I recently made an online order for pick-up. I was called shortly thereafter to inform me that the item ordered was only available on the weekends (therefore it should not have been an online option on a Monday). The young lady suggested other menu options but I declined. She said a manager would call me back for a refund. No one called. I waited 2 days and went to the store. Waited over 20 minutes because no one could find the manager. When he finally appeared, he stated since he is new, he was unaware how to process my refund. He promised to call me back the same day or the next day after consulting with another staff member. I called back the next day, the manager was not around but told the staff he would call me back. Needless to say, he did not call me back and no one has refunded my money. This is terrible customer service and bad business. I am yet to receive my refund. Please don't waste your time. read more

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

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

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

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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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

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

The place is picture worthy and the waiter was soooo nice and also recommended a few items from the menu that we enjoyed! The food was delicious and portions are more family size than for just one person read more

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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Great food! Great staff! Tried the Ropa Vieja and it was amazing. Come and try the food here. You won't regret it.

Went here before a concert tonight. We could not order Cuban sandwiches because they were out of pork at a Cuban restaurant at 5 pm! This also meant all pork dishes were also unavailable. No big deal we thought but then we ordered other dishes which were greasy, overcooked and just not enjoyable. The beans looked like refried beans and the vaca frita was way over done. As a Latina myself I would say they need to up their game with the food. I hate giving bad reviews but we could not finish our meal and were hungry during the concert. read more

I visited this restaurant with my godson and family to celebrate his graduation. While the food was decent, the overall experience was disappointing due to the service. Our server, Javier, came across as unfriendly and uninterested, almost as if he did not want to be there. For such a special occasion, we were hoping for a more welcoming and attentive experience. Good customer service can make a big difference, and unfortunately that was lacking during our visit. 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

Went here with friends on a Saturday night! There was a line when we entered, but we put our names in and was told there was a 30 minute wait. Within 10 minutes we were seated and promptly greeted by our waiter! The restaurant is byob which I'd never heard of before for a restaurant. That was new to me and they did not sell any alcoholic drink! However their fruit drinks that can accompany alcohol which were refreshing! The appetizers came out very quickly and were flavorful! However, the meals took awhile to arrive to the table! When they did they were delicious and big portion! The only reason I rated this restaurant a 4 is because iblike my food scalding hot and it was warm and also the wait time for the meals and to get our check read more

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

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

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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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

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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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

I've heard nothing but good things about Cuban Pete's and we felt that it definitely lived up to the hype. Food: all the food was well seasoned and came with a fairly large portion. We really enjoyed the stuffed plantain appetizer. It was the perfect balance of salty and sweet and various textures from the soft plaintain, to the crispy exterior. Both fish dishes were great, with the fish in the garlic sauce definitely being the highlight. The fish was tender and perfectly cooked. Service: they had iPads instead of paper menus which was really unique. We appreciated that each dish had a photo next to it so you could see what it looked like. Our food came out ridiculously quick. We were in and out in less than 45 minutes during lunch on a Tuesday. Ambiance: this is one of the coolest restaurants I've been to in Jersey. The decor is obviously cuban inspired and is done very well. This is one of the only places I've been to where they do such a good job of setting the scene that you really feel like you've been transported out of NJ. It was beautiful and a HUGE space. read more

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

I've been here a few times now and I must say that their food is definitely authentic, flavorful and affordable. Brought my team recently for lunch and she asked for some mayo ketchup thing that seems to be some sort of Spanish secret to eat with plantains? Lol it was bomb. Oxtail all the way whenever I'm here. The music is loud though no matter what time you go lol, so be prepared for festive activities while eating some delicious food. read more

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

I just found out that "Juicy cheesesteaks" on delivery apps is a virtual / ghost name for Cuban Pete's. Food was good however was confused when I saw this. This what I got from customer service.... "I've checked the details of the merchant and it shows here that the Juicy's Cheesesteaks is one of the virtual merchant in the app. Virtual merchant are delivery-focused concepts that operate within an existing merchant. Merchants can list multiple 'Virtual Merchants" having different names, menus and prices but, operated from their existing location....." read more

