Bold Flavors, Big Vision

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Posted on July 28, 2026 by Teri Greene

Teri Greene

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Inside Vandals Street Kitchen in West Mobile, the scene is electric: walls splashed with murals, neon-soaked upholstery, colorful lights and a playlist that keeps the room alive. The food mirrors the vibe — bold, global and playful.

Behind it is Leslie McCleskey '14, a South accounting alumna who co-owns Vandals with Gerri Hallmark. Together, they created a Latin-Asian fusion restaurant where diners find al pastor tacos, birria pho and Korean chicken bao buns.

McCleskey’s restaurant roots go back to college. At South, she became the first server at the original Rock N Roll Sushi in Bel Air Mall. She and husband Chase later became the chain’s first franchisees, opening Saraland and Midtown locations. Alongside Rock N Roll founders Lance and Gerri Hallmark, the McCleskeys helped shape the brand into a national franchise.

That experience taught McCleskey how to scale a restaurant without losing its personality. With Vandals, she takes that lesson in a new direction.

McCleskey and Hallmark, both of Vietnamese descent and self-described food fanatics, drew from New York hot spots, markets abroad, family recipes and modern techniques.

The result is a place where dumplings share space with tacos, and cocktails are as eye-catching as the entrees — including a citrus margarita crowned with a mango ice pop.

“We wanted a trendy place where it’s fun to be, with good food and a great atmosphere,” McCleskey says. “At so many restaurants, the vibe and atmosphere are just not there.”

She also wants Vandals to build community in West Mobile. In August, the restaurant hosted its first street market, drawing more than a dozen artists and vendors while the kitchen served crowd-pleasers like street corn and Korean fried chicken wings.

Running a restaurant takes more than energy and vision. McCleskey credits her accounting degree with grounding her in the numbers. That balance, she says, makes creative 
risks possible.

As Vandals grows, she and Hallmark keep refining their mix of art, food and culture, asking what will surprise and delight guests next. For now, Mobile’s answer is clear: street food, with style.

This article appeared in the 2025-2026 issue of the Mitchell Magazine, an annual publication of the Mitchell College of Business. READ THE FULL ISSUE >>>

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