-Day Oxtail Adventure
Okay, so you know how we do on this show—I had to recreate this dish at home. And let me tell you, this was a journey.
First, let me be real with you: I'm not a chef. I cut most of the prep work off camera because I was like, "You guys are not about to be talking to me and the way I be chopping stuff up." It was a real rough chop on pretty much all of it, so don't judge me!
I started with 2 pounds of oxtail that I washed and tried to trim as much fat off as I could. For the marinade, I used:
Fresh ginger, roughly chopped
Habanero peppers (because I cannot find Scotch bonnet peppers anywhere)—but here's the thing: I don't actually want the oxtail super spicy, so I don't cut these up. All I do is stab 'em.
Chef Kaius house seasoning, which has everything I'd want: salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, poultry seasoning, MSG, and paprika
Some olive oil just to help the seasonings stick a little bit
Browning sauce
Soy sauce
If I'm being honest, that house seasoning pretty much has everything I would want to put in there, but we still added some extra stuff to really make it special.
The Moment of Truth
After two days of marinating and cooking, it was finally time. No filters, no flash—just me and this plate of oxtail alfredo.
Listen. We could put this in rotation. We really could.
I just would have not thought to put oxtail and alfredo together. Like, who thinks of that? But it works out well. The tender, fall-off-the-bone oxtail with that creamy alfredo sauce? Caribbean meets Italian, and somehow it just makes sense.
Why This Matters to Me
This is exactly why I do what I do. Every city has these hidden gems—restaurants like J's Eatery where owners are pouring their heart into their community, creating dishes that push boundaries and bring people together. Ms. Judy's vision of creating a peaceful space where people can have real one-on-one time, combined with her commitment to keeping food fresh and real, is what hospitality is all about.
And then we get to take those experiences home, share them with the people we love, and keep those flavors and stories alive.
So thank you for hanging out with me on this journey. I'm about to devour the rest of this, and until next time, we'll see you on the next episode.
Peace!
