No matter what type of day this place is a VIBE and has been a staple since my husband was just a…read moreboyfriend lol. Now we have kids and visit regularly- with or without them. Love that it's family friendly- the staff ALWAYS includes us in fun conversations , and the food is consistently wonderful AND authentic. We try something new every single time we're here, and the staff is always happy to bring some plantain strips for my kids when we come in! Love and will remain regulars!

t was a cold, rainy day and I was craving Cuban food, so I decided to give The Cuban in Garden City…read morea try. From the outside, the place looks pretty cool and inviting, with several classic cars parked out front that immediately catch your attention. We were greeted by friendly staff, and the atmosphere inside was very lively. We sat down and ordered our food along with some cocktails. The coconut shrimp was just okay--it tasted like it had been fried a bit too long. The chicken with garlic rice and beans was unfortunately very salty, almost to the point of being hard to eat. Our second dish, the ropa vieja, was again just okay and had a noticeable sweetness to it--possibly from the peppers. The drinks were decent, and the place features a dance floor, giving it more of a nightlife vibe than a traditional sit-down restaurant. While I'm not sure I'd return specifically for the food, I would recommend it if you're looking for Latin flavors, drinks, and a fun nightlife atmosphere.

I don't get lots of chances to come here, but when I can, I run! Owner and sweetheart of a lady…read moreAnnarella and her family have truly given us something special. This is Cuban food your abuela - and in Annarella's case, her dear Mima - would make for you. (And many of the recipes are hers) Everything on their menu is good. Seriously, you can't go wrong: Mima's daily specials, empanadas, the De Todito Pollo chicken sandwich, Mima's croquetas, the oxtail sandwich, the Cuban sandwich & medianoche, the vaca frita fries (yes, if I lived closer, I'd be even chunkier for sure!) and one of my cravings, the Elena Ruz (a classic Cuban treat of turkey, cream cheese and strawberry jam - it just works!) Important to note: "Asi viene el sandwich meng!" Please don't ask for modifications on anything they make - just trust them and have the true experiencia cubana - they know what they're doing. :) It's a sweet, tiny spot with a cute counter to enjoy your feast. They also have great fruit batidos (shakes) - mango, fruta bomba (papaya) and mamey -- all delicious and made fresh. They'll also make a cafecito for you - all part of the most lovely, authentic Cuban experience you'll ever have for many miles. Dale!

Great Cuban spot! We were thinking of heading to Jersey to get Cuban and then found this highly…read morerated cafe so decided to head over and I'm so glad we did. The space is small and cute with a counter to eat and appears to be very clean. The owner (I think the woman is the owner) is super friendly. The food is all reasonably priced and is fantastic. Went with ropa vieja, cuban sandwich, empanada, and the pudding dessert. It's one of those places that after you leave you text ppl in the area telling them they have to come here.

Food is made with love clearly, the seasoning is amazing. The ambiance reminds you of old Cuba…read morewhich is amazing and the point they are trying to get across. Lastly the servers and even owner come out regularly to check on you and provide great customer experiences.

Service was great! Very attentive and answered all questions. The food was so good. Would…read moredefinitely come here again. The sangria, delicious

Delicious Food! I recommend if you're in the area! Large variety of tasty Hispanic dishes…read moredefinitely worth the trip will be back soon!

After ordering online and receiving dry two day old chicken at 12 pm when they open at 10 am, I was…read moretold "I don't know who you are, if you have a problem come in and talk to me!" I'm at work how inconsiderate of your establishment after pay $16 for lunch. Very rude!

