Boca Mocha

Boca Mocha serves up delicious breakfast, lunch and dinner options in a coffee shop that puts a Haitian spin on your cup of joe.

By Katie Pollock Estes

Photo by Kevin O’Riley

It feels breezy in here. Bright white coral sits on the table next to a tiny grass-filled vase with a billy ball sticking out of it. Bright yellow diner chairs have fabric seats hand-painted with things like chevrons or the word “yum.” The wooden cabinets in the kitchen and above the counter are painted a serene gray, and long grass-green curtains surround the front door. It’s darling.

My friend Kari Hamra and I were visiting Boca Mocha at dinnertime, and she chose the curry turkey wrap ($5 for half) with a side of fresh fruit. First of all, the fruit bowl is way better than what you normally get. It is packed with sweet fresh blueberries, blackberries, raspberries and strawberries, with just a little bit of honeydew melon. The wrap is pretty big for being just the half size. The curry sauce inside is rich with creamy flavor without being spicy, and it smells delicious and exotic. Super-fresh greens and the sharp taste of olives were nice touches, too.

I ordered the special that day: Mango-coconut chicken ($12). It came to the table as a rather large serving. The chicken breast arrived smothered in a slightly-spicy sauce that was sweet only from the chunks of fresh mango that were in it. On the side were nutty wild rice, adorable little steamed carrots (with the teeniest bit of leaves sticking out of the top) and a soft roll topped with rosemary. The meal was delicious, and it made me wish the mango-coconut chicken were a regular menu item rather than just a special.

Even though our entrées provided plenty of food, Kari and I also shared a side of the garlic and bleu cheese stuffed potatoes ($4). We just couldn’t resist. These are so good! The perfectly cooked skin-on red potatoes are cut in half and topped with a generous creamy glob of the bleu cheese and garlic mixture. It’s like the best of both worlds: The taste of garlic mashed potatoes with the bite of a roasted potato.

Because you can’t visit a place with mocha in the title without tasting the coffee, Kari ordered the Frozen Haitian Vanilla drink. It’s an iced coffee drink made with espresso and milk and flavored with rich Haitian vanilla. I snuck a couple of drinks, and it was delicious.

I can’t wait to return to Boca Mocha with my husband to try it again. (Cheesy, sentimental side note: This was the building where he and I met, back when it was Rendezvous Coffee Lounge.) Next time, I want to try the capers and salmon dinner entrée. It’s one of several options on my menu wish list. The most curious menu item was tucked away in the drinks section: Dr. Brown’s Celery soda.

Anybody brave enough to give it a try?