Amazing food, amazing service! I've eaten here multiple times over the past 16 years, and the food is always delicious. The waitresses are also friendly and accommodating. I normally order the ensalada de Nelly and add grilled chicken. It's a good salad if you like garlic. The chicken was tasty, even if the portion could have been a little bigger. I had to order a double portion of chicken. read more

Cafe Piquet - Ensalada de Nelly with grilled chicken - Cuban Near Me - Bellaire, Texas

3.0 - Empanadas de Carne 4.2M - Queso Frito 2.7/V1.8M - Sandwich, Pan con Bistec, no onions. 4.5 - Shake, Passionfruit, milk. MEATS 3.7 - Masitas (pork chunks) 2.9 - Pernil Asado con Mojo (pulled pork). 3.3V/2.5M - Ropa Vieja (pulled pork in red sauce) SIDES 2.5 - Fries, seasoned. Soft. 3.0 - Rice, white. 3.5V - Yuca Frita. Too much garlic for M. read more

Café Piquet has that classic, old-school Miami-Cuban vibe -- almost like stepping into a restaurant from the 80s. Some people may enjoy the nostalgia, but it definitely feels dated. The food was okay, but everything leaned very garlicky, to the point where it overshadowed the other flavors. Nothing was bad, just heavy and not very balanced. And honestly, it really can't compare to Cuban restaurants in Miami -- those are on a completely different level in both flavor and freshness. Overall, it's a decent option if you're close by and craving Cuban food, but not a place I'd drive across town for. read more

By Amy! Ask for Amy! Every time I'm in Houston, I come to this place and it is so amazing. I went to college in Miami Florida and I always found Cuban spots like this. I am so glad there's one in Houston. read more

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Absolutely amazing. The food, drinks and servíce are amazing. It truly is a special place. In a city of must try places, you must try this place. Exceptional read more

Today was our first--and definitely our last--visit to Café Piquet. I had been craving good Cuban food and truly wanted to enjoy this place, but the experience was disappointing from start to finish. Even though the restaurant wasn't busy around 1:00 p.m., the kitchen struggled to get dishes out. After placing our order, we waited about 20 minutes before being told they were out of the steak my husband originally ordered. We decided to give them the benefit of the doubt and hoped the food would make up for the delays. Unfortunately, it didn't. Our meals finally arrived after a 45-minute wait (possibly longer), and the food was bland, unappealing, and overall a letdown. Sadly, the entire visit felt like a waste of both time and money. read more

Went with my uncle to Cafe Piquet Cuban Cuisine in Houston. They have plenty of parking and actually had quite a bit of people dining inside during mid day. I tried their empanadas and tostones rellenos. For my main dish I got the vaca frita. The vaca frita had shredded beef with onions and garlic sauce. I chose Maduros (ripe plantains) and yuca con mojo (yuca with garlic sauce) as my sides. The vaca frita itself was ok. It's like shredded beef with some crispy pieces. It was like moist and dry at the same time. I really liked the garlic sauce it came with though. The maduros were delicious and the yuca con mojo had an interesting texture but was good as well. The empanadas were good and came with a cilantro sauce and a hot sauces the tostones rellenos are stuffed with fried green plantains, cheese, and your choice of protein. I got the ropa viejo. I really enjoyed my uncle's bistec de cerdo. It was a marinated pork steak and it was soo soo tender and juicy. read more

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5/5 in service 5/5 in quality 10/5 in flavor! Arrived 15 mins prior to close and they still sat us and served us GOOD FOOD! Food was absolutely delicious! Very authentic and super flavorful. Everything was fresh and made to order. The cortaditos were the perfect end to the delicious meal. Definitely my favorite Cuban/Caribbean restaurant In the Houston area. read more

Food was very quick to come to the table. The vibes there were really nice, I liked the decoration and how lively it felt. I ordered a cubano, which was really crispy and well balanced. The sousop smoothie was also very good before I had my meal. Would recommend checking them out if you have a craving for cuban food! read more

