Cha Cha Chicken

Santa Monica, Los Angeles · Caribbean · $

Since 1996, this family-run beach shack on Ocean Ave has been serving a riotous mix of Caribbean and Latin flavors one block from the water. Owner Elvira built the menu around her own family recipes - the jerk chicken, coconut fried chicken, and mole enchiladas all carry the kind of specificity that comes from decades of muscle memory. Featured on the Food Network's "The Best Thing I Ever Ate," the coconut fried chicken remains the thing people drive across town for.