I've lived in the neighborhood for 10 years and Mambo's has been like a second home to me. They're very friendly, great service and delicious food. I love supporting local businesses that really care about the customer experience. read more

BOMB! Recently met the owner and he invited my staff and I to lunch. We all had the salmon. WOW so much flavor so good! Can't tell you how much we all enjoyed it. This place is full of life and great atmosphere. A true treasure! We'll be back for more 100% !! read more

Was there for a Spanish group. The food was very good and the service was great. It was a group of 11 and they were able to give everyone a separate bill. They were very helpful. read more

Four of us went to Mambos after seeing Diners, Drive ins and Dives. Had the signature Tostones Rellenos with shrimp which was a very generous portion, but basically shrimp, tomato, onion and cilantro. We found it good, but not great. Roast pork was very tasty, but a bit dry at times, grilled chicken was good. The big surprise ( not in a good way) was the Mambo chicken, a dry chicken breast, surprising for their "signature" dish. Rice and beans very tasty and the Maduros were excellent. Went at 6:30 on a Friday night and there was plenty of seating. Our service was fine, food came quickly. P.S. Discounts are available at Restaurant.com read more

Yum! Just a big yum. Service is great, food is great. Parking can be a challenge, but worth it.

Just like Mima's food. This place is reasonably priced and provides great Cuban entertainment. You always hear at least two Cubans arguing at the counter. Highly recommend this joint! read more

So I had the cuban sandwitch-you can soooo tell they use sweet pickles in it too.&i think there was a light spread of their famous bbq sauce, not sure, but it was by far the sweetest sammie ive had.but in a good way, not too over the top..lol,i burned my tounge a few times, but it was worth it...i really like the micro shoestring fries too-i don't know why but the overall plate gave me an almost gastropub feel..oh yeah, not to be forgotten-the really biiiggg glasses for your tea (or soda),i love it!...i mean, yeah its sorta cramped in there, but the atmosphere is fun & its fun to look at.in best words, its like eating at a foodie club :) nothing short of greatness :D read more

Took the hubby to an early Valentine dinner...I had the Mambo's Chicken...AMAZING! It comes with White Rice, Black Beans & Maduros...I HATE rice..but I love Cuban Rice cause you put the black beans on top and it's delish...Hubby had the Breaded Steak and he cleaned that plate up! lol Overall it was great, food, service and ambiance. We went when they had a live band..music was amazing..I recommend you make a reservation as the place is TINY! read more

Went to Mambos for lunch today just around noon. The place was packed but we were seated fairly quickly. The special of the day, chunks of marinated, tender pork and Cuban shrimp fried rice, was amazing. So many great flavors in each bite. It was great to see so many people enjoying themselves and their food. Everyone seemed content with the atmosphere and their meals. I recommend Mambos for a day when you feel like stepping out of your comfort zone and giving your taste buds something to thank you for. read more

We had dinner here last night. We had the tostones with shrimp as starters, my husband had the Cuban sandwich, which he described as the best Cuban sandwich he's ever tasted. I tried their roasted pork, and it was so delicious and flavorful. You must try their sangria-la as it goes so well with their courses. The parking here is annoying. I advise you to park on the streets if you don't mind doing a little bit of walking. read more

My review comes in the form of a short story. I have been here many times over the years. The owners converted an old gas station into a thriving, diner-style restaurant with it's own retro kind of charm. And difficult parking. According to a Cuban American friend, their Black beans and rice reminds him of those his Mother used to make! The menu is limited, but the food has always been good. Their fruit shakes are their strength. However, this is where the goodness ends. A month ago I decided to introduce my girlfriend to the charms of Mambo. It was on this fateful day I discovered that one of the owners has a serious anger management problem. I must preface this by mentioning that my girlfriend is fond of PG Tips English tea, which is difficult to find, and so she always takes a plastic bottle of cold tea with her wherever she goes. So we walk into the place one sunny, relaxed, weekday afternoon only to be greeted with strange shouting. It was the owner blurting out "What the hell is that?!!!" We looked around to try to understand what caused the yelling. We soon realized that the short, angry man was addressing my lady. "Yes, you! What is that?" She informed him that it was just iced tea. "You can't bring that in here. We have rules!" The waitresses behind him rolled their eyes and shrunk a little. They had obviously seen this before. My girlfriend casually walked out the door and poured what little was left of her iced tea into a planter box, then came quietly back in. "What the hell did you do that for? Now I have to clean that up!!!!!" was the reaction. It this point we could see where things were going, and we turned to leave. "What is wrong with your woman? We won't serve you anyway. Get out of here!!" I had seen this hot-head many times before, and had been warned about him by friends, but I had never been the target of his bizarre rage. This place just lost my business forever. read more

