Confused But Mostly Happy, Very Full Bellies

Cuban Pete’s is a good choice if you are looking for great food and have a lot of patience. The Cuban and Carribean restaurant has a welcoming and relaxed atmosphere, with murals of pot-bellied men on beaches leaning against palm trees and pretty girls poking their heads out from behind canoes. A beautiful courtyard provides outdoor seating in warm weather and the food is delicious and affordable. The trick to dining at Cuban Petes, however, is not to let the shoddy service kill your joy.

This review should really start off with an apology from me. I have owed you this review for quite a while – having eaten at Cuban Pete’s for the first time about two months ago. But unfortunately, I had no idea what I had eaten and, therefore, could not evaluate it properly.

Allow me to explain. My friend and I went with every intention of ordering some appetizers and a main course. Once we got there and plowed though our first round of empanadas and plantains, we realized that the tapas were amazing and decided we’d order rounds of appetizers until we either finished the menu or became so full our stomachs would begin to impose upon our lungs, making it difficult to breathe.

We picked the next three tapas on the menu. What we got, however, were more empanadas which we didn’t order, more plantains, which we also didn’t order, and something else – perhaps the potato croquets - which we did order, but we don’t know what happened to the rest. It was hard to identify and catch our waiter – so we sucked it up and ate what was given to us. The next round was also botched, but tasty, with the exception of the rubbery and not-so-garlicky garlic shrimp, so we endured.

We were happy with our food and our .5% alcohol sangria (they offer both red and white in several varieties). For dessert we ordered tres leches at the request of my companion. (Tres leches, if u were wondering, is a cake soaked in three kinds of milk and I resisted because I don’t believe a dessert is worth eating if it isn’t at least 50% chocolate.) Having never tried it before, I was turned off by the concept of wet cake – but I soldiered through and was surprised to find that I enjoyed the light, sweet treat.

So, after visit number one, I would have had to rate the mystery food with two enthusiastic thumbs up and the service with two very angry middle fingers up. The problems with the wait staff were numerous – and not all their fault. My biggest complaint, obviously, was that we kept getting the wrong food. And what boggled my mind the most about that was our waiter was actually writing our order down. I can only imagine that his penmanship was so illegible he couldn’t decipher his own writing. The second issue pertains to the uniform. All of the servers are male, with flowing yellow button-down shirts, khakis, and straw hats pulled down over their faces. So whenever I’d look up to complain I’d see five completely unidentifiable men. My third problem was that service was incredibly slow. Had they brought the food out sooner, I might not have realized that I was full until I’d ordered more – your loss, Cuban Pete’s.

The second trip was much better, with a few exceptions. To start, I ordered a traditional mojito, although they have quite a selection of flavors, including tropical and mango. The mojito, like the sangria, is only .5% alcohol, because Cuban Pete’s doesn’t have a liquor license. If you’re looking for a good buzz, you’ll have to bring your own. The mojito was a refreshing mix of mint and lime – but I still can’t quite rap my head around the concept of faux alcoholic beverages.

We ordered both the beef and cheese empanadas and gave the chicken lollipops I’d heard so much about a whirl. What I got were chicken, beef and cheese empanadas – no lollipops. Fortunately, I was able to inform my waiter right away. He brought them out immediately and left us to our un-ordered chicken empanadas, free of charge. The empanadas had a light-flaky pastry outside. The cheese empanadas, filled with a melted, nearly liquefied mix of manchego cheese and spinach, served with guacamole, were the table favorite. The chicken lollipops, which are essentially glazed chicken wings, were good but forgettable, which may be why we didn’t get them in the first place.

In a complete turn-around from my fist visit to Cuban Pete’s, the service was so fast that by the time I took my first bite of my second empanada, our entrees were already on the table. We rushed through our appetizers so that we wouldn’t have to eat cold ropa vieja and chuletas asadas. And frankly, who wants to spend a lot of time on the opening act when the main event is waiting in the wings?

The chuletas asadas were two thin, grilled pork chops served with caramelized onions. The onions were a nice addition to the lean, lightly seasoned chops that tasted as if they had genuinely been cooked out on someone’s barbeque grill. The ropa vieja (shredded beef) came in a heaping portion of flavorful meat, onions, and peppers. Both entrees were served with white rice, black beans, and fried sweet plantains. The plantains were extremely greasy and almost shockingly sweet compared to the rest our food.

If you grew up in a house with a mother who cooks well but had a “you’ll eat what I give you” kind of attitude, than you’ll probably feel right at home at Cuban Pete’s. The rest of you should just keep your expectations low – and you’ll probably find yourself pleasantly surprised with your dining experience.

Cuban Pete’s
428 Bloomfield Ave
Montclair
(973) 746-1100

— by Ali Hanford
Ali is managing editor and a co-founder of GoOutJersey and lives in Essex County. She has lived in NJ her whole life.

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