Cubana Socíal

First time here, and it sure won’t be my last!
This area is amazing for great food finds though the parking situation is a nightmare. Be patient, drive around and look for a spot because you won’t want to miss out on this restaurant.
The food is AMAZING. Free range chicken options, vegetarian options and tons of fresh veggies roasted to perfection. Drinks are good, they have a full bar, but the best part of the night was the live Latin Band. They were great. I couldn’t stay in my seat once they started their set, the music called out to me.
This place is a great find. Happy eating!!!

I was there a few days ago and I had a terrible experience with the owner. This women is not service oriented and simply rude. For the most part the staff was okay. But I can say there were about 2 superstars in a group of 12 servers. The food wasn’t good at all, the beef empanadas were too greasy, it felt like an empanada I buy from a food truck when I’m on the go, nothing special about it. The limited menu was also a minus in addition I didn’t feel like I was in an authentic cuban spot. I wouldn’t suggest you waste time.

I’ve visited here quite a few times and it’s always a pleasure, great service, great food, I love the Cuban sandwich!
Last weekend I stopped by and received some of the best service I ever have at a restaurant, thumbs up to the management!
Do yourself a favor and check it out.

The food was different and tasty and flavorful. The place was small and I think sometimes they have live music (not the night we were there). The service was great and attentive (it wasn’t very busy). I had the avocado and black bean sandwich with the fries. It was fabulous. The menu is limited and I would expect it can get very loud. Not sure what’s around because it was late when we arrived. It’s a costly cab ride from mid-​town so I would recommend visiting only if you are in the area.

$ 14 drinks and NO JOKE some are in children sized cups.
Took 30 minutes to get a drink while eating dinner and was told my drink order will be ready once its gets up to iits place in line. Wouldn’t it makes business sense to hire another bartender @ $ 14 a drink if the demand is there?
Empanadas are huge, thats a pro. Fries are good, thats a pro. rest of food is OK.

While most of the food was tasty, the management of this restaurant is horrible. Waited over 30 mins to be seated when we had a reservation. Twice, vegetarians in our group were served dishes with meat. I ordered the ropa vieja and it had so little beef I could only taste sauce. Manager had an «I don’t care» attitude. Hopefully management is fixed here soon.

I love this place. First off, their empanadas are so good, I’m still drooling as I’m writing this review. I also ordered the pork and eggs, what a great dish. The eggs came sunny side up, with two plantains, arroz, and pork. Everything was flavorful and not too heavy, I finished my plate completely because it was that good.
The empanadas were bigger than expected, I had the chicken empanada. It was flavorful, crispy, accompanied with the sauce, a match made in heaven.
Our table also ordered the iced coffee drink with the condensed milk and it was the best decision we’ve made as well. The 2 4 1 mimosas were pretty good too, it was presented cutely with a slice of pineapple on the rim of the glass.
Overall, I’m glad we found this place to eat at, because it proved to be such a gem.
There’s a stage area with instruments on the side, I’m guessing they have live bands come in to play on nights, which seems pretty cool as well.
Their coffee is also sourced by Blue Bottle Co.

I am not a big fan of bashing down places, but I do like to be honest so that others can have a good experience.
Décor: Cute and comfy, live band a plus
Service: Pretty bad, I asked the waiter what’s good to try, the reply «everything» so I thought he was being funny, so I waited for him to actually give me some suggestions, I was wrong. Waited 30 minutes for 4 drinks and even longer for the food.
Food & Drinks:
Food was not terrible but absolutely nothing special. Under seasoned, sloppy presentation.
Fried avocado a no go no matter how drunk you are, empanadas too greasy and bland, plantain fish tacos were pretty good but way too small (flavor wise my favorite dish of the night), yuca fries are pretty good as well as the fried rice with an egg on top.
$ 22 vieja ropa– bland and nothing to write home about especially if your home is in Cuba.
Mojitos too sweet and not enough rum, Rita– their version of a spicy margarita was terrible, however the orange juice and club soda was best choice.
To sum it up, with so many wonderful choices of culinary genius in the neighborhood this place should be avoided.
Keep Living, Keep Eating

The empanadas, ginormous, and the green sauce to go with it = PERFECTION — ⁵⁄₅
The fried avocado ⁵⁄₅
The smaller plate tacos 3.5÷5
The Chicken and Rice plate ⁵⁄₅
The live band 5+/5
The drinks = strong! Got myself a moscow mule, actually come to think about it, i got two.
Overall my favorite was was the empanadas, and chicken with rice.
Weekends are crazy long because there is live music and some space to dance!

