Cuban Pete’s

Amazing experience… only waited 15 min for a table on a Saturday. Great food, atmosphere and sangria mixers!!! Can’t wait to go back!!!

Went to this restaurant last Saturday for the first time. The ambience was great, the décor and the music on point. However, I’m only giving them 3 stars because they have a huge lack of disorganization.
We have our name on the waiting list and according to the hostess the wait was 1hour, five mins later we asked again and they said 2 hours, we were a group of 10 and as soon as we enter the place we saw many empty tables inside. When I told my family we were leaving I think the manager heard us and held us for a few saying that he will seat us right away if everyone was present. So he did. That was nice.
The waiter took our drink orders and came back right away. Then, he took the appetizers and food orders and didn’t show up for about 45 mins, the empanadas were great so we were so happy waiting for the entrées. That never happened until 40 more mins. People from neighbor tables came after us, ate and left and we still haven’t eaten. That was so annoying.
Finally, the waiter passed by again and made the gesture of like when you forgot something. I followed him with my eyes and he ran to the kitchen, stayed there waiting for the food. What I really think is that he never passed the order paper to the kitchen and he felt guilty. After the food came, he kept forgetting the children orders, when he brought everything then we ate, it wasn’t as good as the appetizers.
They rushed us out and I had to ask twice for bags and containers for the food to take out. Since he never asked if someone else needed bags or containers. We paid and left that was the best part and they never offered to show the dessert menu.
For the terrible service 3 stars, for the food 4 just because the appetizers were better than the actual food.

WORST RESTAURANT EXPERIENCE IN MY LIFE.
Yesterday I had family visiting from Europe, California and Washington DC and I decided to take the group to Cuban Pete’s as we were in the mood for some tapas and sangria. My dad and his good friend who has celiac’s got there first, put our names on the waitlist and asked if they had any gluten-​free options. Apparently they were told «we don’t know what gluten-​free is.» I find the whole thing very strange (I had googled «cuban pete’s gluten free» and their campaign on groupon popped up, which said «gluten-​free options available») so I went up to the host and asked her if they had any gluten-​free options.
The owner then interrupts me and starts yelling «I already told him I don’t know what that is». I thought he was joking… I mean this place is in Montclair, down the street from a whole foods so I laughed and asked «how can you run a restaurant and not know what gluten free is?»
He then proceeds to scream at me «where did you come from? It’s going to be a 2 hour wait now» as I stood there with an WTF ?! face on until he finally yelled «Get out, I don’t want you here».
I had been to Cuban Pete’s before and found the service a bit off and the manager (owner) a bit rude but never in my life have I seen something like this. Someone in the hospitality business insulting their clients, being aggressive and disrespectful with a self-​satisfying smirk on their face. Seriously. I’ve travelled all over, lived in 3 different continents, eaten in all sorts of places (fancy and humble) and this was beyond belief.
Then I googled him — HUNDREDS of reviews describing variations of this same episode with people being insulted and thrown out by someone on a power trip who thinks owning a restaurant gives him the right to insult other people for no reason just so he can feel superior. Sad.
If you choose to go to Cuban Pete’s for the atmosphere and food, be prepared. You might not cross paths with the owner, you might find him in a good mood or you might just well say something that will trigger him to snap at you and ruin your evening.

This place is just horrible. When we arrived, it was just too packed and disorganized while getting seated. The service was really bad as well. The waiters were all over the place, and our waiter only came by once to get our order. They were overly packed! And accepting people they could not serve. The worst part of it all, was how dirty their plates, and cups were. There was dried food stuck on the plates on the top, but when u look on the bottom! Its as if they only pour water on the top part, and dont wash the bottom. I was so disgusted with everything that i couldn’t eat. Drinks were horrible too! We ordered a watermelon mojito which tasted like nothing, and some a sangria which my husband also said tasted like nothing.
It was our first time going here. I am so disappointed because the food plates on the Unilocal pictures looked so good! What a lie! My husband and I ordered crocketas de pollo, and small cuban sandwiches… The crocketas were horrible, it had some type of sauce on it which looked soft and old. The small cuban sandwiches were very small and those my husband said were oook. But not something to brag about though.
The main dishes arrived so sloppy on dirty greasy plates! They were not appetizing at all. They even forgot to bring my black beans that were suppose to be part of my dish. I didn’t even bother to say anything in the end, since i didn’t even eat the food. I just wanted to leave asap. Not going back here! EVER! Yuk

