Mojito Restaurant & Lounge

Great location and décor set a high expectation. Unfortunately, the vaca frita let me down. The meat was overly tough, dry, and stringy — a sharp knife was no match. The fried plantains were terrific, but the red beans and rice were blah.

Ive been to many local restaurants in Atlanta, and have to say this place sucks big time. We went on a friday night and the place was deserted. Upon entry we were told they had no liquor license. Reading other reviews here seems like they havent had one for a few months now. Their menu specializes in cuban food and a lot of seafood. The food was definitely not fresh. I ordered the paella, and its prob one of the worst ive had. It was overcooked rice, very mushy. The seafood tasted like it was from frozen and been around for a while — not surprised as the place was empty. For an appetizer we had the soft shell crab. Too much batter, not much crab. Very mediocre.
For the price you end up paying here (and we had a coupon), its so not worth it and there are much much better places to eat in atlanta where you can pay a lot less at full price and come out with a smile on your face.

Eating at Mojito is almost like stepping back in time about 25 – 30 years. It’s located on the ground floor of Hotel Midtown, that random little hotel between Peachtree and Piedmont Park.
My friends and I came here for lunch on a weekday, and it was, no surprise, not very crowded. Both of the servers were older women, probably between 60 and 70 years old. They didn’t move very fast, and the whole atmosphere of the restaurant seemed to be affected by their manner.
Anyway, I ordered the salmon sandwich (the waitress made it a point to call it by its menu name, the «Salmon Bang»), and my friends all got the ropa vieja. All of us had yucca chips on the side. The food was good, definitely on the positive side of average.
It definitely was not nearly as bad as the reviews led me to believe, but it wasn’t outstanding either.

Had a lovely experience here, it was actually our anniversary dinner! After several restaurants on our ‘must try’ list would not let us reserve a table before 10pm Saturday night for our special dinner, we turned to Scoutmob to see what was nearby. We had a bit of a time crunch as we had plans to head to the movies later that night. We wanted to try a different cuisine so Cuban was a good choice. We forgot to read the rest of the descriptor on the review to realize that this place was actually inside a larger hotel so took us about 10 minutes to figure out where it was hidden. It is located in the Midtown hotel just off Peachtree Road so its not something that will jump for you attention, you kinda have to search it out. They have reasonably priced parking at the deck. We went in for dinner about 8pm. Hilton, the manager I believe, was very friendly and nice and seated us right away. The place wasnt bursting at the seams but there were a few tables occupied. They let us know right away they did not have a liquor license and could not serve alcohol but we could bring our own. Reason states was change in management. This place will soon become a Hyatt! We chose to stay in and just have their virgin mojitos, which were delicious no doubt! We headed straight for entrees — I tried the lollipop baby lamb and my husband tried the arrozz con pollo. It took about 10 minutes for the food to arrive. Our waiter was nice, explaining how things worked and keeping us posted on when our food would arrive. I must say the entrees were surprisingly good. We had not heard any of our friends visit this place before. We did not read any reviews of it before heading over. We pretty much went there with no clue of what to expect. So it was truly such a treat to the palette to taste such vivid flavors. The arroz con pollo was well-​cooked and fragrant, they threw in some olives there to give it a little tanginess. We ordered a side of yucca chips friend and boy was that amazing too! The lamb came with some mashed potatoes and a tomato garnish, theyw ere cooked to their succulent best and were cleaned off the plate in no time at all! We skipped the appetizer so we would do desserts — we ordered the crème brûlée and the bread pudding. They were both simply fabulous. These are two of the densest, richest, moist desserts I have ever eaten. Goes to show they didnt try to dilute any ingredients with substitutes of any sort. We loved everything we ordered and were served. We actually forgot to present our Scoutmob deal to the waiter before he got our bill but he was nice enough to head back and change things around for us, even though the place had just then gotten busy for dinner. The manager was nice enough to stop by and check on us and how the food was. Since it was our anniversary dinner, he also took some pictures for us around the place! Very friendly and amicable and approachable with a big smile, Hilton is a great first impression. The décor inside wasnt anything ultra modern or over the top. Just casual, pleasant and cosy lighting. The music of course was Cuban but I am sure once they add the liquor license, it will only help the party!

