Came to Cuban Pete's and immediately loved the unique setup--it's not your typical restaurant layout. The space is made up of a bunch of smaller, colorful buildings surrounding a lively courtyard, which gives it such a fun, almost transportive vibe. I ordered the ropa vieja, and it did not disappoint--tender, flavorful, and perfectly seasoned. The black beans on the side were just as impressive, rich and delicious and a great complement to the dish. Between the atmosphere and the food, it's definitely a spot I'd come back to. read more

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Friendly service ; trash food Not that many options for sides. They had like four different kinds of rice and their plate of veggies was disgusting Their Spanish Harlem sangria was disappointing; although I liked the other one with strawberries and coconut Would not return at all read more

Met a friend at Cuban Petes. First time here. Friend loves Miami so thought this would be great spot. We were seated right sway and service was fantastic. I want to highlight that there was a blind woman seated next to us and the level of care and attention the waiters gave her made my experience. The food was not the same experience. We got the chicken empanadas as starters. While cooked well, they lacked any kind of flavor. The pastry was bland and needed the sauce to have any taste. Needs seasoning. The Ropa Vieja meat was very good and plenty portioned. However, the fried plantains also lacked flavor. No glaze at all, just dry and spongy. Inedible tbh. The sangrias look absolutely delicious but i was driving and passed. Love to see food improve because the ambience and decor was awesome. read more

Cuban Pete's - Ropa.vieja rice and plantains - Cuban Near Me - Montclair, New Jersey

This is an interesting restaurant. It is comprised of several little buildings around a central courtyard and you dine in any one of those. I decided to have two appetizers rather than an entree. Mainly because those two piqued my interest and my gf didn't want apps. I had the Camarones Al Ajillo and chorizo al vino. Both of those were delicious. The shrimp was in a very e light but tasty garlic sauce. The chorizo al comp was a wine sauce but it didn't reek of wine. It was very balanced and tasty. We enjoyed our meal very much. Service was great and the portions are generous. read more

Cuban Pete's - Cuban Near Me - Montclair, New Jersey

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It was my first time here but I've wanted to come for years...I was hesitant because of reviews but I was pleasantly surprised. My husband and I ordered the pernil with tostones appetizer and the chicharrones and they were both delicious and so well cooked. For our mains we ordered the churrasco and the vaca frita. I ordered it with coconut rice and it was delicious! Portions were large, vaca frita was cooked well and the churrasco was well seasoned. Service was great, it was lunch time so not too busy. Great ambiance with a center courtyard with outdoor seating and plenty of indoor seating surrounding it. Will definitely be back when in the area! read more

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You feel like you've been transported to Cuba. The waitstaff, the decor, the food is all top notch. If you're in Montclair this restaurant is a must try. read more

The food is great at fair prices with adequate portions. Service is also great with attentive servers even when the place is packed. The decoration is very nice not like any other typical boring restaurant. read more

We got sat at 8:32 and then waited around for some time before we even got acknowledgment. Then ordered everything at 8:45 once the waiter came to us. At 9 the person who appears to be the manager told one of the ladies to open our wine and bring us glasses. Then we waited around bit longer for the appetizer. We got the papa rellena, which is delicious with the green sauce. It didn't come with any sauce but the manager I think heard me say something about it and offered to bring some out. We appreciated that. Our food came out at 9:45. By this time we were really hungry and the food was really good. So we overlooked the wait. I got the Rabo and my husband the full fish. For dessert we got the tres leches. That was not good at all. It was very dry. Either it was old and dried up or just not good tres leches. Overall, the food is good and they perhaps just need to hire more staff to provide better service. The waiters looked stressed. read more

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Oh Cuban Pete's. I remember going here years ago when it wasn't as known as it is now. It is one of the busiest spots on Bloomfield Ave in Montclair. They have great decor and vibes with multiple different areas to sit and outdoor seating as well. For me, the quality has gone down while the prices have gone up. I have been here a few times recently and each time I left disappointed and still hungry. The service has always been good and the vibes are great, but that is about all that I enjoy when coming here. Unfortunately I don't think I will be returning as the food is not worth the price tag. read more

