Cuban Pete's

He couldn't do "Mexican" food well...

The phone number listed for this is wrong. The real phone number is 973-746-1100.

The place was great....staff was very nice...sangria was nice and fruity...and it is just a fun place...

Went there last week...Didn't like the food....service was ok, sangrias not

Hey, can you play dominos there?

went to cuban pete's twice. one during opening week. and once after that. i have been in the restaurant business for many years, and have opened many restaurants for different people. i have never seen a more chaotic opening to date. a 4 hour wait at 5pm? you should have closed the doors at 5pm. one of my friends is still waiting for her food she never got that night. and that is after i specifically grabbed dominick by the arm and told him about it. that is not how a new restaurant should operate. Many things could have been different that night between food and service. Its a shame, I love good Cuban food, and my friends and I love to go out to eat and drink, but I know that I will never go there again.

alex what night did you go?

DOES CUBAN PETE'S ALLOW YOU TO BRING YOUR OWN DRINKS?

Went to Cuban Pete's last night and ordered one of each appetizers, ended up the evening with a churrasco steak... and I must say I was very-very IMPRESSED. It was truly delicious!!! I lived in Miami for 22 years, so I know Cuban food well. Bravo Dominick, for the food is as good as the design... just need to address the lighting (too bright), but will address this week! Keep it up Dom!
PS: I'm not just a patron, I am also the designer of Cuban Pete's!!! (Tony Ortiz)

Food was ok. Some dishes were very good & some not so good. Service was friendly, but terrible. An uneasy chaos filled the air. With so many dished we had never tasted we had a lot of questions. Our waiter clearly didnt know what was in each dish and his advice when we ordered was not helpful, he basicly repeated the text on the menu, and got flustered when we asked anything not coverd by that. When the food arrived, there were 2 dishes we did not order and the side dished didnt match the entrees.... Every new place has to work out the kinks, and we'll return, but it really is a bad sign and a show of the management's bad judgement when you let the biggest crowd you will EVER have in your restaurant (the first few weeks) walk away with anything less then good feelings - all because of under trained staff. ALSO - the music was really too loud the night we were there.

Just had Sunday lunch at Cuban Petes. The service was TERRIBLE. We had 3 waiters but none of them ever followed through on anything we asked for. We waited for menus, waited for water, waited for appitizers-that never came, waited for our entrees and waited for the bill. The food was just o.k. but not worth the wait!

I've seen Cuban Petes reasturant in passing but Ive never eaten there. I told my boyfriend that I wanted to go for valentines day but when I called to make a reservation they wouldnt allow it unless I had a group of 6 ppl. After reading the comments on baristanet im worried about going. I was hoping on some feed back from more ppl who have gone. Is the service really that bad and should I even atempt to go on valentines day of all days?

If you want reservations at Cuban Pete's, it appears that most people reserve for the minimum six people and then show up with only two or four and get seated. We spent a very frustrating evening watching the staff seat people ahead of us in this manner. When we pointed this out, the staff was condescending and Dominic seemed to be oblivious to it. It wasn't worth the wait.

I'm about to give up on trying to eat at cuban pete's. we've tried several times to be seated there and each time the wait is horrendous. thinking we wouldn't be duped into planning to go there and arriving to hear we would have to wait over an hour, we called last friday night at 8:45 and we were told the wait was at 20 mins...not bad...so we headed out. 10 minutes later when we arrived, the wait was mysteriously 1 hour and 20 mins!!! i understand it's really no one's fault, but this is starting to get a little ridiculous.

When it comes to adjectives that describe Cuban Pete's, the three "I's" come to mind -- Inadequate, Inconsiderate, Inedible. Let's begin with the first I, shall we?

Back in late January, I planned to have myself a little birthday party with 10 of my friends. Cuban Pete's, with their sangria menu, seemed like a good place. I called over a week in advance to make a reservation for 10. It was the afternoon, a woman with a heavy accent answered, and already it seemed I was making a mistake. The following week, on the day of the reservation, I call to say I'll be adding 3 more. The guy said "Oh, that's going be a problem...we're not taking anymore reservations for tonight." I tell him I already have a reservation and why can't he just add 3 chairs? He asks if I'm Martha. I say "Rachel." He acts like he doesn't know there's a reservation. Now I KNOW I've made a mistake. Finally, he says "just show up, just show up." I was tempted to tell everyone it was off, but I decided think positive for once. I and a few guests arrive promptly at 8 on a freezing cold night. The place is packed and our table is not ready. They look as though they have no reservation for us. Dominic, who should know better and who actually knows me from Mexicali Rose, does absolutely nothing to make the dinner happen. Here's where the second I comes in.

My party of 13 slowly trickles in, along with a separate party of 8 that gets promptly seated. My friends line the stairs leading to the back parking lot--everyone freezing from the icy draft blowing in. One hour and one half we all stood there, waiting for our table that should have been set up and ready with a "reserved" card on it. Dominic walked back and forth all night without so much as an explanation, an offer of apology or an admittance that they fucked up. INCONSIDERATE! Many people wanted to leave, but others thought we should wait it out. Finally, the excuse that "oh, this big party won't leave, that's why your table's not ready" came our way. By this time, I'd had it. I couldn't wait for the night to end. Two of my guests couldn't even eat because they had to leave by 10pm, and now it was already 9:30.

The third I brought the final blow. My two guests that had to leave were lucky they escaped without having to try to food. Appetizers tasted frozen, as if they were pulled out of a box and thrown into the oven. Nothing was hot. Main courses weren't much better, and my one guest didn't get her dinner until 20 minutes after everyone else. The sangria we wanted so badly was sour, awful shit. And they didn't even have the variety we wanted. The ONLY saving grace was our upbeat waiter who was very funny. But his hatted compatriots were all very nasty while delivering the food.
The experience was very bad, the ownership/management extremely poor and the food just simply junk. I'll never go there again and I doubt any of my 13 guests from that night will.

tried AGAIN on friday...still over an hour at a decent time of night to still call the meal dinner.

went to il forno instead. kind of slow service but the food was good.

