Kara & Michael’s Blog

When you go to a friend’s place for dinner, how do they greet you? Are they standing looking bored at a counter, or are they engaged – in the kitchen attending to food or at the bar chatting with other friends? Do they call out hello when they see you? Do they remember how you take your coffee?

Walking into That Cuban Place is like visiting a friend. They might be in the kitchen, in which case you might need to lean over the bar and say hello. But they’ll remember your face and even your order if you’re in often enough.

First of all, the cafe is on the corner of Market and 3rd Streets, but let the luminous orange of their sign and the rhythm of the music draw you in. Maybe you want to start off simple, an espresso and a pastry. The guava pastry is very good, a sweet tropical flavor not usually found in pastries. The espresso is sweetened, and strong, the perfect afternoon pick-me-up. If you’re in a dessert mood, they’re all homemade there. The cakes are good, but the flan is very nice, more creamy than gelatinous.

The entrees there were nothing special, at least, not for the price (12-15 dollars). The ropa vieja was good, plenty of meat, thin onions and green peas, but Michael was a bit disappointed in his chicken dish. Since were cheap, we haven’t tried all of the entrees on offer. My personal advice is to skip the entrees in favor of the sandwiches, which are fantastic. The Cuban Sandwich is made on homemade bread, and is thick with pulled pork and swiss cheese. The pork here is really a standout, and they don’t skimp on it.

Michael also recommends the Jamaican hand pies stuffed with meat and veggies, which he says are filling and cheap.

There are plenty of specialty sodas, if you’re into that sort of thing, as well. I’ve spotted sugar cane juice, ginger beer and papaya juice among the cokes and dr. pepper’s in their fridge.

Downtown Frederick is rich with restaurants, but none offer the unique experience of That Cuban Place. From the friendliness of the employees, to the variety of food (they offer breakfast all day in addition to entrees and sandwiches), to the home-y atmosphere that invites you to sit down and talk to the people around you as well as those in your party, to the music that makes people on the streets dance as they walk by – That Cuban Place offers an inviting and comfortable stay. The trick is getting the people who dance by to stop in and taste all that they have to offer.

Trackback URI | Comments RSS