Look no further for great Cuban Food , friendly service and beautiful ambiance. Luis , Danny and their wonderful staff will make you feel like family. read more

The food was amazing and I would highly recommend this restaurant. Food, ambience, service, authenticity were all worth 5 stars. Will be back! read more

Arturo was our waiter and he was excellent. We didn't know much about Cuban cuisine and he was so helpful. The food! oh my goodness....Soooooo good. Beautiful restaurant. Just a wonderful dining experience read more

We went there on a Friday night with friends who had recommended the place and we were looking forward to it since we try and support the local Sarasota restaurants. We feel that the restaurant had a number of items that definitely needed work. First off, the place was exceptionally loud. The bar was full, and the music was turned up. We asked for a table as far back from the bars we could get, and it was still so loud that four people sitting in a table could not converse. Our waitress was very helpful, although she even had trouble hearing in this environment. As for the food, there was a good selection of Cuban foods, including the standard Cuban fare. We concluded that there must've been something wrong with the kitchen. My better half had the chicken and yellow rice, which was tasty, but the salt level was. Almost unbearable. I had the black beans and white rice and again the salt was tremendous. It was so bad that upon getting home, I had to have multiple glasses of water. Having said that, the pork chop with the pineapple sauce was a good idea and a tasty item. Unfortunately, the chef effectively destroyed a good dish with the amount of salt. read more

Amazing service, delicious, authentic food and great ambiance. Daniel, our waiter, made my birthday very special!

Our favorite eatery in all of SRQ. We have dined multiple times and everything single thing we have ordered has been the best of the best. The service is outstanding. The ambiance is outstanding and the food is outstanding. I'm leaving an excellent review for Dane (bartender) and Arturo (server) but all of the staff we have come in contact with is very professional and deserving . Well done. This is the caliber of restaurant we have been waiting for in SRQ. read more

Hi We are customers from your NJ location and we have enjoyed your Sarasota resturant a few times ... always very good. Weds was not good at all ... something changed recently . We were with friends and served by Brianna who was the only good thing of the night . She was great. The dinners however were not !!! In fact they were below average. First the pork appetizer was $18 and it had 3 very small pieces of pork ... sad. My wife ordered the chicken it was blah. our Friends ...wife ordered Grouper and it was hard and dry. She did not even eat it. Husband ordered shrimp and rice and he got 4 medium shrimp ... that is it for $33. I ordered the Paella ( had before) it was very poorly done. Maybe 2 shrimp, one scallop and a lot of Chicken it had little taste and was a bad mostly dry med up chicken entree with rice and no taste for $40. the meal was a joke. Sad because we loved your place and told many friends . We then ordered a few expressos... the cup was so small and it had a drop of espresso . we were shocked. we paid with tip $140 a couple ! not worth $25 we had to go for pizza after that poor dinner. What the heck happened to your nice resturant. Andy from Jersey Sent from my iPhone read more

This place is fantastic!! Food and service are impeccable. Had the croquettes and bacon wrapped plantains for appetizers which were incredible. Had the ropa vieja which did not disappoint. Perfectly seasoned. Dessert didn't disappoint either. Tres leches and rice pudding were delicious. Our server was very attentive and knowledgeable of the menu. Drinks were spot on as well. Highly recommend the smoked old fashioned. Will definitely come back. read more

We had wonderful a meal at Cuba 1958. We were there on a Friday evening, had excellent service and the food was great. Our meals ranged from paella, fried pork, bistec de palomilla...all delicious! The manager/owner were very friendly and wanted to ensure we enjoyed ourselves. They mentioned there is live music on thursdays and there is a cute patio out back with limited seating as well (perhaps better for couples). Our group ranged in age from 9-80's and we all enjoyed it. read more

We had the pork tostones, arroz con Pollo, and the pineapple pork. The flavor and cook was perfection. The flank steak was only okay. Not much flavor. Very cute vibe, definitely gets busy. Service was everything you could ask for. Highly recommend. read more

The food was great, the service not so good. Despite long discussions about wanting a side of yuca frita with a mojito, I was given white rice with a mojito. Coffee took forever and was just warm. Nice atmosphere. read more

The Food is Amazing! Customer Service Amazing! We actually sat at the bar because we did not make a reservation and had a great experience. The authentic Cuban inspired flavors and upscale decor make for a good time. Our new go to in Sarasota! read more

Food was amazing, ambiance was romantic, and the service was superb. From the point of walking in we knew we were in for a treat.

Phenomenal food, service, and atmosphere! Went there twice in the last two weeks. Loved it!