Rachel's experience at Cuban Pete's was not good....and I sympathized with her and I hoped for her to come backand try......... but after reading the comment about calling the restaurant and "a woman with a heavy accent answered, and already it seemed I was making a mistake." A BIGOT is A BIGOT....In the restaurant business, one has good days and bad days.....Cuban Pete's didn't do right by this customer and her point is well taken and the establishment will work hard to improve!!!! But that doesn't excuse the BIGOT........Latino people who have accents are not your cup of tea.........so please don't come back .............Cuban Pete's will strive to improve our customer service, reservation policy, food and all the things you mention!!! But MOST OF ALL we will continue to be welcoming of all people!!!!.......signed a person with an accent!!!!

I went there on a Thurs. night 2 weeks ago and had a good experience.

The appetizers were a bit small even for tapas style, so if you have more than 2 people and want a taste, better get 2 of each item. Food was pretty good and service was good. Only had a few choices of the sangria menu, which was disappointing. All in all, I'd go back. They must be doing something right if they wait is so long on Fri. & Sat.

Cuban Pete's serves some of the better Cuban food I have had to date. Very friendly staff and waiters. Now if they can only work on the wait time and open a wait area section. All in all a good place to go to in Montclair.

My family, including vegetarian spouse (which can be a bit limiting given the meat-centered menu), had a great meal and a good time. Excellent tapas. They're very busy, so try a middle-of-the-week night or early dinner.

Heard about Cuban Pete's today and tried it. It was Valentine's Day. Called ahead and there wasn't much of a wait. It was earlly in the evening. We loved it. The food was reallly good. Dominick gave us personal attention and the waiters were friendly and helpful. The white wine sangria was delicious: a nice change from the usual red-wine base. The three tapas I tried were as good as those I've had in Barcelona. You've got to wonder about what people expect when they go at the busiest time of day to a brand new place. We had a wonderful experience and will definately return.

Cuban pete's has its good and bad. I love the staff there they are all very friendly, except for a couple of their hostesses. I dont think they were properly trained on how to seat customers and in what order. They are ususally MIA a lot when you get there even though they are working, i don't know who is to blame for this, but there should be a host or hostess stationed at the front at all times, at least to guarantee customers that they will be seated eventually. My first time there, i had to walk to one of the waiters in order to get seated. And five minutes later, i saw the hostess.Also, it seems as if the cook goes to cuba to go make the food. It takes forever at times, but the sangrias come in like 5 minutes max. whenever the food does get there, it is very good and I have no complaints regarding the quality. However, this is a new place, so maybe after a while, they'll get everything right, but for now people have to keep that in mind. I also love the artwork. It's a nice place to go on a date, w/ your boyfriend, or just for drinks w/ friends. Just try to go when it is no too busy obviously or at least get there early and give yourself plenty of time. another thing is that they do not have menus to go, hopefully they'll invest in some pretty soon.

We went for lunch today around 2 pm. Granted it was a holiday and knew it was probally gonna be busy, but when we got there the place was only about 1/4 full. We sat for about 10 minutes before the server came over.The server was nice and since my husband had to be at work soon we asked how long our order would take to come out. He said 10 min's. One hour later our food arrived, not much, a few tappas, salad, chicken fingers and some fish dish.The food was okay, but the snapper was so well done it was standing up in the plate.The owner and his wife and kid's came in soon after we were seated.Hello!!! its busy,the kitchen is behind, people at the door, food taking way too long, it's your place...Instead the wife got her coffe in second's, and the entire staff relieved themselves from their duties to suck up to the family.So anyway, we ate , got the check, left 20% and decideded never to go back.

dont know about anyone else but, i went to Cuban Pete's about 2 days ago and wasn't impressed. ToyiC is right and wrong, it seems like the cook goes to Cuba to prepare the food but its nothing like authentic cuban food. besides Sangria and tapas arent Cuban. whats the point. Why didnt they just call it Spanish Pete's? Seems like a better idea. The service was terrible also. The only good thing about the place in my opinion is the decor and the sangria selection. Theres a cuban food place in bloomfield now that has excellent AUTHENTIC cuban food. Havana something, forgot the rest of the name haha, they're really good. Just my two cents

Made a reservation with the owner almost 3 months in advance for group of 8 people. I left my phone numbers as well. The day of the reservation called to check on liquor status and was told they didn't have my reservation. I was shocked. I asked to speak to the owner and reminded him of our conversation when I made the reservation. He totally remembered but said he took my reservation off the books when I didn't call to confirm. He told me he can't hold a reservation for that long in advance!!! He refused to accept us for that evening and was extremely rude. I have never had a problem at a restaurant when I have made advance reservations. If he needed a confirmation he should have said so or at least called me before taking us off the books. Many restaurants who accept large parties also take a credit card to hold a reservation - but no restaurant has ever just deleted a reservation. At a loss for where to take my group I called Indigo Smoke where the food is always good and the staff gracious. They took wonderful care of us and all of us vowed never to give Cuban Petes our business.

I have been to Cuban Pete's 3 times and had pretty decent experiences however I will say that the taste of the food is not authentic enough for my Latino palate; the appetizers are small and the sangrias are overpriced. Despite this it will probably do well; however if you are looking for an authentic Cuban food experience, this is not the place - despite the promises made by the owner.

waited 45 minutes even with a reservation; food was okay - not as authentic as the atmosphere and decor; back hostess had NO clue what was going on and wasn't too friendly; they don't even have traditional hot sauce - they have Tabasco - there's a clear indicator that it's not all that it's hyped up to be!

