247296 Tue Sep 13 09:21:33 -0700 2005 16 19 Outer Boroughs 0 1314318 Has anyone tried the Cuban restaurant (called something like Cafe Cubano?) on Smith St? I think it's on Smith near Degraw, in Carroll Gardens. Looks cute; just wondering how the food is. I've got a friend visiting who's homesick for Florida, and would love to get her some good beans and rice and plantains! Tue Sep 13 09:21:33 -0700 2005 0 dixieday 1 1314326 Had good french toast there and a VERY good Cuban sandwich. Definitely reccommend it (cheap, too). Tue Sep 13 11:21:38 -0700 2005 1314318 0 mikey utah 2 1314332 its not authentic (run by french/north african people i think) but its fine...cubana cafe...they have another on thompson street in soho. cheap, nice place for cuban food (not a typical cuban joint obviously). i actually had dinner there on new years eve last year... Tue Sep 13 12:19:52 -0700 2005 1314326 0 sam 3 1314334 On opening weekend had one of the worst cubanos of my life there. Even the Dominican places do a better job on these. It's run by one of the owners/managers of Banania and Cafe Luluc. I think both of those restaurants are much better... Tue Sep 13 12:31:38 -0700 2005 1314332 0 Lambretta76 1 1314333 She's bound for disappointment, especially being from Florida. Café Cubano has attractive trappings, but the food comes up way short, based on my experience. Some Cuban basics aren't even on the menu (tamales) and some that are are prepared wrong (yuca in mojo ruined by caramelized onions). The steak and the fish are very mediocre & didn't strike me as "Cuban." Most damningly, the rice & beans are bad. The moros is prepared wrong so that the flavors don't intermingle the way they should - tastes like how someone would make it at home in a pinch with no time to let it sit. They offer a lot of fried stuff that I haven't tried. The cocktails are good, though. Tue Sep 13 12:30:31 -0700 2005 1314318 0 Ellis Aponte Jr. 1 1314340 If you and your friend are willing to travel, you might want to post on the Manhattan board. I think there are a few decent Cuban places in the City, like Cafe Habana (in SOHO?). Tue Sep 13 12:57:22 -0700 2005 1314318 0 parkslopemama 2 1314343 Cafe Habana is not very good. Taking your friend to a mediocore or bad Cuban joint will only make your friend more homesick for Florida. Why not take him to a Dominican joint, something more common in nyc. Tue Sep 13 13:22:35 -0700 2005 1314340 0 josh L 1 1314341 Fun atmosphere, so-so food. Cafe El Cubinato on Henry Street has much better food. Whether it's perfectly authentic, I don't know, but what I had was enjoyable. Tue Sep 13 12:58:06 -0700 2005 1314318 0 Pete 1 1314356 If you're looking for some good - and authentic - Cuban food, I'd recommend El Sitio in Woodside/Jackson Heights, Queens. It's one of the few "working-class" Cuban joints in the city and has, in my opinion, the best Cubano in town. Other dishes read like Cuba's greatest hits and I'm sure are quite tasty. Tue Sep 13 15:09:33 -0700 2005 1314318 0 Lambretta76 1 1314359 If they're homesick and from Florida, they'll remain homesick. It appears to be cuban food as interpreted by a mostly french-canadian staff (at least when I was there.) It's perfectly acceptable food, but not authentically cuban by a longshot. I'd try Cuba down in the West Village, Cafecito down on Ave C, or take them into Jersey. Tue Sep 13 15:29:05 -0700 2005 1314318 0 Jorge 2 1314360 To follow up on my own post, the best "nice" Cuban place I know of anywhere in the area is Azucar down on Dempsey Ave. in Edgewater, NJ. This is the place you want to take your Floridian relatives to. Tue Sep 13 15:32:07 -0700 2005 1314359 0 Jorge 3 1314371 I had really watered down drinks at Azucar. They were rationing the liquor. Tue Sep 13 16:27:25 -0700 2005 1314360 0 josh L 3 1314532 Rather than heading to Edgewater (if you don't have a car), hop on the PATH and head over to Hoboken. For really authentic Cuban, try La Isla. For a pan-latino dinner with a heavy Cuban influence, try Zafra's. These are some absolute gems, and their absence was sorely missed when I moved to Brooklyn. Thu Sep 15 21:17:25 -0700 2005 1314360 0 Dave Stewart 1 1314385 I had some pretty mediocre ropa vieja there, and yeah, the beans and rice were nothing to write home about either. Tue Sep 13 18:42:39 -0700 2005 1314318 0 jmz 2 1314667 we've been several times and enjoy it. not authentic, but cheap and tasty nontheless. the pounded chicken w/onions is delicious. the restaurant gets a little too crowded and claustrophobic at dinner, but brunch/middle of the day dining is very pleasant. i used them to cater a small cocktail party and would definitely recommend them. happy guests and no leftovers! Sun Sep 18 18:38:12 -0700 2005 1314385 0 critter 1 1314723 Try mojito in fort greene...much more like the real thing. Great pernil and ropa vieja. Mon Sep 19 15:18:09 -0700 2005 1314318 0 fooddood 1 1318228 I ate there when it first opened. I'm Cuban, so I was excited for some home-cooking in my neighborhood, but I found the food bland and boring. Also, the tables are really cramped -- I felt like I was sharing my meal with the people around me. Not a good experience. Fri Nov 25 19:01:35 -0800 2005 1314318 0 oolah