Carmen's Cuban Cafe & Lounge

If you fly into Raleigh take the time to go to Carmen's! Great food, friendly staff, never disappointing. I look forward to coming back!

The only reason I did not give them a 1 star, is because the cider they sold (Bill City OFF MAIN) was one of the best ciders that I have tasted. Without the cider, I would have given them only 1 star. BCOM was refreshing, not sweet at all. It was a perfect blend and had a nice alcohol percentage to match at 6% which is higher than Corona AND Heineken FYI. Loved it! The atmosphere was tres nice and elegant. The temperature of the room, music selection and music volume all were great. Now, everything else as far as the food was ultra bland dot com. I had the Ropa Vieja. T'was not good at all, people. You could not PAY ME to eat it again. The steak was "not" tender as described. The flavor of the flanked steak was like a 4 out of 10. Definitely nothing to write home about. Was more like back in the day 1980s cafeteria food. The rice, which was described to me as being "dirty rice" should have been actually called the "don't eat rice." Terrible!! I usually give restaurants a 2nd chance, but I don't think I will waste my money on what I think just simply can't be improved by ordering a different meal. I will think about it overnight because I did want to try two other dishes on the menu, but to be with you all, this meal just left me not wanting to eat here again.Maybe tomorrow I will have a change of heart. I doubt it though. I am highly DISAPPOINTED, folks.

I had eaten here several times before but several years ago. I don't think much has changed which is somewhat good but also bad. The food was ok, my order was Vaca Frita with black beans, yellow rice, and fried plantain. The meat was overly fried and about 30% was too hard to chew. The beans were very watery which limited the amount of beans. And the tostones were also fried hard and too chewy.I've had better dishes here but this time it was awful. I was sat but after they brought me my food they remembered to bring me the bread which was also another negative. The one nice thing inside the restaurant was that they have dance lessons or groups in the other room during the evening. Good music to listen to.

The Cuban here is excellent. It's one of the best options near rdu. Owner and staff are super nice.

The service was good and the restaurant was lovely. The food was okay. Most of the food needed more spice. The beans and mashed potato/beef appetizer were the exception. We might go back but only if we are in the area.

I decided to have dinner at Carmen's because it was close to my hotel and had decent reviews. When I arrived I was seared right away. My server, Jorge, was very attentive and made recommendations from the menu upon my request. Overall I enjoyed my meal, the rice was a bit hard, but once I added the black beans it was fine. The chicken and grilled onions were delicious! My drinks were ok, I got the Caipirinha and a margarita. I really enjoyed the chocolate mousse cake for dessert.

Hands down the BEST CUBAN place in the Raleigh Durham area. We moved from Miami and had a difficult time finding a Cuban restaurant that was truly authentic and are so happy to have come across this one!! My go to is the vaca frita which is flavorful and pairs perfectly with rice and beans. We have also tried the palomilla, masas de puerco, and lechón asado. All of these dishes are as good as the ones our "Cuban Grandmothers" used to make for us. The owners is always there and he is welcoming. They also have salsa dancing in the weekend.

Carmen's Cuban Cafe is located near the RDU Airport. It is in the area the outlet mall was in. The restaurant has one dining area with a bar and another smaller dining area. The ambiance is nice although on the dark side and they had a couch to wait while we waited for the rest of the group.The parking is out front, on the side and in the back. So if it is full out front just drive around. The restaurant was full when we arrived so that was a good sign. I'd been looking forward to dining at this restaurant all day. We were a larger group so I am not sure if they couldn't handle groups very well. The ordering went well or so I thought.I am not sure if my sides were written down wrong or the kitchen couldn't keep straight who ordered what. But two of my three sides were wrong. I think it would have helped if everything was plated together rather than coming out separate. I think everyone's sides were messed up that didn't come plated with the entree. Some of these we could switch with each other to fix. I didn't realize at first one of my sides was wrong as plantains isn't something I order and didn't know it was yuca that was brought out. They did provide me plantains to go to make up for not having what I ordered with my meal. So they tried to make up for all the mistakes. Baskets of garlic bread were brought out after we ordered and that was excellent. I also ordered the Mahi Mahi. The fish was cooked well but I was surprised it was plated by itself and not on top of the rice. The one correct side was the black beans but the cup of it was all watery so those I didn't eat. So I just had the white rice that was brought out and the fish. I am not sure if it was an off night or what was going on but I do not think I'd return. It wasn't a positive experience.

Listen up, folks! You won't believe what I'm about to tell you. Coming straight out of Miami, I never would have imagined trying Cuban cuisine in North Carolina. But, let me tell you, my wife convinced me to give it a shot, and boy, oh boy, were we in for a surprise! This restaurant/nightclub combo was absolutely stunning. We arrived at night, just as the last few customers were leaving and the place was transforming into a lively nightclub. Let me tell you, it was incredible to witness. And the food? Mind-blowing! I had the oxtail, and let me assure you, it was beyond superb. My wife ordered the picadillo, and she absolutely loved it. Trust me when I say that if you find yourself anywhere near Raleigh, North Carolina, you simply have to pay a visit to Carmen restaurant. They deserve all the kudos because I wholeheartedly recommend it.

Stopped in on a Friday for an early dinner (4:45) with my mom. We were greeted and seated immediately and all the staff we encountered were pleasant. The restaurant wasn't packed at the time and there are tables instead of booths and bar seating. I ordered the empanadas as an appetizer (one beef and one chicken) and they were delicious. I do wish they came with some kind of sauce but I'm glad they had plenty of meat inside them. This place is a great value as the entrees were plentiful. I had the lechón asado w/yellow rice, black beans, and sweet plantains. The plantains were cooked perfectly and tasted well but I wish the pork, rice, and beans had more flavor. My mom thought her rice was a bit dry. Once I added hot sauce to the pork and salt & pepper to the sides I was good to go and the leftovers reheated well.