I don't take leaving negative reviews lightly. I would much rather support a local business than bash one. However, after attempting to address this directly with management multiple times and being met with zero follow-up and continued avoidance of responsibility, I feel obligated to share our experience. What we dealt with went far beyond poor service. It was unsanitary, chaotic, and frankly a potential health hazard that warrants review by the health department. We arranged for a private loft space on Valentine's Day to host a surprise birthday dinner for 25 guests with a prepaid prix fixe menu. From start to finish, the night was a disaster: * We were promised a private loft space, yet two other couples were seated upstairs with us, leaving some of our guests without proper seating and creating an awkward, cramped setup. * From the moment we arrived, buckets were placed in the middle of the party area due to a leaking ceiling caused by overflowing toilet water from the bathroom above. Water dripped into the dining area all night -- onto guests, tables, and plates. There was one bucket gathering brown water from the ceiling when we arrived and at least three by the time we left. Food and drinks were carried directly beneath it and the floor was soaked. This is a serious health code concern, and notably, two guests became sick after the party. * We appeared to have one single server for 25 people, resulting in extremely slow service. For a 6:30 reservation, appetizers began arriving 90 minutes later -- one plate at a time -- some cold by the time others were served. * Dinner was not served until 9:30pm. After nearly three hours of waiting for entrees, some guests had to leave without ever receiving food. * The included coffee, tea, and dessert -- part of the prepaid package -- were never offered or served. * After requesting to speak with a manager about the experience and a possible partial refund, we were told we would receive a call. That call never came. This was not a matter of a busy holiday or a minor delay. It was a complete breakdown in cleanliness, staffing, communication, and accountability -- compounded by management's lack of professionalism and refusal to take responsibility afterward. I attached photos from the moment our guest of honor arrived at the surprise party, and an additional photo of what the additional buckets looked like at 8:43 PM while we were still waiting for our food to arrive. I genuinely hope ownership takes this seriously before anyone else books a party or chooses to dine here, because no one should have to experience what we did. read more

The Cuban - showing the bucket full of bathroom water and the two additional tables w guests in our private room. - Cuban Near Me - Hoboken, New Jersey

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For being a Monday night, I think I picked out the perfect spot while in Hoboken! The Cuban restaurant is certainly more spacious than meets the eye from street view. It has a very long bar with a half floor in the back for additional booth like seating and also a mezzanine for additional seating above. We were very attracted to the restaurant from the outside with their fun music playing from the speakers. We proceeded to have dinner and a couple drinks to end the first Monday of the year. My coworker and I shared the garlic shrimp with toast and the trio of empanadas (spinach, pork, chicken). We'd rate both dishes, a 9 out of 10 each. One point knocked off because the garlic shrimp was a bit oily and one point knocked off because the sauces were a bit too sweet. For dinner we ended up sharing Churrasco plate which is grilled skirt steak with chimichurri sauce, yucca fries, and a watercress salad. We ordered additional side of rice and black beans to share. In addition to the appetizers, this was the perfect meal to feed us two. The steak was pretty good and the server even asked if we wanted the hot sauce which was so spicy but very delicious. I highly recommend getting some of it to pair with your steak. We did order a Mojito since the server said they make fresh in-househouse. It was in fact, so delicious and would highly recommend especially the guava flavor. For dessert, we decided to give the chocolate filled churros a try. It appeared with a raspberry sauce. That was a 7 out of 10 for us so I'd say skip on that. Romeo came out to about $140 for two including the Mojitos and dessert. I feel like it's pretty fair pricing. Otherwise, service throughout the night was amazing, staff was very attentive and server very polite to recommend a couple of dishes. We certainly appreciated being in an awesome booth in the back. Would likely return again for dinner! read more

The Cuban - EMPANADITAS TRIO, Camaron al Ajillo, mojitos - Cuban Near Me - Hoboken, New Jersey

