Marimba
Marimba!
Josh and I spotted Marimba a little while ago when they were first under construction. We finally had the opportunity to try them out for the first time, and are so glad they’re a new addition the neighborhood!
Marimba is a new South American and Caribbean restaurant in North Everett. The interior is a large open room and the walls are exposed brick. There are several flags hanging from the ceiling and the tables are covered in colorful cloth. They did a wonderful job making one open room feel so inviting and comfortable. We were there on a Friday night and there was live music - a gentleman playing acoustic guitar, and it was a wonderful addition to the atmosphere! When we first got there, it wasn’t very full, but by the time we left, it was pretty crowded. We’re excited to see them doing so much business!
Interior of Marimba
Neither Josh nor I have had South American food before, and we were thrilled to find a menu full of things we’ve never tasted! We’re always looking for new dishes and experiences, and it’s always a treat to discover a whole new world of food.
We started out with a couple of beverages - Dos Equis for him, fresh mango juice for me. Mango juice is a staple in our fridge, but this mango juice is nothing like the nectar you buy at the store. This tasted like they had just put a pile of fresh mangoes through the juicer and immediately brought it out. It wasn’t sugary-sweet, just pure pulpy mango juice. It was a very pleasant surprise!
Tonight we decided on the Chile con Queso for an appetizer. I’d had it before at other restaurants, but never served with plantain, yucca, and sweet potato chips. It was delicious!
Queso with Plantain, Yucca, and Sweet Potato Chips and Fresh Mango Juice
After much deliberation (there’s so much good stuff to choose from!) we decided on our entrees - Bandeja Paisa for Josh and Mofongo for me. Don’t know what those are? Neither did we.
The Bandeja Paisa was a dish of seasoned ground beef, rice, black beans, a fried egg, chicharrón (fried pork rind), and tostones (twice-fried plantain patties). It was a rich dish, and reminded us of the Hawaiian meal loco moco.
Bandeja Paisa
The Puerto Rican Mofongo was a dish of mashed plantains with a generous amount of garlic, and served with either pork, chicken, fish or prawns. I chose the chicken. It came topped with a savory red sauce and seasoned rice and black beans on the side. Just a warning: if you’re not a fan of garlic, this is not the dish for you. It’s delicious and very rich, but I guarantee you will still be tasting garlic the next day!
Mofongo
We spotted flan on the dessert menu, and knew we had to try some of that as well…. it was the perfect size to split - just enough to make the taste buds happy.
Yum
Overall, this is a place that comes highly recommended. The food was great, and the customer service was wonderful. The staff are very friendly, and you feel as though you’re having dinner in their home. We’ll definitely be back!
Tags: Everett Restaurants, South American
17. October 2008 at 16:00
Nice Find Guys
19. October 2008 at 21:41
Thanks! We’re always excited when new, good restaurants move into Everett. We need them! Gas is getting too expensive to be driving into Seattle all the time for good food! Haha…
21. October 2008 at 09:00
[...] It was excellent. I forgot that my iphone can take fairly decent pictures these days so I would have snapped a few pictures but luckily this blog captured the place well http://www.chakulablog.com/restaurants/marimba/ [...]
9. November 2008 at 10:57
What you have on the picture as a Bandeja Paisa, Is not a Bandeja Paisa.
12. November 2008 at 19:49
Would you be so kind as to tell us what it is? Since it said Bandeja Paisa on the menu, and that’s what I ordered, that’s what I assumed they brought us.
3. January 2009 at 17:38
Wow! Didn’t know you guys were from Everett! It’s always great to see new restaurants coming into the area, and great to get reviews on them from locals! Thanks!
29. October 2009 at 09:17
Been there a couple of times since they are open. Since I’m puertorrican I always have high expectations when I try latino restaurants. This one in particular started really good. I liked the food and I though they were doing a good job, but this change the last time I went there. Apparently they change the receipes. The churrasco (that one used to be on my opinion the best in the area) was spicy. That is ok for anybody who like spicy food and don’t know how a churrasco is suppose to taste but it wasn’t good at all. Now I am very disappointed with the place.
29. October 2009 at 17:22
Oh sad! I hope it was just an off night for them? I know what it’s like to have a favorite place and (in some cases, ownership change) and it’s just not the same. We’ll have to try them again, it’s been a long time. We’re always curious about where to find real, authentic food from different cultures. Any good latino restaurants you’d recommend?