Reviews of Carmen's Cuban Cafe & Lounge (Night Club)

Andre Adderley

Was craving Ceviche and the one here hit the spot. Ordered at the bar and the serving is a bit larger than it looks. I'm fine with that. Bartender also offered garlic bread, which was also tasty. Will definitely be back to try some of the other dishes. They also have Salsa Tuesday.

Hannah Grossman

We had such an amazing time here! The food was incredible plus we had the great fortune of meeting the manager, Ramon! We had mentioned that we just flew into town that day on a whim because tickets were cheap, but we knew nothing about the area. Ramon immediately whipped out his pen and began planning out our entire trip with tons of recommendations and tips for things to do Raleigh, Durham, and Cary! We followed his recommendations to a tee and had the best time. Thank you, Ramon!!

Jeremy Hammel

Friday night 8/23/19. Party of 3. No waiting. After we were seated there were 3 tables outta maybe a dozen still empty. 4 servers working the small dining room. Each server checked our table at least twice each which was odd because we were never served. No water, no hello, nothing. After 20 minutes we left. I have it 2 starts because the place was very nice and the food on other tables looked good.

Kathy Paschal

Delicious food, fun atmosphere!

Mark Alexander

Maybe 5 stars because I so enjoy Cuban food and it's been a while but wow was it good. If I was going to be in the area for another night, I would have eaten there again it was so good.

Cesar Benitez

Realy LOVE YOUR FOOD STAFF IS AWESOME COMPLEMENTS TOTHE SHEF

Brandy Blevins

Wonderful food. I loved it.

Rod Hughes

Recommended by hotel. Food was Amazing! Great Service. Skirt steak was Delicious. Wonderful drinks and desserts aswell. Iys a thumbs up for me.

Al Whitehouse

A little slice of the 305 right here in the 919. Had the masitas de puerco and they were fantastic. Red beans were soft and flavorful over the yellow rice. Plantains were the perfectly ripe and sweet.

Ray Norton

I've been salsa dancing for several years and Carmen's is definitely my favorite place to go to dance. It's cheap and the music is excellent. People from all over with all kinds of skill levels come. I live in a different state and ALWAYS make sure to go to Carmen's when I come visit!

Paul Werner

Nice place for lunch, service was good and food is average. Prices are moderate and it's convenient to the airport. Cuban style of food. Lots of deep fried stuff if you want. Cool posters in the bathroom of the bygone era of American tourist travel to Cuba.

Barry Granger

Good food, good service and friendly staff.

C G

Food is good but service is very slow during lunch. They need to hire some help especially at the bar.

Jim Elliott

Appetizers were very good but sandwich was just average. Service was pretty slow and inconsistent. I'd try it again if I wasn't in a rush.

Paulo Carmini

Excellent food and service. A must try for sure in Raleigh. Lovely experience if you are looking for a casual dinner in an authentic Cuban restaurant.

Krishni Metivier

Latin dance nights in the evenings are amazing.

Javi Oliu

This place is amazing! Being Cuban, I can tell you that the food is authentic. The staff were extremely friendly and provided great service. It has a great atmosphere, and they have salsa nights! I definitely recommend having the ropa vieja with arroz moro and tostones.

Alice Wesselman

Food was delicious and authentic, services was attentive and quick.

Richard Hicks

Discovered this hidden gem while staying at a nearby hotel. The food was amazing. Very authentic cuban food with a large menu of choices. Upscale and reasonably priced.

Jeff Tumbleson

Great food. Very authentic Cuban.

Ceferino Gonzalez

Good portions. Could be more savory.

Keeli Gailes

The food is amazing and authentic and their Latin socials are always great! The carnival performance last night was amazing!

Ali McLauren Meyer

Celebrated our Anniversary dinner. Service was almost perfect, could have been more attentive to my wine glass, but the food was fantastic! Smiling faces and nice atmosphere. Will be back.

Barbara Timothe

The bartenders were amazing! I would definitely recommend this place, if you're looking to have a great time.

Bryan King

Service is a little slow but food is great

Camille Berry

Stopped for lunch and ordered my usual - Lechón Asado. The slow roasted pork in garlic and onions accompanied with yellow rice, black beans, and plantains never fail to please at Carmen's. Perfect for a cold, rainy day!

Marta Miller

Being Cuban I have to say the food was delicious and very authentic. However the Cuban Sandwich was not made with Cuban bread.

Robust Body

Food was not cooked all the way. I had the runs for 3 days. I love cuban food. The one in Durham is amazing.

