Mambo Grill and Tapas

Mambo Grill has decent food but their service wasn’t. Also one of the owners or employees kept parking in the handicap spot forcing the people who need it to park on the street. Hopefully they have resolved that issue with their new location.

THIS IS THE BEST CUBAN FOOD I HAVE EVER EATEN. The food is so good i dont know where to start. The vaca frita is my favorite, their plantains are always cooked to perfection, and the waiter with the man bun makes the best mojitos ive ever had in my life.

So love Mambo Grill. The staff are so nice and eagerly help broaden your horizons with cuban food meals… Of which I so love. They have great mojotos, wine, martinis to go with any of their entrees. Many Kudos

I want to start out by saying this would have been a five star review if based on the food alone. We ending up having several issues through out the whole experience. We chose this establishment based on my Dads pick for his birthday lunch. We got there at about 1pm. We were seated at a table that was just vacated. The table was not wiped after it was sprayed so there was cleaner everywhere. I had to unroll our silverware to wipe down the chairs and tables. We had our orders taken shortly after. The place was slammed so we assumed that was why it was taking so long for our food to come out. We started to get concerned at 1:45pm and still no food and no waiters had come to check on us. At 2pm a very apologetic waiter did come over and explain that we were the victims of a faulty computer system and our order was never placed. We were comp’ed some empanadas while we waited for our 2^nd order to go through. The food did come out about 25 minutes later. It was exquisite. My Dad got the Cuban special sandwich and as he took his first bite he chomped down on a pork bone from the roasted pork. This was such a huge disappointment. The sandwich was sent back and a new one arrived in about 10 minutes sans bones.
Ok, all craziness aside the food was very very good. I had the plantain temptation with the ropa veija. Sweet, savory, and satisfying.
After all of the issues I think I would come back. This was just an off experience.

This is my second or third time here. I didn’t get tapas tonight. I enjoyed a very nice steak and rice flavored with delicious pork. The veggies on the side were good enough to be the main course. Excellent.

Stopped by this place after work. I’m rarely in this area and was craving some good Cuban food. I was not disappointed. The puerco asado with Moro and sweet plantains were absolutely delicious! The pork was so tender and seasoned perfectly. The rice was soft and beans weren’t too mushy. We also ordered one of each empanada and all 4 were great. They were crispy and too greasy. The Cuban sandwich left much to be desired. The tres leche had a really weird after taste and was off putting. Parking is definitely hard to find especially if you drive right past the place.
I gave this place 3 stars because the food was good. Now, to the condescending owner. I live about an hour from Salisbury and was only there for work. I had told her that I had ordered the Cuban sandwich with the shredded pork and I wasn’t given that. She must think that she’s the only Cuban restaurant owner in North Carolina. Not only did she claim that Cubans don’t eat hot sauce (my sister in law is Cuban so that’s a lie) but she claims to have made up the Cuban sandwich with shredded pork on it. I told her I’ve had it in Concord and she said that they must have liked it when they tried it there. Who does she think she is? She told me to go back there so she can give me pork for the sandwich. Really? I told her to refund me the money because it’s not what I wanted. She then claimed to not find the credit card receipt that I signed to find the order number. How can you lose that as a business? That’s how credit card fraud happens. When I called back with the order number (she was probably trying to call my bluff about my receipt) she said that the phone must have broken up when I ordered the sandwich because she didn’t hear me say «Cuban special». Mayda has some nerve. She claims to be the owner but I’ve never met an owner who has this «I’m right and you’re wrong but I’m going to say sorry in an asshole way» attitude. That’s no way to speak to a customer especially a new one, which I told her I was. I won’t go back there again no matter how good that pork was.

This place is pretty cozy with a pleasant décor. The food is good authentic Cuban food. The staff fell behind very quickly even though the place wasn’t that full and I had to wait a long time for my drink to be refilled. But, if you’re in no hurry, it’s a place worth visiting.