I went to Cuban Pete's once in December with a large group. When we called that day to confirm the reservation, we asked if we needed to bring our own wine to make the sangria. We were told we could bring our own wine but that they didn't have the sangria mixes that night??
We ordered some apps while we were waiting for a few people in our party to arrive and then asked to order a few more apps once they arrived. The waiter told us we should order all our food at once because they were really busy and he didn't know when he would be able to get back to take our dinner order. The waiter brought our apps and the next time we saw him was when they brought our dinner out. After that it was to bring the bill. People at our table were sharing plates and utensils because we couldn't get anyone's attention to bring some over. Everyone enjoyed the skirt steak, but really, can you mess that up? Everything else tasted like frozen apps or when a chain restaurant tries to do an ethnic menu.
I would have no reason to go back to Cuban Pete's.
If you want to try some really good, authentic Cuban food, take a trip to a place called La Isla in Hoboken. Nothing fancy, but excellent food. See the review in zagat.

I put off going to Cuban Pete's after reading all the gripings and sniping and boasting and taunting on this board but today my husband and I went for lunch and the food was fantastic.

When we walked in there were typed explanantions (the text of it is in this thread I think) of the liquor license drama taped up AND I was offered one of the printed flyers as we were seated which I politely declined. But the owner did seem to be making the rounds discussing it with other patrons.

I had the Latin Grill with skirt steak. They were out of my first choice, the chicken, pork and veg skewers.

My husband had the Mahi with hearts of palm salad. He didn't get Mahi, but a mushier fish, which was a little disappointing, but for the most part, everything really great. We also got some tapas appetizers, the potato beef croquettes and the fried calamari. Both , really really tasty. The potato dumplings could have been served a little bit hotter (temp not spice).

I'm not a coffee drinker, but I ordered a cubachino and we split a tres de leches cake.

So we were really satisfied. I would defintely go back.

With all the drama and stumbles that Cuban Pete's is going through.You must appretiate the great place that it really is. When I go there I get the sense of relaxation that you only experience when you go on vacations to a latin country without having to leave our nice and pretty Montclair.The Waiters are original, warm and courteous.I see the faces of the people sitting(which happento be of all ethnicities)and are relaxed and satisfied.If you wanna find foults you'll find them in every restaurant.I'll keep going because there's more good than bad there.

So I returned yesterday for a late lunch (early dinner?). It was about 4pm and the place was absolutely dead (which was great, since I was lugging laptop and attempting to get work done).

Of course I had to order a small pitcher of sangria, which arrived. I had a small steak sandwich and a order of the fried plaintains with cheese.
The food was very good. Very satisified. The sangria was -- fine. Sweet. Tasted mostly like fruit juice, without even the taste of alcohol. After finishing off the half-pitcher, I was still quite capable of the drive home (darn!). So I assume that the alcohol burners are now working.

I do agree that the atmosphere and the decor was good. IT's a little to pricy for one my regular telecommuting spots, but I'll probably return for a meal with the spouse again. Although it seems I will have to cross the street to Red Cheetah or Diva if I don't want to go home sober.

My husband, daughter and I went to Cuban Pete's yesterday, Sunday about 3:00. The place was lively with practically a full house, and we got seated right away. Our service was quick, our waiter informative and accomodating and the food was delicious. The tapas were tasty and inexpensive, the salad was huge. The entrees were very tasty. I had the spicy creole shrimp and it was generously laden with shrimp, lots of rice and the sauce was just spicy enough. My husband had the roast pork and it was succulent and also generously portioned. My daughter had the salmon with mango and mashed potato and she loved it! We were very pleased and walked away spending just under $100 (including tip and sangria) and while it is not exactly inexpensive eating at Cuban Petes, it was well worth it. The decor captures the spirit of the Cuban people and I cannot wait to return.

hope your daughter isn't underage and if she is that she didn't drink the snagria.

how sad.. that the dimise of this place, cuban pete's will be attributed to growing pains.. It simply lacks the man power to attend/ service to the customers IN A TIMELY MANNER !!, business etiquettes in keeping with their reservations and owner saviness for longetivity. What could have been a potential cash - cow WILL BE yesterday's restaurant commentary.

Can't wait to see what will take it's place.

Been there twice, had a reservation...I have learned my lesson

This message is for Rachel. First of all, what kind of language are you using on the internet. Using the f-word, and the s-word. And that "accent" comment. Do you know how many people live in this country that have accents of different kinds. Gimme me a break. Sounds like you are jealous of this place. You can't possibly be a professional and I am surprised that you even have friends with that kind of attitude. You're a disgusting bigot. At least have some class. I just passed by there and I didn't even eat there, but I will tell you that the place does have a certain je ne sais quoi. And the hostess was very very nice. The menu looks very good and I can't wait to eat there and I may even speak to everyone in Spanish. Which I am sure that Rachel can't even do.

Hey Jan, shut the hell up, you make no sense with your rambling.

jan,

so fill us in on why you moved there?

SPOKE WITH THE OWNER OF CUBAN PETE'S AND ASKED HIM ABOUT CATERING A PARTY. HE SAID THAT I COULD STOP BY ANYTIME. SO I WENT THEE ON TUESDAY EVENING. THEE I WAS GREETED BY A WOMAN WHO JUST DIDNT WANT TO GET UP AND GO TO THE OFFICE AND GET A COPY OF THE MENU.I WAS TOLD TO COME BACK DURING THE DAY. I INFORMED HER THAT I WORKED DURING THE DAY. HER ANSWER WAS "OH I'M SORRY!" THEN SHE ASKED FOR MY FAX AND WHEN I TOLD HER THAT I COULDN'T GIVE IT TO HER. SHE "WELL, I GUESS THERE'S NOTHING ELSE I CAN DO." MY RESPONSE WAS QUITE CLEAR "WELL, I GUESS I WONT BE DOING BUSINESS HERE" AND LEFT. I'LL NEVER GO THERE AGAIN.

