Madre's Cuban Cuisine in Teaneck

Guarapo is a Cuban drink made from sugar cane.

For our single weekly restaurant meal last night, we went to Madre's Cuban Cuisine, a new restaurant on Cedar Lane in Teaneck. We were the first to arrive for dinner, but when we left, people were waiting for tables.


Our food was good but not great so we probably will return to Casual Havana Cafe on Main Street in Hackensack or Las Palmas in West New York when we want roast pork, black bean soup and other Cuban specialties.


Madre's is owned by a Dominican family, but the chef  is described as a "20-year veteran" of Cuban food, according to The Record, so we don't know if he is actually Cuban.


We ordered chicken and black bean soups, mofongo with chicken, a Dominican dish of mostly plantains; lechon asado, roast pork with yellow rice and black beans; and yuca con mojo, yuca in a garlic sauce.


Soft yuca with garlic sauce is Cuban comfort food, but the version we got was hard and fibrous. 


I liked the mofongo, but my wife and son turned thumbs down, despite a tasty, light tomato sauce. (My 12-year-old son was pouting because I wouldn't order tostones, twice-mashed and fried plantains.) 


The roast pork was moist; it would have been better if  some of  the crackling skin had been served with it. 


We did love the complimentary plantain chips we got at the start of the meal, especially the light "lulu" sauce with cilantro and vinegar that came with them. The check was under $50 before the tip.


The BYO is at 477B Cedar Lane, Teaneck, 201-357-5190.