I am writing this review while eating here. There have been a lot of bad reviews and I want to find out if they are true or not. There is only one table other than us. The décor is nice and the art work is colorful and festive. Our waitress seated us and gave us tea. We have started with the conch fritters. Now Bob and I go to the Bahamas a lot. So we know conch fritters. These arrived hot and tasty. So far no indication of what others have been writing. The manager/​owner has just stopped by our table to inquire if this is our first time. It is and he asked why we haven’t been in before. We let him know we are in the neighborhood and trying to support local businesses and reveal we have the scout mob deal on my phone. There is only one thing I need to try here. The Cuban sandwich. It’s lunch so I am getting half with a cup of their soup. I will update you when done.
Ok so we are done eating. The verdict… it was ok. The side of black beans was the best. The corn soup was good it just didn’t blow my socks off. The Cuban sandwich is ok. The presentation lacks spark. If you are going to put parsley and carrots on a plate what am I saying… never put parsley and carrots on a plate as garnish. The saltine cracker… really. Let’s get to the sandwich pork and ham are cooked properly. The bread is good but needs to be toasted a little more. While I love a Cuban the thing that makes it for me is the combination of cheese mustard and pickle. I could have used more of all three.
The service was good. Linda was very attentive. Overall I am going to give it three stars. I will be back for dinner sometime soon. I always give restaurants three good tries. So I will update. So this was my first live review I might do this again soon. It was fun and I didn’t really have to ignore Bob completely while reviewing.

Awful awful service! First we were not seated for over 5 mins and had to ask to be seated. Then no one even brought us water for 15 mins upon which we walked out!

I think this place has so much potential and it’s too bad that it is run so poorly. Our server was very sweet and nice, but not really efficient nor able to handle more than several tables at a time (I’ve worked in the service industry and it’s hard to take it when you see folks «wasting steps»). The drinks are really expensive, but tasty. The food isn’t bad, but it’s unfortunate that tends to look unappealing upon arrival. Their signature dish is a «cream colored» sauce with white rice, 2 scallops, 2 pieces of shrimp, and a lobster claw. If you can imagine it — white on white on pink — the sauce is good, but they definitely need to work on presentation — LOL. Anyway, when I think of Cuban food and ambience I think of fun and lively which again was disappointing here. This place needs a new perspective and rejuvenation. I won’t be coming back anytime soon.

What a let down!
My wife told me she heard good things about Mojito so we met for lunch there. Now … look… our general experiences are usually good when it comes to Cuban food in general no matter where my wife and I eat. New York, New Jersey, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, or here in the the ATL, however, this particular Cuban experience lacked ‘sabor’! This Mojito restuarant just had no ‘kick’ to it. I had a feeling because when we walked in and heard elevator music instead of hot Mambo kings … well anything of Cuban related music there was a concern about authenticity. Not sure if it’s a franchise or the same owner, but still it had no flavor what so ever (with the exception of the empanadas. Delish!)
The second flag was the waiter. Although a pleasent fellow, he was not to customer service friendly. We were the only ones in the place and the only time he came was when we interrupted him hanging with his friend — when we looked over his way — while he was sitting in the back corner table.
Mr Yason didnt start off with «Hello I am your waiter and… then make some kind of recommendation, maybe suggest a dish or special. How about small talk? Anything. Nope. He started by saying hello and then taking my wife’s appetizer order. «Excuse me my husband has an appetizer order as well.» Wow. Really? Sorry I’m use to waiters… that. I don’t know… wait on me?
Nevertheless we started with Tostones and the empanadas. The dishes were served excellently and by Chef Lucy — who came out to serve personally and was introduced as the Co-​Owner — My condolences because the tostones were under cooked slightly and the Arroz con pollo (Rice and Chicken) had too much of an olive oil blast. So much so that had it not been for the taste of the garlic, it would’ve come across as greasy. The more I forged through it the more I kept saying «It’s an expensive dish that is just blah so you can do it». In the end it was passible.
Well the ambiance was nice, but it would’ve been better with music that discribed the name of this restaurant in a busy downtown Atlanta area hotel. Then again, the piano in the middle of the floor only told me that Kariokie Tuesday’s must really bring them in. Not!
Don’t get me wrong we still want to try and make the dinner menu because suely this didn’t just happen right?

