There's an under-the-radar Jamaican restaurant in central Phoenix
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 jerk chicken plate ($16) at Champagne Cafe + Lounge. Photo: Zach Buchanan/Axios 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