Jennifer Miller

The food is amazing! The restaurant is beautiful and the waitress tonight was so nice that we felt like regulars. Will definitely come back soon. I highly recommend this place for your next meal and events!

DF

Very disappointed!!! Was seated and waited so long for a waitress! No utensils no bread no drink. We watched other customers seated after us were feed with bread/drink. We didn't enjoy our seafood paelle. Seafood so little and too well done, rice was way too much of course seafood was too little. Not authentic either. I can cook better. Sweet plantains too oily. Maybe i am not a good judge of Cuban food. For that price $39.99 we won't go back.

Tony Bastidas

It was like being back at my moms house. You will not starve and don't forget to get your coffee after your meal. Well worth it.

keishla Navarro

Best Latin food place in Raleigh!! Tostones, churrasco, arroz habichuela, mojitos....all good

JB Ackley

Great food, ice cold beer!

Hobson Lopes

Food was great. Portions were huge so don't order too much. Tracie was very nice helpful behind the bar. Great cider option, too!

chad alston

Pretty good food and friendly service

The Coolest Person You Know

The closest to delicious, authentic, traditional Cuban food I have found in the Triangle. Reasonable prices and reminiscent of the flavors back home, in Miami. Excited that I have somewhere to go for croquetas and vaca frita!!

ygor montes

If you are looking for genuine Cuban food in NC, this is a great place to go. The food is tasty and well done. The portions are big, an the price is fine. I would recommend the place. The waiter was nice and the service in general was very satisfactory during our trip to that place.

Pilot

Holy Smokes this place is awsome. Great staff. The menu selection is out of this world. There were 3 of us and all of the food entrees were fantastic. The staff was friendly and courteous. The location is super easy to get to from the airport and great atmosphere inside. I will most definitely be back for lunch or dinner here. !!!!!

Bill Coupe

I went here for lunch. The service was excellent. I had their best selling menu item, based on the way the dish looked when it was served to a neighboring table. It tasted even better than it looked. The pork was roasted to perfection, very flavorful and moist. The fried Yuca was also very good!! I'll be returning!

Kyle Holliday

This place is so good, but tucked away so it's easy to miss. But it is well worth the trip. The staff is friendly and the food is great. I had the epinadas with beans/rice. They were really good and surprised at how big they were. I definitely didn't leave hungry. Will be coming back for lunch again soon.

Larry Lockett

This is an outstanding restaurant with great service and authentic food. They even offer special events such as dancing on certain nights. Anyone looking for a vincek Cuban food and/or a night of dancing should definitely check this place out.

Joanne Lopez

ordered online through door dash. Was supposed to recieve steak sandwhich and fries and a roasted pork sandwhich with fries. What i recieved instead was rice, beans and ripe plantains with both the steak and pork. the pork had no season whats so ever and the rest of the items sent were thrown away. Complained to door dash and they refunded some of my money

Sylvia Serrano

Nice food great service nice Ambien

Miguel Rosa

This place I found by accident. I ordered the chicken empanadas to go and they were amazingly delicious. So when in the area again I stopped and dined in! The staff had great personality alongside great service! The food once again was delicious and I left stuffed! On the way home from a day of fun I swung by here yet once again. I dined in and was again not disappointed so decided to give them a 5 star rating along with this review!!!

Joe D

I lived in South Florida for many years and felt like I was home again. Justin was great .

Lili Rodas

Beautiful place! Excellent food and Service! Hablan Español!

Sarah Brady

Delicious food, great service, lovely decoration

Patrick McDonnell

Fabulous food. Really great service. Thanks for a great meal.

Lisa Waltermann

We have been here a number of times and the food is always excellent. Terrific choice when you are in the mood for something different from mainstream places. Service has always been friendly and welcoming. Great place to either eat as a couple of in a group.

Andrew McMurdie

I've been a could of times and the food is always good. Highly recommend

DanceW1thTheDragun

Delicious! Food was authentic and full of flavor. I needed two stomachs.

Sola Omotayo

Amazing Cuban food. Carmen’s Cuban Cafe never seizes to amaze me with their selection of rustic classic Cuban food.

Troy Richards

Great food and lunch specials. Fast service

Scott Seifer

Our absolute favorite restaurant in Raleigh

Antonia Morin

Great Cuban Food. Service was also very good.

Ches Spencer

good food and personalized service. great lunch spot.

Little Xio

I love this place! I'm just a tourist passing through but this was my experience: • A romantic, warm atmosphere with beautiful artwork depicting Cuba's illustratious past tourism. • Kind, helpful, and effeciant staff. • Delicious, authentic food that you can tell was made fresh, with knowledge of the cuisine, and with love. • Portions are huge! Expect to take some home. • Fair prices for the amount of food. If you like Cuban food, I highly recommend it!

