Cha Cha Cha Restaurant

(323) 664-7723

656 N Virgil Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90004 34.0828 -118.2868

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Neighborhoods: Silver Lake, East LA

THEORIGINALCHACHACHA.COM

Years in business

Established in 1986

Hours:

Monday To Saturday From 09:00 AM To 11:00 PM Sunday From 08:00 AM To 10:00 PM

Price:

$$

Last updated 7.20.11

Category:

Restaurants

Payment Methods:

American Express, Visa, Diners Club, Discover, MasterCard

Restaurant Special Features:

Local Favorite, Special Occasion Dining, Brunch, Outdoor Dining, Family Style Dining, Date Spot, Group Dining

Cuisine:

Caribbean

What People Are Saying About Cha Cha Cha Restaurant

Featured Review

Contributor

Contributor

The Scene – With its vibrantly colored, Caribbean snack-shack exterior, Cha Cha Cha seems deliciously out of place on this gritty end of Melrose. But step inside and the atmosphere is pure Caribbean carnival: bright color schemes, religious bric-a-brac and miniature shrines dedicated to Madonna and Latin American soccer stars. It all sets the mood for lively, fun dining. – – The Food – After a pitcher of the renowned sangria, dig into the sampler platter, piled with sopes de pollo (tiny fried masa tarts topped with stewed chicken and beans), tangy seviche, fried…