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I went here for dinner with two friends on a Friday night. The experience was fine but not particularly memorable. For a Cuban restaurant on a Friday night, I expected the vibe to be a lot more lively. It got busier after 8:30 pm but the energy was still a little muted. There was a party celebrating a birthday and the staff sang happy birthday but that was the most excitement. The space is pretty big with a lot of potential. The food was good but not the best Cuban I've had. I had the churrasco which came with yuca fries and salad. The portion was good and the meat was tender. Fries were nicely crisped. My friends ordered the paella and mar y Tierra. They similarly said the shrimp was a l it take overcooked. They also said their drinks were way too heavy on the liquor (idk some people might think that's a plus lol). At the end of the meal, the waiter tried really hard to sell us on dessert but we didn't try any. Overall, it was an OK meal but don't think I would return again. read more

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We came here to celebrate a birthday. Our server was very welcoming the minute we walked in. The ambiance was aesthetically nice. They played Latin music and had it high enough where you can still have a conversation with your party. I ordered the spicy parker to my beverage. Had the right amount of spice and infused well with the tequila. We order beef empanadas for a starter. Cooked perfect, seasoned well with a guava sauce to complement it. As my main I had the ropa vieja. It was a hearty flavorful stew dish that just melted in your mouth. It came with a side of white rice and black beans. Overall, a great experience. They even came out to sing happy birthday, gave the birthday girl a nice size of tres leche cake, followed by 4 shots. read more

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This place is huge and everything we ordered was so good! Portions are decent too! Service was quick and friendly. We ordered the churrasca plate which came with yucca fritas and watercress salad. Ended up ordering a side of rice and beans because I need my rice with every meal . Don't forget to leave room for dessert! The flan and crema catalana are to die for! read more

The Cuban - Churrasca plate and side of aguacate tomato salad - Cuban Near Me - Hoboken, New Jersey

Very solid option for Cuban on Washington St. with an excellent churrasco (be sure to get it rare or medium rare) and Cuban paella (it is HUGE), all with reasonable prices. Be sure to start off with a bowl of plaintain chips and guacamole followed by the empanadas trio. We enjoyed everything and there is enough variety here for everyone to find something. Will be back! read more

My husband and I came here for a dinner date. Overall, we enjoyed! We got the Croquetas de Hongos, Vaca Frita and Mar Y Tierra. The mar y tierra was delicious and the vaca frita had great flavor/was very crispy. The croquette was ok - not very flavorful and you couldn't taste the truffle flavor. Service was great though! read more

The Cuban - Cuban Near Me - Hoboken, New Jersey

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Went on a double date here after Christmas. We sat in the front portion with views of the bar. I forgot how big it is in the back area - much more seating in the back. Their mojitos and Washington Ave cocktails were very good. To start we got two orders of the empanada trio - one for each couple. Unfortunately they messed up the order and only one came out and then another one came out 15 min later. Despite, the empanadas were awesome. The chicken and spinach & cheese were awesome. For mains, I had the pollo criollo. It was delicious and a huge portion! I loved the chorizo in the fried rice. My partner got the ropa vieja with creamed spinach as a side instead of beans. Their creamed spinach was delicious! All and all, I was impressed with the food qualities and portions. read more

The Cuban - Pollo Criollo Plato - Cuban Near Me - Hoboken, New Jersey

Street Meter Parking; Calm Atmosphere; Linda is great as a server! We enjoyed the drinks and food! Drinks: their mojitos and margaritas are delicious! Food: we tried their pollo empanadas, which were flavorful and just right before a meal/entree! The Ropa Vieja, was also delicious, very flavorful! And their Churasco was cooked to perfection! Definitely recommend!! Linda aka Alex! was a great waitress, very attentive and great recommendations and vibes! read more

