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.
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Food That Brings You Home (Or Takes You Far Away)
Whether you’re Pakistani in Paterson or American in Mozambique, food “like Mom’s” just means so much, but it’s often difficult to come by. Well, now Colombians in the area don’t have to travel to Hackensack or Bergenfield to get a taste of home.
At Cumbia Cafe, you’ll find one of the only –if not the only– Colombian cafes in Kearny. Now, don’t let the word cafe limit the kind of food you picture. While it does have a bakery, it also has a full kitchen offering typical plates from different regions of Colombia (and some other Latin options as well).
When you walk in, Colombian trinkets line the walls, and salsa or cumbia is playing with old school music videos, immediately creating an informal, comfortable atmosphere. If you’re lucky, you’ll get a seat in their small dining area and you can watch videos about Colombia on their widescreen TV.
Personal tangent: When I first found this place, I was very excited. I was driving home with take-out from a favorite Scottish restaurant when its distinctive red/blue/yellow sign (the colors of the Colombian flag) caught my eye. My husband grew up in Colombia and we lived in Queens for the past few years where Latin and specifically Colombian food is quite abundant. We’d been feeling a bit “homesick” for the culinary diversity of Queens, so it was a great surprise to find this place on this side of the Hudson.
But all that didn’t guarantee that the food was going to be good. And my husband is incredibly picky discerning about how Colombian food is supposed to taste.
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