Cuba Libre Restaurant & Rum Bar

This review is for a large group for Sunday brunch.
3.5 stars FOOD
The quality and taste of the food was really good. The bread basket had a nice variety. The butters and spreads were made in house. The first wave had a nice selection of ceviche, crab balls, spinach bites, and guacamole (sweetened with pineapples– my least favorite). Everyone enjoyed their second wave of pancakes, French toast or Cuban eggs. Dessert was not good but most of us don’t like Latin desserts. There was a flan, runny tres leche cake, and a large rice pudding (who likes rice pudding?). The shortbread cookie was crisp but lacked flavor. The biggest issue was that since we were more that 7 people we had to secure the reservation through group sales in advance which meant a fixed price menu not the unlimited brunch we hoped for. This would’ve been fine but ALL portions are TINY. Which leads me to…
2 stars SERVICE — on site
Because the portions were small and we were hungry for more at every course (we were not a glutinous bunch, I promise!), we started asking for more! A few specific items from the bread basket led to 3 fresh baskets (score!). The lack of protein in the French toast led everyone who ordered it to ask for a side of bacon (no problem!). Did someone say churros? Can we get a few more of those, too? And, coffee? Tea? Needless to say, every additional item brought out had a very hefty price tag. The brunch was billed as a fixed price brunch with unlimited «first wave» items and a selection of 1 entrée. The server did not say ONE WORD about a single item they we ordered being additional. Our extras ended up being about $ 10 more pp than what we expected. The manager was a nice man but he could not overcompensate for the abysmal table service. The one nice thing is that they waived our cake cutting fee.
1 star SERVICE — in advance
When you’re planning a gathering of any sort, most of us would like to do this a few weeks in advance. You will need AT LEAST 2 – 3 weeks to get everything coordinated with their group sales/​private dining person. I have never found anyone in such a role so difficult to reach — ever. I called 3 times and left 3 messages over 5 days. One of those was to the manager who seemed «helpless» in the matter. He had no information and deferred 100% to the mystery person who I couldn’t get in contact with. About a week after my calls, I receive a pleasant email with everything I need. From there things are still slow but moving. And I found this person very nice and accommodating. I just don’t understand why she was so hard to reach and never, ever available by phone. When we were 1 person short the day of the brunch, the manager would not allow me to be charged for 12 vs 13 until he had «approval» from her (on her off day).
Bottom line is go to Cuba Libre for the food, but not in a group of more than 7… ever!

**Brunch Only Review**
Tried out this spot for brunch and it was pretty much hit or miss. There were items that were absolutely delicious and there were items that were pretty bland. There were also certain dishes that had a lot of potential but simply fell short. But since you’re only paying $ 28 for unlimited tapas it isn’t that bad when you order a few bad plates. I went with a big group so I had the opportunity to try quite a few of the menu items:
— Panqueuques: they were fluffy and tasted great. The mango butter that accompanies this is absolutely delicious.
— French Toast: caramelized and crispy on the outside and soft and spongy on the inside. This was definitely on my favorite dishes.
— El Cubanito: pork tasted great and the bread was toasted perfectly.
— Chorizo & Potato Omelet: this dish was pretty bland and the chorizo was not really seasoned well.
— Pork Fried Rice con Huevo: cooked perfectly and the pork belly was nice and crispy.
— Crab Cake Benedict Croqueta: not very well seasoned and the hollandaise did not taste very good.
— Guacamole Cubano: it lacked flavor and was nothing special in my opinion.
— Grilled Octopus: was overcooked and tasted very rubbery.
— Plantains: perfectly cooked and very delicious.
— Steak Slider: this was my favorite dish during the brunch. Great flavors and the meat was perfectly cooked.
— Churros con Chocolate: perfect way to end this brunch. The dipping sauces were absolutely delicious.
Overall the flavors were not amazing. But now that I know exactly which dishes to order and which ones to avoid, I think would come back and probably have a better brunch experience.

I had a delicious guava Caipirinha, I totally recommend it!
For dinner I had the vegetables paella, and my boyfriend had the arroz con pollo. We both enjoyed dinner, it was just a little pricey for what you got. Good food though! And the toast with the cinnamon was my highlight.

What a great place! Food was so delicious and staff was very attentive and friendly. We hardly had to ask for drinks as the server would bring multiple glasses of mimosas at lunch. I tried most items on the menu, but was particularly fond of the Pork Fried Rice con Hueve, the seafood soup, and the breakfast brisket. Portions were very generous. Loved it and would come back. However, you pay for what you get $ 50 per person.

