Bernadette C.
Yelp
My real rating would be 4.5 stars. Not too bad of a difference but I just had the slightest quibble.
We were a party of 5 and 2 of our friends had already eaten here before and spoke highly of it. It was a Saturday night around 6:45 PM and we were seated within just a few minutes. I did notice later on that it was full inside the restaurant and people were waiting at the door for a table to open up so we got lucky when we arrived.
Our waiter was fantastic and very personable. He recommended the Bocadito to share as our appetizer. It came with beef & chicken empanadas, papas rellenas, platanos fritos and yuca frita served with rico sauce. Delicious if you want to try multiple things! Since there were 5 of us, we just had to cut some of the foods up to share so that we could all try each one.
A friend and I ordered Bistec Encebollado ("Grilled thin-cut sirloin steak topped with grilled onions, citrus zest, and mojo sauce. Gluten Free.")
This is where I knocked off half a star. The description sounded delicious but when a friend and I both received our plates, it wasn't saucy at all so I wasn't sure what or where the mojo sauce was. If it was cooked or marinated in it, then I couldn't tell. The meat with a little tough and dry but still good flavor. Since it came with a bowl of black beans, we used that with every bite to make the meat feel jucier. ($26.25/ea)
Dishes our other friends ordered:
Bistec Empanizado - "Seasoned, breaded, and fried thin-cut sirloin steak with grilled onions and mojo sauce." ($26.25)
Vaca Frita - "Tender shredded beef seared crispy with grilled onions, citrus zest, and mojo sauce. Gluten Free." ($24.95)
Vaca Frita Sandwich - "Tender shredded beef seared crispy with grilled onions, mayo, and mojo sauce" ($16.25)
Since I was so focused on my own food, I didn't exactly get a chance to ask everyone what they loved/didn't like about their food, but for the most part, everyone thoroughly enjoyed their meals! Practically devoured them. Meat was good, flavor was tasty and the plantains were a hit with everyone.
My absolute favorite part was the Cortado Frio ("Strong, sweet and ice chilled Cuban latte with a double shot of espresso" / $4.75). It was SOO creamy and delicious that I just couldn't get enough of it!! I've never had Cuban coffee and it reminded me strongly of Vietnamese coffee.
Also enjoyed the live performers creating a soothing, jazzy ambiance as they sang and played instruments like the sax, flute and keys.
Definitely not local to the area whatsoever but whenever I do come around again, I would want to pay a visit every time. Even if it is just for the cortado!