Gary Mathew

Authentic Cuban in Raleigh NC? Who would have thought?? I'd put Carmen's up against any Cuban restaurant anywhere! The staff was attentive and friendly, the food amazing. Oh and come hungry!!

Mark Caverly

Great tasting food and service. Convenient location and parking. Posters on Cuba decorated the walls. Don't pass up the flan for dessert. A little taste of Havana!

evron hall

The best Cuban restaurant I ever been to and I will continue to go there again

Sergey Kuznetsov

Very good cafee, been going there for a few months and been satisfied every time. Servers are pleasant, food is good, prices are reasonable. Doesn't get better than that.

Hilal Kanaan

The oxtail with rice and plantains is the perfect bite. The portion is huge and well worth the price because you can enjoy a plate full of perfect bites.

J Go

Ropa vieja was fantastic!!

Angie Pijuan

Barely 8oz of Coke costs three dollars . A weak mojito costs 8$ and it comes with a rotten lime. While waiting at the bar for our to go order two bartenders didn't even acknowledge us and avoided eye contact with us. After ten minutes we had to ask another lady to help us and she then asked us to move to a table because we had our daughter without being nice about it. The place was empty it was 2o clock. State law states minors under 16 must be accompanied by a parent if sitting at a bar. It doesn't state they can't sit at the bar at all with their parents. Our daughter is very well behaved she is not loud and annoying like most kids either. Ok? Last but not least the server tried arguing with us when we requested 3 to go cutlery, she swore it was in the bag and it wasn't lol. Saw the plaque on the wall for trip advisors place of excellence. I really don't understand why . I've traveled to many states and countries and for the price we're paying with the terrible customer service attached. It's not worth it. Oh yeah and we asked for black beans not red had to get that switched out. Food was plain.

bruce rendall

Best Cuban food I have had in N.C. Period. And I should know, I lived in Miami for 30yrs. I am definitely going back again & again!!! Food is awesome, service is awesome, everything about this restaurant is awesome!!!!!

Nihar Topkar

The bread is addictive. Pretty authentic food and awesome service.

Yolanda Fley

Very helpful staff. Assisted us with our families dietary restrictions. Rhe mojitos are excellent and the Havana sampler is a great way to start

J C

Had the Ceviche and the Havana sampler and it all was very good! Great atmosphere and friendly staff

Belle Duvall

The food was out there and very different from what I usually eat. If your looking for something different check this place out.

mayukh chatterji

Wonderful atmosphere and their monthly n weekly dance socials are a great way to meet people.

William Ciocco

Excellent Cuban food and great service. We had a group of twelve and the treated us like royalty. Hillary was our waitress and she took great care of us, patiently answering every question and helping us order great meals. I am looking forward to my next opportunity to eat here.

Chris Mayes

Haven't had Cuban this good since I was in South Florida. Excellent!!

Alan Dempsey

Awesome food. Friendly people.

Lindley Myers

We stopped for dinner to avoid the traffic after landing at RDU at 5:30 and had no idea what to expect. It was delicious! The waitress was engaging and made great recommendations. We'll stop again when we're in the area.

Amy Lloyd

Authentic Cuban food. Had the plantains

Kat Guyot

Waitresses were incredible - but the menu was way over priced. No Senior menu nor Senior portions. Captive clientele due to location

Chuck Yancey

Very good food and reasonably priced. Good selection of beef seafood, chicken, or pork entrees. Large portions make it a good value. White tablecloths add a sense of elegance, but atmosphere is casual. Wait staff is knowledgeable and attentive.

Dave Hall

I was turned away for bringing my service dog here and refused service. They are completely unfamiliar with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Rather disappointing.

Carlos S. Hernandez

Very good food and portion sizes. They have "Salsa after work" on Tuesdays and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

Ronald Lessane

Serves delicious Cuban or Hispanic cuisine that's reasonably priced. Would definitely return.

Talaya Grant

The food and service were amazing! Can't wait to go back.

tess hammel

Was seated waited 20 min without someone ecen taking a drink order. 4 waitress just looking at us as if they did jot want to help us. Got up and left. Very sad i was excited to try the food.

Zachary Grotovsky

This place is great, tasty food and nice workers, good for a group dinner

Adit Sharma

Food good start great

Rijul Magu

This was probably one of the best dining experiences I have had in the Research Triangle Park area.

Austin Sullivan

Staff is great, food is great, I come here just about once every week and there is a reason.

