Not what I expected it to look like inside or out. Dark and pub-like. Small with black and red colors. Photos of jazz players on the wall. Service was excellent. Food was very good. We are vegan and we were assured that everything on the vegetarian menu was also vegan except for the garden burger because the bun had egg. Their bread they offer also has egg so luckily we asked. The maduros and black beans were delicious over the rice and grilled vegetables. We ate our whole meal. The biggest gripe is they charge $3.50 for a teeny tiny amount of avocado. Next time I might bring my own avocado because that's crazy for how little you get. The sangria was wonderful but I kept having to add ice because of the heat. We are currently in a major heat wave and it was incredibly hot inside. I don't think their air conditioner worked. Everyone was sweating. I felt bad for the staff. The ice melted immediately. We asked for a large glass of ice and it turned into water almost instantly. It was quite uncomfortable eating there. I'd like to return when it's not so hot and try some of their other vegetarian/vegan options. read more

Mambos Cafe - Grilled vegetable plate and the Mam-Bowl (top) - Latin American Near Me - Glendale, California

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oh Mambo's I wanted to like you, I did! Man who took my order was a gem and the place was incredibly clean. Ordered a Toston steak sammie and a Medianoche. Both were bland and such a massive letdown. The pork in my Medianoche was INCREDIBLY tough (like leather?) and the Toston sandwich had no salt, lime or any sort of flavor. Had my BF take a bite and he immediately let it go as the pork was STIFF. Oh mambo's I hope I caught you on a bad day. 4/10 would come back. read more

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This cafe is definitely not the same as it used to be. Customer service has declined. Politeness exist but the demeanor of the persona and how we were served declined. Food quality has decreased. I won't pin pointe what but definitely won't be returning. read more

After 18 years of being in business, Mambos isn't resting on its laurels. Really incredible good. Great service. And it looks nice inside for a sit down vibe. Highly recommend. read more

Mambos Cafe - Fish a la maria - Latin American Near Me - Glendale, California

Mambos chicken was dry Yucca sauce not very good Shrimp and chicken, and basically everything needed more salt. Yucca itself was good, service was prompt, but our memory of this place was better than reality. read more

We've been here every now and then when we are hankering for some good cuban food. I always get the picadillo and my husband always the roast pork. They are both delicious. In the past I've also tried their shrimp dishes and thoroughly enjoyed it. But the food that I cannot go past is their fried plantains. We always order order it as an appetizer. We love coming here for lunch. read more

The best thing about Mambos Cafe is the food they buy from Porto's Bakery and then sell as if it is their own.

This is a charming little Cuban restaurant with fantastic food. The Cuban chefs, and the Cuban servers all make a wonderful experience read more

Mambos Cafe - OMG! Look at this Media Noche! Great flavor on the ham and giant portion. A step up from Portos - Latin American Near Me - Glendale, California

I loved the food, the atmosphere and the owner was very nice and done to earth. I highly recommend this cuban place to all my family and friends read more

Mambos Cafe - Latin American Near Me - Glendale, California

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Came in for lunch from Warner Brothers Was packed so that was the first positive thing I had the El Pedro It was amazing I really enjoyed the warm bread and the dipping sauce They played great 70s music and a little jazz The servers were amazing. Can't wait to come back. read more

Bomb food! Tasty and delicious! We love coming here! Raul and family are so nice! Place is clean! Food is clean! Portions are very good! Bread and salsa served when you sit down is excellente! The black beans are outstanding! We always leave here very happy :-) read more

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Delicious food, a hidden gem. The staff is tremendous. Highly recommend and look forward to going there again read more

We wanted a DDD place for lunch and so glad we made the right choice. Our server was such a great help since everything looked so good. We chose the combo platter, yucca fries for appetizers so we can sample most items. Our 4 year old loved the tostones and chorizo so much that he ended eating all of them and didn't share with us. He is a picky eater too. We shared Pan Con Lechon, Media Noche, Pan Con Piccadillo and Pan Con Bistec. The Piccadillo and Kedia Noche was our favorite. We will be back to try their entrees. read more

Mambos Cafe - Combo Platter and Yucca Fries - Latin American Near Me - Glendale, California