One of my absolute favorite restaurants! It’s hard to find legitimate Cuban food in North Carolina, and this place is EXCELLENT! For those of you who have not had Cuban before, do not go there expecting Tex-​Mex! This food is chock full of Caribbean flavors, and the portion sizes are enormous. My dad worked in a predominantly Cuban area in Miami for years (Hialeah), so he obviously ate a LOT of Cuban food, and he says this is some of the best he’s ever had. It’s a little off the beaten path in Salisbury (though they are moving downtown in January 2016), but it is absolutely worth every minute of the drive we make from the Triad. It’s definitely the hidden gem of Salisbury. My favorite dish is the Hemingway chicken (The Caribbean chicken is also great), and my husband usually gets one of their beef dishes… we are never disappointed! Did I mention the portion sizes are the size of Texas? ;) The wait staff is always friendly and accommodating. They do have a small bar area, and offer a variety of beers, wine, and coffee as well. During typical busy hours, there’s usually a wait (due partially to the smaller size of the restaurant, hence why they are moving to a larger location in a few months), so it may be a good idea to call for a reservation. If you’re in Salisbury or the surrounding area, definitely check this place out! Five stars all the way!

Delish! Moved to nc from south Florida. They offer Cuban sodas as well as amazing authentic food! The ropa viejo is our fave. Check them out!!!

I LOVE Mambo Grill! The Vaca Frita and the Puerca are to die for. And you really can’t go wrong with friend plantains. They make amazing mojitos and the deserts are delish! This spot is a MUST TRY for authentic Cuban cuisine!

My second time here! Simply amazing! People hundreds of miles just to eat here! Authentic Cuban food. Awesome.

Gringo passing through from Charlotte going north
I was skeptical driving through town to get here
Wonderful experience as advertised
Sampler appetizer was superb
Chicken soup was superb
Split a deluxe Cuban sandwich with friend — it was amazing.
Quality hip clean 95.5 sanitation rating on wall
Surrounded by Spanish speaking tables which told the tale
Stop here.

I had an odd experience here tonight.
We ordered an appetizer that never showed. I knew our chances of ever getting it were bleak when a different server who took our order brought us our food. I told her that we ordered the Key West Tostones, but to just go ahead and remove it from our bill, and not bring it out. Who wants an appetizer with their main course? She began to explain to me that this particular appetizer takes about 15 – 20 minutes to make. Huh? Then why is it offered as a PRECOURSE dish? Moments later she came out and apologized again, and said she didn’t know what happened to the order, it was put in, but lost. Ok? My buddy’s water was sitting empty, and as she began to walk away, he asked if she could fill it. The servers were very nice, but not very efficient.
We also asked for some mojo, she said «sure.» It never came. NBD
We ate our food, I had a palomilla steak, my boys had the pork chunks and a salmon dish. All three were pretty good, not quite Miami good, but VERY authentic for Salisbury, NC.
Then it got odd again. As we finished our food, we ordered 2 café Cubanos, and the check. The check arrived, but coffees did not. We waited about 10 min or so, and then finally asked. «Oh, I’m so sorry. We’ll get those right out to you.»
There were three servers on duty, with no more than 12 people in the restaurant.
My recommendation, the food is worth the bad service. Especially if you like Cuban food. Maybe take out? Just double and triple check the bag before you walk out.

In a word: EXTRAORDINARY !!!
My wife and I enjoy coming here very much. Not only is the food exquisite, the atmosphere tropical but the personnel is super attentive!
My only regret is that they aren’t open for breakfast too :-)
A must have for the Caribbean experience!

Stopped by because I was in the area and saw the Unilocal rating. I ordered the churrasco and it was excellent. My son had the salmon and he liked it to. The Temptation with Picadillo was outstanding.
This is a little gem in the middle of small town USA.
It was a hot day outside but the A/​C was cranking!
The server kept coming and refilling our drinks/​water promptly without any prompt from us.
Clean, nice décor, casual.

Surprisingly delicious! Mambo was on the way during out motorcycle ride and we stopped to break. Three of us hadn’t had Cuban before and we loved it. We tried the Cuban sandwiches and the Vaca Frita w/​plantain. We ate and drank mojitos and drove off satisfied. I’d eat here again for sure.

