A little piece of the Caribbean quietly landed in Bloomfield back in late January. This wasn’t some strange Pangea aftermath that happened here, instead, new Jamaican restaurant Café MoBay surprisingly emerged from a once-empty space on Broad Street.
Café MoBay is appropriately named after one of Jamaica’s most popular cities and tourist attractions, Montego Bay. In relation to the city itself, Café MoBay aims to garner a similar following here in North Jersey, consisting of more than just Caribbean folk, but rather anyone who’s hungry.
The Setting
I hope you like orange because these guys sure do. The walls, the seats, even the physical menus- all of it, orange. The establishment is also face to face with the sunlight, thus making the color even more prominent within the eating space.
The tunes are a nice bonus to anyone who favors Caribbean music. They play a great mix of reggae and dancehall that serves as a nice addition to the atmosphere.
If you enjoy eating in peace, walk in here around 1 or 2 pm during the week and sit in for lunch.
The Menu
Their selection practically screams “variety!” They offer brunch, which includes your typical American-style breakfast items such as eggs, pancakes, bacon, etc. Their dessert menu is quite familiar as well, offering the likes of peach cobbler, red velvet cake and sorbet.
Despite the food-integration going on here, they don’t completely deviate from their Jamaican roots. If you want oxtail, curry goat or jerk chicken, this is your place.
I was most intrigued by the Jerk Turkey Burger and that’s exactly what I ordered.
Food
The Jerk Turkey Burger was stacked with lettuce, tomato, avocado and a flavorful jerk sauce that was gently glazed on top of the patty. It was everything I hoped it would be, plus more.
The proportions of the burger were adequate. All of the toppings appropriately matched up with the size of the patty and the bun. This was key for me. Don’t you just hate burgers/sandwiches that you have to piece back together in the middle of eating?
The jerk sauce wasn’t overwhelming or messy either, which was perfect. I initially thought that it was lacking before I actually took a bite since I didn’t see any oozing out. I was wrong. A couple of drops fell out after I took the first bite.
But the bread ultimately determines the winners from the losers for me. You can have the best toppings, condiments and patties in the world but if it’s stuffed in between a generic Shop Rite brand bun then it’s a fail. These guys used a quality brioche bun that was sweet and sturdy, but still soft to the chew.
The burger was served with a salad on the side, made up of green and red leaf lettuce with cucumbers.
I washed this all down with the complimentary water and the Mango Punch, which was also on the house to make up for the chef’s tardiness. It tasted like a cross between mango juice and ginger beer- a brilliant combination.
The Verdict
When you have an excellent environment, food, staff and music, how could I say anything bad? This is simply an ideal spot for lunch and dinner or even brunch on the weekends.
Café MoBay is located at 1039 Broad Street in Bloomfield, NJ. They’re open every day from 11 am to 10 pm. That gives you a big window to stop in and try out the Jerk Turkey Burger, which you definitely should.