I love the ambiance at Cuban Pete's. It's lively and beautiful decorated. Great music. It can get a little loud inside as it gets busier. Service was a little slow but I was ok. The food was excellent and the portions were huge. Next time, my husband and I will try to pick something to share because we ordered two entrees (Ropa Vieja with shredded beef and Arroz con Pollo) and had a ton of leftovers. We also ordered the pineapple mojito, which doesn't have alcohol but you can bring your own. I would recommend skipping the mojito but I've had their sangrias before and those are delicious. read more

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The quality of the food and service have declined a lot. I've dined in and ordered takeout throughout the years but my last experience wasn't good due to an order being prepared wrong and no resolution from the manager as promised. Here's a tip for anyone ordering takeout: Check every single container to be sure the order is right and plan to wait at least an hour longer than the promised time for pickup. I won't be spending another dime here. read more

Cuban Pete's - When your carne con papas is all papas & a teaspoon worth of shredded carne. Looks like they scraped this from someone else's plate. - Cuban Near Me - Montclair, New Jersey

It was my first time here but the food was amazing. I had oxtail with arroz y beans y plantain. Drinks were ok but you can bring you own alcohol. Ambiance was nice and cozy. We were seated right away but the wait for the food was a lil long. All in all the experience was good. I would go again. read more

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I hadn't been here in a while and unfortunately I have to say that the quality has gone down. The place is still nice and it has 3 areas you can be seated in, however, every table in our area (as we looked around at others) kept wobbling which was uncomfortable as we tried to eat. We were seated right away which was nice but our waiter kept rushing us to make a decision on our food, and before we were done with it, he kept asking if he could take it away - I get that is good to clear the table once done, however, we weren't even halfway done with it. Now onto the food: we got their pernil as an appetizer which was good, and so were the tostones. The ropa vieja was good but it wasn't as tasty as it used to be years ago, and the beans were a bit cold. We also got their red snapper and it was very fishy (red snapper is not considered a really "fishy" fish) which threw us off a bit. Overall, it was okay but I don't know if we'll go back. read more

Cuban Pete's - Red Snapper - Cuban Near Me - Montclair, New Jersey

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The service - slower than watching paint on a wall dry. I say this after four times being there on not a busy night. The ambiance - love it! The music - love it! Seating- oh in the corner or always by the bathroom. Even when there are a ton of tables open. Food - vaca frita is a lil too fried like it's so chewy it makes my jaw hurt. They only have one dressing for the salad. The red snapper is amazing. The mesitos de puerco are big chunks but good. Flan is okay. Parking- the first couple times I parked towards the back so I had to walk up a large flight of stairs. There is parking in the front if you can find it. Not very handicap friendly unless you find parking in the front. read more

Food: Stale, over cooked & somehow cold... Service: terrible Don't believe the reviews about this place Terrible on all fronts. I would make this review longer but they took enough of my time read more

The food is delicious, service is fast and friendly, and the place is huge so easy to get a seat. The ambiance is ok but can be loud and sometimes cold based on where you are seating. But the food more than makes up for it. Everything I've had here is so good but I always get the oxtails when I'm here with coconut rice. read more

Cuban Pete's used to be amazing back in 2017-2018. Went back in 2025 and it was terrible. It had lost its touch. Pretty large quantity however not great quality. The Cuban chicken sandwhich chicken was sickening, absolutely dry and weird texture. Could not even eat it. Really disappointed. read more

I placed a order of tostones For pick of I picked it up and when I opened the box of tostones they looked like it came out of a frozen box not fresh at all so I recomen no one to eat them they where horrible read more

I had a such a great time coming here. My favorite part is that it's pet friendly!! Aside from that, the space felt super tropical and definitely reminded me a little of Cuba. The food was super yummy and it is also BYOB! Our server was on top of everything and made us feel super comfortable. read more

This place is not what it used to be several years ago. I've been here multiple times but after the Covid debacle and what was communicated by ownership to non-latino, specifically African American patrons, I've chosen to remove this venue from my options. But Friday night, a friend wanted to go so I indulged her as we were having dinner after 9 pm and looking for places to eat in Montclair after 10 is not an easy task. The place was quite quiet and empty from what I've been accustomed to several years ago. But we were seated promptly. QR codes at the table to review menu. We ordered whole snapper, chicken lollipops and shredded beef dish. My friend had to return the fish dish as it was overcooked on tasted very greasy like it was cooked in dirty oil. It appeared that way too. My chicken lollipops were good. They were accompanied by white rice and bean and I substitute plantains for tostones. Service was good. read more

