This Idaho restaurant ranked one of the top Mexican Food Spots during 2024, Yelp says

Idaho is known if its incredible cuisine, but the Gem State has few rivals when it comes to its Mexican food - with the crown jewel of Cafe Carambola in Coeur d’Alene.

The online review site Yelp has named the North Idaho restaurant number five on its list of Top 25 Mexican Food Spots 2024. Yelp was able to determine the ranking by considering the volume and ratings of reviews between Jan. 1, 2001, and Feb. 14, 2024. To account for geographic diversity, they included two businesses per state.

The Cafe has earned 4.9 stars out of 5, with 417 reviews.

“The fresh, bright flavors of Latin America shine through at this small, blink-and-you’ll-miss-it cafe at the end of a strip mall,” according to the ranking.

The restaurant is inspired by husband-and-wife owners, Carlos and Colomba Aguilar, and their culinary travels throughout Latin America. They aim to share their passion for tortas, salads and soups with nutrition and presentation in mind, according to the Yelp ranking.

The small cafe is along Northwest Boulevard, just down the road from the University of Idaho, Coeur d’Alene. It is about a seven-hour drive from Boise.

Their menu highlights their signature dishes and lunch-only specialties such as their El Mexicano Torta with shredded beef, cilantro pesto and pico de gallo. A popular seasonal dish is the Watermelon Shrimp Ceviche, which is served during summer. A lighter option includes the Incan Quinoa Salad with tangy tomatillo-pepita dressing over quinoa, sweet corn, radishes and cucumber.

Cafe Carambola is located at 610 Hubbard Ave. just north of Harrison Slough, in Coeur d’Alene.