A Cuban woman named Yuliet Rojas shared a video on Facebook detailing her unfortunate experience at a restaurant in Matanzas. She claims that her meal, which cost a staggering 16,000 pesos, was riddled with mistakes, incorrect charges, undercooked meat, and even a fly.
"We spent 16,000 pesos on a meal that came with unexpected surprises," Yuliet begins in her video, which quickly garnered nearly 100,000 views in just a few days.
The issues started right from the appetizer. Yuliet ordered Cuban-style tostones, a menu option filled with ropa vieja and cheese, but instead received them with ham.
Choosing not to complain, she ate the tostones as they were served. However, the bill did not reflect her lenience: "They charged me for the ropa vieja, which is more expensive, but I didn't say anything," she admitted.
Undercooked Main Course and More
The main dish, a large special Uruguayan platter, turned out to be even worse.
"Not only did it have a surprise, but it was also undercooked, with red parts in the meat and a breading I didn't like," Yuliet explains. Despite her attempts to eat it, she couldn't: "I tried hard, I was really hungry, but I couldn't eat it."
Still hungry, she had to order a pizza to go so she wouldn't leave the restaurant on an empty stomach.
The surprises didn't end there. Upon inspecting the uneaten food, she discovered a fly.
"We removed the part with the fly. The rest is here, for my pestífero," she says in the video, referring to her pet, to whom she gave the leftovers.
Economic Context and Wider Issues
Despite everything, Yuliet chose not to complain at the restaurant, opting instead to vent her frustration through social media.
The amount spent is substantial in Cuba's current economic climate.
The 16,000 pesos bill equates to more than two average monthly salaries in Cuba, where the average wage is 6,930 pesos, roughly 12 USD in the informal exchange market, according to the National Office of Statistics and Information.
The minimum salary, raised to 3,210 pesos in June, remains far from covering living costs. The basic food basket requires at least 96,060 pesos per month, about 14 times the minimum wage, based on calculations by economist Javier Pérez Capdevila.
Complaints about the quality of Cuban dining experiences are increasingly common on social media.
In September 2025, another Cuban woman found a cockroach in her dessert at a restaurant, and in July of the same year, a customer reported a similarly poor experience at a different venue.
The decline in both state-run and private culinary establishments reflects the scarcity of supplies and the ongoing economic crisis in the island. Dining at an economical restaurant in Havana now costs around 13,000 pesos per person.
"Honestly, I don't know if things will improve, but I doubt it," Yuliet concluded about the Matanzas restaurant, making it clear she has no intention of returning.
Understanding Cuba's Dining Dilemmas
Why did Yuliet Rojas not complain at the restaurant?
Yuliet Rojas chose not to complain at the restaurant, preferring to express her dissatisfaction through social media instead.
How significant is the 16,000 pesos expense in Cuba?
In Cuba's current economic situation, spending 16,000 pesos on a meal is substantial, as it exceeds two average monthly salaries in the country.
What are common complaints about the Cuban dining experience?
Common complaints include incorrect orders, poor food quality, and unsanitary conditions, as demonstrated by incidents involving insects in food.