(April 2, 2013) — Set in the bustling streets of The Grove in West Hollywood, a restaurant with yellow awnings and outdoor seating drew me in to try a variety of foods infused with a West Coast twist. Upon entering Marmalade Cafe, the first thing I noticed was the decor. It was around lunch time, but the restaurant wasn’t crowded, so it was easy to look at the furniture and wall accents. When I visited the restaurant’s website, the photographs showed a rustic, clean, high-end environment. In actuality, the room looked poorly managed; the floors didn’t match the seats, which didn’t match the booths, which didn’t match the walls or pictures. Everything looked dusty and old, like it wasn’t well kept. The inside looked like it was so dusty, that if I sat there with food, when somebody walked by, they would kick up dust which would then land on my food. The service was okay; however, it was still slow considering there were hardly any customers inside. The place was dim, dirty and had a strange atmosphere. It was underwhelming considering the fact that the restaurant is located at the Grove, which sets high expectations for its customers. I was bothered the entire time about a certain smell. I couldn’t pinpoint what it was, but it was something like old food dried into a dusty, stained carpet. After all of the disappointment in regards to the cleanliness and decor of the restaurant, I did not have very high expectations for the food. Unlike the decor, my expectations for the food matched my reality. The chicken tacos I ordered had pickled cabbage inside, which was strange, but added a certain kick that I hadn’t tasted at any other restaurant. The different ingredients were well balanced; there was a hint of all the taco’s flavors. The food presentation was above expectations, and the guacamole tasted exceptional. Caesar salad came with the tacos, which didn’t match the main dish, which was Mexican. All in all, the decor and odor was discouraging and disappointing, but the food was tasty. The solution would probably be to sit outside if the weather was bearable. The restaurant wouldn’t be my first recommendation at the Grove, but the food was good enough I would return, but only if I could sit outdoors.