Cubana

Reviews & Tips

• 0

  If the owners read these reviews let me highlight, from one business owner to another,  some much needed areas of improvement.
  1. When I walk in the restaurant, unless you are a bar or diner, I expect to be greeted at the door or to see a sign that instructs me to seat myself. When the place is near empty and the servers are hanging in the back chitchatting that isnt good.
  2. I shouldnt have to ask for silverware.
  3. I definitely should never, ever have to ask to have our water glasses refilled, especially when we are one of only three tables in the place.
  4. I expect any food served to be served hot. If its not hot then your expediter or manager should refire the order rather than have it come out to our table cold. Especially something as easy as fries. Really? Cold fries?
  If you read the reviews, your food is okay. Its your service that is killing you. I highly suggest getting a front of house manager.

  Review Source:

  Posted on 02.16.13 Doug D.

  • Report
• 0

  Went to a small restaurant on Frankfort Ave. last night with my husband.  It was a great experience!  We started with coconut shrimp that were hand battered with a delish crust and served with a great sweet hot sauce.  The best we have eaten anywhere.  Hubby ordered Puerco Asado con Mojo, pork with congris and yucca and I had Fricasse de Pollo served with rice, black beans and sweet potatoes.  The dishes were so tasty and well cooked no knives were necessary.  The yucca and sweet potatoes were lightly battered and fried.  Yummy!!!  The waitress was helpful, describing dishes and making suggestions when asked.

  Review Source:

  Posted on 01.18.13 Carol Y.

  • Report
• 0

  I've eaten here a handful of times and every time my food was amazing.  The plantain chips and guacamole is amazing, even better than Havana Rumba!

  Review Source:

  Posted on 01.11.13 Jamie S.

  • Report
• 0

  Tobias B is way wrong! I have been to Cubana several times sometimes alone and sometimes in a group and everyone was very pleased with their food and drinks. Tobias is obviously a shill for Rumba. Authentic Cuban food at it's best!

  Review Source:

  Posted on 11.24.12 Tom F.

  • Report
• 0

  I have mixed feelings about Cubana but will be giving them another shot because the food was great and the staff was very personable.
  
  The food/drinks are both over priced and the wait times are horrible.

  Review Source:

  Posted on 11.21.12 Adam W.

  • Report
• 0

  My Partner and I had a TERRIBLE dining experience here last night!  We ordered the Palomilla Steak and the Churrasco (Skirt Steak), a side of fried yuca, and a beer.  My Partner's Palomilla Steak had maybe three bites of edible meat...the rest was grizzle and fat!  My Churrasco steak was NOT skirt steak, but rather the same CHEAP CHEAP grizzly cut of meat that was served as Palomilla!  Both steaks were also drenched in grease! The fried yuca arrived without the garlic sauce condiment.  Upon getting the bill, the beer was supposed to be $1 off because of happy hour, but was not marked down.  The only reason we went here was because we live right around the corner, I got home late from work, didn't have time to cook, and had a <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Frestaurant.com&s=c5fe485af4df376130bee54f875814d79c4d7913e1258123b1206d2bdbf4873b" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://restaurant.com</a> coupon.  The server said they no longer accept <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Frestaurant.com&s=c5fe485af4df376130bee54f875814d79c4d7913e1258123b1206d2bdbf4873b" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://restaurant.com</a> coupons, but I just had purchased it 10 minutes prior via their website!  Finally he accepted it.  The decor is nice inside, but it is quieter than a morgue.  I expect salsa and merengue music when I go to a cuban restaurant.  The only reason I gave it two stars and not one was because we had gone there once before and had an ok experience, but after this experience tonight, I would NEVER go back and rather take my business the extra mile down the road to Havanna Rhumba, which has AMAZING cuban food and service!!!  Too bad, because Cubana has a great location and I hate to see a family business fail, but it is far far below the quality of Havanna Rhumba.

  Review Source:

  Posted on 10.18.12 Tobias B.

  • Report
• 0

  Food was good.  I wasn't sure what to expect, we had a groupon, so we tried it one Sunday evening.  It wasn't very busy, bu the food was good.  I would go back and eat here again.  Portions were pretty big, it was alittle expensive.

