I have been to Cubanu a few more times since I first moved to Rahway, and I have to say, it's definitely improved. It's actually one of my favorite spots in Rahway. My girl always orders the Ropa Vieja, and it's actually some of the best Ropa Vieja I've had. I order the Chicken Picante, which is super spicy and delicious. I think they have different chefs that have different styles, because on any given day their dishes are served differently. One time we went and the empanadas were huge, and then we went a week later, and they were tiny, little finger food. Regardless, our two favorite dishes have always been delicious. The drinks are also delicious. I like their Sangria a lot. They also have the best mojito I've ever had (though I tried it a visit after that, and not quite as good the 2nd time). My only real problem with it is price. For Cuban food in this area of Jersey it's relatively expensive. I personally think their range for main dishes (~$15-25) is too high. Cuban Pete's in Montclair, which I think is the standard-bearer for Cuban food in Jersey is a few dollars cheaper per-dish, and Montclair is a lot pricier than Rahway. read more

I have been saying I should go here for years. Finally gave it a shot. We arrived at 7:30 on a Friday night and were the ONLY diners. A few other couples came in over the next hour or so, but it was very quiet for a weeked We were seated promptly by the extremely friendly and talkative waitress. We started we Sangria and a Mojito. We tried a trio of appetizers - mini Cuban sandwich, ham croquettes and a chorizo dish. The ham croquettes were best. The chorizo was a bit too greasy and the mini sandwiches may have been too mini. But we did enjoy our first course. My wife had the Ropa Vieja which was very tasty but I had never seen it served in such a dry fashion. A little more sauce on it would have been a nice accompaniment to the rice and beans on the plate. I had the El Babalu chicken which the waitress recommended. WOW - chicken is often boring. The Babalu chicken was outstanding and far from boring. It was stuffed with chorizo and goat cheese. It was nicely sliced and served in a generous portion. It was in a very tasty garlic sauce that was amazing over the rice and yucca. Cubanu is not the best Cuban restaurant I have been to. But - it is close to home. Very friendly service. Nice clean ambiance and average to above average food. The prices are very reasonable as well. Dinner for 2 with a couple drinks for each of us and and app sample came to about 80 before tip. We will go back! read more

Been here a few times, and each time I go I seem to experience the same issues. First, the food is ok (my brothers wife is Cuban, and compared to her cooking it is light years behind) and is a bit overpriced. It's also a little bland-ropa vieja was missing something and the congri is always dry. Wait staff is ok, but the service is slow. Last time I went with the wife and parents; we were the only ones in the restaurant and it took 30 minutes to bring out the salads. read more

Everything from the service to the food was A+++++!!! I swear this place gave me one of the BEST meals of my life!!! Hands down! Worth every penny spent & mile driven. If you are in the area please go try it out. It won't disappoint. read more

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I've been here for a party awhile back and everything was ok. I tried for takeout last week and it was decent enough to try again. I ordered the garlic chicken both times. This time my order came without rice. Who serves pollo al ajilo without rice? Just two small chicken breasts that I had to finish cooking because they were still pink inside. The sauce was flavorless and coagulated. The beans had no flavor at all. I can't understand why no restaurant can serve good food anymore. It doesn't matter how much it costs, no place puts out a quality product. On top of that I got a $1 bag charge. I don't care about the money, but tell people before you charge them so they have a choice. That's such a lowbrow move. I won't be back and I don't recommend this place. The food here is at best dull at worst, served undercooked and missing main parts of the meal. (No rice?) I Literally asked for white rice and black beans. I'm sick of wasting time, money. Get it together or close the doors. There's over 50 bad reviews of this place. read more

Good food and drinks. Service was a little slow but nothing to make a to do about. I will come back through in the future.

