I was in the area and was in the mood for Cuban food. We came on a Sunday right when they opened…read moreand the servers were very welcoming. My husband got the fried pork chops with red beans and rice. I ordered the chicken in garlic sauce with black beans and rice. We shared an order of tostones. We were both very pleased with our dishes. My chicken was very good and a large portion. My husband's pork chops were amazing. We both enjoyed the sides as well. The restaurant itself was beautiful and I loved the congas at the bar. Will definitely be back next time we are around here.

Mambo Cuban restaurant & Lounge on Bloomfield Ave is 100% highly recommended! The food was…read moreabsolutely delicious, the atmosphere was incredible, and the service was excellent. From the moment we walked in, the manager was welcoming and attentive, immediately making us feel comfortable. Our waitress, Evelin, was wonderful she took the time to explain each dish and helped us choose exactly what we were craving. We had an amazing night that truly exceeded all our expectations and more. Great food, great service, and an unforgettable atmosphere. We'll definitely be back

WIFE and I was hungry. She had a cuban sandwich from here a few weeks ago, and said was good. So we…read moredecided to go to restaurant and dine in. This place was delicious!! Real Cuban food. The oxTails were amazing, the steak n rice so tender and flavorful. Mom and daughter was in giving great customer service, was like I was at my wife's family house. We will be back!

I would give Cha Cha in Kenilworth 2 stars…read more This was my first visit, and while the service was friendly and welcoming, the food itself was very disappointing. I appreciated the complimentary yuca fritters with special sauce, which was a kind gesture. However, the overall quality, freshness, and authenticity of the main dishes did not meet expectations. Parking is very limited street parking. The Cuban breaded steak was the biggest disappointment. A proper Cuban-style breaded steak should be thin, tender, savory, garlicky, slightly citrusy, well-seasoned, evenly breaded, and pan-fried until crisp and golden. The version I received tasted oddly sweet, the breading separated from the meat, and the steak had a gummy texture with an old-looking color. It did not have the freshness or clean savory flavor expected from this classic dish. The red beans were very concerning. They tasted strongly like vinegar, and I had to spit them out. When I looked closer, there appeared to be a white, murky-looking substance in them. Beans should never taste sour or vinegary unless something is wrong. Cuban-style red beans should be creamy, savory, aromatic, and well-seasoned with garlic, onion, peppers, cumin, oregano, and bay leaves. The white rice was also not acceptable. It was hard, did not taste fresh, and had a vinegar-like smell and flavor. It appeared as if older rice may have been mixed with newer rice. Proper Cuban white rice should be fluffy, clean-tasting, separated, and neutral in flavor. The moro with black beans and rice was better than the white rice, but still lacked depth. It needed more bay leaf flavor and stronger Cuban seasoning. A good moro should have a rich, savory base from sofrito, garlic, peppers, onions, beans, broth, herbs, and slow cooking so the rice absorbs the flavor. The oxtail was tender and okay, but it did not fully deliver the deep, rich Cuban-style flavor I expected. Traditional Cuban oxtail should be slow-braised with garlic, onions, peppers, tomato sauce, wine, herbs, and spices until the sauce becomes rich and the meat is deeply seasoned. This oxtail tasted acceptable, but it seemed as though it may have been prepared a day or two before and reheated. I understand that many restaurants legally prepare certain foods a day ahead, especially dishes like beans, stews, and oxtail. However, food should still taste fresh and be stored, cooled, reheated, and handled according to food safety standards. Sour or vinegar-like flavors in rice or beans can sometimes indicate fermentation, spoilage, or improper storage, and that should never reach the customer. The best part of the meal was the dessert. The vanilla flan was very good, and the coconut flan was excellent. The coconut flan was rich, creamy, and full of coconut flavor, with shredded coconut pieces that added texture and made it stand out. That dessert showed real potential. The prices were reasonable, but reasonable pricing does not make up for poor freshness and low food quality. It did look like they may do better with sandwiches and empanadas, which I did not try and perhaps should have ordered first. I cook Cuban food, Puerto Rican food, and other traditional dishes myself, and I lived in Miami for over nine years. I also learned from Cuban friends who cook authentic Cuban food at home. Because of that, I know how these dishes should taste. In my opinion, the dishes I tried did not represent Cuban cuisine with the freshness, authenticity, seasoning, or care it deserves. The restaurant may have people who know how to cook, but based on this visit, it seems the kitchen has lost some of the authenticity and discipline needed to serve fresh, properly prepared Cuban food. Food that tastes sour, vinegary, old, or questionable should never be served to customers. The service and desserts were the highlights, but the main dishes need serious improvement in freshness, food handling, seasoning, and respect for authentic Cuban cuisine. There are several areas that need improvement. Freshness and food safety should be the main priority. Rice and beans should never taste sour or vinegary unless intentionally prepared that way, and food that seems old or questionable should not be served. The breaded steak should be freshly breaded, crispy outside, tender inside, and properly seasoned with authentic Cuban flavors like garlic, citrus, cumin, oregano, and bay leaves. The rice should be fluffy, the beans creamy, and the oxtail deeply seasoned and fresh-tasting. I believe the restaurant may have cooks who understand Cuban cuisine, but the kitchen needs to reconnect with freshness, consistency, authenticity, and stronger food handling standards. Cuban food is rich in flavor, comfort, and cultural pride, and with improvement this restaurant could better reflect that tradition.

