I'm not Cuban, but two of the three I was with were born in Cuba so of course they know what Cuban food taste like. The one who suggested this restaurant told the other right upfront that it's the best for this area of North Carolina and it is not Cuban food of Miami. The restaurant was busy, and of course tables are limited because of its size, but the owners were very accommodating and we appreciate that very much There is a back parking lot with three spaces, but they are for pick up only but we were given permission to use one as we had a handicap individual with us. My Cuban sandwich was just fine and tasted just like the one I had in Miami in my opinion as a gringo and everyone finished their meal without sending anything back so I would say the food was pretty good The restaurant is a order at the counter and staff will deliver it to your table. There is one unisex bathroom for All and I'm not sure about everyone else but of course our service dog was allowed. I did see two other dogs so I can only assume that pets are allowed as those two were not marked as service animals at all. I cannot think of anything that would cause me not to give this Restaurant a full five star rating read more

The food transported me to my childhood in Puerto Rico, the exquisite smell of coffee to the fresh pastelitos... The Cuban sandwich is a great experience of flavor and well done masterpiece... All the personnel welcome you and treat you as part of the family. I truly recommended for Breakfast and for lunch. They have a delicious variety in their menu. read more

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Long line at lunchtime and almost no tables, but by 1 pm it was easy to get a table. I had the Cuban Caesar with added Chicken and black beans. It couldn't have been better. I can't wait to go back for that same thing and back again after that to try other things on their menu. My friend had the La Cubanita Bowl with added black beans, which she loved as well. Highly recommend! read more

Cousins Cuban Cafe - La Cubanita bowl with added Black Beans - Cuban Near Me - Black Mountain, North Carolina

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Love that we found this spot. It's tucked in and cozy, and it was busyyy for lunch. My husband raved about the caffe con leche, I had the mango tea, and we got a Cuban sandwich with some pastries. The place itself is a little cramped to order when it's busy but there's a downstairs that offers more seating and some additional tables outside. Food came out fast! read more

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This place is a favorite of locals and was packed when I showed up for lunch, so I had a take out Cuban sandwich and coffee. Great food and service. The empanadas looked delish. Clean restroom. Will come back. read more

Coming from a cuban background, I can definitely say the food is authentic. This is another spot I go to everytime we visit black mountain. The coffee and lunch bowl options are so good. The mojo pork, black beans and rice bowl drizzled with the garlic aioli is one of my favorite bowls. Definitely recommend checking it out for breakfast and/or lunch. Plus the baked goods are also nice if your looking for quick snack. read more

Cousins Cuban Cafe - Outside of the cafe. - Cuban Near Me - Black Mountain, North Carolina

We dropped one of our kids off at camp for the week and did some exploring around town. I was so excited to stumble upon a legit Cuban cafe. You see, my father is from Havana and growing up in Miami, we ate Cuban ALL the time. My Abuela and Bonus Mom (also from Havana), are phenomenal in the kitchen and we've been spoiled with the most delicious of Cuban cuisine. So have my husband and our sons. We ordered some croquettes before going on a hike -- They tasted JUST LIKE HOME!!!! Needless to say, we will be coming back in ten days when we pick our son up from camp for more Cuban treats PS the place is absolutely lovely and the staff extremely friendly. RUN, don't walk, to Cousins Cuban Cafe!!! read more

Very delicious cuban breakfast. Visiting North Carolina from Miami I was impressed to find how familiar the meal was. The restaurant had comfortable dining tables of varying sizes so it was able to accommodate our bigger party. read more

Cousins Cuban Cafe - Cafe Con Leche - Cuban Near Me - Black Mountain, North Carolina

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I had been wanting to try this place, because I'm a sucker for a good Cuban sandwich, and it didn't disappoint. I got the medianoche sandwich (same as the Cuban, just a different type of bread), and it was fantastic. Perfect size, perfect ratio of fillings to bread, no complaints. I will be back! The place was super busy and the line was out the door, but we moved through the line quickly and it didn't take long to get our food. read more