I personally think Cuban restaurants are the way to go. I'm actually writing this review in the car on the way back from Cubanu. And I have to say, i will DEFINITELY go back. I came for valentines day so we had a prefix menu. Here is what we got (totally forgot the exact names) Tapas : mashed potato fritters and fish tacos. The mashed potato fritter balls were delicious, and it came with a really yummy creamy sauce. The fish tacos were more like a fish filling inside phyllo cups but you can't taste the fishiness of it which is what I liked about it. And they were served cold, on purpose of course. The chicken soup was great and wasn't your ordinary chicken soup. It had a tangy twist. I could have 10 bowls of that Dinner: skirt steak with tiger shrimp, the steak was thin and perfectly cooked (medium). We also got a stuffed chicken with chorizo and I forgot what else was in it but there was so much flavor that I had to keep eatting it. It also came with Yuma in some liquidy sauce. I wasn't a fan of that but the entree made up for it. We also got a tres leche cake which had my mouth watering! You have to go here. I'm coming back to try stuff from their regular menu! read more

the food was old and stale. when we discreetly and politely try to inform the waiter, the waiter insisted that we speak with the manager. the manager came outside when we tried to explain to him discreetly he accused us of not being able to afford to pay for the food. Please bear in mind we were eating outside in front of our car we were dining outdoors if we wanted to dine and dash we could have easily done so while waiting nearly 25minutes for him to come back and check on us. but he never did. but with class waited for the waiter that never came so I actually went inside to get him to inform him of this and instead we were being accused of not being able to afford the bill. so we paid for old stale food that we left at the table. and over Tip the waiter read more

Top dishes are: Appetizers--Coconut shrump; empanadas; picadillio; wings; plantain chips. Skip garlic shrimp. Fish tacos used to be excellent, but last time were poor. Entrees--Skirt steak; tiger shrimp; pollo picante; paella; tilapia over salad. Sides--spinach; maduros; congri; salad--and they are very willing to let you switch sides from the menu. Good house wine and beers on tap. Excellent service. Excellent value for the money--especiallyt on Tuesday night when almost everything is half price.. Some outdoor tables recently added. read more

Cubanu is a very great establishment where you can relax and unwind. The food is delicious and maybe 40 per person depending on what is ordered. I particularly enjoyed the fried plantain and the dip. The empanadas were fresh and delectable. If you're looking for a nice clean and laid back environment Cubanu is the place to be. read more

On my recent visit to NJ I had a craving for Cuban food, being that I'm from Miami I was unsure if the quality was going to meet my expectation but boy was I wrong. Every thing from the skirt steak ( churasco ) to the café cito (expresso) was nostalgically on point. The ropa vieja ( shredded beef in sauce) was so delectably succulent that it brought a tear to my eye as the flavor melted on my pallet and the thought of my abuelita crossed my mind. the músic the drinks every thing about the ambiance took me to that special place that a evening on the town should be. A moment to remember good time. WOW is all I can say I recommend this location to any one with a desire eat, drink and fand the night away..... Freddie-o read more

I dined in at Cubanu last week for my mom's birthday. My sister and I brought her for dinner to celebrate. Although this is not my first time at Cubanu I will say this was probably the first time I've been disappointed, I guess that's why they say there's a first time for everything. Anyhow, the waitress was a bit inattentive and when I asked her to bring a high chair for my 1 year old nephew she made a face and left the chair in the middle of the row, I had to then drag the chair to the table. I ordered the Pollo al la Plancha, my sister ordered the Pollo al Ajillo and my parents ordered the Camarone al Ajillo. One thing we all agreed on is that the main dish was very salty. The rice was a bit cold and bland. The blandness helped balance out the saltiness a bit so it wasn't unbearable but it definitely wasn't what I expected from CubaNu. Definitely didn't feel like it was fresh. I have always been a loyal patron at CubaNu even the bar area, but I don't think I'll be back for dinner. Also FYI parking is street parking and is metered. There is a large parking in the back that does not belong to CubaNu but you can park there at your own risk. There is also a parking lot across the street which is free for the first two hours. Not bad if your there for a quick bite. read more

