Carmen's Cuban Cafe & Lounge

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.

Still can't believe this hidden gem has been so close to me this whole time! Came here for my bday, absolutely loved it. Our server was very knowledgeable and attentive, the atmosphere was large and inviting, we could see people having salsa lessons in the next room (cool af 😎 ). The food was so good, presentation and taste A+. Can definitely see how this place has been here for +10 years, we will be back!

Delicious food, great service. The flan was amazing. Creamy, caramel goodness. This location has been open for years and has been constantly good with authentic food and drinks. It's wonderful to get good Cuban food in North Carolina. A hidden treasure close to the RDU airport and right off I 40

Nice place for authentic food. Had the ceviche and the el cubano.

Very nice service.

Will stop by again the next time I am in the area

I highly recommend this restaurant. My husband and I are both of Hispanic origin and love any type of Latin food. That being said, I had seen the sign on I-40 with the name of this restaurant about a year ago, but for some reason, I thought it was a small take-out type of place. Therefore, we never made the effort to go. Now I regret it! We could have been enjoying their delicious food and friendly service for the past year. I think it will quickly become one of our top 3 favorite restaurants. We each had a Pina Colada with our dinner. The drinks were really good, the food was 😋 and the atmosphere was very comfortable and casual with nice music playing. The layout is pretty open, tables not right on top of each other. Place looks really small from outside, but don't let it deceive you. It is much nicer inside and bigger than you realize. I understand they also have a dance floor and offer Salsa dance nights where you can take lessons for a small fee. This is definitely a hidden gem in my book. Works for a family dinner with kids but also for a date night. Really enjoyed...keeping it on my mind for birthdays and special occasions...they also take reservations. Give them a try!

The BEST Cuban place! The food, service and atmosphere were amazing. Love!

Yes so good. I'm Dominican and Finally carribean food near me yayyy! Ordered cuban sampler and lomo de cerdo, pretty sure they made a mistake and I got chicharron but still amazing food. Well seasoned, good portions. The croquetas I did not like they were like soggy spam but still this place is it if you want good rice and beans and everything else!!!

My girlfriend from Jersey tried this restaurant and told me about it. I live right around the corner from it. So my family and I tried it for my bday. The food was delicious. My month long birthday celebrations 🍾 🤪 Cheers to December Birthday 🎂 🥳 my Sapphire year!

Not from the area but glad to have spotted the restaurant before flying out. The food is amazing! Wish I could go back to try more items. Staff was very pleasant but a bit slow. Hope to go back again next time I visit the area. Highly recommend.

Great restaurant close to the airport. All of the employees were very friendly and inviting. The food was good, but maybe not what we expected for a Cuban cuisine restaurant. Although our meal was tasty, it was no better than your average Mexican restaurant cuisine. The bartender made our night! He was a great bartender, everything you'd expect in an upbeat, attentive, entertaining bartender.

Excellent authentic Cuban food! We dined here last month on our way to Europe. We spent the night in an area hotel, so I looked beforehand for a good restaurant for dinner. This was perfect.

It's very casual inside.

We both had martini's (mine was a lemon drop) for our cocktails. DH had the Bistec Empanizado and I had the Churrasco. Both of us ordered the black beans and plantains. All so delicious. I loved the Chimichurri sauce that came with my dish. Served with our meal was bread right out of the oven.

Upon looking at our bill, we noticed a 15% discount. DH is a retired Veteran and while he didn't have his ID card, the waitress was kind to still give him a discount. Very nice!

If we ever fly out of Raleigh again, we will come back.

Everytime I walk in it feels like home. If you want an amazing meal just like abuela (grandma) makes you've come to the right spot. When I miss my abuelas cooking this is where I go. I can always count on a good home cooked traditional meal. You simply can't go wrong with anything on the menu and I have probably tried 80% of it, everything has been amazing. Don't forget to leave room for dessert their flan (traditional) and flan de coco (coconut flan) is a MUST!

It became so hard to find an open decent restaurant for lunch or anywhere between 2 and 5 o'clock in the area after covid hit us.
We just landed after long flight home and wanted nice food for lunch at 2:30pm in a cozy place. The food was delicious and service was great too.
We had seviche and other dishes I forgot their name between the three of us and all enjoyed. Cuban coffee was great too.

Delicious food, drinks, and a great dance floor. Staff was very kind and accommodated our large (and somewhat late) group. Look forward to trying some more of the menu next time I'm in town!

The Rabo Cubano was incredible! Perfectly fried yuca with red beans and rice made this plenty for two meals. 10 out of 10! They knocked this one out of the park. Sounded like some rhumba or salsa lessons going on too. Very cool place. Glad I stumbled across it.

So, I didn't realize this was more of a business-casual sort of place, and came in wearing a t-shirt. But despite that, I didn't feel like I was being rushed or ignored by the servers while I was eating. Had the best Cuban sandwich I've ever eaten, and will remember to wear a nicer shirt the next time I'm in town! The atmosphere is great, too. Definitely suggest this for anyone flying into or out of RDU, it's right down from the airport and worth the little detour.

Amazing!! I am not an expert on Cuban food but as a want to be foodie this place was delicious. Definitely a must try if you are near the airport!!

The service and the food were excellent! Multiple servers on a Saturday afternoon, and generous portions.

Carmensita is an authentic Cuban restaurant. Im the owner and Chef from Desde Mi Balcón Restaurant in Fayetteville NC and I can tell you that here in Carmensita they offer you their 100% fresh dishes, they have a wide variety of dishes to choose from, Our Favorite dishes are the churrasco and the ropa vieja, their rice and black beans and their ham croquettes and to finish off a good coffee, they have a full bar with mixed drinks, wine and beers. The atmosphere is very intimate, the place is beautiful, excellent location, they have an excellent team, excellent waiters, very attentive. whenever we travel from Fayetteville NC to Raleigh we have to visit, thanks for your excellent service and thanks for bringing a piece of your land here in North Carolina, much success and we will be back very soon...

Wow! First time visiting this place. The service was excellent and attentive. The food was huge in portion and equally tasty. I'm definitely coming back when in town.