Cabana
“What to try: Tostones Rellenos, Pollo Con Camarones,
The Parrillada dish is amazing for my fellow carnivores.”
“My favorites here for appetizers are the fried yuca (cassava), tostones rellenos (filled green plantains) and the avocado salad.”
“I ordered Empanadas for my appetizer and Paella Marinera for my main course with shrimp, octopus, clams, mussels, and scallops.”
Cabana
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Accepts Apple Pay: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Good for Kids: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Outdoor Seating: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Price range.
$$ Price range $11-30
8 reviews
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Cabana is one of my favorite restaurants in Forest Hills. I've never had a disappointed meal at here. Quite frankly I don't know why I'm not here more often.
The entrance is very narrow, leaving you little room to wait around for a table as customers enter and leave the restaurant and the waiters going back and forth. Kind of an awkward design if you ask me. If you are fortunate to be seated in the main dining area in the back, it does open up towards the back of the restaurant and is a lot more spacious. The atmosphere of Cabana is festive. People go there to have a good time and enjoy the food. It is great place to catch up with friends or even on a one on one date. There is music and the patrons happily chatting away – but not too loud that you cannot have a conversation or are straining to hear. Cabana is almost always busy, especially in the evening on the weekends. Expect a wait. They do not take reservations.
I'm not going to lie. I am a creature of habit when it comes to the food I like at certain restaurants – I would keep ordering the same things over and over again. I'm a huge fan of the "Alitas Caribenas" as a appetizer, and the "Churrasco" and "Paella Valenciana" for the main courses.
– Alitas Caribenas: For $10.95, each order comes with 8 pieces of deliciously spiced jerk chicken wings. These are finger lickin' good with a nice kick!
– Churrasco: This is a must-order for me whenever I am here. So flavorful and just exquisite. The portion is very generous. They do tend to overcook the steak though, but at least it is still tender and still very enjoyable because it tastes so damn good. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the pickled red onions served on top. Comes with black beans and yellow rice on the side. The chimichurri sauce is subtle and a tad oily.
– Paella Valenciana: This paella comes with shrimp, mussels, clams, chicken, and the all important chorizo. The chorizo is the only reason why I choose the paella valenciana instead of the paella marinera which has more seafood. Yum yum. The paella is served in a cast iron pot and the portion is HUMONGOUS (I'm talkin' 3+ servings)! Another great main course!
The service is good. The servers are friendly and attentive. Food is awesome. The prices are fair considering the amount of food you get. I'd absolutely continue to return again and again.
Authentic South American fare. Despite always complaining for a variety of cuisines, it's taken me nearly 4 years to actually dine at Cabana. The wait was worth it. The portions are huge, so you may wish to share main courses.
Always crowded, and deservedly so, so be prepared for a long wait, especially weekend evenings. But the wait is worth it! Great service, and delicious dishes. I wish they could move to a larger space. Dining room is kind of narrow and aisles are difficult to navigate but they still manage to promote a sense of coziness.
We started off by ordering the plantanes. They were a little too sweet for me but my girlfriend gobbled them up. It was also the only thing she bothered to have packed to take home.
For entrees, I went with the hostesses pick of the skirt steak. The beef was cooked to perfection and was complemented well with the onions and chimichurri. She opted for the special; grilled salmon fillet over coconut rice. I couldn't help myself from stealing huge chunks of her fish.
In the end our bill came out to $70 including tax and tip.
Very pleased with this restaurant. My boyfriend and i decided to grab lunch and ended up here. First off, the interior decor is super cute and fun. Since its a tuesday, seating was very quick although it was pretty packed. I ordered the coconut mojito and i absolutely loved it! My entree was filling and delicious. Food was very flavorful for both my boyfriend and i. Def will be returning soon! Loved everything about it. 5 stars for sure.
We stopped here before a show at the FH stadium. The hostesses were very friendly and we were told the wait time. We hung out at the bar and had a delicious mojito. One of the best I have had in a long while. Somehow other bartenders don't get it to my liking.
We had plantain chips for an app. I was totally disappointed when they came out as I thought I had ordered tostones. My disappointment quickly dissipated as they were really good.
My churasco steak was PERFECT. The rice and red beans were too. It was the type of meal where I was full, but just couldn't stop eating. I had to pull myself away so I would not be stuffed to the gut later in the evening.
Best of all, was the service. Our server was amazingly attentive and friendly. If only all servers were as good as him!!!
My first visit here was in '97. The colors, texture, sound, food, drinks and service remain distinctly Cuban today in 2016. Consistency is not an accident over 20 years.
Just the drinks alone are worth the trip. Mojitos and daiquiris are made with real sugar and fresh fruit. I love mango!
The calamari is fresh and served with a smokey cream dip and a zesty salsa. A healthy portion to share with 2 or 4 won't last 60 seconds! Yum.
I'll let you explore the entrees … Fresh fish … Seasoned plank steaks .. Usually with negro beans and fritters.
This is a must stop in Queens for this Yelp Elite!
Too bad I live in Seattle area now.
Cabana is always busy but the food has yet to disappoint. I always go with a couple of friends and order a pitcher of red wine sangria. Their skirt steak is good as is their paella. I like to split bocadillos which is an appetizer sampler plate. They also have great skirt steak sandwich during lunch!
I really wanted to like this place. I found it on Yelp and it had pretty good reviews so we decided to try it while we were in the area. I want to start by saying that the food was pretty good. My boyfriend ordered the seafood dish in a plum tomato and garlic sauce. It came with mussels, clams, shrimp, and a filet of salmon. Rice and beans came on the side. It was good and a big portion. I had the ropa Veija and it was delicious. It is shredded skirt steak with rice and beans, also a big portion.
The drinks here are really bad. I can't remember the last time I've been to a restaurant that uses a margarita mix rather than making it fresh, per order. I tasted it and asked for something else. The server was really nice about it. He brought me the menu to choose something else and did not charge me for the margarita. I had then ordered a glass of cabernet and he came back and informed me they were out of it. I ordered a different glass of wine that I'm really not a fan of. My boyfriend ordered a drink with rum and he didn't like it either. It was too sweet and just didn't taste very good. So for this reason, I have to give them 3 stars. Go for the food, not the drinks.
If Yelp had the 1/2 star rating, this place would be 3 1/2 as it was better than 3 but not quite a 4.
Ambience was nice, festive and fun to be in. Bar is small but has variety of liquor. Also, their mohjito is not bad at all.
Service was nice, probably, service was better than the actual food itself. One of the plates we ordered was skirt steak but meat was a bit overcooked compared to how it was requested. Pork chop was delicious. Tender, flavorful and it was well seasoned. Overall, it's a great local eatery.