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    Cuba Libre Restaurant & Rum Bar

    3.5 (2.1k reviews)
    Closed 4:00 pm - 3:00 am (Next day)
    Updated 1 week ago

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    CUBA LIBRE RESTAURANT & RUM BAR ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Good for groups
    Good for dancing

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    Ambience
    Jaseph S.

    Charming Cuban restaurant with delicious food and space to dance off the meal! The space offers a Cuban themed night life with dancing on Fridays and Saturdays at 10:30pm. Remember to keep your receipt for free entry to the party on your next visit I enjoyed the Salmon Del Vedado which was cooked to perfection. The salmon was juicy, meaty, and topped with a flavorful crispy skin. The coconut rice is not as coconut flavored as I anticipated, however, it was definitely delicious! It also has pistachios mixed through the rice which created a delightful balance of texture by adding a nice crunch. Tres leches is only tres leches if the milk is prevalent and this rendition was executed authentically! Very tasty, milky, and a SWEET way to end a great meal. The Pollo Asado was tender and juicy. The bread was a bit too crunchy for my preference, however, I enjoyed the flavor of the mango butter. I cannot fail to mention how amazing the espresso rumtini was! If you air on the side of a potent but sweet expresso drink, you'd enjoy. It is made with rum which was a nice twist! Service was great and staff were accommodating. Overall, I enjoyed my experience and recommend for a fun change of pace in DC. I'll be back for the Pescao Frito and the dance party!

    Tres Leches
    Tianna F.

    The interior of this place is sadly better than the food. We were highly disappointed on this visit. We came because we were in the area and looking for something to eat after attending the Car Show. Luckily for us, It was their "Restaurant Week" special for $40 so we decided to give that a try. We were able to get 1 appetizer, 1 entree and a desert for that price. They also offered a (3) flight mojito for $18. The mojitos were warm and only one of them tasted good. The options were: classic, pineapple and Passionfruit. Now when It came to the food, the beef empanadas were good, but the chicken one was just mid. Their coconut shrimp was decent, but missing the coconut. However the sauce that It came with, was banging! The pork was so terrible, my friend described It as dirty dish water... so you can just imagine. The other food items were mid as well. They had Tres Leche and Flan for desert and the flan was decent, but the Tres Leche just tasted like soaked bread. To my surprise, the bread basket was super good! Especially the sweet butter All in all, this place may be a cool spot for their dance floor vibes, but the food is just not It. On the plus side, the service was excellent!

    Robert M.

    Walking back from the Christmas Tree Lighting, my friend and I stopped at Cuba Libre for some drinks (and to warm up lol). We were both impressed by how authentically Cuban the inside is, from the decor to architecture, and festive with the holiday lights. It was a little before 9 when we got seated, and we noticed the light up dj booth near us. Our waitress said at 10:30 they move all of the tables and it becomes a club. We ordered some plantains, a Passion Fruit Mojito, and a Paradise Rum Punch. We enjoyed both drinks, and the plantains were good as well. We appreciated the music was at an enjoyable level for listening and holding conversations, but that definitely changed at 10:30. It indeed became a club, with loud music and also people conveying to dance throughout the restaurant. It was a great way to end the night, dancing to salsa and bachata tunes.

    Andrew A.

    Just what we needed after walking around the convention center all day. Stopped for dinner with no reservation and were able to get a seat fairly quickly. Considering the location, the food was fantastic! Started with some cuban bread with butter and a cuba libre before moving to the main star: lechon asado with rice, black beans, and fried plantains. The lechon was super flavorful, tender, and juicy (I'd used less capers, but that's a matter of preference), the beans were nicely cooked and thick enough to mix well with the rice (for cuban-style moros), and the plantains were ripe enough to make them super sweet, as one would expect. A little pricey, but location certainly plays a factor here. All in all, a wonderful, flavorful meal in the heart of DC.

    Cuba Libre
    Fatu D.