I can’t speak for actual meal ordering since we had a prix fixe thing going on. In reality I wouldn’t be a fan of Cuban food because I don’t pick pork dishes. I’m just kind of anti pig to the point where I don’t eat bacon even though the smell is always on point.
Then I had to eat a family style meal here. They sat us comfortably in the back which allowed for witty banter with our group and casual conversations as well as enjoyment of the three piece band that was playing the olé time music. Actually I forgot what exactly they were playing but it helped create a nice relaxed Cuban nights kind of atmosphere despite it being a chilly fall Friday.
We shared a bunch of things including yucca fries? which were characteristically dry, empanadas which were fine but not amazing. I’m not a huge fan of empanadas anyway so I’m not the best judge. The vegan version with tofu was better than the beef. Cuban sandwiches which were decent enough but like I said, not a fan of pork. The green sauce which accompanied everything was delicious but not spicy enough for me.
Then Cubana threw me for a loop when they placed some pulled pork, black, beans, and rice in front of me. I didn’t think I would care so much but that pork was slightly sweet, succulent, and tender. Probably the only pork I enjoyed outside of pulled pork which is just really bbq sauce with a side of pork. On top of that they tempted me with sides of sweet plantains with this buttery cinnamon sauce. I was actually mad that I wasted belly room on the crap served before this course.
The last course was a bunch of flan which was meh and an amazing key lime pie slice that I could eat a whole of except I was saved by the 12 people I shared it with.
Overall based on the entrée course, the key lime pie, and the live music this place is worth the stars…

This gem is super cute! It’s very open, high ceilings, twinkly lights. They also have a decent size stage for live bands. I will def return. The empanadas are amazing. Never tasted one so good before. Staff is very friendly & kind.
The chicken and the beef were my favorite. The ropa vieja was really good, had so much flavor. Very different from any other Cuban restaurant i have been too. I will be coming back soon! My new favorite spot.

Such good reviews here, but I left feeling underwhelmed.
Brunch on a Saturday:
–open air space, so even with fans going from the ceiling, still felt hot, and was sweating throughout the meal
–Was dark, so it had a cozy vibe, good for people who wanted to shamelessly booze with their meal
–Service was friendly, but slow at times. We got water, with ice immediately, but then he disappeared for a bit before taking our order. At first it seemed like a lot of workers were on break initially, and maybe that’s why it was slow at the beginning? I only saw a couple workers manning the whole place. But then not too long after, our meal was brought out by someone else, our water was refilled with our original guy, our plates were taken by a different girl, and finally the bill from the first guy.
–Cute posters on the walls
–Nice bar to sit at
–Bathrooms: had two, and it seemed clean, but it was super dark inside. Looking into the mirror was pointless, Lol. But the toilet flushed quickly and powerfully (none of that weak crap where you’re desperately flushing our pee and two pieces of one-​ply toilet paper and it won’t go down!). Soap dispenser actually worked, and there were paper towels available. Dark or not, that’s an «A» in my book.
Now onto the food:
Cubano sandwich — $ 14 I loved the tangy pickles and spicy heat of the mustard. Was a solid sandwich, pork was tender and I wasn’t gnawing on it hardcore. I did wish the bread was crunchier, because at some parts due to the cheese/​pickle/​mustard, it was soggy, which wasn’t very appetizing.
Pork and eggs brunch plate — $ 16 Maduros were super sweet. Couldn’t eat them. The white rice had some subtle flavor, which we couldn’t pinpoint. Can’t go wrong with delicious sunny side up eggs, cut up and oozing over the pork.

