Belinda C.
Yelp
Get the PAPAS RELLENAS. Deep fried mashed potato balls filled with picadillo (ground beef with nonspicy spices). So yummy! It came with this delicious green dipping sauce.
If you do a Yelp check-in and order either two sandwiches or entrees, you can get a free order of Papas Rellenas or Croquetas, which have ham inside.
I liked that all the food was made to order and served hot.
My Cuban sandwich with black beans was comfort food. Not the most meaty sandwich I've had, but satisfying. It contains slow-roasted pork, ham, and melty Swiss cheese. The black beans was more like soup than a side of beans. Some beans had burst, and there is a lot of liquid. However, I do love soup.
Ropa Vieja is very saucy, but the shredded beef seemed dry to me. I'm not a fan of pulled pork in general though.
Don't arrive too close to closing time at 4 PM because you may be hurried out. Food needs 15 minutes to come out. My mistake was to not wrap up sooner. Owner turned up the volume of the Latin music at 4 PM, smiling and trying to show me she enjoyed or wanted to dance to the music. However, she was nice enough to let me use the restroom one more time to wash up before leaving. Earlier, she also asked me why I was taking so many pictures, so I had to tell her that I post on Yelp. Understandable that she would be protective. English is clearly not her first language, so there is likely a cultural barrier.
Here are other items I'd be interested in trying next time:
- Empanada or Meat Pie (also filled with the picadillo ground beef)
- Cafe con Leche (because I believe Cuban coffee is sweet)
- Congri (red beans and rice mixed together)
- Guava and Cheese Cuban filo pastry
I like that the restaurant also offers omelettes, breakfast sandwiches, and French Toast.
When driving to the restaurant, I felt like I was driving on local neighborhood streets. It did not feel commercial at first, but eventually, you will see a plaza. Cuba Cafe is in the same plaza with Maya Supermarket, which sells grocery products from Central and South America and Mexico. If I had had more time, I would have checked out that market to immerse and explore Latin culture.