Havana Harry's - Coral Gables, FL

Complimentary Bread

 

Pork Chunks

 

Beef Vaca Frita

 

Moro Rice & Beans and Sweet Plantains

 

 

Classic Cuban. Tasty and huge, I mean HUGE portions! Don't forgot dessert, it is really, really good and worth every calorie.

Havana Harry's
4612 Le Jeune Road, Coral Gables, FL 33146
(305) 661-2622
www.havanaharrys.net 

El Brazo Fuerte Bakery - Coral Gate - Miami, FL

Delicious Pastelitos!

 


El Brazo Fuerte Bakery
1697 Southwest 32nd Avenue, Miami, FL 33145
(305) 444-7720
www.ebfbakery.com

De Rodriguez Cuba On Ocean - Miami Beach, FL (South Beach)

HAPPY HOUR AT THE BAR

Mojito

Rating: Satisfying
 

Cuban Frita Sliders

Rating: Satisfying

DINNER

Complimentary Plantain Chips

 

Vaca Frita Short Ribs

Rating: Satisfying

Churrasco
Rating: Satisfying

 

Chocolate Cigar

Rating: Satisfying

 

Pleasant atmosphere, food and service but unless you are staying in the hotel, your money will be better spent someplace else!
 

De Rodriquez Cuba on Ocean
101 Ocean Drive, Miami Beach, FL 33139
(305) 672-6624
www.drodriguezmiami.com

Bread + Butter - Coral Gables, FL

Stepping into Bread + Butter I felt like I had transfer to Portland. The restaurant was very chill and had a very laid back and rustic vibe. The atmosphere didn't really reflect the menu though which served Cuban like cuisine.

 

The Pan Con Bistec was not that great of a sandwich especially for a steak sandwich and for the price.

 

I had the Frita China which was a much better option. Everything combined made a flavorful punch packed in the small sandwiches.

 

To complete the meal, we had the Torrejas (Cuban French Toast). The Guava maple syrup and cream cheese ice cream was super sweet but super mmmm mmmm good.
 

Bread + Butter
2330 Salzedo St, Miami, FL 33134
(305) 442-9622
www.breadandbuttercounter.com

El Rinconcito El Chele - Coral Gables, FL

Dining at El Rinconcito El Chele makes me feel like I am back home in Cuba (at least that I want I imagine it would feel like). I am not Cuban and I have never even been to Cuba, but if I did, this is how I would want it to be. Despite the lack of parking and the crowded atmosphere during the lunch hour, I keep going back.

 

The food is really good, fairly priced, and huge (you can share). I typically get the Pork Chops (it comes with two), moro and tostones (big but not crispy).

 

 

After eating all of that, at this point, I am stuffed, but I always have to finish off lunch with bunelos cubanos, which is like sweet heaven.

 

 

 

El Rinconcito El Chele

3791 Bird Rd, Miami, FL 33146
(305) 444-0700

Don Carlin Cuban Restaurant - Sunrise, FL

I have been on quite a few dates with a few different Cubans; some good and some bad. Most of the good ones seem to be far away and long distance relationships are hard to maintain so when I met Don Carlin who was not only amazing but right in my hood, I fell in love.

On our first date, I had the Pork Chops with Sweet Plantains and Black Bean and Rice. It was "muy bueno y delicioso", tender and quite flavorful considering Cuban food can sometimes be a bit bland. I ended that date feeling giddy and eager for Don Carlin to call me for a second date.

Only a few days past before I had to set up a second date. Although the first date was a great introduction, I wanted to try something a little different and had the Palomilla Steak with Tostones instead. Although Palomilla is a cheaper and tougher cut, this was not that, this was good. My sweet plantains from the first date were really good, but then I had the Tostones with garlic that were even better and in a league of their own.

I have no doubt in my mind that there is going to be a third date, fourth and a fifth, but hopefully there is a lifetime of dates; I am looking forward to it.

Don Carlin Cuban Restaurant

11447 W Oakland Park Blvd, Sunrise, FL 33323 (954) 578-1464 www.doncarlincubanrestaurant.com

Mario's Catalina Restaurant - Fort Lauderdale, FL

The parking lot was pack, then the restaurant was packed and so there was a little bit of a wait for a table, but once the food started coming, all was forgotten (not really, but I'll get back to that).

Unlike the traditional bread given at almost every other restaurant, they start you off with Plantain Chips topped with a pico de gallo of sorts. This was definitely the right choice and a great start to the meal.

Then came their famous Mojito that restored my faith in a drink that I used to love but slowly began to feel like no longer existed, just cheap imitations. Made with super fresh ingredient and real sugar, it exceed probably any Mojito I ever had and that includes even in Puerto Rico.

From there I was excited for my meal. I had Mario's Favorite which consisted of Red Snapper fillet breaded in green plantains with lobster sauce & jumbo shrimp, Pulled Pork and was delicious, delightful and downright good!

My fiance had the Grilled Skirt Steak w/Lobster & Garlic Shrimp and loved it.

