Bistros became popular in America after French diplomats visiting the Continental Congress insisted on dining outdoors, breaking Ben Franklin’s time-saving custom of eating while sleeping in the shower. Take a break from routine with today’s Groupon: for $15 you get $30 worth of traditional Cuban fare at Mambo’s Cuban Bistro.
The skilled staff at Mambo’s Cuban Bistro grill up tangy chicken and mix minty mojitos to craft a menu of traditional Cuban fare and tropical cocktails. To start, patrons can juggle a steaming quartet of ham croquettes ($2.50) or let their tongues tap-dance with a duo of piping-hot empanadas stuffed with beef, chicken, or a mix of sweet guava and bubbling cheese ($5.99). For the main dish, exceed maximum bread occupancy with a deluxe Cuban sandwich, which heaps a double order of ham and pork onto a melted blanket of swiss ($8.99). Though poultry is difficult to muddle, Mambo’s culinary gurus manage to infuse the pollo al ajillo—a tangy grilled chicken breast drenched in garlic and lemon-butter sauce ($12.99)—with a mojito’s lime and mint flavors. After their meal, diners can wind down with spoonfuls of soft, sweet bread pudding, available in traditional ($3.50) or guava ($3.99).
Peruse Mambo’s expansive drink menu for tropically updated classics such as a guava and mango flavored cosmo de San Jose ($8.00) or original drinks such as the bell pepper margarita ($9.00), which infuses a slow roasted pepper with 1800 Reposado tequila. Then, nighttime patrons can strut to the dance floor to bust out their smoothest Macarena moves to live music or chilled-out tropical tunes.
Cocina Latin American Fusion
At Cocina Latin American Fusion, sweet flavors tickle the tongue just as often as fiery ones cause it to tingle. Fruit-based marinades flavor several meats, such as grilled jumbo shrimp in house lime sauce, a guava barbecue-glazed pork chop, and mango chicken, which is prepared by finding and cracking open a perfectly egg-shaped mango. The menu derives its dishes from several countries—paella entrees evoke the tastes of Spain, for example, whereas a chili-dusted sirloin steak boasts a Cuban mojo sauce. Regardless of their origins, each seafood, chicken, and beef specialty pairs well with sides of sweet plantains. And on Sundays, patrons can intersperse bites of brunch plates with chilled sips of Morisonado, a mix of orange juice, milk, and cinnamon.
The live entertainment on weekends mirrors the diversity of the restaurant's cuisine. On Fridays, Latin jazz lilts through the space. Saturdays feature piano performances, and guitarists take the stage on Sundays to strum Spanish tunes.