Versailles Restaurant   

The wait staff didn't pay any attention to me when I walked in. When I finally got a table, the waiter was unhelpful and the food took a long time. I ordered the Mahi-mahi, which was bland and the plantains were not cooked correctly to bring out their flavor. All in all very disappointing.

I've heard much raving about Cuban black bean soup, and I will confirm that the Cubans do indeed know how to embellish black beans. Yum. This bowl was huge. No one can eat this many beans in one sitting, I'm fairly certain. This soup alone was three meals for my small appetite. The garlic sauce was excellent. It's a thin, tangy, dare I say pungent sauce. If you go to Versailles, make sure to order something that comes with this sauce. I ordered a roasted chicken (which is a house specialty, and what the garlic sauce came with). I probably wouldn't have liked it without the sauce, because I'm not a fan of roasted chicken. The outside had a great spice rub, but in order to taste that you had to eat the chicken skin, which I'm not fond of. I would have preferred that the onions on top be sauteed, rather than raw. The fried plantains, unlike most I've had, were truly worth raving about, and surprisingly tasted good with the bit of garlic sauce they had sopped up. Next time I'll order a whole plate of fried plantains. I ordered the fried yuca because they were out of croquettes (I was really excited about those, too, as they were one of my favorite dishes in Spain). Yuca is a plant that grows in the desert which I did not realize had edible parts. It's very starchy, but stickier and sweeter than a potato. I didn't think it tasted like much--they would have benefitted from a dipping sauce, or from not being cut into such large pieces. They were fried perfectly, however-- crispy and pale golden brown, much like tempura. I also had a guanabana shake, which was good, but I prefer the juice alone. The milk/ice cream dilutes the already delicate flavor of guanabana. The decor was kind of 90's and nothing exciting--dark green carpet, red vinyl chairs (or was it the other way around?) dark wood and a mirrored wall. Service was prompt and unobtrusive. Photos of my meal and more: http://foodieuniverse.blogspot.com/2005/08/versailles-cuban-restaurant.htm

I don't know what the bad reviews are all about. I've been to Versailles four times and I've always had a good experience. The Food is very tasty and prices are very reasonable. I grew up in Havana, Cuba for the first six years of my life and I just happen to know Cuban food. My mother cooks great Cuban dishes all the time and they taste a lot like Versailles, from the plantains to the way they prepare the meat dishes...vaca frita, etc. Yes, there is no decor, place is casual and noisy, not romantic. Yet it's OK. Try it at least once!