This is the first Tapas-focused menu restaurant I've been to in many years. My reluctance is usually the feeling that I will spend a lot of money and not feel satisfied/full. Tapas seem to be very popular in Newton and this menu was hard to resist so while in the area, a co-worker and I decided to try it out! We were not disappointed. The staff was friendly and not at all over bearing. We had several people deliver our small plates and everyone was great. The timing of the dishes coming to our table was perfect. The food... so flavorful! We ordered the empanadas, Chicharrones, croquetas de Jamon, & maduros con Tocino. We agreed our favorite was the Maduros con Tocino- they were a perfect amalgamation of flavors; sweet, tangy, savory, salty- yum!!! Everything was so good, my only feedback would be for the Chicharrones- they were paired with an avocado purée which was tasty, but I wish they would have cut the fat with an acid to give it more dimension, rather than have two fats together. We also ordered the congri to enjoy with everything. All in all it was a wonderful experience. The restaurant was loud but we could hear each other fine and we really enjoyed the art and flair of the decor, especially the columns that look like lit cigars!! read more

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We came to Gustazo for dinner this past week, and I'm glad we did! It was a last-minute choice to come and there were no available reservations, but we found space at the bar. When you walk into the space, there's a nice dining room with closely packed tables and a front bar. If you head on toward the back, there is another dining room with another bar--we chose the front bar as it was a bit quieter. On the wall in the front dining room, there's a cool art piece of Cuba. Our server/bartender was friendly and gave us menus right away. We had the yuca frita, which I thoroughly enjoyed, and I had the ropa vieja as my entree, for which the beef was tender. Everything in the dish went together quite well, and I was happy to see that the beef was more flavorful than some other local places that serve ropa vieja. I ordered the Cuban Cigar cocktail (after consulting with the bartender to see if it was Scotch-forward, which it wasn't). It was a complex, enjoyable cocktail that had much more rum flavor than scotch--this one's definitely a sipper. Gustazo is great to have on Moody Street, and I'll have to try the Cambridge location next! read more

We stopped in on a Friday night to try this spot and it was a fantastic find! We had a reservation for 6:15 and it was pretty busy here. Our waiter Fernando, was pretty busy, but he did come by in the first 5 minutes to grab our drink orders and some tapas. We put in 6 appetizers to share acrosss 4 of us. The food was pretty great, but our drinks were loving exceptionally slow. We actually got our drinks after 4 of our appetizers hit the table already. We tried a number of things and our favorite was the Tacos Cangrejo and the Queso Frito! We also loved the Churros for dessert! The restaraunt is really cute and has a ton of cute decorations to throw this spot back to a little Rustic Havana vibes. We really loved it, but the music was still a little loud, so we did feel like we were screaming. But by the end of the night two of us had started to feel the strain! Definitely a fun spot and we highly recommend! read more

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This is super impressive stuff. Started with the remoulacha which had beets, queso fresco, tarragon hazelnut pesto, yogurt, kumquats, watercress. The beets were really fresh, as was the queso fresco. I wished the pesto were more plentiful in order that the hazelnut flavor emerge more prominently. The squash fritters were so nice and soft; they came with kale, pomegranate, creme fraiche, kale, and sage. The sage was nice and crisp, the creme fresh added a contrasting texture to the rest of the dish, and overall each bite was quite rich, but fulfilling. The gulf wild shrimp with Cuban polenta was very rich and very delicious. I really appreciate it the meatiness of the shrimp, ensconced in a delicious polenta. Some might find the polenta a bit too rich, too much butter, but it's a really nice dish. I actually might have liked a little bit more polenta to give the dish more bandwidth. The guava based baby back ribs were so good they were tender and fell off the bone easily, yet they remained on the bone at the cusp of falling out. The glaze as was excellent, as were the pickled beets and pineapple puree. I appreciated that the pineapple puree wasn't too sweet. Finally, the crab tacos enchiladas were really delicious, they included slaw, Watercress and avocado. The plantain taco shells we're really interesting thicker than ordinary corn taco shells. I'm looking forward to trying the rest of the menu, and you should too! read more