Regardless of what I read I was determined to try Cuban Pete's and decide for myself. Well I hate to admit I was greatly disappointed. I can only confirm that the service is indeed terrible -- but the biggest disappointment was the food. It definitely is NOT authentic Cuban food! Unfortunately, that's what I was looking forward to. The name is very deceiving. "Latin American Potpourri" is a better description, and a poor effort at that as well. If you are looking for cuban cuisine this is NOT the place to go.

Been there twice. Food was decent, service was beyond poor. Both times we waited for utensils too long while our food sat there in front of us. This all after an usually long wait.

Sangria was not my favorite either, and they charge too much for it.

I also agree with other patron's complaints about the chaotic atmosphere. It made me distracted, and uneasy. And it was LOUD!

It also seemed like people who "knew someone" were able to move to the front of the line....?

We asked for a glass with ice, and our waiter brought an empty glass. Then we asked for a glass WITH ice, and he brought a glass with water.... close.... just freeze it. So long story short, although the authenticity of the staff made you feel like you were in a foreign country, it made it difficult to communicate your needs.

Maybe in a couple months i'll retry.

Been there twice. Food was decent, service was beyond poor. Both times we waited for utensils too long while our food sat there in front of us. This all after an usually long wait.

Sangria was not my favorite either, and they charge too much for it.

I also agree with other patron's complaints about the chaotic atmosphere. It made me distracted, and uneasy. And it was LOUD!

It also seemed like people who "knew someone" were able to move to the front of the line....?

We asked for a glass with ice, and our waiter brought an empty glass. Then we asked for a glass WITH ice, and he brought a glass with water.... close.... just freeze it. So long story short, although the authenticity of the staff made you feel like you were in a foreign country, it made it difficult to communicate your needs.

Maybe in a couple months i'll retry.

the food bad the service worse did not know there own menu english is a second langauge witch is fine if you dont mind eating something you did not ask for my experience lasted 45 min eat verry little paid the bill with a smile and went to the jerk pit 2 doors up

I wanted to warn everyone about Cuban Pete's in Montclair.
I was there on Friday night with a large group, including a very pregnant friend.
We had made reservations, but had to wait for almost an hour.
Make a long story short: Someone else was given our table, and when
we questioned them, we were told to leave if we didn't like it.
The man(who turned out to be the owner!!!) later came outside where
we were waiting, and proceeded to be extremely rude and told
us again, to leave if we didn't like his attitude!
We did leave and proceeded to have a lovely evening at Thai Chef.
Before leaving I did tell him that I will make sure all of Maplewood knows
about his attitude!!

we went to cuban pete's friday with a small group..............everything was fine (long wait for our food, which goes without saying)> Our paella came with ground up glass in it. No kidding. We told our waiter, who kindly offered to take the offending dish off our bill. Thanks alot. WOndered if they would have paid hospital costs if we hadn't noticed it!!

Hmmm ... well, my fiancee and I actually loved the place ... we read some negative reviews here, but decided to see for ourselves. I thought it compared favorably to Cuba Libre in Philly, as well as some other, less "upscale" type places. The appetizers (including ceviche and the tiny Cuban sandwiches) and sangria really hit the spot ... the ropa vieja was great, as was the skirt steak w/3 condiments (I forget them now). Atmosphere was, I suppose, chaotic for some ... we were seated at the entrance of the back room, where the sangria is, so we could see the bar full of sangria jars AND the burners outside ... we also got a lot of waiter traffic ... but we didn't mind it at all ... it felt authentic somehow ... and were digging the food, so who cared?? Plus, the waiters we encountered were quite helpful. My 2 cents, to further confuse the situation : ) I always say, go try it and see for yourself. I think we went around early evening on a Saturday, so we got in just at the beginning of the heavy period ...

Went to Cuban Pete's on Friday, May 26 for lunch...loved the ambiance so much that we decided to back the next day for dinner. The food, sangria and service was great!! The decor, music and the waiters dressed in tipical cuban attire was enchanting. It felt like we were on vacation on a tropical island. Best Experience! We'll be back soon.

went to cuban pete's on 5/26/06 for dinner...very crowded and LOUD...did you hear me? well, we couldn't hear each other sitting next to one another. We went with a group of 14 to celebrate my husband's birthday and the restaurant employee's tried really hard to accomodate all of us. Chicken lollipops were exceptional with a great marinade. I wanted a pitcher of Mojita's and they were only serving sangria that night. Would we go back? Definitely, but with a much smaller crowd. We felt rushed and under pressure to order our food. The architect/designer did a great job with an authentic Cuban ambiance and the courtyard looked like you could be sitting in Havana. Not exceptionally expensive so that made it even better. GO TO CUBAN PETE'S...

We celebrated my aunt's 75th birthday at Cuban Pete's a few weeks ago. My cousin made reservations and we were seated as soon as we arrived. It took a while for the waiter to take our order. It took a while for us to get our food too. It was a Saturday night, so they were very very busy! BUT it was worth the wait. The food was great! huge portions... The sangrias were very tasty. We will definately go again! You can play dominoes "al fresco". The decor made me feel nostalgic. :) Cuban Pete's is a fun place.

Went to Cuban Pete's last night for dinner. What a waste of time and money. The decor is great. The food and service is the absolute worst! Asked for yellow rice instead of white and was told NO. The second dish we ordered was served with yellow rice so we don't know what the big deal was about making the substitution. When the food was served it was literally thrown down on the table. So much so that part of my Paella was splashed out onto the table. Tastless, watery and more fish than anything else. We ordered dessert and coffee. The Flan was accepable but the coffee came about 15 minutes after the dessert and wasn't even hot. I would gladly pay the $6.00 toll and drive to Havana Central before going back to Cuban Pete's ever again.

Since when did Cuban Petes' buy Seymour street ?
I saw a sign saying Cuban Pete's
Parking w/ an arrow pointing up that street ?
eh !

I have also noticed that the signs on N Fullerton point to the Masonic Lodge private parking area. I am not sure if this was intended, or in attempt to have people continue further to the Fullerton lot further down, but it's very confusing.

