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Categories: Cuban, Lounges, Tapas Bars [Edit]
Neighborhood: Griffith Park/Los Feliz
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I'm driving back home Sunday morning, and realize I really need to get down and do some studying.… Read more »
I always get a little nervous when I go to the doctors. Not from the exam or procedure, but because of the questions. The worse is "Do you smoke?" Like do you mean have I ever? Or do I everyday? Because I do smoke when I drink, but then I drink a lot. So is it still social smoking or am I just a smoker. If I say no will he know I'm lying? Will he put in his chart, Mike N. diagnosis a smoking liar to be prescribed nicorette and morals?
The magnitude of this problem wouldn't be so bad if my friends would stop having birthday parties at Cuba Libre. I smoke more here compared to anywhere else (2nd would be La Cita). For the reasons of 1) The patio is a decent size with ample tables and seating. You might have to share, but hey good conversation openings. 2) It gets packed when there are events inside. The collision of bar and dance floor people makes for ill walking conditions. 3) The bar service, as nice and cool as these guys/gals are, is just slow. Thus, I spend my time outside smoking. Smoking and ultimately lying (deal breaker).
Street parking takes a bit of patience; however they do offer cheap valet. 3.5 stars for this venue. I just wish the design wasn't a giant studio and bar service was a littler snappier. Other than all of that I've always had a decent time.
p.s. Ran into apl. de .ap here a few months ago. He said his friends ditched him. To which I responded, yeah I never liked Fergie anyways, but really Taboo left too? No he said. My other friends. Hahaha I laughed. You don't have other friends. You're the Black Eyed Peas. Friends Smiends. This story had no weight on my review rating.
I finally ate here, sadly.
Whoever owns this place is a genius because they must be raking money in hand over fist. Food cost has to be non existent as each plate comes with your protein (bland but cooked well), white steamed rice (no seasoning), friend plantains (mine was a banana, i called bull shit), and some stewed black beans with a little garnish... all this for only 17 dollars. Chips and salsa, not so Cuban AMIGOS. Mojitos were good but so packed with ice you get 5 sips out of a glass and have to reorder from... well we didnt get a server, just the bartender who had to make the painstaking journey from bar to table every time i took 5 sips out of my glass. Skip this place, with the plethora of good food on Vermont you would be remiss in spending your hard earned here.
Mehhhhhh. (that is the sound that accompanies me raising my shoulders in a old jewish lady's "i dont… Read more »
I don't want to hate Cuba Libre, because their drinks are usually pretty alright and their happy hour quite often hits the spot. Complimentary chips and salsa may deserve the credit there as I am a simple man but I digress.
However Cuba LIbra last night may have firmly landed itself a spot on the short list of Places I Do Not Like and the credit there goes to a certain douchebag bartender.
This is a review about that douchebag bartender.
We had spent all day drinking fantastic and free caipirinhas at the release party for *Total Sao Paolo* (gritty and youth-oriented guide to the city by the same name in Brazil), and later that night, the thirst for another one struck. We stumbled up Vermont to the usually reliable Cuba Libre, walked up to the bar and asked to see that little drink menu.
The bartender informed us that they didn't have a drink menu.
Funny, because though my blackouts are frequent, I've been there enough times to remember ordering drinks off of one. Making the bartender a liar. But anyway.
So we ordered two caipirinhas, easy enough. The bartender produced the drinks and the bill and disappeared. He had charged me $12 for the drinks, and then upsold me another $1 a drink for a top shelf liquor upgrade, obviously, without asking! Not only that, but they were disgusting. He had just dropped a few limes in the bottom of a rocks glass with (I'm hoping) cachaca and club soda. For $13, is it too much to ask that you put some fucking sugar and do some fucking muddling in my drink? I tried muddling with my straw but there was no saving that glass full of garbage.
So, to make a long story short, that bartender is a douchebag, and if you decide to tempt fate and go to Cuba Libre post-happy hour, get your hands on a drink menu with listed prices and try to avoid the douchebag. He's pretty easy to spot. He's the one that looks like an absolute douchebag.
Cuba Libre...come here for drinks. Small quaint place, nicely decorated, has an outside patio to smoke. The bar has a cool lighting and the bartenders are all pretty helpful.
The mojitos are really good! Not the BEST I've ever had, but definitely worth trying. Also, they make a delicious capirinha!!! (Brazillian alcoholic drink). I haven't been to many places that serve this so it was a treat.