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Delicious food, slightly slow service. Huge place but it got full while we were there (on a Saturday evening). Everything we got was delicious, except for the tres leches cake. We loved the grilled shrimp and lamb chops. The ceviche, corn fritters, tomato and grilled cheese canapes were all fresh. Rice and beans on the side were great too. We will come back. Beware: They take a 4% kitchen appreciation fee. And the way the payment process works, this fee is not very transparent while tipping. read more

Gustazo in Waltham is fantastic. The service was warm, attentive, and made us feel welcome from the moment we walked in. The food was outstanding, and flavorful. Everything we tried was delicious, and the overall experience was excellent. Highly recommend for anyone looking for great food and great service. read more

We usually don't go out much, but when we do... We go to the other Tapas place uphill on Moody (because that's where all our friends go before dancing next door!) This time we decided to try a different Tapas place, and we weren't disappointed. Portion sizes were great. Our server was engaging and helpful. The drinks were varied and interesting. We'd definitely give this place another try since there are so many other small plates and drinks we have to still try out! FYI, I wish restaurants were upfront about it, but they do charge a "kitchen appreciation fee". I really don't "appreciate" hidden fees! read more

I've been here on two separate occasions and both times were delicious. The restaurant itself is huge with lots of seating. They used to offer outdoor seating during the summer time which was really nice. I'm not sure if that's available anymore. However, the ambiance inside the restaurant is great for a nice dinner out. We were a table of 3 and we ordered 6 small plates. For a few of the dishes ordered, typically their are only 2 pieces but the waiter offered to bring 3 so all of us could have a piece. I loved that they offered that so we didn't have to worry about splitting the food equally. We ended up adding in an extra taco and empanada so that each one of us could have one. The flavors of all the dishes were excellent! We ordered the queso fresco, mussels, croquettes, ribs, short rib taco and empanadas. I would recommend all of them! read more

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Food was good, but for the price you pay & the small portion of food you get.. doesn't sit well with me. Don't get me wrong, the food was very tasty, however, $30 for a BOWL (not even a plate) of half rice & ropa vieja is outrageous!!!! Not to mention the added "fee" they tack on to your check to help cover wages for their "kitchen staff"!!! I get it, everything is more expensive now, but you can't expect a customer to pay $30 for a bowl of food AND an added fee to cover wages for their "staff", that is crazy! Raise the price of the dishes, if you must, but make the portions match the entree Price. Also as a patron, I feel an eating establishment has the right to raise their prices to ensure fare wages for all its staff, given the portions reasonably coincide with the item's cost OR make the "hidden fee" more known to the public prior to dining. However, making customers incur both-unreasonably marked up dishes that are subnormal in size, as well as an added "staff" fee, is unacceptable; one or the other. Make it make sense cuz the math is NOT mathing. That's crazy read more

Great drinks and service but unfortunately my friend and I both experienced food poisoning the last time I ate there. I believe the ribs were past their expiration date. I think this restaurant should avoid serving food past its prime to preserve quality and prevent injury to customers. If this means increasing prices to be able to afford disposing of expired food instead of serving it to customers then so be it. read more

This is a long overdue review. When I tell you how I was so excited to actually try Gustazo's because every person I knew had been hyping it up for the Cuban food, I was actually so disappointed! First and foremost, I had reservations set prior to dining in. When I got to the restaurant, there were no other customers standing by the host stand. We got sat fairly quickly and it did not look like a busy night at all, especially considering we sat in an empty section in the back. What set me off was our server Lila M's attitude and her low attention for service. I was so upset because she paid us no attention to be served. We needed to ask questions about the menu and she made us feel like we were dumb for asking questions when it was our first time dining in. To top it off, she did not check up on us at all, assuming we didn't need anything. The people who helped the most were actually the food runners and host that night, and that wasn't their job. Our host actually was the one who took our order too! What was also upsetting was we saw our food get taken to a different party's table and they just brought it over to our table afterward. Our food was so cold, and you can actually see that with the fat of the Costillas a La Guayba... We addressed our concerns to our server Lila and she rolled her eyes at us. I don't think I'm a needy customer at all, especially because I was not expecting something to be discounted or lowered on our bill. We just seriously wanted better service and hot food! Like I mentioned at the beginning of this, I was really excited to try this place but left absolutely upset & disappointed. read more

