New Charlotte Cuban restaurant offers food, drink, more in a pre-revolutionary atmosphere
Manny Perez was a junior in high school when his family moved from Matanzas, Cuba, to Lincolnton in 2015. Desperate for a taste of home, they discovered Havana Carolina Restaurant & Bar in Concord.
They loved the restaurant — so much that they purchased it in 2017. “We came to the U.S. with a plan to open a business that allowed our family to work and grow together while seeing and supporting each other regularly,” Perez told CharlotteFive.
Now, they are starting a new chapter in the family business with the recently opened El Puro Cuban Restaurant on South Boulevard.
El Puro is the dream-turned-reality for Perez, his mom and sister. The restaurant is complete with live music and upscale Cuban cuisine in the colorful and welcoming space meant to transport guests to pre-revolutionary Cuba.
The family was thrilled to find a space in Madison Park that could fit up to 150 guests and be transformed into a slice of Old Havana, Perez said. “We feel super happy to bring a little bit of our culture to Charlotte.”
The road to a second restaurant
The road to opening a second restaurant wasn’t always easy. After the initial purchase of Havana Carolina, it was all hands on deck. Perez’s parents had experience in the hospitality industry — they ran a small bed and breakfast in Cuba years earlier, hosting guests from Canada, Europe and South America.
“My mom knew how to cook for 10 to 15 people, and my dad had good customer service skills. But his English skills were limited, and we didn’t have a mentor,” Perez said. Running the Concord restaurant became even more challenging when Perez’s father passed unexpectedly the day before Thanksgiving in 2017.
“People thought we’d close the restaurant,” Perez said. “But the restaurant didn’t close because of my mom — she’s a really strong woman — and she commuted from Lincolnton to Concord, an hour each way, every day.” Manny, his mom and his sister persevered, growing the family-style Havana Carolina Restaurant that serves primarily sandwiches and seats 50-60 people.
El Puro will hold 50 guests on its patio alone, once construction of the pergola is complete. Six of those guests will have the opportunity to dine in a 1956 Ford-turned-dining table, reminiscent of the automobile Perez’s father once drove around Cuba.
A real Cuban experience
“We’re not just a restaurant, but an experience,” Perez told CharlotteFive. “When you walk through the doors, we want you to forget about your troubles — to come for food, drink, the atmosphere and music.” The family spent 18 months renovating the restaurant and the attention to detail is obvious.
A mural of Cuban singer Benny Moré greets guests at the entrance. Pictures of Cuban actors, athletes and everyday men and women (many enjoying a cigar) line the walls. And a lyric from Cuban singer Celia Cruz is displayed prominently behind the stage: “La vida es un carnaval,” meaning “Life is a carnival.”
“Cuban culture is outgoing, and we want to make you feel like you’re at home,” Perez said. The restaurant aims to recreate the energy and atmosphere of pre-revolutionary Cuba.
The restaurant currently offers music five nights a week, Wednesdays through Sundays. In 2022, the stage will feature live music seven days a week — the lineup includes jazz, reggae, salsa and top 40. Perez also has plans for a cabaret night once a month, complete with dancers from Miami. Also on the docket for 2022 is El Puro’s own line of cigars that can be enjoyed on the patio.
Comes back to the people
El Puro is more upscale than the family’s first restaurant, which they still operate. Among El Puro’s most popular dishes: masitas de la loma, ropa vieja and tamal en cazuela. Masitas de la loma, Perez’s favorite dish, consists of fried pork chunks, house mojo and caramelized onions. “It’s roasted rotisserie style and served over smoked wood, making it tender and flavorful,” he said.
Ropa vieja is made of braised beef brisket, red peppers, onions and criolla sauce. “This is a traditional Cuban dish that is hard to find in Cuba these days because there isn’t much beef,” Perez explained.
Tamal en cazuela is an appetizer of freshly grated corn meal, rich garlic and pork belly. “A lot of people from the South say it tastes like grits,” he added. All of the sauces are made in house, and delicacies like lobster and oxtail are also on the menu.
Perez is equally proud of the drinks, noting that many Cuban classics are available: el presidente, mojito and Mary Pickford among them. Mary Pickford was a prominent Canadian-American actress in the early 20th century with a Cuban cocktail named after her. “During the Prohibition era, many Americans went to Cuba to drink,” Perez said. “For a while, it was like Las Vegas for Americans.”
There’s also a takeout window offering coffee, empanadas, croquetas and Cuban sandwiches Monday through Friday from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. “We love doing it. We’re happy for this country for giving us the opportunity,” Perez said.
Perez is carrying out his father’s legacy alongside his mom and sister — and the logo is a picture of his father’s face.
And the name? “It means “dad” or “papa,” Perez said. A fitting tribute, indeed.
El Puro Cuban Restaurant
Location: 5033 South Blvd, Charlotte, NC 28217
Neighborhood: Madison Park
Cuisine: Cuban
Hours: Monday through Thursday, 4 p.m.-11 p.m.; Friday, 4 p.m.-12 a.m.; Saturday, 11 a.m.-12 a.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Takeout window Monday through Friday, 8 a.m.-4 p.m.
Instagram: @elpurocubanrestaurant
