Restaurant of the Week: Chef Dave’s Cafe

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Chef Dave’s Cafe, 10574 Acacia St. (at Haven), Rancho Cucamonga

Chef Dave’s is in a nondescript office park, as the photo indicates, there primarily to serve nearby workers and do catering. The cafe interior has a bit more individuality, with burgundy tablecloths and paintings on the walls, but it’s slightly bare, indicating that dining-in is only one component of the business. This first-timer went there for lunch on a rainy Tuesday and was the only diner, although two people came in for takeout.

Someone alerted me to this place a while back, recommending the gumbo. The menu, which is written on a chalkboard, changes frequently, and there was no gumbo this week, alas. Dave’s has a bistro-type menu and feel, with hot and cold sandwiches and salads, nothing more expensive than $6.89. Customers order at the counter.

I ordered the jerk chicken sandwich ($6.89) and an iced tea. I didn’t know what to expect, but the sandwich was a pleasant surprise, mildly spicy and accompanied by onions and cheese. A few pieces of grilled pineapple made a nice garnish.

Open weekdays only from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., they do lunch and a few breakfast items. If you want to ask what’s on the menu, phone (909) 941-0303. While I wouldn’t recommend driving across town to eat here, if you find yourself in the neighborhood — it’s a block east of Haven and just south of the new underpass — Chef Dave’s is worth hunting down.

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