We arrived at noon for the highly rated Cuban sandwiches. The restaurant was beautiful and the server was great. However, they would only let us order off the dinner menu. However, we could order the Cuban sandwiches to go. They would not allow our party of five to eat the sandwiches they would prepare for us in their otherwise empty restaurant. The owner turned us, and our family, away! Unbelievable and stupid. Looks like a nice place but very unwelcoming and my family and I will not be back. read more

The food was amazing and delicious. The service was excellent. The ambiance was nice and lively. Best food I ever had downtown!! The drinks were good but a little pricey for the amount you get. What I did not like was that people did not respect the dress code. I do not want to sit down to dinner and see people in shorts or athletic shoes and flip flops. read more

What a charming, authentic experience in downtown Sarasota! Food and service was excellent.

Service was excellent, tables were available at 11:30 today (Sep 18,2024). White linen covered tables, cloth napkins, very clean and a well run establishment. It was slightly on the cool side (AC) and I would suggest long sleeves or light sweater. We ordered a Maduros Envueltos en Bacon appetizer and 2 of the chef specials- Bistec de Pallomia (steak) and Lechon Asado (roast pork) with sides of congri, tostones and maduros. Quantity was as expected for price point. Fair value. The food however proved disappointing in regards to taste. The reason for 3 stars was the taste fell flat and was underseasoned. A few raw white onion slices topped the meat. The braised roast pork while tender, was dry with absolutely no juices on the plate and the steak was chewy and not easy to cut with the serrated knife provided. The sweet plantains were tasty, the tosotones were dry and lacked sauce (menu said w/mojo) and the congri lacked seasoning. The appetizer of sweet plantains was wrapped twice round with bacon and topped with (probably) crumbled queso fresco, sitting in a thickened sweet sauce. The cheese was not tangy and added no taste value. I found it hard to swallow the inner flabbly layer of bacon (the outer layer was pleasantly crisp) but my husband quite enjoyed the appetizer saying was the best of what we ordered. We won't be returning as we prefer more flavor and seasoning in our cuban cuisine, our braised meats to be served in their juices and steaks and sides to be accompanied with Cuban style sauces. To be fair our wait staff checked in often and asked us how everything was. Obviously others enjoy the food so we did not complain that it was too bland for us. We finished less then half of our main dishes and took the rest home with plans to use them as base layer for a tasty homemade meal. When it came time to pay, the bill was a QR code requiring app download and payment form to be entered manually. Far too complicated for us so we paid in cash. read more

Fantastic food, very attentive servers. Drinks were great too. Live music when we went was really fun as well. Will definitely be going back, highly recommend. read more

Yummy food. And super authentic place. Luis (the owner) greeted us personally and the place has a very nice vibe. We will be back.

What a great experience we had at this restaurant. The food was spectacular and delicious. It was 6 of us and every dish was full of flavors. I recommend El Rabo Encendido and the Flan for dessert. The owners were there and greeted us like family. The ambiance of the restaurant brought me back to our childhood memories. read more

This is our second time visiting Cuba 1958. 1st time everything was great. Today, 5 months later, we were unfortunately disappointed. Food was still good, but service was severely lacking. Not sure we'll return. read more

We went with our friends for dinner. We had an awesome experience! The food was delicious. My husband said that he had the best churrasco. My palomillo tasted like my mother's. The service was terrific. I loved our waitress, Samantha. She took care of us and was a delight to talk to. We will definately go back for dinner. We decided to celebrate my birthday there.... read more

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I had an excellent experience! The place was amazing and very elegant. The hospitality from the owner was commendable; he personally thanked guests for coming, which was a very nice touch. The food was delicious, and everything we ate was delightful. The service from the waiter was also exceptional. I will definitely come back! Attached you can find my Cuban dad pretty impressed and nostalgic!! read more

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Love the place ! Menu is complete and full of choices. Food is amazing and atmosphere, so inviting. You will not want to leave the back patio. read more

Food and drinks were fantastic. We also had great service. We were there for their soft opening.

Amazing, authentic Cuban food!! Drinks are delicious and such a great ambiance. Our server was very attentive and helpful with providing suggestions. read more

What a wonderful new restaurant on Main Street! Love the ambience, we had an excellent waiter and the food was very good. We shared a paella and there was enough to bring home! read more

Very cool place. The Cuban Sandwich was the best I've had anywhere. Great cafe con leche. Been back several times and I'm working my way through the menu. I eat at the bar and schmooze with the locals. The service is amazing and the check comes in a cigar box. read more

This is an awesome restaurant! The ambiance is great. The employees are first-class, and the food is superb! I have enough for a good meal tomorrow. We will definitely go back. A top-notch restaurant in a good location. read more

