Cubana Cafe

One of my favorites lunch places in Soho is closed! I absolutely loved the stuffed poblano pepper, with rice and beans. The mango, shrimp and avocado salad was also one of my favorites.
The wait staff was very attentive, my favorite waiter was Roberto, what ever he suggested I ordered and absolutely loved it.
The desserts were also great, my favorite was the tres leches.
The Mojitos were to DIE For!!!
I will miss this place dearly since it was one of the favorite places that our entire office like to go on a regular basis!

I’m not sure about this place. They have the same name, décor, and menu as the Havana Café in BK… but the prices are doubled here.
I’m not sure if they are trying to copy the BK locations or are a part of them, but for some unknown exploitive reason they jack up the prices in the city.
Whatever the reason is I won’t be coming back. The train ride to Park Slope is fine by me.
This is to the lovely person that commented on my review:
Actually I am born and raised in this city. For a short time I lived in Prospect Heights in BK while working in SoHo… therefore I have experienced both locations and as I stated in my review I questioned if it was a part of some franchise. As your location closed I’m guessing like me most people felt the 10 minute train ride to save 50% was worth it. My review is a little late (I last ate here in the Fall) because unlike you I have a life and do not troll on Unilocal ²⁴⁄₇. Good luck to you in opening a new restaurant: D

Disappointed.
The interior is VERY cute. It looks like a great place to bring a date, very intimate.
The food was very ehhh though, and the server was not very nice. He wasn’t rude, he just… was very abrupt and not friendly.
The experience may have just been bad for me though. My two friends seemed satisfied with what they ordered so maybe I just ordered the wrong thing? I had ordered the hanger steak but on the menu it said it was served with some sort of roll.. . when handed to me it was in a quesadilla. Okay. That’s fine. I won’t complain. I was hungry.
And then I took a bite. And that shit was SPICY. I kind of wish they had put that on the menu. There was nothing in the description that would have suggested spicyness. The girlfriend I ate with was Cuban (I am not) so I had to ask her opinion. I wasn’t sure if I was crazy or if it was actually THAT spicey. So I had her take a bite and she immediately grabbed for her water. Yep. Crazy spicey, even for her Cuban taste buds.
So it kind of sucked that I had to drink a gulp of water after every bite so that my mouth wouldn’t explode into flames. Oh well. That’s fine. I wasn’t going to complain about it.
Until I got dessert. I got the Tres Leches. YUM soo good yummy… wait. what’s this in my mouth? It’s definitely not creamy nor yummy. What is it? OH it’s a piece of foil. From the wrapping that you obviously dumped the Tres Leches on a plate to. Seriously dude? At least take out the foil. I had a sharp-​ish piece of foil in my mouth.
I didn’t say anything because the two people I was with were previous waiters. They saw the look on my face and they just said, «Don’t worry about it, you didn’t cut yourself, don’t say anything». I’m not the type to make a fuss in a restaurant anyways so I let it go. At least then.
i’m just sad that I was disappointed. This place is visually adorable and cute and intimate. But I would definitely never eat here again.

Oh my goodness I like this place alot. It is so cute and the people that work there are so friendly. I have been here 2 or 3 times, every time I visit my friend we come here, she lives right down the street! It is fast becoming one of my favorite places in NYC.
One of my favorite things to get is their quesadilla appetizer — there is a veggie version and a chicken /​steak version. It comes with 2 or three salsas, and 2 people can share it for around $ 10 dollars. The green salsa is to die for. This along with a mojito is a perfect little meal.
I have also had the Molete Sandwich, and let me tell you this was so delicious. It is a sandwich on cuban bread of refried beans, melted cheddar cheese and pico de gallo. Sounds a little different, yes? It is really good! Comes with a side of roasted corn (off the cob) w/​roasted red peppers and cotija cheese. Delicious and satisfying!
This place is just a cute little restaurant tucked away — worth a visit and I want to go back and try their brunch!