Erik Valenta

Well prepared food. Will definitely return to this hidden gem. Small venue with limited seating be prepared to wait if going right at lunch time. Service was great and the staff is very courteous.

Carol Kinney

Absolutely delicious Cuban food and great service! Love coming here!

Cornelius Taitt

I was in North Carolina for a couple of days helping my mother relocate there. This restaurant was next door to the hotel I was staying in so I said, "why not?". The waitresses were very nice and polite. I had actually worn a t-shirt that said "Havana" on it so the waitress actually spoke to me in Spanish first. Very nice touch. She recommended I try the oxtails and I was not disappointed. Very good food and very large portions. And the chocolate martini I had was also great. I highly recommend trying this place of you are ever in the vicinity of the Raliegh Durham Airport.

James Porter

I have been several times. The food and service are always top notch.

Bob Roth

Our experience was stellar. Not only was the food better than anything we've had north of little Havana, the service was also exceptional. We ate during the Virginia-Auburn game, and they went out of their way to seat us where we could watch the game. Carmen's is a small, white table cloth place, small but cozy, with uncrowded seating. Lots of reasons to return. Highly recommended.

Logan Shaw

This experience was second to none. The food is outstanding and authentic. The staff was very inviting and welcoming. We truly enjoyed the atmosphere and the deserts. Oh wow the deserts.

Juliana Sweet

Some of the best Cuban food I've ever had! So delicious!

Richard Parker

Great food but one of the bartenders should choose another job. He was very disrespectful.

Freddy Dixon

Went here for lunch and as it was clearly popular I was optimistic. I was not disappointed either as this was the best food that I had during this short visit to USA (I live in England).

Zoe Madison

Nice salsa dance classes and fun people.

gen mia

Food was delicious and the service was great. Prices were decent for the portion sizes. A definite recommend. You won't be disappointed.

Anthonese A Street

I walk in and I am greeted with such welcome and enthusiasm! As I sit I observe that the decor is intimate and the Cuban themed artwork on the wall is stunning. The service here is fast and everyone helps out to make sure you have everything you need. There was never a time I was waiting for anything The drinks are weak but the food is outstanding! The food is hot and tastes like it came right off the stove. The food is also extremely flavorful , nothing I ate was bland! I love the Cuban music ! It is not too loud but you hear it just enough to catch a groove. I highly recommend this place for any occasion, they will take care of you from the beginning to the end !

MJ Dancefanatic

Always a great place for dinner, drinks and dancing.

Nikki Carter

The food at Carmen's reminds me of being home in Miami Florida. it literally tastes like Southwest 8th Street and 12th avenue. It took me back to my time in my hometown. I highly recommend Carmen's Cuban Cafe & lounge. You will not be disappointed.

Chris Curtin

Great salsa classes on Tuesday nights

Jason Frame

Nice place to have dinner and practice your dancing skills. Is a place for everybody and friendly environment.

Trisha Hector

I am Cuban / Jamaican and I live in Charlotte, NC. I have been on a quest for genuine “Cuban” cuisines for a very long time. Thus far, I have found only 1 in my area and it’s decent but I saw this restaurant on a documentary concerning Cuba

Heather Reagan-Holihan

I was hoping for some good empanadas like my friend used to make for me but I was out of luck. The Ropa Vieja was good, ok plantains, good sized portions, & reasonable prices. They have dance lessons/social hours some evenings. The restaurant is casual and a little rough. The cement floor is painted. The tables are all movable so they can move them for dancing. Nice staff. On the dark side even during the day. It’s worth a shot for the Ropa Veija.

Jessica Culpepper

Super yum soup and mind blowing plaintains! Incredible kids meals - my picky kids wolfed everything. The service was outstanding. Definitely loved everything about this place.

Yuly Ramirez

Food and service great... yummy Vaca frita. Mojito as well.

E Dawg

Great food, great service, great experience!

Nikolaos Louvros

Great prices, food and drinks. Looked very expensive but plates were very reasonable. Helpings varied among like menu items significantly though. That said, I did leave full and look forward to going back

Tammy Sneed

I ordered the lechon asado and my husband the bistec de pollo. It was absolutely the best food we've had in a while. We were seated right away. The food came quick. Hot fresh and delicious. We will be back for sure! I wish I took a pic of the food before we ate... trust its delicious and excellent service!

Stacie Sanchez

Carmen's reminds me of my grandmother's Cuban cooking. Absolutely delicious. This is a go to place if you're looking for good Cuban food. My favorite is the rope vieja and the camarones al ajillo. So good. My only wish is if they added pastelitos de guava.

S Germ

Really enjoyed the ceviche salad!