Say it ain’t so! Is the quality of food going downhill at Cuban Pete’s? Last three times I’ve gone, the food has been mediocre at best. Bland over cooked Lechon that tasted as if it was heated up in a microwave. What happened to all the flavor Pete? Hoping this isn’t the new norm. It’s still a madhouse as usual with people lining up like cattle near the register and stairwell waiting for a table. It’s really not even enjoyable to go anymore as I feel the the hype has taken over. Music blaring to the point you can’t hold a conversation with the person across the table from you. I know it’s supposed to be a fun atmosphere, I get it, I really do. But please, get back to the roots of what got you the notoriety to begin with. Start dishing out the flavor you used to or your die hard regulars like myself will find it elsewhere!

The food gets five stars. Excellent food. We ordered the mambo steak churasco and the coconut fish. Both were excellent.
On a negative note, the wait was horrible, random, and unorganized. We were waiting on a table for four for almost an hour and people who just arrived and needed a table for five were seated before us. They could have easily given us a table for five but made us wait longer. The waiting area is quite congested and you are unable to wait outside because staff tells you to stay close. It gets claustrophobic in that area with everyone waiting and wait staff going back and forth.
But all that being said, the food was worth the wait.

Mixed feelings about this place. But at face value, I give it 4 stars and here is why.
Great vibe, great variety of choices menu-​wise, huge portions, authentic Cuban dishes. I’ve had the ropa vieja here numerous times and it’s good every single time. I also like that it’s BYOB and they will make sangria if you bring your own wine. Finally, I like the outdoor seating for warm summer nights, it’s cozy and perfect for summertime.
The bad: service. There is always a wait. I get it, weekend dinner rush is prob not the best time to try to have dinner here. But it’s ridiculous– one time I waited over an HOUR (against my will). And what’s worse, after you get seated, the wait to get drinks, food, and the check is like pulling teeth. We saw our server twice during the whole meal. I get the high volume of customers they get but they should really accommodate accordingly. In that case, maybe I would come here more often.
Anyhow, my recommendations food wise are for tapas– chicken lollipops, ground beef/​plantain dish, and spinach and cheese empanadas. The mariscada (naked paella) is delicious as well. Do not get the jerk chicken entrée, it was soooo dry and inedible. Not to mention the whole plate came out cold.
I am bitter about the poor service but the food is enough to keep me coming back every now and again.

A really great place to come to for a fun lively atmosphere and great food for a reasonable price. Its BYO so definitely come with some red wine or rum ready so they can mix up a pitcher sangria or mojitos for you (favorite by far is the mango mojito). I’ve never been let down by the food either. The bacon wrapped dates is always a good way to start the meal. My favorite dish has been the Bahama coconut cod fillet and I usually have more than enough to take home for leftovers. I’ve also tried the suckling pig, arroz con pollo, mambo king steak, paella, and lechon asado (clearly I need to go to other restaurants, but like so many other restaurant in Montclair, it’s close to my apartment and delish, so why stray??)
Be prepared to wait for a table if you’re coming in on the weekend. They don’t accept reservations, even for groups. But the hostess’s ability to guestimate the length of time it will take to get a table is VERY far off, so stick around the stand and you may get lucky. Last night we went in ~8pm and was told it would be an hour wait for 4 people. I hung around the crowded hostess area for about 10 minutes and they called my name!
Don’t come here if you’re hoping for a quiet intimate experience with a date. The waiters have a tendency to rush you and it feels a bit like organized chaos in there because of the amount of people running around serving, clearing tables, small walkways etc. But it’s never a disappointing meal.

Me and my bf are regulars here, always have great service and a great atmosphere! Can get very noisy as it’s always packed and there’s almost always a wait but it’s never long.
Love the tapas, I recommend the chicharron de pollo and pernil con tostones. The churrasco al gaucho is always my fave and the mango chicken and vaca frita are also very good.
It’s BYOB! We always bring some rum to mix with our watermelon mojito, it’s great! We love spicy so we always ask for hot sauce to mix with our food. Definitely always satisfied when we leave here.

