I'm from Charlotte and my friend was in the southeast visiting so we met up in Durham. ChatGPT…read moresuggested Boricua Soul as a part of our girls day. First stop. We never made it anywhere else lol! I'm so excited to write this review!! We chose it because when I reviewed the Yelp reviews they were stellar. But mostly I was super intrigued by the sweet potato cheesecake empanada and y'all it was everything I hoped it would be. It's small, you can maybe get 4 or 5 bites. The filling is sweet but not overpowering, good balance. The crust, crunchy and delicious. Came with a side of whipped cream. Drizzled in caramel sauce. I had the restraint to save it for last. We opted to split the shrimp sandwich and house made chips because we weren't too hungry and wanted to save room for the empanadas. Perfect plan. The sandwich can be ordered with a garlic, jerk or buffalo sauce. We were given a sample of the jerk to determine spicyness. Super spicy (which I loved) but my friend doesn't so we went with buffalo which wasn't spicy at all. The shrimp were a nice size, coated and seasoned well. The restaurant itself is small with about five tables but there is an abundance of outdoor seating shared with other businesses. We knew we planned to relax and catch up so we opted to eat outside. Despite the 90 degree weather, the entire area was shaded with a little wind so perfect. We got a number and our food and drinks were served to us. (Peach passion froze----yum!) Now. Boricua Soul is a great example of why I love seeking out and patroning local restaurants. The founders, Serena and Tori Fredericks, were both present, Serena managing the front, Tori managing the kitchen and both in and out of the restaurant serving people outside as well as inside. They were all over! Very welcoming. We were there for four hours and Serena's smile never left her face. She personally checked on us throughout. It felt like hanging out at your family's for the day. When we came in just a few people there, no line. Serena was at the register. I told her I came from Charlotte and she graciously gave us samples of the mac and cheese and collard greens as she described the menu. Both by the way, amazing! I don't think I've ever been able to find delicious perfectly seasoned greens with no meat. Before we knew it the line was to the door. By then I had the chance to experience her love for what she does and her heart for the community. Clean restaurant, beautiful and personable decor. Clean gender neutral private bathrooms. I took pics of the article on the wall about them, well worth the read. You too will drive miles to experience this Caribbean and Southern inspired restaurant! Im coming back and bringing people. There's so much more for me to try.

We visited for lunch on a beautiful spring weekday. The place was hopping, both inside and out. The…read moremusic was great, the ambience was fast-casual. I love how they had a lot of drink options, including fountain drinks, and special lemonades. We got here on the late side for lunch, and found there to be several different options for ordering. You could wait in line and order with a cashier, you could do a self service kiosk, or you could order from a QR code at a table. We ended up grabbing a table and opting to do it with a QR code. Everything was very clear, and I like that they showed what was popular immediately. I opted for a Boricua Soul Bowl, which I'd sampled during a food tour a few years back- then I tried it with chicken, so today I opted for shrimp. I feel like you really should go with pork since that's the default, and a mainstay of Puerto Rican cuisine and soul food, but alas I have an aversion to pork so I can't. I was also intrigued by the jackfruit option- there's something for everyone! My husband went for a platter with pork, which he said was delicious and rich. The Mac and cheese was amazing, and the collards were to DIE FOR! They have four house made sauces, which were a very fun way to add different flavors (I doused mine in Guava!). Since I've now been, I understand that there are many different methods of ordering, but I'm not sure I understand if there's a benefit or staff preference to one over another. I think one thing I might do in the future is order online (if you're using Toast Tab anyway, might as well order in advance) and then sit outside after I arrive. It took about 30 minutes to get our food, which probably means everything is made to order and fresh (as opposed to sitting around) so that's great, but I was STARVING by the time we got our food. Will definitely be back!

My friend and I have literally searched high and low for cafe con leches. And they just don't exist…read morein the Triangle. But, this food truck offers them. We drove far to get a small cup of our favorite coffee. My friend wanted a few other goodies but they were out. The coffee was disappointing and tasted close to instant coffee. One of these days we will find the real deal.

This is a hidden gem in the area. The only reason I knew about this place was driving by and happen…read moreto see the food truck in the corner of my eye. I had the pan con lechon, a croqueta and an empanada. The pan con lechon was amazing! The croqueta had a funny taste, not sure how else to word that. It was ok. The empanada was amazing. Service was good. I will have to return on a Saturday as the girl taking my order told me that they have specials then.

Unfortunately our last visit to Casa Cubana was not great. Service was slow, it took over an hour…read moreto get our food and when we did get it, it was disappointing. My friends asked for steak sandwiches and they had more bread than steak. The steak was so small they could barely taste it. My friend and I asked for palomilla steak and got a churrasco cut. Staff was somewhat friendly.

