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    Cuban Kitchen

    4.4 (1k reviews)
    Open 11:00 am - 9:30 pm
    Updated 1 month ago

    Order Cuban Kitchen Takeout or Delivery

    Cuban Kitchen Photos

    Business Info

    CUBAN KITCHEN ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for kids
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - Cuban Kitchen

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    Reviews With Photos

    Jason X.

    El Camino isn't known for great food but don't skip over this spot! We had a great time after finally stopping by - the food was good overall and it was consistently busy. I really enjoyed the black beans, whereas the veggie side had way too many onions. The guava dessert was pastry.

    Pollito Monitor Plate
    PAUL A.

    Oh my! I wish I tried this place sooner! I got the Polloto Mojito Plate w Arroz Amarillo, Salad. Sauces- Guantanamo, Cienfuegos. Guac & Chips. Flan for dessert. I had no idea what the sauces were when I chose them but they were so good anyway! One was spicy and the other was creamy. Perfect! The salad was forgettable. I just needed something to balance the chicken and rice. The plantains were incredible! The chips and guac were awesome. The star of the show was the FLAN! I am getting spoiled getting good Flan lately. Disappointment after disappointment for years I've finally had to amazing Flans in a row! This one here so was thick and flavorful ! The caramel topping was the best I've had. It was thick and just the right sweetness! There's not much Cuban food on the West Coast. I think they came with it and def repped their culture sorry for the terrible pics. I had to take it to go and the lighting in my hotel room is lame

    Philly Bistec San'wich.. Yummy!
    Jr D.

    Finally got a chance to check out Cuban Kitchen, a cozy Cuban spot tucked along El Camino Real near Hillsdale Shopping Center in San Mateo -- and it did not disappoint. For our entrées, I went with the Bistec Philly sandwich, and my mom ordered the Cubano sandwich. Both were super yummy and packed with flavor. The bistec was tender and savory with that perfect balance of seasoning, while the Cubano had that classic pressed crunch on the outside with juicy, flavorful layers inside. You can really taste the freshness of the ingredients in every bite. Honestly, the only downside? I didn't have enough room left in my stomach to try more from the menu -- and there were so many other things calling my name. Bonus points for being dog-friendly, which always makes the experience even better. And service was top notch. Safe to say, I'll definitely be back to explore more of the menu. P.s. try the sauces!

    Menu
    Lai L.

    The cute little restaurant is located in a somewhat commercial area. We actually ended up here after after another one ended up not having a dine-in option, but we are glad we found it. We walked in before noon and there were a few customers. Once noon hit, the restaurant got real busy. This was on a Monday too. We came here to have a birthday lunch, so we started off with mimosas. I preferred a bit less juice, but the flavors were delicious. We got the guava and mint mojito. For food: -Mini beef and chicken empanadas: 5/5 sooo good. I wish they were bigger. -1/2 surf & turf sandwich with fries: 5/5 The fries were crisp to perfection and sandwich super delectable with a healthy portion of meat -Platter - Pollito Mojito (chicken) with black beans and rice 4/5 The chicken was a bit dry, but all the flavors were there and the sauces made up for it. Once it got busy, service was a little lacking, but there were only 2 servers there. Looking forward to going back to try the other menu items.

    Charae P.

    This place is a hidden gem in the bay area! Sitting lone, with enough parking, this spot is located in San Mateo near Hillsdale mall! The restaurant is on the smaller side, but definitely enough seating both indoors and on the patio!! The service is fast casual, and the food is heavily portioned! Literally their tapas made me so full! Their kids meals are under $10 and are just as delicious as the entrees! My faves were the Vaca frita, Lechon, beef stew, and the plantains! Affordable pricing and everything is made organic and in house!

    1/2 Surf'n'Turf + Fries
    Mia W.