Nice place to dine & listen to Cuban music. Try the Paradise rum (sweet & tropical) & Guantanamo bay rum (somewhat strong). The citrus chicken and lachon asado are good dishes. Outdoor seating is currents unavailable.

As a Latino, I really take pride in supporting our Latin American restaurants and cuisine. With that, I’m always hopeful that the food is bursting with flavor and the service is friendly, inviting… nothing less than what we would get going to abuelita’s house for dinner. I am writing this review as my experience progresses… and so here it goes. I ordered the Margajito which was very good (maybe too good lol). Once my mojito was served, I was asked if I wanted to open a tab… in other words they wanted my credit card. I don’t care if I am sitting at the bar… there is no greater turn-​off then having to give up my credit card first and then they keep it until the end. That really pisses me off! Which is why this review started with just two stars.
I then had the black bean soup with hot sauce on the side and bread. Wow, it was really good. Lots of flavor. The bread was nice and toasted and the mango butter was good (the butter however was not room temperature).
Next, I went with the passion fruit mojito… that was better the the first one… lol. I decided to order the Lechon Asado. While waiting for my Lechon, the piped in music played Hector’s La Murga… ok now we are up to three stars. The Lechon Asado had a great presentation and it was excellent. It sat on a bed of mashed yuca with black bean sauce and yes some chicharones on top. I would order it again.
If you want to sit at the bar but don’t like giving up your credit card before ordering any food… then don’t go! I hear you. And as I observed other patrons next to me, this restaurant policy is selective… maybe it only applies to Latinos. Otherwise, the food was great, the music and ambiance was party like. I may come back again and until then, let’s leave it at three stars.

I’ll start out by saying that the food was delicious! Really enjoyed it
The reason I am giving them two stars is for the service. As a business traveler who spends about 80% of my time away from home the one thing I hate most is being treated like shit because I am eating alone. I went here and asked for a table. I was told they only had «bar seating available» which was total BS because the restaurant seating was mostly empty.
So I took a bar table. I ordered my food. I ordered a drink. Together was nearly $ 40.
I noticed as I was sitting there that every other table including the bar tables had bread baskets. I never received one.
The waitress also almost always walked right past me, asking the other group tables how their food was. If they needed refills. Etc. besides when she took my order and dropped off my food. She never came back to my table. I even had to flag down a bus boy to get my bill. Needless to say. She didn’t receive a tip from me.
Food. 5 stars
Service. 1 star

We were a group of 7 family members in for the memorial weekend. We came in very hungry from site seeing all day. For starters we had tropical chips and a trio of dips and Mama Amelia’s Empanadas. The empanadas we were probably the best I have ever had (wish I had some right now) the chips with the dips were amazing also. For dinner I had the Vaca Frita, cooked perfectly and so delicious. We ordered a pitcher of red sangria and here is why i didn’t give them 5 stars, not good at all! Didn’t like the chopped fruit and it needed to be just a bit sweeter for my taste. We loved this place so much that we came back the next night for drinks. Caipirinha Guava is very good.

Came here for dinner. Aside from clearly robbing us with the prices. They pretended we never made a reservation and made us wait a while.
I also patiently watched as they eyed us the entire night as we just wanted to enjoy our dinner and have a friendly conversation. Never come back here again. Very disappointing experience.

Caipirinhas are delicious! That was the highlight of my meal outside of my wonderful company. The mussels were not cleaned properly and at a restaurant with reviews as high as this I very much expected more. It is impossible to enjoy mussels with bits of sand and debris in every bite.
I would go back for drinks but overall I didn’t feel the food was as delicious as I could be. I needed more flavor.

We came here for a birthday celebration and while dinner was yummy, at about 10pm they start removing tables to get the place set up for the nightlife. That is not a problem but what is a problem is the way they eye you down every 2 minutes to make sure are ready to leave. It became annoying after about 5 min of managers, servers, and bussers kept circling past the table. Our server Jesus, was amazing and very friendly and knowledgeable for it to be his first day! The food is amazing and so was the dessert! I really loved the bread with mango butter! To die for! Just make sure to have dinner earlier in the evening and be out of there by 10 or you will have the same experience that we did.