Editor's Tips

Save Time:
You don't need to make reservations during the week unless your party consists of seven or more. But you do need to make reservations for Friday and Saturday evenings.
Save Money:
KCRW members automatically receive a 15-percent discount.
ambiance
98.03999900817871% positive
  1. The food is yummy, the sangria is better; the atmosphere is awesome and the service is good.
  2. The decor is great, very unique and sets the mood well.
  3. Great place for dates (lively environment, good Caribbean music, many candles/lights, plants, covered patio, or inside-both great, small & cozy, sexy/sultry feeling not overly romantic).
  4. The food is good, the ambience is nice, but service is slow.
  5. The atmosphere is lively, the food is good with big portions and the waitstaff is friendly.
  6. Food was bursting with flavor and added to the romantic atmosphere the owners have created.
  7. Love the atmosphere!
  8. can't think of a better combination of food in an atmosphere that's fun and friendly.
  9. but when I went in I was mesmerized by the great color and decoration, the food is amazing and so is the ambience.
  10. fun restaurant with great food
  11. This place was fantastic, with friendly, efficient service, a great atmosphere, and tasty food.
  12. The atmosphere is great.
  13. While the food was great, what really sold this place was the service and the atmosphere, which is perfect for large groups.
  14. love the atmosphere and the drinks.
  15. The ambiance is great, it flows with the great island music.
  16. Great food, great atmosphere
  17. Great sangria and a fun atmosphere
dessert
100.0% positive
  1. The flourless chocolate cake had a great taste and everyone enjoyed it.
  2. Our friendly server somehow convinced us to order dessert.
drinks
100.0% positive
  1. mins later he resurfaced asking us we would like some drinks.
  2. We ordered a martini, and an adios, only to find out they don't have a full bar.
  3. love the atmosphere and the drinks.
  4. The sangria is great, but the drink menu is limited to beer and a few house specialty drinks.
  5. Cha Cha Cha is warm, sparkling, run by lovely people, always loud and humming in the best way, a true neighborhood charmer, busy but accomodating, the best place for wonderful drinks and food (their plantains and mole sauce.
  6. So instead of drinks we just figured that we would order our food.
  7. Also, they serve only beer (big variety) and wine (smaller selection) -- no hard alcohol.
  8. I've only been there twice but I've already found my favorite dish and drink; Jerk pork platter with a mojito.
food quality
96.45999908447266% positive
  1. Heck, next to diner food, this place seasons like El Spicy Diablo Loco or whatever.
  2. Great service and great food to match.
  3. The food was so flavorful and exciting.
  4. The food is good, the ambience is nice, but service is slow.
  5. This place has so many wonderful dishes that bring back memories of my grandmother's cooking, and you can't beat that!
  6. Then came the best tapa that I have ever had, the coconut shrimp.
  7. Cha Cha Cha is warm, sparkling, run by lovely people, always loud and humming in the best way, a true neighborhood charmer, busy but accomodating, the best place for wonderful drinks and food (their plantains and mole sauce.
  8. The food is yummy, the sangria is better; the atmosphere is awesome and the service is good.
  9. Everything we tried was excellent, especially the pineapple salsa found on the delicous plantain boat appetizer, the very spicy shrimp with black sauce, and the black beans which accompany most dishes.
  10. Great place, great food
  11. I've only been there twice but I've already found my favorite dish and drink; Jerk pork platter with a mojito.
  12. This place was fantastic, with friendly, efficient service, a great atmosphere, and tasty food.
  13. The food was very good - definitely get the tamale appetizer, paella (any of them), and jerk chicken.
  14. Everything we ate was delicious.
  15. fun restaurant with great food
  16. nothing like waking up to some fresh OJ and a kick in the pants from JERK spice.
  17. really wish that we had had a better time, and better service, because the J chicken was FANTASTIC!
  18. Dishes come w/ dirty rice, black beans, & fried bananas.
  19. Of course we spoke to the manager, who acted like he could care less if we liked the food or not.
  20. Their Jerk Chicken dish is so good.
  21. For brunch I recommend the spinach omelet with jerk chicken.
  22. The food is great, the place is really wonderful, I love it.
  23. My favorite dish is the Jerk Chicken Pizza.
  24. don't think I can even BEGIN to describe how amazing the food is here.
  25. Great food, great atmosphere
  26. It's a great looking dish, 3 large pieces of chicken surrounded by plantains and rice, all smothered in a rich dark sauce.
  27. However, the food was not as good as others claim to be(tried jerk chiken, salmon, and waiter recommended appetizer).
  28. Food was really good, especially the paella and mango chicken.
  29. Had a great time, and some pretty great salmon, with a huge group.
  30. Everything i've ever ordered here has been a flawless meal of taste.
  31. The Sangria was the best I had ever had, their Tapas selection is wide and all the items we chose were delicious.
  32. yummy memories
  33. Best dish to try for first timers is the Salmon Negro with a pitcher of Sangria.
  34. Tucked away in the Silver Lake area of Los Angeles, Cha Cha Cha serves up delicious Spanish/Carribean fare.
  35. Great food, great sangria and the best swordfish I have ever had!
  36. The atmosphere is lively, the food is good with big portions and the waitstaff is friendly.
  37. To top off this great meal, the service, from the server to the manager made you feel at home.
  38. coworker had his house warming catered by Cha Cha Cha and I almost exploded from eating all of the tasty treats!
  39. My favorite is still the pizza topped with goat cheese and giant garlic cloves.
  40. My favorite is the salmon.
  41. The food was excellent.
  42. We're talking COMPLETE FLAVOR EXPERIENCE, and on my list for one of the best dishes in L.A.
  43. The waitress had told us that the lemonade was fresh squeezed, when they were brought out it was clear that it was not, which was disappointing.
  44. The food is great.
  45. had a fusilli pasta that was great.
  46. love the spicy jerk chicken plate.
  47. They have a wonderful brunch menu of inexpensive dishes served in generous portions.
  48. The secret sauce on the Jerk Chicken is a bit addictive.
  49. must order the jerk chicken or the camarones negros.
  50. recommend this to anyone that wants to take someone out for authentic dining.
  51. My friend's jerk-flavored shrimp entree was also good.
  52. Sangria is good, service is fine, and the food is tasty for L.A. pseudo-Caribbean catered to the Anglo palate.
  53. can't think of a better combination of food in an atmosphere that's fun and friendly.
  54. The sangria was pretty good and the jerk pork appetizer was tender, flavorful -- simply delicious.