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We stopped here while heading home from an event. The traffic can be a bit of an annoyance but at least we found public parking right behind the restaurant. The restaurant was busy but we were seated promptly at our arrival. There is a front and back of the restaurant. The back seems more where family with children are seated. The bathrooms are in between the sections just after walking past the bar area. The atmosphere is very social with nice decorations to go with the restaurant theme. The pillars are wrapped like cigars which is cute. Seating feels a little tight but workable. The dining room would be more comfortable if there was secondary door to keep the chilly winds from blasting through each time someone opened the doors. Our waitress was very friendly and attentive even though we can see she was quite busy. I think they could use a little more wait staff. As for the food it was good but can use some work. The chicharrones were very rich where I felt it needed to be smeared on some toast or just fried to a crisp. The beef empanada was OK. It could use more spices. It was a bit bland. The star of the show during our dinner was actually the mussels with chorizo. We couldn't get enough of it. We'd definitely order this again. The drinks were all made well too. My coconut mojito was tasty and refreshing. Overall it's a hip place to hang out with good company. Also something to note is they add a kitchen appreciation fee is 4% of your tab. read more

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Really delicious meals and drinks! Perfect date night location, with an awesome vibe and great service. Some of the food was a bit saltier than I would typically enjoy and the menu is pricy, but overall I would highly recommend giving it a try! read more

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This easily is one of my newest favorite Tapas restaurants! When I first went here, I asked the waitress for recommendations and she said "everything on the menu is good!" Now that I've been here a few times, I have to say that I agree. The few times I've gone here were for dinner. They're generally pretty busy (even on weekdays), so I recommend making a reservation! Regardless of busy they are, the service has always been great. My favorite dishes (that I've had so far!) are the Fritura de Maíz, Yuca Fritas, Croquetas de Jamón, and the Tres Leches Cake. The Fritura de Maíz has this delicious goat cheese mousse that pairs really well with the crispy corn fritter, brown butter honey, and pesto. I'm not the biggest fan of pesto, but Gustazo's pesto made me change my mind. My friends and I also LOVE the Yuca Fritas; not only is the aioli super tasty, but the yuca fries are truffled, making this dish super flavorful and yummy. The Croquetas de Jamón were really good as well. The dish came out very crispy on the outside, and soft and hot on the inside. I wish the croquetas themselves were a little bit bigger, but they were one of my favorite dishes regardless. To end my meal, I love getting their Tres Leches Cake. It's such a big portion that can easily be shared with 2 or 3 people! The Tres Leches cake was delectable and aesthetically pleasing. It's super soft (not soggy at all) and was very light and creamy. There are plenty of public parking lots nearby that are free after 5 or 6pm, so parking is not an issue here. Overall, I'm so excited to come back here to try their other dishes. The place is super convenient to get to and aesthetically pleasing. read more

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Wow, as a south Floridian, this is IT! I was seriously impressed with the food quality here. Don't sleep on the empanadas! I normally don't order them when I go out because they tend to be really filling but my partner did, and wow! Super unique with the sesame seed coating, flaky dough, and delicious filling (we got the mushroom blue cheese that day). We also ordered the Ropa vieja, truffled yuca fries, and palomilla. Everything was fantastic - I can't wait to come back here again. The only thing I didn't like is they opened the windows.. on a 93 degree day. I left sweaty and sticky, but the food made it worth it. Cocktails were also fantastic! read more

Gustazo - Ropa vieja - Cuban Near Me - Waltham, Massachusetts

The food was legitimately excellent but the overly dim lighting didn't stop us from seeing the large *RAT* walking - not scurrying, no fear - across the doorway near the bar more than once. It was so disgusting that I lost my appetite. One of our party got ready to tell the server - but it was clear from her face that she was already well aware. read more

Such an amazing spot for Tapas & Cuban cuisine! Love that they have an empanada of the day, I tried their beef one - well-seasoned with a yummy flaky pastry. Out of their menu I highly recommend their Puerco Asado, plantain chips with guac, and their sangria! Every dish is consistently delicious & carefully made. Service was A+ as well! read more

