The Cuban Restaurant and Bar

Let me start by saying I use to have a 5star review of this place. However, I had my birthday there last night. They did one thing that has always pissed me off to end at a restaurant and ensured I shall never return. I’m sorry but this gets me so pissed every time a place does this it makes me hate the place, tell my friends not to go and never return. My fiancé organized a little surprise party for me. Her knowing I love the place chose it. All was fine till dessert. Of course she wanted to bring a cake for my Bday. This place showed its true pure greed and lack of caring about customers in one move. They charged us $ 3 a slice to cut our own cake. F YOU! Lets be honest here its not like we can’t afford $ 3 but they don’t need it either. It’s just typical greedy restaurant who couldn’t be happy that we chose them for birthday. The owner has decided to bleed every possible dollar out of my friends. Pure scumbag. Anyone can try to explain this to me and I will never understand. You really need an extra $ 3 a person after a $ 500 plus bill? You’re greedy dirtbags and you just lost a repeat customer. Enjoy the last $ 3 dollars you’ve ever made off me. I’ll be finding other Cuban places to go in Hoboken and trust me they’ll be happy to have my business. GOD I JUST WANT TO SCREAM IN THE OWNERS FACE SO BAD RIGHT NOW.

I LOVE their drinks. I organized a large group event there and the owner was very accommodating work or dry menu.
It’s crowded for a reason and it is one of the real 5 star restaurants in Hoboken. (There is a lot of ratings inflation in Hoboken.)

I took my girlfriend and friends from out of town here. It was bustling and well-​appointed. The food was the fancier side of Cuban, ant it did not disappoint!
The mojito was delicious — always something to judge at a Cuban place.
I had the pork shank with black beans and rice and yuca… it was excellent. My dinner mates all had the oxtail and the sauce had such a nice, unique taste.
Service was great as well.
We’ll be back!

Came here on Friday night — Didn’t realize how big it was in the back but was pleasantly surprised with the seating (I’m assuming the back is for reservations only?)
We ordered amazing red snapper tacos (special) for appetizers, and also got two of their specialty drinks (which I’ll admit put us on our asses earlier than I was anticipating!)
For main course, I got the short rib which had a layer of chorizo and was amazing. GF got the skirt steak, which was also really good.
Finished it off with some coconut sorbet, which had an interesting texture because it was more dry than creamy, but delicious none the less.
Definitely going to go back!

I came here to sip on happy hour mojitos with the girls before dinner. The bartender was great– and fast! Service was excellent, which means a lot to in Hoboken. We ordered yuka fries and chicken empanadas to munch on. Both were great. They even had this awesome live band play covers of 90 rock. Great happy hour spot; I’ll definitely be back!

Came to The Cuban, which was previously Nine Lounge years before, for Brunch on a Sunday with my family. We had reservations for four and were seated in the back room promptly. I must say I wish we would have been seated closer to the live music that was playing.
All of our waiters were extremely friendly and attentive. Our glasses of water were always filled. And anything we needed we got right away.
Had a $ 5 mimosa, which the price is expected when you are in Hoboken, but they should really consider a deal when it comes to brunch.
Of course I ordered the skirt steak, with the fried Cuban rice (uh-​mazing), and egg over easy. The steak was so tender and juicy. I’ve never had fried Cuban rice before but it is similar to hibachi rice. And the egg well you can’t really mess that one up LOL.
My mom ordered the Ropa Vieja and although she said it was good it was lacking meat. They had given her a serving with more peppers & onions than meat. We informed our waiter about this and we told him it was not a big deal because my mom is a light eater but we just to warn them in case they serve this plate to someone else who is expecting more. They were kind enough to remove this meal off of our bill.
Overall, I would recommend and return.