We decided to give this a try on a Saturday night, the location is unassuming and it's clear that…read moreit's a converted fast food spot as some of the infrastructure still remains. (I think they are trying to get a drive through going?). As we walked to the front door the live music was blaring outside and it was a great night for it..it was a little early so it wasn't too crowded yet but people were enjoying the party. Once inside it was much more quiet, we were actually shocked at how well insulated it was from the music, which is great for those that was a little more cozy experience. We were greeted right away by a very friendly man in a great hat! We had our pick of tables and I would describe the decor as a casual vibe. I'm assuming as the name suggests, it's supposed to feel like you are at someone's home for a party. They had a good bunch of people working and everyone was really nice but they also were clearly family and had some kids running around and just basically enjoying themselves, I really enjoyed the atmosphere. The menu was great, loads of options. The drink selection was also good, classic Cuban favorites and others. I chose the coconut mojito and it was fresh made and SO good. For an appetizer we had the guacamole and tostones which were really good, and fresh. For dinner I had the arroz con pollo, which was seasoned really well, the rice was a little under for me but still really good. My husband had the ceviche which he said was the best he's ever had and could have had three more bowls. Overall, great spot. We might come back for the music and drinks on another warm night. They also have a good looking breakfast menu!

Friendly quick service. Explanation of choices was excellent. The food came out quickly and was…read moredelicious.

I've had this placed saved to try for a while and finally got the opportunity to try it out on a…read morerandom Wednesday. The space is large with plenty of seating and also bar seating. You order your food at the front (bar) and then grab a seat wherever you want. I got a mango margarita which they didn't skimp on the tequila in it! Was sweet enough where I didn't notice at first how much tequila was in it (a win in my book). For dinner, I got the pernil w/cuero which was full of flavor. Tostones were nice and crunchy without being greasy. The rice was just okay, I prefer a bit more sazon and sofrito. I think this restaurant would do well in a more inhabited area instead of connected to the mall but the guy working stated they do very well on the weekends, so I hope it brings them continued business!

Was hanging out in Durham and decided to check out this spot. I got the vegetarian Cuban sandwich…read morewhich I have not seen at many other places and the yuca fries. The sandwich itself was okay. Was very salty and the flavor seemed off slightly but overall decent. The yuca fries were a good choice with the dipping sauce that comes with it. The space inside is spacious with plenty of seats when we went. The staff is friendly and helpful with any questions you may have. You can also order online to go. For parking, you can park on the street or deck parking. Prices were slightly higher than expected but appropriate for downtown Durham. Overall, a cool restaurant with a variety of options. Unsure if I will come back but recommend trying it if you are in the area.

Cool way to celebrate a birthday.... Have a food truck cater the party! The Spanglish crew served…read moreup some delicious Latin cuisine. Started with the pernil mallorca melt... mouthwatering pork roast, slow-cooked & fork tender, on sweet-ish mallorca bread with melted cheese and a spoonful or two of the pork juices. Excellent. Next, a Cuban sandwich. The same pork roast, this time with as slice of ham, Swiss cheese and sliced pickles, slathered with mustard on pressed mallorca bread. A great rendition of a Tampa-style Cuban but missing that Cuban bread. Also tried a trio of empanadas. The beef is a hearty mix of chunky beef, well spiced, juicy and tender. The chicken is chunks of white meat, with slivers of carrots and other vegetables. A little more bland than the beef, but still flavorful, moist and tender. Each was ensconsed in a traditional half moon pastry and fried deep, golden brown. Not at all greasy, these were crunchy, savory and delicious. Honorable mention to the s'mores empanada. The same half moon pastry, stuffed with chocolate, marshmallow and graham cracker, then deep fried. WAY better than your standard cookout s'mores; these were decadent and sweet. The perfect dessert to top off the meal. Be on the lookout for this food truck. Really good food - fresh and delicious.

New location !!! Love that an idea was brought to life. The old location was small and limited and…read morefelt like you were in a small deli but now it's more spacious has a domino table inside and a game corner. The owners did a great job creating a more Latin feel like mom and pop restaurants in Miami. The food is still great they had a few different plates with more dinner style but the portions were great. Hope they can get fully back up but glad I can get tostada, Cuban coffee and food just like being at home. If you're near Reidsville, NC stop by. The town decorates for holidays too so there's selfie spots and places to walk off the yummy food.

I can't believe I'm lucky enough to have a Cuban restaurant this close to where I live. And even…read moreluckier the food is as good as some of the places in Miami. The Cubano, Colada and Cafe con Leche are legit and so good. The real surprise was the Guava Mango Cheesecake. This thing was on another level. My wife hates cheesecakes and ate half of it. Service is great and just can't say enough good things. Love this place!

This restaurant delivered and then some! I ordered the picanta mediana because I needed leftovers…read moreand boy were there leftovers. The food was ridiculously delicious, the service was excellent, and the music was at the right level - entertaining but not so loud we couldn't hear our dinner companions.

Love the food! So flavorful! Everything I have eaten there has been great! But my fav is the carne…read moreasada and plantains! The staff is nice!