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Love this place, has now shot up to one of our top go-to spots. Favorites include the Jibarito, Maduros, and Empanadas. Also really enjoyed but secondary to the above, personally: Pulpo, Croquetas (though he loved them), Chicaronnes, Lamb chops The flan was the one thing I did not particularly care for. Friendly & attentive service! Great vibe. read more

I've been wanting to try this place every time I walk down Moody Street and finally got to. We went there on a Friday evening without reservation so we were seated at the bar area since all the tables were booked. Very chill vibes and the place is not too busy so a good place to talk to. I had two small plates: Empanadas and Tacos. The ground beef and the flaky pastry with the seeds mix on the pastry is just the perfect combination for empanadas. The not-so-spicy mayo is a good add-on but I would personally want the mayo to be spicier and have a punch. Tacos were big with lots of filling. The yogurt slaw and the acidity in the greens mix balance it out. It was a bit too much for me to finish. Overall, a great not-so-busy location with great food although the menu doesn't have a lot of options. read more

Gustazo - Empanadas de carne and Tacos de cangrejo - Cuban Near Me - Waltham, Massachusetts

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We had the Yuca, Ceviche with Dragon Fruit , Steak, Octopus, Chicharon wrap, swordfish tacos and Loved it all. On top of that, our server Stela from Bulgaria was Top tier wonderful! Cool vibe as well! read more

Great large restaurant w a small personal feel. Tapas + large plates. Bar & 2 dining rooms + nooks here & there. Fernando was an excellent server ~ informed, helpful, attentive appropriately. Delicious food. Good wine (including half bottles!) & the Spanish-style hot chocolate was heavenly! Thick, bitter & sweet. Lovely end to a good gustatory experience! Near the train station & Embassy Theater too. read more

Food and ambiance were fantastic. Service lacked a tiny bit but the food, beer, and cocktail list made up for it. read more

Gustazo - Puerco asado, fantastic presentation. - Cuban Near Me - Waltham, Massachusetts

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We enjoyed our dinner here. The plates are quite small and you need to order a lot of them to fill up. We had a reservation and we were sat on time. read more

Excellent prep, service, taste, ambience...Fun place to dine with friends and family. I've been to Cuba many times. Sadly, the Cuban recipes and chef training are GREAT but the country lacks supplies and resources. Gustazo is also community oriented. They helped me with a fund-raiser years ago. read more

I had this place bookmarked and was looking forward to checking out the food and bar scene at Gustazo in Waltham. It was not what we expected. I went here with my gf and it was disorganized and not enjoyable. Chaotic ambiance, loud, and bartenders were not bartenders. It was the wild wild west in here. And if you know this area, finding parking was horrible and was not worth the trip for us. Old Fashioned- This tasted fine. Rich, mildly sweet. Trinidad Colada- Angostura bitters, pineapple, coconut, amontillado sherry, lemon. My gf said it was only okay. Overall Service: The frazzled hostess was skipping over people who were waiting in line and someone else from the back had to come over to assist. Once we were seated at the bar, the bartender does not greet or make eye contact with anyone because they were not the servers. The waitstaff in the dining room area were the servers for the bar so we had to awkwardly turn around every time our server snuck up behind us. When ordering our drinks, the bartender does not hand them to us, they have to be put aside for the other staff to hand us our drinks from the backside, which seems extremely inefficient. It also took longer to find our waiter to get our food order in, we had to ask someone to find him. He was MIA. By the time he came around, we asked for the check, paid, and left to eat somewhere else. Unfortunately, it was a bad first impression of this place. read more

