Marla’s Caribbean Cuisine

Located just south of Powderhorn Park, Marla’s Caribbean Cuisine is justifiably famous for its incredibly fresh, spicy, from scratch, honest and delicious Pan-Caribe style food. Marla is a doyenne of jerk and an expert with the hallmark Caribbean mashup of Indian, Creole and Latin flavors.

I can typically take down a double order of the Jamaican Jerk wings, which are fried and glossed with a superbly piquant sauce. Stuffed with curried garbanzo beans and mango chutney, the fried bara doubles are my favorite island-style street food. I could also sing the praises of the stewed brown down oxtails—pure Caribe grandmother food—the split pea dhalpourie roti with a vibrant, spicy shrimp curry, and the not-too-barnyardy braised goat curry. Save room for the homemade sweet potato pie, which thankfully doesn’t rely too much on nutmeg for its flavor platform. And lastly, wash it all down with my drink of choice, the sweet hibiscus and ginger punch.

With only a few dozen seats, the restaurant can get packed at prime time for lunch or dinner, so take-out is a nice option if you’re pressed on time. If you haven’t been to Marla’s, you’re depriving yourself of some of the best cooking in the Twin Cities.

Photographs by Madeleine Hill. 

Contact

Marla’s Caribbean Cuisine
3761 Bloomington Ave S.
Minneapolis, MN 55407
612.724.3088
marlascuisine.com