  55. Excellent food - great value, Outstanding service from a knowledgeable staff that is willing to help you understand the menu if you need it.
  56. It's beautiful and artsy inside and the food and service is great.
  57. but when I went in I was mesmerized by the great color and decoration, the food is amazing and so is the ambience.
  58. So instead of drinks we just figured that we would order our food.
  59. The food is absolutely delicious and the service is awesome.
  60. Great food
  61. While the food was great, what really sold this place was the service and the atmosphere, which is perfect for large groups.
  62. Comes with very tasty salsa.
  63. The food is fantastic as was the service.
  64. it would not be a place to go if you were in a big rush, but hey just go to fast food if you want in & out dining.
  65. Our entrees, the Jamaican chicken and halibut were memorable.
  66. The Sangria was delicious.
menu variety
100.0% positive
  1. The Sangria was the best I had ever had, their Tapas selection is wide and all the items we chose were delicious.
  2. Also, they serve only beer (big variety) and wine (smaller selection) -- no hard alcohol.
  3. The sangria is great, but the drink menu is limited to beer and a few house specialty drinks.
  4. wish I could describe the menu better, but I always order the black bean tamales because they're just amazing.
  5. This place offers a somewhat extensive menu of mexi-cari (bbean) staples, all decently presented and certainly serviceable.
  6. Excellent food - great value, Outstanding service from a knowledgeable staff that is willing to help you understand the menu if you need it.
  7. Everything on the menu is excellent.
  8. They have a wonderful brunch menu of inexpensive dishes served in generous portions.
overall
100.0% positive
  1. While the food was great, what really sold this place was the service and the atmosphere, which is perfect for large groups.
  2. The food is great, the place is really wonderful, I love it.
  3. Cha Cha Cha is my favorite restaurant in Los Angeles.
  4. Cha Cha Cha is warm, sparkling, run by lovely people, always loud and humming in the best way, a true neighborhood charmer, busy but accomodating, the best place for wonderful drinks and food (their plantains and mole sauce.
  5. This is a great place to go out to dinner on the weekend.
  6. cha cha cha is a great place
  7. great date restaurant
return potential
100.0% positive
  1. Like others, I agree service may be lacking at this lively, Caribbean restaurant, but overall I have had good experiences here, and would return.
  2. would definitely come back and highly recommend this restaurant.
service
90.98999977111816% positive
  1. The food is fantastic as was the service.
  2. We went for a birthday party with 23 guests, and the staff was very, very helpful and patient with such a large group.
  3. came with a large group of people, and the resturant was more than happy to seat us quickly and serve us quickly, and everyone left loving their meals.
  4. Polite waiters, what a concept!
  5. Sangria is good, service is fine, and the food is tasty for L.A. pseudo-Caribbean catered to the Anglo palate.
  6. The service was great.
  7. Of course we spoke to the manager, who acted like he could care less if we liked the food or not.
  8. The food is absolutely delicious and the service is awesome.
  9. Our friendly server somehow convinced us to order dessert.
  10. To top off this great meal, the service, from the server to the manager made you feel at home.
  11. This place was fantastic, with friendly, efficient service, a great atmosphere, and tasty food.
  12. Great service and great food to match.
  13. Like others, I agree service may be lacking at this lively, Caribbean restaurant, but overall I have had good experiences here, and would return.
  14. HORRIBLE experience - Cha Cha Cha has terrible customer service!
  15. Everything was set when we arrived and service was attentive.
  16. Cha Cha Cha is warm, sparkling, run by lovely people, always loud and humming in the best way, a true neighborhood charmer, busy but accomodating, the best place for wonderful drinks and food (their plantains and mole sauce.
  17. However, the food was not as good as others claim to be(tried jerk chiken, salmon, and waiter recommended appetizer).
  18. can't think of a better combination of food in an atmosphere that's fun and friendly.
  19. It's beautiful and artsy inside and the food and service is great.
  20. While the food was great, what really sold this place was the service and the atmosphere, which is perfect for large groups.
  21. Maybe being all girls could be an excuse, but the service was attentive and they were sweet.
  22. The staff was friendly and eager to please.
  23. Service is quite attentive and friendly.
  24. such a cool and eclectic croud, great people watching.
  25. The servers were attentive and very friendly, I didnt have to ask for anything.
  26. The waitress was rude and unattentive.
  27. really wish that we had had a better time, and better service, because the J chicken was FANTASTIC!
  28. The food is good, the ambience is nice, but service is slow.
  29. Excellent food - great value, Outstanding service from a knowledgeable staff that is willing to help you understand the menu if you need it.
  30. The waitress had told us that the lemonade was fresh squeezed, when they were brought out it was clear that it was not, which was disappointing.
  31. The food is yummy, the sangria is better; the atmosphere is awesome and the service is good.
  32. The atmosphere is lively, the food is good with big portions and the waitstaff is friendly.
  33. don't agree that the service was poor.
  34. don't know why people like this place.
  35. Waitstaff is friendly, and quick.
  36. will have to say that the service wasn't the best.
  37. I've been here several times and have always felt like a princess, the service is impeccable.
value
94.44000244140625% positive
  1. understand that it might be hard to serve a huge group, especially if a majority of the party would show up in the latter part of the hour.
  2. Excellent food - great value, Outstanding service from a knowledgeable staff that is willing to help you understand the menu if you need it.
  3. Had a great time, and some pretty great salmon, with a huge group.
  4. Fun, big portions
  5. The price was affordable.
  6. The meals are a little pricey, but youre not getting ripped off cuz the quality is there.
  7. The prices are a little high, but I'd definitely recommend this place to go with a group of friends.
  8. The atmosphere is lively, the food is good with big portions and the waitstaff is friendly.
  9. They have a wonderful brunch menu of inexpensive dishes served in generous portions.
wait time
88.88999938964844% positive
  1. The food is good, the ambience is nice, but service is slow.
  2. Waitstaff is friendly, and quick.
  3. mins later he resurfaced asking us we would like some drinks.
1 Star Rating: Poor

