Great food....do not schedule events here. They cancelled a reservation for nine 1 1/2 hours before the event! Family members were in route from Valencia, Colton, & Riverside while I looked for a place to take them. Thank goodness Gauchos in Glendale welcomed and accommodated. read more

I went for my Birthday Dinner with family on a Sunday and the service was terrible. We ordered a appetizer platter and drinks. We never got the appetizer and no alcohol drinks. How does the restaurant screw that up? On a plus side they did manage to get dinner right. Also, when they apologized they said they wouldn't bill us for the appetizer, really? Why would you bill a customer for something they didn't receive. Basically, I wanted to have dinner here after seeing it on the food network. I'm so disappointed. read more

Can someone P LEASE recommend a good Cuban restaurant that serves TENDER, SUCCULENT pork and chicken dishes? With FRESH bread? This gives you an idea of the kind of culinary experience I had at Mambo's on a recent visit. I ordered the grilled chicken with rice and beans and maduros and iced tea. My first shock was the bread: dried crusts of seemingly week-old white bread! I couldn't believe it. The grilled chicken was overly cooked, dry-looking and dry-tasting. It was hard, but flavorful, I 'll give it that. The beans came in a separate bowl and were too salty. My friends got the pork and it looked dry and tasteless. The plantains (maduras) were okay. Later, we ordered the fried banana chips and they were GOOD. The iced tea was decent. Although the service was fast, the waitress never came back to bus the dirty dishes. I had to carry my own plates to the counter. This was unacceptable. The most enjoyable part of the night was the live band which was poppin'! Every 2nd Tuesday this band plays and it's worth it. Just order the chips and a beer. The place is very tiny--only 12-14 tables all in a small, intimate setting. This makes enjoying the music that much better. read more

I saw this restuarant in Diners Drive in and Dives on the food channel and Guy Fieri mentioned on how great this restuarant is. So we drove from Orange County up to Glendale to go get a piece of heaven on how it was mentioned on the show. We order the shrimp and tostones and the pork plate with a side of veggies and all I can say (and being from cuban decent and non-bias) it was the worst Cuban food I have ever experiance. The food was very bland (let alone Cuban food can be bland at some times) But this was worst then all the plates I have tasted here in the US or in Cuba (let alone they have an embargo and they have better spices than Mambos) I can honestly say they cut down on the spices but not on the garlic. I would not recomend this place, or go there and spend some money on food that taste like a Swanson Frozen Dinner read more

If there was a way I could give NO STARS, believe me I would. I was treated SO RUDELY by the arrogant and disrespectful owner/manager. My coworkers and I have been going here for years, and we usually ordered takeout over the phone and either take the food back to eat at work (for whatever remaining time we had left of our lunch breaks) or decide to eat it there should they be able to accommodate a table for us. When I asked the waitress if it would be OK to eat our food there and take the rest to go, I was aggressively approached by another man who seemed to be so furious with me. He spoke to me in such a rude manner that I was in complete shock and embarrassed that he was speaking with me in such a tone with all the customers eavesdropping on the scene he had caused. He rudely raised his voice at me that this is the third time that we are eating here and that it is some sort of "health violation" and that they are liable if I get sick from the temperature of the food. Now, I know that this is complete nonsense but I tried to ask him nicely to explain further because I did not understand what he meant. At one point I became very upset because he turned his back toward me very arrogantly while I was speaking and seemed to not care about me remaining a loyal customer. I became upset and told him that I am a paying customer and that I shouldn't be talked to with such an attitude. He later presumed to threaten me by asking if I'd like to "return" my food orders. I responded by saying I've paid for my food. Had I not been with my coworkers I would have left at that point. I sat with my coworkers and ate and left first. This man had the nerve to kindly say goodbye to my coworkers as they exited while he absolutely made no apology to me when I had left. I won't be going there again, along with my many coworkers, as they felt he was extremely rude to me as well. FYI had I been a famous celebrity or a good friend of theirs, I would not have been treated so disrespectfully. read more

I saw this restaurant on DDD and was so excited because I live in Burbank and felt that I had to check it out. I think because of the show I set my expectations way too high. Everything was mediocre. Spent $100.00 on dinner for my husband son and I. I'm not opposed on spending good money on good food, but it definitely wasn't worth it. I felt a Lil ripped off. We should have gone to PORTOS Instead for a fraction of the price! read more

Best Cuban food I've ever eaten. Raul behind the bar is a delightful and generous man. Good food, great people. Perfect.