    Finally made it for Cuba Libre for the Restaurant Week. They offered a great sample of the extensive menu for a really affordable price. The empanadas were flavorful and packed with meat. I tried the beef and chicken which were equally good. The dipping sauce that accompanied it was zesty. Now for the main dish, the chicken was moist and spicy which made it the star of the show. It was the perfect amount and they served a decent amount that I was able to bring home leftovers. The cookie with the flan was a nice touch. Everything was thoughtfully curated together. The servers were really nice and knowledgeable about the menu. We went for an early dinner, but the place quickly became packed signifying it as a great option for dinner. The background music was A1 as well. Will definitely be returning.

    Paella Marinera
    Imani J.

    Came here with some girlfriends and had a great time! The service was great, our waiter was very attentive and told us his recommendations! The food was well seasoned and tasty, great portions as well. The crowd was a mix of families, old and young. Definitely a time for a family event, birthday celebration or just hanging out! Will definitely be back!

    Mama Amelias Empanadas
    Mark O.

    I went to Cuba Libre recently and decided to try something new, Ropa Vieja, and absolutely loved it. My wife and I typically get and share the Gaucho. Service was great and the staff was awesome.

    Kimberly H.

    My daughter and I decided to stop here for a quick bite after watching Shen Yun in DC. We were seated promptly without any reservations on a Sunday afternoon. It wasn't busy but there were a good crowd by the bar. We weren't that hungry so we decided to order a bunch of appetizers. Let me tell you! I was very disappointed ... that we did not come here sooner. Everything we've had was AMAZING! Only complaint I have is that I wish there were more of what we ordered. Surprisingly, we had a lot to take back home for leftovers. Service was also exceptional. Looking forward to trying more things on their menu.

    Wings
    Kaya E.

    I've passed the place 100's of times and decided to pop in one afternoon for happy hour. Let's just say I will not be back unfortunately. Here's more about the good and not so good of the experience. THE GOOD - they have happy hour - they have tons of space inside and can accommodate a large group - their butter and bread that they serve complimentary is sooo sooo good. I could've eaten like 2 servings of this to myself lol - our waiter was pretty good, he was understanding when we didn't like items THE NOT SO GOOD - ooopf their chicken empanadas almost made me vomit because of the texture. Not to mention a small empanada is like $8, I don't think it's worth it. Their beef empanadas are made with an olive and raisins .... (I'll just leave this here, I didn't taste it but that just sounds odd and not authentic) - wings were too thick and too much breading and also kind of slimy - drinks were def made with really cheap alcohol Skip Cuba Libre unless you're going to one of their events at night or when you go try something other than the items above

    Outside
    Karla H.

    We came here because we heard about dancing at night but we got here a little too early. It was around 930 pm so we just ordered some food. We had the ropa vieja & the empanadas. The Ropa Vieja was good but it only comes with white rice (I'm used to them always serving it with black beans and rice or with Congri & maduros). The empanadas were fried too hard. I didn't really like them. The drinks were average. The place is pretty cute and when were leaving, they were starting to pick up the tables & the music was really great. The bathroom, however, had a long line.

    Interior
    Julie S.

    I was excited to stop here for Happy Hour since it has been a while since I have been here. It was a bad experience at the start. There was no one greeting us at the door and we weren't sure where to sit so we ended up at the bar. We sat at the bar for a while before the bartender who was having a personal conversation with another employee looked up to acknowledge us. We were finally helped but there were many times throughout the evening; we had an issue with ordering and assistance. The indoor space is nice and had plenty of seating but the lack of customer service made me not want to return. Also the happy hour food selection was very limited and what we did order left more to be desired. The chicken wings were too thickly breaded (it was a weird texture); the beef empanadas was tiny and lacked any flavors. The only good items were the guac with plantain chips and yucca.

    ONE-EYED ROPA VIEJA HASH  Braised brisket, bell peppers and onions over potato, yuca, maduro andhass, egg, Cuba Libre hot sauce
    Lily J.

