IOWA CITY — A Colombian phrase meaning “that’s great,” Que Chimba isn’t just the name of this Iowa City restaurant — it’s what the owners hope you’ll say when eating their food.
Que Chimba opened March 23 in Iowa City’s Old Capitol Town Center, fulfilling a longstanding family dream. Alejandra Garavitos — who runs the spot along with her father, Orlando, her mother, Deyanira, sister Laura, brother-in-law, Derek, brother Julian, husband, Yerson, and sister-in-law, Grace — said her father was long set on the idea.
“He’s always thinking the food business is a really good business because all the people want to eat every single day,” Garavitos said.
The family’s previous efforts to sell food in their native city Bogotá, Colombia’s capital, didn’t last. But in less than four months in the mall, their sights are already set on expanding operations. Garavitos attributed their success to both their well-made food and their friendly service.
On the menu
Part of what makes Colombian food unique, Garavitos said, is its focus on flavor through fresh ingredients. They make their sauces and fillings multiple times a week, often daily.
“It’s not super full of condiments … It’s also made with natural items like cilantro, onions (and) tomatoes,” Garavitos said. “We put all the fresh stuff on the food, and that makes it so flavored but not so hard for your stomach.”
These flavors can be found bursting out of their arepa montañera, an arepa with chicken or beef, melted cheese, chopped chorizo, corn and a signature cilantro sauce. Arepas are a corn-based flatbread made in Colombia, Venezuela and other South American countries.
The picada is among the menu offerings from Que Chimba Colombian restaurant in Iowa City.
Nick Rohlman/The Gazette
If corn’s not your thing, Que Chimba’s patacones feature the same meats and green sauce but on a surface of smashed, fried plantains. The restaurant also serves salchipapas, or French fries loaded with fried sausage, cheese and corn.
In every dish, you can be sure you’re getting a full serving, Garavitos said.
“We’re not scared to use a lot of protein here. That’s our main thing,” Garavitos said. “We don’t put a little bit, we really put a really good amount of protein so you’re gonna be full for a couple hours.”
Meat lovers can indulge in grilled steak or chicken kabobs, or try the picada, a platter with steak, chicken, chorizo, yuca, plantain and arepas, an excellent choice for those with an appetite or friends to share with.
Vegetarians can opt for cheese-only arepas, patacones or empanadas or tequenos, similar to fried cheese sticks. Que Chimba also offers fresh-made fruit juices — blackberry, pineapple and passionfruit are more familiar flavors, while the citrusy lulo and tropical soursop may appeal to the more adventurous.
There’s no need to be intimidated when trying Colombian food, Garavitos said. She suggests people who are interested but hesitant to try something new start with the beef empanadas, their most popular item. Empanadas consist of beef encased in a crispy corn shell.
“You usually eat beef, you can eat corn, so it’s just the way we cook it,” Garavitos said. “It’s nothing so crazy, just good food.”
The empanadas are the most popular menu item at Que Chimba in Iowa City.
Nick Rohlman/The Gazette
Big dreams
Que Chimba has been an instant hit, Garavitos said, with customers frequently returning for the restaurant’s delicious food and upbeat attitudes. It’s a far cry from their stand in Bogotá 15 years ago, where the family sold empanadas as a side business for a year before demand fizzled out.
Garavitos’ mother moved to the United States in 2016 after losing her teaching job in Colombia, and the rest followed. They gave the food business another shot, selling empanadas and arepas to friends and family for four years before they found the perfect location in the Old Capitol Mall.
Now, Garavitos said they’ve taken on three additional employees and are bracing for business to accelerate when students return to the University of Iowa in the fall. She said there are plans to open a food truck or a larger, sit-down restaurant, but nothing’s set yet.
In the more immediate future, Garavitos said they expect to start serving coffee in September, roasted in-house from Colombian beans. Pandebono and almojábanas, two styles of cheese breads often eaten with coffee in Colombia, will join it on the menu.
Made with love
Perhaps the way Que Chimba’s food is made adds something special to the fresh ingredients. Garavitos said the family puts on feel-good music — genres like salsa, merengue and reggaeton — and tries to stay relaxed while working with each other.
Garavitos said she hopes customers get that home-cooked feeling both from what’s on the menu and from how they’re treated.
“We try to be so friendly with everyone so they feel really good coming here,” she said. “We’re here to make the people happy with our food.”
If You Go
Restaurant: Que Chimba
Address: 201 S. Clinton St., Suite 101, Iowa City
Hours: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Even when the mall is closed, there is a window on the outside of the building where people can place and pick up orders.
More information: Food is packaged to go and can be ordered in person or online through DoorDash and GrubHub.
Dining and Cooking