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I brought my son here for his 30th birthday. There was 9 of us and the restaurant was not full at all. The service is horrible here. Wow. They forgot our drink orders, had to ask multiple times for the same thing. They brought our dinner plates and forgot 4 of the meals. 3 of those people were so mad they canceled their order. The food was not even good. The service was God awful, rude staff. No napkins, no water refills. The waiter did not come to Check on us. Do not come here. We got better service in actual communist Cuba. Also none of the staff is Cuban, this is not authentic. read more

The Cuban - Salmon - Cuban Near Me - Hoboken, New Jersey

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The Cuban - This is the Bayside location. The food is so good a t all 3 locations. They have a party room, upstairs. The music was very good. Service was quick, and any changes we wanted to make was fine with them, like that we didn't want pernil in our empanadas, so we got chicken, instead. read more

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What a sad and disappointing decline for a once promising Cuban restaurant. 12 years ago, the Cuban was a vibrant restaurant with really good food and creative cocktails. Today, the Cuban seems to no longer want to be in the restaurant business. The service is aloof and uninspired. You get the sense that they're annoyed you even showed up. The ambiance is dull and uninviting. We ordered the skirt steak and roasted pork. The steak was well cooked but the flavor was nothing to write home about. The pork was dry and lacked any of the succulent flavors that make lechón a Cuban classic. The rice and beans tasted like it was cooked in a pan that still had some Comet bleach cleaner in it. It was HORRID and marked the end of my meal. No to-go boxes for me. Only the roach crawling underneath my table seemed to be in a bigger hurry. read more

Communication. Let people know that you are gonna be short staffed. We had to wait 40 minutes to place the order. And then about another 30 to get the food. read more

The staff was nice, but the wait for our food was extremely long. It took about 40 minutes after ordering for our entrees to come out. We ordered the paella vegetariana and the vaca frita. After waiting that long, the food was pretty disappointing . The paella was decent, but the vaca frita wasn't that good. The rice was dry and hard, and for $29 it wasn't worth it. Overall, my partner and I didn't have a great time. Between the long wait and the quality of the food, it just didn't feel worth it. If you're looking for better Cuban food in Hoboken, I'd recommend Chango's instead. read more

We had a great meal. Great service delicious food! You can't go wrong. I really wish I would've came earlier and had their appetizer sampler. I'm gonna keep an eye out and see if it comes back. read more

I have neighbors (one of which is cuban) that recommended this place to us. The place is fairly large and the staff is very friend and was able to recommend us what to try. We had the Camaron al Ajillo which was similar to a scampi type of sauce. It was delicious. I had the El Cubano sandwich with fries. The food was very tasteful and enjoyed my experience. There was music playing that might be a little loud for some, but was fine with me. They also offer 2 private spaces for rent as well. The owner toured us the space since be might consider holding an event at one of their spaces in the future. If you're around the area, sit down and grab a bite. read more

The Cuban - Camaron al Ajillo - Cuban Near Me - Hoboken, New Jersey

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My colleagues were telling me about this place as I've never had Cuban food and wow.... I wish I lived up there so I could go often! The flavors were amazing! The steak was cooked perfectly, yuca fries were nice and crispy and the watercress salad with pickled onions was spot on. The pina coladas were strong, with some toasted coconut on top which enhanced the flavor. Churros finished out my meal which were filled with chocolate and came with a blackberry dipping sauce. Our waiter (I'm sorry, I forgot his name!) was so sweet and attentive. You could tell the staff really enjoy their job and are knowledgeable about the food they serve. I highly recommend this place! From the outside it looks small, but once inside, there's a beautiful bar area with multiple areas to sit on the backside. read more