First time. This place is the epitome of the famous line «Don’t judge the book by its cover». What an absolute pleasure to be here celebrating special occasion with a friend. I wouldn’t know this place at all. Its just few steps away from China town.
The whole entire place looks incredibly amazing. I was immediately transported to Cuba. The atmosphere was fantastic and compelling. I love the Latin vibes, the music and the hospitality service was spot on. This is place knows how to make their customer happy. No kidding aside, the staff here are genuinely sincere making sure that their guest is having a great experience to the extent.
For tonight’s menu, I started with their famous pulled pork empanada, pineapple avocado guacamole with fried plantain chips and for main I ordered the classic Lechon Asado. I thought the food was incredibly delicious. The flavor profile was spot on. What I love about the dish I ordered was the authenticity, rich and balance flavor. In fact, I had a good compliment from the server that it was great choice. I mean it was perfect for the occasion.
As much as I enjoyed the food, ambience and drinks. I have to commend the positive spirit and hard work of the staff that work in this restaurant. Hands down, one of the best service I’ve ever received in a busy city.
I will totally come back here in a heart beat.

Great drinks, good food and fun atmosphere. Happy hour is the best but gets crowded quickly so know you’ll probably eat standing; regular menu is on the high end but delicious. If it’s 1 – 3 people I highly recommend trying the tapas sampler (also for HH), it’s a good deal. The guava caipirinha is my fav!

Beware of off-​hours eating. Walked in at 230PM on a Saturday and had the menu change from brunch to lunch to tapas only on the way to our table from the host stand.
The black bean soup was pedestrian (as was our server), but the empanadas were great.
Oh… And watch out for leftover coffee mug with lipstick!

Love the interior and atmosphere. The regular mojitos and caipirinhas are decent. Not the best, but they get the job done. The house-​infused caipirinha is actually pretty tasty. It’s spicy and flavorful and not too sweet. The food was also decent, but nothing spectacular. I had the ropa vieja, which was good, but I was a little pissed that I was charged $ 4 for my (measly) side salad that was supposed to be a sub for the rice AND maduros. Shitty move. A few of my friends got the arroz con pollo and seemed to enjoy it.
But the dancing… FIRE! Salsa, merengue, bachata, reggaeton. Oh my!!! I hadn’t danced like that in YEARS! And it was a great crowd. It gets pretty packed, but SO much fun!

The food is good but a little more priced than the real. Didn’t get to see the dance, but I’m assuming it’s worth it if we danced. I guess the upset part is only the No Tres Leches for the day. It’s a pain to came for dessert but ended up a meal without dessert.
We had yuca fries (good), shrimp ceviche, and papa rellena. For the entrée, I had the grilled chicken beast with fried plantains, and my boyfriend had regular sandwich with salad, rice and beans. I’m not a fan of fried plantains, but the chicken really tender and worth a try.

The mango butter will change your life.
Due to the snow, restaurant week was extended so a friend and I decided to check out Cubra Libre. I tried this place over a year ago and I forgot what the food was like, but it was GREAT. During restaurant week, you can get three courses for $ 35. They also give you a mashed plantain with black bean hummus (pretty good). I ordered the scallop ceviche and the citrus chicken. The scallop ceviche was soooooo GOOD! OMG I am not a fan of tomatoes, but this ceviche was absolutely good and extremely flavorful.
It did take some time for our main entrée to arrive, but I understand that kitchens get backed up. The citrus chicken comes with black beans and some sort of spicy sauce. It was absolutely delicious.
I am a fan of Cuba Libre! I also ordered the pineapple caipirinha which was pretty strong (I like strong drinks).
Also, the inside of this restaurant is pretty cool, kind of gives you a homey feel.