    I was really excited to have a Cuban brunch but man was I disappointed... TRANSPORTATION: A few minutes away from the Gallery Place Chinatown metro stop. AMBIANCE: This restaurant is GORGEOUS. I heard from friends that they have salsa classes at night but we went during the day. It was pretty much empty so it was pretty quiet. SERVICE: We had an exceptional server. We had a decent sized group and he handled everything very well. However, we were the only diners in the restaurant and the food still took an incredibly long time to come out. Even appetizers took at least an hour minimum. The manager eventually came due to the complaint about a consistently raw burger but no real apology about the wait time and food coming out individually. FOOD: Cuban Brunch at Cuba Libre FRENCH TOAST A LA CUBANA Vanilla custard-soaked brioche bread. Pure maple syrup and panela soaked sweet plantains, fresh whipped cream BISTEC CON HUEVOS* "Steak and Eggs." Grilled skirt steak, herb chimichurri, pickled onions, fried eggs, manchego, romesco sauce, crispy breakfast potatoes ONE-EYED ROPA VIEJA HASH Braised, shredded brisket, bell peppers and onions over potato, yuca, maduro and corn breakfast hash. Topped with fried egg, Cuba Libre hot sauce CROQUETAS Basket of traditional ham & cheese and creamy chicken croquetas. Mustard BBQ sauce and dijon-garlic mojo ARROZ CON POLLO Long grain saffron rice, boneless chicken, green peas, yellow corn, Spanish chorizo, roasted piquillo peppers MASITAS DE PUERCO FRITAS Tender chunks of pork slowly roasted in Spanish style sauce, sautéed onions, mojo, white rice, black beans, tostones SHRIMP CUBANO Jumbo shrimp sautéed in Cuba Libre enchilado tomato-culantro sauce, white rice, maduros Overall: I hear that the salsa classes are great! But the food left a LOT to be desired. In our group, I don't think one person was excited about their meal and for some reason, my friend's burger kept getting sent back raw. Unfortunately we'd never return in a dining capacity.

    Menu
    Naty G.

    The service is friendly. Not necessarily fast though so be ready to order everything so you're not seating there a long time. Drinks and food are on point and worth it. Definitely tasty and the leftovers taste sooo good. The ambiance is like an island inner patio and feels nice. They have live music n feels like a dance club some nights. We had most of main dishes since we went a couple of times. I'm Dominican so picky with my Caribbean food. As for stars I'm rounding up to 4 bc the drinks n food are so good. Service is a solid 3.

    Steak Benedict Bowl

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    3 months ago

    This place was fantastic. Good ambiance and service and the food was great. I was even impressed with the portion size.

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    3 months ago

    The food is always great! I highly recommend the Lechon Asado. They get real busy, so make reservations

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    Page 1 of 53

    Cuba Libre Restaurant & Rum Bar Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Cuba Libre Restaurant & Rum Bar

    Are 19+ allowed to come and enjoy the music?

    Hi Allison! While all ages are welcome to dine with us, we only allow 21+ after 10:30pm on Friday and Saturday nights when we transition into a nightlife space.

    Is early evening kid friendly?

    Hi Keeley! Yes, we're family friendly at all times except for after 10pm on Friday and Saturday nights since we transition into a nightlife venue. We hope to see you soon.

    Is cigar smoking allowed?

    No smoking is allowed

    Hi! is the nightlife open for dancing?

    Yea but it gets a little packed. It's fun but the dance floor is a bit small

    Is there bachata dancing here?

    Yes, but they have stopped since covid has started.

    What is the dress code for women on saturdays? Will they refuse you if you have sneakers on?

    Dress code requires no athletic ware, no flip flops, no work boots. You will be welcome in with sneakers.

    Are there ever any nights with a live salsa band?

    Not that I've seen. Only dj's.

    If I came in before it turns into a club, and I don't order any drinks, could I stay without them checking my ID?

    Hello Antonio - We check the ID's of all of our guests who join us for nightlife. All guests joining us for nightlife must be 21 years of age or older, and have a valid ID. For questions about acceptable ID's and our policies, please contact Cuba… Read more

    What is the dress code? I can't seem to find the information online. I know there are no sneakers allowed is there anything else?

    Make sure you bring your ID so you can use the appropriate restroom. They have bouncers there to check and will forcibly throw you out if you refuse.

    What kind of environment they have on Fridays? What type of music? And what time to go?

    Hello, thank you for taking the time to write us. We are a restaurant until 11pm , every Friday and Saturday we also have out late night venue beginning at 11pm. Over 21 years of age to enter and $10 cover in Fridays and $15 on Saturdays. DJ plays… Read more

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    Cuba Libre Restaurant & Rum Bar - cuban - Updated May 2026

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