I had the Cuban Sandwich for lunch and it was VERY good! The pork was very lean and extremely tasty and the bread was toasted perfectly. While waiting for the sandwich, our server brought us some sliced, toasted bread and a spicy red sauce served cold that we really enjoyed. The service was fantastic; friendly and fast! read more

I love Mambos! My family and I have been coming to this restaurant for years, as we were locals. About 13 yrs ago we moved to the Ventura County area and still make the drive down, at least once a month to dine. I have never been disappointed with any dish. The entire Mambos staff family are the best! Always so kind, helpful, and open to jokes. I highly recommend dining here. The food is delicious!!!!! read more

Stayed across the street at the Victory Motel and just made it on time for dinner. Thank goodness!!! Featured on Guy Ferari's show- this Cuban food doesn't leave you short! We had the pork with plantain, and shrimp. Brilliant. read more

Mambos Cafe is my favorite go to place. It always comes to mind when I don't know what I want. Always good and always relaxed.

Fantastic food. Fantastic service. Our waitress gave great recommendations. Super yummy!! Will be back!

Do yourself a favor and stick to their signature dish. The Roast Pork is Fantastico!

This place is great, every time. Kind servers, fun jazz atmosphere & music, and delicious Cuban food. My favorite dish is the Picadillo.

Though I've been going to Mambos for years, I prefer Monday's for the beef stew. The Gonzalez family and the entire crew are wonderful and friendly. At lunch time it's always a packed house! So you know a lot of people love the great food. read more

Honestly, the pork here is so bland. Doesn't matter how you order it, on a sandwich or a plate. One of the great meats, and they can't do more with it. Service is good, but can't make up for the bland food. read more

GREAT chicken and steak plates, the maduras are the best!! and not to mention the AWESOME iced tea, so good!!! try the carmel flan with coconut!! its a nice little place to take a date or the family, has a nice counter set up and a good choice of brews. they even have a badass old car night during the summer, I highly recommend this joint, plus they dont tolerate annoying customers, read more

Food is incredible and the wait staff is very attentive and really nice!

Tried this because it was on DDD. I tried the breaded steak and my husband had the chicken. It was good, but not great. I liked the beans and plantains. Service was nice. We went at lunch on a Sunday. We were seated quickly and our waitress was nice. read more

Always a good meal and always with friendly service. I have had almost everything on the menu and I have never regretted it. Great vegetarian options too! read more

I grew up around the corner from this little cafe and the food is to die for!! I love it. Their cuban sandwich is excellent. I get it everytime me and my family go there! read more

I love going here for lunch. The El Pedro is awesome and the Cuban Sandwich is the shit. The only thing is I always feel reeeeeaaaaallly white when I go in there. I mean, I'm white, but I feel reeeeeeaaallly white. Don't know why, I just do. read more

Cozy place... fresh bread to start with and food was exceptional.. my recommendation as a must try would be the tostones.. so good!! Will definitely make a couple more trips to this hidden gem. read more

Went there right before the weekday noon rush, service was fine. Food was good. Will probably go back when in the area.

Great authentic Cuban food, great service and all for a reasonable price. We love their appetizer platter, roasted pork and breaded chicken. I just wish they were closer to us! read more

I've heard so much about this place, that I was expecting it to be amazing, but sadly, it really fell short. The "palomilla" steak was under seasoned, over cooked, tough and dry. The rice was so sticky and cold it was hard to eat. The beans were okay, but had very little "sason" (seasoning). The bread was served cold and with salsa, not butter. When we asked for butter we were given ONE piece of butter. The plantains, however, were fabulous as was the ambiance. I really wanted to LOVE this place because we have so few really great Cuban restaurants in this city, but I just didn't. Coño! read more

