El Mambo

A new great food truck to add to my favorites list! I spied Mambo Cocina Cubana at Kentucky Shakespeare in Central Park. I thought I had seen all of Louisville's trucks, though new ones join the fleet all of the time. One of the fellas in the truck told me they have been around for about four months. I was excited to see something new!I also love the movie, "Chef." (Have you not seen it? Go do it now! I think it's still on Netflix.) And since watching this foodporn of a movie, I've been craving a Cubano sandwich by way of a food truck window and preferably by way of Jon Favreau. Mambo satisfies one of those. I ordered the Cubano, which comes with roasted pork, sweet ham, pickles and mustard. And I went ahead and got the "meal" option, which includes plantains and congris (black beans and rice). Altogether, this cost $12. The wait wasn't too bad at less than five minutes. I imagined the chef gingerly assembling my sandwich and pressing it on the grill. (Seriously, go see "Chef"!) And for $12, this was quite the meal. I could only eat about half of the sandwich, and the other half made for a great midnight snack. You could taste each ingredient in the sandwich; the tanginess of the pickles and mustard complimented the protein. And the bread was perfected toasted -- crusty on the outside and soft underneath. The congris was a great surprise. The salsa on top provided a bit of bite right at the beginning but subsided quickly. My complaint with most black beans and rice is that they are typically mushy and flavorless. That wasn't the case with this congris. Plantains are my fave. And that's the only part of this dish that I felt could use a little more work. These are served fried, like chips, and are savory. It was great to eat these with my hands, but I wish they had a bit more flavor to them. All in all, though, Mambo delivered a dinner that I'm still thinking about a day later. Can't wait to find them out and about.

The address posted is an in a neighborhood and a home... we drove there hoping to find a truck outside. What is the real location in Kissimmee?

We were walking around downtown and came across this food truck. I'm so glad we did because they offered a great sandwich on sweet bun. I ordered the Mambo sandwich which was a nice juicy chicken sandwich.I made the sandwich a meal by ordering the garlic plaintains and rice as sides. I wish the plantains had real garlic on them instead of garlic salt. The rice was al dente but I prefer mine a little more cooked.Service was fast and friendly. A big plus is that they accept credit cards. The portions are definitely generous as I could have had this meal for both lunch and dinner.

I first tried El Mambo when they were at Shakespeare in the Park. I was not enamored with my Cubano. It needed more something...definitely didn't feel worth the money I paid for it then.The second time I ate from El Mambo was at the monthly auction at Floyd Street Stock Exchange. I thought I would give them another shot. I was under the impression that food would be available beginning at 5, as I hoped to eat before the auction started. That impression was wrong. Food wasn't available for order until well after 6, in fact probably closer to 6:30. I no longer had any interest in getting my food here, but thanks to the couple of free drinks from inside the auction, I was in a place where I *needed* to eat something and this had become my only option.This time I went with the special, a ropa vieja sandwich with a side of yucca. The yucca tasted good, but was suuuuper greasy. Like, there was a substantial puddle of oil left in my food container. The sandwich was fine. I thought the filling was a bit measly, considering the $9 price tag for the sandwich alone. Again...it was fine. But I did not feel well at all the rest of the night.I have just not been impressed and though the food was okay, the delays and wait have really turned me off. (I don't know if the delay at the auction was on their part or if there was a miscommunication between organizers, but I have been to the auction before and the food trucks are usually ready to serve by 5pm).There are better food trucks and restaurants to whom I would rather give my money. And next time, those other places will get my money.

I've been hearing good things about the Cuban food truck on Main Street. A coworker and I decided to give it a try and I have to be honest...it was one of the best Cuban sandwiches I have ever eaten. Having never eaten from a food truck before I was surprised at amazing the meal was and for a good price. $13 for a Cuban sandwich, rich and beans, plantains, and a drink. The sandwich had great flavor, the bread was crisp, the meat was perfectly tender, the salsa on the rice and beans had just the right amount of kick as to not be too overpowering, and the plantains were the perfect complement to it all. Definitely worth stopping at for a quick bite to eat should you see them parked downtown!

Excellent Food truck cuisine.I just finished my 2nd El Mambo lunch. First was at Tailspin Ale Fest earlier this year. This time they came by my office park.I have had the chicken and the steak sandwiches as well as empanada and plantains. Great taste. everything was freshly made for me and quickly. and so much food! I didn't eat it all when I got it both times, but it made great leftovers too.I highly recommend giving them a try when you see them around.

Love at first bite! I tried a Mambo sandwich a few months ago at the Flea off Market for the first time. It was hot, with just enough crispy crunch from the grill to provide a great contrast to the creamy, savory chicken inside. With a side of plantains, it made a fantastic midday meal and a new favorite food!Since then, I have kept my eyes peeled for this truck at events around town, and I was thrilled to see them at Red Bull Flugtag last weekend. This time I went for the Cubano. It was very good, prepared similarly on the grill to the Mambo and easily the best Cuban sandwich that I have ever tasted. Still, I would have to spring for the signature Mambo given the choice, the Mambo just has a little extra something that puts it a notch above. The next time that you find yourself near the El Mambo food truck, swing on over and indulge in a bite to find your new favorite food truck fare!

I'm kind of torn with El Mambo: the staff is super friendly, the maduros and the congris are delicious and the cubano is huge. Everything sounds great, right? So why I'm I torn, you ask? Well, after eating a quarter of my cubano, I was done--not because I was full but because the rest of the sandwich had fatty pieces from either the pork or the ham, not sure which of the two, and it wasn't a good texture or taste. I'll come back for the maduros and to try out another of their sandwiches but definitely going to pass on the cubano.

I'm so glad I've got to try this food truck. Their food was absolutely delicious! I ordered the ropa vieja, and man, was that heavenly! The meat was so tender and melted in your mouth and the spices were perfection. All of the sandwich components meshed well together as well! It was also massive, so I was only able to eat half of it. It was so worth it though.

These guys are amazing! Get a huge, authentic Cuban sandwich for $8? Crazy! I tried them for the first time at the Fest of Ale, needless to say i was hungry, and even though there was a decent line they got the food out quickly. I was greeted quickly, they took credit cards (bonus) and within minutes I had a HEAVY styrofoam container of Cuban goodness. I could only finish half and saved the rest for dinner. The Cuban community in Louisville is exploding and this truck is a welcome addition. Give them a try!