This adorable little Cuban joint made my heart melt the moment I walked in! A quick look at the Foursquare tips, I knew there was too much I was going to have to order. So I just went for my initial instinct which was the Arroz con Pollo, which was AWESOME anyway!
What I love about this place is that nothing tastes too heavy (the seasoning just right on my chicken), and the portions were HUGE. I gave so much to my husband but there was still so much that I barely finished mine. I went during the day on a weekday, so was not up for day drinking but everyone says so many great things about the mojitos and the sangria that I think I’ll have to go back soon.
However, I thought that Café Habana was SLIGHTLY better. But I really can’t complain :)

Even though I have never been to Latin America my friend and I remarked on how authentic this place felt. When I looked towards the door I expected to see some sort of beach scene as opposed to the streets of New York. She ordered a quesadilla and I ordered the seafood soup. The dishes tasted light and like it’s home cooking. The food was pretty good.

Again, another winner using the Unilocal mobile app’s «What’s nearby» feature!
I’ve only had one dish here: Hanger Steak Sandwich with avocado, sliced tomato, swiss cheese, chipotle mayonnaise.
I don’t know what they did to this panini-​style sandwich, but it is so good. Maybe it’s the avocado and chipotle mayo that adds that extra something which turns what could be just another sandwich into something you tell all your friends about.

skip the black bean soup — it’s just like someone opened a can of black beans and pureed them. the most flavor from this dish comes from the garlic toast that is floating on top of it.
the side of corn was okay — topped with a mayo based sauce — and the cuban was also just mediocre — simply because the pork had that re-​heated taste (not super fresh).
wouldn’t go back on my own, or recommend.

i accidentally discovered this café after a failed attempt at dining at near by eatery ‘Snack.’ The place is pretty small and there was only one server. However, she was none the less attentive and efficient. I had the chicken soup with avocado– AMAZING. esp. on a freezing day. My friend had the fish, which she said was cooked to perfection. All the surrounding table’s dishes looked and smelled amazing. I shall return with a bigger appetite and do some more research.
So here’s the skinny: MUST HAVE CASH, GOOD FOOD GOOD PRICE, in soho it’s nice to have somewhere you can escape the socialites and hipsters, no offense, of course.

My friend and Unilocaler Jade N and I met for lunch yesterday and decided on Cubana Café over Snack which lives right across the street. Down the small steps and into the themed restaurant we went, their one waitress/​hostess was definitely distracted and took a while to get to us. After seating us and taking our order, the food took an unusually long time. Especially since Jade ordered Ceviche and I ordered a salad. Once the food came, it was just ok. Nothing memorable. I will say though that the shrimp was nicely cooked. No tails and grilled to perfection.
In sum the place is cash only. The ATM charges $ 2 (ugh). The waitress took forever and the food took a hot minute.

My first dinner in New York City was eaten here with my boyfriend and his friend who has been living in NYC for a year or so now. He highly recommended it, so we decided to check it out.
I ordered the Buena Vista Pollo because I love mango. The green hot sauce that they gave us was really good, too (and it was actually hot! I love spicy stuff). For drinks, I had a mojito rumbrero (which was quite good) and a glass of sangria (which was alright, nothing to write home about).
The bill for the 3 of us was about $ 120, which is on the pricier side (for me, at least!)…but I’d say it was worth it. Cash only, which is a bit of a bummer, but they do have an ATM onsite.

The feel: Very intimate and snug, like being hugged tightly by a family member or like being fastened into a life boat coming over from Cuba.
The fare: Very tasty (beef/​rice/​beans was outstanding) and the portions were just right. Presidente beer was a great complement to the meal.
The price: Ridic cheap for the area, the food and the motif.
BTW: uh, birthday party organizers, don’t F’n bring your 10 – 15 balloons up in here… be logistically sound, PLEASE

After a failed attempt at locating a «very good hole-​in-​the-​wall Greek joint» in the area, we settled at Cubana Café, succumbing to the all-​powerful demands of our respective Hunger.
The joint was crowded enough but not packed, so we figured that it would be pretty decent, if not good.
We ordered a couple of margarita and they were all-​right. Then the food came.
Damn.
The rice was absolutely flavorless.
The beans tasted like it was straight out of a can.
The *whatever* chicken was dry and completely devoid of seasoning.
The ropa vieja was. .. well, you get the point.
Simply put, the food they serve at Cubana Café is basically amateur-​level crap.