I've been to this place twice. Once when it first opened, and another time for a friend's birthday party. When it first opened, I was very impressed by the food. A bit pricy for cuban food but I figured, what the hey, let's splurge a little. I enjoyed a good meal with much left over . The second time I went, it was a major disappointment. The food was not good, although i do have to say the yuca was very tasty, but that was about it. I don't even remember what I order since it was that lackluster. I would give this place another try, but for the price- i'd rather go to Alverez in Elizabeth. read more

Great night sitting at bar having drinks and apps and a meal. Bartenders are very nice. Great music! The Spicy chicken entree is awesome and comes with a grilled avocado which is amazing. Seems like they might have dancing at night but we were here too early. read more

Always a positive experience when I'm here! I enjoyed the "little victors". I had a friendly staff great me at the door, and had an amazing server (Ivan) serve my table. The food came out great and the the drinks were on point! read more

We got takeout and can't wait to go to the restaurant in person to eat my weight in plantains. Cuban sandwich was good (and huge) and the steak was most and tasty. Rice was a little salty but the beans were really flavorful (not just beans from a can with some cumin like a lot of places). Will be back for sure. read more

Came here on a Tuesday night and could not believe the specials!! 1/2 off all food except the daily specials!! The waitress was super sweet and knew the menu well. If I didn't live so far I would come here all the time! We ordered the white sangria which was super refreshing and lots of apps. We had the croquetas, camaranes al ajillo and fish tacos. ALL EXCELLENT. The only reason I did not give it a a full 5 stars were because the restrooms need some work. There was 1 stall out of order and the sink area was a bit messy which was surprising for a Tuesday night. I would understand on a Friday or Saturday night but the place was not really that busy. read more

I'm not very knowledgeable about Cuban food or Hispanic food, but I can say I love it. I came here on a field trip I believe during high school with the Spanish club. The place is classy and smooth, what I didn't know was, they offered private rooms with dance floors! Food was served as a buffet, then music was busted out! Not too long, I even came onto the dance floor and dance to merengue and bachata. I can gas sure you, it's a great place for families, big events and friends, read more

Owner does not care about retaining his customers. Food and service are ok to great, but came for a 1/2 off "customer appreciation" night and was overcharged. Asked to speak to the owner who did not resolve the issue, yet told me he "won't lose any sleep" if I didn't come back. I have been coming since 2009, but will no longer be giving that place my business. Unfortunately, there aren't that many choices in Rahway so if you understandably MUST go, the tres leche cake, mariscada, and wings are pretty consistently good. read more

The chicken empanada was excellent. The beef was decent and the spinach and goat cheese was disappointing- not enough goat cheese and very earthy tasting spinach. The cuban sandwich had great roast pork, but the ham was just 1 thin slice. Overall, it was overpowered by the amount of bread. Not my favorite. Wife had the plantain chips and coconut shrimp. She loved it. I also thought they were some of the best plantain chips I've ever had- long, crisp, and thin. Nice vinegar and herb dipping sauce too. This place was not particularly expensive and they took credit cards. If I was local I'd go back, but wasn't spectacular enough to drive out of my way to go again. read more

Still love everything about Cubanu. One of my all time favorite restaurants and bars. Excellent food, friendly staff, terrific drinks and lovely bartenders ! Great music on Friday and Saturday. I go about once a week on average. Love love love ! read more

The food and service was very good. We started off with the tapas sampler, spinach empanada so good. I had the tiger shrimp I really enjoyed it, but if it had larger shrimp and more of them it would have been much better as an entree. read more

CubaNu Restaurant & Lounge - Cuban Near Me - Rahway, New Jersey

It was definitely a transformative experience eating in the intimate setting they create for their guest. The bar is held incredibly and no one is left unattended. The food is the best Cuban food I have ever had! The chicken wasn't dry, like most places I've been to, and the rice held copious amounts of flavor in just the first bite! I highly recommend! read more

Great Latin Atmosphere! Awesome Vibe! Top notch Food. The Restaurant has two sections; a formal dining area and a bar/lounge section with a dance floor. On Friday/Saturday nights they have a DJ playing a mix of dance music, Salsa, Merengue, Bachata. Staff is super friendly. I recommend to all! read more