Cuban Pete's - Cheese Steak with pepper jack ,onions,peppers - Cuban Near Me - Montclair, New Jersey

I hadn't been here in a really long time, but was in the area and wanted to try it again. I really love the décor from the walk in path to inside, in the bathrooms, and having the staff dress in hats and shirts that give it a tropical vibe. Even when it's cold outside, you feel warmer in here. Having outdoor seating is definitely a plus as weather permits. Unfortunately the service was pretty bad. The drinks took forever (water and Coke, so nothing fancy), and waiter sat them down then walked off. We had to flag him down to order and flag him down to get refills. There was no checking in on us, just our luck to get his attention if we saw he happened to walk by. We decided to share a bunch of tapas to share. Some were hits and some were less to my tastes, but I was trying some new things so I wouldn't say they were badly made, just maybe not for me. Some of the dishes felt overpriced, and I know tapas are small dishes, but some seemed really small. The camarones/shrimp in garlic sauce was great but a small quantity. The chicharron de pollo/crispy chicken lollipops were amazing and the highlight of the meal. The papitas rellenas/Cuban stuffed beef potato dumplings was nice. The pernil con tostones/crispy pork with fried plantains and garlic mojo was a bit of a disappointment with such a big pile of onions on top of the pork. For sides: sweet plantains and camote/sweet potatoe (sic) were great and it was nice to add some plants to the meal. Overall, there were some dishes I really enjoyed, but it is a bit on the expensive side for what you get and the service made the experience a bit rougher than it should have been. read more

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A friend told me about Cuban Pete's for years and we either forget or come when there is a long wait and are too hungry to wait lol. But we got here around 5pm today so we finally got a table I love the path to get in, it was like walking through a jungle and then it opens up to what looks like a courtyard in a Caribbean home. Very cute! It was a little chilly so we opted to sit inside instead. Brian and Eddie were very helpful and friendly. Cuban Pete's is a BYOB establishment. They do have some very interesting punch mix. I ordered the Pina Colada before I read the menu LOL Pina Colada in a pineapple was fun, reminds me of being in the Caribbean It was ok, nothing really special. It was very thick so it was hard to drink it through the skinny straw, needed the Boba tea straws LOL We decided to have the tapas menu so we can try a bunch of small plates: Bocaditos de Sandwich Cubano - Cuban Sandwich - so good will have to get the whole sandwich next time Chicharron de Pollo - OMG these were delicious Papitas Rellenas - Potato Balls - it was ok, I've had better. The sauce was good but it didn't help with the dry potato... Ceviche de Camarones - not really ceviche... it was more like shrimp cocktail with a Mango salsa but it did taste good, just was expecting more sour than sweet Pernil con Tostones - this was ok for me but hubby loved it We took the Chuletas Asadas (Pork Chops), Rabo Encendido (Oxtail) and Arroz Con Leche (Rice Pudding) to go since we were full. Will update this weekend. read more

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I came here for my cousin's birthday for the first time with a large party. There were about 30 people and they were able to accommodate us. This place is byob but they do have mocktails that were good by themselves. In terms of food, I ordered the skirt steak which was really flavorful and the portion was huge. I was able to take it home. Overall this is a place that can accommodate large parties with tasty food. I would def come back if I'm In the neighborhood read more

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

There was a time when Cuban Pete's warranted the hype and, during its prime, this place was excellent. Upon entering, you'd be overwhelmed with the authentic environment, the overall energy and theme of the place, and warm service. The food was on a different level: fresh, authentic, and flavorful. However, as of late, I share the mindset of numerous other reviewers: there has been a noticeable decline. The pandemic may have had something to do with this, but this place appears to be the shadow of what it once was. Food lacking flavor, servers lacking commitment and energy, and the once-monstrous crowd dwindling. Sadly, my absolute favorite, Ropa Vieja, has changed. It was okay, but not as tremendous as I recall. Shrimp were over cooked and/or frozen. Service seemed burnt out. Not horrible, but my bar for this place was once very high. read more

Went in on a Tuesday night and was seated immediately. The decor is very authentic. It's also BYOB which makes it so great. Virgin pitchers are $16! All the food from tapas to main dishes was well made and seasoned. My only complaint was the homeless man who went table to table to asking for money ...also rest rooms were slightly unkept. read more