    1/2 surf 'n turf, guava-cran nectar (8oz), & fries all for $15 if you dine in on the weekdays for their lunch deal was such a steal! the food here was absolutely incredible & priced well, everything tasted fresh & was so flavorful. in addition, the host was very attentive & provided excellent service, all while taking hours at the front at the same time (a one man show!). the host brought 4 different sauces to try & they were all an excellent addition to our dishes. would highly recommend this place, it was fantastic & i will definitely be returning.

    Award winning sauces
    Deanna L.

    Cute little restaurant with a welcoming and friendly staff. I don't think I have had Cuban food, but it's quite similar to Brazilian food. Both are different in their own ways and it's a healthy alternative that lives outside the box of being healthy as consuming only "rabbit food" or dry chicken breast. The dishes were simple, flavorful and affordable. I heard about their their award winning guava habanero sauce and I agree, added a great depth of flavor to the already perfected dish.

    Montse S.

    Although the place isn't always full, you have to stop in and get a thing or two. On tuuradays they have chicken empanadas and man those were amazing, 3 bite sized ones per order. The guano was well toasted and the mojo came through nicely. Maduros were on point. I cannot wait to go back and try more. It is super casual though so take out seems to be most popular

    Classic Bistec Sandwich, Ropa Vieja platter with Spanish rice & vegetable sofrito, and Mojito chicken platter with white rice and beans
    Dominique O.

    Ordered the bistec sandwich, mojito chicken platter with white rice and black beans, and the Ropa Vieja beef platter with Spanish rice and veggie softrito. Out of everything, the Ropa Vieja platter was the best. Service was a little on the slower side, but waitresses were friendly.

    Kaveda J.

    Delicious and heart warming food! My husband I really enjoyed our lunch in the ambiance of a cozy little restaurant. You can dine in or take away. The servers were very friendly and there are plenty of indoor and outdoor seats!

    Their complementary sauces: Guabanero BBQ (9/10), Guantanamo Aioli (9/10), and Cienfuegos (8/10)

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    2 months ago

    The sauces r the best here. Very nice people. I got the ropa vieja here and it was very nice

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    2 months ago

    Great food. I love the breaded chicken and the pollo mojito! The bistek sandwich is excellent. Also guacamole and chips. Great service!

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    6 months ago

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    4 months ago

    Always a hit. Go to spot for cubanos. Feeling adventurous. Try their variety of sauces.

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    6 months ago

    Delicious food and great for a low-key family dinner. Great ambiance and service. All of the entrees we've had have been great.

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    5 months ago

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    6 months ago

    I ordered pollo plate and it had a lor of flavor, the black beans and rice was also on point. Can't wait to go back.

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    Cuban Kitchen Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Cuban Kitchen

    Is Cuban Cafecito strong as they really say seeing that you serve Cafe Bustelo?

    Hi Alberto - thank you for your inquiry. Cuban cafecito is as sweet as it is strong... typically I order "una colada" which is about 6oz of espresso and lots of sugar! While we do serve Bustelo, we are in the process of acquiring a commercial… Read more

    Are there any gluten free options?

    The corn tortillas are probably gluten free but you should call them to make sure.

    Do you have printed menus? I have heard you need an i phone to order using a qr code.

    Printed menus are available

    As of 7/4/21, are they still open for business? Thx

    We are open for business- please see our website for hours of operation www.qbacubankitchen.com thank you

    Do you have vegan options?

    we do! our rice and beans are vegan, most of our appetizers and sauces are vegan, and we have 6 different veggies to choose from to make your own meal or salad cuban kitchen combos! thank you for asking and happy new year!

    What type of music do you play on Saturday nights? Is it live band or DJ? Thinking of having my 50th bday dinner here.

