Black Bean Cuban Cuisine
239 Atwood St, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213
Black Bean Cuban Cuisine Menu
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Address :
239 Atwood St
Pittsburgh, PA, 15213 - Phone (412) 621-2326
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Opening Hours
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Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Lunch
Parking : Street
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Full Bar
Outdoor Seating : No
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : Yes
Waiter Service : Yes
WE SERVE THE FOLLOWING STATES
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Matthew S.
Don't let the name fool you. This place is predominantly Chinese. Quite possibly the best and most authentic in Pittsburgh. The decor ain't much and the place seems a bit chaotic but the food was really good and the service was a group effort but they get the job done. It's mostly college students and not a lot of English being spoken. We had three Chinese dishes beef hot pot, sesame chicken, and curry chicken. Hot pot and sea same were awesome. Curry was good but pretty standard. Cuban food is only available at certain times and it happened to be when we were there so we have the ground beef dish and that was very good as well. Flavors were authentic. Overall this is a diamond in the rough. If you want good, real deal Chinese, you need to check this place out.
(4)Erin H.
This place looks like a dirty Chinese hole in the wall. We were seated right inside the door next to a borderline creepy fish tank filled with giant goldfish. We ordered beers and water. The beers were served straight from the cooler, straight out of the bottle. My water was tap water in a small plastic cup, no ice and no straw. We really wanted to try the Cuban so we endured the odd dining room and drinks. We ordered the palomilla steak, and the waitress came back and informed us that they were out. So we tried the mojo pork and the mojo chicken (fried). So the food was average. The rice and beans were not Cuban. Black beans over plain ole white rice. The plates were ice cold which caused the food to be only lukewarm. If I'm ever in the area and every other place in Oakland is closed I will come back and try a Cuban sandwich. If you want Chinese come here. If you want Cuban head south. Like all the way to Miami. The service was also very poor. We only saw the server twice. Once for drinks and once to deliver the food. No refills were offered nor did she ask how the food was. I had to flag someone down just to get our check. PS I did not try the Chinese, but we were the only Caucasian people in the whole place. So the Chinese must be pretty good.
(1)Bennett R.
Confusing at best. It's Cuban Chinese, with the emphasis on Chinese. Great if you wanted Chinese food, disappointing if you are craving Cuban.
(3)Tyler R.
Black Bean is one of the only Cuban restaurants in Pittsburgh, and certainly the only one in Oakland. I began coming here over a year ago when they strictly served Cuban food, but recently the restaurant has added a full Chinese menu as well. Before the Chinese, there were a good number of sandwiches, wraps, and dinners available, now the Cuban food is limited to just sandwiches, wraps and some appetizers. If you ask they can make you one of the dinners they used to have, but only if the meat of choice is somewhere on the sandwich menu (e.g. mojo roasted pork). When I think Cuban food I immediately crave ropa vieja which is my favorite Cuban dish, unfortunately Black Bean doesn't have it, and this may be my only 'beef' with the restaurant. Oh well, the pork makes up for the lack of ropa vieja. Yes, PORK PORK PORK, need I say more? The mojo roasted pork may be the best thing here, though I haven't tried much more because the pork is SO GOOD! Recently I've been getting the Cuban sandwich, which comes with a healthy portion of the mojo pork as well as bolo ham, pickles, swiss cheese and mustard. Absolutely delicious. Get it with a side of 'island' fries with the delicious 'island' sauce which tastes like a combination of ranch and heaven. The habanero bbq pork is also good, and I have enjoyed the picadillo + plantains as well. I can't personally speak to the quality of the Chinese food, I've been meaning to try if for some time but I can't bring myself to not order the pork! I do have Chinese friends who come here quite often and have mentioned the pork belly and pork ribs. I have also heard that their 'American' Chinese food is not as good as their 'Authentic' Chinese food. Some of the serving staff may have a hard time speaking English, and the ambiance/ decor of the restaurant is not great, but if you can get over that and know you're not in for a 'fine dining' experience, this place will not disappoint!
(4)Steve N.
