By Mackenzie Ferguson

An outside view of Caffe Colao on Patterson Avenue.

At first glance, I was not sure if I would be satisfied with this new restaurant. I was too distraught by the fact that this newly-opened cafe replaced my favorite sushi spot, Tokyo Joe’s on Patterson Avenue near Parham Road.

Nonetheless, I walked through the same familiar door only to feel a complete culture shock. Being used to the elegant and organized Japanese decor, I was surprised to see a variety of dispersed flags, paintings, and signs around the room that fully embodied the customs of the Dominican Republic.

Seeing a cheeseburger on the wall outside of the restaurant, I had only assumed that the café was an American chain restaurant. But I was wrong. There were three ladies working and serving in the front, while two male chefs quickly tossed and fried several meals for a family of four sitting at a table next to me. All of the employees were speaking fluent Spanish, and I was nervous that I would have to use my rusty Spanish speaking abilities to try and communicate. But the lady at the front kindly greeted me with a “Hello, welcome to Caffe Colao!” and my stress went away.

Unsure of most of the Dominican meals they had on the menu, I decided to order the Cuban sandwich. Nothing extravagant, but I thought it would be interesting to try an authentic Caribbean sandwich that I’ve tried at other restaurants, such as Kuba Kuba. Reminding myself that this café had just opened weeks ago, I was guessing that the meal would be average, considering their small menu selection. I was wrong again. It was amazing. 

The café’s preparation station with a Dominican flag.

Caffe Colao is a Dominican-based restaurant that serves a mix of Latin American cuisines, as well as several American dishes. They opened up in early November, after Tokyo Joe’s abruptly closed. When I say abruptly, I mean I ordered Sushi on October 27, and the restaurant was closed three days later.

I asked one of the employees in Caffe Colao why they had replaced Tokyo Joe’s so soon, and she claimed that the restaurant closed for “its own reasons” and that the space to lease was quickly purchased.

I was unable to catch any of the employees’ or chefs’ names, but I was able to tell that they were built around family. The chef had a little daughter behind the counter that was helping the other waitresses prepare the boxes of takeout food. A family of five then entered the restaurant, and their faint English then turned into strident, vocal Spanish. The family must have been family or good friends of the employees, because they brought a cake, seated themselves, and then started to ask a multitude of questions about their family and how the restaurant was going. I could only pick up a few words here and there, but I could get a sense of what they were saying. While this had all taken me by surprise, I could tell that this was an authentic, family-centered café by the close knit connections between the employees and the guests. And overall, I found the space itself to be very homey, and different from other Latino restaurants in the Richmond area. 

Cuban sandwich with a side of fries.

And the food was delicious, to say the least. The Cuban sandwich was made with the most perfectly toasted Cuban bread, which is similar to French bread. It consisted of a layer of pulled pork, followed with several slabs of ham, and then topped with melted Swiss cheese. Just after finishing a long morning swim, this might have been the best sandwich to fill me up. The sandwich came with a side of fries, which my dad, unfortunately, devoured. I asked him for a quick review of the fries, and he claimed that they were a “solid 7/10.” I, on the other hand, would give the whole meal an overall great satisfaction rate. The workers were incredibly kind, the restaurant was well kept, and the food was absolutely amazing and authentic. So if you ever find yourself looking to grab a bite to eat somewhere on Patterson, try out Caffe Colao! 

All photos by Mackenzie Ferguson.

All photos were taken by Mackenzie Ferguson