If ever a restaurant were saucy, Coobah would be it. You'll know you're approaching this Southport hotspot soon as you hear the sounds of spicy Latin music spilling through the massive cherry red doors. Step into the dark, terracotta space, order up a pitcher of sangria, soak up the menu and get ready for a late night (and, depending on the number of caipirinhas you drink, a rough morning).

Combining the best of Cuban, Spanish and Latin American eats, the menu includes appetizers of gazpacho, lumpia (Filipino-style egg rolls stuffed with crab, coconut and sausage), ceviche and a jerked chicken jibarito spruced up with caramelized plantains, radicchio and marmalade. Entrees include strip steak, shellfish paella and the signature Coobah sandwich, with roast pork, smoked ham, baby Swiss and sweet pickles ($10, though the rest of the entrees average $20).

As to be expected, vegetarians won't find a bevy of options, but order a salad, like the appetizing, sugarcane-dressed Caesar salad, and you can puff it up with some seared tofu for protein. Finish off your meal with roasted pumpkin cheesecake or coconut-banana rice pudding or a second round of mojitos. Weekends cook up a hearty brunch of blue corn buttermilk pancakes, hand-rolled tamales and breakfast burritos.

Average cost: $10-$20

Centerstage Reviewer: Jessica Herman