Cuban Revolution

Durham is home to dozens of fantastic restaurants - Geer Street Garden and Bull City Burger to name a few favorites - but I should have known that the weird emoticon beside the word “open” on the sign outside Cuban Revolution was a red flag. In fact, I chose to ignore all warning signs – an uneducated server, not nearly enough lighting, no complimentary chips and salsa – but I decided against my gut and perused the menu anyway. Or rather, squinted at it. Unfortunately, the four people in my party also had difficulty identifying anything that sounded remotely appetizing, and we all left satiated but not satisfied.

Creepy emoticon = bad news

The description of the Santiago Wrap sounded delicious – Adobo Chicken, rice, black beans, mushrooms, onions, peppers and cheese, all in a nicely toasted tortilla. I could have made this at home. Correction – I could have made something better than this at home. I asked for what I thought was the Adobo sauce on the side, but was given ¼ teaspoon of what was essentially garlic salt. Someone was very confused. Why would anyone want Adobo seasoning on the side? Having said that, the wrap desperately needed pico de gallo or some form of salsa to bind everything together and give it some wetness. The rice was essentially sushi rice, the black beans must have gone on strike, as they were nowhere to be found, and the under-seasoned vegetables were disappointing. The entire meal tasted like nothing.

The menu wasn’t sure how to describe the Burrito Bowl. What was listed as "a salad OR rice and beans bowl” was essentially offering a bowl of rice and beans, on which you could build a salad at the salad bar, or an empty bowl for a trip to the salad bar, for the same price. Keep in mind that the restaurant just re-did the menu. I’m surprised no one realized this item needed a little more clarification.

Besides the untimely and sparse check backs, our server asked if it was our first time in the restaurant, and although it was, he didn’t provide any guidance to the menu, and seemed rather baffled by our many questions.

Sorry, Cuban Revolution. When I think Cuban food, I think bold flavors, and these were terribly weak. The restaurant seemed totally disjointed and did nothing to honor their so-called “theme" -1960s Cuba. My four dining companions and I question how the restaurant has stayed in operation so long.