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TLDR: Service and Freshness is lacking... but the flavor was satisfying! Visit: Weekday (lunch) Order: La Rumba (entree sampler) Rating: Vaca Frita (shredded beef with/ onions and garlic)- 6.9/10 Flavorful and fairly tasty! That garlic makes the dish. However, it was barely even warm upon arrival. Pernil (shredded pork w/ garlic)-5.1/10 Ooof this was insanely dry and was the coldest of the trio... the only saving grace was the garlic. Picadillo- flavor was good, but again cold. Yuca Fritas- 8.1/10 THE BEST item of the day! Not only did these have an amazing crispy texture, but that garlic sauce over it was outstanding. While it was the hottest thing on the plate, I can't claim it to be more than warm. Platanos- 7.4/10 your average fried plantains. Overall, this establishment is better than average. However, this being my 3rd visit, I've noticed some inconsistency. On this occasion, service is spotty because I had multiple people visiting the table throughout the meal, which was a bit confusing. Also, I wasn't given bread until requested (maybe it's only upon request?). Lastly, I wasn't followed up with for the entire time until I had finished (refills/follow up not offered until I was finished). The glaring downside for this particular experience was that all of the food, every single thing on the plate, was on the cold side. Nothing was served hot/fresh. If it had been fresher, I could see the scores bumped into the 8-9s. read more

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I had been craving Cuban food and a friend recommended this place. It was pretty empty on a Saturday during brunch time. A waiter came over immediately after we sat down and took our drink order and told us the daily specials. To drink I ordered a spicy mango margarita. It was so strong I couldnt taste the mango :( it did the job though LOL. For my entree I ordered picadillo with congri rice and a salad. The picadillo was amazing! So much flavor!! It is exactly what I had been craving. The congri rice was also soooo good. It was the perfect combination. I am Puertorican and it is so hard to find authentic Caribbean food here but this place really delivered. I will be back for sure! read more

Cafe Piquet - Picadillo - Cuban Near Me - Bellaire, Texas

Amazing sandwiches and wonderful Mojitos. Good service. Atmosphere reminded me of the Cuban restaurants in Florida. read more

Cafe Piquet - Cuban Near Me - Bellaire, Texas

Food was so good Cuban sandwich such and original and perfected here it tastes so good and had the best pickles the mojito tastes so good and seems like it's made with various fresh ingredients server was super sweet and attended us to our needs the environment is amazing and love how there is outdoor seating!! read more

Cafe Piquet - From entrance with patio - Cuban Near Me - Bellaire, Texas

We were a group of eight. Mabel was a great waitress and gave us separate checks. It was pouring when I arrived. Rogelio, the manager, brought me a plastic bag to put my umbrella. Two of the eight in the group are regulars there. Everyone liked their food. I had a passion fruit juice which was refreshing and delicious. My black beans were also really good. And they're vegetarian. There's yuca with garlic sauce, both fried and boiled. I had the boiled one. It's delicious. A friend ordered a coconut flan to share with us. It's quite possibly the most delicious one I've ever had. It's dense. They have happy hour through 6. They didn't have a menu for that. I wish they did. read more

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For the last 10 years, I've visited this restaurant (mostly during lunch/late afternoons) and it's been pretty consistent. The staff have always been friendly, polite and knowledgeable with the menu items. The service has been amazing, very attentive to our needs and also frequent stops at the table refilling drinks. The atmosphere is fairly quiet. Appetizer: Tostones rellenos (fried green plantain stuff with Ropa Vieja and picadillo) ** first time trying these 6 out of 10 came with a mild creamy sauce and a spicy salsa good flavor overall Ropa Vieja (shredded beef, slow cooked in tomato and wine sauce) ** my go to dish - flavorful and delish 8 out of 10 Cubano sandwich (Swiss Cheese, ham, pork, mustard and pickles) ** not much meat in it but good flavor, could've used some sauce or something other than mustard 6 out of 10 read more

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Cute ambiance. Great for dinner. I came for lunch with my coworkers. I'm docking one star because the service could have been better. The waiters seemed overwhelmed so we waited a bit for basic things like refilling drinks and checks. I also wish they had a lunch menu because it is a little on the higher price for what you get. Either way it's good solid Cuban food. read more

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Overall, Cafe Piquet is a decent neighborhood destination for some classic Cuban flavors in Houston. My favorites included the garlic shrimp and rice (full of flavor and aroma) as well as the delicious apps like the fried cheese with guava sauce and the tostones rellenos stuffed eith ropa vieja. The cubano sandwich was a solid option as well for those classic flavors. read more

