El Oriental de Cuba
Jamaica Plain, MA 02130-1876
Phone: (617) 524-6464
- Price:
- $
- Cross Street:
- Paul Gore Street
- Hours:
- Mon-Thu 8am-9pm, Fri-Sat 8am-10pm, Sun 8am-8pm
Message from El Oriental de Cuba
Best Authentic Cuban food & fresh tropical fruit drinks in JP
- Catering for all events
- Authentic Cuban Cuisine
- Fresh Tropical Fruits Drinks
Paid advertisement by El Oriental de Cuba.
Editorial Review for El Oriental de Cuba – by Citysearch Staff
The Scene
El Oriental de Cuba looks and feels like lunch hour at a Havana cafeteria. A lengthy takeout counter greets all patrons, from neighborhood kids to police officers walking the local beat. Scenic photographs of Cuba are perched between snapshots of local celebrities. Ceiling fans hum above the twenty tables, which are graciously shuffled around the restaurant to accommodate diners. Bilingual service is casual and dependable, but not necessarily friendly.
The Food
Aficionados pour beans (black or red) over rice (white or yellow) and add their entree to the mix--like breaded steak (bistec empanizado) served with peppers, green olives and onions, or shredded chicken (pargo en salsa), swimming in a garlicky sauce. The house specialty is the tasty Cuban sandwich, a thin baguette filled with roast pork, Swiss and ham and topped with a secret sauce. Crunchy tostones (fried green plantains) are served with most meals, but try the sweeter maduros, made from ripe plantains.
Editorial content is independent of paid advertisers. Any expenses are paid for by Citysearch.
Insider Tips
Know Before You GoThe dessert offering of guava shell with cream cheese may sound odd, but it's a traditional Cuban sweet well worth a try.
What to DrinkFor dessert on the go, try a tropical shake, available in hard-to-find Cuban fruit flavors: Mamey, guanabana, tamarindo, parcha and trigo.
User Reviews for El Oriental de Cuba
11/02/2008 Posted by goddesszeppelin2
Me and my bf haunt this place as regulars almost. The food is exceptional, staff is all so friendly and knowledgable and the place is anything but stuffy and overpriced. We recommend the fried pork chops or the griled chicken plate. On that note they have the best tostones in town ( fried plantains) . The crows is very diverse and welcoming even though it can be packed. You have to try it at least once, It wont be your last... I didt even mention the Cubano sandwich because there are no words
Pros: Food, Service, BEST SHAKES with REAL fruit
Cons: parking, can get very busy at rush times
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful
02/06/2008 Posted by alideva
The 4.5 stars the editorial staff gace this place is grossly undeserved, but since there isn't an AUTHENTIC Cuban restaurant in the Boston area, they really don't have anything else to compare it to. This is not the place to go if you want a Cuban Sandwich. In fact, this is not the place to you if you want Cuban anything... except the scenes on the photos on the wall. The cooks aren't Cuban. The food is a mash-up of recipes of Latin-American origin. Service couldn't be worse. Sorry guys. If you want good Cuban food, go to El Exquisito on Calle Ocho in Miami.
1 out of 3 people found this review helpful
