Melanie’s Restaurant

les voy a decir la verdad… yo nunca habia visto tantas moscas en un restaurante como las he visto en ese. realmente ha cambiado muchisimo y las meseras estan como que amargadas a diario. es una pena, porque antes era uno de mis favoritos, ahora les digo la verdad ante lo mas sagrado… jamas vuelvo a comer ahi. las moscas te brincan en la comida y eso es muy antigienico. yo no me escondo para decir la verdad, sorry… prefiero ir a Omar café o al merengue antes de volver a meterme en ese sitio de mala muerte…

Very hard to find decent Spanish food near me, and Melanie’s definitely satisfies my cravings for yummy latin dishes. The location is definitely not the best, but it’s worth making a quick trip to take-​out the food to bring back home and enjoy. The employees are a bit rushy at times, but I can’t really blame them since every time I go in, they are always very busy with several customers at once. The food is tasty and I love the fact that they have tons of meals already prepared and ready to be boxed to-​go in no time. I recommend getting the food to go since the restaurant is a bit dim and uncomfortable, but hey, that’s just my preference. Either way, I definitely recommend them for their dishes, hefty portion sizes, and extremely affordable prices.
Favorite dishes at Melanie’s:
— Pechuga de pollo
— Arroz con gandules
— Tostones
— Yuca rellena
— Bistec encebollado

Great prices, decent service and authentic cuban flavoring. The Moro was on point, the yuca could have used some mojito as I prefer it wet and extra garlicky. I went there in the afternoon craving breakfast and was able to indulge in just that. The morir soñado was on point and delicious, I couldn’t stop at just one but at $ 2.50 a cup why would you.

Great local place. Had the steak with onions with tostones and maduros. Like the food here at reasonable cost.

I am a sucker for «mom and pop», «hole in the wall» joints. Yes, ambiance and atmosphere have their place but when I am looking for good hardy grub, those requirements fall by the wayside.
First and foremost, if you don’t speak Spanish, you will be at a disadvantage. I am an adventurous eater so I don’t let a little language barrier get me down but if you are a person easily fazed when out of your element, bring a Spanish speaking friend. Some of the waitresses speak some English but on my second trip there, the waitress spoke no English. However, the staff try really hard to work with you. Don’t pull that speaking English at the top of your lungs crap, it won’t work and will not get you any closer to a hot meal. I did a lot of pointing and worked my best high school Spanish, which was sad and pathetic to say the least but in the end, I was able to put my order in with no problem.
The food is served cafeteria style. By that, I mean its all behind glass, you point to what you want, they dish it up, reheat it and bring it to your table. My friend ordered a stewed steak dish which came with rice and bean, I got an oxtail entrée which came with rice and beans, 2 passion fruit shakes (which kicked ass) and a Cuban sandwich to go for 25 bucks. HELLO can I get an Amen!
The menu changes everyday. On our second trip, my coworker and another friend both order the stew, which was slap your mama good. I ordered the stewed pork ribs which was fantastic but required some work due to having to eat around rib bones. We had our choice of rice and beans, I got the black rice, Ahmad got rice with red beans and Bruce got the rice with the pigeon peas. Again, we order two shakes, and a diet Coke… all for 27 bucks!!! They had a nice looking shrimp dish available that looked dynamite but cafeteria style shrimp just seemed kind of dodgy to me, so I passed.
Pro: Good, cheap food, super-​duper fruit shakes, nice wait staff
Con: English is limited, can be a little on the salty side, the rice can be a little dry from sitting out cafeteria style

Average… Not authentic Cuban food. It could be better. The Cuban sandwich is good.

It is true, there is a particular Cuban restaurant several feet away from Melanie’s that prepares a delicious Cuban sandwich, but the place doesn’t compare to Melanie’s other dishes, bacalao and yucca, a variety of rices and beans and their delicious shakes. I’m also impressed at the waitresses, they make you feel welcome and very insistent to your needs. The prices are very fair and worth their delicious Hispanic cuisine.

This small cuban restaurant in the midst of a busy street in North Jersey is definitely where to go for some authentic cuban cuisine. This urban area consists of a lot of ethnic restaurants and shops, making it easy to see why Melanie’s isn’t a place you would go without first knowing about it from a friend or other forms of word of mouth. Obviously, not many people around here use Unilocal,making it all the more obvious that this place is indeed authentic. We even had to ask for translations of some of the food and do a bit of point-​and-​ask to know what the dishes were that were displayed in the window. They had delicious fresh fruit shakes (although I do not recommend Tamarind). I got the ox tail rice dish along with a papaya shake and it was great. They also have cuban sandwiches here, but I heard there’s a better place nearby.

I loved this place when I interned in 2010 at a near-​by school. The staff are always super nice and welcoming, I do not speak spanish, nor do I look Latino, but they treated me like family.
Their chicken stew is to DIE for, and I absolutely LOVE their Shrimp in sauce… it’s soooooooo good. I also frequently ordered their homemade empanadas… YUMM
I’m looking forward to going tomorrow for the first time in over a year and a half :)
you wont be disappointed when you go!
**Don’t forget to Bring Cash though.**

Melanie’s Cuban Style Restaurant is a gem. The staff is very friendly and helpful. The food is excellent, very tasty. The prices are great – but accept cash only. Local Hispanics frequent this restaurant. They do take out, but there are about a half dozen booths seating 4 and counter service too. Our favorites are the salads with sliced avocado, plentiful ice water with lime, fried fish, beef/​chicken stew, yucca w/​onion, red or black beans with white or yellow rice. Enjoy.

My review is BASED ONLY, STRICTLY, SOLELY, on their CUBAN SANDWICH! That is my disclaimer. So if you go and have a disappointing meal, it’s not my fault. However, if you go and have a delicious Cuban sandwich, then feel free to thank me. Melanie’s makes great cuban’s. Go have one and enjoy!

Good food and service.