The DJ last night kinda sucked...and there were some creepers on the dance floor, so be careful of those guys. They cut off the music early too. I would come back here for drinks again, but other than that I don't see myself coming here regularly.
Best. Mojitos. Everrr.
Sexy bar, sexy bartenders. I came here for a friend's birthday bash. The ambiance is very nice.
Hot damn.. I really want to come back and actually try the food.
After having a great tapas dinner at Cobras and Matadors (see previous review), what better way to end it than by coming to this Cuban lounge to socialize since its just around the corner.
This bar is really cool and chic. They had a live DJ spinning tunes and the bar counter was lit up by lights which made for a great atmosphere.
I can only write about the virgin Mojito that I ordered which was pretty tasty. Some in our group wanted to order dessert but there was some hassle with ordering it from a restaurant next door as they shared the same kitchen but they would have had to order and pay for it there and then just bring it over to eat it. Although, our waiter was trying to accommodate us I think he was told by the manager that he couldnt do the leg work for us so the girls passed on the idea.
Nonetheless, Cuba Libre has an eclectic vibe to it and I will definitely come back again to try some of the food next time.
Went here last night for dinner with a friend, TOTALLY SOLID. We didn't originally plan on coming here though. We planned to meet at the place next door, but as soon as we got there I remembered the Lakers were playing and there was no way we were going to be able to hear each other talk. So next door to Cuba Libre we went. We sat outside, and even though we had to wait a little bit for our waiter overall it was a great experience. We each had a couple of the Malt Lagers from Peru (can't remember the name of it). I had no idea what to get and asked him what his favorite thing on the menu was and he said that I had to try the Lamb Stew for dinner. He was right, it was amazing.
I will 100% be coming back here again. Don't know if it will be a stumbling drunk type coming back, or sit down with a friend and have dinner coming back, but I will be back fotru.
Cuba Libre is a curious case of style over substance. Cool place, good drinks, decent food. Liked it, didn't love it.
Mostly it was curious because there was a DJ spinning to an empty restaurant on the inside, but the music wasn't streamed to the patio, where people were sitting. Hmm.
And for a place with chic decor, why play THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA on FX - with commercials - on the plentiful flat screen tv's? It was just distracting and cheapened the concept of this Cuban bar/restaurant (which is cool!) (I'm not dissing DEVIL - LOVE that movie - I just HATE restaurants that play TV when they're not sports bars!)
The bf and I were going to a housewarming party in Silverlake on a Saturday night and wanted to grab a quick bite beforehand. Il Capriccio and the sushi place next to it were PACKED - people were waiting outside for tables. Cuba Libre was empty, minus a few tables on the patio. Cool, let's go here.
Service was quick. Chips and salsa were plentiful. Very good guacamole. I ordered chicken fajitas (I know, it's not Cuban) and he ordered a skirt steak (more Cuban). Food was decent. We both ordered mojitos, which quickly disappeared. Bill was over $60 (including tip) for two drinks, one app and two entrees.
I'm glad I tried it, but I'll only have apps and drinks next time!
Two words: hella lame. Who ever heard of Cubans eating chips, salsa and guacamole? This place is a farce. Some genius figured the unsuspecting Los Feliz crowd would buy this hook, line and sinker. I think I spotted Nick Lachey (or his stunt double) here last Sunday. Marco agreed it was Nick Lachey and since he's much more up on Hollywood smut, I differ to him. But I digress, if had to rate the food I'd give it the whack rating. It gets one star only because the mojitos are good and $5 at happy hour.
I came here last night to meet up with friends. I remember when Cuba Libre used to be Pepe's and on Tuesday nights they had a party which played intelligent hip hop and people would battle each other on the dance floor, pop rocking and break dancing. It was a complete dump, but it was also quite fun and attracted all the old school B-Boys and B-Girls. Now it is completely re-made and renovated. It's quite nice and the patrons sitting at the tables looked very clean cut and intelligent...minus the hip hop. Pepe's has matured to freeing Cuba.
What the hell did Fidel do to Cuba anyways? Annoying.
The mojoito was the best mojito I've had in my life. The White Lychee martini was very weak. I wouldn't suggest buying one. It's a waste of money. For my first time here, I was content. It was more than the company, it was the the vibe that you feel once you're inside. I do, however, have to come back and eat the food. I will update again, once I get the chance to.
One last thing, valet is only $2.50. Anywhere else is $5 bucks....
