"First impressions are important—just ask Mr. Darcy from Pride & Prejudice—and Gustazo Cuban in Porter Square knows this. You’ll immediately notice the art-house film posters and salsa-heavy playlist coming out of the speakers, which makes it a place for a fun dinner, with dishes highlighting the Spanish, Caribbean, and African influences on Cuban cooking. Get the crispy fried yuca, mussels with a chorizo sauce, and savory-sweet guava-glazed ribs, and pair it all with one of the cocktails or non-alcoholic drinks that feature ingredients like tobacco spray and lapsang souchong tea. And while you can make a reservation, you don't really need one—the seats at the mosaic tile-lined back bar are usually open and are our favorite place to be." - tanya edwards, megan zhang, dan secatore