12/18/10

VALET PARKING IS TROUBLE !! AVOID !!!

by rigo5000

DONT' GO!! I went on 12-17-10; I had trouble with the valet staff. My car was fine and after receiving it I had a flat tire. It was raining and had the radio did not notice until got home (3 blocks away) I went back in friend's car to settle the problem. The main valet guy called me stupid for not turning back right away. He shut the light (about 10 pm) and said it was my fault for leaving right away. I was talking calmly but after he said I was stupid and it was my problem I flipped out and kicked his valet box. Other 2 valet guys standing there went on defense mode against me. The main valet guy started screaming that i broke his box. (if you go you'll see he was exageratting) Dont go until they change their valet company. Food was C!

1 Star Rating: Poor

04/10/10

Ipod Stolen by Valet

by foodie889765

Saw the review below. I had a similar experience with the valet on a Thursday night there. I hope the management sees this and changes their valet company. I shouldn't have left my ipod in the car, but the valet also shouldn't have stolen it. If you are going to go to this restaurant DO NOT use the valet. Street parking can be hard but it is worth it.

I recommend not going. Their are plenty of other amazing restaurants in Silverlake.

  • Cons: Crappy Valet
1 Star Rating: Poor

04/10/10

Robbed at Cha Cha Chas

by micheals

My experience at Cha Cha Cha's was an unfortunate one. While I enjoyed the dinner, the valet took my ipod, sunglasses, and a vintage camera (which was in a suitcase in my trunk) from my car. I didn't realize it until the next day and, while I called and complained, there was nothing to be done. I won't be returning to this restaurant because the whole experience has left a bad taste in my mouth. If you do go, DO NOT leave anything valuable in your car...even in your trunk.

  • Pros: decent sangria
  • Cons: having ipod, sunglasses, and camera stolen from car
5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

01/02/10

Great food, great atmosphere

by ritzfitz

I love this place. I've only been there twice but I've already found my favorite dish and drink; Jerk pork platter with a mojito. Soooo good. The prices are a little high, but I'd definitely recommend this place to go with a group of friends.

  • Pros: Great food, Great drinks, Great happy hour
  • Cons: Servers could be friendlier/more attentive
5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

03/07/09

Authentic!

by Hotord

Love it! Since I moved to LA, there are very few places that are different and have personality. I have taken many poeple here for dinner and they all love it! Great food, great sangria and the best swordfish I have ever had!

The Details on Cha Cha Cha Restaurant

Place Categories:

  • great food
  • great efficient service
  • great place
  • great fun atmosphere
  • great sangria
  • favorite jerk chicken dish
  • favorite date restaurant
  • patient staff
  • pricey meal
  • excellent everything
  • small covered patio
  • like drinks
  • warm cha
  • small many candleslights
  • small lively environment
  • very friendly servers
  • small plants
  • great dining experience
  • small insideboth
  • friendly waitstaff
  • great evening
  • big intimate hungover brunch
  • rude waitress
  • like nothing
  • awesome pitchers
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