After two visits to Cuba Libre, the first being a forgettable lunch experience and the most recent being a delightful brunch experience, I’m confident to recommend Cuba Libre to those like me. Those who are continually in search of the various fixed-​price or AYCE-​type brunches, that have a built-​in or add-​on bottomless drink option. Also, happy news is that Cuba Libre accepts OpenTable reservations, which made it easy for us to make a last-​minute rez here.
The atmosphere inside Cuba Libre is so cool; they did a stellar job really building out the Havana vibe. You’ll feel as though you’re seated at a sidewalk café in downtown Havana. Take a look at the intricacy of the décor and the faux building fronts, and transport yourself (hell, now that we can actually visit Cuba, you can do some recon to see how authentic the décor here really is).
At brunch, get a load of this: only $ 28.50 for unlimited «tapas style» plates. But here’s the thing: unlike other restaurants and their fairly small «tapas» for brunch, the myriad menu items at Cuba Libre are actually very sizable, and don’t feel like small bites whatsoever. It’s almost guaranteed that your eyes will be larger than your stomach here. What is more, you can add a bottomless beverage option, which includes both adult beverages as well as several tasty, non-​alcoholic Aguas Frescas, for only $ 16 additional. This is a great option, since there are typically folks in a large party who want ALLLLL the things on the menu, but might not want the drinks. That’s cool; something for everyone!
On to the food, which is actually really good. Upon selecting the all-​you-​can-​eat tapas brunch, you’ll be provided a basket of tasty Latin breakfast breads and butters. Warning: be wise and DO NOT fill your belly with this goodness. It’s like a ploy so you won’t eat as many tapas! :) If your waiter is awesome like ours was, you may also be regaled with some tasty guacamole with crispy plantain chips for dipping. As far as the tapas plates, you’re going to find nearly every Latino breakfast dish under the sun… no shortage of huevos, papas, arroz, ceviche (small uncharge), hash dishes, croquettes, and SO MUCH MORE. Take a look at the pics I posted from our brunch for a small sample of the foods from which you can choose. Don’t forget order the grilled octopus!
I also recommend one of the alcoholic coffee beverages if you’re either not doing the bottomless option (as those aren’t included) or you’re feeling extra-​indulgent. They are quite good!

My friends and I brunch quite often around DC. Usually we treat brunch as primarily a drinking event, and then food as a secondary objective.
This is probably not a place I will be paying a visit to again.
We had a noon reservation for 6. We arrived at noon on the dot and walked in to an entirely empty Cuba Libre. It took them about 15 minutes to «set up our table» and get us seated. The server then came over and despite us telling her we knew what we wanted, she went over the entire brunch menu. One thing that is a bummer about this place is you have to get the unlimited food if you want to get the unlimited drinks. The bottomless food is $ 28.50 off the bat so if you want unlimited drinks you’re already looking at around $ 45 per person for the brunch.
It would be one thing if the experience was exceptional, but for $ 40+ this was no where near what I expected. The service was so, so slow. We ordered our food and drinks immediately and the food hit the table before the drinks. Our server kept telling us «Your drinks are coming up» but there was really no excuse considering the place was empty.
The food was the only bright spot of the day. The guacamole and seafood soup were really delicious and the pork fried rice was our favorite — we got a lot of that. Other than that, the drinks were meh, the service slow and meh, and it was just an expensive and somewhat stressful brunch.
If you’re looking for a brunch to eat a lot and not really drink, I could see this being a possible destination for you. If you’re looking to drink first and be able to have a little fun, I’d recommend picking somewhere else.

This is really a 3.5 star rating for the food/​establishment, but upping it to 4 due to the service — our server was able to figure out a complicated check with a smile on his face, prompt in responding to all our requests, and inquired about bringing out a birthday dessert because he overheard us talking about the dinner being a birthday celebration. Hats off to the Cuba Libre servers!
The food itself wasn’t the best or most authentic cuban food that I’ve ever had, but there were some highlights like the salmon and tuna ceviche appetizers, as well as the tuna steak. I personally got the seafood paella and it was *full* of seafood, which is often an issue at other places. As you can tell from the description, most of these dishes could be ordered at spanish or american restaurants, thus the lack of authenticity.
The décor is cute though — made to look and feel like you’re in Cuba. Overall, probably a good place to hold big group dinners, but if it’s a smaller set of individuals, it’s probably better to try your luck at another Cuban place in the district.

la comida estaba ok, nada de excelente por el precio, Oh Dios es una locura pagar 26.00 por lo que ellos llaman churrasco, para mi el churrasco es una trozo verdaderamente grande y grueso de carne, pero eso que sirven alli noooooo para nada lo recomendaria. el servivio fue fatal, la persona que nos recibio demoro 5 min. para dejar de leer lo que estava leyendo y luego nos pregunta que en que nos podia ayudar, por favor se supone que si estamos alli es porque necesitamos una mesa para sentarnos, el mesero le pedi una taza de sopa de frijoles negros y me dijo que no servian tazas si no la sopa entera, nisiquiera preguntan si deseas tu orden con arroz, platanos o yuca, nooooooo ellos solo traen lo que ya esta en el menu.
NUNCA MAS REGRESARE A ESTE LUGAR.
los precios son ridiculos y las porsiones super chiquitas.