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We came here on a Sunday afternoon around 6 for dinner. They don't do reservations but I did call ahead asking what the wait is and the first time I called, the girl told me she didn't know and hung up on me. The second time when I called back she said there are tables and people are sitting down - but still couldn't tell me the wait time. We decided to show up anyways hoping for the best. We were lucky enough to be seated within 5 minutes. For appetizers, we ordered the cheese/guava empanadas, goat cheese fritters, platanos rellenos (stuffed plantain with beef & queso blanco), costillas (beef tip ribs) and datiles (almond stuffed dates wrapped in bacon). The platanos rellenos were my absolute favorite along with the goat cheese fritters. For mains - my husband ordered the Bahama Coconut Fish, my daughter did the Island Shrimp Conga and I got the Churrasco Mango Kings and yucca fries on the side. Our 2 year old got a plate of coconut rice and we had him pick off of our mains. The steak came medium well (I wanted medium) but was delicious overall. Their coconut rice is perfection. My husband comes here just for the coconut fish. We sat in the courtyard and enjoyed the overall vibe - the table was seesawing a bit since the outdoor pavement isnt even. The tables are also very close to each other - good thing we left the stroller at home. They are BYOB and have a variety of juices, pitchers and mixers so feel free to bring your favorite liquor of choice. We got a pitcher of lemonade ($13) and called it a day. Overall good food & we were lucky not to have to wait long! read more

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I've been a loyal fan of Cuban Pete's for years because the food has always been delicious, but my recent experience was beyond disappointing. I ordered three meals: vaca frita, Cuban chicken (pollo cubano), and ropa vieja. When I picked up my order, they gave me a sandwich instead of the vaca frita. I went back to have it corrected, and after waiting 45 minutes, the new order they gave me was still wrong. The Cuban chicken meal they provided was nothing like the picture--it looked like boiled, colorless chicken, completely unappetizing. When I asked them to remove it from my bill, the receptionist, Deborah, said she couldn't do that. There wasn't even an apology. I then asked to speak with the manager. Deborah told me to wait in the side room, but after 15 minutes, I was informed that the manager, Gustavo, had stepped off the premises with no clear return time. I left my name and number, hoping for a call or resolution, but it's been three days, and I've heard nothing. Not only was I charged for the inedible chicken I left on the counter, but the lack of accountability and basic customer service was shocking. It's heartbreaking to see the customer service at Cuban Pete's decline like this. Mistakes happen, but the way a business handles them speaks volumes--and Cuban Pete's failed to handle this situation entirely. Unless they make changes, I can't see myself returning. read more

Cuban Pete's - What is advertised - Cuban Near Me - Montclair, New Jersey

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Food was good not great. The restaurant is supposed to be of Cuban food. But instead the food does not taste like Cubans are cooking it. It has more of a South American taste. Do not waste your money or time. Not Caribbean taste. I am married to a Cuban so I know the difference. The place is clean, too many Afro Cuban masks displayed on the walls instead of beautiful Cuba. It has a spooky look to it. At least in the room I was. None of the servers are of Cuban descent. Many Colombian and Dominican. The servers were on the phone. Not warm. It appeared to be a running for who makes more tips. Weird feeling. read more

The food is horrible now! I used to love to eat here. However, the last three times was unexceptionable. Dried out chicken. The Bahama fish was so tiny, and no mango was on it. The coconut rice tasted like gum. Is this under new ownership? Never going back again! read more

Cuban Pete was an enjoyable meal. The entrance walkway to the rear of the restaurant was very nicely decorated and it felt like a tropical island vibe. The waitstaff is always attentive and do a nice job with birthday songs. Our entrees had nice presentations and our Strawberry Mojito pitcher was large enough for, at least, three people. Just keep in mind... this is a BYOB eatery. The Flan could have been better, but the Café con Leche had the perfect mixture and bold taste. Throughout the warm months, there is an outdoor seating area that looks inviting. read more

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Bad hostess, service, drinks and food. The ambiance was cool and price was reasonable, but the quality of everything was extremely low and over half the tables were left unbussed for our entire dinner. We sat wedged uncomfortably in a corner instead of sitting at an actual table because of staff laziness. We ordered tapas and all the meat was tough. Do better! read more

