Back To Cuba Cafe

How can anybody give them ANY stars? The system won't let me give them zero stars! Can't believe the comment ""the food was actually really good"". Are you serious? Canned black beans, man! That's sacrilegious! They would hang an owner in effigy in Miami if he served canned beans! Do you know anything about Cuban food? The place sucks, tell it like it is. No need to be nice. They give Cuban food a bad name. In So FL they would have been out of business in two weeks. The real reason for their mediocrity (that's a nice word) is that there aren't any Cubans in the kitchen. I saw an Oriental as I walked to the Mens' Room. None of the front help was Cuban either. The person who I believe is the owner showed up a few minutes before closing. I heard him talking and he sounded like the only Cuban of the bunch. He went behind the counter and fixed something to eat for him and his lady. Probably didn't trust his help to do it. He was probably there just to empty the coffers and grab a quick bite. Y'all Nashvillians please invest in an airline ticket to South FL and go eat some real Cuban food. Put that sorry restaurant out of business! Now, do you really want to know how I feel? more

When I initially entered the place I liked the music and overall atmosphere. I asked to see the menus so I could take it out to my wife to see if she wanted to eat here. They didn't have any menu's except for what they posted up on their wall, no big deal. I went and got the wife and waited with the kids while she decided if she wanted to eat there. I agreed with her that the menu items and the desserts on display looked enjoyable. So we get in line and order our meals, the lady behind the counter was pleasant, people were laughing and playing dominoes while waiting for their meals. We had to wait for a bit to be able to sit down as there wasn't any tables open when we arrived. However, after people had left their tables stood there dirty and untouched for almost 15 minutes. The place was not packed, only people in the place where the people playing dominoes(party of 4) and us. Not one single employee made a move towards cleaning any of the tables. Finally my wife, hungry and not in mood to find a different place to eat, actually started clearing out the tables herself. All the dirty dishes, food, etc was placed on the counter top and finally an employee came out and wiped the table. They didn't take the dishes with them, they left em there the whole time we ate, right on top of the counter. So, against my better judgement I ate my food. The food was actually really good, very pricey for what you get. My meal was 12.95 for the roated pork plate and it came with very small rice and beans portions, decent pork portions(slightly dry but seasoned well), and small yucca portion. Lets just say when you receive your plate you look up at the wall and the price and go, huh this can't be all of it. Either way the actual food was good but I'm not going back. more

I agree that the service has declined progressively this past year. They're often out of Cuban bread and how can you have a cuban restaurant without the bread! \r \r But I have to think that the service will get better. And just so you know the owner of Back to Cuba owns Mamma Mia's as well. If you've had a recent good dining experience at Mamma Mias then maybe it was just the new waitress... BUT there is no excuse for not having your full menu... I love the food but yes the management needs to step it up. more

Back to Cuba has a laid back vibe, cuban music, and authentic food. I always get the Churasco Skirt Steak which comes with plantains, black beans, rice, and bread. They have a great juice selection as well. Passion Fruit is my favorite! more

Best Cuban food I had for a long time being from the Caribean it's very hard to please my palate for good Cuban food, I had the Chicken Breast ( with lots of onions on top) rice ,beans and sweet plantains after that a flan that is only comparable with the one my mother used to make when I was living in the Island .Thanks Guys for bringing that kind of flavor to Nashville. For sure you will be seeing me very often. more

amazing amzing!!! greatest in nashville i love going ther the atmosphere make feel like u just want to get up and dance salsa go ther every sat. and everytime its great service great food and everything is awsome!!!;).i totally sugest people should go more

I've eaten here a handful of times. The service has gotten progressively worse each time... My last visit was so horrible that I will never go back. My friend and I waited for 45 minutes for our food and it never arrived. We finally decided to just leave, and as we were walking away the owner came running up to us and accused us of leaving without paying! Not going to pay for food that I never got. Also, the owner did not offer to make things right - she blamed it on a new waitress. I'll never go back. Its nothing special, and is definitely not worth the horrible service... If you are in the area, check out Mama Mia's instead (it is amazing Italian food). Pros: interesting menu Cons: $8 for a sandwhich, bad service more

real Cuban food great atmosphere best ive had in years Pros: all more

The Lechon Asado is awesome. I've taken several first timers there and they all love the Lechon. The Cuban sandwich is great too. Be sure to get an order of sweet fried plantains. The owner is very nice and the staff very friendly. Pros: Excellent Food, Geneorus Portions more

i drive and hour and a half out of my way to eat here. The best Cuban sandwich i've ever had in my life is from BTC. They are a favorite dish of mine, and i order them whenever theyre on a menu in hopes that I'll finally find a place, outside of Jersey City, NJ or Miami, FL,, that makes them perfect. FOUND IT! also.. the toastones, plantains and the Miami sandwich are great. and try the Carnitas next time you can. so good. Pros: the food, the price Cons: not much more

