"A different time, a different place, but the same wholesome food! I have fond memories of the original Cubinatas in downtown Milwaukee. The location, the decor, the atmosphere made it a real special destination spot for me. When I found out there was a new, closer one, I was there on my 1st opportunity. We walked in and were invited to sit anywhere we liked. We (ultimately) chose a table inside and waited (kid u not) at least 7-10min before we were waited on or asked for drinks. It. Wasnt. That. Busy. Despite that, staff was friendly and accomodating. Even making a spiked Arnold Palmer for me on the fly. For apps, I ordered everything I really wanted to try: Plaintain platter was delicious, especially the hard strips combined with the guac or mojo sauces...mmmmm! Makin my mouth moist just thinkin about it! The Cubinatas Chicken Tenders were hefty, but a bit dry. The plaintain crust looked really promising but lacked any significant flavor. The chix/raisin empanadas were also good, but less flavorful than I remember. But the ground beef cheese one was great! For entrees, the Macita Bowl was filling! ..crispy pork strips with rice beans peppers! The bed of white rice and black beans had minimal flavor. But the crispy, hefty strips of pork more than made up for that. The meat was bursting with enough flavor for the whole dish. I can only assume the rice beans were made without much salt/seasoning on purpose so patrons could add their own...but there was also no salt/pepper on the tables! The cuban sandwich was delish...cant really go wrong there. The ribs were meaty,tender, flavorful with the guava bbq sauce. But again, the rice and beans lacked any salt/seanoning. But the texture and taste of real quality meat ingredients in every bite of everything I had was ever-present. Thats what makes Cubinatas special! It truly tastes like home-cooking made with love and with the best ingredients! Thats ultimately what I take away from every visit to Cubinatas ...and I will definitly, certainly be back!"
