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Marie's Caribbean Creole Cuisine is located on Campbell Avenue in downtown Roanoke.

Marie's Caribbean Creole Cuisine serves up authentic Haitian cuisine, like this bowl of red beans and rice.

A taste of the islands has come to the corner of Campbell Avenue and Fifth Street in downtown Roanoke. Marie's Caribbean Creole Cuisine (try saying that three times fast) offers a spicy and adventurous reprieve when you're looking for something different from the usual downtown fare. The menu contains beef, chicken and fish dishes as well as various soups and stews. For the more daring, fried goat ($5) is also an option.

THE VIBE

While the bright-hued interior may be intent on evoking a sense of the tropics, no Roanoker is going to mistake Marie's for Kingston or Barbados. Though the nooks and crannies of the restaurant looked a little run down, it was clean and simple, with large pots of Creole goodness sitting on the stove up front. The television in the corner wasn't on, but loud music filled the room. The menu can be a little curious for some, and you should certainly seek clarification from the very pleasant folks at Marie's, though the language barrier can be a hindrance.

WHAT I TRIED

I ordered the "bulet" ($5). These fried beef meatballs are crispy on the outside but tender inside. Marie's serves the bulet with onions, green peppers, fried plantains and usually red beans and rice. On the day I visited, however, the rice-and-beans mixture that accompanied my bulet consisted of white rice sprinkled with small beans and peas. Our server, unsolicited, brought us a dish of red gravy made from tomatoes, onions and peppers for spooning over the beans and rice; I highly suggest doing so, as it adds a little more flavor and moisture to that dish.

For those who don't know, a plantain is a starchier and less sweet member of the banana family common throughout the Caribbean. Although I am usually fond of any fruit you can fry, I found the plantains served with my dish relatively tasteless, even though frying seemed to coax a hint of sweetness from them.

My colleague ordered the "griyo" ($5), a dish of fried pork also accompanied by the beans and rice. Much of the fried pork was dry, particularly the smaller pieces. The fattier, larger pieces of pork were considerably more flavorful.

Our server also brought us what the cook later called "hot sauce" made from vinegar and habanero peppers. Calling that concoction "hot sauce" is like describing the Mill Mountain Star to out-of-towners as merely a "neon lighted star." While technically correct, it's a bit of an understatement.

I did return to Marie's to try the red beans and rice, which I found dry and clumpy. Here again, that lovely red gravy would be a necessity.

THE SERVICE

The service at Marie's was disappointing. Though our food came very quickly, no one ever offered to refill my drink. This is a significant problem when you operate a restaurant with "Creole" in the name and serve habanero hot sauce to unsuspecting customers.

THE BOTTOM LINE

Those looking for a little lunchtime adventure should consider giving Marie's a try; you will certainly expand your horizons beyond the usual burger, sub or salad. Plus, the food arrives quickly enough to let diners get to Marie's and return downtown in the span of a lunch hour. Also be aware that in addition to the limited on-street parking, there is a parking lot downhill and to the side of the restaurant that you can access from Campbell.