Hands down my favorite Cuban, outside of Miami. We've never had a bad meal. The Rabo Ensendido…read morenever disappoints, and the congri brings me right back to abuela's kitchen. Great atmosphere, excellent service, and Luis is the best. Your first time there you'll feel like a regular.

Came here for a birthday dinner. Never been before. There is an outdoor area for eating. The…read morestaff was super nice and welcoming. Especially since I was 30mins early to my event. They seated me anyway. I ordered the salmon with veggies and conqui (Cuban rice & beans) It was delicious. Sorry didn't grab a pic of it. Great experience here.

The graffiti outside screamed "quirky and cute." Inside? Nearly empty, with a hot food stand that…read morelooked suspiciously like a supermarket deli's last cry for help. We ordered fish & chips and a Cuban sandwich. Bold moves, apparently. The fish was so tasteless, I think I offended it by taking a bite. Honestly, frozen supermarket fish would've put up more of a fight. The fries? Also running for the "most bland" award. And the Cuban sandwich--ham, cheese, and shredded pork so thin I had to squint to find the protein. A whisper of meat. A ghost of flavor. But wait, it gets better. A Snapple? $4.00. For that price, I expected someone to at least open it for me. Instead, zero service--and yet, the screen still flipped around asking for a tip. The audacity? Inspiring. Just not in the way they think

I was attending a friend's mother's wake. Arriving at 4:30 and staying for about an hour, I headed…read moreto my truck. By luck the Cuban Breeze was right next to the funeral home. This is a clean casual eating restaurant with a colorful upbeat vibe, Spanish wall art and music. They have cafeteria style steam trays and some tables. I think they do a lot of take-out. Not having a lot of Cuban food experience, I did recognize the empanadas ($3,95), fried pork, red and black beans and yellow rice before settling on a Cuban sandwich ($12.95).The sandwich was just what I needed at the time. Hot, flavorful and the ham and pork was hot, well seasoned and juicy. The bread had a crispy cover but soft on the inside. I understand that the Abuela still does some of the cooking. I usually eat around 3pm so at 5:30 I was starving. I'll be eating more Cuban food in the future!

My go to place for delicious Cuban food. I come here very often with friends and family. This…read morelocation is great because the outdoor seating is pedestrian only and often times I come with my pups. It's located right across the street from a large park and the area is very lively and family oriented. The service is consistently outstanding, the food is also fresh every time. The menu is so expensive there's a little something for everyone. And the drinks are always great. Reservation can be made, but we almost always get a table when walking in. They sing happy birthday to you with instruments, making it a great place for a birthday celebrations. My favorite dishes: - empanadas (chicken or guava/cheese), the hot sauce on the side is SO good - pork tamale - garlic shrimp (comes with soft bread for dipping) - pitcher of white passion fruit sangria (way better than getting individual glasses) - skirt steak/churrasco - chicharron de pollo (crispy, juicy chicken bites)