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It's been a while since I've been back, and was craving some breaded beef and plantains. Bistec Empanizado - huge and delicious! Beef was pretty tender, perfectly breaded and with a good crunchiness to it. I ordered with black beans and fried plantains. Multiple ways to mix it up, all of which will hit the spot! Mariquitas - overflowing basket, and comes with garlic dip. Flavor is spot on. Service is great, and place has ample parking. Highly recommended! read more

Cafe Piquet - Bistec Empanizado - Cuban Near Me - Bellaire, Texas

Made the hour drive to meet our son & dil for lunch. Decided to sit inside. We were seated near the tv. Not sure why. It was on extremely loud, I guess because the World Cup was on. Server promptly took our orders. Ordered the fried yuca al mojo for appetizer. Perfectly fried. We all decided on sandwiches. The kiddos shared a media noche and French fries. Hubby & I shared the media noche and the Cubano. I got a cappuccino to go along with my sandwiches. I grew up drinking them with my Cubanos. The sandwiches were good. I wish the cappuccino(not pictured) would have been a little bigger. Service was good. We will always come back. read more

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Thoroughly annoyed. Google lists the closing time as 9PM, but their recording indicates 10PM on Friday nights. Showed at just shy of 9PM and warned that the kitchen was about to close and we needed to order quickly. I should have walked out right then. We were rushed through dinner, the tostones were crap. The vaca frita was pretty greasy. Disappointed with the experience. read more

First time visiting and unfortunately it was closed. Yelp shows their hours until 10 PM, but they actually close at 9 PM. It would be helpful if the online hours were updated so customers don't make the trip only to find the doors already locked. read more

I've been there for lunch about a dozen times. The service has always been outstanding. They're plantain chips are cooked to order and are fantastic. We've tried various items on the menu and have always been pleased (except do not order the beef steak, which was the only disappointment). read more

Great food. Decent service. We hadn't been here in many years because we live so faraway. We found ourselves in the area and decided to come by. It got busy while we were there and we had a hard time getting the check towards the end. Since we had to be at the theater for an event, we were looking to bolt out of there. Not the fastest check out but we were happy with our dishes: the pollo de ajo and empanada trio. The congri and yuca were very satisfying. The restaurant was definitely starting to fill up for dinner when we left here on a Sunday afternoon. read more

Cafe Piquet - The congri was excellent! And the yuca was satisfying :) - Cuban Near Me - Bellaire, Texas

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I was excited for cuban food but didn't quite get what I had in florida. The cuban coffee was good. The yuca in mojo was good, but everything else was just ok. The service did remind me of that in florida. Texas has way better service standards for sure. The waiters seemed very busy all the time, and we had to order with a different staff member than who had originally introduced themselves. The food came quickly, and the place was like an old school homely restaurant. I bet things get livelier when they have music playing with a band, as I've heard. They don't have cuban pastries for dessert, which was one of the reasons I looked for a cuban restaurant. read more

Let me clear and upfront, I am a Miami native and the first in my family born in the states, from Cuba. Cuban food is my comfort food, and what I grew up with, and sadly, I have to say this is not it. I recently moved to Houston and was missing home, so I though Cuban food I didn't have to make at home might do it. First let me say, the staff was friendly, polite and attentive. Service was relatively quick and the place looked clean and well maintained. That is the reason for the two stars. If I could rare those things seperately I would. No complaints on either service or environment. We ordered the small "sampler" platter as an appetizer. A sandwich, and I ordered Fufu de plátanos. At the end of my meal, I asked for a "cortadito". The sampler comes with 2 croquetas de jamón, un tamal, 2 empanadas, and a papa rellena. First, the empanadas and the papa rellena, are made with the same picadillo, which is typical, what is not was the flavor profile and the peas in the picadillo. Also, it was too moist for the papa rellena and the empanadas to retain their physical integrity and look. They tasted ok, but for my palette it was not right. The tamal was semi bland but the consistency was right although it's served out of its leaf enclosure, which may have affected the moisture, unsure how long they are out of their "pouches". The croquetas were mishapen, and were not seasoned correctly for my taste. Also, two sauces were served with the platter, neither of which could be considered authentic, one seemed like a parsley/garlic aoili, and the other a spicy pepper jam. The sandwich I did not try, but it was very large and looked fresh. The Pechugona was the one ordered, and it looked good but I can't comment on it further. The Fufu, which I was very excited for, was a disappointment. First off, traditional Fufu is boiled sweet plantains, which chicharrón, and typically a mojo is prepared for the top and serving in most households. This had to be fried sweet plantains or "maduros", which either masitas de puerco or pernil, both pork dishes, mashed in with it. The garlic on top, looked like it was scooped out of one of those jars you get at the grocery store. It left alot to be desired. In the end, I got un cortadito. This is supposed to be a Cuban espresso, known to us as cafécito at any "window" with a little milk, to cut the espresso. Hence it's name. What I was served was weak and awful espresso, with the wrong consistency, and no milk to be seen if any. Two sugar packets on the side. It was awful. If you aren't Cuban, it may seem fine to you. If you are Cuban though, I'm gonna have to suggest you avoid coming here. The most authentic thing about the restaurant was the Cuban flag at half mast outside. read more