Despite being full, I couldn't miss dessert and after choosing from what seemed like 50 choices, we choose the Cuarto Leches, which was truly a delectable dessert. A lot of leches are very soggy, but what sold me on this one was that is wasn't and it held the consistency of the cake.

But, back to what I was saying before. Although the food is very good, the service is not. The owner moves about very frantically and then the servers seem lost and confused in it all. Service was slow, out of place and at times downright horrible. That kind of mismanagement can kill an experience regardless of how great the food was.


Mario's Catalina Restaurant
1611 N Federal Hwy, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33305
(954) 563-4141
www.catalinarestaurant.net

Yuca Restaurant - Miami Beach, FL

A quick lunch with friends turned into a random stop at Yuca Restaurant. I had heard of the restaurant prior to this but never eaten here and when we walked past and no one was really eating there, we were hesitant to go inside but we were starved and decided to take the risk.

Based on first impressions this is a tourist restaurant in the tourist district where they have employees outside trying to usher you in. We got caught in the trap, but fortunately the food wasn't bad. I ordered a Mojito that I thought was good. I have had plenty duds and this one stood out.

Despite all the tasty sounding Cuban food choices, I had a Tuna Tataki Salad. I found it to be light and refreshing.

My friend also ordered a salad, the Warm Goat Cheese Salad. She is a huge goat cheese lover so she really enjoyed it.

The only disappointment that afternoon was the Frita Cubana Burger. It lacked pizazz and the meat was lost inside the bun.

The food wasn't exceptional but I also did not try any of their Cuban/Latin dishes. I did like the ambiance which was modern-esque yet bright and inviting. Service could have been a bit friendlier but this is Miami Beach. I probably would never go back but they shouldn't be counted out if you are hanging out at Lincoln Road Mall and looking for a quick lunch.


Yuca Restaurant
501 Lincoln Rd, Miami Beach, FL 33139
(305) 532-9822
www.yuca.com

Puerto Sagua Restaurant - Miami Beach, FL

Having only a day in Miami and the opportunity to visit only one restaurant, I knew I had to have Cuban food at Puerto Sagua.

The restaurant isn't fancy and although the location caters to tourist, they have really great Cuban food and for South Beach just great food in general. Beyond the food though, the people and casual atmosphere makes you feel right at home. It is the type of restaurant that locals frequent too.

On this visit I ordered the Chuletas De Cerdo Frita (fried pork chops). This is one of my favorite dishes at this restaurant and words can't describe how much I love it. The outside has a thin crust yet it is moist on the inside. Cuban food doesn't have strong flavors (like the Jamaican and Cajun food i am used to), but the marinated onions and lime juice make your taste buds think otherwise.

My boyfriend ordered the Churrasco (skirt steak). The steak is a strip of tender delicious meat that satisfies any appetite and the Chimichurri sauce contributes to that.

The rice and beans were pretty standard. The rice was well-prepared. The beans had some flavor and praise Jesus weren't salty.

I was stuffed after eating all that food, but being the glutton I am, I still had to order dessert but I smartly took my Quatro Leches to go. The dessert was good (sweet as hell), but I found the cake to be a little over soaked and mushy. I usually ordered the Dulce de Leche cookies which are amazing, so I probably wouldn't order the cake again, but it was worth the try.

Puerto Sagua is one of the better and more affordable restaurants on the beach and a SoBe experience not to be missed.


Puerto Sagua Restaurant
700 Collins Ave Miami Beach, FL 33139
(305) 673-1115

Churros Cafe Cuban Restaurant - Metairie, LA

Since I am from South Florida, Cuban cuisine is just a part of my culture. Being in Metairie I was starting to feel a little deprived and so I sought out a place to fill that void in my life. With a little searching, I discovered Churros Cafe and headed to the small restaurant to get some food.

Located in a strip mall, visually it left much to be desired so I found it best to just grab my food and go, although next time I will probably dine in. It seems that they specialize in Cuban sandwiches but offer Empanadas and simply things like soups and salads. In addition to that, they also have daily lunch specials. I happened to go when the special for the day was Cuban Steak with Red Beans and Rice. I was surprised that they did not have black beans and instead red beans but since red beans are such a staple in New Orleans, I wasn't too surprised. The food was good and met my expectations. The steak was tender and the flavor of the food overall was on point.

I also ordered a side of plantains. They were tasty and sweet, I just don't like when they are cut so thick.

I finished off my meal with Churros. These were some really amazing Churros! They claim to make them from scratch and my mouth agreed. They were great and would have been even greater had I had some chocolate to go with it.

Although the food isn't what I would call "authentic" Cuban food, with the Southern twist, it created a nice take on Cuban Cuisine that I enjoyed. I cannot wait to go back.


UPDATE - 5/13/13

I went back to Churros Cafe and tried another one of their lunch specials, the Roast Pork, Congri & Yuca. Overall it was another good meal. The rice was amazing and the yuca had great flavor (although a little overcooked). The pork was delish!

Churros Cafe
3100 Kingman St Metairie, LA 70006
(504) 885-6516