This place is f-​ing adorable. The food is awesome (pulled pork — to die for!) and the service is great as well! Mojitos? Perfect. & earns them an extra star!
*Do NOT come here with a large group of people. It is not very roomy & gets crowded very quickly at night.

I
Prefer
The Smith Street
One better but
A good sandwich and mojito still wins.

I LOVE this place. The only reason I’m knocking off one star, is because sometimes, if the place is packed, service can be a little slow.
Had lunch here yesterday and an unbelievable skirt steak sandwich with avocado. Soooo good.
The sour dough bread that is brought out before the meal is also very, very tasty. I could have just sat there all afternoon an ate that bread. (no butter though)
We also shared the Black bean soup, which was also excellent, and topped with a nice large, single croûton.
The tables are a little cramped, but the quality of the food, and the prompt arrival of your food is really worth it.
I’ve even just come in here to have margaritas at the tiny bar area, on the uncomfortable wooden stools.
One time I was in Aruba, having lunch at what was supposedly their best Cuban restaurant, and I thought to myself…“I’m so glad I have Cubana Café in NYC”. It really is a treat.
Enjoy! (see some additional pics I posted)

This is one of my favorite treats in town for a couple of reasons.
1. Hands down, best cuban sammich I’ve ever had. Consistently excellent. Perfectly stuffed and grilled. Great bread, great pork. Perfect blend of salt and sour. I can’t let myself think on it too much without that craving flaring up into an irresistible urge.
2. Cute as pie inside.
3. Late lunching there is not to be beat. I like wandering in around 2:30 when the lunch crowd is gone and the dinner crowd hasn’t gotten their shit together yet. Only one or two others in there, the joint is quaint and quiet, and the light from the street takes on a nice soft glow through the garden level windows, lights the Jarritos bottles up real purty.
4. I think it’s romantic as hell. I like going on my myself, ordering a cuban and a lime Jarrito, maybe some chorizo hash on the side, and thumbing through one of the great magazines they have in the rack by the door. A delightful and lazy way to while away an hour or so.
5. I smoke. There’s a bench right outside for that purpose. Good people watching from there. Nice quiet street with lots of character. Good hat shop nearby, fun to look in the window. Good excuse to take in that neighborhood.
I’m told their mojitos are great but I haven’t tried one yet. Perhaps next time.
Dammit, now I want a cuban sammich!

This is a cute place but not great. The food was decent and nice décor. If I go back, it will probably be more for drinks and eating rather than just food.
Note: cash only

This joint has a great cozy, welcoming atmosphere that makes you feel as if you are in the proprietors’ living room. Luckily we timed our Saturday evening visit just right and got the last table before a wait built up. Nice to see a mom and pop like this getting a lot of business.
On this trip we got my brother to widen his food horizons; he’s a notoriously picky eater but he’s getting better with age, and Cuban was a real coup for us. He liked the meal except that it had too many onions. I can’t recall what he and my sister ordered, but I had to go for one of my favorites, the Cuban sandwich. Muy excelente (A-​). The wait for the food was longer than most places; I’ll assume that this means that the food is being lovingly prepared from scratch. They didn’t give us any reason to doubt it.
We had a few quality mojitos after dinner, and despite the waiting patrons in the cramped room, never felt like anyone was rushing us out.

One of the few places in SoHo where it never gets overcrowded at lunch time. My friend and I go here every few weeks for lunch and this place is great. Although I like to try new foods, their Hanger Steak Sandwich (Order #14) is delicious. The décor has this hideaway summer café feel.
The servers are nice and quick to bring out your food. Also have their signature Whipped Plantains (Order # 54, i believe).