Been coming here for years. Love this place! Great food all around. It's cozy and the staff is always friendly. read more

Mambos Cafe - Good bread. - Latin American Near Me - Glendale, California

Mambo's has a great atmosphere, authentic food and welcoming staff. What more could you want?

This is one of my favorite spots for Cuban Food !!!! So freaking good!!! Fav dish is the grilled Chicken with Rice and Beans. The bread and Salsa is to die for!!! Great service and the owner is a fucking rad guy!!! read more

Food is good, however, the service is something else. First on the positives: - Great warm bread & salsa that they give you when your table is seated. - The guy with all the tattoos is totally legit...really good about treating clients well there. Negatives: - Older gentleman (possibly the owner)- yelled at my party for not leaving enough tip, when in actuality, we left about a 15% tip for lunch. Oh well, happens I guess. read more

Oh my god best Cuban food I ever had. The service was super fast everybody was happy. I would recommend this to anyone in the area.

Dear Guy(as in the host, not a generalization), I really REALLY want to like you. I saw that one episode of you in Disneyland where you made those special edition Christmas candy canes and thought to myself "This guy is effin lucky." Alas, most if not all your suggestions on your show are out in the middle of somewhere far from the Valley. And me being a person who lacks the patience to drive far instances, I stare on with envious eyes and move on with my life. Things changed immediately when I saw the episode where you actually came to my neck of woods and I was flabbergasted(oh what now? yes ya heard!). So I made a little mental note and vowed that one day I would come here. THAT one day occurred last week and let me just say I was... disappointed homie!!! The shrimp ceviche in the cuppy plantains was bland. Sure, one can add salt to the mix but c'mon shouldn't the taste already be in there? My next dish was the Sirloin Steak, which quite honestly, was something I've made dozens of times at home but with a thicker cut. The meat was thin and dry. Sure there was rice and some grilled onions and mushrooms to help with the taste but I wasn't feeling it. Not for $9.95 anyway. The bf had the breaded chicken and didn't seem to have a problem with it. Then again he can eat his own arm, drizzled with ketchup and say it's good(I'm kidding honey...slightly). I tried some of his dish, it WAS alright. Nothing memorable though. I would say the highlight of the dish was the plaintains, which quite simply is always a favorite of mine(probably since it's something you can't mess up, even if you tried!). I would say the meal as a whole was alright. Service was decent. Good to try and say we went, but we probably won't be coming around again. Thanks but no thanks Guy. Best Regards, The #1 Hip to the Hopper Cathy G read more

Ehh... good food but the portions are for a kid. Decent servers, seem a bit busy, went on a Saturday. Beef stew and beef sandwich were good, but small, left hungry. The guanabana drink is too icy, not creamy as the fruit comes in frozen. La Cubana is way better, go there instead. read more

I went there a second time just a couple days ago. I had the roast pork the first time I was there and it was delish!! But it's something that you'd order if you're really hungry for heavy flavor. Their bread and salsa is my favorite! An abundance of cilantro taste! Yums. If you dont like cilantro, you won't like the salsa. I've also had the tortenos rellanos de shrimp. MUST TRY!! The plantains are not made from ripe bananas so theyre not sweet. Just double fried and taste like bread. With the mix of salsa and fresh crisp shrimp.... MMMMmm!! My bf had the pan con chorizo and that was pretty good too! Not too greasy nor heavy. Lastly, if you order the white rice as a side, it actually has some sort broth flavor in it, not bland like you'd expect. I believe they have vegetable rice as an option, too. read more

The food is super delicious ! I love the pork dish. I always order it. They have a red sauce that is made from scratch that they give you with your bread to dip into and it's super tasty. I like that cuban food is heavy on the garlic. read more

I love this place every time I'm try something new and ever dish is amazing. It's a clean fun environment. And I love the look!

This place sucks! It took 2 hours to get food and Bill. The pork dish was dry and bland. Service was horrible. Will never come here again.

