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Cuba de Ayer Editors' Pick

15446 Old Columbia Pike, Burtonsville, MD 20866 | 301-476-9622 | Web site »
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Neighborhood:

Montgomery County

Cuisines:

Cuban

Tags:

children's menu, 2009 fall dining guide

hours:

Tue-Thu 11:30 am-8:30 pm, Fri-Sat 11:30 am-10 pm, Sun 11:30 am-8:30 pm

Price:

$

Sound Check:

79 decibels (Must speak with raised voice)

Quick Take

This family-run kitchen sends out good food with as much case as if it were being presented to family.

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Editorial Review

Critic Rating:

2009 Fall Dining Guide

By Tom Sietsema
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, Oct. 18, 2009

"A good breaded steak isn't mushy; it's crisp," my Cuban-born friend says as he slices into a version of the entree that prompts a smile of recognition. The oiled rice and intense black beans riding shotgun on the plate are the real thing, too, he tells me over dinner at the family-run Cuba de Ayer in Burtonsville. The bouncy music and colorful paintings in the small dining room bring the island nation a little closer to Washington, but it's the cooking, from the recipe files of Mayra Lopez, that keeps bringing me back to the restaurant. Tender shrimp arrive in a garlicky haze of butter. Mashed potatoes and ground beef are glorified in a crisp, golden, baseball-size papa rellena. And as much as I dig the breaded steak, which tastes like schnitzel by way of Havana and is best eaten with a squeeze of lime, the chopped roast pork sweetened with soft onions proves stiff competition. The soft, ripe plantains are a better bet than the starch-stiff unripe ones, and be warned: The desserts are achingly sweet. "We love sugar," my friend says, reminding me yet again how closely this kitchen hews to tradition.

 
 
 
 
 

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Reviews

Mejor comidas cubana en Burtonsville

Posted by vponte | Nov 12, 2009 | Mark as Inappropriate

I have eaten at Cuba de Ayer several times this year. I have found the food excellent. It reminds me of food that I had in my youth when I lived with a Cuban family in Venezuela. The servic eis GREAT. The only drawback is the size of the locale. If there is one restaurant that you want to vist this tear, it ought to be this one.

Definitely authentic

Posted by kingstcollision | Oct 21, 2009 | Mark as Inappropriate

Although a bit out of the way, this restaurant is a hidden gem. The food is fabulous, ambiance is great, and old cuban music has you feeling 90 miles from Key West. BEST MOJITOES I EVER TASTED! Definitely worth the drive.

Wonderful Experience

Posted by KoThaByu | Oct 16, 2009 | Mark as Inappropriate

We went all the way from Virginia just to eat at this place. It was worth it. The entrees were good as expected. But I have to sing praises about the rice and beans (they call it “moros y cristianos”), the plantains, the tostones rellenos and the flan. These were just over-the-top delicious. Cuba de Ayer makes the best flan ever. I mean this flan is fantastic. It was so good that we ordered two appetizers, two entrees and some flan to go. This is not a fancy place. It’s a storefront with plate-glass windows in a little shopping center on a busy street. The atmosphere is more like a sit-down unpretentious place you go for lunch than an elegant restaurant.

Working in Laurel makes this Cuban restaurant a gem!

Posted by writer_33 | Jun 10, 2009 | Mark as Inappropriate

I cannot comment on all the dishes they serve there, but I definitely like the aroz comoyo (sp?) fried sweet plaintains, black beans and rice. Yes, the tres leche cake is divine! I work so close to the restuarant that I can go there just for that and the coffee is terrific there, too. Made the authentic way with steamed milk.

Best of the best

Posted by noshooz | Dec 11, 2008 | Mark as Inappropriate

Cuba de Ayer is the standard by which I judge other local Cuban restaurants. The dishes never fail to satisfy. My wife and I always have trouble deciding what to order, it's all so good. We've been going there monthly since we discovered it years ago. The tres leches cake is to die for.

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