Fayetteville-owned deli and Jamaican restaurant to open at Cross Creek Mall food court

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Hi foodies,

You might already know that several chain restaurants are coming to Cross Creek Mall: a Texas-founded casual Cajun spot; an all-you-eat eat sushi joint based in Raleigh; and a Caribbean-themed eatery from Florida.

But soon, you'll be able to grab a bite from Fayetteville-owned spots in the food court.

SimLo’s Island Cafe and Manhattan Deli & Grill are both slated to open mall outposts in mid-December, Alisa Reyes-Carrion, Cross Creek Mall leasing and advertisement manager, said Tuesday.

The 700-square-foot site of the former Pho Love will soon house SimLo’s Island Cafe.

The original restaurant, where hot pepper sauce graces every table, reggae tunes play over the speakers and the cooler is stocked with Caribbean sodas, pays homage to owner Simone Atlan’s native Jamaica.

Atlan opened SimLo’s last year with her husband. Recently, it gained notoriety on social media for its mac patty and oxtail sandwich, but the jerk chicken and curried goat are also popular.

The food court location will serve a paired-down version of the original menu, Atlan said.

"I'm excited. We're going to be the only Jamaican spot at the mall," she said.

Manhattan Deli & Grill is opening at the 600-square-foot stall where Rookies Express operated until February.

The deli got its start in Fayetteville with a 24/7 location on Village Drive in 2012 before opening a second restaurant on Camden Road in 2020 and a third on Great Lane in Raeford earlier this year.

The mall location will serve breakfast sandwiches, hot and cold subs, and customizable salads with Mediterranean-inspired toppings, owner Joe Ali said.

"A lot of people go to the mall,” he said. “I want them to try my food.”

Here’s to more local options in the city’s retail epicenter, just in time for the holiday shopping season. Cheers!

Happy eating,

Taylor

Taylor Shook writes about food, dining and business for The Fayetteville Observer. She can be reached at [email protected], on Twitter, or Facebook. 

This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: SimLo's and Manhattan Deli to open at Fayetteville's Cross Creek Mall