Absolutely disgusting experience that I completely regret. I decided to go here after a massage this past weekend and it was horrible. The hostess was nowhere to be found for 8-10 mins upon walking in, my waiter came to me after a random man came and took my order, my food was disgusting. I ordered the chicken lollipop appetizer- they were frozen and flash fried, the sauce was old and nearly rotten, the ropa vieja made me sick, and was nothing like I remembered it years ago. The meat was different, the sauce smelled spoiled and the beans tasted like they came straight from the can. The plantain was miserable and inedible. I wasted $40. The service was a joke and I had to ask to be given the check by going to the exit... and the place was not crowded so I do not understand why nobody cared about my service. When I did not tip, the "server" said "thanks for nothing" and stormed away. Mind you, my plate was full and I was visibly upset. I only did not ask to speak to a manager because I later read that he was not friendly and I was alone. Let me add that I had to wear my coat because it was FREEZING. Not sure why the heat was off. DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME HERE. go anywhere else!!! a huge dump that has completely lost its spark over the years!!!! read more

It's usually packed but luckily I came here on a Saturday and there wasn't a wait. I went with a group of friends and everything we ordered tasted good. The churrasco was well seasoned and they gave me plenty of food. It's a BYOB place so we ordered two pitchers and shared a bottle. The "spanish harlem" was okay but the passionfruit mojito was really good. I would definitely come back. read more

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This restaurant comes highly recommended by my friend who assures me no dish here is bad. Coming in, the entrance is slightly hidden in an alleyway between 2 stores, but I promise you won't miss it with a cute gravel walkway there to lead you to the front. Immediately, you are greeted by the cozy outdoor seating options, with a warm and romantic atmosphere that definitely offers date night vibes. There is also plenty of indoor seating, with a warm family atmosphere. While we were not celebrating any birthdays, a party a few tables down and had a very festive cheer with a drum to celebrate! Once the food arrived, I was quickly assured that the food was as good as the aroma in the air. I ordered the Lechon Asado and was the portion huge! I had enough left over for a whole other meal after I was done. It was garlicky, and the fat rendered off nicely, making all the pork so juicy. The plantains were faintly crispy and well caramelized, and since everyone at my table ordered beans with rice, it came in a side bowl for family-style serving. I'll be sure to give their pitcher drinks a try next time! read more

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Food is quite good, the portion is huge. Very great place for family. Service is also pretty nice

Cuban Pete's is FIRE. I've been hearing a lot of good things from my fiancé, and it definitely lived up to the hype. We got the empanadas and chicken chicharron to start and both were amazing. For the main course I had a Churrasco steak cooked to perfection, with plantains on the side that were super crispy and sweet. Ambiance is also a 10/10 with waiters playing the drums and singing happy birthday. One of the best dinner spots in Montclair! read more

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Nicely decorated Cuban Restaurant. Smoke seating, great background Spanish music. Service was okay, had to keep flagging the server down for glasses, water, silverware,etc. BYOB location, tasty fruit drinks that you can mix with alcohol is you desire. The food was very tasty. We were a party of four, ordered the goat cheese fritters and lecho with plantains for appetizers, both were very good. I had the Ropa Vieja dish. The meat and plantains were amazing, not too fond of the coconut white rice. Very bland and mushy, when mixed with black beans built up the flavor, but overall bland. We arrived for a late lunch, hence, not too busy, I would plan on a long wait if going for dinner when it's busy, service is quite slow. There is no parking for the restaurant, street parking of found, if not there is a parking garage behind the restaurant. read more

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The entire floor was slippery! You have to walk very gently to try and not fall. The AC and fans did not work inside and it was extremely hot and sweaty. The coconut rice was hard and under cooked. The salmon was good and sweet plantain was perfectly cooked and yummy. The appetizer, tostones and guacamole, came out AFTER the main entree. The tostones were cold/hard and the guacamole tasted store bought. The sangria was good but it took over 20 minutes for someone to bring us glasses to drink it out of. This wasn't a great experience. read more

Cuban Pete's - Pomegranate strawberry sangria - Cuban Near Me - Montclair, New Jersey

Packed beyond bursting and as loud as a food riot. The perfect combination for the adrenaline junkies in a tony enclave like Montclair who think waiting in line at this no reservation rave is a scream. The service is catch as catch can and the Paella is tasty but having been treated to some in Miami, I can't say it was worth the wait or the extra decibels needed to carry on a conversation. Come to think of it, in the time we waited for a table, flying to Miami might have been faster and cheaper. Three basic stars. read more