Who would've thought you could find authentic tasting Cuban food in Oakland, a scene that's predominantly characterized by campus pizza shops--this place actually between the two dueling, most popular ones at Pitt. The sandwiches here offer something different compared to the other more standard options and for around the same price as a pizza shop hoagie, Jimmy Johns sub or a God awful campus made one. In comes the pulled pork sandwich dressed with guava bbq sauce. Also try their classic cuban to get an idea for what this place is all about. The bread really boosts the awesomeness of the whole sandwich. $1 more gets you fries that have some seasoning sprinkled over the top. Friendly, family-run place that is great for takeout and eating in, so long as a polished atmosphere is not what you're looking for. In other words, you come for the food and not the decor. The rest of ths menu offers a nice variety of options beyond sandwiches that showcase cuban food pretty well. Try one of their lunch menu specials (cheaper) if you're a first timer.
(4)Rich C.
I walked into Black Bean, and then promptly had to walk back out and re-examine the artist formerly known as Ginza. I was taken aback by the prodigious amount of Chinese writing that I saw, before realizing that they are both a Cuban and Chinese restaurant. Excited at the prospect of a marvelous Cuban Sammie and Authentic Chinese, I ordered the latter and some of the former. The food arrived quickly....almost too quickly. My girlfriend and I opted to split and sample. She once made me fall in love with a Cuban Sandwich that she had made, so I expected a near orgasmic experience from an authentic Cuban. Alas, my gastro-consumation was an awkward affair. The sandwich was very bland. The bread was not toasted, and every ingredient seemed to be indistinguishable from the next. One of the hallmarks of a good Cuban is toasted bread, a distinct layer of crunchy pickle, and delicious slathering of mustard. This had none of that. The authentic Chinese menu seemed to have many devoted patrons, though I found ours once again to be bland. Perhaps I did not order this one correctly among the myriad of choices.
(2)Jenn T.
Black Bean is one of those restaurants where you can eat if you're in the mood to really, really splurge on calories. At least, I have to assume this, because the food we got, though delicious, was supremely greasy (which clearly added to the deliciousness, despite what my arteries may have thought). This place strikes me as a primarily take-out restaurant, as we were there in the evening, and saw many people stop in to pick up food, but only one or two other people actually sit down for dinner. That said, they do have a reasonably-sized seating area and what appears to be a full bar, so eat-in is definitely an option. You place your order at the counter, and then it is brought to you at your table. We wanted to sample a few different things, so we got the croquetas and papa rellenas appetizers to start. Both were really amazing - croquetas are the equivalent of cheese sticks with ham inside instead of cheese! The papa rellena was a ball of fried mashed potatoes, stuffed with ground beef. Do you understand how, as my tastebuds cried out in joy, my arteries cowered in a corner?? Since these were such heavy appetizers, we split dinner, deciding (finally) on the fried chicken platter. It's a light fry, very well-seasoned and tasty, and not dripping in grease the way a KFC fry does. However, your plate comes stacked with rice, beans (or black bean soup, which we tried), and tostones, which are twice-fried green plantains. Again, delicious, but heavy. Service was good, and the churro dessert, despite taking a little while to get to our table, was decent. Four churros for $2.95! The prices were really reasonable here as well, and everything is available for takeout. Apparently this is a small franchise, with all of their other locations in Florida, so don't be like me and get your hopes up of seeing flan on the menu, as that's only in the Florida locations. All in all, it's worth a stop in. There very well may be healthier options on the menu, but we were quite pleased with our unhealthy but tasty choices just the same! :)
(3)Matt C.
While this unfortunately rhyming restaurant and bar practically oozes apathy--both visually and experientially--its one saving grace is that it provides a unique source of variety set against Oakland's mostly predictable culinary scene. A few of the sandwiches are surprisingly good, and Oakland residents can safely use Black Bean as a change-of-pace option for affordable dining out in the neighborhood.
(3)Ingrid K.