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4 stars for a mild evening out on the gorgeous back patio, decorated with umbrella's and flowering plants. 2.5 stars for the dim back room that we were ushered into when the rain became intolerable outside. So, I would visit only if a patio table was available or possibly inside in the winter, but only in the front. I hate spending 270.00 for a shitty atmosphere, but the service was very good as was the food. And we were celebrating an occassion that no rain or dim lighting was going to ruin. Our table of 4 shared an abundance of small plates, all very good but with full sized prices. We started with gusto... Jicama Salad, Chuletas De Cordero, Empanadas De Carne and Beet Salad Loved, loved, loved the simple yet elegant long stips of Plaintain Chips with Cilantro Sauce. For 4 bucks, this is a must next to any cocktail. Later came the Ceviche, Puerco Asada and Cazuela De Coliflor (my fav) Delicious all around. Drinks included a few rounds of Cuban Cigars, Mas Agave Clasica Lime seltzer(loved) and Mojito's. Well made, great all around. Dessert...Tres Leches that was way different than the Yelp photos and not remarkable, Affogate and some Bourbon: Bird Dog 10 year & Wild Turkey Rare Breed. I do highly recommend Gustazo, just try to be outside. read more

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The food was hot and fresh, and our server was wonderful. I had a stuffed potato ball. In Spanish, it sounds better. But it's ground beef, and then they roll potatoes. Of course, they make a sort of a dough ball, and they deep fry it. Fabulous , I also a capuchia. Rice read more

Gustazo - Cuban restaurant Peoria Arizona - Cuban Near Me - Waltham, Massachusetts

I wasn't aware of the fact that in Boston it's hard to get a table for 2 luckily this gem was open and had 1 reservation spot left for us to choose. It was a random belated birthday dinner for my friend and everything worked out just great as expected. It's a cute cozy restaurant with a patio as well. Customer service was everything, the server was friendly and so sweet that he literally made sure everything was exactly how I wanted it. Portions are fair and the prices are decent as well I just wish they had enticing vegetarian options as I wasn't thrilled with the menu at all. I had cauliflower dish it was ok nothing exceptional and my friend had Ropa Vieja, which he liked it and was satisfied. We had the flan cake for dessert which was presented by the server with birthday wishes. My friend was very happy and that's what truly mattered!! Service: Exceptional Food: Plenty of meat Options/limited vegetarian options Price: Fair Cleanliness: Very Clean read more

Gustazo - Ropa Vieja and Housemade Plantain Chips - Cuban Near Me - Waltham, Massachusetts

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What a delicious dinner!!! I got the mariscada (seafood stew w/ shrimp, scallops, calamari, mussles and clams in a lobster & coconut milk sauce). So filling and wicked tasty. It comes with rice to help eat the stew. I shared the plantain chips and they were good but I'd probably skip next time. I also had a bite of my friend's ceviche and super good. I'd order that for myself next time. The "small plates" were larger than we expected. The decor inside is cool - especially making the beams look like lit cigars. Definitely get a reservation - it was packed tonight on a Thursday night. It isn't a place I would take my kid because there's nothing on the menu for them. But, if you do take a kid in diapers, the advertised diaper table in the women's rest room is a lie. It looks like one was there, but just not replaced on the wall. read more

Gustazo - The pipes wrapped like cigars looked great - Cuban Near Me - Waltham, Massachusetts

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Service was great, good strong drinks and tapas was fantastic. I will be back! Ambiance was very good but a little noisy. Had to listen intently for conversation read more

The restaurant is a 3.5 review. There is parking (public parking lot behind the restaurant) just go down copper street to get to it. It's a little confusing, just remember turn down cooper. Only one way in, the exit is a one way. The meters turn off at 6pm. This seems to be a popular restaurant with tables stacked closely to one another and not an empty table in sight. We were able to make a reservation on OpenTable despite the influx of taylor swift fans coming in for the concert. The restaurant is nicely decorated with some leather love seats mixed in. Although aesthetically pleasing, for the not so tall folks, it wasn't as comfortable since you can't sit all the way back and eat comfortably. The drinks weren't great, got a mojito, the rose sangria and the old Cuban. The mojito was fine but the rest were not good. Food wise, there were some real hits and others that were lackluster. We started with the yuca fries and beef empanadas which were excellent. The only regret I had was not ordering two empanadas. Crispy outer crust and moist and packed with flavor on the inside. One thing I did notice is their sauce game is on point. The cilantro aioli was delicious with the yuca fries, which were perfectly crisp. When we ordered the rest of our food we got the shrimp and grits, maduros which is plantains wrapped in bacon in a plain rain sauce, the chicharrones, and the slow roasted pork (pueco asado). The Maduros and pueco asado were excellent. Would reorder with the yuca and empanadas. The shrimp and grits and chicharonnes missed the mark. The shrimp and grits needed more seasoning, when you bite it with some of the bacon bits it was ok but needed more seasoning. The grits were more soupy/saucy than grits. The chicharonnes tasted good but there was a weird texture afterwards as if the fat from the pork belly congealed and gets stuck to your teeth. Not a pleasant experience. I would come back for the empanadas and yuca fries and try other items. This is a tapas place so order 2 tapas per person or 1 of the large plates which should be plenty of food. I forgot to mention the flan was good, a little heavy but solid. read more