  Review Source:

  Posted on 08.13.12 Melissa T.

  • Report
• 0

  All of the reviews speaking of terrible things, unfortunately, are true. They will take 20 minutes to acknowledge you and then forget about you.
  We sat outside and figured we were being ignored because we were out of sight but 2 separate groups walked out of the restaurant speaking loudly about how they were never even greeted. Which leads me to believe that there is some other form of income paying for the store front. Hate to blow their cover but they are using precious real-estate on Frankfort Avenue and in a town of so many foodies you better be on your game.
  
  Take your money to Havana Rumba or Seviche and receive wonderful service and food.

  Review Source:

  Posted on 08.06.12 Kayte J.

  • Report
• 0

  Reason why I'm going it three stars instead of two is because our first time was actually OK, but this past weekend was not so great.  We bought a groupon for it because our first time there months ago was good and we tried food that we've never had before.  We got there when they opened but the owner said that the restaurant wasn't going to be opened for another hour because they still needed to clean up from the night before, which had been really busy.  But quite a few of us were standing outside waiting, so she said we could go ahead and come in to eat if we didn't mind some of the dirty tables and chairs.  That was fine, since we lived 2 hours away;  we were one of the three tables of guests seated.
  
  t got a hot cuban sandwich this time and was pretty disappointed with the food, it was two flat breads, thinner than panini breads, stuffed with a thin layer of meats.  I ordered the pollo con mojo for my daughter -- a $12.99 dish and was NOT expecting the small mound of rice and one thin slice of chicken breast with two pieces of fried sweet plantain.  What a RIP OFF!
  
  We waited quite awhile for our food; all three of the tables ordered at the same time, one table had eaten, paid for their food and left, before we got our dishes.  Service was OK, but very slow.
  
  We thought coming back again would be a pleasant experience but will be looking for a new Cuban Restaurant to dine at.

  Review Source:

  Posted on 07.29.12 Nalee E.

  • Report
• 0

  Went here on a Saturday night out and it was about 830, and the first hint should have been that there was only 1 other table other than us there.
  
  The server was very friendly, we ordered calamari as an appetizer, only to be told they were out.  Odd, because they were clearly had not been busy.  The owner/Chef sent out fresh guacamole, which I hate and didn't touch, but my fiancé thought it was good.  We got coconut shrimp, which was ok, not terrible, but not great either, I have had similar from Costco at home for a lot less.
  
  I ordered a Miller Lite, my fiance inquired about the Cuba Libre on the extensive drink menu.  It was $7.  The waitress told us it was just a Rum and Coke with lime.  nothing special.  $7 is 2x what it should cost, so she went with a Miller Lite too.  When we ordered a 2nd beer each, we were told they only had 1 Miller Lite left.  Really?  It is clearly not a busy restaurant, and you only have 3 Miller Lites on a Saturday night?  Ridiculous.
  
  For dinner, we both ordered Cuban Sandwiches, hers with sweet potato fries, mine with normal ones.  The fries were great, actually the best food we had.  The Cuban Sandwiches were ok.  But could have been so much better if they had something between the bread.  There was about 1/2 enough meat on the sandwich.  And the bread, while ok, looked like it had been run over by a truck, the total sandwich was about 3/4 of an inch thick.
  
  Overall, disappointing, and too expensive for what you get.  I imagine this will be something else in a few months.

  Review Source:

  Posted on 06.15.12 Ray C.

  • Report
• 0

  1. 5 minutes to be seated with the restaurant 1/3 full.
  
  2.  15 minutes for anyone to even identify us as the server and take our orders.
  
  3.  10 minutes more to receive water. Really?
  
  4. Waited an inordinate amount of time for our food.
  
  5. I had chicken that was "marinated" and "roasted".  It didn't taste like anything, I didn't see a single spice on it, I could discern no flavors whatsoever.  It tasted like overcooked chicken flavored chicken; wait actually I think if they added chicken flavoring it would have improved it.    Also, I'm pretty sure it was flash fried at the end, the outside skin was crispy, and the inside was dry.  It was supposed to be a half a chicken roasted.  I cook nearly all my meals and go out maybe once every few weeks with a groupon.  I should have yelped this restaurant before I used a groupon.  My friend had a chicken stew, he said it was "bland, but hearty".  
  
