Courtesy of CubanPetesRestaurant.com

By Janessa Mejias ‘19

Welcome back to another edition of JELP!, where J is here to help.

The weather has been warmer lately and what does that mean? That means that it’s time to go out and try some new places this summer!

Our newspaper team has made its way out side of our hometown of Passaic for all those who like to travel a bit. We made our way to Montclair and found an amazing Cuban restaurant that satisfies anyone and everyone’s cravings!

Atmosphere: If you love loud Spanish music and busy settings, you’ll love it here. Walking in and getting a seat was a long wait but it was worth it as you were able to smell all the different kinds of food passing by, or you could enjoy the music they played, which consisted of a lot of salsa. They offer outdoor seating for warmer times along with many areas of indoor seating.

Food: Let’s be honest, you’re here to read about how good the food was, we all wondered the same thing. Our team made sure to get different foods and try many things. Pollo a la plancha, (Grilled Chicken), Pollo Cubano (Cuban Chicken), Tostones (Fried Plantains), Platanos Maduros, (Sweet Plantains) and Pernil (Pork Shoulder). All entrees were served with a heaping plate of yellow or white rice and black beans. The food not only smelled incredible but it was worth the 35-45 minute wait.

Staff: The servers to the busboys treated everyone and the restaurant with their utmost respect. One cool thing we found quirky about the servers is how they wear little pins with flags on the collars of their shirts to let you know what country they are natively from. It was unique. They spoke Spanish and English so don’t be afraid to try a Cuban restaurant for those purposes!

Rating: Five Stars