Mambo’s Cafe

Here right now as I’m writing, this place is always the spot for me to get something on the go, service is great and I love how it’s a family environment. Definitely stick to their roots. All the food is awesome. Thanks guys!

I WILL NEVER GIVE THIS SHITHOLE MY BUSINESS AGAIN! A worker verbally abused my 80 year old grandmother then proceeded to kick her out when she had just come in to ask questions about the menu. WHO THE HELL DOES THAT TO AN ELDERLY WOMAN!!!

Fist time here and the food was great! Waiter took care of us and provided good service. Had the breaded steak with black beans and Maduros. Wife had the Mambos Carib bean salad with chicken. We also had the bread pudding and rice pudding for dessert. Everything was awesome!

Their food is good, casamiento is usually what I get. I have not had the vegan sofrito yet but it does look scrumptious. Their rice and beans are well cooked, I like the fact that it comes with a piece of bread of the side and some fried plantains as an extra free side disk.
Came to pick up food here and I really liked the atmosphere :)

This place is a hit and miss depending on the day and time you arrive. As a jazz fan I give them 5 stars for the music but the food is really maneuvering between okay and excellent. One dish that is always solid is the Camarones Al Ajillo. The meat and chicken on the other hand might be too dry from time to time.

Went recently for lunch with a friend who goes there on a frequent basis. The menu seemed a little bit more health-​conscious than other Cuban places I have gone to (for example chicken seemed to be always chicken breast). The mojo de ajo sauce seemed to be pure concentrated garlic instead of the classic sour orange garlic concoction. The dish had a bare minimum of fried plantains. Serving size was a bit on the smaller side. I missed traditional dishes like rabo encendido (oxtail), higado encebollado (liver with onions), etc. Service was ok. Parking was limited on that day (place was packed, but my friend told me that it usually isn’t for lunch).
It did the trick for my Cuban cravings, but I prefer other places in LA (tastier, more traditional dishes, more generous portions, etc.).

Sadly, something has gone wrong here. I’m guessing it was better in the past, but it is no longer a place people should eat.
The service was horrible, I was told the entire restaurant was reserved and had to sit at the bar. I ate, paid, and left and NO ONE else came to the restaurant. I could have easily eaten at any table.
The food was whatever, honestly in this area there are much better Cuban options.
It’s a big fat thumbs down from the homey, live laugh love jake

I had the veggie black bean bowl, wich I enjoyed so much! I’ve tried their Pollo empanisado we ich is amazing! A true gem and great service!

Had lunch here for the first time last Thursday. It was packed and so was the parking lot, use street parking.
I ordered the Roasted Chicken with black beans, rice and plantains. I wish the chicken was a just a little juicer but the BB, rice and plantains were spot on. Best plantains I’ve ever had (sorry nina :/​.)
I was drooling over the potato balls and cuban sandwiches that were being fired out of the kitchen. I want to come back to try so much more!

Finally got to try this place. Vibe of the place is super cool. I had the camarones al ajillo and my husband had the roasted pork. My portion size was a bit skimpy for Cuban dinner, but flavor was ok with the garlic sauce. Unfortunately my shrimp in was overlooked and not tender. My hubby’s roasted pork was too dry and not so much flavor. We had the sampler plate for the appetizers and that was pretty decent and good sharing portion for party of 6 adults. The only reason This place gets 3 stars is because the service was very good, they were very nice and attentive. My parents and siblings seem to like their food but we all agreed that we’ve had better. Cute place though!

Came here for lunch on a Tuesday, the parking lot is small so you may need to park down the street but the walk is worth it.
I ordered the breaded steak and even on a busy day our came out fast. The entrée came with bread and red sauce, mix the beans, rice, and red sauce. The breaded steak was very good and was not dry at all.
Service was fast as well, definitely coming back again.

Amazing! The Ropa Vieja is lighter and fresher than the og … I totally recommend it.
ALSO TRY THE mambos chicken it is something out of this world!
Service is amazing as well as the abiance! The young gals are so sweet and make you feel so welcomed!!!
GREAT PLACE FOR THE FAM OR A DATE!

Oh my Cuban Goodness!
This place is Delish!
Roast pork with soft plantains (maduros)
And you MUST try the flan with coconut!
The service was pleasant and Quick!
Food is Fresh which is Always high marks!
I must make the hubby bring me back soon

I’ve been to Mambo’s a few times and it never disappoints. I usually go for lunch with co-​workers since we work in the area. Today I ordered the Cuban Sandwich, which is a hot pressed sandwich with roast pork, ham, Swiss cheese, mustard, and pickles on Cuban bread. The only issue I have is that I’m not a fan of mustard and I couldn’t get it without because the bread is already made with the mustard spread. However, it doesn’t have too much on so it didn’t bother me.
The restaurant can get crowded at times, but there are some seats outside as well. If you watch Diners, Drive-​ins and Dives with Guy Fieri, he ate here. You can find his stamp of approval behind the bar!

