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As authentic a Cuban experience as you'll find in New England, situated on a nondescript Jamaica Plain corner.
(617) 390-7024
416 Centre St
(Paul Gore Street)
Jamaica Plain,
MA
02130
42.3209
-71.1105
Neighborhoods: Jamaica Plain, Hyde Square
Hours:
Mon-Thu 8am-9pm
Fri-Sat 8am-10pm
Sun 8am-8pm
Price:
$
Last updated 8.08.11
Category:
Payment Methods:
American Express, Cash, Visa, Discover, MasterCard, Travelers Check
Restaurant Special Features:
Local Favorite, Breakfast, Family-Friendly Dining, Hidden Find, People Watching, Lunch Spot, Food Delivery, Cheap Eats
Cuisine:
Latin American, Asian Fusion, Asian, Cuban
Smoking Permitted:
No
What People Are Saying About El Oriental de Cuba
The Owner
El Oriental de Cuba
Owner
Every day we serve to a very diverse ethnicity of clientele, who through our dishes, experience something that we have called "A Cuban Dining Experience", which takes them back to our roots. We were the FIRST Latino restaurant to have delivery service. The FIRST to have a variety of dishes as daily specials, plus an extensive menu full of Cuban and International dishes. First, to have a professional Catering Service that has become the most prestigious and renowned in the state of Massachusetts. El Oriental de Cuba features Cuban dishes like Ropa vieja, Rice with octopus, the authentic Cuban…
Featured Review
Contributor
Contributor
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…
Editor's Tips
- Know Before You Go:
- The dessert offering of guava shell with cream cheese may sound odd, but it's a traditional Cuban sweet well worth a try.
- What to Drink:
- For dessert on the go, try a tropical shake, available in hard-to-find Cuban fruit flavors: Mamey, guanabana, tamarindo, parcha and trigo.
| food quality | 92.8600025177002% positive |
|
|---|---|---|
| overall | 100.0% positive |
|
| service | 75.0% positive |
|
| value | 100.0% positive |
|
11/02/08
The Only Cuban food worth having in Boston...
by goddesszeppelin2 at Citysearch
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
02/06/08
I'm Cuban, El Oriental isn't
by alideva at Citysearch
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.
06/03/07
Terrible Octopus and inedible Famous Cuban Sandwich.
by meatfenway at Citysearch
I have never been in Cuba, therfore I am not sure how the octopus is cook there, but I bet it is nothing close to the huge smelly chunks of cheap and unfresh octopus tossed with rice and lots of oil I got here for $12. It was bad news and I even got intoxicated the next day. They also have "Bacalao" in the menu for Saturdays only and good luck getting that because they don't make it. My wife got the famous cuban sandwich (the specialty) and that was a disaster as well. The two "empanadas" were bad too. Maybe we did not know how to order, but I am not taking the risk going back there. Save yourself a trip !
- Pros: Nothing.
- Cons: Th ingredients are not fresh, no tables for one person and bad service.
01/05/07
A terrifying nightmare of poor service and mediocre food.
by elmira77 at Citysearch
This is my first review on Citysearch. I have had Cuban food before at the excellent Cuban resaurant La Isla in Hoboken, NJ and I was prepared for more of the same when I visited El Oriental with two friends on Jan 2nd, 2007. One friend ordered a Cuban sandwich, and the other a beef and rice dish. They were both moderately satisfied with their food, but we were all appalled and insulted by the service. I ordered the vegeterian plate, which was $7 for plaintains, yellow rice, and salad. The menu said that it also included black beans, but no black beans were served. We ordered but were not served: water, coffee, dessert. Our server took our order and disappeared for the rest of the evening. No explaination or compansation was offered for the fact that more than half of our order was not served. We had to track him down to tell him to strike the omissions from our tab when we figured out that he had no intention of returning to our table that evening. Suffice it to say we were thoroughly fleeced. I suppose that El Oriental is a good choice if you happen to be on this block and absolutely must have a Cuban sandwich, but otherwise, save yourself the agony and give your money to a business that actually notices that you are patronizing it.
- Cons: poor service, indifferent staff
12/20/06
Good Cuban, great food option generally
by kidray at Citysearch
I really appreciate this place. Again, this is a sign of the times in JP, though I know it used to be there, but this place offers yet another ethnic option for this up and coming area. The empanadas are absolutely top notch. The Cuban Sandwhich was as good as advertised and rice and beans were giving me precisely what I wanted. Decent pricing makes this an easy go to on any given night. Enjoy.
- Pros: Good food at a reasonable price. Ethnic diversity a plus.
- Cons: Take out was somewhat of an adventure
The Details on El Oriental de Cuba
Place Categories:
- famous cuban sandwich
- knowledgable staff
- good cuban food
- good service
- recommend griled chicken plate
- authentic sandwich cubano
- great food option
- famous specialty
- good plain rice
- best tostones
- recommend fried pork chops
- love fried yucca
- great value
- excellent cuban resaurant la isla
- noticeably more elegant new space
- huge chunks
- great place
- mediocre food
- good cuban sandwhich
- authentic fullout meal
- decent pricing
Message from El Oriental de Cuba
- Catering for all events
- Authentic Cuban Cuisine
- Fresh Tropical Fruits Drinks
Every day we serve to a very diverse ethnicity of clientele, who through our dishes, experience something that we have called "A Cuban Dining Experience", which takes them back to our roots. We were the FIRST Latino restaurant to have delivery service. The FIRST to have a variety of dishes as daily specials, plus an extensive menu full of Cuban and International dishes. First, to have a professional Catering Service that has become the most prestigious and renowned in the state of Massachusetts.
El Oriental de Cuba features Cuban dishes like Ropa vieja, Rice with octopus, the authentic Cuban sandwich, delicious Cuban coffee and more. Give us a call to make your reservations, or email us, we will be happy to help you!
