Cafe D'Jango

Accompanied by my husband and friend, I ate at Cafe D'Jango today for lunch. I can sum the the experience in one word: "Meh." After a weekend of eating unhealthy food, I thought I would try a salad; because, really, how to do you mess up a salad? Let me tell you how: 1) make a salad overpriced and small; 2) add chicken that could be mistaken for tofu (not a favorite of mine); and 3) add a dressing that doesn't even adhere to the "ruffage"and tastes reminiscently like soy sauce. The only upside of the salad was that it was served with some pita wedges - literally the only thing that was filling.

My friend ordered Pad Thai, he wasn't impressed. However, in comparison to my measly salad, I thought it tasted fair. My friend said that the dish "did not come seasoned as per the menu." But to compensate, they did offer a nice chili paste on the side which really, in my opinion, added to the flavor of the dish.

My husband ordered a breakfast burrito (yes, I am not kidding) and he said it was, simply, "good." I did not sample his dish, but I can say it consisted of cheese, sausage and eggs wrapped in a spinach tortilla, served with sour cream and pico de gallo on the side.

The only thing that saved this meal for me, and kept me from hitting the drive through on the way home, was the fact that I ordered the sampler appetizer platter for the three of us to share. It was a good choice because it allowed me to sample various appetizers served (and thankfully added some much needed "heft" to my meal). The platter came with 2 vegetable egg rolls (really good), 3 beef dumplings (excellent), some buffalo wings (which my husband annihilated before I could try them) and some kimchi. The kimchi was an interesting addition to this appetizer platter, something that actually felt "homemade" and not forced, and while I am not a big fan of cabbage, I found the flavor of the kimchi to be very good.

I arrived at the restaurant totally parched from walking in the sun and ordered a mango iced tea. It cost about $4 and was exactly what I wanted to quench my thirst. Listed throughout their beverage selections are specialty items that state "no free refills." I ordered this tea because it sounded refreshing and had no annotation about lack of refills. I found out when I reached the bottom of my glass and asked for more, that a refill would have cost an additional $4... for a friggin' glass of iced tea (one of the cheapest beverages to make)! I don't know about you, but paying $8 total for 2 glasses of iced tea is a rip off to me (paying $4 for one is also in that category). So, I sipped on room temperature tap water. Note to Cafe D'Jango: fix your menu.

Would I go back to Cafe D'Jango? I would if I were given the choice between Cafe D'Jango or Applebees; or if I were coerced into going by a group of people with poor restaurant judgement and they insisted I go with them. If you are a fan of Cafe D'Jango, sorry for the tough words; I just "call them like I see them." My analysis: I do not want to give Cafe D'Jango another opportunity to disappoint. I would rather try one of the many other Thai restaurants in town, if I were inclined for that style of food.

Fun fact: Cafe D'Jango hosts live jazz music and has a bar. It could be fun to see the live music and sip on a beer. But if you are looking for noshing, just stick to appetizers; don't waster your money on dinner.