Cuban Corner - Rockville, MD

The bf and I went on a double date with some friends and checked out Cuban Corner in Rockville, MD. Its right up the street from Montgomery College in a little shopping strip, and the closest metro stop would be Rockville on the Red Line.

You can't miss this place because of the neon signs on it (similar to my Yechon review), and there is plenty of free parking on the front and side.

When you walk in you are in a tiny foyer painted from floor to ceiling in blue and green to represent the tropical island. But don't be scared of the crazy decor because they have awards on their wall from Washingtonian Magazine to tell us its good! Plus, the decor gets even crazier on the inside =)

The space is very tiny. I think there were about 8 tables in there. This is a shot of 1/2 of the place already. It looks and feels like you're in some other world because the decor is hectic.

This is the smaller side of the restaurant. The kitchen is right behind the wall on the right. There is always something to look at while you wait for you food, so its pretty entertaining. Even the ceiling is painted like the sky with birds flying around. Its not everyday you walk into a place that resembles a child's bedroom, but I thought it was cool.

Along with the paintings, there were photographs of famous people that have stopped in to get some of their Cuban food. Some people that I recognized were Celia Cruz, Gloria Estefan, and President George W. Bush.

The largest things covering the walls were plastic plaques with the names of Cuban Americans who have contributed to the economy of the United States.

Gotta love menus with pictures! It was a pretty big menu with a lot of different items and drinks.

For a drink I ordered a 'Cortadito' which is strong Cuban Coffee with cream for $2.75. It's a very small cup with 3 lumps of sugar on the side. It was so good! I love my coffee strong. I put all the sugar in it, and it was perfect for me. I'll probably order it every time I go there.

For my appetizer I ordered one beef empanada for $3.79. It tasted awesome! It was eally flavorful with a tender crust on the outside, slightly greasy though. I recommend this.

My friends ordered a side of fries for $3.75. On the menu they are called 'Papas Fritas - Freedom Fries'.

The bf ordered a side of black beans. I tried it and it was good, but nothing special. It was a bit bland, but it is supposed to counter act the saltiness from the pork and meats in Cuban dishes, so it does it's job.

The bf ordered the, 'Pan Con Lechon Asado - Roasted Pork Submarine' which is marinated pork grilled with onions and mustard on toasted Cuban bread for $7.69. I tasted it and was flavorful.

One of my friends ordered the 'Emparedado Cubano - Cuban Submarine' which is a warm, pressed sandwich of slices of roasted pork, Virginia ham, swiss cheese, mustard and pickles. This is Cuban Corner's #1 seller! Like all but one other sandwich, it is $7.69. It is a good amount of food because you get 2 sandwiches halves on your plate.

My other friend and I ordered the 'Emparedado Cubano Especial' which has all over the same ingredients as the sandwich above, but this one included chorizo (Spanish sauasage). This raised the price to $8.99. Yummy, I ate the whole thing.

They had a hot sauce on the table called 'Caribbean Heat' that really helped bring out the flavors of the sandwiches. It wasn't overly spicy even though it had Habenero peppers in it, but gave a nice kick along with some moisture to the pork in my sandwich since it was a bit dry.

Overall I liked this place because of the crazy decor, the super friendly and helpful staff (always a deal breaker for me), and the large menu. The food I had was good, and the prices are very fair. The most expensive item on the menu is a seafood dish for $16.29.

Hours:
Mon-Thu 10:30 a.m.-9:00 p.m.
Fri-Sat 11:00 a.m.-10:00 p.m.
Sun 12:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m.

825 Hungerford Dr
Rockville, MD 20850
(301) 279-0310
Website