I love the food at Cuban Petes. The only think I did not like was the crispy beef (too tough) and the seafood paella was too spicy for my taste, but my husband loved it. Several things about Cuban Petes. I never stay there for dinner, always order out and so I get my food rather quickly. But every time I am there, there is always some drama with a disgruntled customer (always). The owner (?) always tries to smooth it out, but some how it never works out and the person ends up leaving. It's actually pretty amusing (not for them clearly) but it always happens. A more disturbing thing happened one rainy night when I was waiting for my food I observed that the floor was slippery between the Sangria Bar and the back cashier area. I watched as one by one people slipped into the cashier area almost falling (lots of "almost falls" by women in high heels) I actually caught one of them while I waited for my food. Then as I was leaving one woman actually fell flat on her back. It was terrible. The waiters ran over to help but the manager/owner just checked from a far and did not offer an apology to this young black woman. I was horrified at the lack of concern. One waiter after she left made a comment that like him (his words) she had a big butt and that had probably broken her fall. If the woman had been older and perhaps of a different race there may have been a lawsuit. But young people laugh this thing off. I like the food, but that place is a lawsuit waiting to happen if that happens again. All they had to do was put a rug down! But no, when I mentioned this they did nothing and I was appalled at the lack of concern for the well being of the customers. I understand that making money is important but I sincerely hope that management cleans up their act before someone really does get hurt!

Jen, I'm apalled at the fact your words are written. You are right about Domenic. Only in America for the almighty dollar savings they eat and love poverty world food. Mexican, Cuban ect. These poor people learn to make low grade and quality food taste good. That's why you can feed a family of 4 for $50 in a restaurant. Your steak was tough because it probably was the lowest grade of USDA approved meat allowed to be served. Go buy a steak you would serve at home. Then wonder how these restaurants are so cheap. Why was the color of that young ladies skin a issue to you. A fat white lady would sue but not a black lady. That's how you think a business person would think. Domenic is just that rude. To sue someone has no gender or racial discrimination. You just sound stupid. You should write to appologize to your readers. The floor is dirty and oily, that's why slippery when wet and he should have entrance rugs to prevent wet floors on wet days.

Hi. My wife and I almost went there on our anniversary recently. We have both lived in Montclair and decided to try our luck with a restaurant there and walk the town as it had been a while since we both had been around. Many changes indeed. It came down to Indigo Smoke or C.P and reading the entries on this forum I have to say I am glad we ended up at I.S. I have been wanting to try CP and maybe we will...but definitely not for weekend dinner. If at all. Also, regarding what many people claim was a bigoted remark from Rachel's entry, I respectfully disagree. I think she was just trying to accurately describe who she encountered and that the WAY the call was handled made her realize she had made a mistake, not the fact that a person with an accent answered. More the way the person handled her call. Have been in the same situation and there was nothing bigoted about it. Just concern that the person on the other end of the line didn't really seem to care.

A Message From Cuban Pete's, voted # 1 by N.J. Monthly Magazine Readers Poll, for best Cuban Restaurant of North of N.J. Also Cuban Pete wants to get arrested again, that's why he's putting high content of liquor in the sangrias. Cuban Pete is celebrating. The Law of N.J is to grey for sangrias. So come and feel like you are in HAVANA. There are NO RULES at Cuban Pete's. Maxwell Smart

was at cuban petes today for lunch must say... SUB PAR is a stretch! we were seated for 12--count it 12--minutes b/f a server came to our table to take a drink order. then he never once came back until food was delivered and then again with the check..where the heck was this guy. it was the worst service i've had by far in a montclair restaurant. food was average, nothing exciting!

I went to Cuban Pete's a few months ago; the waiters are dressed over the top and the food was awful. One of the best Cuban restaurants I've been to is located in Hoboken.

The Hoboken restaurant is La Isla, on Washington Street around 2nd...couldn't agree more--it's FABULOUS!
After all I've read/heard about the owner, I won't set foot in CP's again (I was there in the first month when the original chef was there--he has since left).

http://www.njmonthly.com/issues/aug06/dinepicks.html heyy check this

It's a hopping and lively place. Food is OK. I had a paella that was bland. It is severely understaffed and service is chaotic. It's the kind of place where you'll go once or twice to see what all the excitement is about and then never return because there are just so many better places to spend your time and money.

Just had lunch at Cuban Pete’s. Service was slow and food was cold. Let me not talk about the alcohol free sangria that we purchased for $16.00. What a waste of money and time.

Hey, is there any way to actually see a menu online? That would be great. The web site shows everything except the menu...

Hey, is there any way to actually see a menu online? That would be great. The web site shows everything except the menu...

I had lunch at Cuban Pete's a few weeks back, and despite all the negative comments I've read, it was excellent. My companions also agreed that everything was great. Unfortunately, I brought my parents here last week and it lived up to it's terrible reputation. The wait was ridiculous, and when I attempted to order the same sandwich I'd raved about earlier, I was told 10 minutes later that they were "out of bread". So instead, I ordered Carlito's Way chicken which was swimming in grease and served cold. My mother, who had also ordered the sandwich, changed her order to another chicken dish which looked exactly like mine (but was supposed to be completely different).
I will not go back, and I retract any praise previously given.

We're going there tonight for our 1st wedding anniversary and my good friend works there and recommended it. I know we won't be disappointed. Most of these comments come from folks who experienced the grand opening months when things were scattered and not quite "there" yet. But, as I've been told, they have come a long way since the inception of Cuban Pete's. So people, read the reviews that are current - to date. I'm sure things are much, much better now.

(shout out to my girl Renee).

sorry Re- couldn't help myself LOL

Nancy - Ring in tomorrow w/ a review AFTER you go. That's how it works here!

I went to Cuban Pete's a few weeks ago. The food was bland. The service was friendly but slow. I think its popularity is due in large part to the sangria. But ultimately you're better off with BYOB than paying for watered-down alcohol.

