Everyone loves a beach vacation, but hopping an island-bound plane isn’t always possible. In a pinch, Cazabe Restaurant can provide that glorious island vibe, complete with excellent, authentic Dominican food.
Don’t let Cazabe’s location, on a fairly unattractive stretch of Washington Boulevard in Jessup, fool you. Inside, the restaurant is vibrant and fun, with a thatched-roof bar that would look perfectly at home with a swim-up option.
During our Wednesday night visit, the restaurant was quiet, with just a few tables occupied by small groups of friends and families. The crowd wasn’t large, but at each table, everyone was obviously having a good time.
We started with a round of drinks — a tart margarita and a Modelo Especial lager — and a plate of salami frito. The appetizer was simple — just chunks of fried sausage — but full of herb-driven flavor with just the right amount of heat.
Though it originated in Puerto Rico, the traditional plantain and pork dish known as mofongo has been adopted by Dominicans. Cazabe’s version is both comforting and very tasty. Alone, the bowl of mashed plantains wasn’t terribly exciting, but they made a fantastic match for salty bites of chicharrones and a thin, slightly spicy red sauce.
Chicharrones are technically fried pork rinds, but at Cazabe, they bore little resemblance to the vending machine snack. These were airy squares of fried pork with bits both crispy and fatty. The combination of soft plantain and crunchy pork was a treat, both texturally and in terms of savory flavor.
Gambas al ajillo, or shrimp in a garlic cream sauce served with rice and plantains, was not the most visually exciting dish, but looks can be deceiving. Though the plate was dominated by pale and earthy colors, the flavors behind those beige hues were full of life.
Every element was cooked nicely; the shrimp was springy, the rice was moist and sticky and the plantains, sliced on an angle, had just the slightest crunch on the outside, giving way to softness in the middle. But the real star of the show was the sauce.
Creamy and garlicky, it was a lovely match for the sweet shrimp and even for the tangy plantains. By the end of the meal, we were carefully rationing our rice, hoping to sop up every last bit of silky liquid. We were smitten; one of our group commented that the sauce was good enough to make an old shoe taste good.
We would’ve happily ordered another round of sauce and rice but instead, we opted for a dessert of tres leches cake. The milky cake is a favorite of ours, and Cazabe does the dish proud. Sweet and moist, it was a lovely way to end the meal.
Vacation spots have a reputation for slow service, but that’s one element of the island life that Cazabe seems not to have imported. The restaurant is not hectic or fast-paced — the servers stroll from spot to spot, and nothing feels rushed — but our meal was quick in all the right places. We received drinks and our appetizer right away, as well as refills when we needed them. The only slight drag came at the end when our waitress momentarily disappeared, but she delivered the check with a friendly smile that made it tough to feel annoyed — especially because we were still glowing from the memory of that magnificent sauce.