La Cubanita

Uh Oh, looks like another restaurant with great reviews is gone. Posted on DMN eats blog 01 05 10. Web site states «new concept coming soon»
11:10 AM Tue, Jan 05, 2010 Kim Pierce /​Reporter
Here’s the straight quote from the press release:
«Lombardi Family Concepts has announced today that it will sell its holdings in La Cubanita restaurant on McKinney Avenue in Dallas to its partners in the operation. „La Cubanita received such good reviews and excellent feedback from the guests,“ says creator Alberto Lombardi, „but it wasn’t able to garner the numbers necessary to make it a success. Lombardis’ partners will reopen the location with a new concept.“ La Cubanita will close immediately.»

Closed as of Jan. 5, 2010.

I went here on a Wednesday night for happy hour. The Mojitos are $ 3 and most excellent! We tried the sampler appetizer and what a perfect choice. They give you lots o chips and the empanadas were mmm mmm good! We sat on patio and our waiter Brooks was attentive, nice, and prompt. Later I found out he was making our mojitos as well! If anyone is familiar with making cocktails, these are a pain in the booty. So, I definitely appreciated the effort he put into serving us.
Positives:
Great drinks and decent food. The happy hour offers great prices for mojitos and rum punch Margaritas! Plus, if you’re an alchie like me and you sit around long enough, you will get reverse happy hour! What a great deal!
Negatives:
We ordered some top shelf tequila and were gouged for $ 9 a POP! Zowie! Never doing shots there again! (Totally my fault, really).

I got the quesadillas here and they were pretty good. Probably not as good as Taco C. I would have ordered something else but it seemed like they were trying to be too authentic and made their menu too heavily described in cuban lingo which I didnt know and didnt really care to ask about.
Even though the menu descriptions were — tried to be authentic, I dont really think the food fit the bill either. One thing that did make this place sound pretty cool was that for breakfast you could get bottomless mimosas. Besides that, Ill pass on coming back here.
Wait staff is great and very nice.

For being such a foodie, there are some ethnic variations that I have just not had the opportunity to try. But believe me, I am trying my hardest to solve that problem… one restaurant at a time.
My newest discovery is Cuban food and I am now a fan!
A friend and I had La Cubanita on our list to try for a while now and this past Monday afforded us the opportunity.
We arrived right at noon and was a little surprised that we were the only people there! Sometimes not a good sign for a restaurant. But by the time our meal was over, the place had filled up and turned a few tables as we loitered longer than most catching up.
We started with Mariquitas con Guacamole — chips and dip! This however offered a trio of chips including plantain, tortilla & taro. Served with the chips were a Cuban guacamole, a salsa, and black bean dip. The Cuban guacamole was delicious. Similar to regular guacamole, but with some added zing. The salsa was passable, but I am not a salsa fan. The black bean dip was stellar! Thinned out and with a drizzle of sour cream it would have made a wonderful thick, cold winter day soup.
It was chilly and rainy outside, but our minds were wandering to more tropic climes so we also ordered Virgin Mojitos Sodas. Very tasty. To be honest, it tasted like a simple limeade, but it was expertly mixed and the sugar cane straw was a neat touch.
For lunch I ordered the Cuban Lechon Asado (from the website: Crisp pork shoulder with Moros y Cristianos, ripe plantain, mixed vegetables & mojo Cubano) and my lunch date ordered Ropa Vieja (from the website: Slow roasted pulled beef in Cuban spices. Served with mixed vegetables, moros y cristianos & sweet plantains). We both subbed the mixed vegetables for yucca fries. What can I say… it was a girls’ day out and we were splurging! So vegetables be damned!
Her Ropa Vieja was tender and moist. Not too tomato-​ey, either. Which we both appreciated.
My Lechon Asado was tender and mostly moist. The outside, rather than being crispy, was dry and tough. The only reason I can’t give them 5 stars.
The Moros y Cristianos (aka black beans and rice) were yummy and the yucca fries were a fabulous new taste treat for me. Starchy and soft on the inside, crispy outside. With the Mojo Cubano (a slightly citrusy dipping sauce) to dip the yucca fries in, I was in dining paradise.
Also worth noting, the fried plantain was perfect. Carmelized with crispy spots and meltingly soft and sweet inside.
Our server, a young lady, was well versed about the menu and answered questions about the preparation with ease. Water glasses were kept filled and plates were whisked away when we were done.
Our choices were a bit pricey for lunch, but the portions were large and we didn’t regret our choices.
My friend and I look forward to returning to La Cubanita again… and finding other Cuban gems in the area, as well!

