Cuban Caliente Cafe - Review

As I took off work a little early I had decided to try a late lunch a the Cuban Caliente Cafe downtown as co-workers said the food was good, albeit a bit on the pricey side and I had read rave reviews for their authentic Cuban food other location.  

I did not get a picture of the inside, but there was lots of black painted wood and they have a counter were you can walk in to pick up orders or the server can seat you in the dining room which was the same black wood theme and barren of much decorations but begging for some colorful Cuban culture painting, maps or other decorations on the wall as it is rather dismal  As such, I requested to dine on the patio.

The patio is on the sidewalk and twice there were bike riders on the sidewalk (they are not supposed to be) that had to quickly maneuver around the bikes chained to the parking meter nearby and I was concerned they were not going to make it and end up hitting the fencing, so it you go and sit on the patio would recommend sitting closer to the windows instead of toward the street.  

They carry Coke products for the soft drinks currently for $2.50 a glass with free refills.   

I ordered the Balsero Sandwich for $8.50, which is seasoned ground beef with an egg on top a tomato, pickles and a special sauce.   The sandwich was very large and would be better if they offered 1/2 sandwich for lunch or you might want to split one with a friend.

I had expected the sandwich to have more of a kick and spice; it was sort of like a sloppy joe without the spicy tomato sauce and a little bland for my taste.. Salt and pepper helped a little but the waiter did not offer up hot sauce until I was almost done.  Also would be better if it were served with a side of potato chips.  

Overall the server was attentive as he was juggling the counter, a few tables inside and me outside.

They do have a selection of sides, but none are in English on the menu and none have an explanation of what they are.  I did search afterward and found their menu on Waiter on the Way and it does explain what the side are.

The story behind this place is interesting as it was started by a couple that was exiled from Cuba by Castro and became an American success story, now with their second location downtown - for more information on that visit Caliente's website.

Currently lunch is from 11am to 5pm, I did see a notice in their window they are applying for an alcohol permit so they might be expanding their hours in the future.

The sandwich everyone says is the best is "The Cubano", which is roasted pork, ham and Swiss cheese, with pickles onion and mustard so I do plan on trying that some time.

Location:  

120 W Wayne St
Fort Wayne, IN 46802

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• Phone number

• (260) 471-0900

Bath and Body Works Semi-Annual Sale - Some Items as Low as $3.00; Check Your Package Upon Arrival

Bath and Body Works is currently having their Semi-Annual Sale with some products such as lotions and wall fragrances starting at only $3.00.  

You can also get $10 off of a $40 or more purchase with the code GOHAUL.   If you sign up for cash back through Ebates, you can also currently earn 1% cash back on your purchase.

I have been a long-time customer of Bath and Body Works and enjoyed every product I have purchased so far (some more than others due to personal preferences), but I did have an incident after the last Semi-Annual sale with an online purchase.

I had ordered four items and received a box with only one item (picture below).  I figured that that either the items were on backorder or out-of-stock, but upon inspecting the packing list, it indicated the items had been shipped.

I contacted their Customer Service Dept. and inquired about it and they advised that the items had shipped.  I wrote back and indicated my box only contained one, perhaps the items were out of stock and incorrectly marked?   They advised that they do not weigh the box until all items are packed and it weighed 4 lbs and that would be the weight of the items that were shipped.

Actually, this bothered me even more as it seemed to indicate it was not just an oversight during a busy spurt, it would seem like someone would have had to have taken the items out of the box after weighing then shipped.   When I expressed that concern they indicated that perhaps the box was damaged during shipping and re-packaged by the mail carrier.

I advised I had their box and it was not damaged and could send them a picture.  I did point out I was a long-time customer that could be verified with my account history, enjoyed their products and wished to continue to make online purchases but the whole situation but needed to be able to count on getting what I had paid for.  

They did finally agree to send the missing items if still in stock or refund the difference and I was made whole and I did make another purchase after this with no problems.  

I do want to say that the Customer Service responses were prompt and professional and the situation was resolved in 2 days even with back and forth emails.  In life, mistakes happen and I understand that things are going to be perfect all the time.

However, I do recommend opening your box and checking right away to be sure everything is in there.

(As I am still trying to de-clutter, as painful as it is going to be, I will not be purchasing anything during this sale so there will not be a post-sale haul post).