My name’s Mark, founder and creator of the everything food blog Mealswithmark.com! I am back again, for another local Restaurant Review! This time I checked out Guantanamera located on the ever-bustling Queens Boulevard. I recently reviewed the new Mexican Restaurant Compadres 77, which you can read here! Also go over to my blog and check out my review of Numero 28 Pizzeria on Restaurant Row.
I have gotten some flack for my Forest Hills restaurant reviews I have done. I have one posted on my own blog and one posted here on Edge of the City. Between comments on both sites, as well as comments in the Forest Hills Facebook group where I posted one of my reviews, I received mixed reviews. I received some hostile comments due to my brutal honesty. I have been a resident in Forest Hills for about two years and have tried many of the restaurants the area has to offer and the majority lacked the 'Wow!' factor and failed to impress me.
Until recently, I haven’t had many “amazing” food experiences. That’s what makes reviews interesting. They give readers a chance to see a restaurant and experience it through someone else’s eyes and taste-buds. To get someone else’s opinion and perspective.
Me and my partner love living in Forest Hills! We love taking walks through the Gardens, taking in a movie at the newly renovated Midway, and eating out! We haven’t given up on the food scene in Forest Hills. We have actually had some great food experiences recently at Numero 28 and Moca, both on Restaurant Row!
Last Saturday night we decided to check out Guantanamera on Queens Blvd. After the short walk to the restaurant on a beautiful night, my first impression of the outside was the restaurant was a little drab and rundown. When you first look at it, it almost looks like they are closed. But let me just tell you, it is a whole different story when you walk through the doors. When you walk through the door, it’s like falling through the rabbit hole in Alice in Wonderland and you are transported off to Cuba.
Guantanamera is a friendly, fun, vibrant Cuban restaurant featuring traditional Cuban fare, a wide array of exotic cocktails and live Cuban music. The live music was booming! A little too loud in my opinion because it was hard to have a conversation with your dinner guest. But with that said, the music was amazing and I felt like I was partying in the streets of Cuba. Guantanamera, captures the essence of Old Havana with its exotic décor featuring exposed brick, candle-lit tables, ceiling fans, and hand-painted murals on the walls. I kept catching myself repeatedly gazing at the amazing décor.
We arrived at around 7:30 p.m. on a Saturday evening and we scanned the restaurant and it was packed. We checked in with the hostess and she stated she would be right with us. She checked in with one of the servers and we were seated immediately. No wait.
Our server promptly brought us menus and filled our glasses with water. We both looked through the menu and were impressed with the unique offerings on the menu. We asked our pleasant and always smiling waitress her recommendation for appetizers. She made several suggestions. She stated that the empanadas, the tostone rellenos (stuffed plaintains, shrimp, and Cuban sauce), and the calamari are amazing and her favorites on the menu. With both of us being fans of calamari, it was an easy choice.
The calamari arrived pretty quickly after ordering. It arrived at our table with a chipotle mayo sauce for dipping. The calamari was cooked to perfection. The batter was exquisitely seasoned and the calamari was fried to a golden crisp. I have had calamari at many restaurants and some come out on the chewy side. Not these golden delights. It was the perfect chew. The dipping sauce was a simple combo of mayo and hot sauce but it complemented the calamari.
Since our server made a great suggestion on the recipe and she was very engaging we asked her opinion on the main courses as well. I was in the mood for a beef/steak dish and there were several options on the menu. They all sounded amazing and a tough choice. They had a traditional Cuban steak with sautéed onions, grilled sirloin steak with sautéed onions, grilled skirt steak with a chimichurri sauce, and sautéed slices of prime beef with garlic, onions, peppers and a light tomato sauce. I was drooling with all of the choices.
I ultimately went with the Ropa vieja, a shredded skirt steak braised in a tomato sauce, onions and peppers which comes nested in a basket made of tropical plantains. It came with a side of white rice and black beans.
The combination of flavors was indescribable. The steak was so flavorful and tender and paired so well with the unique plantain basket. Our server was 2 for 2 so far with her suggestions.
My partner asked and went with our server’s suggestion as well. I love going out to eat with my partner, not only is it always great company, but we share each other’s food so we have twice the food experience. My partner went with the Pollo Guantanamera. This is one of the restaurant’s signature dishes.
It is a roasted half chicken boneless infused with a Cuban sauce and served with Tostones. Another dish that Guatanamera knocked out of the park. The infusion of spices on the chicken was delicious and the chicken was cooked so amazingly, that it melted in your mouth. Can’t forget to mention the Tostones, too. They came with a Cuban dipping sauce and the tostones had your typical delicious Tostones taste.
At this point, we were full on some pretty damn delicious Cuban food but still wanted to check out their dessert menu. We asked the server if the desserts were made in house and she stated that all the desserts are all indeed made in-house. We decided to split the Tres Leches Del Dia. It was a great ending to an amazing meal. The sponge cake was moist and was a perfect consistency! The three-milk cream was infused into the cake with just the right amount. The mango glaze and the cherry on top added a nice twist to the traditional Tres Leches cake.
