"Having had the chance to visit over 40 U.S. states, including Florida and the Little Havana neighborhood in Miami, I was excited to try Cuban Corner in hopes of reliving my fond memories of strolling down Eighth Street to grab a steak sandwich with crunchy potato sticks at El Rey de las Fritas or a Cubano sandwich at Las Olas Cafe.
Upon arrival, my dining companion (a local Montgomery County resident) and I noticed that four other tables were occupied, including a party of seven regulars who received the manager/owner's constant attention, complete with prompt water refills. I understand the importance of catering to regular customers, having worked in restaurants myself. However, this shouldn't come at the expense of potential future customers.
After being seated, it took a while for our water to arrive, and we waited even longer for our server to take our orders. When he finally showed up, he offered no helpful suggestions, merely stating the typical “everything is good here." We decided to order two specials: the Cuban sampler and the bistec (skirt steak) with onions.
When the dishes arrived, we were underwhelmed for several reasons. First, the $20 sampler platter—claimed by the server to be large enough for two—had surprisingly small portions. Additionally, it was hard not to notice that the regulars next to us received noticeably larger servings of their sampler. I brought this up to our server, who insisted that “everything is always equal."
Now, about the food: the bistec with onions was disappointing. The skirt steak was sliced thin and cooked to medium-well, which left it tough and chewy. Aside from a bit of salt, there was little seasoning, with the slightly charred onions providing the only flavor.
The sampler platter was the biggest letdown. The ropa vieja was dry, stringy, and had a strange lime/salt flavor. The stewed pork was the only redeeming item, with the red and green peppers adding some much-needed crunch. Otherwise, the entire experience was forgettable.
We had to ask twice for our water and iced tea to be refilled, and during our meal, the server only checked in once to ask if we were satisfied, which was underwhelming given the service we observed at the table of regulars.
The total for two entrees and drinks (with no appetizers or desserts) came to just over $40, including tax and tip. Overall, it was an unremarkable experience that I don’t plan to repeat anytime soon."
