.. restaurant review | eva's - a caribbean kitchen ..

Eva's - A Caribbean Kitchen | Laguna Beach, CA | 02.01.10

I went to Eva's this past weekend and we were lucky enough to be pampered by Eva all night long! Her two main servers weren't in that night, so she was working the front and back of the house. It was such a great place because she radiated warmth and it was obvious to anyone who spoke to her, how much love and passion she had for her restaurant.

The food was awesome. I loved all the Caribbean spices, and her dishes were super flavorful and fresh. We had the conch fritters to start, and they were crispy on the outside, but light and flavorful on the inside. The sweet and tart salsas were a nice compliment to the steaming hot fritters.

My boyfriend ordered the curry fish--red snapper or seabass, I think. It was ridiculously good. I just can't get over all the spices. I ordered the jerk steak, which was perfectly cooked (per my specifications) and seasoned just right. Eva suggested that we order fish, since that's her specialty, but I went my own way that night. Still, the steak didn't disappoint. It was wonderful, in fact. Our dishes were served with rice and peas, veggies, and plantains. So good, especially the plantain (i.e., sweet, caramelized on the outside). I could've had a whole plate of them.

Eva was a total sweetheart. The portions are large here, so we weren't able to finish our main courses. When she packed up our leftovers though, she also gave us mound fulls of mash potatoes on the side. Trust me, we could've kept eating, but I think we were looking forward to having leftovers the next day.

On our way out, she hugged both of us, we chatted, and she ended up recommending a great brunch place for us to try. I had an amazing time there, and my only disappointment was that I didn't have room for dessert. This place offers a unique take on homestyle cooking with an emphasis on fresh ingredients and great service.

P.S. | Fun drinks and saucy names...The conch fritters are also known as Caribbean Viagra and Eva delighted in saying that several times. We found a drink on the menu that was something along the lines of "The Dry Old Bitch." Nice.

Rating | O O O O