Great food, the place is always packed. Parking needs help but I won't give them a bad rating for parking. The food is what I am rating.

Great spot!! Delicious food, good service. Heavy lunch traffic, but that's just a testament to how good the food is. Highly recommend this place. read more

Though I've been going to Mambos for years, I prefer Monday's for the beef stew. The Gonzalez family and the entire crew are wonderful and friendly. At lunch time it's always a packed house! So you know a lot of people love the great food. read more

Honestly, the pork here is so bland. Doesn't matter how you order it, on a sandwich or a plate. One of the great meats, and they can't do more with it. Service is good, but can't make up for the bland food. read more

Awesome! one of my favorite restaurants in LA. I go for lunch all the time for the past 4 years and always enjoy it, every time!

The place is okay, I dont know if I would go again. Parking is horrible. Their service is non-existante or horrible. No one took our drink order until 20 min. after we had been seated. When we placed our drink order it took at least 10 min. to get to our table. I had asked another server if he could ask our server to bring them, he said I had to wait. So really bad service. Their beans, rice and plantains are great! Their meat was dry, but my friend had the salmon and it was good. The tostinos were good but they really needed to add more shrimp. The owners wife complained that they didnt have enough food, well then order more. If they are always running out then they should take a hint! read more

Guy was wrong on this one. Food was cold, no flavor, took forever to take our order, took forever to bring our food. I wish I had read the reviews before I went to this place. I agree with so many of you, about the service, food, and even the owner. We brought to his attention about the cold food, and slow service, and he literally just walked away without an apology. Mambo. Don't take your customers for granted. You will not have me back as a repeat customer. Sorry, you should of showed some compassion. On a positive note....our waiter was so nice. read more

Mambo's looks like it will be one of those hip mom & pop joints, with cool pictures on its walls. But seriously bad food (only 3 tiny slivers of plantains and extremely dry pork) and two kinds of wine (red or white at $7 a glass) and seriously terrible service! If they don't like the way you look, there's a minimum charge as you leave. And pricey! Go to Versailles instead. worth a trip to the westside! plus, you won't leave hungry! The music is good though depending on the band playing. read more

Great place for a tasty Cuban treat. Having lived in Miami for many years I find good Cuban food hard to come by in LA or anywhere else for that matter. Try the appetizer sampler and the pork sandwich. Service is quick and friendly and the food is spot-on. read more

Good Cuban food, for those who know and new comers. I like the waitress attention, and service was fast . Cuban food is heavy do not expect light or vegetarian choices. The Flan dessert was excellent, the rice pudding need some work. When hanging out in Pasadena and Glendale, I stop by. read more

Mambo's is my go-to spot for Cuban food. The food is really good and the service is even better. The waitress, Araceli and the waiter Mauricio are super friendly and courteous. The Ropa Vieja sandwich paired with the Tostones Rellenos with shrimp are the best according to my taste buds. Can't wait to be back! Thank you Mambo's! read more

Love Mambo's! My daughter is on a strict diet do to food allergies. It is very difficult for us to eat out with her because it's hard to find a restaurant with enough delicious options to make the dining experience enjoyable. At Mambo's, we can all eat to our heart's delight! With a wide array of fresh, gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, egg free options, we have the gift of watching our daughter revel in the simple, but rare, enjoyment of a most amazing meal! And for the rest of our family, who fully partake of the entire menu's offerings, we always leave feeling grateful and satisfied. Thank you Mambo's! read more

I enjoy the food at Mambos, its better than most Cuban restaurants I have been to. However tonight was the last time I try to come here. I have to use the word 'try' because this was the third time in the past year I have tried coming here and they were closed during business hours. Tonight we had almost an hour left in the business hours they post online and they would not serve us. Its really disappointing to have a restaurant that you enjoy be so unprofessional to their customers. Sad to say I need to find a nee Cuban spot. read more

Love, love, LOVE Mambos Cafe! The food is THE BEST. The hot bread and salsa they serve when you are first seated -- mmmmm. Their rice and black beans is the best in town. I could have that alone and be totally satisfied. But every entree item I've had there has been delicious - the Mambos chicken, chicken breast, Cari-Bean salad, pork - everything is muy delicious. Ralph and his parents are so attentive and sweet. They make every one feel like family - as do most of the waitresses - although sometimes when no one from the family is there, things do get a little lax, unfortunately - like they forget to turn on the music (which, to me, is part of the charm of Mambos.) But I don't want to say anything bad about Mambos. I could eat there every day. It is my favorite restaurant in the Los Angeles area. And now I hear they're even open on Sundays! Yay! read more

