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Williamsburg has its Thai food, and now it seems that Alphabet City has its Cuban. Bodeguita Cubana, a Serbian-run Cuban joint that opened in May on 10th Street (between 1st & Avenue A), is the third in a trifecta of ropa vieja-offering restaurants that's enveloped the neighborhood east of 1st Avenue (the other two are Cafecito & Cafe Cortadito). Arguably the most appealing of them all (though we do love Cafecito), the French doors on the facade of Bodeguita Cubana swing open, inviting a cool breeze on these warm fall nights, and the narrow space feels bigger than its 20-seat capacity. Lighting is dim, coming from the street or a few hanging straw lanterns, creating an air of coziness and welcome. Servings are consistent and generous, especially for a menu entirely under the the $10 price range. Pressed sandwiches, notably the pulled pork with homemade bbq, are scrumptious and big enough to share (depending on your hunger level), and come with either roasted potatoes or a salad with fresh steamed fava beans.
Bright colors on the window frames and photographs of Cuba pay homage to the cuisine's native land, but the atmosphere is more one of a neighborhood hangout, all the locals glad it's still BYOB. The waiter, who happily delivers food announcing that the "food's here for the ladies" (and can be a little touchy at that), is happy to de-cork bottles brought from neighboring liquor stores, and never rushes you to leave.
On two recent visits dishes were uniformly tasty--leaning more towards the comfort end than the gourmet one. The grilled chicken sandwich marinated with citrus and served with vine tomatoes and aioli was pressed on soft sweet Cuban bread and served with a generous portion of salad. The ropa vieja (shredded steak, braised with fresh tomato, onions, and peppers) was flavorful and rich in just the right portion size. The camarones diablo (shrimp in devil's tomato sauce over rice and beans) were tickling, but could have been spicier, the ratio of shrimp somewhat sparse paired with the rice, and not quite special enough to order again. A side of tostones (twice fried plantains, $3.00) was a tough match to the generous plateful offered at Cafecito, but pleased our tastebuds with their heartiness and their garlic-laden dipping sauce.
Bodeguita Cubana is a wonderful addition to Alphabet City's inexpensive dining options and we predict (after our two visits there in one week) that others will find it as charming and welcoming as we did. Some might find the service slow--almost neglectful--but if there with a conversational friend, it's the kind of treatment you'll appreciate for not feeling rushed. Otherwise, for the lack of pretension, the honestly good food, the vibe that makes you want to chat the night away, and the great prices, we highly recommend Bodeguita Cubana.
Bodeguita Cubana is located at 271 E. 10th Street, 212-533-5600, open nightly until 11 p.m.
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quiero sandwish cubano!
I ate here. It was disgusting.
ITALICS!
"Some might find the service slow--almost neglectful--but if there with a conversational friend, it's the kind of treatment you'll appreciate for not feeling rushed."
This is the most ridiculous sentence in the history of Gothamist restaurant "reviews." Slow serice is bad service. Neglectful service is a reason to walk out, not worth appreciating for how you don't feel rushed.
A Serbian-run Cuban restaurant? How authentic! For good and cheap Cuban, try Sophie's (any location in the city). Mm, mmm good.
A pal and I dined here this summer and did not dig the food. The grub arrived cold and tasted bland. The service was incrediblllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllly slow.
:(
It was slow, like, "here's your check, pay when you want, but take your time," so we got to sit for an extra 30 minutes just sipping our wine with no pressure to leave. The food came promptly and service was friendly. If you're in a rush, you might have felt like it was slow.
-youngna
what a bitchy crowd
The food was gross. The ropa vieja tasted like meat in a marinara sauce, the tostones were hard as rocks, my white rice(a Cuban staple) was crunchy and the black beans were way to liquidy. The 2 men that run the place are exremely rude and unfriendly. It looks like an adorable place from the outside, but don't bother. There are plenty other great Cuban places.
Stick with Cafecito everyone.
Just because the waiter is not constantly grinning like he's on crack doesn't mean he's grumpy. I ate there a few times and the steak was great. Love that I can bring my own wine.
I agree with all the guests - this place sucks. I ate here in June and the food was horrible - cold and bland - and the service was even worse. The only redeeming quality about this place is that it is BYOB. Which is fine and all until the drunk co-owner STEALS your second bottle of wine - he said he misplaced it, but my wily friend and I went on a hunt for it and found it BEHIND THE BAR.
Since this appears to be the nit-pick thread...Sophie's isn't run by Cubans either. It's Peruvian-owned--it's not like ropa vieja is a specialty in Lima--yet they manage to make tasty Cuban food. Who says that Serbs can't branch out?
scaredy_kat, most people have a problem with Serbians, so quit trying to make this a race thing.
The food sucks, and the service is terrible. Most people agree. I don't see this place surviving that long, no matter the fact that they have vintage posters or pictures, brick walls, or french doors. It all comes down to whether the food is edible.
They need Gordon Ramsey to rescue them.
Last I looked at a map, Peru is much closer to Cuba than Serbia is. Also, being familiar with Latin cuisine, Peruvians would know which seasonings go into Cuban food better than Serbians would. So it's nothing against Serbians. I also don't think I would want Serbian cuisine made by Cubans or Peruvians. No disrespect, just saying. Jeez.
JRod,
That's pretty ignorant of you to say just because the person is Latin then they cook better Latin food.(or if they closer to Cuba then...)
I bet you I cook a better Colombian dish than my Colombian girlfriend and I'm Chinese.
Guest #16, I don't think he's being ignorant. I've tasted the food there, and it's terrible. Only a person not familiar with various Latin food would think it was good.
And as an example, take the state of Japanese food in NYC. Most of it is terrible, because the owners tend to be Chinese, and cook with a certain flavor.
As a matter of fact, I'd say the use of Mexican illegal alien cooks throughout the restaurant industry has produced a generally more slightly more spicy, heavier sauced food than several years ago, throughout all cuisines. Yes, they've moved up from the dishwasher to actually cooking. They tend to flavor the foods a little closer to the regions they come from. Am I wrong, or have you noticed a real difference in the quality of food generally in NYC?
So yes, the ethnicity of the owners makes a difference. Most pizza in NYC suck too, because 90% of the pizza shops are not run by Italians anymore, but by Serbians.
So sorry if I'm too politically incorrect for you, but it's a fact.
Guest 16- Are you offering to cook for me? How sweet!
Far from being ignorant, I am well aware that you don't have to be Cuban to cook Cuban. But "Serbian-run Cuban" just sounds funny to me. So sue me. Jeesh already!
No No, this has nothing to do with political incorrectness. I would be the first to be politically incorrect. I guess I haven't actually eatin there to say the food was bad or not. But when JRod said that Peruvians would know or cook better just cause they closer to Cuba, that I have to disagree with.
Whatevers Whatevers, Guest17, you right that this city has has all different people cooking and eating different ethic food. You gotta love it though. Guess you actually got to go to the country to truly eat authentic food.