I will try any restaurant once, even those plagued with bad reviews. That said, I decided that a late night dinner at Cuban Pete's was just what the doctor ordered.

Numbers don't lie and Cuban Pete's deserves the bad press it has recieved. Starting with the banal hostess, to the table that clearly needed a repair (no amount of matchboxes would solve this wobble). The waitstaff was beyond chaotic and a real distraction. The ambiance was nice enough but the service was enough to make me leave before ordering. I thought waiting 20 minutes without one waiter stopping by was more than enough. I will not return to this restaurant. By the way, after leaving Cuban Pete's went across the street to
Aozora Sushi and was blown away by the food. Easily the best sushi I have had in years.

i heard cuban petes its expanding to las vegas ? viva cuban petes..

I'm actually shocked at all of the negative comments. My friend and I have been twice and we loved both meals. The tapas is superb and the meals that we've shared were just as good (Ropa Vieja and Roast Chicken).

My only complaint (and it's a mild one at that) is that they don't help you with the quantity of alcohol to add to the sangria. It took us a little while for us to get enough alcohol in it to get rid of the "watered down taste."

Also, there is really no "reception" area. It's a bit confusing when you walk in, but all in all I've had two great experiences there. I will certainly go back.

I say go and enjoy.

My husband and I have been to Cuban Pete's twice. I am surprised at all the negative comments. For us the food and staff were great. I will be back.

Loud.

Terrible service. Try waiting 15 minutes for the priviledge of being granted a fork -- which is tossed on the table by a waiter who doesn't even bother to look at you. Oh yeah, the fork was dirty. Had to wait another 15 minutes for a clean one.

Portions were small and mediocre.

Maybe it would have been better if we weren't sober.

After two difficult years in the making, SCARFACE appeared in late 1983, marking De Palma's entry into territory he hadn't previously explored -- the American gangster film. It was also a first for him in another sense; here he was part of a collaborative team on a picture designed to showcase its star, in this case Al Pacino.

In a situation typical of the often divisive nature of the director's work, many people would come to see the result as one of his least personal efforts, while others consider it an influential masterpiece. The first view stems from one basic argument: that unlike De Palma protagonists before and since, Pacino's Tony Montana has few inner virtues to be threatened or lost in the course of the story.

A convict expelled from Cuba in 1980 when emigration to the U.S. is briefly opened, he enters Miami's underworld with a lust for power and material wealth that we witness more in awe than in empathy. Since a quick rise and fall is assured from the start, our hope is that De Palma's skill at portraying the outrageous potential of human greed will be enough to keep us hooked. On this count, for at least two thirds of its running time, even SCARFACE naysayers would have to admit it succeeds.

Transferring the premise of Howard Hawks' 1932 classic from Prohibition era Chicago to then contemporary South Florida, Oliver Stone's screenplay follows Tony's journey in a "matter of course" style that makes it clear just how he gets so far in such a short period of time. This method of storytelling is a perfect match for the cinematic "domino effect" De Palma had been developing since SISTERS, whereby characters move toward pivotal confrontations (i.e. Carrie from early humiliation to her disastrous prom) through a simple but inexorable flow of events.

Thus a mob hit set up by Tony's friend and partner Manny Rivera (Steven Bauer) leads to their early release from a refugee camp. This in turn brings them more work on the outside, and after surviving a drug pickup gone bad, they win the trust of local kingpin Frank Lopez (Robert Loggia).

Once Tony has reached this stage, the rest seems natural. If he can establish himself as a major player in the cocaine industry, then take Lopez' beautiful mistress Elvira Hancock (Michelle Pfeiffer) as his wife, a dream he once thought impossible will become reality: he'll have "the world and everything in it."

Yet by then the seeds of his destruction will have already been planted. The very trait that brings him success on the streets -- a refusal to trust anyone but himself -- can only sabotage the relationships that might have redeemed his life. He'll never be able to see Elvira as more than a possession, and the obsessive love he does hold for a symbol of his own lost innocence, younger sister Gina (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio), will lead to her corruption as well. Add to this a growing addiction to cocaine that gives him a false sense of invincibility, and Tony is caught in the worst of "no win" situations.

Played out in broad strokes against Ferdinando Scarfiotti's elaborate sets and a bright visual landscape that's still unique for the genre, SCARFACE is never less than interesting. But there's a heavy price to pay in the third and final hour. The epic structure De Palma has established demands equal focus on Tony's dissolution ... and 60 minutes is a long time to spend watching the downfall of someone you didn't care much for in the first place. (A decade later with CARLITO'S WAY, he'd place Pacino in a similar milieu, as a man more worthy of our emotional investment.)

But in retrospect, whatever its flaws, the film did continue the progression toward more fully realized drama that had started with BLOW OUT. Even the frequent bursts of violence that stirred so much controversy at the time (covered in this exclusive behind-the-scenes article), often serve to enhance the characters -- or at least make them harder to pigeonhole.

For example, the notorious and justly acclaimed chainsaw sequence leaves us impressed by Tony's bold obstinacy in the face of almost certain death. And just as this reveals strength in Tony, other moments -- like the callousness we see in Manny when he acts as Tony's henchman, make us question his standing as a wholly sympathetic figure.

Finally, SCARFACE also built a fervent and devoted following among viewers who, perhaps seeing themselves as disenfranchised in much the way Tony is when the story begins (and admiring his blunt humor and honesty as a character), embraced him as nothing less than a hero. Even more than CARRIE, DRESSED TO KILL and PHANTOM OF THE PARADISE before it, the film's acceptance spilled past the borders of De Palma's usual fan base, and within a few years it was solidly entrenched in popular culture. In some ways it has stayed an anomaly among his works, but certainly not a forgotten one.

Scarface (1932 film)
From Wikipedia

Directed by Howard Hawks
Produced by Howard Hughes
Starring Paul Muni
Ann Dvorak
George Raft
Distributed by United Artists
Release date(s) April 9, 1932 (USA)
Running time 93 min.

