Howard Stubbs, better known as Chef Howard, isn’t your typical street vendor. Originally from New York, he started selling hotdogs on the street with his parents and was soon featured by USA Today. That story got the attention of Johnson and Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island, and Stubbs was awarded a $50,000 scholarship. After graduating with degrees in culinary arts and food-service management, he moved to Miami, where he worked in various restaurants for a while but always felt something was missing. He decided to quit his job as a chef and started selling soda and water on South Beach.
Then he moved on to Wynwood, where he sold chicken and ribs. It wasn’t until months later that he was driving in South Dade and came across one guy selling avocados and another selling watermelons.
So he moved his business to the corner of SW 112th Avenue and 216th Street next to a RaceTrac gas station, where he serves a full menu that includes ribs, Jamaican jerk chicken, baked beans, shrimp Mac and Cheese, rice and peas and on Saturdays, a chef’s special oxtail dinner. He operates Thursdays from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m., Fridays from 4:30 to 10 p.m., Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m to 10:00 p.m., or until he sells out.
On top of your choice of meat, you can add multiple sauces such as traditional, hot and jerk. You can choose from Jamaican sodas such as kola champagne and pineapple. If you want to keep it simple you also have the option of Sprite, Coca-Cola, Jupiña, Powerade and bottled water.
Stubbs says the business has been growing for five years thanks largely to his loyal following. “If it wasn’t for my customers and if it wasn’t for the people that love me on 112 and 216, I wouldn’t be anywhere,” said Chef Howard.