The Cuban - Pina Colada - Cuban Near Me - Hoboken, New Jersey

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Ordered: Empanaditas Trio (~$15): beef, chicken, and spinach empanadas Vaca Frita (~$29): twice-cooked crispy skirt steak, tomato escabeche, avocado, served with white rice, black beans, and garlic mojo Maduros (~$7) Aya's take: We were in the area and decided to swing by for Cuban food. We arrived around 2:30pm on a Saturday and were seated right away. The Empanaditas Trio was delicious and great for sharing. I loved the flour tortilla exterior which was filled to the brim with beef, chicken, and spinach, respectively. I recently discovered the Vaca Frita at a different Cuban spot and highly recommend trying it! The skirt steak is crispy, tender, and citrusy from the lime. I like that the dish came with white rice, black beans, and avocado making it feel like a more well-rounded dish. The Maduros were perfectly cooked and gave my meal a nice sweet and soft texture. I couldn't even finish my meal; it made for great leftovers the next day! Service was lacking, but it was a good try! read more

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We didn't have reservations and were able to be seated upon arrival. They do have decent amount of space available. However, they won't seat you till your whole party has arrived. Decided to try this place based on reviews but overall it was okay. We ordered the chicken empanadas for appetizer. I think it could have used a sauce as there wasn't much bean puree. We ordered a pitcher of the red sangria which was pretty good. For entrees I got the Pollo Criollo Plato and my friend got the vaca frita. I enjoyed the fried rice and plantains but chicken was a little dry. Could have used a little more sauce on it but overall was decent. My friend enjoyed her vaca frita with rice and beans. The service was a tad bit slow. We had to track someone down to get the check as no one came back after the food was packed and then wait again for someone to come back to take payment. We probably could have left 40 min prior if we didn't have to wait around. The server did apologized that we had to wait so long. read more

The Cuban - Pollo Criollo Plato - Cuban Near Me - Hoboken, New Jersey

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This place is awesome! Reasonable prices! Great staff! I've lived in the area over 20yrs and highly recommend. Great food!!! read more

The brunch options seem more interesting than the regular ones. I haven't had a good cubano in a while, so I ordered that - it had pulled meats inside which was a bit dry and not as good as the ones I had in Miami which is a high bar of course. Friend got the cuban egg Benedict which was very tomato-based. This was better I thought although be prepared for what it is, along with the bottom biscuit being soaked in the tomato broth. The yuca fries were hot and good. read more

The Cuban - Cuban Near Me - Hoboken, New Jersey

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The Cuban has become my favorite Hoboken spot. The drinks are great and so is the food. I personally love the layout and design of the restaurant it offers a lot of options for an intimate evening. The churrasco is my favorite so tender and the yuca it comes with is delicious. Also I highly recommend any of their desserts a personal favorite is their flan. This is the second time we've come to celebrate my birthday here with friends and every time it is always perfect from the time we arrive to the time we leave. Service is patient and helpful and always goes the extra mile for whatever needs or questions you have. read more

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Excellent all around! Great food, Benny our server was amazing! Fun vibes. Will be back. read more

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Visited this restaurant on 1/17/24 around 8:15pm The fried snapper was very bland and well as the creamed spinach and shrimp that came with my steak Everything needed more seasoning Rumba Cubana is Jersey City is way better read more

The best food I've ever had for Cuban Latin cuisine. The food came fresh and ready. It was amazing. When you were in New Jersey you have to check out the spot. read more

I visited The Cuban on a Monday night and was surprised by how empty it was. The space is big, it had a seating area by the bar, a back room and another dining area another floor up. I saw that there was a happy hour menu online but was told by the staff that there wasn't a happy hour, even though I got there well before happy hour was supposed to end. I got a Cubano sandwich which was topped with fried onions. Sandwich was filling, warm, with crunchy toasted bread. Other than my disappointment of the happy hour situation, this seems like a nice spot for dinner. read more

The Cuban - The cubano - Cuban Near Me - Hoboken, New Jersey

In addition to the paella which was a bit too hot but in general really tasty once it cooled down, we got spicy margaritas and plantain chips with guacamole at the bar before sitting down to eat. The plantain chips were easily the best we've ever had and are now in search of more plantain chips, and the margaritas were good. While it was a Friday night so it was a bit crowded we did have to wait quite a bit longer than they had originally told us. However the servers were all very friendly, the vibes were great, and we definitely recommend! read more