Wish I could give no stars. The service and management were just extremely rude to my family when we tried to explain to them that we had no server.
We sat outside and it started raining. Not their fault. We had to move inside and that’s where the problems began. The service here is awful to begin with, but when we moved inside… we lost our server. We just sat there (my cousin missing her meal the whole time) with no drinks because when we moved inside the bussers took them without our permission, at a table for 4 when there were 8 of us.
No waiter came to us. Our old waiter didn’t tell us he was transferring the table and apparently the new waiter wasn’t told either because he didn’t visit us.
When we were tired of being ignored I went to find the manager and ask him what the problem was. Instead of listening to me he cut me off and yelled at another server to find my server and for me to follow him.
He couldn’t figure out who my server was either so we were back at square one. When my sister tried her turn to speak to the manager he insulted her (she had just graduated and he told her «welcome to the real world») and brushed her off.
He didn’t care. So we won’t care to ever return.
Disgusting.

Cuban Pete’s has fantastic food, with a large selection of barely alcoholic Sangrias and Mojitos (when I say barely, I mean it – the menu states it’s .5% alcohol). The ambiance is really great, and since the embargo between the US and Cuba was only recently lifted I can only imagine if this is what it feels like to have dinner in Cuba
The service was great, up until we were served our entrees; there was a mistake with the order, and only three out of four entrees arrived at our table. Instead of apologizing, the waiter was irate, confrontational, and unapologetic about the mixup. We were left without any information while our dishes sat for 15 minutes until the fourth finally arrived. The waiter offered a free desert for the inconvenience which was a nice gesture, but it would have bee great if he asked us what we wanted instead of plopping down a plate of flan for the table like he was doing us some kind of favor.

Went for mothers day and of coarse, to be expected, was packed. Tapas were great. Food was better than the first few times I went there. Love the ambiance and the BYO. Really keeps the bill down. Would do it again for drinks and apps.
Tip: bring your own liquor for the sangria.
Dont be in a rush. If you are, not were you want to go. They take their time getting your order.

Good food and good times.
You cannot leave unsatisfied from Cuban Pete’s. Entrees are delicious. Tastes like home made, stuff made from scratch. Try to sit outside if possible. The atmosphere is lively, high energy and every table seems to be celebrating something. Such a happy place.
Servers are energetic, fast, welcoming and works hards to take care of you.
The place is BYOB and it fills up fast. Bring a bottle and come early.

Idk what is not to like here. the tapas are cheap and all pretty tasty, and the entrees are enormous and all satisfying. I mean its a byob too so… Anyways, when I pass by here I usually get a couple apps like the lil goat cheese balls in honey, chorizo, crispy pork, and sometimes quest frito too, cuz everyone loves cheese. for the actual entrée I usually can never ever ever go wrong with churrasco or the bahama coco fish filet with tons and tons of coconut buttery rice. while that’s getting boxed up I get the guava and cheese mini empanadas and another order of the little banana empanadas too, but all the desserts are good. Overall If you come here hungry you won’t be disappointed, and if you come here with a nice wine, you will leave pretty happy and with your next day’s lunch.

This place was such a great find! It has awesome Cuban food and the atmosphere is very casual and laid back. I love the walk way as you enter the restaurant’s outdoor seating area. The plants and signs definitely add to the whole «Cuban» feel. The outdoor seating area is pretty good during the warmer seasons. The indoor seating is pretty dim and it’s hard to see the menu sometimes depending on where you’re seated. Overall, the seating is pretty cramped but that’s not too big of a deal.
My absolute favorite dish is the oxtails. The oxtails are so incredibly tender and they melt in your mouth. The tomato based sauce is savory and full of flavor, the rice is tender, and the sweet plantains are caramelized pretty well. I’ve literally gotten this every single time I come. I can’t stray away from it! The churrasco is the best I’ve had in NJ. It is seasoned very well and the chimichurri is on point! These are the two entrees that I would definitely recommend.
My favorite tapa is the chicken lollipops. Five or six come in an order and it’s really the sauce that makes the entire thing. This is a must get to start off your meal! Another tapa that’s worth trying is pernil con tostones, which is crispy pork w/​fried plantains and garlic mojo. The flavors blend well with each other and it’s a fun dish to eat.
One downside is that they don’t take reservations so the wait is really long if you come during normal meal times. Another is that some tables are pretty small and cramped so if you get multiple tapas and entrees, you might not have enough room on the table for everything.