Loved this place. It’s my secret place whenever I’m in Atlanta on business. Highly recommend starting off with the Ceviche. Really good. Then go for the Mariscos En Chipotle. It’s fantastic. Being from Southern California, I was looking for something spicy and delicious that I could wash down with a Mojito. Can’t wait to go back. Excellent service by the way.

One word to describe this restaurant: BORING!
I ordered a shrimp and scallop dish that the server recommended. She said that the LA Times rated the dish as the best in Atlanta or something… Not so much. It had two scallops and two shrimp. The cocktails were way too sweet.
I will not return.

Tragic.
Housed in a restaurant of a hotel that has largely been untouched by renovation for a quarter century, Mojito combines notably high prices with mediocre, at times awful, food. Our server, Douglas, was great, and besides himself that we had the issues we did.
Still, the appetizer was only OK, the entrees were cold on arrival, and we sent them back twice to attempt to get them to proper serving temperature. My dining companion couldn’t even eat his. I’ve even had better mojitos elsewhere. Desserts – flan and tres leches cake – were good. While parking is validated, that we had to park on the 9^th level was cumbersome.
High prices and low food quality would prevent me from returning to Mojito.

So I decided to come because I had a TravelZoo coupon. 1 app, 2 entrees, 2 desserts, and 2 mojitos. I think I paid about $ 45 for the coupon. And while the coupon was great — the food & ambiance left much to be desired. I went with my best friend from Miami — who happens to be Cuban… needless to say he was VERY critical of this food… and afterwards, I was embarrased for bringing him to THIS «Cuban» restaurant out of all of the ones available in the A.
The ambiance: The weather was beautiful so we sat outside. Our table wobbled (not a little wobble, it was enough to spill our drinks)… the chairs were plastic and extra cheap. I’ve seen TGIFridays with much better decorations.
The food: I’m sorry — but this food was not all that great. It wasn’t very flavorful and I don’t think it was terribly fresh either. I’ve seen my share of tostados. and plaintains. and the color just seemed… off. The shrimp app was the best thing about the night… the entrees were blah and the desserts were just ‘ok’.
The drinks: The mojitos were ok. You’d think with a name like «Mojitos» the mojitos would be awesome… but you’d think wrong. :-(
BTW — you have to park on the NINTH floor of the parking garage. The NINTH floor! That is the VERY VERY top of a very very empty parking garage. Odd & seemingly pointless. Ahh well.
I got the bill afterwards and it would have been over $ 100 if I didn’t use the coupon. Although I still had to dish out an additional $ 22 for the mandatory tip.
I’m sorry — but this place was just NOT up to par.

We bought the living social deal for $ 20 and you get $ 45 seems look a deal right? Wrong I will tell you why the dinner menu is WAY OVERPRICED! The best way to use your living social deal is go for lunch the prices are better during that time and you get more for your money.
We went there with 2 of our friends which makes four of us. We had 4 mojitos @ $ 12 all of them sucked!
I had Safron Rice and Plaintains @ $ 8
My friend 1 Crab Cake at least that’s what they called it! $ 8
My wife Rice and black beans $ 8
My friends wife 2 emapanadas $ 11 (I think)
4 MOJITOS @ $ 12/​EACH
Total bill $ 85!!!
I WILL NEVER GO HERE EVER EVER EVER EVER AGAIN!