Last night, a few of us met at Cuba Libre for a drink. Mojito's and Tapas were the name of the game. The solids and liquids were all good but nothing special.
I'm not quite sure what to make of this restaurant. One the one hand, the space is nice and they have a huge bar but the service was terrible and no one was in the place. It was like hanging out in a ghost town.
Overall, the food I sampled was okay but not worth the price. In the future, I think I'm more likely to go to Cuba before I return to Cuba Libre.
http://brunoeatsfood.b.../
They get the food part right, but Cuba Libre seems to be trying a little bit too hard in other areas, for lack of a better way to put it. Service is well intentioned but bumbling and the whole operation seems a little bit like a disorganized stab at a Hollywood-y hot spot.
That said, I've got no real complaints about the food. The calamari appetizer is lightly fried, and comes with a really nice tamarind sauce. The skirt steak was pretty good too. Lots of Spanish and South American reds on the wine list.
[ update : i went back here and had a sandwich. for a cuban place, it was severely underwhelming. crappy bread. the salad it came with was like plain green salad with what tasted like bottled italian dressing. great mojitos though, and the fact that it's happy hour all sunday night is pretty cool. BUT the live drummer : not that cool. when you've got a dude banging drums inside and 90% of your patrons consequently choose to dine outside you might want to reevaluate the entertainment situation. ]
CLOSED FOR RENOVATIONS! New Restaurant Coming.
Love this place, you can be right on Vermont and feel like you are miles away. The drinks are great… Read more »
Hmmmm, I thought I had written a review of this place when I first met Yuka I. before she left Los Angeles for San Francisco. I came here specifically to meet Yuka the day before she was leaving or came here a few days or something. I'm not much of a drinker but ordered the martinis to try the specialties and a little bit strong but there was a lychee martini Yuka made, it sure was sweet and strong. I also had dinner here too. The service here was excellent the first night I was here and the staff was attentive. Slow night while I was sitting at the bar.
I came here again the second night for Yuka's last night and it was open mic night. So I couldn't find a spot at the bar. I found a seat outside in the patio area and couldn't really decide what to eat. So I remember Yuka recommended the fried rice Cuban style so I got that. It certainly had a little bit of Chinese flair to it with beans for the Cuban flair into it. The waitress was a bit occupied and took my order, someone else brought my order and that was the last I saw of my waitress.
Later when the open mic night ended, the bar cleared out. I sat down and ordered another martini to try. As I was enjoying my drink, that's when I saw the waitress the most. Seems like a cool place to hang out. Just a hit and miss with what kind of service you get. The guys behind the bar was great too. They got most of my tips and Yuka too.
For artsy bar photo shots, Cuba Libre is the place. For any other kind of shots, I'd pre-game it at home and wander up and down Vermont before I made Cuba Libre a destination, which says more about CL than it does about my alcoholism. Their self-titled cocktail is a sort of half-assed mojito, but their actual mojitos are very tasty. The menu is all over the place, a sort of weird Cuban fusion, but the fries are more than adequate for bar-food cravings.
Servers are extremely hit-or-miss. I've been ignored here more times than my ego wants to admit, and not just on packed comedy-night Mondays. It seems so deliberate that I wonder if they're trying to cultivate a Fred 62 we'll-serve-you-when-we-fucking-feel-like-it vibe, which only works for hipster diners like Fred's, if ever.
Lastly, the restrooms have charm (don't judge me for my cute-powder-room fetish!), but I saw the most giant waterbug that I've ever seen here in a women's bathroom stall one nightmare-inducing night. Lots of ups and downs, but not a terrible place to end up if you get too intimidated by the folks at Bar Vermont.
I wanted to try something new in my 'hood, so we took off on foot in search of a Sunday afternoon margarita that we could sip outside while laughing about the poor suckers back east living with sub zero temperatures at the moment....but I digress.
We walked by Cuba Libre, and decided to give it a go. It is, after all, Zagat rated, so how bad could it be? We walked in and were greeted by a very nice bartender who informed us that it was happy hour. SCORE!
Well, it just got better and better from there. These were, hands down, THE BEST margaritas I have ever tasted. Even watching him make them, we knew they were going to be good. I'll leave you with the mystery of why they were so good, and encourage you to go try them for yourself...I promise, you won't be disappointed!
First let me say that this bar is kinda in the middle of nowhere....there isn't much else near it all the way out on vermont except for Machos Tacos which I wish we had gone to afterwards!!