Cuban Pete's - Vaca frita and churrasco - Cuban Near Me - Montclair, New Jersey

We had a great time here. Nice ambiance and love the tropical trees entry walk way. Service & Food were great. The only downer was that they ran out of sweet plantains & were waiting on more to arrive, so I substituted with a sweet potato. I really like the onion sauce that was on the lollipop chicken. The onions are pickled or some sort. Very good! My husband doesn't even like onions but he liked the chicken and sauce so much he ordered two. He didn't go crazy with eating the onions... but I even added the onions to my main entree dish & it was a good touch. When back in town I would visit again. read more

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First off yet to use your phone as the menu. Food was very bland., and Under staffed. In fact, the only good thing was the side entrance ambience. 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

Cuban Pete's was a disappointment. The food was quite bad, and I know about this because I am hispanic and grew up around Cuban food. The moro(black rice) was so far from tasting authentic. the maduros were not very sweet and the fried fish was the worst fried fish I've ever had. I ordered the mango & coco flan, it neither tasted like mango nor coconut. it was overly sweet and it had an old fridge taste. Truly not worth the money. the only nice thing about the place is the location and the vibe. They also don't serve alcohol which tops off whole disappointing experience. they need a true Spanish cook to be believable. read more

Step down the alley and you are transformed to Havana via the architecture and music. Such a great space - especially the outdoor courtyard surrounded on three sides. All the wait staff wear fedoras. The food was equally enjoyable. The ropa vieja was tender and flavorful. My wife had lechon asado which was also very tender and delicious. Really enjoyable break from reality. read more

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Terrible service. We waited over an hour and never received our food while the tables around us who were seated after us received their food. DO NOT RECOMMEND. read more

i'm now totally convinced that this place has been in business for so long solely on the strength of its decor. the "food" is edible I suppose but so poorly prepared and executed and so far from what is pictured on the menu (and so far away from how it used to be 15 years ago) that for a brief moment when presented with our tapas plates I thought i had somehow wound up in a hospital cafeteria. Had that been the case I certainly would have been happier with the food. but please don't take my word for it. go there, get the pork cracklings and judge for yourself how many bomb shelters you could build with material of this type. hard, over cooked and dry (seriously how the F do you dry out pork belly?) And they were still better than the beef tips. those could have been used as the bombs to test your new bomb shelter. we had four tapas plates, two cocktail mixes (byob) and a flan. the only thing that wasn't a sad facsimile of actual food were the stuffed dates and they were so much better years ago. i'd review the other items but frankly don't care to revisit them. that goes for this place as well. read more

The food was great, but the service left much to be desired. Our server was friendly and repeatedly mentioned they were short-staffed, but even after the initial "rush," the service remained slow and unorganized. It didn't seem to be an issue with the kitchen, as the server suggested -- the real problem was the lack of attention to our table. We waited far too long for everything and felt neglected throughout the evening. We arrived at 8:45 PM, well after the typical dinner rush, and didn't leave until 11 PM. If you plan to visit, make sure you have plenty of time to spare. read more

I've heard for years that I must go here for the best Cuban food and when I heard there was no wait on a Monday night. I took it as an opportunity and it did not disappoint. I love how the restaurant was BYOB and was able to use your wine to make an sangrias or other drinks I ordered the Ropa and vieja in beef and it was really good. The beef was really tender and the sauce tasted great. Only thing I was disappointed in is that they could not substitute the black beans for more rice :( not everybody likes beans The restaurant has a cute little ambiance that resembled a Cuban home with tropical themed decor and furniture. Can't wait to go back and try more of the menu! read more

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

Had high hopes with this place. It was lively and I love Cuban food. The place was pretty crowded but still had a lot of opened tables. We walked up to the hostess and she just looked at me. Politely asked for a table for two, she just turned away and then I said excuse me, and she said go sit wherever you want with attitude and an eye roll. So rude. The food was ok, the service sucked, we didn't know it was byob and didn't serve actual liquor just punch.. weird, wouldn't recommend. read more