I had 9:00 reservations, but didn’t make it until 9:15. I called them to let them know I was running late. Once we arrived we had to wait about 10 minutes before being greeted and another 10 minutes to get seated. Considering I was running late myself; I couldn’t complain.
Ambiance: The outside area is beautiful. It was really nice outside and the decorations were nice. The tables/​chairs were a little cheesy but overall I enjoyed the atmosphere. It is really nice for a romantic date.
Drinks: I ordered a pomegranate mojito and my boyfriend ordered a mango mojito. This was my first time drinking a mojito and it was so good. My boyfriend drinks them all the time and he agreed the drink was really good. The drinks ran about $ 12 each.
Server: The waiter was really nice and friendly but absent a lot during our dinner. He explained that he was doing rounds for room service also.
Food: The food was GOOD and flavorful! It was seasoned well. We started out with the Softshell from Hell. Well I did because it was large enough for 2 people (barely 1). It was good but really not a lot of (crab) meat. The sauce was spicy, but not too spicy My boyfriend ordered a New York Strip. He liked it a lot. I had Lollipop Baby Lamb Chops. OMG… it was so good and the mashed potatoes are at the top of list of mash potatoes. The portioned seemed a little small, but I still couldn’t eat it all.
Bill: With 2 entrees, 2 drinks, 1 appetizer, we spent about $ 90. That was before gratuity.
Overall, I enjoyed Mojitos.

I’m surprised at all the bad reviews as I’ve been here twice and really enjoyed it both times. The bartender Emmit makes an awesome mojito. I loved the ceviche with squid ink even though it seemed some of the fish in it was a little more chewy than soft– the flavor was great. The Queso a la Tropicana was delicious– gooey cheese in a delicious tomato sauce with green olives– there is a similar appetizer with chrorizo and peppers that was just as good. I loved my mariscos in chipotle cream sauce and my husband enjoyed the pork carnitas with yuca and rice & beans– although we both felt it could have used some type of sauce (we’re both big sauce people). I love their patio. The place was not that busy both times and we enjoyed a quiet and relaxing dinner. Douglas was a great server!

Mojito is pretty good. I came with the Puerto Rican for a date. It wasn’t very busy, so service was pretty good. The yucca and maduros were pretty good. It’s more upscale than Papi’s, but Papi’s is better for comfort food. Mojito is good for a fancier date atmosphere. I have to say, Atlanta doesn’t have the best options, but this was all right. And the mojitos we ordered was very good.
The best part was this: Three white people were eating together at an adjoining table. When their steaming tasty food came, one of them called the server over and said the food was not very spicy.
The server HAD to be Caribbean because he said something the Puerto Rican has said many times! «This is Cuban food, not Mexican. It is not typically spicy.»
Ha!
Silly tourists.
Overall, it was fine. We would go back in times when we are missing the islands.

I was a little disappointed with the service in this restaurant. I was spending my birthday in Atlanta and since I’m Puerto Rican, I love Cuban cuisine. The food was good. When I ordered the cod fritters appetizer, they weren’t available. However, we decided to order the «chorizos al infierno» and they were awesome. The dish was spicy and delicious. I wanted to eat the plate.
As an entrée we had the seafood paella and the prime rib. Certainly it was not the best we’ve ever had but it was good. Unfortunately, the portion of the paella is not worth the price.
My biggest issue was the service. Apparently the restaurant shares the bar with the hotel and our drinks took forever to get to our table. The waiter apologized after we cancel my second drink because I had already finished eating and the drink hadn’t arrived. However, it wasn’t until I cancel that the apology came. I just think he wasn’t doing his best effort with the drinks. This was confirmed when we left and saw that there was no one at the bar.