On a usual Sunday I wake up late and pretty much the first thing on my mind is «What are we eating?» After that question is asked the more important question of «Where are we eating?» comes up. Yesterday we were stumped so we just started driving… and somehow ended up right beside La Cubanita. Ok, let’s go in!
The patio is pretty much what sold it. It was a beautiful day and it wasn’t very packed and as such the index of snotty people was low (but not nonexistent). We were seated immediately and checked out the menu. It must have been too late for brunch because we were given the regular menu, but I preferred that because I wanted non-​breakfast items. Our waitress was friendly and explained my many questions about the menu and the drinks.
So we ordered the Cuban cigars and the mariquitas con guacamole as appetizers and Cuban Lechon Asado and Ropa Vieja for entrees. I also couldn’t resist getting a caipirihna since I’ve never experienced one. The drink came out first — Brazilian rum and lime with lots of sugar. I thought it was pretty good but I wasn’t the biggest fan of the huge nuggets of sugar in the bottom of the glass. I also wasn’t the biggest fan of the small little glass it was served in given the cost ($ 7.95). Why be stingy with the Brazilian rum? Give me a bigger glass! FYI: I ordered a mojito next and although it was also $ 8 it at least came in a large glass.
Our appetizers came out first and we dug in. Cuban cigars were like taquitos with seasoned pork inside. However, they were covered on TOP with Cuban slaw, sour cream, and guacamole. So I just ate the end of them that wasn’t touching the sour cream and decided that it was eh, just ok. The mariquitas were plantain, tortilla, and taro chips to munch on. Yummy!
Literally after the first taste of each appetizer we all of a sudden had to move the plates out of the way because here were our entrees. Really really poor timing on that. Not only that, the server that brought our food didn’t say «oh my goodness, so sorry!» or anything. They just dropped the entrees down with no mention of «sure looks like your appetizers just got here» or anything. Not until about 10 minutes later did our waitress notice and mention the mistake. They need to work on their kitchen timing! However, I wasn’t really too worried about it once I tasted my entrée. The Cuban lechon asada was crispy pork shoulder with plantains, mixed veggies, yucca fries, and mojo sauce. The pork was so tender that it pulled apart with no problem and when you dipped in the mojo sauce (garlic, olive oil, other spices) it was ahmaaaahzing! Mixed veggies were also good because they had a LOT of garlic in them. Yucca fries and plantains were ok but the pork was the star of the show. The ropa viejo that the BF ordered was also good — the beef was cooked in Cuban spices and was tasty. But in general he said that it was good, but he was jealous of mine.
La Cubanita seems like it is pretty hit or miss on food and service. Some things seem to be standouts, others are just ok. Some servers are on top of their game, some not so much. Drinks taste good but are overpriced and understrong. However, that pork was good enough to make me come back again!

I had a lovely time at La Cubanita last night.
Pros:
1. My friends and I were the only ones there, so I didn’t have to worry about a jerky crowd
2. $ 3 large yummy mojitos after 9
3. Cute little patio
4. SUPER friendly staff
5. They answer their phones after they close, which is awesome since I left my all time favorite Paris scarf, so they are holding it for me in the office :)
Cons:
1. The food is just ok– nothing too special
I will definitely come back for the service though. I was very pleased with the whole staff!

Pretty good little Cuban place. They have a bottomless mimosas deal for 6 dollars a person for brunch and this is definitely a great reason to check this place out.
I had the cuban sandwich and it was decent but I would probably get something else if I went back here.
My friend got the chorizo tacos and i definitely had food envy, as they looked delicious.
Service was friendly however they did slow us down on the mimosas once they realized they were in for a long afternoon with my group if they didnt :)

I couldn’t tell you about the inside because the patio was too inviting. We sat outside for 3 hours enjoying the view and drinking there signature rum punch, and mimosas. The breakfast tacos were amazing. Don’t leave Dallas without spending a morning here.

If you’re not a fan of valet, parking sucks in these parts.

I came up here for brunch on Saturday afternoon. I’m thinking it’s more of a lunch since it was after 12, but then again I had breakfast… Brunch it is.
With the name of this place I thought there would be more exotic Cuban food, but I guess they eat the same breakfast foods over there. I ended up getting the Eggs Your Way and I got mine scrambled; it also came with some thin ham, thick crispy bacon, toast, fried banana, hash brown and a small ramekin of salsa. All of it was okay except for the hash brown. It was square and it tasted funny. Maybe if it were more oval shaped it would taste better like the Micky D’s/Jack-In-The-Box variety? Even though it tasted funny I still ate it. I’m still alive!
Not having any coffee before noon I had already developed a headache from coffee withdrawal, so I got a black iced coffee to go with my meal. Pretty decent coffee.
As for the DBI (DoucheBag Index, thanks Nadeem!), I give it a ³⁄₅. I saw some scrub in his friend’s M-​class Mercedes Benz hollering at his friends also in the patio while holding up traffic on Armstrong Avenue. There’s an invention called phones!

