CasaBlanca Cuban Grill — Restaurant in Idaho

The customer service: It cannot be called “customer” service if you are welcomed into a Cuban home, right? If you are greeted like a family member then you are not a “client”, you are cousin Phil, away for a while and coming back home for some rice and beans with “ropa vieja” and a nice cup of café Pilón. If you have never been among Cubans you will be surprised by these facts: They are very animated when they speak, like Sicilians but with straw hats or Fedoras and guayaberas. They walk like they are dancing, when the waitress brings the food to you it’s like an invitation to mambo, to rumba. It’s all about the hips and the shoulders! Even if you haven’t ever been there before, they treat you like an old friend, somebody they are happy to see again. The smiles are authentic, the accents too. I don’t know about you but those Rs properly rolled are like music to my ears. Like Rrrricky Rrrricarrrdo. They insist their food is the best Cuban food in the planet. They may be into something here. Let’s check that claim out:

The Food I was born and raised in central Cuba, I lived in Havana for seventeen years. I come from a family of feeders and eaters, on Sundays the big table brought outside, “chicken fricassse” or “goat chilindrón” or “masas fritas” as the central dish and salads and rice and fabulous old time homemade fruit desserts but I digress… while salivating. I know Cuban food. Cuban food is part of my DNA. I consider myself to be a decent Cuban food chef as well. Let me tell you, it is impossible to make a better “mojo criollo”(oil-vinegar-garlic based dressing), to be drizzled upon that perfectly done “pierna asada” (roasted pork leg); their “mariquitas” (deep fried plantain chips) are superb, the “tostones” (lightly mashed deep fried plantain medallions) still crunchy even after an hour. Grandma Esperanza would definitely approve of those “frijoles negros dormidos” (black beans cooked in the morning and put aside to rest and gain density and the perfect creamy texture) waiting to be topped with white rice, sliced roasted pork and keep bringing more of that “mojo”, por favor…

The verdict They have the best Cuban food cooks, that’s for sure and although not without bias after last Saturday: they cook the best Cuban food this side of the planet, that’s what they are keeping all of my gold stars.

Thank you, Chuy for the jokes and red carpet service, Kike for the amazing cake, Karina and Orlando, the owners for taking it to the next level and making us feel part of Casablanca’s family. We...

Ever since we tried our first Cuban food back in Olympia, WA on a summer vacation recently, we've been eager to try more. CasaBlanca Cuban Grill, at first glance online, has a lot more to offer than the first Cuban place we tried. A lot more menu items, for one. (A lot more warmth, for another.)

We were able to try other dishes we've been curious about, like the shrimp (or beef, or chicken, or pork) in creole sauce, and the coconut flan.

Everything we ordered was fantastic, deeply flavored, as if and probably simmered on the stove for days, served promptly with smiles and unassuming hospitality.

They know what they're doing at CasaBlanca Cuban Grill. We hear they've been in business for going on 15+ years, there's a food truck out back, and we can see why. There is a steady line of people coming in, regulars and newbies, and we were there on a Labor Day Weekend, which can get slow for everybody.

I especially appreciate the portions served. Cuban food can be heavy (hearty). The staff is aware of this, so the dishes are appropriately filling but not too much.

We were able to wolf down our pork (so tender!) and shrimp in creole sauce, black beans and white rice, and plantains, without feeling stuffed, and with plenty of room for dessert, a brownie and coconut flan.

Water's fine, but ask about their drink menu. They have guava and mango juice (the...

Our last visit 2 years ago was pretty good. This time around , not so good. My wife and I wanted to try different meals this time around . The Arroz Vegetariano was my wife's choice. Sautéed peppers, broccoli, zucchini ,carrots and green beans. Served with yellow saffron rice and sweet ripe plantains (maduros). She said the zucchini had a sour taste and the rest of the veggies were cooked inconsistent. I wanted to try the Cubano sandwich. Roasted pork, ham, pickles, Swiss cheese and mustard on a Cuban style bread. The bread was very dry and hard. The pork was dry and had no flavor. I had to ask for mustard. Their was barely any on it to try and liven up the sandwich. Our waiter was not good . When he asked us if we wanted any drinks my wife just wanted water. I said the same. He said are you ready to order . We had sat down about 2 minutes. We said not yet. 15 minutes later he came back . Once our food was delivered the waiter never asked us how everything tasted. His assistant cleared our plates and gave us the check. Usually I would give a restaurant another chance. Not this...