Cuban Burger — Restaurant in Harrisonburg

Want the tropical island atmosphere right in the heart of Shenandoah? You can find that here at Cuban Burger, along with a selection of delectable meals!

We visited here in the fall (September), so the temperature was still on the warmer side. One of the first things I've noticed was the blowing fans which was reminiscent of the Florida and islands down south. Coupled with the convenience of being located across a parking deck in historic downtown Harrisonburg, the venue was already a promising start.

The staff was more than welcoming, who then provided excellent service throughout. We were led to an indoor dining area was generously spaced, allowing comfortable distancing between parties. The ambiance may appear a bit "divy" due to the relatively dimmer lighting and lingering notes of rum, however I would argue that it contributes favorably to this tropical feel of the venue.

We ordered the Del Fuego Burger with a side of fries and the Cuban Chop Chop with added pork. The burger was great - not the best burger, but definitely excellent for originality. I personally found the green spicy sauce to resemble garlicky chimmichurri dressing rather than a spicy Mexican salsa. It was definitely a great pairing with the rest of the burger ensemble. Meanwhile, the fries were spot on and fresh! (Could have used a bit more salt, but you cannot deny that they were made nd cooked to perfection). The Cuban Chop Chop was refreshing, containing proportional servings of rice, greens, and meat. The pork presents a hash appearance, but do not let that appearance fool or dissuade you. The combination of the pan fried-pressed crunch of the outside and the tender and juicy pulled bits serves as a great topper protein to the overall platter. It is definitely worth trying.

I would definitely recommend stopping here for a meal if you're in Harrisonburg, and I'm definitely coming back here to try out their...

First, the good: They had a special side that day of onion rings, and they were excellent. Also the grits were very good. The service was friendly and not bad aside from forgetting a couple of side dishes that we had to ask for twice.

The bad: The food is unimpressive. Both the El Cubano Sandwich and the Crispy Pulled Pork sandwich were dry, and the meat-to-bread ratio was lacking (not enough meat on a thick roll). The Salsa Roja served with the pulled pork was okay, but not zesty enough to flavor a dry, bready sandwich. Better as a dipping sauce. Two of the three who ordered burgers said they didn't taste good. My 11-year-old ate all of his, but the other two adults quit after a bite or two. The Maduros (fried sweet plantains) were chewy; I suspect that either they were made with yellow plantains not ripe enough, or green plantains. The shoestring potatoes served with some dishes are both small in quantity and a waste of time in terms of flavor and edibility. No one ate theirs. I tried one and understood why: they don't taste like anything. I guess we were supposed to add them to the sandwich for crunch, but why? There's already enough starch in the meal.

The ugly: One of our group asked for her burger well done but received a severely undercooked burger. She sent it back. The chef brought out another burger made "smashed" and assured my friend that it was cooked enough. But the inside was raw, even I could see that. My friend again sent it back. She received a complimentary order of grits instead, which were quite nice. But when she got her check, she had been charged for 50% of a burger in addition to her other items. Naturally she complained and they ended up cancelling her check, but the experience didn't make us want to go back. Neither...

I am usually not too hard on restaurants but there are a few things people should know before eating at Cuban Burger. First, if you have no taste buds and need an inordinate amount of salt to taste things, then Cuban Burger is for you. I asked about the adobo seasoning they use and was told it's MSG. I opted for the bean/rice/veggie dish thinking I would spare myself the post postprandial MSG headache. I was wrong to say the least. The sauces, beans, and even the rice were not edible. I ordered it with shrimp and was able to choke down a couple before I began to feel my blood pressure rising from the high sodium. The server asked if I wanted something else and I said maybe just a plain small side of beans. The manager came over and told me he would take the bean dish off my tab but I would still have to pay for the 3 shrimp I ate (I left many behind). Not sure the rationale for this but I said "ok!" The replacement "plain" beans arrived and I took one bite and realized that if I wanted to avoid a trip to the ER in a hypertensive crisis, I better not take another bite. After some additional discussion with the server, I asked her not to say anything to the manager so that I wasn't labeled one of "those" diners restaurants hate. Having grown up in Tampa, Florida and spent half of my time in Ybor City (Cuban capital to say the least), I know that the heavy hand of salt and MSG is NOT typical of Cuban food. I am not sure who is seasoning the food at Cuban Burger but it is most definitely NOT a person with knowledge of traditional Cuban flavors. I gave 2 stars because the fried yuca was pretty good. My advice is, if you need to replenish your sodium content following a marathon, Cuban Burger can help with that...but drink a...