As you can see there is a menu in Yelp for mambos. I went in for the spicy chicken for $11.99. When I got there they gave me a bill for $15.49. They said yelp is not their website, so they don't have to change anything even though they have their whole menu listed here. Doesn't make sense. They were going to honor the price, but the guys that work there were very rude. All I was telling them is to avoid an issue like this and update the menu in yelp. They should at least listen because it makes a lot of sense. I order lunch for my employees from there, but not anymore. They lost my business today. I have 10 employees overall. One more thing the food is very dry. read more

This place is sooo good . My husband and I frequent this place with our two year old and they are so good with her also. Our favorite dishes are El Pedro, and we order tostones on the side and the Mambo's Chicken is sooooo delish!! Totally recommend this place. it can get a little crowded for lunch, but worth it!! Happy eating! read more

We had learned about Mambo's through Diners Drive-ins and Dives and were not disappointed. The maduros and tostones were amazing! We also ordered the grilled veggie plate and Cuban sandwich. Portions were large and everything was delicious. If we lived in the area we would definitely go back. read more

You won't regret eating at Mambos. Tuesday and Thursday have live jazz. Our waitress Jasmine and the manager Carlos were very gracious and caring. read more

Quick and friendly service. I was seated, had a menu, and a drink on the way in less than 2 minutes. The waitress suggested the roasted pork. Presentation was nothing special but the dish was great. Tender and juicy pork, rice, beans, and plantains made for a filling lunch. I'll be back next time I'm in this neck of the woods. read more

Always drove by this place and saw it had a big crowd in the afternoons. But never had i decided to walk in. So it definitely was a must to try it out. This place was great! Really good service with such a friendly environment. Decent prices as well. We ordered the breaded steak and a cuban sandwich both of which were delicious! read more

I give this place 5 stars, this place is authentic I should know because I'm Cuban, this is my BEST cuban restaurant love the food and the people and the service. I ordered the Mambo chicken delish, my friends order the Pork plate and she loved it, my other friend had the El Pedro and she LOVED IT! I would totally recommend Mambos and definitely coming back . Oh and at the start they serve you this delish red sauce so good and spicy with delish bread slices . Five thumbs up! read more

Incredible place! The food is great. I don't rem exactly what I got but they recommended it and it was great. Service is great as well. They're open to non-Cubans trying their food and make great recommendations. Oh and I forgot my sunglasses and they were kind enough to keep em for me till the next day. Great place! read more

Best cortadito in LA (except for Versailles, still have tot ry that one)! Closes earlier than advertised...as in you could be staring at the time posted on the door and the waiter will tell you they are closed 15 minutes early. Not cool...especially if I raced over there to order something To Go (being mindful of it being 8:45 when they close at 9) to get my Cuban fix. I've worked in many 4 restaurants, and if someone walks in a quarter till your closing time, you either seat them, or offer a to go menu. I'm Cuban, and from Miami- the best city, when it comes to authentic Cuban food, in this country. So, I have had my share of good Cuban food. At Mambo's the food was good, but I don't understand why they give you bread with tomato salsa- something Mexican? Plus I don't remember the bread being buttered and warmed up on la plancha the way authentic Cuban restaurants do. My fiancé's Cuban sandwich was excellent. I don't remember my main dish, but I remember the maduros (plantains) and congri (black rice and beans cooked together) being decent. Later, I ordered a cortadito, till this day the best cortadito I have ever had in Los Angeles (I've also tried Cafe Criollo, La Caridad, El Cochinito, Baracoa, El Rincon Cubano -don't go there- and all 3 Porto's). I was disappointed they didn't have arroz con leche, but I've noticed no restaurants in LA do...you have to go to Porto's for that. I ordered croquetas de jamon, they were salty and the filling was lacking in ham (too many other fillers). Also, I was going to order an appetizer containing chorizo, but was disappointed again to find out it wasn't Spanish chorizo, which is the kind of chorizo Cubans eat (as well as the Spanish obviously). read more

Fist time here and the food was great! Waiter took care of us and provided good service. Had the breaded steak with black beans and Maduros. Wife had the Mambos Carib bean salad with chicken. We also had the bread pudding and rice pudding for dessert. Everything was awesome! read more