The Cuban version of ceviche (tostones rellenos with shrimp) was amazing! It was fresh and the plantain cups were a great touch! My boyfriend got the roast pork entree, it was pretty good the pork was flavorful and moist. But the best was my dish-the ropa vieja entree! It was absolutely delicious! And will be back just for this dish :) read more

Visited on 8/13/11 after seeing the cafe on Triple D. The food was great. We both enjoyed the roasted pork and all the sides were tasty. Finished it off with flan that was also pretty good. Service needs work. They seemed understaffed and it took forever to get a cup of coffee with dessert. I mean, we finished dessert and the waitress kept saying, "Your coffee will be ready in a minute", only to go back of the counter and start it brewing. She brought it to go as we were out the door. Food was great and we'll likely return. read more

Not a bad place for Cuban food, although a little pricey for its level of enjoyment imho. I think Versailles is probably a little better in terms of taste, but this place probably edges out Portos. read more

I've been coming here for 20 years and we love it. The food is always delicious. Always full of flavor. Try the Mambos Chicken! My daughter loves the beans and rice. read more

Mambos has some of the best Cuban food I have ever had. I liked it because it was small and fairly quiet. The service was nice and fast. read more

Went for lunch based on the recommendation of a friend. We ordered the combo appetizer plate to start off. They were all good but my favorite was the Aguacate Salad. Great, fresh flavor. The only thing i hated was the small white dipping dish on the combo platter. I assume it's something like pureed onions but all I tasted was bitter disappointment. For my entree I had the Mambo Chicken since our server said it was their most popular dish. I was not disappointed. The chicken was very moist and flavorful but surprisingly not as spicy as I thought it would be. My only complaint is the portion size - way too big!!! My husband, who has spent a lot of time in Miami, decided to get the Cuban Sandwich (he added avocado - why not, right? Everything's better with avocado!!) and was blown away by how much he liked it. Said it was better than most of the ones he'd tried in Miami. For dessert we tried the rice pudding and flan. There was nothing special about the pudding and would not order it again but the flan was simply amazing!!! Good food, good service, easy location to get to and a decent size parking lot. Overall, we enjoyed our experience at Mambo's. read more

After years of driving past and numerous friends recommends, we finally crossed the threshold of this Caribbean jewel. We were welcomed in by George our server and we started with a Mojito and things just improved from there. Right off the bat the menu was brimming with wonderful Caribbean delights, ensalada de aguacate, platanos and one of the most complete menus I have ever seen (okay I exaggerate but...) Yo baby Had the lechon (roast pork) with white rice black beans and garnished with maduros ( ripe plantains). Big dog had the special Slow Roasted tri tip in a well spiced mushroom gravy, vegetable saffron rice, salad and the requisite maduro garnish. We have had Cuban food in the past and I grew up eating at my brother in laws table which was supplied by his mother and she was a great cook but I have to offer a posthumous apology, Mambo's rocks. You need to eat here. Oh yeah Tuesday night they have a live jazz group and if you are face book fans you can see their schedule. read more

holy crap! came here from out of town and was SO pleasantly surprised. the prices are GREAT, the service was excellent (8pm on a thurs night). i ordered the roast pork plate and was completely in awe of the value, it came with rice, black beans, and deeeee-lish plantains. the decor was cute and interesting. i love that they bring you slices of cuban bread with this amazing salsa to tie you over before your plate arrives! will definitely be going back when i'm in town! read more

I LOVE this place!! My boyfriend and I have been coming here for about a year now and we love it. We eat here at least twice a month! The service is incredible and the food is absolutely delicious! I recommend the pan con bistec and the breaded steak!!! They're rice and beans are to DIE for! Also, the croquetas are amazing! read more

I'm a little confused here. We tried eating here last year and weren't impressed. I remember the beef being tough and dry and the seasoning being off. Perhaps we went on an off day when the cook wasn't feeling his/her best? I've had really good cuban food before and this wasn't it. Since there are many reviews raving about Mambo's so we're thinking about giving it another try. Hopefully it will be better next time around. read more

It was ok, nice family business restaurant, food good could Have been better if served hot, what really didn't like I got the roasted pork and sincerely it was dry and the fried plantains cold, we were 3 kids + 3 adults and all of the plates were kind of cold, tasty yes, sangria very good, desert good, customer service nice, friendly. read more

