Bongos Cuban Café

Last Friday, we had some friends in town for F&W and wanted to kick off the weekend with dinner. I had tried to secure ADRs for Raglan Road earlier in the day, but they were booked solid between around 5:30-8:30. We were looking for a 7:30 ADR for 4 people, but options were limited. We were still going to try to get into Raglan Road, but I decided to book Bongos as a back-up plan.

When we arrived at RR, it was packed to the gills. There was a line out the door to even inquire about how long the wait would be and to put our name on the list. Fortunately we still had Bongos! We decided to start out with some appetizers for the table. A special “Thank you!” to Scott & Susana for being so patient with my photo taking, including having to use the obnoxious iPhone flash in the dark restaurant! They chose the Traditional Ham Croquettes (Croquetas de Jamón).

Traditional Ham Croquettes (Croquetas de Jamón)

The croquettes had had been fried to a crispy, golden brown exterior which gave way to a creamy Béchamel-ham filling. I’m not a big fan of ham, but I could hop on board with these thanks to other flavors and textures. I apologize for this blurry shot of the interior – it was a tricky angle and I didn’t want to set off the flash too many times. Fortunately, most pictures came out on the first try.

Matt was interested in the Fried Stuffed Potatos (Papas Rellenas), which are Fried Breaded Mashed Potatoes with Cuban Creole Minced Beef.

Fried Stuffed Potatoes (Papas Rellenas)

These were awesome. They too had been fried to a golden brown, and after biting in there were soft mashed potatoes, and finished with seasoned beef. It was like a Cuban Cottage Pie-ball, and I loved the green olives incorporated with the beef, which provided a brininess to the bite.

The Fried Green Plantains with Cuban Mojo (Tostones con Mojo) were okay. They had been ordered with the other appetizers, but either the order wasn’t put in, or it was brought to a different table. By that point, I was quite full from my meal, so I really was having difficulty try to enjoy more. The mojo it was served with had a subtle sourness to it, but it was a bit more bland than I’ve had elsewhere. Again, my taste buds may have just shut down by that point!

Fried Green Plantains with Cuban Mojo (Tostones con Mojo)

For his entrée, Matt ordered Bongos Famous Fried Shredded Beef (Vaca Frita), a Cuban Mojo Marinated Fried Shredded Flank Steak with Grilled Onions served with White Rice, Fried Plantains, & Black Beans. I tasted the meat and it was very tender and flavorful. Matt was glad he chose it. They weren’t kidding when they said it was served with onions! They were soft, but I didn’t notice any char or caramelization from being grilled.

Bongos Famous Fried Shredded Beef (Vaca Frita)

Both of our dishes came with White Rice and Fried Plantains (Maduros), so I’ll get to those shortly.

The Black Beans were awesome. Since Matt doesn’t really care much for beans in general, I ended up eating a fair amount of them. Hey, I needed something to put on my portion of rice! The sauce they were cooked/served in had a developed flavor and slight sweetness. Matt did put some over his rice and seemed to enjoy them.

I wanted a dish that would feel a little bit lighter, so I tried the Fish Bites (Chicharrones de Pescado). They’re described as Lightly Floured & Deep-Fried Fish Bites Marinated in Cuban Mojo served with White Rice & Maduros. While I didn’t get the mojo flavor with the fish as I did with Matt’s shredded beef, the flour was seasoned, and it was served with what seemed to be a spicy tartar sauce which was fantastic. The rice was cooked well and was delicious with the beans poured on top. I probably wouldn’t have eaten any if it wasn’t for the beans, though. The maduros were quite good too, and paired a nice sweetness to the savory plate. The caramelization on them created a mini bananas foster flavor.

Fish Bites (Chicharrones de Pescado)

We had a great dinner, and that’s not the Coronas or Negro Modelo talking! I had been wanting to dine here for some time, especially after having the Media Noche sandwich for lunch from their Express Window. The service, though a bit on the slow side, was otherwise top notch. We were there to relax and enjoy our evening; it was a nice change to not be rushed through a meal by a waiter trying to turn tables. Our waiter was pleasant and knowledgeable, which only added to the experience. I know we’ll definitely be back! And we still got to finish off the evening with a beer at Raglan Road, after all.

You can see their menu here!