  6. I absolutely understand why this restaurant was 1/3, but I dont understand why 1/2 the tables were unbused.  That I really don't care about, but this place just made a huge list problems, so I included this.
  
  This is my worst restaurant experience ever.  Just go to Havana Rumba.  You would have to pay me $5 to eat here.  Not worth 2.5 hours of a bad eating experience.

  Review Source:

  Posted on 06.09.12 Jarrod M.

  • Report
• 0

  The food was fantastic.  The service was pretty slow, but we were a large group (20+) that had not made reservations.  A close by restaurant had been unable to seat us, after an hour, even with reservations.  We called and they could seat us immediately.  Our waitress explained the small kitchen and solo cook./owner, so I understand.  I'd go again for sure, but I wouldn't go hungry, as I would expect a long wait.

  Review Source:

  Posted on 05.08.12 Trina Q.

  • Report
• 0

  I had a Groupon for this restaurant & loving Cuban food decided to have a late lunch. There was one table with 2 diners who were finishing eating.  We sat down & waited & waited & waited.  After 15 minutes we got our water & ordered drinks.  I had a mojito.  First mistake. Worst mojito I have ever had.  I drank water after that.   We ordered & waited 45 minutes for our food & we were the only ones there eating. The server apologized & said the owner/cook had to help unload the truck so our food wasn't served promptly.  
  
  I got a Cuban sandwich ( hard to mess that up), my husband got shrimp in a creole sauce. It was good.  But the poor service cancelled out the good food.  We will not be back.
  
  There are other wonderful Cuban restaurants in Louisville that offer good food AND good service.

  Review Source:

  Posted on 05.07.12 Lisa L.

  • Report
• 0

  The food was excellent. A couple of roast chicken dinners were enough to feed four of us with a little room left over for dessert. My wife comes from South America, so her opinion carries some weight. And she loves this place.
  
  Every couple has a spot that they call "our place". Cubana is now our place.

  Review Source:

  Posted on 04.09.12 Stephen M.

  • Report
• 0

  I thought that the food here was really good and they had a decent variety of beers (but they were out of a few of them).  Only issue was the service was a bit slow to get going at first.  We had a variety of appetizers that were awesome and all of us loved the meals that we ordered which is a good thing of course.  Besides the service, the food is awesome but I can only give them a 3 because of the wait at times.

  Review Source:

  Posted on 04.02.12 justin s.

  • Report
• 0

  On a weekend after a particular trying week, I thought  maybe some comfort food might be in order. And lately, my comfort food of choice is Cuban.
  
  Just across from Comfy Cow and the Grape Leaf on Frankfort Avenue sits Cubana. The decor is shooting for that Miami vibe, dimly lit with pastel colors, it's a nice looking place, maybe good for a date or something similar.
  
  It was a Sunday evening, and it was decidedly very quiet. As the only patrons in the establishment, I was counting on top notch service. It was merely fair at best, the gentleman serving us seemed distracted and that's not a good start.
  
  We started with the calamari appetizer, as I was familiar with the same at Havana Rumba, which is delicious. Here it was rubbery and tasted if it came out of a bag. My oldest son liked it but honestly, his tastes are not particularly discerning and more often than not, if it's fried, it must be fantastic.
  
  The entrees, a roasted chicken with sweet potato fries and the steak chimichurri with plantains were merely OK. The chicken was not bad, the steak, while ordered medium rare was overcooked, the sweet potato fries were not dissimilar from what you can find at Kroger's labeled Ore-Ida, and the plantains, well they may have been the best thing on either plate, and I'm not a big plantain fan.
  
  With a decided upswing in the number of Cuban-oriented restaurants in the area, I truly expected better. Cubana has a long way to go before it measures up to any of its direct competitors.

  Review Source:

  Posted on 03.24.12 Tj P.

