Marie M.
Yelp
Family and friends have been raving to me about this place for over a year now, but I don't drive far anymore except when I absolutely need to.
This was the case recently, as I was planning my youngest's Quince. Like her other three sisters, she didn't want a traditional Quinceanera in a ballroom, a couture gown, a Court of Honor composed of 14 couples or just 14 maidens, professional photography, etc. She wanted an intimate dinner with family and her closest circle of friends, fun games, and music. That's exactly what I planned and produced for her.
For weeks, we taste-tested food from different restaurants. Finally, the Imperial Rice (Arroz Imperial) is what she LOVED from Casa Maiz! Given that I wanted to design everything for her and around her, although I knew Arroz Imperial was...let's say, a mediocre dish for a Quince, I also knew that the appetizers, sides, drinks, as well as other factors, especially the presentation and decor, would make the difference for our sit-down dinner--and it did!
Because they're set up as a food-by-the-pound place and it's always super busy, the service is rushed and the staff appears stressed, not friendly. My only complaint is that I made many attempts on different days and various times of the day to speak to someone on the phone to check if they had a similar option (Arroz con Pollo) without the slice of ham and cheese topping they put on theirs (they didn't have it), yet it was never possible. While they have two locations, one in Doral and the other in Hialeah, I had to make an extra trip to the Hialeah location just to speak to them.
The teenagers loved the rice as is, but I wish they would consider offering the Imperial Rice (minus the cheese and ham). It would be one of their highest-ranked dishes; guaranteed! The other thing is that the tamales, which are the most popular item and purchased by the dozen or more, are only made with pork. When I asked the manager if they would consider making chicken or plain tamales, he said, "!NUNCA! [NEVER!]" Well, how very disappointing!!!
With the exception of their Chicken Cordon Bleu (which my sister kept telling me not to order because they don't specialize in French cuisine and it was as hard as a bowling ball), the greater majority of items are well seasoned and cooked, and authentically Cuban. With that, it would be great if they expanded and opened up in Broward.