It is a restaurant during the day, but we went for a friend's birthday at night, so I can't comment on the food at all. But at least I can say that the drinks are very affordable which is a nice change of pace!
Shots of patron were only $11 each!! I have never been happier receiving my bill before!! ha ha. But watch out for their pomegranate specialty drink.....I like fruity drinks, a lot, ask anyone....but this one was WAY TOO SWEET. Amanda and could barely finish them because our mouths were almost stuck in the sour puckered up position!!!!
The decor was nice---blue walls, lots of mirrors, but if our birthday group hadn't been there, there wouldn't have been much of a party. We basically were the customers there that night. But it was a nice relaxed atmosphere and the bar tenders were nice and made all of our drinks pretty quickly, which always leads to a good time!! Oh and there are tables outside too for those of you who like a chance to hang out in the wonderful air of LA heh
The parking attendant for the valet of this restaurant was beyond rude. When asked to move the car out of the driveway he called my boyfriend " a nigger ". For one, it was not his driveway and two what the hell was his damn problem??!!! Of course my man was beyond upset and yelled for his boss of course he was yelling back at my boyfriend in another type of language. If you go there park your own car before you get into trouble with their help.
As far as the food goes in my opinion it sucked. They do not know how to cook cuban food. I am cuban myself and it is nowhere in how and what our food tastes like.
Honestly, I wanted to like this place...that is, until the clock hit 1:40.
Some friends and I came out for some lounging and libations. Being a Cuban-themed establishment, I ordered the highly acclaimed $8 mojitos. They were definitely tasty and not too strong. Though my drinks brought out the Asian Glow, it didn't bring out the Asian Ho. I was also hooked on the free chips, served with a slightly sweet marinara-esque salsa. To liven up the atmosphere, a DJ was spinning hip hop inside the restaurant/bar.
After a few rounds of drinks and bottles of wine, my friends and I were having a good time. However, about 5 minutes after our waiter announced last call (around 1:30), the owner/manager came out and started grabbing drinks OUT OF OUR HANDS.
Seriously, WTF??? It was so friggin rude. He vehemently argued that they were going to get in trouble, but most of the drinks they were grabbing were glasses of water. Who are you kidding? Nobody is going to ticket your ass for drinking WATER. But then he made it obvious that he wanted to kick us out when he specifically told us "I have better things to do than wait for you guys."
Ummm...yeah f*cker. We have better places to spend our money at too.
Great decor, wonderful food, and a hottie bartender named Brent.
Add to that the wonderful company of Shauna and Christopher, and you've got a five star night.
my frens from the bay area came to visit and we wanted to got the Dresden because we wanted a lounge-type to go. when we entered the Dresden, it was super crowded and wasn't feeling it. therefore, we walked across the street to Cuba Libre. What caught our eyes was the bright multi-colored awning. The place wasn't crowded that night but they did have some customers. We decided to sit outside in the patio area b/c the night weather was great.
The only drink menu we saw was the little drink special topper at our table. it was a great selection of drinks. the favorite drinks of the night was the strawberry lemonade martini, watermelon mojito and mango mojito. if you know me, i don't like drinks that are uber strong. i like drinks that disguise the taste of the hard liquor. the strawberry lemonade martini was great. it was a very easy drink just get carried away w/. my other frens ordered the mojitos. The mango mojito was super sweet but still good. another fren of mine ordered the watermelon mojito and it tasted so refreshing. like the type of mojito you would drink if water wasn't available or something you would drink at anytime of the day. it was that good. as for the other drinks, honestly, i do not remember how to spell it and it wasn't all that great. oh yeah, do not bother ordering the lynchee martini.
7 drinks and the bill came to 62 dollars. the mojitos made up for it. the service was ok.. could have been better. would i come here again.. sure... since it wasn't crowded, it was just a chill night for us just to hang out, talk and have some casual drinks.
Eaten here at least 3 times and it's always been good. My fav is the tortilla soup, although it wasn't as good tonight as it has been... The place was deserted, no one at the bar, no one outside... I'm a little afraid that they are about to go under.
Waitress was very good, food was pretty good... I'd go back, but I'm afraid they will be closed... good thing they are on Vermont and other options are plentiful.
What a beautiful bar!
There looked to be a great selection of rums but what fascinated me more was a really great collection of tequilas.
