When Thony “Mango Man” Clarke emigrated to America 13 years ago he brought with him the vibrant flavors of the Caribbean.

His successful food cart paved the way for a proper restaurant, removing from his recipes constraints on price and preparation. However, lessons learned in a pushcart do not always transfer to the kitchen, and glaring flaws mar the excellence of some really quite special cuisine.

Mango Man has for several years been consistently rated one of the best food carts in Madison, and Cafe Costa Rica is more of the same. The menu features enhanced interpretations of takeaway favorites, including the “Mango Man” salad ($9.95) and popular curry chicken ($12.95), ranging from light fare to rich, savory stews. All orders are served with the house red and green salsa, both of which put to shame anything like them I’ve previously consumed.

My friend and I both ordered the special of chicken prepared in a caramelized pepper with salad, rice, and pico de gallo ($19). Almost more a stew than anything else, the chicken had been braised into tenderness in a rich sauce that was spicy, but not overwhelmingly so. The pico de gallo was also excellent, with lots of tasty bacon.

Less satisfactory was the preparation. To my great surprise, the chicken was served bone-in, requiring significant time to remove the pointy bits. There wasn’t a lot of it either. I’ve been served salsa before in bowls that size. Small portions and lassiez-faire preparation might be acceptable for a food cart, but $19 suggests a bit more.

While the portions are curiously small, the size of the restaurant is as well. Situated directly below the Madison Youth Hostel, the entire establishment is no larger than the Mango Man pushcart. Seating is cramped, with significant shuffling required to get larger diners to their seats, and the decór haphazard. While Caribbean music is a nice touch, having it blaring from a speaker hanging from a coat hanger directly behind your head does tend to detract from the evening.

If I were to sum up Cafe Costa Rica in one word, I would describe it as unfinished. The restaurant has significant potential, with intense flavors and novel recipes not found anywhere else in Madison. However, this underlying excellence is ruined by the death of a thousand cuts. I’m told the owner is in the process of constructing a new restaurant on Williamson Street, but perhaps he should consider working with what he already has.