There's an under-the-radar Jamaican restaurant in central Phoenix
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Champagne Cafe + Lounge in central Phoenix. Photo: Zach Buchanan/Axios
For nine months, central Phoenix has had a new Jamaican restaurant, although diners are just now catching on to its existence.
Dig in: Earlier this week, Axios stopped by for a pre-election night meal at Champagne Cafe + Lounge, located in an unassuming storefront at 15th Avenue and Camelback Road.
The latest: Champagne Cafe opened earlier this year, but business has been slow, owner Chris Martin tells Axios. That's too bad, because the food is pretty good.
- Martin is considering changing the name, although he says the recent addition of an "Authentic Jamaican Restaurant" banner out front has brought in more customers.
- "We still want to do some more stuff eventually, but the economy is kind of up and down," says Martin, who has been in Phoenix for 20 years.
The vibe: I dropped in at 4pm and was greeted with reggae music and a mural of a leopard.
- I ordered the jerk chicken plate with rice and fried plantains, pictured above. It came out hot and fast.
- The chicken was juicy and had plenty of kick from the jerk sauce. I could have eaten 10 more of the plantains.
The intrigue: Champagne Cafe is open late — till midnight most nights and until 2am on Fridays and Saturdays. That's when the "lounge" part of its name comes into play.
- "People come in, they chill, they eat," Martin says. "We just vibe."
If you go: You'll find the restaurant at 4835 N. 15th Ave.
- It opens at 11am Tuesday-Saturday and at 1pm on Sundays. It's closed Mondays.