Went for brunch. I ordered the yuca fries while waiting for bf. It had that really nice sauce and I was eating the sauce by itself lol Had the Cuban Benedict. It was a lot better than I thought since I wasn’t really craving for meat. Bf had the Parrillada which is grilled skirt steak. I had a bite and it was really good.
The place is pretty big. There was a large party at the back so I was glad I was not in the area because they were really loud. Bathroom is all the way up two flights of stairs, which I thought what if someone cannot walk very well? Regardless, it was a nice place for brunch and they have an extensive brunch menu so I am sure you will find something you like here.

amazing. Amazing. AMAZING!!! Absolutely terrific. Service from the minute we walked in was exceptional, from the greeter, to our waiter, to the man who cleared our table. 3 appetizers, 5 types of drinks, 3 entrees (Rabo Encedido, Bolicje, Vaca Frita) and EVERYTHING was amazing. One of our dinner party even let our waiter pick her meal and drink and she raved on it. Thank you for a great nite. HIGHLY recommended.
(Ask for Andreas to be your waiter. Exceptionally personable, polite, efficient and helpful.)

We came here for lunch and I was impressed with the portion sizes and the food. Although I forgot the name of my dish, it contained chicken, avocado and sunny side up eggs. The vegetables and eggs were fresh and the chicken was not too dry. The prices are a little steep but the food and the service is worth it.

The portions are massive, that’s a plus (better be for the price).
Drinks are SO small… not even close to worth it…
El classico — $ 24 was super tender, flavor wasn’t anything to write home about, and sides were just ok… was pumped about the pickled onions but they werent even that good — Roasted pork shank, moro rice, garlic orange mojo, yuca con mojo, sweet plantain, pickled red onions
Vaca Frita — $ 24 was the best dish of the night, very good — great flavor, super tender — Twice cooked crispy skirt steak, tomato escabeche, avocado, white rice, black beans, garlic mojo
RABO ENCENDIDO — $ 24 (oxtail) was very flavorful, pretty good, spicy but not great. more of a soup type dish…
service felt a little pushy/hover-y…that and the drinks rubbed me the wrong way so i had to deduct one star from my previous review.

The food is amazing. From the Cuban sandwich to the Churrasco to the Pork Shank, it’s all yummy!
Also the mussels and shrimp are great too.
I definitely recommend this place and I, as a fellow Cuban, am proud of their representation of traditional Cuban cuisine.

This is a review based on my recollection.
Went to this restaurant about few years ago. This was a backup last minute restaurant as the restaurant that we intended to go was closed. So we were in jersey city and called this restaurant and was told that they could seat us right away if arrived within 15 minutes. we didn’t expect much but we were seated right away as promised. The ambiance was wonderful. We ordered quite a few things. Paella, skirt steak, some apps (don’t remember the name) the staff was very friendly and the food was wonderful. Steak was perfectly cooked. Paella was on the salty side but still tasty.

Restaurants that take reservations on a Friday night are clutch! From the outside you can’t tell how large The Cuban is, but they have a back room as well as a few additional floors.
They make great cocktails and the Cuban food was good. As usual we did family style and there was more than enough food with three entrees for four people! Next time we may need to skip an entrée to save rom for desert!

Had dinner with friends. Our waiter Alex was very good. The bus boys were also good. Empty plates were removed promptly water glasses kept full. Appetizer was excellent. I have to copy it at home. Pitcher of sangria was good.
Our 4 entrees came out on time and hot. All 4 of us enjoyed our meals. I liked it enough to ask for a doggy bag… it was my third time eating here. Haven’t had a bad meal yet… Good job

Boliche is delicious! I would recommend coming to this restaurant service is great! Server is friendly and made great recommendations.
Second time here, we went with friends and they truly enjoyed everything about it.
Our food came out so fast we were shocked. Bread was soft and fresh. Butter was nice and creamy. Sangria was great!
I honestly had a great time !!

Friends and family are always surprised when I say that when a place on Unilocal is 3.5 stars or less, means that something is lacking. Last night proved me right. After giving in to peer pressure and trying to get dinner at multiple (3.5 stars) places on Washington street to be told we were a minute, yes a 1 minute late and that the kitchen was closing we decided to try The Cuban, which has 4 stars on Unilocal.
The staff at Cuban was warm and out to make dinner a good experience, something I find some Washington street restaurants lack. Anyways, moving on, the food — the pork bun appetizers were probably a special on the menu last night which were delicious and so was the Paella we ordered as a family style main.
Summing it up, good experience and I will definitely be going back!