Came here a little more than a month ago. Never plan to come back. The food was so terrible. We started with the Mambo's Combo plate, which is a big appetizer platter with fried plantains, croquettes, empanadas, and potato balls. Everything was super greasy and tasted old. We asked the waiter if they were made fresh and he told us that they buy the potato balls and croquettes from Portos and they make the rest fresh. So, basically, we paid more for not-fresh food from Portos when we could have just gone straight to Portos. And, by the way, we never got any bread. Then, the entrees. I had the grilled chicken and my fiance had the roast pork. Both were dry and leathery, to the point of being difficult to chew. They had no taste. The rice was okay. Just okay. Not worth stepping foot into this place for, though. When we asked for our check, the waiter went and told the host, who was busy talking to somebody at the counter and wouldn't do it. We waited probably fifteen minutes for this guy to do his job. To his credit, the waiter was apologetic about the wait for the host (who can't even really be called a host, because the waiter greeted and seated us). Just about the only thing these people didn't screw up was our water. Overall, we had a terrible experience and my fiance and I agreed that we would never be back. There are much better Cuban restaurants everywhere in town, and at least three in Glendale alone. Don't waste your time with this joke. read more

I saw this on DDD's and I have lived in this area for 15 years and never tried the restaurant. I moved to Atlanta 4 years ago and I go to CA for business once or twice a year. I asked a friend to join me and we went there on Dec 13th 2010. Atmosphere - It is O.K and not your typical restaurant. Service - They were very friendly and made us feel at home. They did a good job to make sure we had everything we needed. Food - I was looking forward to having the Tostones with Shrimp and the Pulled Pork and I have to tell you that it was average. Both of those dishes were dry and not a lot of flavor. My friend had the Cubano Sandwich and it was just average. I was expecting a lot more and I was disappointed. I understand that this place gets a lot of lunch business and you should not have a problem getting a table for dinner. I had to give this place a shot, but I will not go out of my way the next time I am in CA. read more

I found this place originally 5 years ago by accident and have'nt regretted it since. The ambiance is a real cool Jazzy look with black & white checked flooring and real cool pictures of Cuba and such. The food was great, I've been to Miami and this is the closet to authentic Cuban food in the Los Angeles area. A must visit when bringing someone for authentic Cuban! read more

My family has been coming here for years. The food is amazing! They have a very healthy menu but if you wanna get comfy you can do that too. The staff is also great. Lovely environment and atmosphere. read more

Not bad...completely edible...but if you want good Cuban food, Versailles is 100 times better.

service is very good nice polite people the food is delicious cook well i just wish they had cocktails read more

Mambos Cafe - Rice chicken breast sweet plaintains with onions on top comes with beans in bowl 9 bucks - Latin American Near Me - Glendale, California

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They have really great food. They accommodated large party close to the end of the night for me. I always enjoy everything that order from their menu. The servers are always polite. They even stayed open an additional 30 minutes to accommodate our dinner party. I highly recommend mambos café read more

So, I came here and I read the reviews beforehand was bracing myself for some seriously slow service. Wrong. The service was not slow at all. Maybe all of you seem to come at a busy time but I went in around 3 pm on a Tuesday afternoon and it wasn't busy at all, that's not to say there weren't any people...there were, it's just it wasn't packed. I like the location of this place because it looks like it's not going to be anything special but the food is really good and the service was good too. I ordered the steak sandwich (grilled sirloin steak with a garlic lemon sauce, sauteed onions, crispy onions) and it was delicious...needs moar of it. I asked for plantains instead of the fries but when I got fries instead, I was like, "well, they do look really good", so I ate them and stole my date's plantains - which were perfectly sweet and tender..they were cooked to perfection, I was afraid they were going to be cut way too big and overly thick (that's what she wished she said?). I tried a bite of the roasted pork which was good, but like, it's pork, so I could leave it, given the choice of taking it or leaving it. Overall, I liked this place because it seems like a very family oriented, locals only restaurant and they have decent Cuban food. read more

saw it on dinner, drive inns , and dives. and close near my house in burbank. guy f. from the show must have no taste buds. foods okay i've had better, service is slow but friendly. i hate you guy f. from food network. why did you lie to me.......................... read more

Part of my work lunch explorations. Edible but questionable meat quality -- preparation is nothing special. Will not be going back!

It's been years since I've been here. It was just good. Not delicious like I remember. Our server was pleasant and polite.

