It was awful ....no other way to say it. Just getting a cocktail to start the dinner with friends was difficult at best. We had to call the waiter to see where their specialty cocktail mojioto was being made. Then we ordered tapas and they were just so so ....nothing that made us want more. While waiting for our wine...a bottle of red and a bottle of white which arrived warm and we had to ask for ice several times. Then my husband had to ask for a bucket of ice to put it in. We were so disappointed with the wait staff ability to see our needs and fulfill them. The worst part of the evening happened next....we were still waiting for out salads and then our dinner was served to the next table to us. The people at the next table told the waiter that this was not their order and then they picked up the order and tried to serve it to us and we told them our salads had not been served yet. The waiter then removed the meals and brought out our salads. When our meals were brought out they were the original meals completely cold. The. Manager then spent 15 minutes with apologizing to the table next door and never once addressed our table about the issues. We sent two of the meals back due to the frigid temp. of them. We had to ask for silverware because there was none to eat the meal with. By this time our disappointment was clear and we barely touched our meals. The food if served at the proper times and at the correct temperatures might have been palatable because we did enjoy the decor of the restaurant. We started the night with high hopes and ended with feeling of total shame. How can this place be rated with 4.5 stars???? The whole staff was like in a coma with no urgency to please the customer and we shall never return....never. 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

After reading the erratic reviews I almost cancelled my dinner plans to try the food and drink at Cubanu. My wife and I, only get a chance to enjoy eating out once in a while and I was afraid to waste our night out and be disappointed. Fortunately, I kept our reservation. We went on a Tuesday night (which we found out was customer appreciation night-every week 50% off food). Great way to start off the night! My wife had the Mojito which she said was one of the best she's had. I just slugged down a few Coronas and enjoyed the food. We had a few Tapas dishes to start and the lobster-crab Avocado salad. The food came out in a timely fashion (which seemed to be a big issue in other reviews) and all three items were cooked to order and delicious. I ordered the Mariscada (Seafood stew - shrimp, clams, mussels, scallops ) and my wife ordered a spicy chicken dish. Both were very tasty and well prepared. We both were too full to order dessert and decided to call it a night. When the bill came we were pleasantly surprised at the total. Going out to dinner on a Tuesday night turned out to be a good idea after all. Definitely will go to Cubanu again. Hope this helps. read more

I love this place since it is close to home and serves good Cuban food. Actually, I think it is some of the best I've ever had. But I must agree with some reviewers who have complaints about the watered down sangria and the dry Tres Leche dessert. These are valid comments and the management really should do something about it. Also, I've grown accustomed to it, but the servers need more personality. Please, you should try to look like you are having fun. The skirt steak is perfect here as are the black beans. The coconut mojitos are so delish. Yes, this place tends to be very clubby on the weekends. For a treat, go on a Tuesday for half price entrees. 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

Mojitos! Cubanu is a bit on the pricey side, but offers some great deals that lure me in on a regular basis. Tuesday night is "customer appreciation night" with half price meals and tapas - though be sure to ask which few steak items are excluded. I love the Spinach and Goat Cheese Empanadas and get them every time I eat there. The Cha-Cha-Cha Sampler is a great sampling of tapas and can easily turn into a meal. The Crab and Avocado Salad is my go-to meal of choice, with a fantastic zesty dressing and generous portion of lump crab meat. If you're in the mood for something heavier, try the Chuletas Empanizado (breaded pork chop). It's always been perfectly cooked, and the portion is HUGE! I'm talking two chops the size of my head. Thursday night is another great night for cocktails. $5 mojitos in a variety of flavors. Recently they've been striking out with the classic mojito, but try the mango or pineapple-coconut for a treat. Just realize the bartenders are 20 something year old girls who obviously have a sweet tooth and are very heavy handed with the simple syrup. A trendy little spot, I like Cubanu for drinks and apetizers at the bar, or a very well priced meal on Tuesdays. read more

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

See all

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 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

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 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

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

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

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

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

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

See all

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 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

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

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

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

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

I had a horrible experience dining at this restaurant! I made reservations days in advance for yesterday, Sunday evening for 7:30pm, to dine with friends for my birthday, (4) of us. I walk in, I give the hostess my name and I let him know that I had reservations. He looks at me confused and states that he'd given my reservation away to a party that had just walked in before me. I was on time and so I couldn't understand why he would do that. He goes on to question me on weather or not I had really made reservations. I offered to show him the reservation which I had already confirmed and he said it wasn't necessary. I felt so awkward, he could of taken care of the mix up without having to disclose his mistake. He then looks around to a practically empty restaurant with a bunch of tables that needed to be cleaned and says to me, "you're gonna have to wait a bit." And so I did, for about 10mins. Finally we get seated and we order our food with a pitcher of red Sangria. We each served ourselves a glass of Sangria and we all agreed that it was watered down! There was more ICE than Sangria in the pitcher, it tasted more like fruit punch. It was so disappointing! We expressed our concerns to the waiter and he went so far as to suggest that we each purchase shots on the side and add it to the pitcher, if we wanted it stronger. We couldn't believe it!!! Very poor customer service. There were times throughout the night, that we felt like our waiter (Ivan) was very rude. He made us feel uncomfortable with his smart remarks and we felt as if we were being pushed out to finish quickly. I can honestly say that I WILL NOT dine at this restaurant again nor would I recommend it to friends and family. I was looking forward to having a nice evening at Cubanu, but that clearly was not the case. 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

Fun spot on Saturday nights, DJ plays a good mix. Mojitos are good and their appetizers are very tasty. The only downfall is that the lounge part of the restaurant is small. There is seating at the bar as well. Parking can be difficult, but there is a deck across the street that is inexpensive. read more

Very good spot! Food is amazing, service is great! Very clean ! Fast service and homy atmosphere! Highly recommended!

Been there a few times for events and the apps have always been great. Excellent bartenders that know how to mix drinks as well.

My husband and I were in Rahway today for the car show, beautiful day. I thought why have a sausage sandwich the Cuban sandwiches should be great. Unfortunately each of our sandwiches had globs of fat in them, very disappointing. We won't be back to try the dinners, sorry. You had lots of new people today to make a first impression with and the one you gave us was very disappointing. Charlie & Maureen 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

Salsa and drinks is all I know here. Tremendous environment for both and a great date spot. I will be back to try the food; from what I hear it is excellent. Just get sweaty dancing to some Latin vibes and enjoy. read more

This rating is due to the management staff. There was a miscommunication about a Groupon. I had called ahead and asked about using it even though it was expired and was told they never expire. After ordering according to the Groupon I was told I was only able to use the monetary value (which is the Groupon rule that I already knew and the reason I called first). I had purchased extra regardless and the manager on duty Victor just patronized me when I tried to explain my side. The next day I called the manager Jerry I spoke to originally. After explaining what happened and telling him I think his words were misleading, I was told to go ahead and waste my time on yelp and eat somewhere else next time.. So here I am wasting my time and letting you know that maybe next time we all should eat somewhere else and not put money in pockets of people like that. read more

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