
Photo: Symphony Webber/Axios
You may recognize Jimmy Pearls from its pop-up restaurant at 7th Street Public Market or their oyster dinners with Leah and Louise.
Now, co-owners and chefs Oscar Johnson and DC “Coop” Cooper will serve up their Tidewater, Virginia-inspired cuisine in a new venture — a food truck named Jimmy P’s Street Shack.
Why it matters: The food at Jimmy P’s is inspired by the African Diaspora and the family traditions passed down to Johnson and Cooper.
- “There’s a lot of history behind all the stuff that we do, no matter how simple it looks,” Cooper tells me.
- Their most popular menu item, Uncle Gene’s Fish Sandwich, isn’t your run-of-the-mill fish sandwich. It’s fried local fish topped with field pea slaw and garnished with Jimmy Sauce, house-made hot sauce packed onto a brioche roll.

Uncle Gene’s Fish Sandwich.
What to expect: Jimmy P’s Street Shack serves approachable food items with a fast-casual flair. The pop-up Jimmy Pearls, on the other hand, is more refined. As Cooper puts it, “you won’t catch our fish sandwich at Jimmy Pearls.”
- Both divisions feature carefully thought out menu items and locally sourced seafood, hand-cut fries and house-made sauces.
Location/hours: You can keep up with Jimmy P’s Street Shack by following their Instagram page for pop-up events, times, and location updates.

DC “Coop” Cooper (L) and Oscar Johnson