Mucho Gusto in Carroll Gardens
Had a bite at Mucho Gusto, gleeming new cuban luncheonette on Columbia just south of the BQE entrance near atlantic.
the rotisserie chicken had clearly been good once. My fault for going so near closing on a sunday. But the rice and beans were amazingly silky. I don't even like this kind of beans (gloppy red sauce, huge red beans), but they really did it for me.
Mojo (garlic sauce) surprisingly tangy and classy. Some fancy shellfish dish going by looked good.
Nice people, too. Very homey. Sort of third generation Latino.
Jim Leff
Mar 25, 2007 08:33PM
Also checked this place out recently, and also enjoyed the food. For $5 lunch you can get a big tray with meat, yellow rice, and red beans. It reminded me of Taza D'Oro in Chelsea.
The flan was good, too.
Jim, can you explain the 'third generation Latino' comment? Not sure of the relevance...
Permalink | Reply
I like it much better than Taza D'Oro
Third generation means everyone speaks accentless English. hipster Brooklyn kids who happen to have Latino roots. Different vibe from coffeeshops by/for immigrants, both in ambiance and cooking.
Permalink | Reply
Jim - I don't know if it had ever been good. I tried this place for lunch today - was the only person in there at lunch time. I ordered the roast pork lunch special. Had they been attempting to make pork jerky, they would have nearly succeeded. However, I believe this was supposed to be pernil, and it was laughably bad. Luckily it came with a side of red beans (flavorless, but at least moist) to which I was able to partially reconstitute the meat. At $7, it was a measly portion, but, given the quality, I was quite grateful.
I will say, however, that the rice and beans (the mixed together kind, not the yellow rice with red beans) was actually quite good. In fact, I'd dare say it was excellent. Too bad the rest of the food didn't live up to them.
The decor, too, should be mentioned, as it's quite tacky in a 21st century kind of way - there are three or four LCD TVs (and we're talking the 42" kind) displaying a computer-animated tropical fish scene.
Sadly, the people working there were so nice and I didn't have the heart to tell them that it was awful. Perhaps the individually cooked items are good, however, at this point, I'd steer clear of the lunch specials.
Permalink | Reply
I think this is glass half full versus half empty
i'm sorry that meats are just as bad during prime time as I found during off hours, but, to me, excellent rice and beans is excellent!
Permalink | Reply
I don't think the place looked tacky, it felt very relaxing, along with the soft spanish music . I loved the colors and the service. The LCD tv looked great, when I went they had the tropical fishes on the screen and my kids loved them. They seem family oriented. One thing I agree with you and Jim is that indeed the rice and beans are amazing.
Permalink | Reply
Jim, I went there last week and I got lucky, I had pernil. The pernil was nice and moist, I loved it! The atmosphere was great, and the staff was amazing.
Permalink | Reply
Just had lunch there and it was great! I grew up in a cuban/columbian neighborhood and haven't eaten this well since I was a kid. the food is very fresh and for latin food (which can be heavy if not cooked with care) was super tasty and lite. great service and vibe. super friendly owners that added more rice & beans to our doggie bag. oh yeah, portions are plentiful. We talked to the owner and she mentioned that they tried out a few chefs in the past 6 months before whole heartedly deciding on the one that cooked for us. Highly recommended. If you are looking for authentic latin/dominican food this is the real deal. If you are looking for trendy nouveau cuban food with models mixing mojitos try something else. one last thing, they are adding outdoor seating for the summer. this place is on a corner & right by the river. should be great.
ps. didn't know what to think of the LCDs when I read the reviews but they actually add to the relaxing atmosphere.
Permalink | Reply
Nice review. Two things that I like about this place opening. One, its not Spanish and I wont have to dilute the # of times I go to LaMancha on Atlantic and two, with the decline of the 2 Dominican places on Smith (mostly takeout anyway), I've been looking for a place with exactly what you're describing. On my short list to try. Thanks.
Permalink | Reply
Just to note I've been back a couple of times. Very nice people, and the food does peak to good heights (especially rice/beans), but the cluelessness really does them in. There was that fiberboard rotisserie chicken (had to be at least 12 hours old) on my first visit, then on 2nd visit, they served me a cup of beans (with the rice and beans) that had literally no beans. The chef just scooped water. A friend ordered pork chop and the meat was absolutely raw inside. Service is kind (everybody's nice!) but there's Fawlty Towers level bumbling going on. The place itself is ill-conceived....terrible location, and likely way too shiny in its furnishings for who and where they are. I doubt it's going to last long.
I don't doubt that a real good meal can be eked out here. But I don't recommend it as a destination place, and you'd better come with patience as well as hunger, and not be afraid to speak up when mistakes are made.
Permalink | Reply
Also - the outdoor seating seems silly - that area is a dust bowl and is likely to be so for some time. I don't even like walking that stretch of Columbia, let alone would I want to eat my pork jerky nee pernil out there... it is a shame they are so nice, though...
Permalink | Reply
Mucho Gusto appears to be closed -- forever. Anyone know anything?
Permalink | Reply