Stephanie Miller

The fried pork is to die for. I loved the service and all of our good. The best mojito I have had too. Not too sweet and lots of mint.

The savage Gacha Bunny

The food was so delicious and authentic.

Kevin O'Callaghan

Jessica was the bartender, I sat at the bar. Jessica's smile could light up a thousand ships at night, great recomendations excellent Pappas Rellenos the best I ever had. Jessica recommended the Palomilla Steak,with rice and beans and topped with onions. Just when I thought it couldnt get any better Jessica recommended the Belgium Chocolate Mouse Cake. Just heavenly, will come back.Wow! Kevin

Vonda K. Sampson

Dinner for two. When your Boo is your bestie. Me & Tani. The Original Side Chicks. Lol read the book.

Sara Jackson

Absolutely great! Wonderful music, great atmosphere, you can wear a dress or jeans. Plenty of room to dance, not trashy at all!! Cannot wait to try out the restaurant during re day time :) definitely recommend for dancing !

Michael Teal

It's...fine? As Cuban cuisine goes, it's quite good, but Cuban cuisine is pretty bland.

C Chemis

Started out with the ceviche followed by the shredded pork with yellow rice and red beans. Both were very tasty! Will be back again

Laura B

$$ I was there for an early dinner with two friends. First of all, there's nothing WARM about the entrance - it didn't make feel welcome. Also the dining area was elegant but you have to pass the bar -- located in a huge DARK room (?!) to get to your table. The food was bland, the presentation mediocre and the service was friendly but 'not efficient.' NOT the lively "tropical" atmosphere and tasty experience I was expecting for a Cuban restaurant. I've been to many Spanish restaurants while living in NY. I wanted to like Carmen's but was sadly disappointed.

Tina Rosa

Get the tres leches!!!! Best ever! A bit off the beaten path but well worth it

Kristian Byriter

Food was good and reasonably priced and the staff was friendly

Tabatha Allen

Delicious food and wonderful service! Definitely will be returning!

Rachel Gage

Fantastic food, attentive service. You really can't go wrong with any order here.

Harold Rodriguez

Food was ok. I was expecting this food to be better. I ordered the "lechon asado" recommended by the waiter which I expected to be full of flavor but it was rather simple and too vinegary. Also ordered the rope vieja that was really good. The rice was tasteless and the beans tasted like they were canned beans. For the amount of money they charge you would expect the food to be above average. I really wanted to try this place as there aren't many places that have Caribbean food but it was a big disappointment. The server was very attentive tho.

Kim Franks

I had such a good time at Rumba Columbiana.... great music, AWESOME bartenders (Ramone especially), great people, and Luis and his were serving the best empanadas EVER!

mikey calvaryhd

The food was excellent. 2nd time in 3 days coming. Service was good but food was the best.

Patrick Rosado

Good food and great prices. Close to the airport.

Pamela Torain

What went wrong? Take out order...Did not receive extras we paid for, such as parmasean cheese in black bean soup. Moroso- Rice tasted old and the beans had little flavor. All around, a disappointing meal for our anniversary.

Amy Adams

Plan to share or take home leftovers. Nice portions, friendly service and a relaxed atmosphere. Lots of options (if you are unsure on appetizers, try the sampler). I tried the tres leche for dessert. It was not what I was expecting, but moist & sweet hit the spot

Juan March

Great food service and atmosphere

jon smith

Carmen’s is a must-go. Service was more than excellent. I was from out of town and one of the guys accommodated me by telling me the best items on the menu. I chose up the pulled pork and it was the best pulled pork I’d ever had! Meat so succulent! It was so good I ordered another one! Absolutely must go!

Elsa Faciane

Best empanadas great service tasty food plus they have Negra Modelo on tab!!

Ana Caldera

Good music, good dancing and if you come early enough, good food to eat! Two dance areas. It's the hangout spot for great dancers to show off their moves.

Ben O

Best Cuban food outside of Miami. Can be a little too salty some times, but otherwise excellent. I highly recommend.

Jose M De Sales Zunino

Great place, great service and great food!

Kiley Seitzinger

The food was soooo good! It tasted more like home cooked than restaurant prepared. It was very reasonably priced for the amount of food you get. My family and I will definitely be returning in the very near future.

David Meyer

Best Cuban place I've been to in a long time. Better than Papis in Atlanta, GA if you've been there. I got the fried pork, it is a must! The Cuban sandwich didn't look too great but I didn't try it.

Jay Horowitz

Carmen's has been in the triangle forever and with good reason. The food is always great and the service is fast. Great place to grab a quick lunch.