Cousins Cuban Cafe - Medianoche Sandwich (cubano with different bread) - Cuban Near Me - Black Mountain, North Carolina

Food is always very good. Staff is excellent and always friendly. Highly recommend anytime you are in the area

This is one of the best cafes I've ever visited. The food is phenomenal, and the Cuban coffee is amazing. The service is very fast and friendly. You have to try the pastries. Amazing all around. They have expanded the seating since the last time we visited. read more

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Amazing bowls!! We tried the pork and steak bowls and both were delicious, we went during lunchtime on a Friday so it was a bit busy but was worth the crowd read more

Excellent Cuban food! We went on Father's Day so I don't know if it is always this busy but the line moved quickly. You order and pay at the counter and the food is brought to your table. Hubby and daughter got the picadillo with fried egg, we split yucca fries, and I had the lechon asada. It was all delicious- just like what we have been missing from South Florida. The coffee is phenomenal, the staff is really friendly and efficient. They have pastries in a front case and by the checkout- get the alfejores or flan. read more

Cousins Cuban Cafe - Lechon Asada, Piccadillo with egg, Iced Cafe con Leche, yucca fries, cafe con leche. - Cuban Near Me - Black Mountain, North Carolina

What an amazing find! Order at the counter and the food is delivered to your table. Excellent sandwich and loaded yucca fries. We shared both. The pressed Cuban was delicious. Huge sandwich! The fries were incredible! Shredded pork, cheese and grilled onions topped the yucca fries. Adding the house sauce made them even more amazing! The sauce is vinegar based with a kick. I'd love to buy a bottle to take home. Rustic Cuban deco worked well with the restaurant. Canned Coke products. Outside seating which is dog friendly. Highly recommend this cozy restaurant! read more

Cousins Cuban Cafe - Cuban sandwich and yucca fries. - Cuban Near Me - Black Mountain, North Carolina

We really enjoyed this little spot for lunch. It's counter service and they bring your food to you at your table. Pluses for me: self-service water in the dining room, a nice vegetarian option or two, Cuban coffee drinks, and reasonable prices and good portions. They close at 3:00, and I imagine their breakfast options are tasty too! read more

Cousins Cuban Cafe - Cuban Near Me - Black Mountain, North Carolina

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Delicious and authentic Cuban food, friendly service, cozy little spot! We will definitely be back!

Incredible place!! I ordered the chicken bowl , I loved the portion size perfect for me. The favors went so well together. Black beans , rice plantains so delicious!!! Even the vibe was so cool !!! read more

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Made with love. I crave the bowls that you can build with shredded pork, white rice and black beans. They are accompanied with the expertly cooked plantains. This is a great refueling stop as you tour the shops, museums and music venues in historic downtown Black Mountain. Nice outside patio on the back. read more

Cousins Cuban Cafe - Huge platter of seafood, chicken and pork paella as a specially catered party at Cousins Cuban Cafe. - Cuban Near Me - Black Mountain, North Carolina

Fast local, authentic and tasty. Our group of 4 got a variety of bowls. All were flavorful. The yucca fries were also superb.

This place is SO good. If you want an amazing Cuban sandwich, you're in the right place! The service is welcoming and fast. Only thing is the inside is somewhat small and cramped, but the food makes up for it. read more

My family and I came to eat lunch here on a a Sunday afternoon. The place was pretty busy but the line moved fast. Since there were no tables left inside, we decided to eat outside. The outside seating area had water, utensils, and condiments available which was nice. I ordered the garlic lime chicken bowl which also came with rice, beans, and plantain. The chicken was a little dry but every component of the meal had great flavor. We also ordered a side of yucca fries to share. The fries were delicious, but for the price of $5 I expected more than just 9 fries. The lively atmosphere and well seasoned food made this a great lunch experience! If the side dishes were cheaper or came with larger portions this would be an easy 5/5 stars. read more