The ambiance here is what makes this place great. Great patio, lots of bright colors and they open all the doors when the weather is nice. Lovely. The food is good, not great, but the drinks are pretty darn tasty.
Had a friend in from out of town and we stopped in for a long lunch on Saturday. We started with some yucca fries (my fave) and both had salads. I had the chopped salad with shrimp and it was only okay — they shrimp were actually way over cooked. Friend had the avocado shrimp salad which was really tasty. We also had the Cuban Rum Punch which is delicious — and only $ 6 for bottomless during brunch on Saturday and Sunday! Our waitress was really attentive too, so overall we had a great lunch experience.
They make pretty good pressed sandwiches and they’re churrasco is pretty tasty too. Like I said though, it’s really the ambiance that I love. It’s the kind of patio where I could sit for hours. Especially if someone keep my Rum Punch glass full. =)

Tonight after a killer long day at work and with the temperatures in the low 80s, the co-​worker and I decided to stumble over to La Cubanita and check out their awesome looking little restaurant.
First off, the design of La Cubanita is brilliant: it is a little taste of not-​Dallas in Dallas. The entire restaurant is open to the outside through a series of large doors. Awesome. On a night like last night there is no better restaurant in Dallas to sit and enjoy a cocktail.
The mojitos are decent, tasting more pre-​mixed than muddled on the spot. The frozen margarita was decent and very potent.
For dinner we had the garlic shrimp as an appetizer that had an amazing garlic sauce that you can mop up with the bread they give you. For dinner I had a pretty good Cubano sandwich. Could have used a spicy mustard for my taste but the meats inside were sweet and tender.
The co-​worker had their braised beef entrée and it was awesome, «Ropa Viejo», I believe. The meat was tender, lean, sweet, plentiful and the sides were very good. If we went back we’d get that on a sandwich.
For dessert we had the Tres Leches. We didn’t dig the caramel sauce, slightly awkward with the cake, took away from the flavor.
Service was prompt and professional. We had a cute tart of an 18 year old, Cydney, who hilariously didn’t know how to say Patron tequila. (Say it like it is spelled, that’s what she did…)
Go for a great night on a patio and some good people and car watching. (Expect some Affliction wearing dorks to drive by in sports cars they rented for the weekend.)

Its probably the closest you will get to Cuban in Dallas cos Cuba Libre doesnt cut it. Nice ambience, They have a TV in the bar that is dedicated to the I love lucy show and sometimes sports. It has the havana look. The breakfast items are pretty good but it still lacks the spices of authentic Cuban but since this is Tex mex capital you can see how the cooks are trying to make it as mexican as possible. The drinks are average and the Apetizers are quite creative like the cuban cigars and dessert is not bad but the flan is not much to write home about if you have had real home made flan.
One more plus is that they are open pretty late on weekend nights so u might end up there for a night cap.
Parking is an issue. You pay 5 bucks to Valet or risk getting your car towed in the vacant parking lot across from the establishment or you can just circle around the place and park on the street near the fancy boutiques on Mckinney avenue that never seem to get any business.
Last week i had the Crab and Avocado Salad and i must say it was impressive with hearts of palm and fresh lettuce mixed with onions but normally go for the Churrasco which is the skirted steak or the Arroz con pollo for full flavor.
I try to go here if i havent been to Miami in months otherwise i will regret it but its a cool place to take a novice to get cool points.

Food and atmosphere here were GREAT. loved the eggs on arepas. $ 6 bottomless mimosas and a fun, boisterous crowd. Defintiely coming back for the $ 2 mojito/​margarita/​rum punch HH.
only downside — GOT OUR CAR TOWED. do NOT park in the roti gril parking lot. There is a huge sign painted on the back of the building, but we never saw it b/​c it’s the same color as the building. also had to warn others who did not see the sign as we were leaving.
not to la cubanita: please make your sign a different color or have hostess check with guests. was having a fabulous time that was spoiled by the unfortunate tow.

You know, I thought I had found my new favorite brunch place after my first visit, but alas… during the second visit some dreams were dashed… BUT, I still recommend, it is a scrumptious time.
I’m a brunch whore. There, I said it. And this place has a brunch menu, a brunch drink special, and a patio… the 3 main and most important elements needed for that dreamy brunch experience. First visit… food is amazing. We got the cuban appetizer sampler… DELISH! My sister got the vegetarian black bean sandwich. And I got the chicken sandwhich. e each took a half of the others… an once we regained conscousness from flavor overload, we vowed never to stray again… this was our new brunch spot. And of course, mimosas that never saw the bottom of the glass… BINGO!
Second visit… another beautiful day… another beautiful brunch morning… ready for my sammiches and booze. But this time, not so magical. Even thought this was literally seven days from my last visit… the menu was different, and the veggie black bean sammich was gone! Katie ordered it anyway, but they did it wrong… it was just weird. I ventured and got breakfast tacos… once you get past the BRIGHT orange color of the eggs, it was tasty… but a little much for me. And the mimosas? Well, when we could actually get another round (minus a point for slow waitress)…they were bubbly and odd colored.
Had the first visit been a hallucination? We’ll see… I’ve got one more brunch card to offer these peeps to allow them to fix the wrongdoing… stay tuned…