Great atmosphere..Great food (highly recommend the picadita) Great drinks (mojitos/ any flavor) Great Music...I'll be back! read more

CubaNu Restaurant & Lounge - Cuban Near Me - Rahway, New Jersey

Very pleased with our first visit. Great food, amazingly friendly and attentive waiter. No unsweetened iced tea however :( Happening bar later in the evening! read more

This place was a joke I went there with my mom and daughter My daughter had the black bean-soup She asked for sour cream ( the waitress said the did not have sour cream ) seriously. My mom and I had sangria , it tasted like Dry grape juice . I had the Ropa Vieja That was not bad. My mom Had the Pernil that was a joke A $81 lunch not worth it . The only thing that was good there was the music. We sat inside , it took them for ever to sit us down in a restaurant that was empty inside The outside was busier . All we wanted was a nice lunch But that's not what we got . Very disappointed , we don't recommend it . Eat at the Boardwalk . read more

Love love love the food here! The drinks are always good too. Wish it was bigger and had outdoor dining. Fun for a late night or dancing and drinking too. Highly recommend this place. I've been here numerous times and always had a great experience. Steak entrees are good here! read more

I think they are ok. The bread is probably my favorite thing at this place. Good glams in green sauce. Paella and garlic chicken are OK. Decent drinks. I think they are a bit overpriced. Their lounge area could use a makeover. read more

Love love love!!! We always leave happy and full. I usually try a different specialty drink everytime I go. Their white sangria is tasty. Service and food is always on point. Never left unhappy. The chicken empanadas are delicious, and that sauce that comes with them is out of this world! read more

The food was great and service was awesome. I only missed the nice background music, but it is St. Patrick's Day and an Irish group came in and performed. Overall wonderful experience read more

We came to Cubanu to grab a quick bite while my car was getting repaired and Melissa, our waitress, was so sweet and very attentive! I ordered the fish tacos and my boyfriend got the coconut shrimp for apps and they were very yummy ! read more

CubaNu Restaurant & Lounge - Cuban Near Me - Rahway, New Jersey

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I love this place. It's Cuban if you need it to be, or a cocktail lounge, or just good food for the foodie at heart. They have many offerings that depart from the typical Cuban fare, but also the favorites you might expect. I love their innovation on fish tacos served in won ton cups. Imagine more of a ceviche in phyllo dough. Awesome. The cubanitos are the perfect taste to satisfy the salty sour savory craving of a Cuban sandwich without all the guilt. It's a bit pricey... actually, it's too expensive and the only reason for one less than 5 stars. If they were a bit less expensive they'd be 5 stars. Remember your zip code. But i bumped it up to 5 stars cause their quarantine takeout mojito mix and food was ahead of itself. Thank you. The cocktails are great as well, a tad sweet but they will eagerly accommodate sweetness upon request. This is a great place for a crowd, a date, or just to find yourself. If you're not sure what you want to eat, you'll find something here. read more

Came here for a ladies night with my girls on a Friday after searching for parking for thirty minutes ...for it to be a Cuban restaurant nothing about the decor screamed Cuban at all...moving forward ordered the Cha Cha Cha sampler for the appetizer ...the wings were tasty ...however the rest of the meal was very bland ...I ordered the "Little Victors " (skirt steak) nothing to brag about ...lastly the drinks were also weak ...on a brighter note the service was great which is why I'm giving it three stars ...the end . read more

Overall, it was nice restaurant. We went as Groupon customer. We tried fish taco (touch too vinegar) and tostones was quite tasty. Then we had salmon and suckling pork dishes. Salmon dish did not have much taste overall. Suckling pork dish which came with only black beans and white rice was somewhat simple. Then we finished off with tres le leche cake which was good as some of review I read. Restaurant itself did not have any parking so I parked in the parking garage across the street. Price was okay, since I had Groupon discount, otherwise it was somewhat over priced. read more