The Cuban - Seafood Paella - Cuban Near Me - Hoboken, New Jersey

Fantastic food and service. Will absolutely be there again. Great ambiance and polite. Authentic staff. Cocktails were delicious just like the main dishes at dinner. read more

The paella was delicious, my only comment is that the muscles were basically disintegrated. The pork in the el Classico Plato was tender and juicy Would pass on the white sangria, a half pitcher filled two glasses up to the top. read more

The Cuban - Top: El Clasico Plato Bottom: Paella Valenciana Plato Top left: white sangria - Cuban Near Me - Hoboken, New Jersey

Second time visiting here and i enjoyed the food yet again! If i remember right, i got the Churrasco before and it was delicious! This time I tried the Vaca frita and it was flavorful and filling! It was served with white rice and a side of black beans which you can drizzle on (the rice i mean). We got the Caesar salad with chicken on the side and the Pollo Criollo. That Pollo was sooo good! There was really good flavor on the meat and paired with fried rice..mmmm! It is a bit pricey but since we quite enjoyed the food and even the service, we'll let that one slide for now lol read more

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The Cuban is a fantastic spot for authentic Cuban food accompanied by a wonderful atmosphere. I had the Paella Valenciana for and entree, and the empanadas for an appetizer. The food was excellent! We also had a bottle of wine to accompany our food - they have an extensive wine list as well as cocktail list. The vibe is very cool, this is a fantastic date spot or a place to just grab some casual food with your friends. It can be a little pricey, but the portions are quite large and the quality is great. read more

This place has declined. I haven't been here in a few years but something changed. I ordered ropa vieja it was watery and flavorless. The black beans was bland, skirt steak bland! I was disappointed after I highly recommended this place and convinced my husband to try it. The service was terrible. No one checked on our table after the food was delivered. My husband had to get up to ask for condiments. Im not sure if the original chef is no longer there or the manager but I will not be returning . read more

Made the mistake of coming for dinner last Sunday! My husband and I that have visited this restaurant for about 8/9 years will not be returning! This place was such a hidden gem! The kitchen never failed us once but this is our last visit! I left hungry and unhappy. My husband had to eat something else and was wasn't satisfy he changed to churrasco said it tasted bland. Where to start.. there was only one person taking the orders for the tables and managing the bar! So super busy. We already had left another restaurant because it was too packed and we both thought about coming here because it was always so delicious and for sure the food would be "amazing" Well first, i order the grilled octopus and requested a bit roasted and received a very slimmy piece of octopus with some thick sauces over powering the whole plate, it was disgusting! It made the texture of the octopus very gummy and soft, super slimy. Not a good combo. So I asked to just grill the octopus and I didn't wanted anything else but that and again the kitchen did cook the octopus more but added the same sauces that sincerely looks like vomit, I find not other way to describe the feeling! I clearly asked what I expected and repeated myself twice! and I had to take a napkin and dry it to eat it. Next the main event and what we came in for (THE PERNIL!!!!!) which is a favorite dish, my husband and I always order it! We are informed that the pernil comes without the bone now and as she informed us I asked "is it the same piece of pernil, just not the bone? And she said yes. Well at this point we were starving and excited for the food! we received PORK TENDER LOINS!!! Like why would the dish still be call pernil if you are giving the people something that is not!??????? Make it make sense. Also why on earth change what was good for something subpar! Thats a terrible decision, thats how you lose the loyal clientele. So upsetting, we when there and skipped other places because we were sure we would leave happy! We were so mad we cut the night short after. So we send it back because I clearly ask before ordering and still got that. So now we are a plate number 2 that failed. I just wanted to leave but my husband was starving and already had a drink while waiting so he decided to change his dish to churrasco and because I still didn't wanted to make the business lose money I then agree to change for salmon! It was a safe bet. I thought ! Wow the brought me a piece of salmon the side of my finger!!!!! Like the side of a folk with some not great looking pure with an unholy amount of cilantro salad???? I was done! Like HOW DID YOU MISS EVERY SINGLE DISH???? I even try to do a liltle prayer with my husband to clear the negative energy and was interrupted by service seeing us both with our eyes close in prayer I have to laugh it off now! I don't know how I didn't cry! Hungry and frustrated. We even asked for tequila reposado and my hubby had to intervene cause we were getting anejo! How does this place became this???? The owners need to pay serious attention to staff and kitchen. It was a mess, I left without eating and paid for the dish I didn't even eat! Wasn't offer the courtesy to remove it! Please see the pictures to confirm I have not even come close to what I'm explaining! Check your camera and watch the show! Haven't exaggerated nothing. I had 3 shots of tequila and came home to eat a pizza! Had to give it a few days because I was so disappointed to post this long review. To the owners if you still care to be in business please pay attention! The only thing that was good was the empanadas my husband ordered for appetizer nothing else was memorable. Anything else was below the bar! My longest review I really used to love this place read more