3.5 stars I was in…read morethe mood for a new dinner destination, so we decided to make a reservation at Rumba Cubana's Jersey City location. I had walked by the place in the past and noticed that they had a really nice patio, and I had hoped to sit out there on the beautiful evening, but it was simply too packed when we arrived. Instead, we were taken to a spacious table inside, which still had a great atmosphere with fun music and a general buzz in the air. Our server was nice, but approached us way too quickly to take our order. We rushed to put in our beverage requests, but noted that we would need much more time to study the vast food menu. I ordered some sort of mezcal and passion fruit cocktail, which was very good and not nearly as sweet and full of juice as it looked. I also tried a sip of my companion's Old Fashioned, which used quite a few bourbons, making it very strong. It had a nice cherry sweetness to it, though. When we were finally ready to select our food items, we decided to start with bowls of their "Mama Fela's Chicken Soup". For $4, we were expecting small cups of broth, but the portion was much more generous. The soup was very flavorful and included chunks of spiced chicken on its bone, small cobs of corn, and riced noodles. Though it was enjoyable, it was also very greasy, and you could see the dots of oil throughout the broth. When our server came to clear the plates to make room for our main courses, she did a doubletake to inspect the knife that had been at my place-setting. I had initially thought that the blade had some sort of pattern on it, but she caught the fact that it was actually dirty. When I looked closer, I noticed a shoe print on it, which was so gross. Thankfully, she went to replace it, though I made her also bring me a new fork and napkin, as the two pieces of silverware had been wrapped together in the sheet of cloth. In terms of the entrees, my partner had only positive things to say about his Ropa Vieja, and I concurred that my simply grilled Seabass with olive oil, white wine, and garlic was fantastic. Though the fish was prepared in a very simple manner, it was seasoned and executed with perfection. Both of our meals came with our choice of a single side dish. While my companion liked his rice and black beans, I found my seasoned vegetables to be way to greasy. The medley of cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, peppers, onions, and zucchini were swimming in a heavy garlic butter. Despite a few mishaps, we liked our meal at Rumba Cubana for the most part. I would go back, but I would definitely avoid the vegetables next time.

I don't write reviews. This small establishment deserves…read moreit, the food is simply out of this world!! by finding it,I don't have to go to Queens or to the now dime a dozen Noches de Colombia. This is a gem! This is what food is supposed to taste!! The person waiting the tables was perfect, it was the first time we were there and she gave us the time to get "acquainted" to the place and to the menu. We ordered and soon after our plates came: bandeja colombiana, bandeja cubana and pollo francés, you know that moment when you see what you are going to eat and it looks great and then the first bite doesn't disappoint. Well I got that eating there, a full compliment to the senses; quickly we got quiet and mostly without a word between us proceeded to eat our plates. If you want to be seen go somewhere else. Come for the food and stay for the conversation after. Parking is a bit of a problem, but is worth it. Trust me. PS: we were there yesterday, I wanted to make sure that this review was worth the waiting

First time here and was immediately pleased with the friendly welcome and engagement of every…read moresingle employee. It's like entering someone's home. This offers a wonderful variety of Latin American cuisines and dishes that taste very close to your parents and grandparents cooking. We enjoyed an Al fresco lunch starting with delicious empanadas and fruit juices. We ordered "country specific" trays and found the food to be very tasty and fresh. The service is very attentive and the place is comfortable and clean. The indoor dining area is small and well ventilated. We saw a lot of people getting takeout. I would return here. My couple of suggestions are for them not to always drop off plastic straws (ask if folks need straws) and offer bottled hot sauces rather than small servings served in plastic containers. Just be more conscious of the use of one time use of plastic.

The Grand Cubano in Englewood, NJ is serving some delicious Cuban dishes! From the classics like…read moreRopa Vieja to the innovative dishes like the Cuban nachos-everything was amazing! Come taste the excellence of The Grand Cubano! The service and atmosphere is amazing! Ceviche Grand-a mixture of fish, shrimp, mango, onions, peppers, and cilantro in citrus juices. Topped with avocado. Served with plantain chips. Cuban Nachos- Plantain chips topped with slow roasted mojo pork, swiss cheese, pico de gallo, and avocado cream. Pulpo A la Parilla- Char grilled Spanish octopus in a lemon paprika vinaigrette topped with our homemade chimichurri. Ensalada de la Casa- Arugula, palm hearts, cherry tomatoes, pickled red onions, avocado. Tossed in our homemade chimichurri Ropa Vieja- A Cuban classic. braised shredded beef simmered with tomatoes, bell peppers and Spanish olives. Churrasco- Char grilled marinated skirt steak topped with our homemade chimichurri and pickled red onions.

