La Cazuela — Restaurant in Waterbury

My boyfriend and I read all of the reviews and decided to give this place a shot. When we first walked in the first thing I noticed was that the restaurant was not very clean. It wasn't filthy, but it also wasn't what you would expect for a sit-down dinner. Behind the food counter there were two trays steeped high with dirty dishes only a couple feet away from the food that they were serving. It was clear that they do not wash dishes in the back. The wait staff were average, they didn't go over the top to make you happy about your visit there, but the waitress did check on us from time to time throughout the meal and we did not have to wait too long if we needed something. The food was mediocre. Someone mentioned not to get the empanadas and we agree. We make better empanadas at home, as the empanadas they served had one tiny tunnel of meat in the entire shell. The potato balls tasted like they had been sitting out under the heat lamp all day and were very rubbery in texture on the outside. The fried plantains were good and served with the traditional dipping sauce which we really liked because we do that at home. We ordered some chicharon on the side and it was the best we ever had! Steak had a lot of fat on it which was to be expected and a little flavor. However, my boyfriend was not impressed. The rice was okay and the beans were only okay as well. One thing to point out that I thought was funny, is that they could not serve us water.

We would go again only for a side order of chicharon and a Diet Coke to go. Other than that, I do not...

I had a taste for Spanish food and this restaurant had good reviews so I thought I'd give it a try. This restaurant deserves the 5 star reviews it has. After I arrived outside the restaurant I was greeted by the amazing smells of food cooked with love coming from the kitchen so I was eager to get inside. A nice size restaurant with plenty of seating and a huge selection of freshly prepared and cooked food. The restaurant was booming with business, plenty of customers ordering takeout or sitting down to enjoy some great food. Like I said a huge selection food from fried fish, salmon, stewed pork, fried porkchops, sweet plantains, white rice, yellow rice with beans and so so much more. I ordered brown rice with pork and onions mixed in with bbq ribs and I ordered yellow rice and beans with fried fish for my mom and a large passionfruit juice and some more items. I normally complain about prices but this is one restaurant that, yes the isn't cheap, however you get what you paid for and that's all that matters to me. Nice size portions to match the price charged and foods that taste just as good as it smells and looks. I'll be a regular...

I’ve been a loyal customer at Cazuela for three years, but my experience has had some consistent frustrations. One major issue is the pernil. If you don’t specifically ask for non fatty meat, they’ll give you the fatty parts by default. Always check your pernil before leaving to avoid disappointment.

Today, however, I was extremely upset with my order. I got the Sancocho, but it was clearly mixed with chicken soup most likely because they were running low. That’s unacceptable. The taste was completely off, and it was a huge inconvenience to get home and realize my meal wasn’t what it should be.

Another issue is their lack of consistency with the toast point system. The ladies working there always seem to struggle with it, while the young gentlemen know how to apply the discount properly. They need to train all employees on how to use the system correctly.

Overall, while I’ve “enjoyed” Cazuela in the past, these issues make me question whether I’ll keep coming back. They need to improve their food quality control and...