I ordered the Mulata which was a dark rum drink. It was definitely a tasty drink but so small for $8. I had to have another, haha.
We got to the bar fairly early and there weren't too many people yet so when they started clearing the floor of tables, I knew it was going to get busier. We left before the DJ came in but it looks like a fun place to go dance.
I'd like to also try the food here. It must be good if I saw the bartender and the waitress wolfing down fries. Ha! Oh, and the waitress was extremely hilarious in chatting with us. Very friendly and wacky which I loved because it dispelled the angry hipster stereotype.
I went here for lunch this past weekend with my friend from HS who lives in the area. It was such a lovely warm day, we decided to eat outside on the patio. She told me how great their garlic and cilantro fries were so I made sure to get that with my spicy Cuban burger. I was not impressed with the fries. They were very thin, hard and did not taste fresh. On the other hand, I really enjoyed my unique burger that came on a long french roll. My friend got some type of fried meat patties that tasted very fresh and good.
Later that night after trying to find a bar on Vermont, we ended up going back to Cuba Libre for some drinks and got tipsy enough to dance a little bit to some Cuban music inside on the dance floor. I felt comfortable here and had a great time with my friend. There drinks are delicious, especially the pomegranate martinis.
The food may not be the best, but the drinks are a LOT better than when this place was the Tiger Lilly. It lost a lot of that over-priced Hollywood club feel to it and became more of a neighborhood hang out. Now I can meet up with friends on a weeknight and not have to listen to bumping techno music and deal with a bunch of drunken Hollywood wannabe high roller shitheads.
I'll give the owner a lot of respect for turning something that didn't work for the Los Feliz 'hood into something that does work...
The white we ordered was warm (it was the first time I considered sending a bottle back) and the fish was old and overcooked (if the fish wasn't old than I don't want to know what the hell was wrong with it).
I do plan on heading back for a drink or two because I quite like the bar. I'll be sure to re-review!
I was really not too impressed with this joint. The 5-7 week long Happy Hour and $5 mojitos look good on paper, but don't waste your time. I had about 4 of them and wasn't even buzzed. Seriously, it was mint water... I mean, that's nice my breath was fresh, but I can buy a bottle of mouthwash for $3 at rite aide that will last me for a month long happy hour every night before sleepy time.
We ordered every appetizer and none were that great. The empanadas were too bready and had clearly been previously frozen and just thrown into a deep-fryer. Don't give me that shit! My relatives were raised in Argentina and I know a good empanada when I eat one! (BTW, my Aunt Mary makes the best Empanadas criolles in Athens)
The only good things were the good looking Panamanian waiter, proximity to mi casa, and the free and plentiful chips and salsa.
*For the bar only*
Halfway through my first drink at the Dresden across the street I told Mark I was already buzzed and was not having more than 2, after having gotten a nasty hangover the week before off of three of their Tom Collinses. He replied, "Oh, yes you are." Pause. "Okay, yeah I am." Well, here's where I had that third drink, and yes, I woke up the next morning hungover. Le sigh.
Despite the garish colors of the sign for Cuba Libre out front I wanted to check it out because on a warm almost-summer night rum drinks are the perfect compliment. We sat at the half full bar, at 11pm on a Monday, and were warmly greeted with menus, a smile, and a basket of chips and salsa. Free food before I've even ordered a drink? I like. I ordered a Pomegranate Cuba Libre and Mark got a Mango Mojito. His was excellent while mine grew on me. The chips were fresh and the salsa was just spicy enough. The vibe was relaxed and the dim lighting a little dark for people eating, but perfect for those just there to drink.
We perused the menu and enough sounded appetizing while also being reasonably priced that we will probably be back to give the grub a try.
The appetizer I ordered was good: Pastel de carne, which is a beef pastry. The service was horrid. Got a margarita instead of my mojito first. Then had it all changed to wine to be safe and the waiter came over maybe twice during 1.5 hours, while the place was pretty silent and jetted out mid sentence. It's not bad... good location, decent menu, if you can get service, you're good but the lighting is not well done. It looks not all that inviting in there. A bit meh.
Update: 03/13/08
Yes! We finally open the doors of new 'Cuba Libre" this Friday! Mmmm, the menu looks great! Hopefully you guys will like our transformation and support us! I'm sooo excited!
Rumor has it that Sundays will be the Mojito & Cuba Libre night! I will organize an event to invite you guys for the crazy mojito night!
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COMING SOON! COMING SOON! COMING SOON!
