Caribbean style

By Michelle K. Drysdale, On-Line Forty-Niner

Wednesday, October 7, 1998

Cha Cha Cha is more than a cheerfully exotic Caribbean joint with infectious island music vibrating on the stereo.

The restaurant has its own style while creating a much needed change of pace in the dining industry. With its colorful walls and quaint outside seating, Cha Cha Cha feels Caribbean.

While food, like fashion, changes with the times, one thing has not changed: appetites. The food at Cha Cha Cha is hearty, with incredible flavors and large portions that leave little room for complaint.

Several dishes stand out from the crowd. Jamaican Jerk Chicken is a savory grilled chicken cooked in Jamaican jerk sauce, Caribbean spices, black pepper, molasses and beer. Camarones al Caribe is shrimp sautéed in butter, garlic and a Caribbean spice. The dishes are Cha Cha Cha at its finest.

No good meal is complete without good drinks. Cha Cha Cha offers a Martini Madness menu with nine different martinis. Another drink, the Wombat, is suitable for melon lovers and contains chilled vodka, melon, raspberry, coconut rum and pineapple juice.

Cha Cha Cha is moderately priced and is just around the corner from Cal State Long Beach. Lunch and dinner are served daily.