Kool Beanz Cafe

Kool Beanz Cafe Restaurant Review:

Kool Beanz epitomizes college-town chic. Where else could you find eclectic cuisine---ranging from smoky corn-crab cakes with cilantro-lime sauce to jerk pork-mango quesadillas to linguine with crawfish and tasso---in a no-frills former convenience store turned no-frills diner? Throw in the fact that its name suggests an espresso shop, the décor suggests a paint factory explosion and the proprietors actually boast about the unrelenting noise level (The motto is "Eat, drink, talk loud. You're among friends.") and you have all the culinary non sequiturs that make for a unique, quirky dining experience. And for long waits. This eatery, where the food is both creatively conceived and well prepared, often has guests waiting an hour or so to be seated. Happily, portions are generous and, Kool Beanz regulars say, the waits discourage casual drop-ins.