Cafe Piquet - Fufu de Platano - Cuban Near Me - Bellaire, Texas

We met family here for lunch. I was pleasantly surprised and we have been back twice since. The menu is very large. I have ordered three different plates and they all have been great. Service is fast and friendly. Ambiance is great!. read more

Delicious food and you'll leave feeling very full and satisfied. I had an amazing waiter that night who was extremely friendly and I regret not asking for his name, but he seemed very patient and willing to explain items on the menu and give recommendations. I wanted a "mamey" shake and he recommended it with milk and that was delicious. I got the pernil and my boyfriend got the ropa vieja. Let me tell you the plates come jam packed, so halfway through I was already feeling very full. Our waiter came back and was like yeah we usually stuff our plates. Both dishes were very tasty. I also got the fried yuca as my side and it was very crispy. It was even more yummy with the garlic they topped it off with. read more

Cafe Piquet - Pernil Con Mojo - Cuban Near Me - Bellaire, Texas

This was my second time frequenting here. The staff is super nice, and the food is affordable. Every time that I go here, I get the ropa vieja. My two suggestions is 1. for the black beans to have a little more flavor, and 2. The plantains to have a crust kind of around the edges. (They're super soft) read more

Cafe Piquet - Ropa Vieja - Cuban Near Me - Bellaire, Texas

This place is consistently good. We always order the pollo ala plancha. Chicken is a bit dry...but it has great flavor and their plantains are delicious. Black beans are great as well. Empanadas are really good too. Staff is attentive and friendly. read more

Eat there fairly often. The food is fresh and quite large quantities! Service is good. Cuban ambience decorated with furnishings. Flan is excellent, as well as, the Cuban coffee. read more

Monday, November 7th, 2022, I was supposed to go to the Astros' victory party. I parked my car at Hermann Park, then tried t catch the Metro. But the Metro was so crowded that I was kicked out. I decided to organize my bubble head parade!. I need some food. I was thinking about Cuban food. I visited Cafe Piquet in order to buy a Cuban sandwich. I like Yuli Gurriel and Yodan Alvarez from Cuba. They like the sandwich, I guessed. I bout the sandwich and tamales. Both of them were great! I really enjoyed y bubblehead parade! Thank you! read more

Cafe Piquet - Cuban Near Me - Bellaire, Texas

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We when there for the first time. We enjoyed the food and drinks everything was good. Our waiter Jesus was super nice and very attentive to our needs , the place was clean and very nice not busy since we were there mid-afternoon . We will definitely return again . read more

Cafe Piquet - Our appetizer place! The stuffed potatoes were my favorite , everything was delicious - Cuban Near Me - Bellaire, Texas

Always solid, always Cuban. Love this place. Good and as close as you can get to true Cuban food. So why 4 stars? The mojitos. Decent but always lacking mint. Pls put more than only a few leaves. read more

Every restaurant needs a Gordon Ramsay type of figure that's actively watching the quality that exits the kitchen. In the absence of anyone looking for food quality, many poorly prepared meals make it to the table for unsuspecting diners to eat. Our family is longtime patrons of the business probably 30+ years. My last review was 15 years ago. However, this place is consistently showing up as mediocre. I have not visited in over 4 years, and yesterday was my first day to dine in, in person. This applies to fried foods like: Fried plantains, sweet plantains or fried yucca. - Dark golden brown on the outside - Raw on the inside To me it says, frying oil is too hot. They are going by exterior color and not how well the interior is cooked. Their sweet plantains are cut too thick which means again -- raw on the inside and brown on the outside. Their mojo is a burnt brown color. They try to blame bad garlic on "seasonal" changes. When it's just garlic 101. Brown garlic is bitter garlic. The only redeeming dish on the menu is the Cuban sandwich -- however, in the rush to get the sandwich out, they cut corners and they don't reheat it properly-- When a warm sandwich turns up with cold pork, unmelted cheese, cold bread, no toasted bread is the recipe for an unsatisfying sandwich experience. It's suppose to be warm --not fresh from the fridge. Reheating a sandwich is so basic, yet they mess that up also. I don't know if their cook is tired, under paid, or what but the amount of culinary sabotage coming out of that kitchen would put other restaurants out of business. TLDR: They mess up cooking basics here! It's a shame. I can't recommend this place. Better off learning to cook Cuban food at home than pay for mediocre meals. I read more