Cousins Cuban Cafe - Garlic lime chicken bowl - Cuban Near Me - Black Mountain, North Carolina

I absolutely love Cousins. Every dish I have tried is perfectly seasoned and the right texture. The coffee is strong and the pastries are delicious. The staff and owner are so nice, and the new expansion for seating is so cozy. I'm so grateful to have a little taste of home when I visit the mountains. read more

Cousins Cuban Cafe - Cousins Cuban Bowl with lechon, sweet plantains, fried egg, tostada, cafe con leche + croquetas - Cuban Near Me - Black Mountain, North Carolina

I tried the La Cubanita Bowl with ham croquettes and my girlfriend got the Cuban sandwich. Both were absolutely out of this world. Seems like it's always busy but the food comes pretty quickly. It 100% feels and looks like a cafe but has food you'd find in a top tier restaurant. Lots of options and a case full of different kinds of empanadas as well. Very mellow vibe and overall worth every penny! read more

I'm not a huge Cuban food person as it tends not to be the most vegetarian-friendly cuisine. But this place apparently caters to the local hippies and offers some options, and I was able to get my black beans with mushrooms on top. The spices are characteristically not hot, but it was a hearty flavor and my bowl did not last long. A hot chocolate balanced the tastes well, and they had a variety of sweet and savory pastries that I would have looked at harder if I had more room. They seemed to be working on staff training as the line ran terribly slow, but my food appeared quickly when I finally ordered. The place was crowded, and I didn't have any trouble imagining why. read more

Cousins Cuban Cafe - Chocolate caliente - Cuban Near Me - Black Mountain, North Carolina

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This is a very Cuban cozy family owned spot which surprise me to be in the NC mountains. I felt like I was transported back to Miami in a little Cuban village. The food was absolutely delicious. Everything we ordered was homemade, fresh and what you would expect from an authentic Cuban restaurant. I am blown away by how impressive the food, service and hospitality was. Highly recommend! read more

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Who would ever think that you would find authentic Cuban food in Western NC! What a great find. This food is just as good as any place I've ever tried in South Florida. Yum!!! read more

I love Cuban food and heard about Cousins from some friends in Asheville. I am so glad that I stopped for a lunch on the way home. This is a small cafe and again packs a flavor punch. I started off with the empanadas and they were good. It's interesting that the texture of the dough was a little different. It was definitely a flaky crust which I have never had in an empanada. Overall it was ok. nothing bad or special about them. For my main I had the Lechon Asado Bowl. I was a little suspect about it, but it was really goo. Flavors were amazing, rice, beans and plantains were on point. You order at the counter and they bring it to your table. I was really happy with my experience and will return when I am in the area. Please support this business. read more

Cousins Cuban Cafe - Cuban Near Me - Black Mountain, North Carolina

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What is it about NC mountain towns and Cuban restaurants? Awesome one in West Jefferson but this one in Black Mountain is amazing. We've eaten here several times and I've never reviewed it. Am I nuts?? Quaint little Cuban cafe with incredible food. They have several variants of "the Cuban" but my favorite is the one with smoked pulled pork, ham, Swiss, mustard and pickles on grilled Cuban bread. The smokiness of the pork, the saltiness of the ham and mustard, the crunch of the pickles... And the melted Swiss on a toasted pressed baguette. Just perfect. We also had a chicken empanada and yucca fries. The yucca was cooked perfectly. They have delicious sangria and of course Cuban coffee drinks. You must eat here! I command it. Come early though and still be willing to wait because it's tiny inside but worth your time. Get a guava pastry to go for later. read more

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Yummy! My friend and I split a Havana wrap with pork added for lunch. It had pork, avocado, plantains, rice and more, and came with fresh kettle chips. The half wrap and some chips was perfectly filling. The only thing I didn't like about my experience is that the wrap is wrapped in foil and then cut, which left some tiny foil pieces on the fillings inside the wrap. The service was friendly and fast. The cafe is kind of small, but they did a good job with fitting as many tables as possible inside. I would definitely return for another Havana wrap! read more

