What is hibachi soul food? Here’s what to expect at new Modesto-area restaurant
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- Kurbside Eatery blends hibachi cooking with Creole soul food in Denair.
- Edward and Gabriella Jackson opened the restaurant after years of curbside catering.
- Kurbside will host a school supply drive Aug. 17, offering free backpacks and shopping from local vendors.
From the darkness comes light, or so the saying goes, and a Stanislaus County couple has embodied it with the opening of their restaurant, which was inspired by the COVID-19 pandemic.
During a time when restaurants were having to shut down, Edward and Gabriella Jackson decided to open — and their business’ name matched their intention. Kurbside Eatery N Thingz was established in 2019.
“If you remember, everything was curbside pickup,” Edward Jackson said. “So we stuck with the theme. We started doing curbside caterings. We did pop-ups and meet-up locations.”
“Just a California kid,” Edward Jackson said he was born in Oakland, raised in Merced and graduated in 2020 from the B5 Foundation Culinary Arts Academy Program in San Diego.
He and his wife, Gabriella, wanted to open Kurbside Eatery because he said the pandemic wiped out a lot of good food options in the area.
After around six years of catering and events, the Jacksons found the opportunity to open a brick and mortar in Denair — though that wasn’t initially in the plans.
The next step was supposed to be a food trailer, which Edward Jackson says they are still building and will open in 12 to 15 months.
“We gained a lot of traction here in the Turlock-Modesto-Denair area,” he said. “The people kind of pushed us (to open the restaurant).”
The restaurant opened in April, serving hibachi soul food — a fusion of a Japanese cooking style with Creole flavors.
As far as the seasoning goes, Jackson makes his own. But there are no measurements involved when it comes to adding his blend to his recipes.
“I season until my ancestors tell me, ‘that’s enough,’” he said.
Regularly on the menu is “hibachi soul,” small bites, smash burgers and loaded potatoes.
Hibachi options come with rice, “rocket noodles” or a mix of both and protein choices are chicken, ribeye steak, shrimp, salmon or a three-way combo.
Small bites include dry-rubbed, fried ribs with fries, wings by the piece and fried shrimp with fries.
Smash burgers can have a single or a double patty and loaded potatoes can be topped with carne asada, chicken, shrimp or pulled pork.
Jackson’s mother and grandmother were born and raised in Louisiana, and some of the restaurant’s specials are an ode to their roots.
It’s a tradition in the south to do fish fries on Fridays, Jackson said, and so that is his special for Fridays at the restaurant. The three basket options come with a choice of two, three or four proteins, ranging from $20-$30.
Customers can choose from catfish, chicken tenders, chicken wings or jumbo shrimp. All baskets come with “smack n cheese” and country greens.
Sundays at the restaurant are “soul food Sundays.” What’s served on Sundays rotates, Jackson said. Food served at past “soul food Sundays” has been seafood boil, barbecue, oxtails and jerk chicken.
“You come here hungry and leave happy,” Jackson said.
Desserts are also made in house and include banana pudding, 7 Up cake and peach cobbler.
Kurbside is open Wednesday through Sunday from noon to 8 p.m. at 4332 Main St. in Denair.
Back-to-school drive at Kurbside Eatery
Kurbside Eatery, in collaboration with community event organizer Lisa & Co, is hosting a back to school drive which will include school supply giveaways and the opportunity to shop local vendors.
The drive will be held August 17 at Kurbside from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Free backpacks will be given to the first 100 kids who visit. School supply donations received from vendors and other donors will also be given away to students at the event and any extra will be donated to local schools.
There will be a total of 50 vendors at the event, and the Jacksons said they are still accepting applications as well as school donations “of any sort.” Visit instagram.com/im_him_209 for more information.
This story was originally published July 28, 2025 at 4:00 PM.
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