NOISY, had to ask to be moved outside where the blaring music was not some painful. As my date was 98% deaf. If it was bad for him, imagine the rest of us. When we asked if it could be turned down we were told it could not. Service was trying to get it together; for some reason they were really off for a Friday night. The hostess who moved us out to a sidewalk table as far away from the speakers as possible got crosswise with another hostess who was headed to our new table with a party of four; then a power struggle ensued between them beside our table.
Our drinks were delivered to the old table and we had an interminable wait to get another round brought out to us. The food was not memorable enough to outweigh the experience!
Maybe a younger, more forgiving crowd would have been happy with the service and crazy atmosphere but it was not up to my expectation for a Lombardi Family property.

Lucy, I’m home! Okay so that’s the only slightly Cuban reference I know. I’ve never been to Cuba and probably will never have the opportunity to go so I figure I should at least eat some Cuban food. The food at La Cubanita is good, but I just can’t imagine that it’s authentic. (I have been to Puerto Rico and do in fact know what Caribbean food authentically tastes like!) I think they charge too much for what you get. And their brunch is just plain overrated! I usually go for the Ropa Vieja sandwich because I think it is the best bang for your buck and it is hearty and flavorful. The churrasco and chimichurri is pretty good (not as good as Gloria’s) and I’ll get it if I feel like spending a few more bucks.
The thing I like most about La Cubanita is the atmosphere/​décor/​whatever you want to call it. The turquoise and bright yellow theme with awnings and misters make for a perfect drink spot during the spring. And their drinks are rather tasty! The place is teeny and it tends to get packed on days when the weather is nice. The parking is a bitch, even with valet.
I’ll definitely be back but there are other spots I might pick first…

I’ve never eaten at La Cubanita; this review is *solely* for the Cuban Punch. It deserves a whole review of it’s own… that is one fine cocktail.
I was back visiting some friends in Dallas and we drove past La Cubanita on a weekday afternoon just to grab an adult beverage. It was hotter than blazes and this place had such an open, airy tropical vibe to it… it kind of felt a little like being on vacation.
The Cuban Punch is a combination of red wine, silver rum, spiced rum, pineapple juice and piña colada mix. It’s not frozen or blended, it’s just a dark red punch served in a pint glass on ice with some fruit. And man… it goes down like Kool-​Aid. Very adult Kool-​Aid.
It’sa little sweet, but not too sweet and has a nice spice going in the background. Really, I’m not one for punch OR sangria that often, but this was delicioso!
I knocked back two in a very short time and while you didn’t really notice at first, they packed a nice little punch. No pun intended. ;-)
I’ve been meaning to call the management and ask what the ratio is for that drink because I want to make it at home. In 3 gallon pitchers.

Should have listened to Meridith and Frank. it was quite mediocre.
Went for sunday brunch and decided on the chilaquiles from the «specials chalkboard». First sign was that when my plate was brought over, my dining partners all go «ooh that looks good» and the waitress goes «LOOKS good».uhhh what does that mean? Is she saying it’s not good, it just looks that way?
Well luckily I was starving so I started just chompin down on the tortillas in green chile sauce with huevos on the side. there was no cheese or chicken or anything to really make it good. The other times I have had chilaquiles it is like a tortilla casserole. nope, not here.
There were black beans on the side with a decorative bit of sour cream.
The waitress came back later and only asked me if mine was ok… WTH? Anyway, I won’t be going back there. Too small, too many flies.

I think Frank V. hit the nail on the head… mediocre food. I have one thing to add though… even worse service. We were seated outside on a beautiful day. We waited and waited and waited as waiters walked by and did not acknowledge us. They kept looking away before we could grab their attention. Finally, I flagged down the manager and he waited on us with an apology. He was fine but we were already annoyed. Sometimes it is difficult to get over a bad start, especially at a new (ish) restaurant where service should be on top of its game.
We shared the chips with three dipping sauces. The bean dip was tasty but gone after a couple of dips. There were not enough sauces for the chips. My friend ordered grilled chicken dish and I had the chopped salad with shrimp. Mine was pretty good, but the «authentic» Cuban dish ordered by my friend was sub-​par and 15 bucks at lunch. I think they have a lot of work to do but knowing Lombari’s other establishments… people will keep coming back for now because it is trendy, overpriced and mediocre. I say spend your money elsewhere.