Pros and cons as much as I'd like to give it a five star there were some distractions. Owner is incredibly friendly and the staff are nice. The food was authentic but the waiters couldn't really detail what the features were or why certain dishes stand out. The establishment is " south beach style or old world cuban" great garden room.. Relatively new I hope they grow into the great expectations I have for them. Perhaps refine some of the flavors to reflect more attention to cooking love and presentation. Good bar tender good basic flavor but the chef let his meat dry, the sauce maybe sat too long and the yucca was Luke warm. A little more attention would make it great but I think every team member was new and they're getting geared up for a good season. Also they should include some more Cuban flair. Some pressed San which sliders a little more family feel some novelty seasonal menu items worth another go. read more

Upon entering the staff was warm, inviting and attentive. The atmosphere was vibrant and classy without being pretentious. Drinks- I had Hatuey a Cuban beer that they had on tap, it was very good. My wife had a flight of mojitos, not only was each mojito delicious but the presentation was beautiful. We ordered an assortment of food to try multple dishes. The food definitely did not dissapoint either. Each dish was seasoned and cooked to perfection. My favorite was the tostones with oxtail, my wife loved the yuca with mojo. It was a very fun evening and a wonderful dining experience. We are looking forward to our next trip to the Sarasota area so we can dine here again. read more

Came back for the second time because the entire family loved everything we had. Such an awesome place!

We loved everything from our appetizers to dessert!! The oxtail may have been favorite but everything from the chicken to the steak was delicious. Servers were so friendly and the owners went around to every table. We can't wait to go back!! read more

We went to Cuba 1958 for the first time and absolutely loved it. We were a party of 6. We got to order lots of different dishes and share. We had the sample appetizer platter, plantain chips and guacamole, lechon asado (pork), churrasco de pollo (chicken), and paella...plus accompanying side dishes. Everything was wonderful. Brianna was our server. She was fantastic. Luis, the owner, stopped by to check on us. We're all from New Jersey...so we made an instant connection. Don't miss this place! Be sure to make a reservation. We can't wait to go back. read more

Stopped for a quick sandwich during my lunch hour. It took about 20 minutes to get the food after ordering. The pressed Cuban sandwich is good. $4.50 is a little steep for a glass of soda. read more

DISAPPOINTING! Wish I could give a better review but this is NOT good Cuban food. I'm from Miami, lived there for 45 years so I know Cuban food. I know Sarasota was excited for this restaurant and some diners will likely be fine with it because they have no experience with what good Cuban food should taste like. Unfortunately, Cuba 1958 falls short of being good Cuban food. Vaca Frita should be tender on the inside (like pot roast) and crisp on the outside. The Vaca Frita at this restaurant was so tough I was unable to cut it with the steak knife provided. I had to tear it with my fork and then it was like chewing leather, the meat never broke down even after chewing and chewing and chewing. Never have I ever experienced such a terrible and tough vaca frita. The manager even commented to me that he had other complaints about it. I was extremely disappointed that he did not remove it from our bill. Big fail. That would have been the right thing to do. The black beans presented well but they were absent of flavor. Tasteless, bland. Another big disappointment was the bread. They tried too hard to reinvent classic Cuban bread by serving Cuban rolls of which one was made into egg bread/roll? Challah? Really? This would be laughed at in traditional (real) Cuban dining. Don't mess with the bread. One more note, the restaurant itself is super noisy, too noisy, hard to have a normal conversation. PS. Since manager did not offer to remove the vaca frita from our bill I took it home to the dog. Even she struggled to chew it. read more

Great atmosphere, fantastic food, excellent service, and involved owners who genuinely care. This is a truly exceptional experience!

This really nice Cuban restaurant just opened on June 17. We ate there last night and had an exceptional experience. The food was wonderful and fairly priced. The atmosphere was really nice and the service was great. We will definitely be back. Next time I'll take some photos. read more

I was excited to try this restaurant on Main Street. Seated quickly, waitress was attentive...at first. We ordered drinks and meals. Drinks came quick but meal took almost an hour. Our waitress disappeared. Other patrons that arrived after us were getting served before us. When we questioned the manager/host he seemed to be confused and was scrambling. Him and the waitress walked past our table three times before telling us "it's coming soon". Waitress told us it wasn't her fault. We had to send back one meal as it was extremely salty and inedible. I ordered grouper ($35). Came out drowned in some sauce. The owner came to the table and offered us a drink to placate us!! Seriously! When I told him it was our first visit and we were disappointed he said well I checked and it was only 40 minutes not an hour. He just shrugged and said "Well, I apologize". This a one and done experience at this restaurant. read more