The food at BTC sure tastes great, but today as I came close to finishing my Picadillo plate, I found a meatball-sized hunk of raw hamburger. And this was after the lunch rush, not right after they opened. If I go back I will stick to the steak from now on - they cook it while you wait. Pros: Black beans & rice, plantains Cons: Anybody got a meat thermometer there? more

Food is authentic and good. The place is a dump. I was expeciting table service, but I guess you either shout out your order or go to the counter. A little remodeling, cleaning and hiring a server could really improve this place. I would bring a date if they just made the place a little nicer. oh yeah, I went one night at 8 and they were closing...........said it was slow so they closed. Another time I went on Sunday.............they were closed! I gess it would be smart to call before you drove 40 miles like I did. more

I have eaten at BTC many times and the quality is second to none. The music and decor make you feel as if you are in Havana and the food is always top notch. I highly reccomend this cafe. Pros: Everything Cons: N/A more

One of the things I like is you can call ahead and order and then when you get there your order is wating for you. The food is so good, I crave it, lol. One thing I can say and anyone who has eaten there can agree, they are not stingy with their portions. You get plenty to eat. I hope they stay 4-ever because this little dive is the BOMB! Pros: great food Cons: small, best to get your food to go more

I've had similar meals at other restaurants in Houston and Miami and the food at Back To Cuba Cafe was up to par with the good restaurants in those cities. I had the Churrasco plate with beans, rice and plantains. The portions were large and the service was good. I recommend this restaurant and I will be back for more. Pros: Food, Price, Service Cons: Not a lot of tables more

This is an order at the counter sort of restaurant with a casual decor. The food was wonderful and the service was very friendly. We played chess in the front window while we waited for the food. I ordered the Churrasco (marrinated skirt steak with fresh veg on top) and highly recommend it, it comes with black beens, rice, and fried plantains. Can't wait to go back with friends! more

After a few days in Nashville, visiting our daughter in college, and having experienced some of the best places in town, I was ready for some Caribbean food. I'm from Puerto Rico so it could be puertorrican or cuban food, I wanted some home cooking. I found this ad in one of the local guides talking about some great food and great service. I read three reviews and had to go there. Let me tell everyone that if you come to Nashville and miss this place, you have missed some incredible cooking. This is a small place, about eight/nine tables, which is great. Once you get in, you know exactly where you are, two things will give it away. On you right you will find a pair of congas with some other percussion instruments, and on your left you will find the ever present domino table. This is a very ,and I mean very, clean place. No food odors at all, no grease smell, no smoke, no fumes. You would never think that you were in a restaurant. We were greeted with a smile and a genuine desire to serve. Orders were delivered promptly, and all our questions were answered. We had some ""lechon"" and some cuban sandwiches. The Flan was outstanding and of course the cuban coffee was out of this world. It really took me back to the times that you could really enjoy some great food, great conversation and great family time. We were treated to some pastries on the house . We loved them so much, that we bought some to bring home. I wil recommend this place to everyone. Do not leave Nashville without visiting this place. Pros: great food, great service more

I was in the neighborhood and went here for the first time. WOW!!! Not only is the food delicious (do not put hot sauce on it as it is perfectly seasoned on its own), but also portions are generous. The couple next to me ordered extra beans & rice (not Mexican, but whole black beans in a sauce and nutty white rice) and shared a lunch. I ordered picadillo, which is ground beef cooked with potatoes, some veggies and green olives. It was cooked as I waited and came steaming hot with beans, rice and a generous helping of lightly fried plaintains. There's no liquor license but you can BYO. Pros: delicious food, friendly staff, fast service Cons: the place is sorta dumpy, but that adds to the ambience, order food at the counter more

I first tried Latin American food in RTP, NC a year ago and loved it. Since then, I've hoped to find a restaurant here in Nashville that served something similar to what I tasted there. I visited Back to Cuba Cafe for the first time at lunch today, and was very impressed. The menu is limited, but the food was fantastic! They do now accept credit/debit cards, and I paid with VISA today. I had a steak dish that came with plantains, black beans and rice and can find no fault with any of it! I also ordered an espresso for a friend and a cafe latte for myself, both of which were impressive. I will be back very soon! Pros: Great food, Friendly service Cons: Small, few seats more

My boyfriend and I went to the Back to Cuba Cafe one afternoon, really not hoping for much. We had heard a little about it and decided to try it. My boyfriend comes from a Cuban family, and we figured the restaurant could not even closely compare to home-cooking. We were so wrong! The food was just amazing. My boyfriend said it even looked like the food his grandmother cooked. The family working there was also incredibly sweet. The only thing we found not perfect was that they only accept cash! Everything was just great!! Pros: food, price, service Cons: cash only, location more