The best Cuban food is usually found is small restaurants (sometimes even hole in the walls). However, the Cuban is definitely some of the best Cuban food I’ve had in a while.
For starters, their bread basket consists of these round bread balls filled with cheese that goes well with their hitter. I ordered another basket because it was so damn good.
For an entrée I ordered el Classico, which comes with yuca, prolly and arroz Moro. Pictures doesn’t do it any justice so it’s best to just go and eat it. The pork was so tender, it was falling of the bone.
The plates are a bit pricey but well worth it.

Overall underwhelming and not a good value, but some positive points… or churros I mean.
Pros:
1. Chocolate churros! I would go just for those… Seriously delicious.
2. Water attendants were on it, it was hot and the food was salty so water was key and they were water ninjas!
3. Rice was tasty, maybe sugar or butter in it, not sure but good.
Cons:
1. Overpriced, not any added value versus the other 3 Cuban restaurants in Hoboken.
2. Appetizers were tiny, empanadas were good but what deep fried food isn’t good?
3. Churrasco is what everyone talked about but it was super fatty, ridiculous salty, and lacking in chimichurri (had to ask for extra). The beans were almost inedible they were so salty.
4. Server wasn’t attentive, just going thru the motions. The water guy was nice and friendly and cared way more, bringing us sauces and going out of his way.
Overall, I would just get chocolate churros and a drink after going somewhere else.

We have been to the Cuban before. This time instead of a sit-​down dinner, we sat at the bar and indulged in happy hour drinks and bites. On this occasion there was not the oppressive far-​too-​loud live music; it felt more intimate.
We tasted a rainbow of mojitos and caipirinhas. Some we enjoyed better than others (the Colada and the Apple Mojito were bomb), however, each was distinct and pretty flavorful.
The bites were also exceptional. We wanted to try all the happy hour special, but we restrained ourselves and only tried three. The pork pieces were delightful, fatty and garlicky while the sticky sweet plantains wrapped with salty bacon was absolutely amazing (probs my fave). The mussels and chorizo in broth with fries, was initially confusing, but tasty and definitely messy.
We had a really great time and everything was lovely. I would definitely go back for another happy hour (maybe not dinner because of my last experience). The prices were good and the atmosphere was lively, but not too loud and overbearing, both of which are a plus on date night.

Hoboken is still an unexplored area for me, but when a few friends of mine needed a brunch spot within walking distance of their apartment, The Cuban was one of the first places to make the list. Although they don’t accept reservations, the venue is surprisingly spacious, complete with a hidden dining room located past the first room that greets guests. There’s a long bar area, perfect for settling into for drinks and small plates, making it an ideal location for brunch or dinner.
I was the first of my party to arrive that afternoon, and even though four others had yet to show, the server had no issues with seating me first while setting up our table for the rest of my friends [1]. When we were all present, our questions were adeptly addressed, especially as one of my friends was vegetarian, and requested that the protein in her omelette be replaced with avocado; it was a swap that was easily adjusted for without an additional surcharge. While we waited, we were given a warm bowl of cheese-​filled bread buns, better known as Pão de queijo, which helped to whet our appetites.
I, predictably, went with the Cuban Benedict, which put a unique spin on the traditional plate. Instead of an English muffin, a croissant-​like biscuit was utilized instead, which gave an uniquely layered base to the plate. It’s topped with a few slices of smoked ham and a generous amount of ropa vieja, as well as the requisite poached eggs and a mustard béarnaise.The ropa vieja was braised to an ideal tenderness, the eggs perfectly poached, and I appreciated the use of the béarnaise, versus the traditional hollandaise, as the addition of terragon and vinegar cut through the richness of the proteins. A few of us also shared an order of the French Fries, which were crispy and well-​seasoned, although they disappeared quickly from the table; either the portion was a tad small for sharing, or they were just that tasty.
I can’t speak for the authenticity of the plates served at The Cuban, but I can verify that the food is done well and service is nothing short of welcoming. Given the amount of space the restaurant has, it’s ideal for larger groups as well, and well-​worth a trip, especially for those who live in the area.
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[1] Many restaurants I’ve visited adhere to the «full party must be present to be seated» policy, regardless of the existence of a reservation, the number of people already present, or the emptiness of the dining room. A personal gripe of mine, but it’s always appreciated when a restaurant puts common sense before widely-​instituted procedures.