My favorite Cuban restaurant. This place makes me feel like I it would be if o ever traveled to Cuban. Lively, surround with beautiful happy people, great food, and super delicious sangria — take your pick these several to chose from.
Every time I visit it’s busy, but once your seated you feel like your their holiest in their house with very attentive friendly staff.
I was there on a week day and it was still busy. Busy is good, you know your having a great time.
Owner is hospital and makes assures you, your in good hands. I love coming here. I bringing my friends next time. I’ll share this secret treasure any time.

I’m sorry! I do not understand how this place doesn’t have at LEAST 4 stars! I LOVE CUBAN FOOD, so maybe my opinion is biased.
When my date told me he was taking me to Cuban Pete’s, I was intrigued, hut immediately jumped on Unilocal to check reviews. A little disheartened, I agreed to go because I hands down LOVE Cuban food so I figured it couldn’t be THAT bad.
Upon pulling up, my eyes were frantically looking for the front door. I did however like how they made this place look like it had been psychically imported from Cuba itself. I really do wish the entrance was at the front. But, after getting out and walking up to it, your little venture down what seems like an almosy shady in between building space, I understood more.
The vibe. Everything about this place SCREAMS Cuba!
Upon entry. It felt like I was in Cuba. There was music, and I love that the waiters wear Cuban hats. everything adds to the atmosphere.
My favorite fruit is Guava. so anytime I go ANYWHERE and I see ANYTHING that has to do with guava, I’m all for it! They had a punch menu. the pitcher we ordered was white wine, pineapple juice, and guava. Comparable to sangria, I LOVED THIS DRINK. Be sure to ask for NO ice. it will take up the pitcher and water down your punch!
I ordered guava chicken (my picture may have the correct name, I’m writing this review late). Let me tell you. It was the best chicken I’ve ever tasted. It was falling off the bones, and it was moist. It came with a side of coconut rice, which was DELICIOUS. I’m pretty sure I had fried plantains with this as well.
OF COURSEEEE I tried my date’s food. He had coconut fish, which was also VERY TASTEY. It came with the same rice.
I was SO stuffed, I didn’t even get a chance to glance at the dessert menu but I am sure it would have been listed with scrumptious dessert foods.
I will be returning to this place multiple times.

Cuban Pete’s, I love your food but hate your wait times! Is this place ever not busy? On a Saturday night be prepared for a two hour wait and no I’m not kidding. On top of that wait there is no where to stand/​sit, every 30 seconds a staff member is saying watch your back, excuse me.
I’m done venting onto the food… food is really good with good portion sizes. I have tried a bunch of the tapas for appetizers. My favorite dish is a toss up between the lechon or vaca frita. And don’t forget to have the crema de catalano for desert. It is heavenly! Bring the alcohol along because this place is a BYO.

OMG! This spot is a needle in a haystack and I’m glad I was pinched!!!
My friend and I came here on a Monday evening for dinner.
Appetizer: Lollipop Chicken & Beef Empanadas
Dinner: Shredded Beef w/​white rice and plantains. She had the Spicy Shrimp w/​white rice and plantains.
Drink: It’s BYOB! We brought 1800 Coconut Silver Tequila — which was accompanied by their coconut, strawberry and mango punch. DELISH!
Dessert: We shared the bread pudding. Eh. I’m from NYC and I’ve had better– not impressed with it.
Overall, I would done here again!
Extra Note: This place has MAGNIFICENT Cuban art of beautiful Black faces. Definitely a plus!!!

Loved this place. Good price for the food and the atmosphere is amazing. They have loud Spanish music playing. We ordered so much appetizers this time around. I wish I remembered how big their portion size was. Went for the traditional Cuban shredded chicken, I wish I got the shredded beef instead. The red snapper was delicious and so were the pork chops.
Oh it’s Also BYOB

Todo espectacular la mejor comida fusion cubana del estado de new jersey y del pais en miami nunca encontre un sitio asi de buen el mejor lugar para disfrutar del increible sabor de la comida cubana herencia de africa y españa con el sabor unico de los cubanos no puedes dejar de comer en este sitio mi favorito hasta ahora nada igual

Primero que todo, debo decir que la comida esta espectacular, especialmente la ropa vieja, el churrasco, la vaca frita, las masitas… y los precios, ni se diga. If you are looking for delicious cuban food, this is the place to go!