Cafe Piquet is a pretty sizable restaurant located in the Bellaire area. It's got its own dedicated parking lot with plenty of parking so you'll never have to worry about not finding a spot. The restaurant itself has both an outdoor patio and indoor seating area. The outdoor patio is only 5 or so tables and doesn't overlook much (just the adjacent street) but is partly covered and has a nice care-free cafe type ambiance. Indoors is much, much larger and features a bar. It's easier to get service indoors since waiters are more likely to see you - the outdoor patio is out the front door and there aren't really windows through which you could flag down a waiter. Service is friendly and they like to ask if you've been there before/are new to cuban food and can give recommendations if you're confused. Pernil This is my go-to. It's a very simple pork with garlic recipe served with white rice, beans and your choice of side. This is a considerable amount of food for under $15 with lots of variety. The simple garlic sauce on the pork is really flavorful and pairs really well with the rice. I typically get the platanos maduros (sweet fried plantains) as a nice dessert-type side but they have multiple other options like yuca fries as well. Emapandas You get 2 for $5 and they have an option of beef or ham and cheese. They're quite large in size, at least 3-4 inches in length and really fill you up. These are also a steal for how well they're made! The outside is crispy and the inside is very flavorful. Definitely would recommend this local gem. They've also got a nice happy hour. read more

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We haven't been to Cafe Piquet in about 3 years. Today, as we were in the area. We decided to eat here. What a disappointment! The quality of the food is terrible. I ordered the pan con bistec, the bistec had a funny smell and was extremely dry and hard to eat. The papitas in the sandwich tasted old, very old. We ordered the chicken for our son, and the chicken was extremely dry, which made it very hard to eat. Our youngest ordered the sliders, and again, it was bread with a piece of super dry meat. No mayo, ketchup or anything. The pan con bistec used to be my favorite, what I ordered every time I came to this place. My husband's vaca frita was very bland. What happened? Was it an off day or have things changed this much in the past 3 years? What a disappointment. read more

Cafe Piquet - Cuban Near Me - Bellaire, Texas

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This was an unexpected find in an area I wasn't familiar with. I brought an out of town guest. We are both foodies and wanted to try some South American food. Very good food! The wait staff were very nice and sweet. My guest is Venezuelan and she fit right in lol. I will definitely come back again to try something different next time. read more

Authentic Cuban food. Check. 5 star service. Check. Amazing drink. Check. This small family owned restaurant has hands down some of the best Cuban food you'll find in all of Houston. We brought our friend who's from Cuba, and she couldn't stop talking about how amazing it was. She was like a kid in a candy shop. I suggest ordering a small sampler if you are feeding 4 people. Then I would share family style and order 2 entrees. Disclaimer: this is only a suggestion. If you have to pick an entree, you MUST go with the vaca frita followed closely by the picadillo. The charred pieces of beef mixed with grilled onions, combined with rice and beans = a party in your mouth. My wife and I frequent this place at least once a quarter if not more. read more

Cafe Piquet - Cubano - Cuban Near Me - Bellaire, Texas

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Came back to Cafe Piquet on a solo trip to Houston four years after moving away. I have to say, everything feels exactly the same! I ordered mariquitas with extra garlic sauce, ropa vieja, and finished with a Cuban coffee. Everything was absolutely delicious as always and the coffee was the perfect ending to the meal. If you're looking for the best Cuban food in Houston, you HAVE to try Cafe Piquet. read more

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Cuban cuisine! Sure sounds delicious food is Inconsistent. Basically comes at room temperature, To go u are taking big chance . I have been there many times In desperation, hit Ñ miss. read more