I used to love this place but after reserving a table for 20 on my birthday, arriving and being turned away, bday cake in hand with guests, because they didn't want to "inconvenience their regulars" as the place was to small, I will never set foot in there again!! I was a regular and never liked their attitudes but I felt my bringing 20 new customers to them to celebrate my birthday there would be no problem after numerous phone calls, even the day of to make sure our tables were reserved. I arrived ready to grub with my guests, at 7pm (I'm sure that is also a reason as they close at 8 and did not want the hassle of a large party) and as usual, it was empty but they still had no sympathy and said they would not be able to seat us even though the place seats 40 AND they have a patio. I had to rally my guests and find the nearest chain restaurant who could take us on a Saturday night. I had never been so insulted in my life after the owner's son cursed at and refused to seat me after I asked what I was supposed to do. My guests and I as well as many people I have come in contact with will NEVER patronize Mambo's again. So if you want mediocre Cuban food and rude attitude, go to Mambo's. read more

I don't mean to sound harsh but being from NY where we have some of the best food in the world and I'm a huge fan of Dominican and Puerto Rican food..but first off the service wasn't the greatest. A bit slow and very forgetful. I ordered yucca and they forgot, so I mentioned it but she tried to say I didn't ask for it. A waiter came over after we ordered and asked if we got bread, we said no so he got us some but it was very hard, not toasted..just old. The sauce for it was tasty though. I got a beef empanada,the inside was tasty and at least it was crispy on the outside but way too greasy. they didnt bother to drain it, so at least they brought it out right away so it didnt absorb even more grease. The chicken, rice and Maduras: the rice was a little overlooked and too sticky but was seasoned well. The beans were so old you could taste the acidity in them, like they were just going bad. The chicken was VERY very dry and flattened thin like a pancake. I'm sure it was old and they just reheated it.. For simple food, they were cutting corners which makes it unacceptable to me. I found it also very very odd that we never got plates for the bread but the lemons came out to us in a glass dish that look liked one of my grandmas special antiques. And the empanadas came out in a dirty plastic Denny's looking basket lol. read more

Do yourself a favor and order the roasted pork. It comes with white rice and black beans, plantains and bread. it is outstanding. I go there so often, the server recognizes my voice or phone #, he calls me by my name. The guy is awesome, always friendly, in a good mood a pleasure to deal with. You also get this great salsa with your meal. read more

As a cuban, I know cuban food. Mambos' tried, but failed. #1 bread, with tomato salsa ? Cmon. #2 After I asked for some "mojo", a mix of garlic, olive oil, and cilantro or parsley, and a pinch of salt, they brought me some mix of ground garlic and a squirt of olive oil that was terrible. Strike 2. #3 I ordered "ropa vieja". It was good. not great. The meat was tough. Ropa vieja is supposed to be very tender and thin. This was thick and tough. The other people I were with ordered a cuban sandwich and a media noche. The media noche bread is supposed to be sweet, this wasnt sweet. Not sure why, it wasnt sweet at all and the bottom of the bread was burnt. The cuban sandwich was probably the best thing we ordered, as I tried all the dishes. The black beans needed a little more salt but they were ok. Just to show im not a malicious person that comes on here to bash things, the platano frito were delicious and the best part of the meal was the cuban coffee. No joke, maybe the best I've ever had. But all in all I wont return and this sucks because I work very close. Best cuban food in LA, El Cochinito in Silverlake. read more

Like many patrons, I heard of Mambo's Cafe through an episode of "Diners, Dive-Ins and Dives". I used to eat here frequently with positive experiences everytime. I went back today after 7 months (I was out of state for a job) and it was DISGUSTING. It really hurts me to say this. I used to love Mambo's but the quality of food is poor. The shrimp that went on their famed "Tostones rellenos with shrimp" smelled unfresh and seemed as though they were cooked in the microwave. It used to have fresh succulent large chunks of shrimp but this time it offered a practically minced and sparing amount. My $11 meal consisted mostly of diced tomatoes and coleslaw. Also the bread was old and crumbling into dust and my friend said their food was unacceptable, rubbery and was reheated from earlier. I'm not sure if Mambo's in under new management but the service was terrible as well. I'm sad to say I'll never recommend or return to Mambo's Cafe again. read more

I saw this place on DDD and was excited when I had a meeting nearby and figured I'd grab a quick lunch on the way. The service was friendly but honestly, the food sucked. I wanted a cuban sandwich but the counterman said it would take too long (I had 45 minutes ..you can't make a sandwich in 45 minutes?) He explained that hte panini press took "a long time" and insisted (he was trying to be kind, but went way beyond "recommendation into intimidation) I order "mambo chicken which was fast. And, it was, 2 minutes later was a plate of the worst cuban food i've ever tasted and it was all room temperature, watery beans with zero flavor, a tough piece of chicken that looked like it'd been sitting around the kitchen for hours which also had no real flavor, it didn't even taste like chicken.., gluey rice and a few oily cold plantains. I took a few bites decided i wasn't hungry at all. I will never go back. On my way out, after leaving a full plate of barely touched food, the counter guy asked me if i wanted the sandwich instead. Cause, I dunno, suddenly it got faster to make? Don't waste your time, Versailles is awesome compared to this place. read more