Came here a while ago because we saw it on the food channel. Just passed by today and can't help but remember about the terrible waitress, unfriendly and rude, we had. We almost left a few minutes after we sat down. Thank goodness we had a new waitress as our server, but the experience was already ruin that we could not enjoy the food. read more

This place has great Cuban food. They even have vegetarian items on the menu. I love their "Cartaya" it is like a veggie burger chopped up and mixed with vegetables and it comes with black beans and rice and fried plaintain. The sangria here is great also. They put apples, oranges in the sangria and I love it that way. read more

I love, love Mambo's. The food is also consistently good and very flavorful. I love to go on Thursdays to get their shrimp fried rice special when I can. The staff is kind of slow and not as attentive as I prefer but honestly, the place is small and you can get someone to help you. read more

Drove by a zillion x's - sorry I waited so long. Happy I stopped - got the roasted pork for lunch - good portion & price. Quick service, works 4 me. Will return. Love the outdoor seating. read more

Mambo's is our favorite Cuban cafe. Whenever we eat there, I feel like we're in someone's kitchen, such great homecookin! The staff kis great, we love George, he always makes us feel very comfortable and welcome. Tuesdays are one big party, fun, fun, fun. Check it out! read more

The worst experience I have ever had. If zero stars were an option, I would give them that. This place is so bad that I didn't even get to eat there. The people that run this place should be ashamed of themselves and the way they treat their guests. I decided to take my mother out for lunch today and take her to a new place, a friend recommended this place, so we thought we would give it a try. The place was full but had three empty tables. There is a sign that says to wait to be seated, so we did. The waitress told us to sit in a corner table shoved against the wall. I am claustrophobic and immediately asked if I could be seated somewhere else. She let us sit close to the door. Seconds later, another waiter came by and said we couldn't sit there. We told them that we had been seated there. He said that we couldn't sit there again. My mother and I became confused. Then an elderly lady, who is either the manager or owner, then comes up to us and says that we have to move to the other table. I tell her I am not comfortable sitting there. Before given the option to wait for another table or apologize for harassing us after THEY SAT US at a table they didn't want us to sit at, she tells us that we can sit in that corner table or leave. We left. Truly saddened at the way were treated. Shame on you. Highly don't recommend eating here, like ever. read more

I went there recently after seeing the restaurant profiled on the Food Channel. The wait to have our order taken was long, the food (chicken and shredded pork) on arrival was cold, the appetizer (salad) warm and bland, making it a forgettable experience. Won't be going there again. read more

LOVE, LOve, LOVE this place. Small but quaint. Friendly staff. The service has been great every time we have gone there. LOved our waitress Anabelle and Marisol. They are awesome. The food is Delicious. The Flan, Oh my God, to die for. (You better order your piece before they run out because its homemade and delicious) Tuesday night is Latin Jazz night and it gets packed rain or shine so make your reservation. Lots of talented musicians. Just wish there was a little bit of room to dance. One of our favorite spots. read more

Hands down my favorite Cuban restaurant! The food is absolutely amazing. I love the ropa vieja, media noche and basics like white rice are so delicious. Service is always on point and the ambience with the live music is the best say to spend your evening. I highly recommend Mambos! read more

First...the 2 goods things about this place. 1- the ambiance and decor....& it's an old gas station is pretty cool. 2- most of the food is pretty good...all chicken are moist and tasty...I'd say all around basic good Cuban food. The waitresses-ugh! good thing I usually go with my Spanish speaking friend. Every time I try to order in English they ignore me. Last time as they were closing aprx 8.30 pm on a wknd. (isn't that a little early for LA?) they just loudly stacked chairs on tables. How tacky! I was there last time with long-time restaurant biz friends and they will never go back to such a rude place. Mambos needs to learn some diplomacy and let their customers (if they want them to return) that they'll be closing soon. The owner needs to spend as much time on his customer service as he did on the fabulous photographs decorating the place. Maybe when he loses all his customers he can turn it into a Cuban photographers gallery! read more

One of my all time favorite restaurants! Whenever my dad comes to town he asks if we can eat here. Nothing else like it....very addicting!