I tried this restaurant by virtue of a LivingSocial deal.
I was in town visiting family and my sister and I tried it out. The restaurant is located in the inside lobby of the Hotel Midtown, formerly the Wyndham hotel
Once we entered, we were greeted by the owner. He was very friendly and seated us right away.
I wanted to like this place more than I actually did. I purchased a LivingSocial deal and thought Mojito was a good deal. Not terrible, but nothing memorable.
My sister ordered the masitas de puerco-​she found it to be dry, and flavorless, cooked in huge chunks. The server said that’s how it’s cooked. However, the pork was cooked in large chunks and it was fried. So it makes sense why the meat will be flavorless. The yucca also was served in huge chunks and was fried. The server did bring out a side of pork tenderloin for my sister to make up for dry pork masita, which my sister was grateful for.
I ordered the ropa vieja, which was pretty tasty and flavorful. the plaintains werecooked until caramelized and very yummy.
We both ordered mojitos, because hello, we were at a Cuban restaurant called «Mojito.» The mojitos were pretty good. The restaurant had a long list of flavored mojitos. i had coconut and my sis had pineapple.
The service was good, but at the time of checkout, we had problems with their credit card machine. The server was unable to use my card to pay and even attempted to process as manual, but mycard was rejected. When I checked with my bank the following day, they didn’t even see the charge was ever attempted. Thankfully my sis was there to rescue me. :-)
The experience had its ups and down. Overall decent, but nothing stood out. I hated to give it 2 stars, but it really didn’t deserve 3, not even 2.5.

Gordon Ramsey’s Kitchen Nightmares, eat your heart out.
A few minutes after we sat down, the owner (?) came by and decided to chat with us. He has an extremely flamboyant personality, which is okay some venues, but it didn’t fit with the fine dining décor and we just wanted to be left alone. He couldn’t take a hint, though, and kept at it. He also warned us that there was a gaggle of attorneys in the restaurant nearby and rolled his eyes. Okay, not a problem, right? Five minutes later: «Check, check, check». Seriously, these guys were going to give a mic’d presentation in the middle of this restaurant? I mean, sure, the place was deserted with the exception of the attorneys and us, but still… were they trying to drive away the remainder of their business?
Okay, so the ambience sucked. What about the food? We ordered the conch fritters to start, which tasted generally fine, although they were overdone and tasted a bit burnt. They were plated with what appeared to be Cheese Whiz squirted all over somewhat wilted chopped salad. It looked gross, but tasted quite good… a blend of mustard and mayo. Then we tackled the $ 11 single crabcake. It was served on top of some more crappy salad, with a pool of something that looked like ketchup and dijon mustard on the side. The sauce was actually «habenero mojo» and tasted good, but again, looked gross.
We then split the mariscos en chipotle. The bowl had a very stiff looking mound of white rice in the middle, surrounded by a moat of a pink cream sauce and invertebrate seafood poking out of it. Some old grated carrots adorned the rim of the bowl. The cream sauce had a light kick to it — delightful, really, but was weighted down by the craptastically dry rice and the seafood. The «hockey puck» scallops were more like the size of a dollar coin, several of which were broken in the kitchen. The seafood generally tasted okay, except for something we called the Seafood Baby — it seemed to have arms and a tail and a head. It had a strange gelatinous texture. Apparently, it was once a piece of lobster tail, but had mutated into something else in the kitchen.
We got the check, and noticed that our party of two had automatically had a 20% tip added. For just two apps and an entrée (no drinks), that was a pricy — and nasty looking — meal. With bankruptcy attorneys. Where are you, Ramsey?

My server said that they make the best mojito in town, so I ordered a glass. It was okay… I think my friend makes it better. Plus, I wasn’t really fond of the really tall straw they put in my glass… Bleh. I think this drink tasted better when I took the straw out.
To start with, I tried the Key West Conch Fritters. Tasted pretty good. I liked it.
For my entrée, I got the Maricoes in Chipotle (See Scott M’s review for the description). It was creamier than I expected and I couldn’t finish it because I am lactose intolerant. =/​It was okay… I wish I knew how creamy it was before I ordered it.
With my $ 20 groupon, the total of my order came out to be around $ 4. Ha, perfect. But would I go back? No.