I was in Salisbury and chose Mambo grill because of all the excellent Unilocal reviews. Mambo did not disappoint and was an excellent choice for dinner. Our waiter was fabulous. I had never eaten Cuban food before and he was very knowledgeable about the menu and what to order. My husband and I tried the tropical sampler as an appetizer. It was a great choice because we tried several dishes. It was also quite large and a great deal at $ 12. For dinner I ordered the ropa Vieja with a yummy bean and rice side. The waiter told me to try the sweet plantains which I did. Everything was delicious and the portions were huge. I sampled my husband’s Cuban sandwich which was awesome. For dessert I tried their tres leches cake. It was different than the Mexican variety I have had before and I really enjoyed it. They offer brunch on Sundays and I definitely want to go back and try it.

I really like the atmosphere at this place, it has authentic looking décor that makes me feel like I’ve left Salisbury.
I’ve been here a couple of times now and I must say I have not been disappointed. The food is delicious and the mango habanero salsa is to die for! The flavors and dishes compliment one another.
If you want a nice sit down family restaurant with delicious food, look no further!
~I am deducting a star for service, on ALL occasions I’ve been it’s been really slow and inattentive — We’ve been forgotten about ~

Excellent meal and service. We ordered 4 meals and shared. We started off with spinach and cheese Empanadas and they were awesome. We followed with a Cuban sandwich, Ropa Viega, Palomilla, and Stuffed Plantains. Every dish was excellent! Finished it off with Café con Leche. That was an amazing meal.

Review in english below!
AMIGOS — Comida deliciosa en un ambiente familiar. En mi opinión, el mejor restaurante de comida latina en el área. Buen precio, con buenas porciones. El servicio es muy bueno. El personal es muy amable. Un lugar muy bueno para compartir en familia. Les recomiendo eso si que hagan reservación especialmente si van otro día que no sea Domingo.
Delicioso!
FRIENDS — The only reason I have been to Salisbury is this restaurant, and I will continue to make the 40 min trip because it’s worth it! specially in an area that has very little to offer other than chain food.
The food — priced well for the portions of food. Truly delicious and well seasoned. I have tried the coconut shrimp, picadillo and ropa vieja and all these plates were really good. No disappointment. I only wish they had more options for desert other than flan (so boring!), and also had empanadas filled with guava.
Service — friendly and courteous. A good place to enjoy with your family and have a good conversation while enjoying great food. I would however suggest you make reservations as it gets pretty busy — except for Sunday, which seems to be a more less busy day for the restaurant.
Ambiance — perfect size, familiar feel, happy and bright vibe, great to celebrate special occasions or go out for dinner any night! Hope it stays small just as it is!

After checking out the reviews of this place I wasn’t sure what to expect as they were mixed. So just a heads up for those that read reviews without knowing the reviewer — when there are so many mixed reviews and ratings from a 1 to a 5 then it typically means the place isn’t consistent, but not necessarily bad. I would warn a person looking at reviews to look at the reviewer as well — someone with no friends and very few reviews means that person hasn’t been with it as long and may not have written as many and therefore still determining how to review consistently to offer you much to go by. Also remember that if the reviewer only has one or two reviews — they might either be a person who knows the owner and likes them or hates them. Unless all the reviews are bad — I would always consider the place for a visit!
Now as for my review — the only reason this didn’t get a 5 star rating from me is that the place wasn’t as appealing as it could have been. We came in the back door and that whole area seemed a bit messy. I know that shouldn’t mean too much, but sometimes a mess in one area of a restaurant means another hidden mess, perhaps in the kitchen might also be there. This might have an impact on other things such as quality of food, service or your bill. In the case of my trip here for lunch — there was no impact I could detect! I will be going back and seeing if they tidy the place up more!
The food was very good — I rate similar businesses together — a fast food place would be compared to a fast food place and a chain would be compared to another chain. This is a mom and pop place and they really do things right here! The service was amazingly fast — I’m not sure how they even managed to get it on the plate and out to us that fast. The flavor was outstanding, the value/​price was on target and our server was very pleasant and offered us a drink to go.
Anyone that’s had a not so good experience here should give them a second shot. Family businesses are hard because you don’t have a corporation behind you — you have a corporation on top of you trying to run you out of business — so I urge folks to try more to help out the mom and pop places and offer in your review a suggestion for improvement and not a bash on the head!