Brisas Del Caribe, the newly-reopened Caribbean and Spanish-American restaurant on Washington Avenue, brings the taste of the tropics to Townsend Park. The menu offers Caribbean favorites like jerk chicken and fish, oxtail soup, curried goat, and fried pork chops as well as a selection of more mainstream and vegetarian dishes.
Reopened under new ownership in late September, the remodeled restaurant offers an expanded menu, with the same eye toward flavorful, authentic Caribbean food. The restaurant maintained the same chef. He uses fresh ingredients, and then seasons and cooks them just right, turning even simple dishes into Caribbean reveries.
On the night we went, we ordered jerk chicken ($8.99) and pork pernil ($10.99). The jerk chicken was falling off the bone, and so savory that my dining companion couldn't stop raving. I was equally impressed with my entree, a slab of pork obviously fresh, and roasted in its own skin to maintain its tenderness. It was topped with peppers and onions that carried vinegary power punch, but it was served with a hot bowl of beans that tasted like they had been simmering all day, that more than balanced out the vinegar. Both dishes came with our choice of white or yellow rice, and a side of steamed vegetables to round things out. We also ordered fried plantains ($2.50) and an empanada ($1.50). Dinner came with salads. The portions are generous, so plan to bring some home for lunch the next day.
We had the restaurant to ourselves that night. The liquor license is still in the works and that may be scaring people off, our waiter told us. The food was so good (and affordable) that we were baffled as to why people would skip it just because you couldn't order drinks. Don't they know that if they drink too much of the island rum, they won't be able to appreciate the yummy spiciness of the food?
In addition to expanding the menu, the new owners also gave the restaurant a much-needed facelift. In addition to some more superficial changes, the wall between the narrow bar and dining area was torn down to give a more open feeling to the space. Tearing down the wall also revealed the island-inspired murals painted along one side of the dining room. The room was so dark and narrow before that you could hardly see them; now you can gaze at these prettily-painted oceanscapes and farm scenes, and almost believe you're on vacay.
Our bill came to about $30.00. For bargain hunters--try the All You Can Eat Buffet, $7.99. It takes place Monday through Friday from 10:30am-3pm, making this a perfect stop for lunch, letting you sample a range of dishes and all for an affordable price.
Brisas Del Caribe is located at 244 Washington Avenue, near the corner of Henry Johnson Boulevard. For more information, call 462-0895.
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