My visit here was excellent. I came on a Friday night and it was a lot of fun. It is byob but they…read moreseem to have a pitchers of sangria and bottles of wine to purchase. For dinner I had the red snapper and it was delicious! I would order again. I also had a side of Yuka fries that were great and a side salad. They had live music that was really fun. Service was great.

Yummy! Authentic Spanish food and hospitality. Went for lunch one day just by happenstance. Wanted…read moreto try some authentic dishes-- not paella, since so many places offer that. Got the soupy rice dish (forget the name) with shrimp. SO satisfying! They offer complimentary soup ahead of your entree, along with bread. It was hard not to overeat! Huge portions too, btw. Very generous. Sat at the bar. Bartender was hard working, serving all the customers who were sitting at the bar as well as keeping up with bar needs. Very friendly. Looks like the place can get busy for dinner so probably best to make reservations.

After so many years of coming to this restaurant and loving it every single time, I can't believe…read moreI'm leaving this review. I'm not sure if it was because it was midweek or if the chef was simply off his game on this night, but the experience was disappointing overall. The first thing I noticed when I sat down was that my knife was dirty. I ended up taking another knife from a different table. The ambiance, as always, was wonderful, and there were only two other tables occupied, so the restaurant was not busy at all. They started us off with soup, and it was chicken noodle soup. I was honestly very disappointed. When I go to a Spanish restaurant, especially one like this, I expect something traditional like caldo gallego or a similar house soup -- not chicken noodle soup that I could easily make at home. For appetizers, we ordered shrimp in garlic sauce and calamari. Both were absolutely delicious and honestly the highlight of the meal. We also had to ask the waiter for bread, and when it finally arrived, we were each given one very small roll. Our main entrées were sautéed tilapia and shrimp in lemon sauce with mashed potatoes and string beans, and breaded veal cutlet Milanese with mushrooms in a wine and brandy sauce over mashed potatoes. Unfortunately, neither entrée stood out the way meals here usually do. The tilapia was sitting on a bed of mashed potatoes and absolutely swimming in lemon sauce. There was so much sauce that it completely soaked the mashed potatoes and vegetables. I could only eat the top portion of the fish. My husband also mentioned that his breaded veal was very oily. The waiter never returned to ask if we wanted anything else to drink. The water had no ice and felt warm. We also had to ask for additional bread. I'm used to bread being left at the table, not rationed piece by piece. When the waiter asked if we enjoyed our meal, I politely explained that I did not care for mine and why, especially since most of it was left untouched. He looked at me like I had ten heads. I truly hate writing this because this restaurant has been one of my favorites for years, but this visit just did not live up to the standard I've come to expect.

Recommend, food taste you have to go and check it out, service was friendly and super helpfulread more

Service was great, we dined outside since weather was nice. Parking is limited street parking and…read morethe bad part about dining outside are the cars parking with lights on you. Now let's get down to the food, the diners around us had interesting looking plates. We were not that hungry so we only ordered entrees. I ordered the shrimp cavatelli and my friend ordered the penne allá vodka. Food was ok mine was a little bland. My friends did have good flavor. I did have nice pieces of shrimp but they were inconsistent in size. We did order a full bottle of wine. They also brought out bread but it needed some seasoned olive oil dipping sauce. At the end of our meal they did give us some complimentary lemoncello shots. I also did get the affogato which was good. All in all a good experience I think I would order something else next time.

He know and the staff are absolutely amazing and the food is incredible. Don't hesitate to visit…read morethis restaurant. You won't be sorry.

I would give this a 6 out of 5. I ordered the tres leches French toast. It was sweet but not too…read moresweet and it was the perfect amount for me. We were seated almost immediately and we really liked the overall vibe. Amazing experience overall!