Spice by CMB opened in Avondale in February 2026, transitioning from catering to a restaurant with a tightly curated menu focused on underrepresented African and Caribbean diasporas. The atmosphere is welcoming and energetic, featuring an earthy color palette and a spacious bar. The Creole shrimp fondue comes with crispy plantain chips and offers a rich, velvety dip with a successful shrimp-and-plantain combination. Braised oxtails with cassava dumplings is the top dish, with dumplings that blend familiar flavors and a sauce that soaks into chewy dumpling texture. Roasted Amish chicken is complemented by jollof rice and roti with yogurt sauce. Dishes may arrive with inconsistent pacing, and happy hour specials run under $12 from 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Wednesday through Friday.
"Start off your meal strong with the Creole shrimp fondue with crispy plantain chips ($17). This is a rich, velvety dip that you can scoop up with their crunchy, garlicky plantain chips. The ratio skews slightly heavier on the fondue with small chunks of shrimp, and the unexpected combination surprisingly works well together. It's a great dish that's ideal for sharing."
"The braised oxtails with cassava dumplings ($26) are the clear winner of the menu. The dumplings taste like a great blend of fufu, tteokbokki, and gnocchi, and the chewy texture is ideal for soaking up the rich sauce from the braised meat. The oxtail itself falls right off the bone, and the meat is beyond juicy and succulent."
"The roasted Amish chicken ($27) is a sleeper hit. The accompanying jollof rice added a nice element of warmth and heat to the dish, and the side of roti ($15) was soft and folded easily - ideal for dipping into the side of yogurt sauce."
"Spice by CMB is also a great happy hour move, offering many food and beverage specials priced under $12 from 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., available Wednesday through Friday."
#african-diaspora-cuisine #caribbean-cuisine #avondale-dining #happy-hour-specials #oxtails-and-dumplings
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