Yes :-) Patrick's review (Aug 28th 2006)

I have a friend who cracked me up one time when we went to lunch at Café Chulo in Cd’A and after we got our food he sat down said, with all seriousness: “This isn’t a real Mexican place – there aren’t any tater tots on the menu!” Poor kid needs to get out more often, I think.

With that in mind, I wouldn’t suggest that he should bother with Café Carambola either, where nothing is murdered in hot oil, and everything is served fresh, fresh, fresh in an intriguing variety of Latin dishes. In fact, they claim that the majority of veggies are plucked daily from owner Colomba Aguilan’s garden. The location is a bit odd, tucked away there in Harbor Center next to the Lewis-Clark State Student Lounge (they offer discounts to us LCSC students, btw.) I’ve driven by the place a zillion times, but it never really registered to actually there until a few days ago. Lou and I were hungry but couldn’t decide where to eat – we were sick of all the usual spots and were craving something new. Bing! I remembered Café Carambola and we headed out the door.

The cafe is teeny-tiny but the addition of several al fresco tables outside made for a bit more space. There was only one table left when we arrived during the busy lunch rush. While its strip-mall location renders it rather nondescript from the outside, the place is bright, clean and welcoming inside. A few minimal bits of South American décor add some color and charm. A friendly gentleman with a wildly colorful floral shirt and a thick Latin accent waited patiently as we scanned the menu. Although the owners have lived in Mexico, this is not your standard Mexican fare at all. Menu items derive from exotic places like Peru, Argentina, and Cuba. For lunch, they offer a variety of tortas (which I think is a fancy way of saying “sandwiches on a light and delicious grilled bread”), homemade soups and salads, and the special of the day, which this day was fresh tamales. I spied the variety of colorful salads in the display case and our host named them off to me, each utterly unpronounceable to these non-Spanish speaking ears. Prices here are a little on the upper ridge of my normal lunch budget, ranging from $8-12 per person.

I decided to go for half a Torta Mexicana (slow roasted pulled-pork, goat cheese, tomato salsa) and a small order of the unpronounceable salad with fresh tomatoes and avocados frolicking lightly in herbs and olive oil. Lou immediately sprang for the tamales, his favorite, along with the soup of the day, which was a mean bean concoction of some type. Our food arrived expeditiously and Lou looked at his plate and at me and back at it and at me and we both started laughing. Lou has a voracious appetite and could have quite easily eaten about four times the amount of food presented. Two wee tamales (two bites each) and a half-dab of soup was it. I told him to get over it, it was “gourmet.” Well, honestly for $8.95, they could have at least tried to feed the poor starving boy instead of just teasing him. The food was delish, he said, but as soon as he was done he was ready to go to Zips for round two.

My torta and salad portion weren’t exactly mammoth either, but I was just hungry enough that it seemed like the right amount. The slow-roasted pork was melt-in-your mouth, the cheese was perfectly creamy and made a nice accompaniment to the tangy fresh tomato salsa. The avocado-tomato salad was vibrant, coated in a variety of herbs and olive oil and practically sparkled on my tastebuds. Yum-ola! A good old fashioned Pepsi was the perfect thing to wash down this unique and delicious lunch. Despite the lunch rush, our waiter was kind and attentive, returning frequently to check on us and fill our beverages. Again, our only complaint was that the small-ish portion size didn’t seem to line up with the large-ish prices. A suggestion: sit people with a bottomless basket of homemade chips and fresh salsa and allow those with larger appetites to fill their tummies that way.

Overall rating: Food:8/10 Ambience:8/10 Service: 10/10

Yes :-) Jim's review (Dec 23rd 2006)

Hands down the best tamales I’ve ever had! The corn masa was perfect and both tamales were completely loaded with pork: not the paltry amount you find in most Mexican restaurant combination plates. The tamale plate came with excellent rice and pinto bean soup. As noted, the servings are not huge, but I felt they were appropriate for one person and not unreasonably priced. The portions may be small compared to the salty Mexican lunch specials found elsewhere, but the quality more than makes up for it.

I had Jamaica to drink with my meal. According to our server, Jamaica (ha-MY-ik-a) is a Mexican tea made from Hibiscus. I have never had a beverage better complement a meal! The cold, sweet tea provided a nice contrast to the hot, slightly spicy tamales. I am excited to return and try the other dishes. I only wish they were open on weekends or for dinner.

Yes :-) Scott MacPhee's review (Dec 21st 2007)

Cafe Carambola sits in Harbor View Plaza, tucked between a barber and Lewis and Clark State College. It’s a lunch place, only open from 11:00 to 3:00 on weekdays, owned and operated by a married couple and the wife’s family. The chef makes the best food in town. The menu isn’t overwhelming. They serve sandwiches, salads, soups, and quesadillas. The also frequently have fresh drink options and delicious cakes.

My wife and I think this is one of the best restaurants in Coeur d’Alene. The salads are all outstanding, but we like the “keen-kwaw” (I don’t know the spelling!) salad and the marinated tomato salad the best. The soups are all made fresh daily, and are the best soups I’ve ever tasted. The sandwiches are exotic and delicious. On Fridays Cafe Carambola serves tamales, which are handmade and steamed to perfection. I’ve never had a bad meal there, and I’ve enjoyed the food so much that I’ve taken a couple of cooking classes there.

Patrick writes that the prices are a little steep. Well, you get what you pay for. Considering the quality of the food and the friendly service, I think the food is more than reasonably priced. Eat there, and you’ll see why the lunch crowd patiently waits for a table. It’s just that good.