Posted by Liz and John Attaway, 3/15/20

Happiness is a day at the beach, and we all need a little beach right now. That’s what you’ll get at Chiringa in Alpharetta; it’s like walking into a surfside bar. From the sweetness of perfect plantains, to healthy blackened fish tacos, to meaty wings, flavorful bowls, and the perfect beach drink, Chiringa has serious eats, warm beach vibes, and breezy cocktails. Can you smell the salt in the air and a warm ocean breeze? We can too, let’s dive into a surfside food adventure.

Starting with the breezy cocktails, imagine a cool Shandy or the perfectly frozen Froze while you listen to the waves crash on the sand. That’s Chiringa. We loved both! The Shandy was fresh-squeeze lemonade paired with Grayton Beach’s 30A Blonde Ale. It was refreshing and lemony-sweet with the right amount of beer and lemonade. Drinkable and fresh, it’s an all-day sipper! If you go to Chiringa this spring or summer, the must-get drink is definitely their Froze. A mix of vodka, lemon, and strawberry, its sweet and tart, one unbelievable adult slushie. The perfect beach-day cocktail.

What impressed us most about Chiringa was the quality and flavor of the food. For a fast-casual type restaurant, this is on another level. Every single thing they have on the menu is delicious! Our first taste were the wings. We have wings A LOT and these are our favorite so far this year. They were very meaty and you can taste Springer Mountain Farms quality in every bite. On top, the glaze was the perfect blend of spicy, savory, and sweet. It grows spicier as you eat, so use the ranch dip to cool it down. These were paired with fries, which were also very good. Perfect companion with the wings. Tip: find the fries sitting in the wing glaze, dip in ranch! Enjoy.

Being a beach-centric place, they have a ton of healthy eating options and the blackened Mahi Tacos were just that, whether you get a tortilla or get it as a lettuce wrap, it’s fresh all the way around! The fish was perfectly seasoned, plump, and tender, topped with pickled onions, lettuce, jalapeno, and a rich chipotle creama. It was a balanced dish you could get without the creama to make it low calorie, diet friendly. We added some avocado for even more creaminess. You wouldn’t think this was healthy because it’s so good, but it is. Sounds like the perfect stop for your next Taco Tuesday.

Staying on the healthy kick, the Core 57 bowl has it all! Hearty black beans, rice, tender chicken, arugula, cilantro sauce, plantains, and avocado. What an amazing, delectable bowl that mixes a ton of flavors into a crescendo of everything from savory, sweet, to creamy. Most surprising the sweetness of the plantains to the savory of the beans and creaminess of the avocado all worked so well together on the palate. To make it even better, we mixed the cilantro sauce and the ranch from the wings and added some of it the bowl to taste. Insert heart-eye emoji here. Amazing! I’m (Liz) is still thinking about this dish. My favorite.

Now, if you get one thing at Chiringa, it’s the plantains. Just take a moment to think about warm apple pie filling, warm and sweet. That’s just about right, but then being plantains, its heavier and meatier than an apple, so it’s a perfect storm of sweet and savory. It eats like a dessert, but with a tropical vibe. Paired with the cilantro sauce, added some earthiness and savor. We’re in love.

Who knew a beach trip was so close? Grab your favorite beach gear, your favorite kite equipment, a towel and head up to Alpharetta. The beach awaits.