My friend and I stopped by this restaurant before going to a meeting to grab something for dinner…read more The food was full of flavor, fresh and service was friendly. Highly recommend

When I travel to this area, I makenit a must to pickup a dozen frozen pasteles. It can be made…read moreporknwith either yuca or guineo. You get them home boil a pair for about 30 to 40 minutes and eat them with arroz con gandules or by themselves. This restaurant makes pasteles perfectly and if you try one first. Once you try it, you will for sure want to buy a dozen to make at home. Always a great batch, great flavor and priced just right. Give them a shot youngest regret it!! 10/10

This is my second time coming here. It was a yelp event that brought us here first and it was…read moreamazing. I will say parking is street parking or side streets and can get a little crazy on weekends. Service is always great and you feel like you are a part of the family here. Food is always fresh and amazing. Anytime I am near here we stop regardless of being hungry or not. I absolutely am obsessed with their vaca frita and black beans. It's a huge portion so leftovers are always good. My boyfriend always orders their cubano as he said it is the best one he has ever had. Their Maduros are also sweet and crisp and never greasy. We also tried their choripan sandwich and it was awesome. We've never had thinly sliced chorizo which eliminates the usual oil and messiness. Always an amazing meal. We also tried their pineapple Cuban smoothie and ended the meal with their delicious flan.

I would give Cha Cha in Kenilworth 2 stars…read more This was my first visit, and while the service was friendly and welcoming, the food itself was very disappointing. I appreciated the complimentary yuca fritters with special sauce, which was a kind gesture. However, the overall quality, freshness, and authenticity of the main dishes did not meet expectations. Parking is very limited street parking. The Cuban breaded steak was the biggest disappointment. A proper Cuban-style breaded steak should be thin, tender, savory, garlicky, slightly citrusy, well-seasoned, evenly breaded, and pan-fried until crisp and golden. The version I received tasted oddly sweet, the breading separated from the meat, and the steak had a gummy texture with an old-looking color. It did not have the freshness or clean savory flavor expected from this classic dish. The red beans were very concerning. They tasted strongly like vinegar, and I had to spit them out. When I looked closer, there appeared to be a white, murky-looking substance in them. Beans should never taste sour or vinegary unless something is wrong. Cuban-style red beans should be creamy, savory, aromatic, and well-seasoned with garlic, onion, peppers, cumin, oregano, and bay leaves. The white rice was also not acceptable. It was hard, did not taste fresh, and had a vinegar-like smell and flavor. It appeared as if older rice may have been mixed with newer rice. Proper Cuban white rice should be fluffy, clean-tasting, separated, and neutral in flavor. The moro with black beans and rice was better than the white rice, but still lacked depth. It needed more bay leaf flavor and stronger Cuban seasoning. A good moro should have a rich, savory base from sofrito, garlic, peppers, onions, beans, broth, herbs, and slow cooking so the rice absorbs the flavor. The oxtail was tender and okay, but it did not fully deliver the deep, rich Cuban-style flavor I expected. Traditional Cuban oxtail should be slow-braised with garlic, onions, peppers, tomato sauce, wine, herbs, and spices until the sauce becomes rich and the meat is deeply seasoned. This oxtail tasted acceptable, but it seemed as though it may have been prepared a day or two before and reheated. I understand that many restaurants legally prepare certain foods a day ahead, especially dishes like beans, stews, and oxtail. However, food should still taste fresh and be stored, cooled, reheated, and handled according to food safety standards. Sour or vinegar-like flavors in rice or beans can sometimes indicate fermentation, spoilage, or improper storage, and that should never reach the customer. The best part of the meal was the dessert. The vanilla flan was very good, and the coconut flan was excellent. The coconut flan was rich, creamy, and full of coconut flavor, with shredded coconut pieces that added texture and made it stand out. That dessert showed real potential. The prices were reasonable, but reasonable pricing does not make up for poor freshness and low food quality. It did look like they may do better with sandwiches and empanadas, which I did not try and perhaps should have ordered first. I cook Cuban food, Puerto Rican food, and other traditional dishes myself, and I lived in Miami for over nine years. I also learned from Cuban friends who cook authentic Cuban food at home. Because of that, I know how these dishes should taste. In my opinion, the dishes I tried did not represent Cuban cuisine with the freshness, authenticity, seasoning, or care it deserves. The restaurant may have people who know how to cook, but based on this visit, it seems the kitchen has lost some of the authenticity and discipline needed to serve fresh, properly prepared Cuban food. Food that tastes sour, vinegary, old, or questionable should never be served to customers. The service and desserts were the highlights, but the main dishes need serious improvement in freshness, food handling, seasoning, and respect for authentic Cuban cuisine. There are several areas that need improvement. Freshness and food safety should be the main priority. Rice and beans should never taste sour or vinegary unless intentionally prepared that way, and food that seems old or questionable should not be served. The breaded steak should be freshly breaded, crispy outside, tender inside, and properly seasoned with authentic Cuban flavors like garlic, citrus, cumin, oregano, and bay leaves. The rice should be fluffy, the beans creamy, and the oxtail deeply seasoned and fresh-tasting. I believe the restaurant may have cooks who understand Cuban cuisine, but the kitchen needs to reconnect with freshness, consistency, authenticity, and stronger food handling standards. Cuban food is rich in flavor, comfort, and cultural pride, and with improvement this restaurant could better reflect that tradition.

