New in 2016. This place has Cajun and Creole style food like gumbo, jambalaya, crawfish etouffee and red beans and rice. Several others as well. J. Gumbo's in Kalamazoo also offers "bayou" appetizers like crawfish cheese dip and voodoo nachos. Po'Boy sandwiches like the drunken chicken or voodoo chicken. They also have a few interesting desserts. This place has a walk up ordering with a dining area inside and out. Neat artwork on the walls. My wife had the red beans and rice and I had the jambalaya. We want to try the whole menu. You can mix the offerings for a slight upcharge or even get a smaller bowl. Kids menu. No alcohol. Neat place and a nice addition to Kalamazoo. Check out the guide for more details.

Oshtemo is home to a new African restaurant called Jambo African Cuisine. This place is very unique and I have never heard of anything on the menu. However, when I read the detail, many dishes sounded very good. I tried the Samosas which are deep fried pastry dough filled with ground beef, spices, garlic, ginger and lentils. The spicy sauce served with them also helped make the dish. I tried a side dish called Dengu which was chickpeas sautéed with red onion, olive oil, coconut milk, tomatoes and salt. My main dish was called Pilau which was beef cooked with chopped onion and spices such as cardamom, cinnamon, black pepper and coriander seed served over brown rice. All were very tasty. Only soft drinks here, but try the juice of the day. My visit they offered pineapple and ginger juice. They have lots of other dishes I will try on future visits. I will try the warm dessert of the day sometime when I order less food. The lady that owns this place is from Tanzania and speaks Swahili. This is order at the counter food, but that allows you to see the food and ask questions. Plenty of comfortable seating. Great addition to the ethnic food scene offered in the Kalamazoo area. Check out the guide for more details.

New in 2014. Peruvians moved to our area to be close to family after retirement. Unable to find any Peruvian restaurants in the entire state of Michigan, they drove to Chicago when they craved their favorite foods from their homeland. Now, they have blessed our corner of the state with El Inka a Peruvian Bistro in Kalamazoo. Nice comfortable space with native decorations on the walls. They had a rotisserie oven shipped from Peru so they could bring pollo a lo brasa to us. The whole chickens are marinated in Peruvian spices and cooked rotisserie style. This is now their signature dish. I had purple corn drink to start which was interesting. We tried aji de gallina which was a creamy yellow sauce over chicken and potatoes and topped with a slice of hard boiled egg. Also, try the ceviche which is raw fish marinated in citrus and chilis and is the most popular dish in Peru. We did try dessert as well which was rice pudding with a little cinnamon and warm fruit compote on top. Very good! I have never heard of most dishes offered here so this will be an adventure as we return to try many other dishes. They have applied for a license to sell alcohol in the future. Check out the guide for more details.

Since 2013. New to Kalamazoo, a Battle Creek mainstay has opened a second location. Hogzilla BBQ Pit brings real award winning pit BBQ to a new market. This place only has 2 or 3 tables and is mostly carryout. The menu is limited but offers some very good items like pulled pork, pulled chicken, brisket and rib tips. You can also order 1/4 & 1/2 BBQ chicken or 1/4, 1/2 & full racks of spare ribs. They also offer smoked sausage, chicken wings and Friday catfish fry. I liked the sides as well, especially the mac & cheese. They also have coleslaw, potato salad, spaghetti & bbq baked beans. Cornbread is also good. I had the pulled pork which was very tender with their unique bbq sauce which seems more vinegar based than most in the area. I did request a hot bbq sauce which came out thick and it was as hot as I would want. They do offer a couple of salads with one including smoked chicken. I want to try that on my next visit.

This place just opened in December of 2013. Kevin and Cindee Tibbs have created a neat atmosphere on a great corner next to the State Theater in downtown Kalamazoo. Tibbs Brewing Company seats 55 and offers 3-5 taps each day along with a chalkboard menu with a few items like nachos, sandwiches and some tasty pretzels from Renzema's Bakery in Parchment. You can try small glasses of the beers before committing to a pint. The day of my visit they offered an IPA, a Citra and a very nice Porter. I am a fan of Porters, so that was my favorite. I also really liked the pretzels. I have been to this space many times in my life as it was various restaurants. They have kept the spirit of the space and made a nice addition to the downtown beer scene. Nice place and nice people. Check out the guide for more details.

New in 2011. This place is connected to one of my favorites that has been in the guide for awhile called La Perla in Benton Harbor. That favorite of mine is run by Esteban Blanco's father. He worked for his father for 13 years before coming to Kalamazoo and opening El Gallo Blanco on Portage Road. This is very authentic Mexican food with unique offerings like fried cactus. I like the Alambre dish made with ham, bacon, shredded pork, onions, peppers and cheese. I also like the Steak Bistec. They have your favorites like tacos and burritos, but they offer some items not found on our "Americanized" Mexican restaurant menus. They also make their own soft drinks like horchata and hibiscus. This place is worth a drive if you like the real authentic experience. Check the guide for more details.

Best kept secret in Kalamazoo

Most people around Kalamazoo are familiar with the 29 year old home delivered meal and catering company called The Ample Pantry. They have long been known for fresh top quality ingredients and tasty good food! However, many people do not know that you can go have lunch at their nice cottage on KL Ave. The menu is not nearly as extensive as their home delivered dinners. They serve mostly soups, sandwiches and some daily lunch type specials. Very nice desserts are available to finish off with. Lots of people talk about their hot chicken salad which is always on the lunch menu. I have tried it and was very impressed! I have also had the soup and sandwich special which was plenty of food and very tasty. They do offer salads or a soup and salad option. My favorite is the hot chicken salad with their broccoli salad as my side dish. The brownie afterward was small, making it perfect for lunch. The dessert prices are very reasonable so take something home if you don't save room. Great atmosphere, good service and top quality tasty food. Check out the guide for more details.

More beer in Kalamazoo!

New multi-tap place in downtown Kalamazoo, featuring 28 taps with rotating selections from around the world. Called the Kalamazoo Beer Exchange. The beers are shown on their flat screen TV's displayed like stocks on the Dow. This results in "market" prices that give you an ever evolving "happy hour"! Even though they name themselves for beer, this is a good restaurant. Several salad choices including strawberry chicken spinach with apples, candied walnuts, gorgonzola and blush wine vinaigrette. Three soups daily. Two of which don't change. The Wisconsin Beer Cheese and the French Onion. Check the blackboard for the blue-plate special or try their excellent sandwiches for lunch. Grilled salmon, pulled pork sloppy joe or maybe the piedmontese beef burger from Italy. Dinner offers chops, fish, crepes, steak and pasta. Try chef Bill's mac & cheese with three cheeses and truffle oil! Other offerings are the appetizers and snacks like pizza, wings, nachos or a beer steamed hot dog with detroit coney sauce. Neat 2 level place with an open kitchen. Great for food and beer! Check out the guide for more details.

New European Cuisine place added

This new place is so popular that I feel I am late to the party. Downtown Kalamazoo is the host for Rustica described as Rustic-European-Cuisine. What a nice addition to the local dining scene. The restaurant is small and it is hard to get a table, so we used the call ahead program since they do not take reservations. This is what a great downtown restaurant should be. Open kitchen, fresh local ingredients, great service and unique selections. The menu is not large but has great variety. Our group of three had pan-roasted Michigan chicken, grilled American kobe beef and grilled leg of lamb. Each was served with a different side dish to match. They also have several fish and pasta offerings and a very popular pan-roasted pork chop. Add 130 wines from all over the world including 30 by the glass, nice appetizers, salads and desserts and you have one of the areas finest restaurants! Check out the guide for details and more review.