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A few weeks ago, my friends and I had Saturday brunch at this Cuban restaurant. We were seated in the large outdoor patio that had a nice little fountain. For drinks, I got the Mimosa on Moody that consisted of Prosecco and guava juice. It was really good. I got the cubano sandwich which consisted of roasted pork, ham, Gruyere cheese, pickles, Dijon mustard, and paprika aioli on a ciabatta roll. It was crispy and delicious! I also got a side of truffled yuca fries which were airy and crispy. For desserts, we shared Churros, Torrejas, and Tartaleta de Guayaba. The french toast and fruit tart tasted similar but was good. I definitely like the Churros the most. Super crunchy! Everything was delicious and hope to try other things next time. read more

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I organized a birthday dinner for a friend here and I was happy with my choice. Of course, the Yelp community didn't let me down. Our reservation was set for 6:30pm and we weren't greeted by a server until 7pm after we spoke to the hostess. Unsure what happened there but the waitress that eventually did attend to us was friendly. The cocktails here are great, they don't have a ton of options on the menu but they have a full bar and can whip up anything you're looking for even if it's off menu. I had the fish with rice, I enjoyed the sauce of this dish (which helped the rice taste less grainy) and the crispy, pan-fried top portion of the fish was a nice cross-texture. I wish the serving size of my plate was bigger considering it was part of the 'large dish' menu. But it was ok because it meant I had more space for the yummy yucca fries! I'd come back here, it's nice to see Latin American cuisine represented well. read more

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I've tried almost everything on the menu and never disappointed. The guava mojito and gin cocktails are to die for! Love the maduros here. The waiters are always quick to bring the plates and the staff is always helpful. Love the Havana vibes. read more

Great to have a second Gustazo nearby. Everything just as good here - Orishas, Westerly Wind, Margarita, empanadas, croquetas, cazuela de coliflor asada, sol stuffed rellenos, ceviche all delicious. Quick friendly service. read more

An easy 5 stars! Recommend making a reservation if you're coming Thurs-Sat, as the tables fill up quickly. It does get pretty loud in here (we were originally seated between two large groups and they more than graciously accommodated a request to sit somewhere closer to the front, where it was quieter, but it still got hard to hear each other). Everything we ordered was delicious and came out quickly. Hard to choose among so many good options. For someone who loves her veggies, I appreciated the vegetarian small plates portion of the menu. Highlights: ENSALADA DE REMOLACHA - Loved the combo of diced heirloom beets and the cubes of queso fresco. The garnishes of yogurt, kumquats, and pesto really rounded out the overall flavors without overwhelming the natural flavor of the beets. FRITURA DE MAÍZ - Don't miss this one. It came out as this puck filled with juicy corn morsels, topped with goat cheese and honey. Perfect savory-sweet combination. If you're a big group, suggest ordering two - the portion is smaller. CAZUELA DE COLIFLOR ASADA - Beautiful flavor on the cauliflower. Gustazo does the balance of flavors and textures wonderfully, and this dish really highlighted that. MARISCADA - Seafood stew with rice. My only nit is that, for $35 (one of the more expensive dishes), this came packed with mussels and very little of the shrimp, scallops, and calamari. But the coconut sauce that it came with was top-tier and went great with the rice. CHURROS - Can't go wrong with sugar/cinnamon dusted sticks of dough, paired with chocolate and some red pepper flakes. Even thinking about it makes me drool. In total, for three people (no drinks, all food), it came out to about $37 each, which I thought was reasonable and a good value for the quality and portion of the dishes. Parking: I must have missed the turnoff for the parking lot behind the restaurant itself and had to keep on going over the bridge and ended up parking at the Carter Street commuter lot. It was free after 6pm. read more