  • Report
• 0

  My wife and I decided to come here one night when it was late and I did not feel like cooking. Since we like Havana Rumba so much, we wanted to try another local Cuban place so we gave Cubana a try.
  
  That was our first mistake. It took a moment or two longer than usual for us to be seated even though the restaurant was nearly empty. Once seated it took a little longer for our water. I know this echoes another reviewer, but it is true.
  
  We ordered appetizers to keep things light, but when we were told there were no empanadas left, my jaw dropped. How could a Cuban restaurant run out of empanadas? I can not remember what else we all ordered but the food was, well just alright. Nothing to write home about.
  
  This restaurant was a shame and it seems everyone will just go back across the street to either Caffe Classico or The Grape Leaf. The only way I can see this place surviving is either because of it's location or if they overhaul the kitchen and management.
  
  Gordon Ramsay, where are you?

  Review Source:

  Posted on 01.03.12 Ian P.

  • Report
• 0

  I really hate to give 1 star reviews, but I felt it to be my duty. 15 minutes to get menus and water and 1:05 to get our appetizers...which we ordered as entree's. I had the calamari and a side of congris and she had coconut shrimp, Calamari and shrimp tasted like it was straight out of the box from Sysco. By the way, there was no coconut in the batter. It was just sprinkled with baking coconut in what seemed like an afterthought.
  
  There were 2 waiters and the place was about 1/4 full, yet customers around us were frustrated with the slow service and 2 couples had walked in and left after not even having their presence recognized.. I am glad we didn't order actual entrees as we would have been there much longer. Not to mention, judging from the quality (or lack thereof) of our appetizers, I would not have expected anything better.
  
  Our waiter was apologetic.....best thing I could say about the place.
  
  With the slow service and generic food, I won't be back. Unless they do a complete management makeover, this amateurishly managed  place won't last long anyway. If you want Cuban in Louisville, go to Havana Rumba or Mojito's.

  Review Source:

  Posted on 12.30.11 Ray G.

  • Report
• 0

  I like Cuban food and my chiropractor (who's a bit of a foodie) said this is one of her favorite restaurants in town, although the last time she went, the food she ordered was warm outside but frozen inside. A friend and I went there around 6:45pm on a Thursday night to form our own opinion. There were probably 10 people dining when we walked in. We ordered an appetizer sampler and drinks; 10 minutes later, we had to go to the bar to get my water and my friend's mojito. The appetizers (Empanada, Papas Rellenas and Tamales) came out around 7:15pm (yes, almost half an hour after ordering). They were out of tamales so they substituted it with some kind of breaded cheesestick-looking fritters - these were frozen inside..just like my chiropractor said. So we sent it back - it came back 20 minutes later...halfway through our appetizers, the main courses came out (Pollo Asado - the roasted chicken, and Cubana Caliente - hot Cuban sandwich). The appetizers were not bad but they were nothing special...the main dishes were very good, even though the hot sandwich wasn't really spicy. Then we had to wait 20 minutes for the to-go box and check...we were finally out of there by 8:15pm. All in all, the service was slow even though our waiter was friendly and what turned out to be a quick stop for a bite on a weeknight became an hour and a half dining experience...they are extremely short-staffed but it wasn't like they were that busy. By the time we ordered our appetizers, there were probably 6 people in the restaurant. The food was expensive but not stellar. I would like to try a few more things on the menu but I might just get a take-out order. I wouldn't really recommend this place unless they get their act together, improve their service and stop serving frozen food that is quite literally still frozen!!

  Review Source:

  Posted on 12.15.11 Shal V.

  • Report
• 0

  Started out with guacamole with crispy thin banana strips. Ended with wonderful egg custard in rich caramel sauce.  Marinated beef was awesome and grouper had magical sauce that caused the fish to come alive.

  Review Source:

  Posted on 10.02.11 Pam M.

  • Report
• 0

  Perhaps a little pricey proportionate to the atmosphere, the service is adequate, food is outstanding--much like Havana Rumba but with a touch less lime. Steak chimichurri was cooked correctly and the plantains were perfect. A great spot for those nights when Havana Rumba is a little too packed.

  Review Source:

  Posted on 09.02.11 Timothy J.

  • Report