    Hi Sally, thank you for your inquiry and for considering our Cuban kitchen to host your birthday dinner :-) Currently we play Cuban / Latin music from playlists...we haven't hired professional bands or DJ's as of yet - our establishment is small and… Read more

    Are cortadito served daily?

    yes! but we are closed mondays :)

    What type of bread do you use in your Cubano s'wich? Is jarlsberg traditional in a Cuban s'wich? Is a mofongo like dish found on a Cuban table?

    sorry i hadnt seen this earlier...we use LeBoulanger Deli Strip,which is closer to Media Noche bread than Cubano bread. i prefer Jarlsberg because this imported swiss has the best flavor, we dont serve mofongo but fufu is similar and more typical

    Is it real Cuban flavor or just Cuban inspired cuisine?

    I'm half Cuban and was born and raised in Miami. This is probably the ONLY place in the Bay Area that I would say is "authentically" Cuban.… Read more

    Is it dog friendly?

    Yes - we have an outdoor patio area where dogs are welcome and have access to doggie water bowl :-)

    View All 11 Questions

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    M Sandwiches

    M Sandwiches

    4.3(564 reviews)
    2.6 mi
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    Food: 4.75 | Service: 4.95 | Ambiance: 4.0…read more Hours: Everyday 9:30AM-4PM M SANDWICHES, offering ubiquitous Vietnamese fast food on-the-go, located on 4th Avenue in downtown San Mateo was discovered by its recent unexpected power outage before the winter holidays. It was one of the few business able to operate though that meant missing out on any stir-fried or hot plates. Meant more for takeout, they do have one table in front w/seating. Okay by me. I was hangry at this point with all my favs out for the count that day. Their spring rolls, banh mi sufficed. And What a surprise! THE ORIGINAL: cold cut ham & pâté w/mayo, fresh pickled veggies, cilantro & jalapeños on a French baguette. One of the best banh mi sandwiches I've had in a long time. IYKYK. Where the bread is spot on! SPRING SHRIMP ROLLS: shrimp, vermicelli noodles, basil & lettuce in rice wrap. Was delightfully fresh in its crisp lettuce, basil, noodles & shrimp. Accompanying Peanut sauce was perfect! Next visit Will have to try their M CAFÉ SPECIAL, seems the closest to the combo Banh mi's from other eateries. As well as their popular Banh mi, GRILLED PORK W/PÂTÉ, or LEMONGRASS TOFU, GRILLED LEMONGRASS BEEF, SARDINE IN TOMATO BASIL SAUCE, PORK BELLY W/PÂTÉ. M SANDWICHES was a nice surprise and I'll be back to try the rest of their menu like LEMONGRASS TOFU SPRING ROLLS, LEMONGRASS TOFU, GRILLED CHICKEN OR BEEF BÚN. See you there!

    My expenrices have been in and off with this place, that's why I'm giving it a 3…read more.. 1. The first time was great, we got the special banh mi and it was delicious. 2. Ordered the special again, except I found hair in my food, so we stopped going. (We did report the issue right away and the owner refunded us the money.) 3. We recently went back and ordered the original, it's good, but the special is better imo, but also more expensive. 4. We found out the had bun Bo hue on weekends so we had to go back and try it out. My husband and I shared one bowl and a banh mi, we both thought it was one of the better bun Bo hue in the area, the chili paste was so delicious and spicy which was a plus! 5. I'm writing this review today because I was craving the bun Bo hue, so I called in my order and the owner told me it would take 25-30mins, whatever it was a Friday lunch, completely understandable. I timed my walk perfectly since I was only 2 blocks away, but when I started eating my food it wasn't even hot, so the food had already been sitting there for some time...what really set me off was the portion size...$19.95 is way too overpriced for the amount of noodle and meat that were given in the bowl...too bad we don't live in SoCal.

    Photos
    M Sandwiches - Counter to the right when you enter to place your order at M Sandwiches.

    Counter to the right when you enter to place your order at M Sandwiches.

    M Sandwiches - Lemongrass Tofu Sandwich is my favorite!

    Lemongrass Tofu Sandwich is my favorite!

    M Sandwiches

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    Cuban Kitchen - cuban - Updated May 2026

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