I was invited her for lunch and was SO impressed and pleased with the food, attitude if the employees and friendliness. It felt like a home feeling . Just so relaxing!! So much enjoyment that I returned 2 evenings later with 3 others and we all loved it!! They even said this be returning soon. Upon leaving I asked a few questions, met the owner ( such a terrific guy) and found it's a family owned restaurant, and long term restaurant! I can see why. I'll be back to try yet another delicious meal and enjoy the atmosphere. read more

Everything is excellent, the staff is great. Usually get the pork and onions but everything we have had has been excellent and we come here like once a month. read more

Great Cuban food, great service, lovely ambiance. I like the ropa Vieja but all the food there is really good. Plenty of parking.

Delicious food! Quick service! Went for lunch and was back at the office inside an hour. We will definitely eat here again! Tables are a bit small and close together but it has a nice charm and warmth. There is also outdoor seating. read more

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Guys, I am from Brazil and the best food flavor I can recognize the taste is the Cuban food. The black beans, the rice was tasted similar my grandpa food. The yucca is really delicious. Nice atmosphere and the owner is really sympathetic. The price is reasonable. Please, take your family or meet your friends there. read more

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Went to visit the café and it was my worst experience there. I started off with two ham croquettes to potato balls. Ham croquette are OK potato balls were frozen inside they had rookie cooks in the back. They don't know how to adjust the temperature of a fryer. I Still let the server know right away then a different server came and brought me back two more croquettes that I ordered And the two potato balls that I sent back that I didn't want anymore after I told the waiter that I didn't want those two anymore he threw a fit and he actually started yelling walking away. How unprofessional is that? I acted like I didn't notice. And I can tell the guy had a really bad vibe the waiter on shift the girl who was taking our order was a sweetheart. Then our food arrived. My friend ordered a Cuban sandwich and I ordered Maria Noche, I noticed my friend sandwich was really burned on one side and he had a peel off the burn on the bread The pork was really dry and the sandwich didn't have any flavor. It was a total disgrace of a Cuban sandwich. They really need to get their act together or at least have some Cubans in the back making some food. It had no Cuban influence I will not be returning to the café because if I was gonna pay $35 for a Cuban sandwich and a few ham croquettes, they need to be spot on not just OK if I would've knew that I would've just went to Portos bakery and got myself a real Cuban sandwich at least they know how to execute a sandwich correctly very disappointing Mambo's Cafe and this is from a true American Cuban your food sucks. From someone who has been cooking professionally for about 20 years from head chef to private chef, your food is awful. read more

Second time here and once again the food didn't disappoint. From a Cuban's standpoint, the food is pretty spot on for authenticity. Portions are decent and everything was very flavorful. Only thing I think is kind of odd is the red sauce that comes with the bread. It's like a salsa and I'm just not use to seeing bread at a Cuban restaurant served liked that. Usually the bread is buttered with hints of garlic but that's ok. It's not bad. Overall, it's a great place. If you're in the area, I recommend giving them a try. read more

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When you are craving Cuban food, this is the place that you want to go and have some delicious Cuban food. The environment of this restaurant is so cozy. The food is Amazing!! The spices that there put in every dish are so tasty. I love their Cuban sandwich, the bread is so fresh, and they pressed it! I will come again and again and again to this place. You all need to check out this place. read more

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Excelent home made flavor food. Very friendly staff. Cinco estrellas para ustedes. Gracias !

Just discovered this spot today. I liked the vibe and the staff was fantastic. I tried the Mambo Chicken and it was pretty dry, but my friend had a different kind of chicken that wasn't dry so I'll try something else next time. The rest of the food was great. I will say that there appears to be no A/C and that's a little crazy for a restaurant in the valley. There were fans but I was sweating while I was there. But again, staff was great and I'm willing to give it another try. read more

Tried calling 10 time within 10 minutes to place order for pick up, no one answered and voicemail was full. Seemed that they didn't want any business since It was 45 minutes prior to closing, never had this problem in the past. Very disappointing read more

My friend and I went there for the first time. It was wonderful! Thank you Camila for the warm welcome and excellent service! read more

This place is always good. The sandwiches are delicious. Plus they are quick and not too expensive. read more