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Cuba in the mountains! Cousins is a small but welcoming spot in downtown Black Mountain. Their menu consists of authentic Cuban dishes, desserts and pastries. We opted for the Cuban sandwich, tostones with garlic sauce, and an alfajore cookie. The food came out quickly and the Cuban Sandiwch was one of the best I've had in NC! The ham and pork were tender and flavorful, the cheese pickles and bread were the perfect compliment. The tostones may have been my favorite though! They came with a tangy garlic aioli and the consistently was to die for! We will absolutely be back! read more

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I may or may not have planned a day trip from CLT to Black Mtn specifically to try Cousins. And I have no regrets! After a hike at Montreat, I called in a pick up order for lunch here. Food was hot and ready for me when I arrived. Staff was friendly and organized even though they were busy. The croqueta and chicken bowl were everything I'd hoped they'd be. I'm already scheming on how I can make it for breakfast next time. read more

Cousins Cuban Cafe - Croqueta - Cuban Near Me - Black Mountain, North Carolina

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The ropa vieja was excellent. The plate came with rice, beans, plantains and bread. Order at the counter and the food is brought out to your table. The restaurant is cozy and does have outside seating. read more

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After hearing raving reviews I finally had a chance to try. I can't believe I waiting this long! Walking in we were immediately greeted. They have a reasonably sized menu and it was like stepping into Miami. The employees were all incredibly nice and friendly. We ordered 2 bowls, Cuban coffee, a pastry, and 2 sodas. Everything was delicious. The pork and steak bowls were perfection. Tender meat, flavorful, good portion size. The Cuban coffee was better than I had in Miami and the pastry was so fresh and perfectly balanced. The pineapple soda and iron beer(?) were so yummy. We will be back again and again! read more

The breakfast bowl with pork, yucca fries and fried egg was one of the best breakfasts I've ever had. The addition of toast with guava jelly and a cafe con leche...perfection. The place is cute, with a small gift shop attached with Latin offerings. The staff was helpful and friendly. Highly recommend! read more

Authentic atmosphere, delicious food. The music is great and the staff is friendly. I've been here twice now. The coffee is delicious too.

Great staff! Great food! Will be back again !! Got the salad bowl with chicken and a mango tea amazing great flavor and everything tasted so fresh! read more

Stopped here for lunch based on Yelp Reviews and glad we did. The food is very good - I had the Cuban Sandwich and it was very good - my wife had the Arroz con Pollo and she loved it. They were very busy but we found a table for two no problem. This is unpretentious but the food is very good - absolutely worth a visit. read more

You cannot order wrong here! This little cafe has amazing Cuban food and a energetic atmosphere . Every time we come here for breakfast, we start with a pastelitos - which are unbelievably good and sell out early! The coffee (cafecitos) are perfect for a morning caffeine boost! My wife had the scrambled egg (+ham) and I had the breakfast sandwich (+ham + aioli). We're still not sure who ordered better. The breakfast bowls also looked amazing but we haven't had one yet. We highly recommend this little restaurant and can't wait for our next visit! read more

Cousins Cuban Cafe - Scrambled egg, add ham - Cuban Near Me - Black Mountain, North Carolina

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This was a pleasant surprise to find Spanish food and its authentic Cuban food...except the bread at least today...lechón melted in your mouth café con leche was done right...Looking forward to returning if I'm still working in this area...Cheers! read more

Cousins Cuban Cafe - Menu - Cuban Near Me - Black Mountain, North Carolina

It's a very small space that fills up quickly. I took my vaca frita de pollo outside on the sidewalk table to eat, and everyone who passed by commented on how good it looked. It was delicious. I also enjoyed a guava cheese pastelito. I highly recommend this restaurant. read more

Cousins Cuban Cafe - Vaca frita de pollo - Cuban Near Me - Black Mountain, North Carolina