I live in the neighborhood and have been eating at Mambo’s regularly for close to 5 years. My wife and I recently walked over with our dog for dinner on a Tuesday evening, which is one of the evenings they feature live music, but we were planning on sitting outside on the patio because of the dog and because the inside tables are reserved for patrons looking to enjoy the band.
We arrived a little after 7:00pm and the restaurant was very busy, which is normal for performance nights, so all of the outside tables were occupied by patrons waiting to be let in when the doors opened at 8pm. We were happy to wait, and did so for 45mins. During that time we were assured that we would be given the next available outside table. Unfortunately, at about 7:55pm a table opened up and was immediately given to a party who arrived significantly later than us. While the table was being cleared, I even received a gesture from the host informing me that we would be seated at that table.
After watching the other party sit down, I politely asked the host why the other party had been seated before us, and I was told that they were somebody’s «special friend». As a regular customer, I found this disappointing and explained that we come to Mambo’s all the time and had waited patiently for a table for 45mins, reminding him that the party they seated ahead of us only just arrived. One of the waiters then felt the need to join the conversation and tell me that the other party had «called ahead» which I knew was complete nonsense because I had been standing in front of the restaurant when they arrived and witnessed the entire conversation between them and the host which informed me that they were walk-​ins and did not have a reservation.
At this point, I went from disappointed to upset, which I let them know. They very half-​heartedly apologized and told me that the remaining parties (who were simply occupying space until the band started) would be getting up soon to go inside, and that we would be seated soon after. This is when I had hit my breaking point, as I had waited far too long for a table, been outwardly lied to, and been given no real sympathy or assurance that they intended to remedy the situation. I once again explained that I had already waited 45mins and was incredibly disappointed and considering no longer coming to their restaurant. The response I received was an unbelievably rude and borderline sarcastic «ok» from the waiter who had undesirably barged into my conversation with the host in the first place.
It is heartbreaking when a restaurant that is a neighborhood staple and a great place to take friends and family is affected by success in business in a way that causes them to be apathetic toward any of their customers, but this is what is happening to Mambo’s. As a result, I will not be returning to Mambo’s anymore, but in the words of one of the rudest, most unprofessional waiters I have ever encountered, I guess that’s «ok».

My gf doesn’t call me the food nazi for nothing.
If you are looking for a Mexican styled home made brunch, Mambos is the place. Truly taste just like my momma made that fucking breakfast.
Under $ 12 all you can eat brunch
And a $ 16 all you can eat brunch and bottomless mimosas.
The brunch today consisted of:
Ceviche, posole, tortilla soup, chilaquiles, eggs, potatoes, sausage, bacon, rice, and beans.
My girl and I are on bottle number 3 I’m a little buzzed writing this review.
Enjoy.

Eclectic, hip, and live music during the week Thursday and tuesday.
For me the pallomilla, yuca al mojo and avocado salad are my favorites

Love their food. The atmosphere is pretty cool too. I always like places where you can sit in the patio. There food was totally delicious and awesome. I had the Wild Caught Salmon Grilled — Topped with spicy sauce peppers, garlic & jalapenos. Cuban vegetables rice and Maduros. And had the Garden Salad with Italian dressing, also fresh and delicious. There bread was very soft and warm inside. I’m a big sucker for bread.
And try there the Mambos Iced Coffee –Two shots of Espresso over ice, then lightly blended. I love it. Then later in the evening, had triple shot of cappuccino from Starbucks. Kept my ass up till after 4 am. LOL
The people there are nice. The tall Hispanic gentleman was very nice. And the Hispanic female was nice too. But definitely was not found of the shorter Hispanic waiter. Very rude and so unprofessional. While I was still eating my salad, he brought my main course dish and stood there like, move your salad so I can put this dish in front of you. WTF, did me not care I was still working on my salad. So told him to leave it on the edge of the table. And never bothered coming back to ask me if everything was OK, how’s the food? If it weren’t the other waitress and the taller waiter, I would have left a lousy tip for his f#@k up attitude. He’s lucky I was enjoying my meal.
5 The food there is totally awesome. But the short Hispanic waiter is rude and nasty and never smile. Definitely do not want him to wait on me the next time.

Prices are kind of expensive but the food is tasty.
The maduros are the best! Just the right amount of plantain sweetness :)
I also really enjoy their bowl of black beans with a hint of garlic.
On Thursday nights they have a love jazz band playing inside the restaurant. On this particular night they stay open way passed 9pm

My boyfriend and I ate here last weekend and he warned me that the restroom was out in the side of the building, so that already made the place not feel as nice as other restaurants. The bathroom was clean, but the design and location made it feel more like a gas station bathroom.
We both ordered chicken dishes and boy was that a mistake, lol! I ordered the fajitas and he ordered the chicken sandwich. When our food arrived my boyfriend told me his fries were cold. I also noticed his bread looked squished, but he said the bread was fine. But then he mentioned that his chicken was tough. I got scared because I also selected chicken, but I took a bite of mine. As I ate it, I really had to chew! I hate wasting food, but when I was done half of the chicken was left on the plate and there was no way I was keeping it for leftovers.
It just seemed like it was leftover leftovers, reheated too many times. Really not good! Neither of us mentioned this to the waiter because we didn’t want to send our whole plates back since it was edible. In retrospect, I think that would’ve been a good idea, because I got hungry again later that night. I had just been really hungry when we arrived there so once the food arrived I gave it a good effort to get down what I could.
There were also some good qualities about the food that I want to bring up. The black beans were very good and the plantains were absolutely amazing! They were the first thing gone off of my plate! I wished I had gotten more like some other Unilocaler suggested. The service was also exceptional! The waiter was fast, friendly, and knowledgable about the ingredients and of gluten! That was great!
Overall, the meal did not make us sick and the service was so good that I wish I could leave a better rating, but that chicken we ate was just too tough to get down. I’ll be in no rush to return. If I do, I’ll stay away from the chicken and remember to get black beans and plantains.