Such a cute place. All the food was super flavorful. Good price. And the sangria was sooo good. Loved it. Just wish they had sour cream for the fried plantains. read more

One of Glendale's finest gems! Food is amazing and atmosphere is great. Always look forward to coming here and come about once a week, if not more often. Waiters and waitresses always go above and beyond to make sure everyone is taken care of. Especially Susan! Thank you for everything Mambo's family, really appreciate you making my family feel welcome. Unlike many restaurants, Mambo's is appreciative of your business! Shrimp fajitas pictures below, soooo good. read more

Mambos Cafe - Latin American Near Me - Glendale, California

Food and service are great and it is a very casual place. Try the Sangria and Mambos chicken, you can't go wrong. Also, the bread and salsa they service is worth the trip! read more

I came in at a slow hour, had 2 expressos, then decided to get a hot sandwich and bowl to go. It was little gamey but maybe that's what it's supposed to taste like. It wasn't quite hot, more like warm and slightly tough, both the bread and meat. Service was friendly. read more

Great ambiance and outstanding service. Food tasted authentic and prepared by Cuban staff.

Best, most authentic Cuban food I've ever had in my whole life. Super cutie staff and service too. Thank you Mambos! Xx

Great food and service!! We went when it was not so busy. Enjoyable and relaxing. We will be returning.

So disappointing. The food was mediocre, no taste. Congri taste like rice a roni. Do not order the mambo chicken! The soy sauce over powered the taste, no lemon or garlic flavor. More like teriyaki & dry. Portions small. The sprinkle of cabbage on plate, not cuban at all. read more

So great! Love the atmosphere a lot too, it definitely gives family-owned vibes in the best way and the service is really friendly. Probably my favorite tuna melt I've had at any restaurant. read more

I love this place so much! The food is delicious. Fresh, flavorful, and cravable! Even the bread is delicious. The pork is not fatty, it's just flavored well and perfect consistency. The beans and rice are the perfect side with flavors and perfect mixed. The plantains are the perfect end to the meal, not greasy, just to die for. The place is small, but service is great; friendly and attentive. A completely wonderful experience! read more

Great food. Great service. Admittedly, I passed this location a million times in the 20 years my family has been in this area. Never even paid attention to it. Happened to see it on Yelp one day and mentioned it to my mother. She, being the connoisseur of Latin American foods that she is, decided to check it out solo, and came back with, "It's pretty good," but it lacked enthusiasm. At that point, I back burnered the desire to try it. Man was I upset that I had. The food was great from start to finish. Had a party of 6 plus my little one. EVERYONE left feeling full and happy. Service was great despite the busy atmosphere. Our waitress talked us through the menu, detailing not only her favorite items, but also the most popular items as well. Our occasion was my birthday, so I was not allowed to see the bill at the end of our adventure, but no one made a face upon seeing their totals, so I'm assuming it was not outrageous. I purposely did not pay attention to price because I know most Caribbean restaurants tend to be on the pricier side. I'm told they have live music one to two times a week, and have definitely put that on my list of things to experience as I'm curious to see how they would fit a live band in that small building. Definitely on my list of places to return to. read more

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I've been here before on an evening that I was attending a nearby event. I guess I remembered it better than it was. Went to lunch here on a Sunday and it was not a great experience. Very few patrons which should have given me a clue. Only one waiter serving who was pleasant but overworked so his service was spotty. I ordered the pork that according to them was one of their best dishes. It tasted like it had been sitting for a long while. Not only was the pork dry (inside and out) but the congri was the same. Seems like due to the lack of patrons the food tends to sit around. They got my lunch companion's order incorrect and although somewhat tasty had no authentic Cuban flavors. Disappointed as there are so few good Cuban restaurants in LA. read more

Food is absolutely mouth watering, delish perfection! Service is very friendly & on point! Ambiance is really warm & inviting! Definitely best Cuban food in the San Fernando area! Highly recommend! read more

One of the finest Cuban Restaurants I've been to. The food is just as delicious as you can get. The seasoning is perfection. This is a must visit place. The staff is gracious, helpful and super friendly. I'm a big fan as of today! read more

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