Had dinner here on cinco de mayo. Wasn't sure what to expect since it was our first time dining here and the Yelp reviews weren't very consistent. There was only one waiter in the dining room, so the service was pretty slow. We weren't in a rush and didn't mind.. you could tell he was doing his best to accommodate everyone. He did forget to bring out our side order of tostones, but once we reminded him it was brought out quickly and taken off the bill. We really liked everything we tried. We started out with the tostones rellenos - so much flavor in each plantain cup. I had never had this before and was a big fan. For dinner, I went with the lechon asado and my boyfriend with el babalu. The lechon was delicious.. it was very tasty and tender enough to cut with a fork. I definitely didn't have an issue with it being dry like other reviews mentioned. I thought the lechon was cooked perfectly and a large enough portion that I had leftovers for lunch the next day. I also tried the bf's el bablu - stuffing chicken with chorizo, cheese, and maduros was probably one of the best ideas ever. It was very good and something different. Worth coming back again? Yes.. although I don't know if I'll be able to try anything else after having the lechon asado. read more

A non-vegan friend of mine and I went here for dinner on a Tuesday night. I had previewed the menu before hand and knew there wasn't much for me to eat. My friend and I had a lot of catching up to do and I was more looking forward to having a few drinks. The place was pretty packed when we walked in, but we were still seated promptly. The inside is nice: lots of wood, clean but nice looking decor. We were told by our waitress it was customer appreciation night, which meant half off all food except a few steak dishes. Although I didn't ask at the time, I think Cubanu runs this special every Tuesday. We started with some drinks and some plantain chips as an appetizer. Some sort of chutney (cilantro-based?) was served with the plantain chips which was quite tasty. I ordered a mojito. I thought it was okay--the mint was fresh and muddled correctly. I am not one for sweet drinks and there was a bit too much simple syrup in it for my taste, but I know my taste isn't typical. I stuck to draft beer after that (Dos Equis). They also serve some kind of bread as a standard, but it looked to be slathered in butter, so I did not partake. Our waitress was extremely bubbly and engaging. She did a great job explaining the menu in detail for my friend, who was unsure of what to order. For entrees he selected the ropa vieja. I chose a strawberry pecan salad and asked them to leave off the goat cheese. Service was a bit slow--we waited a bit for refills on water and drinks. The place was hopping and our waitress was extremely apologetic and was aware without us saying a word that things could be moving a bit faster. I had very low expectations for my salad (again--I was mostly just there for socializing and having a drink) but it was surprisingly good. The strawberries and the greens tasted really fresh and the balsamic vinaigrette was delicious! I can't remember the last time a restaurant salad dressing tasted so good that I actually cared that much about it. My friend enjoyed his ropa vieja, although the portion was HUGE--he took some home. We had espresso afterward, which was also surprisingly good. Our waitress invited us to stay for karaoke, which was just starting. Her hospitality was charming, but we were not up for that. I give Cubanu three stars for being a tad bit slow and for limited selection for vegans. As another reviewer mentioned, their bar and lounge (which are separate from the dining room) are very nice. The drinks and ambiance will have me coming back for a cocktail for sure. read more

My wife and I had an awesome Valentine's day dinner earlier. The food and service were outstanding. Victor and his team do a great job. Social distancing, clean and spotless restaurant,following all the covid rules. Jim C read more

I've gone back and it was better the second time. Service was better two. I had mofongo and my friend had ropa vieja and they were both delicious! read more

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Cubanu is absolutely delish! I think it is 10 times better than Cuban Pete's in Montclair. I have tried many of the appetizers and was never disappointed. My favorite dish so far is Lechon Asado; slow roasted marinated suckling pig. It really is so delicious, moist and flavorful. It tastes like it has been marinating for weeks. Don't waste your time with the Sangria; it's awful. Sangria is supposed to be made ahead of time to allow the flavors to blend. Cubanu's Sangria taste like they just poured some wine in a pre-made Sangria mixture. It's pretty nasty. They do have good wines if you are thirsty ;) and really good unsweetened ice tea if you prefer not to have an alcoholic beverage. The weight staff is friendly but at times slow even if it's not that busy. So, you may have to wait a while to get served or for them to even take your order. I still think it's worth the wait. read more