The film is loosely based upon the life of Al Capone (whose nickname was "Scarface"). Capone was rumored to have liked the film so much that he had his own copy of it.

The film was completed in 1930 but censors would not allow its release until 1932, because of concerns that it glorified the gangster lifestyle and showed too much violence. Several scenes had to be edited, the subtitle "The Shame of the Nation" as well as a text introduction and epilogue had to be added, and the ending had to be modified. In the modified ending, the main gangster goes to trial and is hanged; in the original ending, which is also the one usually shown today, the gangster is shot dead by police.

There are two other important gangster movies produced at about the same time: Little Caesar (1931) and The Public Enemy (1931).

The film Scarface has been deemed "culturally significant" by the United States Library of Congress and selected for preservation in the National Film Registry. It was named the best American sound film by critic/director Jean-Luc Godard in Cahiers du Cinéma. The character of Tony Camonte ranked at number 47 on AFI's 100 Years... 100 Heroes and Villains list.

Scarface was remade in 1983 by Brian De Palma in all-modern day setting; see Scarface (1983 film).

WE WENT TO THE RESTAURANT FOR A LONG DESERVED OUTING FROM THE KIDS. IT WAS 8PM AND WE WAITING 1 HOUR AND 15 MINUTES TO BE SEATED AND WAS ALMOST OVER LOOKED. IT'S A VERY CHAOTIC PLACE. THEY WERE SEATING PEOPLE FROM THE FRONT AND THE REAR OF THE RESTAURANT. I DO HAVE TO SAY THAT OUR WAITER WAS EXTREMELY NICE AND THE OTHER WAITERS SEEMED TO BE VERY FRIENDLY ALSO. THE FOOD WAS VERY GOOD (ALTHOUGH AT THE HOUR WE WERE SITTING DOWN TO EAT WAS CLOSE TO 10PM). WE TRIED 5 OF THEIR APPETIZERS AND THEY WERE OUTSTANDING. THE CUBAN COFFEE WAS EXCELLENT. IT WAS WORTH WAITING FOR. HOPEFULLY THEY WILL DO A LOT OF WORK ON THE SEATING. EITHER ONLY FROM THE BACK OR FROM THE FRONT. I HOPE THEY STRIVE. I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO RETURNING WITH MY CHILDREN.

The thrill is gone.

Music is too loud.
Food is good.

I think the wait staff are really from Cuba, because I couldn't get ice for our sangria without sign language.

close the restaurant pleeeeeeeeeeeesss!
Sucks SUCKS SUCKS SUCKS

did i mention it SUCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

by the way i'm cuban so i know good food..............this was NOT good ANYTHING. it SUCKED!!!!!!!!!!!!!

After months and months of hype and reading a combo of both exciting and terrible reviews, I finally got to experience firsthand the whole “Cuban Pete’s” vibe. Each holiday season our crew designates a local restaurant to get together, eat, drink and be merry – this year it was CP’s. Here's the scoop:

WAIT: No wait - we had a party of 14 at prime time on a Fri. nite, our table was ready and we all filed in a few at a time with no prob (but I did notice quite a few poor saps waiting around for tables).

AMBIENCE: By far the best part of this place – lots of great décor and knick-knacks; waiters walking around in yellow island shirts and fedoras; their birthday song was pretty cool, too – they serenaded someone’s table with some pumping percussion!

SERVICE: Very good - our main waiter was cool and attentive.

APPETIZERS: Eh … overall an average rating – at best …

Chicken lollipops - very tasty but there was barely any meat to savor.
Cheese balls - prepared well – moist inside, lightly crispy outside – but it was goat cheese – quite an abhorrent taste that takes getting used to.
Shrimp in garlic sauce – good, but not quite what I expected – it tasted very little like the traditional shrimp/garlic dishes I’m so used to Down Neck – it actually tasted like shrimp scampi – like I said, good, but not great and not what we were expecting.
Chorizio – edible, but not very good – just about every restaurant you’ll find Down Neck blows theirs away.
Fried calamari – sucked – well what should we have expected – a bunch of Italians ordering fried calamari at a Cuban restaurant.

ENTREES: Eh … very unimpressive – some were vocal that their meals were pretty good, others were adamant that they flat-out sucked and would not return – I ordered the vaca frita (crispy shredded beef) – boring – the only way I got thru it was to pour some funky sauce from someone else’s entrée over it … depending on the entree ordered, everyone got plain white rice (boring) and we were served plain black beans (boring) family style, ostensibly to add to the boring white rice – when a few of us asked for some carribbean-inspired spices to help us out – some kind of hot sauce – the waiter said they only had Tabasco! So the authentic Cuban hotspot only offered Tabasco sauce, made and bottled in Louisiana, USA. We took what we could get to get us thru the meal.

DESSERT: Virtually no selection – I think we had like 3 things from which to choose – a couple cheesecakes were ordered (they were just small round servings – between people being full and it just not being very good, they went unfinished); some traditional Cuban dessert featuring soggy cake was practically tossed off the table (who the hell wants to eat soggy cake? This may have just been a matter of being exposed to a new culture – so apologies to anyone offended …); the espressos and coffees were good and served in really cool cups.

OVERALL: Average – at best – glad I finally tried it, but won’t be going back – much better restaurants in the “baristanet” area than to settle for that sub-par stuff!

