Have you ever been in a situation where you wished you were in the Caribbean, but found yourself stuck in Santa Monica instead? Well, Cha Cha Chicken is here to cure your Caribbean blue with the most authentic jerk chicken you’ve ever tasted.
Cha Cha’s colorful beach shack serves as an inventive and delicious blend of all the Caribbean flavors. You can dine in the garden patio or call in for take out. They also provide catering if you ever want the throw a Caribbean beach party.
Cha Cha is located on the corner of Pico and Ocean Blvd., a couple blocks south of the Santa Monica pier, and within walking distance from the major hotels.
The restaurant is famous for their namesake Cha Cha chicken. Available in mild, medium, and hot, the oven roasted chicken is smothered in a delicately spiced Jamaican jerk sauce. I went with the hot 1/2 chicken for $11.95 ($20.50 for the whole bird). The chicken comes with two side orders. I got the spicy Cuban fries and corn on the cob.
The chicken had a good amount of heat, but I was expecting it be spicier. The meat was extremely tender and melted in your mouth. Overall, this is one of the best jerk chicken I’ve ever tasted.
The other chicken dish I got to sampled was the coconut fired chicken. Crispy coconut battered chicken served with sweet mango sauce and jerk dipping sauces. Sounds great doesn’t it?
The skin had a great crunch, and you can definitely taste the coconut. However, the meat was kind a dry and lacking in flavor. Good thing it came with the dipping sauces. Dipping the chicken into the mango and jerk sauce made for a sweet and spicy treat.
Besides the Santa Monica location, you can get a taste of the Cha Cha Chicken at their location in Northridge, California. I highly recommend you check it out.
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