Damn… where do i begin… the food was absolutely FAN-F**KIN-TASTIC. I had something simple (shredded beef platter i believe) because i was starving and would have been pissed if I ordered something I’ve never had before and it was disgusting. But I was pleasantly surprised… I wish i had something else. But no worry… cause I will definitely be back!
Oh did i mention they had a live salsa band playing right in front of me?

I’ve been a regular here for a while now, so it’s high time I wrote a review. Let me start by saying that the food itself is probably more like 4 stars, but every other aspect of Cubana Social – drinks, staff, happy hour, atmosphere, plus the food – combine to equal 5 stars.
I almost always sit at the bar to eat and drink since I often come by myself or with one other person. On the weekends it can get crowded, but during the week there is always seating available. My favorite bartender in the world – Jeremiah – is leaving, but I guess I’ll somehow manage to carry on. During the week, there is a great happy hour that includes 2 for 1 mojitos (the same person has to order them both) and 10 dollar burgers. The mojitos are consistently outstanding. The Celia Cruz (not part of happy hour) is also an excellent cocktail (cucumber, dry london gin, mint, cocci americano apéritif, lemon).
I’ve tried a variety of things as far as food goes, and all of it has been good: empanadas, fried brown rice, black bean burger, another sandwich I can’t remember the name of, yuca frita. I would order any or all of those things again (and have).
Jeremiah’s departure will take some getting used to, but I’m sure I’ll keep coming back. The space is very large, the music is at a normal volume, it’s not overly air conditioned, the staff is friendly, the atmosphere is relaxed. And, as noted, the food and drinks are great. What more could you want?

This looks like a place you would find in LA. Very cute probably good for a date.
The prices are steep for Cuban food, but we have to take in account that it’s Cuban food for Williamsburg hipsters.
The food is very good.
I had the empanadas (3 for about $ 12), and the lechon entrée. The pork dish was excellent. They have a menu adapted for the hipster crowd: kale & quinoa included in some dishes. lol
Happy hour ends @8, with 2 for 1 drinks. The mojitos are good.
They serve Blue Bottle coffee.

My family and I have been to Cubana Social 3 or
4 times already. So far, each visit has been pleasant. The food is good and the service always friendly. My only complaint tonight is that my rice was a bit underdone and my husband’s Cuban sandwich had mustard although he requested it be
Left out. But other than that, all was delicious!

I had a great time here. I had a white negroni and it was fantastic!
The staff was very nice and attentive!
I had the tostones with hummus, I had never thought of putting hummus on tostones and to tell you the truth it was very good. I then had the cubano sandwich and it was also very good.
I will return with coworkers for an after work thingy.

I can’t believe I gave a spot in Williamsburg 4 stars. Please hear me, I do NOT like/​enjoy Williamsburg. We have decided to all but boycott the neighborhood. WAY too hipster for my tastes.
HOWEVER, that being said — Cubana Social has very tasty and well made cocktails and on the occasional night it’s a pretty good place to salsa/​dance.
Their food and Key Lime Pie is also good.
Overall 2^nd best cocktail location in Brooklyn (that I have had so far). #1 is Dick and Jane’s in Fort Greene.

After spending some time in Williamsburg, I have realized that being a hip hipster and providing customer service doesn’t necessarily go hand in hand. And that affects my ratings.
Cubana Social appears to be relaxed and cool. The environment is casual, they have room for both larger groups and it is the kind of place where you can take the kids for lunch without being stressed about it. The menu is varied with local produced and organic food, and it offers vegan and vegetarian alternatives. It seems fairly priced, but the portions aren’t very generous. And when the food isn’t all that tasteful, it doesn’t help that you have the best intentions. The biggest issue though, is the staff. The service is quick enough, but there doesn’t seem to be any effort put into making you feel welcome. Distanced faces, minimal dialogue.
Light up, people, I won’t tell anyone that you smiled.