We only had water due to having wine the night before. So, it was a non-alcoholic night for us. But, in addition to this unique and amazing dining experience, they offer a Cuban inspired bar and lounge area with a wide assortment of fine wines, rums, liquors, and specialty cocktails! Also, while at the bar enjoying a cocktail, you have the option of trying some of their unique appetizers.
I give Guatanamera two thumbs up and I highly recommend trying this Forest Hills Gem.
Guantanamera is located at 110-80 Queens Blvd. in Forest Hills, NYC
Call (718) 575-5755
BUSINESS HOURS
Sunday - Thursday 11am - 11pm
Friday - Saturday 11am - 12am
HAPPY HOUR
Sunday - Thursday 11:30am - 7pm
DINNER
Sunday - Thursday 11am - 11pm
Friday - Saturday 11am - 12am
LUNCH
7 days a week 11am - 4pm
Hey Mark, I totally appreciate your honest reviews. I enjoyed your Compadres one and from what I have seen on Yelp and Google, they were pretty much in line with what you said. I used to go to Guantanamera a lot when I lived in Manhattan and this location has a nice vibe - similar to the Manhattan one with live music- maybe that's why it doesn't seem as drab as some other places. Between Guantanamera and Matiz the block is definitely shaping up. Matiz doesn't have as much atmosphere as Guantanamera but it is a slightly better value and I actually find their menu a bit more interesting. Mark, I'm curious to see what you'd have to say about the Buenos Aires Tango place! I think all the Edge of the City Fans should meet up at one of our fine local establishments someday!
ReplyDeleteThanks for your response!! I definitely will check out Matiz!
ReplyDeleteGreat review! I'm so glad you and your partner had an awesome night out!
ReplyDeleteAs a Forest Hills resident of Cuban descent, I definitely plan to bring my dad here when he visits. :)
Thanks!
DeleteMatiz has become one of my favorite restaurants in Forest Hills. They do a great job melding flavors and creating really fun and creative dishes. The Mofongo is a personal favorite!
ReplyDeleteRebecca. Thanks for recommendation on the Mofongo! Def on my list to try next week
DeleteBut how does it compare to Cabana?
ReplyDeleteTo each their own of course, but my top vote goes to Cabana with Matiz in 2nd. My husband and I had a very subpar experience with both food and service at Guantanamera. And for all the touting of live music, we were there on a Saturday evening and NO live music in sight.
ReplyDeleteI was not happy with the food nor service the day I want to Guantanamera. Not only was most of the food I ate non-authentic (I'm Cuban btw), but I felt like I was tricked! I went in for brunch on a Saturday and saw a Prix Fixe special. It had 3 categories, an egg dish, I believe a sandwich dish, as well as an alcoholic drink section with a note that you could have unlimited drinks for an additional cost of I think $18. I wasn't going to do an all-you-can-drink thing, so I assumed the Prix Fixe came with at least one drink. When I ordered, I picked a food from each section, and told the server I don't drink alcohol, so could I substitute a coffee instead - I was not corrected by the server as I went down the Prix Fixe list.
ReplyDeleteWhen I got the check, I was charged $12 for my egg dish (which was wrong...I asked for an omelette, got sunny side), $12 for my "Cuban" frita - which was a NOTHING like a frita, I was embarrassed for them, and got charged extra for the coffee!! I politely asked to speak to a manager when we saw the pricey check (this was on top of my husband's order too), and told him I was confused. Wasn't this a Prix Fixe? He told me it was - obviously he doesn't know what a Prix Fixe is!
I explained to him it's usually several small courses for a fixed price, and I felt like I was being scammed, especially since the server didn't correct me when I was mistaken! My $25 cheap lunch of 2 prix fixe meals with my husband turned into a $60+ check! I was soooo upset.
There was only one server who was decent at that whole restaurant. He saw that I was upset with my frita, which was an overcooked burger on a regular bun with kraft singles on it. A REAL frita has pieces of pork/chorizo in it, lots of paprika to give it a red look, loaded with picnic fries, melted cheddar cheese, and placed on top of toasted Cuban bread. The server was so concerned, he offered me the burger for free, which I declined (this was before I knew about the Prix Fixe fiasco), and instead I offered him advice on how to make their burger more like a frita. I even mentioned a nearby grocer who gets their Cuban bread from a factory out in Jersey who delivers them fresh, that way they could at least attempt to be authentic. Cubans live on bread...I was shocked you guys didn't have Cuban bread!!!
Long story short, I left this place in tears. There aren't a lot of places where I can get authentic comfort food, and I REALLY wanted this place to thrive. I'd give them free advice anytime, because I want more and more people to try Cuban food...but this was a huge disappointment. The owner was so defensive and not at all caring about the customer. What a shame.
If you want good authentic Cuban food, head to El Rincon Criollo here in Queens, and If you want a real frita, the closest I found in NYC is the Cuban Spot by prospect park.