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The food is delicious and so are the drinks! I have enjoyed the churrasco and their mojitos. It is a bit pricey so it's definitely a treat for us to go. The staff is kind and attentive. I love the vibe of the place! It's a great date night spot, very romantic depending on where you sit in the restaurant. It's also massive! read more

The Cuban - Cuban Near Me - Hoboken, New Jersey

I cannot believe that they charged 20% tip upfront although it was just two of us. I have never seen this happen before. We were very shocked. Food was decent. Pricey for such a small portion. Potato and cream spinach needed more salt as well read more

The Cuban - Ropa Vieja Plato - Cuban Near Me - Hoboken, New Jersey

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My husband & I always love coming here. The ambiance & the food here is delicious! Our favorite is the mussels! & our favorite manager here is Sandra. She is the best & always meets our expectations. We always ask her for recommendations & they never disappoints! read more

We are Cubans and the Cuban is not authentic Cuban food. The Cuban sandwich was dismal with too many pickles and not the correct combo or slices of meats. We left it half eaten. The Cuban pork classic dinner I ate 2 bites the pork was tough and no flavor . The yuca had little taste and did not seem fresh my husband had the Boca Frita and again no taste disappointing. We powered onto the desert surely the desert should be good? Nope the flan was the worst no taste flan I have ever had and I did not eat it. The others had the Natallla and again horrible no flavor and did not eat. What was ok was the sangria The prices were high for Cuban food. Rest of the world rest of Thea total waste of good money read more

I'm so thankful that The Cuban Restaurant was open on Xmas; otherwise, we would have gotten some food from a food truck....and I'm NOT a fan of knish or Kabob. For it to have been a holiday, it had a pretty nice size crowd. The food was on point. The vaca frita was nice and crispy... I loved the maduros ( I never had any that I didn't like). The rice and beans weren't dry. There is plenty of food on the plate! Hubby ordered me a side of yucca and mojo... which I couldn't devour like I wanted - tummy was full! They have a variety of drinks cocktails wine beer and non alcoholic drinks.This restaurant was a nice save. I loved it!!! Nice little Latin vibe going on and floors for dining..cozy, and the staff is so super friendly. Festive atmosphere. I got the tres leche cake to go....Yummy deliciousness read more

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Great Cuban food! I'm from south jersey so I don't get it much until I go Miami to visit my friends Mama's house! This was spot on!

I love Hoboken, I just never go because parking is always a nightmare. But I was determined to have brunch and I'm glad I went! For my appetizer I had the best garlic shrimp I think I've ever had, with nice crispy crostini for dunking. Then for lunch the ceasar salad with chicken, which was healthy && delicious! I will be back for dinner. read more

The Cuban - Camaron al Ajillo - Cuban Near Me - Hoboken, New Jersey

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