Geez- What kind of gripe board is this? We went to Cuban Pete's for the first time last time and from the time we were greeted warmly by the hostess to the time we departed after a fine meal we were treated well and made comfortable. The place is fun, the food is good, and the service is very accomodating. Try it! I have read some of these disgruntled posts and find it hard to believe that these folks were under the same roof!

here we go Imeet dominick 8 monts ago i think the man is great that you like him or not he is wery succesful in businnes and with people he as a great attitude when you meet him in the street he is alwais smiling and happy he envite everybody at his restaurant for afree non alcoolic drink or an apetizer he gives away moore than he charges . but since monclair his a town of food critics we critisize his place because I think most people cannot stand his succes because we are all perfect at what we do in our businnes or in our mondaine job we newer give bad service or we are nasty to other people have you ever gone to adoctor and you have an appointmen and you sit in the office for anextra hour but we do not cmplain or take it out bwith the secretary that took our appointment at200pm and at 330 we are still waiting for the doctor or atorney we know is going tocost as hundreds of dollars to get bAD NEWS BUT WE SIT THERE LIKE LITLE LAM SO WHAT IS IT WITH RWSTAURANTS THAT ALL WE DO IS CRITICISE AND COMPLAIN ARE WE TRYING TO TAKE OUR FRUSTRATION OUT ON THEM SO IT OK TO HAVE A POINT OF VIEW BUT IS NOT NECESSARY TO BE NASTY YOU CAN GO TO CUBAN PETE HAVE DINNER FOR 4 PEOPLE AND SPEND 50 DOLLARS IN A BEAUTIFULL SETTING NICE WAITERS SO WHAT IS IT WITH ALL OF US YOU CANNOT BUY ANYTHIG AT ANY STORS FOR 4 PEOPLE AT 50DOLLARS PS i,M NOT A FRIEND OF DOMINIK OR A RELATIVE I,M TIRED OF PEOPLE COMPLINIG ABOUT CUBAN PETE GO ENJOYIT AND BE HAPPY

hay padrino Bob grant says to you; va fangul pa napoli!! oofa!

Hey "cg".... its Cuban Pete's hurting your own restaurant so bad??? Of course it is, of course it SUCKS... for you!!!

Have a Happy New Year.

Tony Ortiz

Just got done reading all of the above comments...wow
I am headed for Cuban Pete's tomorrow with some friends from work. I am going in with an open mind...I will post and report what I think of this establishment. When Dominick owned Mexicali's I had no problem with it. Now I do...
Let's hope that there will be a positive post tomorrow amongst all these negetive comments...
Nina

I had read all the comments in this thread and others, and was wary of Cuban Pete's and the owner's antics. But I went with a friend last night (a Wednesday) and tried to keep an open mind... and was pleasantly surprised (amybe Wednesdays are a good night to eat there?). It was nice walking down the passageway to get you in the mood of the restaurant. Walking in, we asked to see a menu to make sure there was something vegetarian for me, and the hostess immediately and helpfully pointed out everything suitable. We were promptly seated. The first thing our waiter said was that his English is not very good, which wasn't an issue because I speak Spanish, but he wanted to practice English and everything was fine - we got exactly what we ordered.

We did have the problem that many other posters had - they were mysteriously out of many of the sangrias, including the one we wanted. The one we ended up getting (I think the regular Cuban Pete's one) was not particularly tasty, but still drinkable. The owner was there, and even refilled our glasses from the pitcher without our saying anything, as he'd noticed the waiter was remiss in this, so he seems to care about the service.

I had the vegetarian cuban picadillo, which was rice & beans, seasoned veggies (yellow & green squash, sweet potatoes and green peppers, my favorite veggies), and sweet plantains, which were a bonus because I adore plantains. On the whole it was pretty good. My friend had a chicken sandwich that she'd had there another time & liked. We both cleaned our plates.

The only real negative was that it took years to get our check, but we were happy to sit and talk. It must be lovely to sit on the patio in nice weather, and the atmosphere inside was very nice as well (though I think the waiters' hats are a teensy bit much!). I don't see myself going back a lot, due to limited veggie options, but it's definitely a place to go with friends once in a while.

I had read all the comments in this thread and others, and was wary of Cuban Pete's and the owner's antics. But I went with a friend last night (a Wednesday) and tried to keep an open mind... and was pleasantly surprised (amybe Wednesdays are a good night to eat there?). It was nice walking down the passageway to get you in the mood of the restaurant. Walking in, we asked to see a menu to make sure there was something vegetarian for me, and the hostess immediately and helpfully pointed out everything suitable. We were promptly seated. The first thing our waiter said was that his English is not very good, which wasn't an issue because I speak Spanish, but he wanted to practice English and everything was fine - we got exactly what we ordered.

We did have the problem that many other posters had - they were mysteriously out of many of the sangrias, including the one we wanted. The one we ended up getting (I think the regular Cuban Pete's one) was not particularly tasty, but still drinkable. The owner was there, and even refilled our glasses from the pitcher without our saying anything, as he'd noticed the waiter was remiss in this, so he seems to care about the service.

I had the vegetarian cuban picadillo, which was rice & beans, seasoned veggies (yellow & green squash, sweet potatoes and green peppers, my favorite veggies), and sweet plantains, which were a bonus because I adore plantains. On the whole it was pretty good. My friend had a chicken sandwich that she'd had there another time & liked. We both cleaned our plates.

The only real negative was that it took years to get our check, but we were happy to sit and talk. It must be lovely to sit on the patio in nice weather, and the atmosphere inside was very nice as well (though I think the waiters' hats are a teensy bit much!). I don't see myself going back a lot, due to limited veggie options, but it's definitely a place to go with friends once in a while.

I went to Cuban Pete's recently to inquire about having a family party for approx 50-75 people there in May of this year. The hostess did not have any info to provide although she was friendly. Dominic entered the restauarnt when I was there and since I knew him from Mexicali Rose I took the opportunity to speak to him about having my party there. He quickly bad mouthed the new mexcali rose restaurant owners and then told me I could only have the back room (small room)and the outside patio for the party; I told him I would like to use the whole restarant if possible (which I had two yrs ago when it was Liberte) - he told me I was "crazy" to ask such a question! I just wanted to explore the option but he told me it wouldn't be profitable... "look at this place" as he gestured to the room..."I can't do that". I could understand if the party was going to be on a sat or friday note, or even during the week, but I was looking for sunday afternoon (and willing to pay $$$). Anyway, he was rude but I was still willing to consider until I read this thread. Glad I did.