Yay! A delicious restaurant finally replaced very bad Ginza! (My condolences to the previous proprietors). Black Bean Cuban Cuisine is a casual place with delicious CARBS CARBS CARBS! On a platter will be cuban white bread, rice paella, black beans, fried plantains, and steamed plantains; all to substantiate your piece of fried fish in the corner. The fried fish is the best I've had in Pittsburgh; well seasoned and crispy on the outside and flaky moist on the inside. The only downside of this place (besides the carb load) is the intense smell of oil when you walk in. The cafe's ventilation system may not be running properly.
(4)Neil S.
Pretty solid food in the mass of mediocrity that is Oakland. Most of the sandwiches are tasty. The pressed bread is crisp yet remains soft on the inside, which accents all the sandwiches' components. Their Cuban is delicious, they don't skimp on the meat at this spot. Try anything that includes their Island Sauce. I usually hate mayonnaise, but Black Bean's Island Sauce converted me into a believer. Excellent sides such as black beans and rice, empanadas, island fries, and fried plantains round out any good meal here. The guava and cheese empanadas are an interesting dessert choice that I crave frequently. The big plates of food (Mojo Grilled Chicken, Arroz con Pollo, etc) are alright, though not nearly as good as the sandwiches. Prices are reasonable, around $7-8 gets you a huge sandwich or big plate of food, another $1-2 if you want a side dish such as black beans and rice or an empanada. Service is pretty quick too for made to order food. In short, a good spot to get a filling, tasty sandwich or some Cuban side dishes. I've become a regular since it opened, and you will too.
(4)Junier O.
Very affordable, great portions, authentic, and tasty! Fairly low-key locale; great spot overall. The palomilla steak is awesome at under ten bucks, and the chicken empanadas and yuca frita appetizers are delicious (though probably really unhealthy hehe). I don't eat out to often, but this is definitely my go-to spot; take it from a Cuban, you gotta try this place :)
(5)Annie K.
Fantastic real Cuban food. A must go! 2 hungry people at lunchtime, we shared chicken mojo wrap, tostones, chicken empanada, and Cuban sandwich. All were fresh and tasted incredible. Total cost was $24. We will definitely go again!
(5)Philip S.
This was a very nice little place, a little off the beaten path in Oakland. The food was tasty and inexpensive. The staff was polite. I had chicken empinada and BBQ pork sandwich. I would definitely eat here again.
(4)Anne C.
The place is a little weird - Cuban and Chinese? What's the deal? Well, it's probably the most ingenious thing ever. Don't like Chinese? Go for Cuban. Don't like Cuban? Go for the Chinese. Don't like both? Not. Possible. I only ordered off of the Chinese menu getting a mixture of authentic and american chinese food. At every authentic Szechuan restaurant I have to order the Chongqing chicken because of two reasons. First, it's delicious and super spicy. Second, every restaurant seems to make it a little different. Loved, loved this version! It wasn't completely deep fried in dough but it was saturated in grease. The authentic menu is pricey but everything else seems to be regularly priced.
(4)Laura M.
I came by for lunch with a guest speaker yesterday. Upon being seated, we were given some menus predominantly in Chinese, with English glosses. My guest asked if there was a lunch menu, and our waitress explained that usually, there is, but because it was a holiday, they weren't offering it. We weren't thrilled about this, but okay, fine. I asked for the Cuban menu, and the waitress handed me a menu still predominantly Chinese, but with an insert containing Cuban fare. I ordered the cuban sandwich, and my guest ordered the lamb hot pot. The dishes came out about 10 min. after ordering them, which seemed about right. Since I've never had a Cuban sandwich before, I have to offer the disclaimer that I don't have a standard of judgment. Having said that, I found it quite pleasant in flavor, texture, and crispness, and a decent portion for $6.99 (this seems to be about the going rate for sandwiches these days). Given the dearth of Cuban restaurants in PGH, if you have a craving for this type of cuisine and live in Oakland, this is one of the few convenient places you can satisfy it. (The only other one I know of is in Lawrenceville.) I can't comment on the quality of my guest's hot pot, since it's rather impolite to ask to share at professional lunches. He commented that it was kind of salty, and that the lamb tasted like beef, but that it was otherwise pretty decent. Based on the decor, menus, and ethnicity of the employees, this seems to be predominantly a Chinese restaurant, and that the Cuban portion seems to be somewhat of a side business. In the hour or so that my guest and I spent here having lunch, all of the other customers I saw were East Asian. Given that there are several other Asian restaurants on Oakland St. north of Forbes, I take this as a sign that the Chinese cuisine here is fairly genuine, and it certainly seemed so from my guest's meal. I'll have to return at some point to try the Chinese cuisine served here--when I do, I'll write a review under the Chinese name of this restaurant (Hunan Bar). Other than the primary focus on Chinese food, my other major criticism concerns the service. Especially towards the end of the meal, my guest and I had trouble attracting our waitress's attention to get the check and pay. Indeed, once we'd paid, my guest opted to just leave the check on the table, rather than wait for the waitress to pick it up. Even before that, however, our waitress wasn't very helpful or sociable. If the service improved, this rating would be a solid 3.5, if not a 4, but as it were, I'm going with an even 3 stars. EDIT: My labmate claims that this place used to be a Cuban restaurant before the current owners took it over, hence the Chinese/Cuban combination.
