Cuban music flows through the restaurant from home speakers as the host guides you to your table at this local Jax-Cuban cafe.

During the weekend, Mambos Cafe and Pizzeria is filled with a peaceful and harmonious staff. Managers step in as servers when many of the tables are occupied, and there is no sign of stress–something usually foreign to a restaurant on the weekend.

The dinner menu is divided into 11 sections, with something for everyone who may be in your party. With a menu this long, though, don’t be afraid to ask a server for direction.

Only visit Mambos if you come with an appetite or plan on sharing with friends, as menu items are much more generous than they appear in print.

While visiting this wistful Cuban getaway, I tried out an appetizer and three different entrees. Consider ordering the Empanadas Basket for an appetizer, a delicious sampling of the big range of empanadas this place has.  

The entrees are simple, and most are modified versions of others. Pan Con Lechon is Lechon Asado between slices of bread. As a manager explained, this menu item is not a typical Cuban sandwich, but it is a popular entree.

The sandwich is made of pork and onions cooked on the grill with mojito sauce, which makes the pork surprisingly juicy.

The Cuban Sandwich, with ham, pork, Swiss cheese, mustard and pickles offers a good amount of tang in a soft bite. The fries do not have much seasoning, which makes them easy to snack on if you finish the sandwich.

The Mambo Pasta is a typical pasta dish with chicken and a creamy rose sauce. This entree is a good introduction to Cuban cuisine if you aren’t ready to try something new just yet.

Pollo de Oro, or Golden Chicken, comes with rice, beans and a choice of plantains, tostones or fried yuca. The chicken has a bit of a kick to it due to the cayenne pepper sauce, but it doesn’t get you going for your water after every bite. The rice is soft and serves as a blank canvas for other flavors. I decided to pour the black beans on the white rice to complete the masterpiece.  

Mambos Cuban Cafe and Pizzeria, located on the corner of a strip mall just past the Target shopping center on Beach Boulevard, is a great restaurant to escape to with friends or family.

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