Hello, everybody! My beloved crew at Tiger Lily and I have an important announcement to make :)
Tiger Lily is getting a brand new look, brand new kick ass concept of Cuban/Latin cafe bar, and the new name of "Cuba Libre Latin Cafe Bar"! Opening within next 3 weeks tops!
Here's a little peek of what's coming at Cuba Libre:
-Great Latin/Cuban food for great price! Appetizers between $3 - $10, most of the entrees under $18!
-Happy Hour! 1/2 off appetizers and drink specials!
-Sooooooooo many different kinds of Mojitos! Mmmm, I love it, but it'll be a lot of work for me to make them for you, because Brent and I will hand craft every single drink from scratch! Come on and make our arms tired :)
-Great place to meet people! We've always been famous for the family vibe :) Once you come here, you are our family! Come meet your other family members!
-Live Latin music! Bosa Nova, Salsa etc.... it'll be fun!
Cool laid back vibe, very "Silver Lake/Los Feliz". Just a fun place to hang out that's hip, kind to your wallet, delicious food that you want to eat so many times a week, fun drinks.
I will update you guys with new pictures, menus, event schedules very soon!
I just tried to make reservations here for the outside table. It seats 7-8 and we have 9. They said no on the basis of.. "We can't monitor what's going on out there."
Okay...so 9 people are going to make a runner?
BS, folks!
I'm not giving my dough to a place that doesn't trust it's customers.
This is a great new place in Los Feliz. Had dinner here a few weeks ago with some friends, and everything was fantastic. I LOVE a good tostone, and this place has the best. The muscles were fantastic, I wanted to drink the sauce. The drinks are great, classic. Both the mojitos and margaritas are strong but drinkable, fresh and not too sugary. Perfectly balance. The Mango Mojito tastes like drinking a minty mango, exactly.
Today, I took my roommate to happy hour (after bragging about their delicious food), and I am sad to say it was a little more disappointing than dinner was last time. We got the pork skewers and the pork wontons and neither were very good. The skewers weren't BAD, but tasted like they were missing an ingredient, and the flavors didn't really penetrate the meat at all. The wontons (and accompanying sauce) were way too spicy; we couldn't enjoy them, and trust me, we can handle a kick.
While the food on the second trip was a little disappointing, the service was excellent. In fact, I got a piece of mint leaf on my nose (somehow, go figure), and when the waitress saw it, she jumped between my table and the table next to me (with cute boys sitting at it) and starting wiping her nose like a mad woman. I thought she was crazy until i realized i had a mint leaf on my nose. She was all, "I didn't want those boys to see you with a mint leaf on your nose."
That's service worth a 4th star.
Decent cuban food but due to price/value factor, I have to remove a star. Who knew cuban food can be this pricey. The restaurant itself is very well decorate - felt very homey in there - especially the patio section with rattan furniture. And the plating is very novel too.
About the food, while it is tasty, the portion wasn't enough - I had to ask for extra rice twice for my roasted pork dish to fill me up. For the price I paid, I wasn't fully sated enough though my taste buds were. So, this would be a place for those with a lighter appetite than mine, who don't mind the higher prices.
I am sure old papi Fidel would not be so happy with this place but it was good enough for me to fill my post-hangover stomach.
I am pretty sure the dishes here are not 100% true authentic Cubano but Cuba Libre does have some good food.
The tilapia with mango sauce was great and the right price ($13). Add in a couple of mojitos and an unbearably hot Saturday afternoon becomes a tropical paradise afternoon.
I reviewed the restaurant but I have been to the bar at night at also and it is average. It's not anything bad but you can do a lot better in the urban jungle of LA.
the best thing going here is the decor. the mojitos did the trick too and were alright- for $5 during happy hour, i wont complain, much.
we wanted to sit outside in the covered front patio with the eclectic mix of couches and chairs but the cloud of smoke from an oversized table of dudes dominated the entire space so we moved inside.
it was basically empty in there at 7pm with a few people at the bar. chips were brought to the table with a much-welcomed spicy salsa. do they eat chips and salsa in cuba? dont know.
i ordered the salmon and my friend charlie ordered the pork chops. immediately on arrival we were both struck by the geometry of our plates.
"its a sci fi plate" charlie said. "this looks like this a button was pushed on a spaceship and this popped out." in a robot voice, he continued, "#34" i guess that was the robot talking to the cuban food machine... or something.
my plate struck me in a different light.
