Las Vegas Mixtape v39: Supersonic Honky Tonkin,’ West African Eats, and New Downtown Funhouse — Track #2: Calabash African Kitchen @S Rainbow Blvd

Track #2: Calabash African Kitchen @S Rainbow Blvd

Looking for a culinary adventure to celebrate our country’s fantastic diversity? Try Calabash African Restaurant  on Rainbow in a plaza near Zia Records. The colorful mural inside at the entrance of this hidden gem instantly embraced my family and I—and our warm-hearted server guided us through a menu offering Senegambian cuisine, “a delicious combination of both Senegalese and Gambian food.”

Owned by Oulay Ceesay Fisher—who hails from “The Gambia, a small country in West Africa within Senegal” on the coast—Calabash has a large dining room, with seating for 80, and a stylish bar. It’s a place to recommend and covet. There were deep, seductive flavors and thrilling new sensations in all the appetizers and entrées we ordered.

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The magical flavors in the Bean Stew “Ndembe” dance right off the plate and into your mouth.  (Image: Vegas 411)

We started with their luscious fataya pies/empanadas—offered with chicken, beef, seafood, or vegetarian filling—and a side of fried plantains, segueing into three standout entrees. Working its magic was the Yassa chicken, described on the menu as “char-grilled meat marinated in garlic, ginger, Cajun, lemon, and authentic Calabash seasonings, covered with tangy caramelized onion on a bed of rice.”

If you favor lamb chops, this is your place. Three char-grilled lamb blade chops came marinated in garlic, mustard, lemon, authentic Calabash spices, caramelized onion, and vegetables. A terrific meatless option was the Bean Stew “Ndembe.” It’s a black-eyed pea stew cooked with onions, bell peppers, garlic, and seasonings. Having a restaurant in Vegas like Calabash, with such deeply soulful cuisine,  makes me extra proud to live here.