Underwhelmed is the only adjective that comes to mind when I think of my experience here at Cubana Social.
I really wanted to fall in love with Cubana Social. The kind of love that is love at first sight, head over heels, almost obsessive type of love. But alas, There were a couple of things that prevented me from falling in love with this restaurant…
I came here with my significant other on a Saturday night when they had an Afro-​Cuban jazz band play. This restaurant is huge! And decorated so beautifully. But being in front of a host stand when it WASN’T busy for 10 minutes with NO one greeting you or seating you is completely unacceptable. Especially if there is a sign right in front of you that states, «Please wait to be seated.»
The cute hostess finally arrived and seated us at the bar because, «A couple of people made reservations and since you don’t this is all we have as seating as of now.» We obliged.
It took about 20 minutes to get our drinks (my significant other ordered casamigos tequila on the rocks and I ordered a cuban coffee) which in kind of a sin to wait that long when the restaurant didn’t seem THAT busy. It took an additional 20 more minutes for my ceviche to arrive. Not only was the service underwhelming, so was the food. The ceviche had ginger which is weird to me and WAY too much avocado. I get it there is no such thing as too much avocado but when your ceviche ends up tasting like a guacamole instead of a ceviche, isn’t it quite misleading to label the dish ceviche? End rant but I wanted more of the octopus to shine. Especially if I’m paying 16 $ for it. The yuca chips were excessively salty. To the point where I found them inedible to eat without dusting all the salt off.
The Cuban coffee was underwhelming. It was done completely wrong. Tasted like pure water mixed with remnant of what should be espresso. The Casamigos tequila was great. FYI — Casamigos is George Clooney’s tequila brand for all you on the low secret Clooney fangirls and boys like myself.
The only great thing was how absolutely charming our server was. His name was Otto and to compensate for how slow our service was going he gave me a glass of white wine on the house.
All in all this place needs help but it does have potential. But I don’t think I will return to this seemingly charming restaurant anytime soon. There are so many more great choices in this neighborhood.
Three stars.

What a great dinner and date spot in Williamsburg. There aren’t that many Cuban spots in the area, so we didn’t expect too much from here. Fortunately, we were wrong!
Restaurant is a huge open space that is setup for a great party when the weekend comes. There is a stage with live instruments already inviting you to come back and enjoy live music. We came on a chilly, wintry Monday night so it was pretty empty. The staff was very attentive and quick, AND friendly. They were awesome.
We ordered the Cubano sandwich along with three empandas (beef, chicken, chorizo). Empandas were so flaky and perfectly seasoned. Oftentimes, you’ll get empanda stuffing that’s just too salty, but not here at Cubana Social. The cuban sandwich was delicious and flavorful. There was more than enough there for the two of us to share.
We followed dinner with key lime pie and was absolutely enthralled by its flavor. Crust was flaky, sweet and just a hint of lime. Amazing pie! Unfortunately, our slice had some paper pieces in the crust, which didn’t bother us too much but the staff gave it to us complimentary anyway.
We thoroughly enjoyed the food and service here, would gladly come back during the weekend or on any nights with live music.

From the old school but very commercial Hip hop and R&B to the deliciously strong cocktails and interesting fare, Cubana Social held my interest from the moment I walked through its doors.
The décor is reminiscent of pre-​Castro Cuba, complete with palm trees, simple lines of hanging lights, and small performance stage. But I must’ve went on movie night – a projection of a classic film was my main entertainment. Perfect for someone in love with vintage everything.
The menu, though, is a unique approach to Latin cuisine, fusing the old with the new by using locally grown and organic ingredients in traditional and non traditional dishes. I love that it also incorporates gluten-​free and vegetarian options. Like the won-​my-​heart avocado tempura. Fish tacos were delicious, spicy, and pretty on the plate. I didn’t really care for the «taco» part, made of plantain. An interesting idea but too thick and potatoe-​y to work.
I’ll definitely come back for the Celia Cruz, refreshing and sweet, like my experience at Cubana Social overall.