Cuban Pete's has completely fallen off. I used to love this place, but now it's nothing but rude, disrespectful, and straight-up racist service. They treat certain customers differently, and it's disgusting to see. Last time I went with a group, they refused to give us a receipt just handed us a tablet and literally hovered over us rushing to take it back because they "had other tables to serve." We spent a good amount of money, yet they acted like we were a burden. I decided to give them another shot, and it was even worse. We were seated in a corner, ignored for over 30 minutes like we didn't exist. When a waiter finally noticed us, he said he'd "be right with us" then seconds later, someone else's food was dropped at our table before we even ordered! Instead of fixing it right away, the waiter disappeared for another 15 minutes. By the time we left, we had wasted 45 minutes sitting there for absolutely nothing. Another family even told us we were the third group that day who left because no one bothered to serve them. When we complained, the staff couldn't care less no apology, no accountability, just blank stares. This place has completely lost all respect and class. Never going back. We took our money to Rumba Cubana instead better food, better service, and people who actually treat customers like humans. read more

I haven't been here in a longgggg time but I must say Cuban Pete's is still delicious. I ordered the churrasco steak to go and I was definitely satisfied. I asked for my steak medium and it was more medium well to well BUT even with that it was juicy and flavorful. I wanted to be mad so bad but I couldn't because it was just cooked so nicely. Was I upset at the "well" pieces and the fact that it was a little cold? A little but honestly, it was delicious. The chimchurri on the other hand needed work. It was more like large chopped onions and vinegar. I remember the chimchurri from Cuban Pete's being memorably amazing, this was definitely not that. The coconut rice was typical but also I do remember it being better. It tasted like regular white rice to me- no real coconut flavors finally the maduro were perfect. Sweet and fried perfectly. All in all, steak 9/10, chimchurri 2/10, coconut rice 7/10, Maduro 10/10, and price 7/10. read more

This was the first time in a while that I ate at Cuban Pete's. The last time was a bad experience so I did not go back. We tried it again and I don't know how this place stays in business. First we are seated in a drafty location. The temp outside was 6 degrees. The utensils were dirty. We were given the iPad menu almost immediately but it was 20 minutes before we had to ask to place an order. The waitress was amazing. That was the best thing about the place. I asked if they had arroz con gandules since it was a choice on the menu. She said no. They never have it. It took 1/2 hr for the food to arrive. My partner's snapper was delicious. His maduros were hard. I order pork chops with tostones and Moro. The Moro was good and flavorful. The tostones were so soggy as if they were sitting there from the morning. The pork chops looked beautiful but were tough and dry. Overcooked. I asked the waitress to take it back. We had to wait for a manager to come over and he never did. She took it off the bill but this restaurant is definitely off the list of choices. Good luck eating here if you want to waste your money. You'd be better off going to a real Cuban restaurant in Newark or Elizabeth then to eat here. read more

Cuban Pete's - Chuletas(pork chops) Moro, and tostones - Cuban Near Me - Montclair, New Jersey

Haven't been here in awhile. First time was over 10+ years ago and the food used to be magic. Yesterday, I went for dinner and the wait was surprisingly only 20 mins. Not bad right? - we were seated after 20 mins and it took another 10 mins for our server to even find us. Asked if we needed drinks but came back with just an app. When we finally got our drinks and food - my sancocho was not just cold but almost frozen. We had waited awhile to get our food and now I had to wait even longer for them to fix it. No one ever refilled our waters - not even once. By then, I wanted to run out. Food wasn't bad but the service wasn't worth that nonsense. read more

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Been there only once years ago the food and services was great just going once was a very good idea a 9.5/10

Cuban Pete's isn't just iconic for its culturally reflective interior decor and nostalgic ambience with Cuban music in the background (sometimes live).... but its flavor is authentically reminiscent of genuinely Caribbean island flavors. Moderately priced but well worth every peso with every flavorful bite. This spot is a family favorite for celebrating milestones or just an overall great dining experience! Amazing hospitality with friendly staff wearing iconic Guayabera shirts and sombreros. The mood is laid back and welcoming. From the entrance you are transported to the Cuban motherland walking through a walkway of low level palm trees making your way into main dining patio. Family friendly and great for date nights! read more

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