Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Get Your Nosh on at Jambo Cafe

Ok, so Jambo Cafe is delicious- no doubt.  While I love New Mexican food, sometimes a girl wants to mix it up.  Enter Jambo Cafe. Jambo came on the scene a few years ago in an unassuming strip mall in a space next to Hobby Lobby.  (For you locals, it is by the intersection of Cerrillos & St. Mike's.)  The cuisine is labelled as "African Homestyle" which could mean anything.  My impression is that it trends towards the Caribbean.  According to the website, the chef is Kenyan.   However you want to label it, it's go-od.

I was there most recently two weeks ago with a gal pal of mine vising from Albuquerque.  We lucked out and snagged two seats at the very small bar with minimal waiting.  Apparently, I am not the only one who likes Jambo and other recent attempts at eating there were thwarted by 45 minute + wait times.  But do not be deterred!  We peered into the storefront next door which was under construction for additional Jambo Cafe seating.  My impression was that it would nearly double the amount of dining room space.  Huzzah!

For starters, we shared Coconut Shrimp and Phyllo Triangles.

The coconut shrimp was not that sickly sweet garbage you usually find as an appetizer.  It was pleasantly coconutty and the sauce was sweetened with citrus.  The phyllo triangles were an unexpected departure from the regular spinach and feta fare- they had a cumin flavor and contained garbanzo beans.

For dinner I opted for the special of the day, which was beef, okra, and vegetable stew.


It came with rice and a huge slab of grilled pineapple.  The portion was generous.

I've had other things here- goat stew, lamb sandwich, jerk chicken- and they were all consistently delicious meals.  The atmosphere is casual and intimate and the prices are very reasonable. All entrees are less than $15 a pop, sandwich platters are less than $10, and they serve wines by the glass.  Drawbacks in the past have been wait times and poor waiter service although I did not have any of these issues the most recent time I went which means it's pretty much near perfect.

No comments:

Post a Comment