(3)Eric S.
Cuban food IS NO LONGER SERVED HERE. This is a Chinese food restaurant only. I was disappointed in the lack of Cuban food but I decided to stay. I ordered a steamed fish from the menu and instead I received a fish fillet taking a bath in oil. The waiter then proceeded to argue with me about the definition of the word steamed. I had to walk out at that point.
(1)Sheila S.
Avoid, avoid, avoid! Safe the parking meter expense. You can only like this place if you've never eaten good food before or lack taste buds. I think the reviewers have got to be going there after a night of drinking or just don't like or know good food. It was so bad (by bad I mean tasted terribly and prepared poorly) we left everything we ordered - and might i say my husband is a trooper and rarely leaves an entire meal. In addition, they hardly had anything we were looking for- literally more than half the items on the menu weren't available that day and it was lunchtime! It seems like a Chinese restaurant with management trying their hand at Cuban. My Cuban godparents would just shudder at the taste! Starting to distrust Yelp reviews. This is the 4th place rated highly that was not just bad, it was inedible.
(1)Barry R.
Black Bean is a hole. But it is a happy hole! When you first walk in, you'll see separate stairways going up and down. Go up and you'll enter what looks like a chinese restaurant, but is also Black Bean. They serve both chinese and cuban food off separate menus, initially confusing, but perfect when your friends can't agree on where to eat! Expect very tasty cuban food at incredibly reasonable prices. I got the perfectly crispy beef empanada ($2.95) the sweet plantains (the best I've ever had at any price but priced at just $2.95) and the Cubadilla (Pronounced "Q-ba-deea" a delicious love child between a cuban sandwich and a cheesy tortilla quesadilla ($6.95). The service was fast (all our food was ready in 10 minutes) The food was so good and the portions so generous, they could easily charge double their prices. The pressed bread for the sandwiches was soft and fluffy. All in, dinner for 4 people was under $40, including entrees and sides for everyone and we still had to take half home as leftovers! You won't find a better value for tasty food anywhere. But it's not all black beans and rainbows. As I mentioned at the beginning, it's confusing to figure out the dual-restaurant your first time. The service was friendly but our waiter hardly spoke English. The tables were squeezed together and the decor was non-existent with paint pealing off some of the walls. There was a tv blaring news coverage about a murder trial (not ideal dinner background noise). Though the food was good, the atmosphere was worse than just spartan, to me it was so shoddy it detracted from the experience. I would definitely go back, but I would prefer to get take out next time so I can enjoy the great food, portions and prices in a nicer atmosphere. If they stop offering take out, I will suffer the interior because the food is absolutely worth it!
(4)Tan T.
The best food with great price!!!
(5)Cari A.
Yeeeeah so here is the truth. Disclaimer...I am in no way a racist. I am half Cuban and born in the USA. If you are American with no familial background in Cuban food then this place will suit you...mainly because you will not know any better :) If you are Latin!...the food will make you want to cry a little. It is tasteless and the tostones are alien and hard. The sauce they give you is not the authentic mojo but some weird mayo/garlic concoction. Overall I will not be returning. Ciao.
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