Summers in Southern California have been getting hotter over the last few years. The sunshine is abundant and the food delectable. One of my favorite ways to cool off and relax is over food, drinks and live music.
In June of 2017, a new Latin restaurant opened in a shopping center where there used to be the International House of Pancakes. I admit that I was reluctant to try it because of the two aforementioned reasons. How good could it be? Growing bored of our usual dinner spots, we decided to try Cha Cha’s Latin Kitchen. Boy, was I surprised.
The dining room is open, airy and laid back. There are tables inside and outside on the patio. The bar divides the two seating areas and has chairs on both sides. It’s very inviting and feels like an upscale bar off the Yucatan Peninsula facing the Caribbean Sea. Adding to the ambiance is live music in the evenings. As I have mentioned before, I LOVE live music. Here are a few menu items I tried.
- Appetizer: Shrimp Ceviche- Gluten Free (I try to stay away from Gluten when possible.) $13
This dish was extremely fresh and light. It was a little sweet and savory. I had to exercise self-control with the chips. Mmm
- Entrée: 3 Taco Plate served with organic corn tortillas, black beans and rice. $14
The have several options to choose from. You can have all 3 the same or mix and match. I chose the Carnitas, Short Rib and Fresh Fish (Note: the fish was fried). Of the three, the short rib just melted in my mouth. It was paired with goat cheese, radish and I substituted corn for the flour tortilla. AMAZING!
- Dessert: Chocolate Decadent Brownie $6.5
I am not generally a dessert person but, brownies have been known to be my weakness. While well presented, there was a spice similar to nutmeg or anise that was added for a twist to the traditional brownie we’ve come to love. I wasn’t a huge fan.
- Cocktail: Classic Margarita $9 ($2 off during happy hour)
THIS was the show stopper! Anytime a bar uses fresh juice instead of pre-made mixes, I will be back. This is hand shaken and served on the rocks. So many margaritas are too sweet and so juice heavy the flavor of the tequila is masked. Not with Cha Cha’s. The tequila stood out but was smooth and flavorful.
All in all, this is a great restaurant. It’s great for happy hour (Sunday-Thursday All Day and Night and Friday-Saturday 11:30am-7pm) WOW, Sunday Brunch ($24 add on $10 for bottomless mimosas), and family nights. The bathrooms were clean and plenty of free parking. I give it two thumbs up!