How do you top being a two-time Olympic gold medal winner? Uh, by being a three-time Olympic gold medal winner.
No, Alex, that’s not where we’re going with this. For Jamaican sprinter Yohan Blake, he topped his sports life by fulfilling a lifelong dream here in SoFlo: running his own restaurant.
Let’s get this straight. Yohan Blake accomplished great things on the track.
Yohan Blake: “I’m the second-fastest man, not just on planet Earth, but in the universe.”
It’s not bragging if you can do it — and he’s got the numbers to back it up.
Yohan Blake: “Running 9.6 and 19.26, no human apart from Usain Bolt has ever done that, and it’s me.”
Now he’s turning out great food at The Butcher’s Barrel in Oakland Park.
Yohan Blake: “Winery and steak, but we have different dishes as well. We cater to not just only one set of people but for everyone.”
When he wasn’t setting records outrunning the competition, he had another goal in mind.
Yohan Blake: “I always said to my friend, ‘I would love to sit in my restaurant and eat some food.’ I said, ‘Why not put it together and do it?'”
Now that he’s hung up his track shoes, the Barrel gives him another way to channel his energy.
Yohan Blake: “Everyone was thinking I would go off in commentary, you know, in something to do in sports, but I have given track and field 20 years of my life. You know, I need something different.”
Yohan recently took over the restaurant. He’s really getting into the Fort Lauderdale vibe.
Yohan Blake: “It’s really nice, it’s quiet, the people are really friendly, they are loving, and I love that.”
People are loving the food as well … like the lamb chops with red pepper hummus and pita bread. Everything’s top-shelf here.
Yohan Blake: “It’s Wagyu steak. It’s come all the way from Japan. We have this macaroni and cheese dish that we do, beautiful, and the hamburgers. It’s marvelous.”
Yohan’s Jamaican roots are on display in the Rasta Pasta with shrimp and cream sauce, and the jerk chicken with beef tips, plantains, rice and beans takes you straight to the Caribbean.
Yohan Blake: “I always like to see people happy, and when they come and eat the food, I want them to feel pleased.”
It’s not just the locals that are wishing Yohan well. Politicians from his homeland are also on board.
Oliver Mair, Consul General of Jamaica: “Yohan Blake is a legend for all of us. Second-fastest man ever in 100 meters and 200 meters, he has made Jamaica proud, so it means a lot to us that he’s here, and we want to support and give back to him.”
FYI, it’s beer and wine only in this joint.
You’ll toast to your good luck at finding Butcher’s Barrel.
Patron: “Butcher’s Barrel is amazing. They have an awesome staff, and their food is awesome with a Caribbean flair.”
FOR MORE INFO:
The Butcher’s Barrel
3580 NE 12th Ave.
Oakland Park, FL 33334
thebutchersbarrel
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