"its a social commentary on the 4 out of 5 preferred nyc boroughs. staten island got the boot."
what we were commenting on was the isolationist approach to our plates. a scoops of dry overcooked rice on the short side of the rectangular plate, a scared tiny bowl of beans on the other short side. on the top long side one shivery fried plantain (literally, ONE) splayed out in famished exhaustion on a tiny piece of lettuce, and on the bottom, a 4 piece long slab of salmon on mine and a chopped handful of dry pork on charlie's plate.
the salmon tatsted fine- but in no way "cuban." charlie's pork was dry.
blah blah blah.
very unimpressed. the menu looked great- this place could be so much more- unfortunately, it was less.
great location, decor, and cheap happy hour booze. get drunk in style outside in los feliz. leave when the hunger sets in.
So I heard that the Tiger Lily over went a transformation seemingly overnight into a new Cuban spot a couple of months ago. Literally, over night... one week I was there, the next week I heard it was a Cuban joint. I highly doubted that I would find good Cuban food at a place with 5 words in its title. Sounds like it's got an identity problem. Are you Cuban or Latin? A cafe or bar?
And its menu suggests it is both, and so does the overall vibe. They didn't do much to change it from Tiger Lily, or not much that I can tell. It's still an open space situated around a bar, with a nice outdoor patio.
While the ambiance and the live Cuban music was a plus, the food was just awful. The carnitas taquitos were deep fried wontons filled with a pork mush. The accompanying spicy red chili aioli was too overpowering for the "taquitos".
My Ropa Viejas was bland and reminded me of my mom's pot roast. Not that your pot roast was bad mom, but you never called it Ropa Viejas. It was also lukewarm when it arrived. The rice and black beans were pretty bland too. The rice was dry and the texture felt like it had been sitting out for a while. Angela got the Camarones with a creole garlic and hot pepper sauce. It wasn't creole, nor was it garlicky or spicy.
I doubt I will be returning. Slapping a new sign up and changing the menu does not a Cuban restaurant make.
Two stars for live music and good drinks.
The decor is kinda tacky but then again I don't go to a restaurant to eat their decor.
I thought the food was pretty good, although appetizers cost HELLA SCRILLA. Like $8 for 3 bite-sized empanadas, for real? It's alright, I forgive you since your ceviche is Out of This World Evie Gardner.
Our mojitos were tastey and entrees de-lish. In all honesty I can't remember what I ordered, the something Pollo Asados something something? K anyway, de-lish dish with rice and beans.
Minus one star for kind of laggy service. Like doods, wait staff, do a couple of bumps before your shifts and work faster?
It's whatever. Uninspired knock-offs of Cuban classics. Get your ass to Versailles or Tropicalia (okay it's not Cuban but they do a lot of the things on Cuba's menu and they do it better).
We got the guac appetizer--whatever, too small. My buddy got the ropa viejo and I got the pollo asado. They both came with ONE plantain. Mine came with rice and beans and his with a salad or something unremarkable. Each was about $14. Drinks were about $7 for both beers (he got a negra modelo) and cocktails (I got the cuba libre--when in Rome...). My chicken was a we bit undercooked in the drum so I didn't touch it. The entrees were just not anything special.
Service was spotty.
The ambiance is piss poor--the seating inside is like a souplantation cafeteria in the middle and some booths slammed to the other side of the wall.
The happy hour menu here as with it's sister Mes Amis is more of a forced settlement ("aww, do I have to?..") than a great prize/bargain. Limited appetizers and drinks (there are more on the full menu, and the happy hour choices are the weaker options)--Vinoteca wins for the neighborhood in that respect. Figaro's is the next closest option.
In sum: for variety only.
My husband and I went here over the summer after it had just opened because a neighbor recommended the place. We were sorely disappointed when after grabbing a drink at the bar while waiting for our table to be prepared, the server was incredibly rude. She complained to the hostess about why we had already received drinks quite loudly near out table. When my husband apologized to her and explained we were just waiting for the table, she continued to be very curt. When I went to the restroom, she tried to push my husband for our order, but he wasn't sure what I wanted. After waiting for another 30 minutes and watching the frantic server run around and help every other table, we paid for our drinks and left. I give the place two stars only because we may try it again... as long as we don't have that server again.
Essex now has Happy Hour…
Neighborhood: Hollywood
Red Hour!
Studio City, CA
Neighborhood: Westlake
Category: Cuban
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