Lunch with friends TB and JS usually means lots of laughter and good food. And one of their favorite spots to grab a bite is Raes Coastal Café.
Named after nearby Raes Creek and the coastal cuisine it offers, Raes Coastal Café is tucked inside the Forest Hills Racquet Club community. The “shack,” as it fondly calls itself, features both indoor dining and outdoor dining on a patio, plus lots of personality in its décor, from fish to old movie posters.
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Its menu has a distinct personality too, with influences from Jamaica, Cuba, the Keys and other coastal destinations. Its Jamaican jerk chicken is its signature—both TB and JS love it atop Raes’ salad—but it also features entrees such as a savory Jamaican chopped chicken in puff pastry, jerk pork and mahi mahi; appetizers such as shrimp pate and jerk chicken wings; a variety of salads topped with chicken, shrimp or salmon; sandwiches including cheeseburgers and crabmeat sandwiches; and desserts, including a frozen mango pie or classic Key Lime pie.
If I’m ordering seafood, it’s almost always shrimp. I was tempted for a moment by the coconut fried shrimp, but I decided to try them New Orleans-style instead, with black beans and rice and a side of Raes’ house salad.
We filled up on laughter before our meals arrived, but I was ready to eat. Presented on a red plate, the colors of the yellow rice and green salad popped. I immediately took a bite of the shrimp: It was tender, delicate and fresh, with a crisp cornmeal coating that was perfectly seasoned.
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I fell in love with all the textures and flavors on my plate, which played off well against one another. The salad was a tangle of lettuce, chopped tomatoes and onions, loaded with tangy dressing and crisp little croutons. Then there was the soft and warmly spicy yellow rice, topped with the creamy black beans.
We talked, ate and laughed some more. And that’s the beauty of Raes. It was a regular weekday, but for a few moments, time slows down. It’s almost like you’re really at the beach, enjoying the catch of the day and great conversation with friends.
Make Your Reservation
Raes Coastal Café
3208 W. Wimbledon Dr.
Open for lunch Tuesday to Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and dinner, Tuesday to Thursday, 5 to 9 p.m. and Friday to Saturday, 5 to 10 p.m.
Lunch entrée cost: About $10.50 to $13.75
Danielle Wong Moores is a local freelance writer who’ll never turn down a shrimp cocktail, sushi or cheese dip. Her greatest food influences are her mom and writers MFK Fisher and Amanda Hesser. Her Dine and Dish column runs the second and fourth Fridays in The Augusta Press.