Tried the ropa Viejo! Very disappointed, mostly tomato sauce with barel Traces of meat! I think I must have gotten the bottom of the pot. I did call to let them know, they were very apologetic. The lechon was good .. I will go back but will NOT order that again. Everyone deserves a second chance. read more

This place is awesome! So happy that I have a great spot like this just a little over a mile from my apartment. Their Cuban sandwiches and Medianoches (Cuban sandwiches on egg bread) are VERY good, at very reasonable prices, and their chicken, both with bones and boneless, is also awesome as well. The Cuban and Medianoche sandwiches come with fries, or you can substitute rice instead, which is what I always do. Their chicken dinners come with rice, black beans, and plantains. I always get their bread and garlic salsa as well. Their garlic salsa's usually very good, although a couple of times it's been a little too spicy (I think they were temporarily trying out a spicier salsa) but usually, it's perfect. The staff there's great! They're all very nice! Great food, very reasonable prices and very friendly staff, which is why this has become one of my favorite restaurants since I moved to Burbank almost 8 years ago. read more

I saw this place on triple D so I really thought it would've been good. Oh was I let down. The one star I gave them was for the service. I had the pork which I was told was one of the specialties by the waiter. So when it came out in a matter of minutes I was pleased. I wish they kept it a bit longer. My food was only warm, not hot like one would expect. The pork was dry with no flavor. Even with lemon and the salsa it did not help. I would have to say two thumbs down for me. I would not recommend this place to anyone. Sorry DDD. read more

Come here often but had some issues with freshness of food. Manager was dismissive and was not able to take positive feedback. Better Cuban places around in Burbank area. read more

I have been to this restaurant many times before. The food is usually good. We are Burbank residents and Cuban. Today, the service was horrible. The order was wrong, the waiter and waitress were rude and loudly discussing me as if I was not there. I asked for the owner and the wAitress said he was not there but I should come back tomorrow if I wanted to complain. My husband had finished eating when they brought my food, and it was wrong again. I asked for a box to take my food home because I did not want to sit there in that hostile environment. For the first time in our lives we left a restaurant without a tip. They lost 2 customers today. Too bad the boss will not know how his employees act when he's not there. read more

Delicious roast pork, black beans, plantains. It's small and the parking is limited but well worth a visit.

My husband & I went here after reading about it in Ciudad magazine. Unfortunately, we were extremely disappointed. This is my first yelp review ever--hopefully my next one I'll have something positive to say. I wanted to try Mambo's because Cuban cuisine is my all time favorite cuisine. But, if you are expecting authentic Cuban you'll be sorry. I ordered the Mambo's chicken, and excuse me, but whoever heard of soy sauce being used in Cuban cuisine??! Needless to say, we won't be going back. To their credit, however, I did enjoy my glass of Sangria and the plaintains. It was also a fairly healthy meal. read more

Went to this place today and I was not impressed with the food at all. I had the garlic shrimp and ate it just because I did not want to throw it away, it came with some kind of yellow rice that was just blah. My husband had the picante fish (tuna) and he didnt like it very much either. The mambo chicken I ordered for the kids was nothing to rave about. Service was good but some of the waitresses could use a bit more customer service training. We won't go back. We had a MUCH better meal (delicious) at El Criollo even when the service wasnt very good (at the time we went), just saying :). read more

I had dined at this establishment a few times and the food is fine as was the service. Until I met a business colleague for lunch and was mortified at the horrible treatment we received. To be fair it was not the servers fault, I believe the kitchen was understaffed. The waitress did her best but the food took forever to arrive therefore we (all the customers) were there longer than anticipated. To cap off the experience, of course to poor waitress was now inundated with everyone trying to leave at the same time so again we had to wait forever for the bill, then for the processing of the credit cards. But once the bill with our credit cards hit the table, I wwas not given the opportunity to sign and put the pen down when the elder man at the front (owner?) came to our table and rudely asked us to leave because there were people waiting. It is never acceptable to force people to leave but more-so when the reason we had been there as long as we had due to his understaffing. I was mortified at the audacity of the owner to curtly tell us to leave. And left we did and we will never return. There are plenty of restaurants in the area with better food, easier parking, who know the concept of customer service and the importance of repeat business. read more