Rate-A-Restaurant, #76 in a series

Restaurant: Cha Cha Cha

Location:656 N. Virgil (at Melrose) (Silver Lake)

Type of restaurant: Carribean

We stipulated: We were taking out Pang-ni and Ian for their birthdays. They were game for anything -- except Indian. We wanted to use our new orange KCRW card. And we were looking for a place that served an early dinner and was kid-friendly.

They stipulated: No reservations are necessary. And lucky for us, they're open on Sundays.

What we ordered: Maria and I shared both: Black Bean Tamale (sweet corn tamales with black beans, tomatillo salsa and golden caviar, $6.75) and Jamaican Jerk Chicken (traditional breast of chicken marinated in a secret jerk spice recipe, $15.50). I also got a margarita ($8)

High point: The food never disappoints at Cha Cha Cha. We always have to get something "jerk" -- at brunch time, their jerk chicken omelet is definitely the way to go. And at dinner, the jerk chicken lives up to the hype. And the tamale, while a little too smothered in sour cream, still worked.

Low point: The service left much to be desired; I asked twice for an extra empty plate, which never arrived. We also asked for water for the table, but only three glasses showed up. Meanwhile, I would recommend the sangria over the margarita, which was definitely missing something (sweetness? tartness? I'm still not sure.)

Overall impression: We've been Cha Cha Cha fans for years, and while we enjoy the restaurant at dinner, I'm a bigger fan of their brunch menu.

Chance we will go back: Yes -- but probably for brunch. I'm overdue for a jerk chicken omelet.

(Photo: LA.com)

For a complete archive of our Rate-A-Restaurant reviews, check out our newly revised companion ratearestaurant.blogspot.com website.