Really great food and service! A little loud but we could still hold a conversation. We will…read moredefinitely go back! Get the skirt steak!

What a delight One of those days of driving without a…read morepurpose and then getting hungry. Well, the navigator picked this spot and off we went. What a nice surprise. Quaint Spanish style decor, soft lights, nice bar. Service was prompt with a smile But ..... but The food! Absolutely enjoyable, hearty, tasty, tropically inspired. Navigator - rabo encendido, me- costilla de guayaba Ox tails and ribs The meat fell off the bone The sauces delicious What a nice surprise. The food was delicious. Atmosphere quite pleasant Salsa in the backgrounds Fun night Highly recommended By the way the drinks were also excellent

Incredible food, incredible service, thank you for being so hospitable. I will be back on my next…read moretrip out here!

Their food is very good. The empanadas are a little oily. They need to drain the meat better.read more

Got introduced to this wonderful Cuban restaurant when they were in Queens over 30 years ago. They…read moreclosed that location and now operate out of Huntington and New Hyde Park. Their food, service and hospitality has been always been five star. So when something is so good why change, just expand. We visit the Huntington location quite often. We start with Pina Coladas and Cuba Libre (rum and coke), for appetizers the chorizo and tamales. While there is an assortment of meats, fish and chicken, our favorite is the ropa veija, tender shredded beef in a wonderful sauce with the best steamed white rice and of course madoros. Another hit of ours is the breaded steak and my new favorite, the broiled flounder. Our next dish will be the paella. Just need to call ahead. The Flan, Tres Leches cake and Cuban coffee is always a good ending. The service is always top notch. Red and white table cloths. A bar area with a separate dining area. You may even be lucky to catch a unique celebration song and dance by one of the staff. Make sure you have your camera ready. And a special thank you to Raul. The last time we were there, I tried a new dish that was good, but not something that enjoyed. Don't you know it, Raul surprised me and sent me home with a serving of Ropa Vieja. Thank you Raul.

Food is hit or miss here! Sometimes it's great and delicious and others not as enjoyable…read more If you eat inside don't be shafted like we were with 1/2 pitchers just get the whole one even if you don't drink it all it's cheaper then 1/2 we asked the waiter and he suggested we buy 1/2's. Also dessert was fair. Overall though the times we were sitting down inside and not takeout. Was enjoyable. I gave 4 stars based on that one time. Take out not great, and expensive. Remember full carafes and you will save lot of money!!

The Cuban has great service. Came here once for brunch and once for dinner…read more Brunch was excellent and they have a nice brunch menu. We were seated upstairs because they had a large party downstairs. They have a fun Happy Birthday presentation as another table was celebrating someone's special day. The dinner food was tasty, BUT, everything was a bit overly salty and it made me very thirsty. I am not sure if it was an off night or if the food is normally so salty. We may give it another try in the future as I do love Cuban food.

Consistent and go to Cuban restaurant! We have been coking here for quite some time now and it…read morealways really good. On the weekends there is live music upstairs and can get noisy. But if you wanted a quiet dinner, downstairs is the place to be. Staff here is very nice and attentive!