This establishment is a great place and we are thrilled they moved to Moody Str, where we can more easily enjoy them. They are busy and short-staffed post-pandemic, but they appear to only hire quality people. The staff is very competent and are fast at getting you what you have ordered or need. They is also very nice and kind. The food is authentic and is a chef's take on their native cuisine. I have had Cuban a couple of times before, including a friend's mom cooking. I'm not an expert on this cuisine, but it certainly is really good tapas-style food. We had some of the empanadas - wow, FRITURA DE MAÍZ (corn fritter) great take on such a ubiquitous item, and ENSALADA DE LECHUGA. The salad was exotic in its flavor profile is done to perfection. We have had the CHOCOLATE CUBAN CIGAR for dessert twice now, once we came just for dessert. I haven't tasted something so simply delicious for dessert for years.. They have a full bar; try some of the Cuban rums. I did, and I learned a lot. The beer selections are excellent, including local microbrews and more exotic beers. The wine selection is high-class. You can have fun exploring their wine list. Hey, I did;t even crave a little umbrella in my drink. The ambiance is romantic, with a couple of little corners. We were here to celebrate and got a nice little corner in the back dining room. They have two main dining areas, each with a bar, though only one was open for our visits. They even have another small party room I saw. Lots of wrought iron to interest the eye and wall deco that catch the eye. Hey, it's a class joint! Somehow the notice levels are bad. Now, the stuff they need to work on, we were here on a Saturday, and the bar was understaffed. We made the mistake of putting out drinks orders in without the first wave of food, against the advice of our waitress. Our bad; the wine and my beer came out after some of the food had arrived. I scoped out the bar, and they need either another bartender or at least a couple of barbacks. Or second round took a while, and a bar runner finally brought out the drinks. The kitchen was rocking because tapas-style dishes flew out at us. So take your time, order drinks quickly, and then your first course. Still so worth a 5-star rating. Reservations recommended, I would say, required, even though the bar was loaded. Would I come here again? In a heartbeat, we might skip desserts in other places to come and have the CHOCOLATE CUBAN CIGAR here. Maybe a little nip of Cuban rum to bolster me against the menace of a New England winter read more

Gustazo - The back dinning room - Cuban Near Me - Waltham, Massachusetts

This place is absolutely fantastic. You will be hard pressed to find any place better than this place. I am not sure you will find anything that is a five star dish on their menu. If you only go to one restaurant on Moody street in Waltham this should be the one. The one thing that makes this place not quite as enjoyable as some of the others is that when it is busy it is very loud and very very difficult to have any semblance of conversation that doesn't involve yelling across the table at each other. But other than the food is very, very good. read more

Looked at the menu online and thought it looked interesting. Waiter was friendly but food did not meet our expectations. Everything came out of the kitchen lukewarm and salty. Aside from salt, flavors were muted. Won't rush back. Solid meh. read more

Love their food, always amazingly good. Interior too loud for comfortable dining( ie any conversation) Ate on patio last night, perfect compromise. However, first I noticed all of their planters were not cared for, all gone seedy and weedy. I think it contributed to what happened next. I noticed pair of divers leaving patio hurriedly. Then I saw bees swarming over that table and remaining glass of wine. 5 minutes later, I saw another diner slap at his hand, bees started moving towards me, I was on alert and jumped up to move away( learned afterward they diner had 2 stings). Sat back down, while staff seemed either oblivious or stuck not knowing what to do. Finally we all jumped up and they said go inside. We were fortunately Almost done, grabbed our wines and plates and our server grabbed our one remaining food dish, which I retrieved from him a few minutes after we found a table and sat down. I suspect bees have nested in one if the ignored planters and swarmed on smelling the wine in their territory. It was clearly beyond the experience of the staff. Emergency training and plans for an emergency should be in place. I was also surprised when we paid our bill that they didn't offer to comp the wine or the interrupted dish, etc. I think the overall fiasco was handled quite poorly. Manager should have gone around to diners who escaped to inside to check if they were ok, etc. read more