You left in tears??? Hahaha... You must have a charmed life is the only thing that makes you cry is a misunderstanding on your brunch bill.
DeletePART 1: Lessons Learned
DeleteWow! You must be a real hit at parties! Not sure where to begin but maybe we'll start with your enormous ego and wrap this up with your lack of coping skills. I couldn't imagine having the gall to tell a restaurant how to cook something the "proper way". How embarrassing of you to act this way! I'd rather watch my parents have sex than to tell someone how to cook a dish the way that YOU envision it should be cooked. News Flash: This just in, being of Cuban descent does not make you the utmost authority on Cuban food! There! I said it! You are not an expert and your opinion means zero point zero percent. Maybe the owner of Guantanamera was raised eating his/her fritas in this fashion. Maybe the owner has travelled extensively eating all of the different types of fritas there are to offer and settled on this style as their favorite. Maybe, just maybe, other people prefer their fritas this way too! Did you ever stop to think of that? No, of course you didn't Veronica because your brain only has enough real estate to think of yourself. How selfish!
I haven't eaten at Guantanamera so I can't speak to the caliber of their cuisine but based on your posting I'd start my review like this: "I haven't had the chance to eat at Guantanamera but based on Veronica N's review from EoTCB we know it must have a massive dining hall to accommodate her enormous, overinflated ego!". Here's a thought, act like the rest of the civilized dining community and when you don't like the food/service/atmosphere of a restaurant kindly smile, tip your waiter 20% and don't go back! That's literally all you do.... just. don't. go. back. I know this is a novel thought for your peanut sized brain to wrap itself around but YES this is what all of the other adults walking down the street around you do. We don't tell a restaurant how to cook something, we don't send food back, we don't tip less than 20% and punish the server and we certainly DO NOT cry! Are you kidding me with this? You were in tears? This is the most pathetic thing I've heard all week! By a long shot! You cried?! Veronica, hunny, please tell us that this was just hyperbole. It would certainly make us feel a lot better about the state that our world is in. You cried over a misunderstanding at brunch! I'd love to hear what you do for a living that you can be this vulnerable. I am just amazed that you are this fragile and yet you are able to walk the streets of NY. Amazing.
Part 2: Scenes From a Havana Cafe
DeleteMaybe next time you go back to Guantanamera if you stomp your feet hard enough and loud enough the owner will come waltzing from the back of the kitchen with a piping hot silver platter. All eyes in the restaurant will be on you, Veronica N.! The men in their neatly pressed Guayaberas set their cocktails down and tilt their fedoras up to get a better look at you. The women, in their floral patterned, ruffled dresses gawk over and chatter just loud enough that you can make out what they are saying... "who IS she?!". The kids outside put down their stickball bats and belly up to the front window, jostling and pushing to get a better view of this culinary expert who has graced them with her presence. All the while the house band is playing a classic Cuban rhumba tune and the whole restaurant feels like it's swaying in rhythm. The atmosphere is like a thick fog. The owner sets the silver platter down and folds a napkin neatly over your lap. The anticipation is really building now and no one in the room has taken a breath in what feels like minutes. He pulls the top of the platter off to unveil the PERFECT frita. Nay, Veronica N.'s PERFECT frita. I'm talking a REAL frita. You lean in with your steak knife and cut the frita in two, almost sensually. Separating this beautiful dish reveals healthy, decipherable bits of chorizo intermingled with the perfectly cooked and tender ground beef. It's been generously seasoned with Paprika and you couldn't be happier. The seasoning gives your frita that unmistakable stamp of Cuba. A crimson crust that has baked in all of the delicious flavor. You can hardly wait to dig in but each time you inspect the frita, you are met with more delicious details. There are so many picnic fries adorning the frita that the two halves of Cuban bread are fighting to stay together, joined only due to the copious amount of warm, melted cheddar cheese. You pull your chair in a bit, lick your lips and take a bite. You are immediately transported back to a simpler time. You are 4 years old again in the kitchen of your tia. It's after school and nearing summer. Your aunt hands you a dish and it's a frita exactly like the one you have just taken a bite of. You soak it in. This was the last time someone cared about your opinion. You were four years old. This was the last time it was acceptable for you to cry over trivial matters. You were four years old.
DEAR ANONYMOUS,I WISH YOU HAD A BLOG I COULD FOLLOW, YOUR PRICELESS!
DeleteOmg, you're hilarious, anon. This has to be the funniest thing I've read in weeks.
DeleteHey there, Cuban food lover here- live across the street from Guantanamera. They're ok, but definitely not a great value. Who is the nearby grocer that gets fresh Cuban bread delivered? I found some at Western Beef in Elmont but I think they make it in house and the place you're mentioning must get in from an actual Cuban panaderia in NJ- do share! Thanks!
ReplyDeletehi mark.
ReplyDeletei'm glad you enjoyed your shredded steak, as mine was like HARDENED SHOE LEATHER when I ordered it 2 months ago...also the food taste extra, extra salty and the rice and black beans was overcooked and loaded with salt...I would not recommend the eatery to anyone!