Cuban- Little Habana, Miami

3 more images

We pulled up to the parking lot at Versailles and saw the line of people waiting outside but to our surprise the hostess said the wait would only be 10 minutes. And that was about right, we were seated fairly quickly, it is a large restaurant and the food comes out quickly so the turnover is pretty fast.

Service was quick and pleasant.

Parking is free and there is a lot for the restaurant.

Favorite Dish: We ordered an appetizer platter with empanadas, fried yuca and croquettes served with a cilantro sauce, all were good. For my main dish I got my standard Cuban favorite, ropa vieja, which is shredded beef in a tomato sauce with green peppers and onions. It was good, not the best I've ever had but still quite tasty.

4 more images

I used to pass by the original La Carreta resto in front of the Indian Embassy in La Habana and when I was a student in Miami, always stopped by La Carreta for coffee. So it was a pleasure to invite two good friends celebrating their anniversary to eat some good cuban cooking.
The maitre d' or manager on site was kind enough to let us open the bottle of champagne we had with us, without charging us any corkage. the lady who served us was from Cienfuegos and the usual cuban friendly. Nice to be surrounded by photos of La Habana as well as Cobre.

Favorite Dish: I had chicken and Shrimps in tomato sauce and garlic with yellow rice and platanos fritos. My friends had filet of snapper which he said was fresh and good. His wife had grilled chicken. We drank the champagne effortlessly, noting the irony of French Champagne with Cuban Food.. ah well.. It was such a delightful evening

Want to experience the real Cuban food come to the fruit stand on 57th ave and Flagler St and just stand and watch the Cuban and for that the tons of people come and go and have the authentic stuff.

Favorite Dish: $3 pan co Lechon (Cuban bread with shredded pork) or con gris (mixed rice and black beans) and drink a natural fruit juice made right into front of you with fresh fruits !!!!

1 more image

Sabor Latino is a great little diner that is undoubtedly overlooked by anyone not staying right near the airport. Indeed, I only noticed it because I was staying at the Miami Airport Marriott and it was right outside of the parking lot. The service here is sort of typical of a diner, where the waitresses alternate between rudeness, abruptness and overflowing sweetness. The food here, nevertheless, is delicious and is typical Cuban-American cuisine. The décor of the place may leave something to be desired, but it really just adds to the sense of this being a thorough blend of the American ideal diner and Cuban love of good food and loud music.

Favorite Dish: I had the plantain omelette with guanabana juice and Cuban bread. It probably contained 2000 calories in all, but it was too delicious not to wolf it down.

I wasn't sure about eating at Puerto Sagua at first, largely because I thought that it might be one of those eateries done up to look like the neighbourhood haunt that is actually nothing more than a tourist trap. That's far, far from the reality of Puerto Sagua. Instead, this restaurant offers incredible Cuban food at reasonable prices with fast, helpful service. The key is that the clientèle is a mixture of tourists and locals (the latter are mainly Hispanic, so it's not that this place serves fake Cuban food, either). There are two parts to the eatery: one is a sit-down dining room, decorated with various reminders of the Cuban influence on Miami; the other is a diner-style restaurant where clients can order food or, more often, coffee or a drink with something to eat. The staff are all Hispanic-American and switch back and forth between English and Spanish. The menu has the various classics of Cuban food (pulled pork, Cuban sandwiches, picadillo, moros y cristianos) as well as American dishes. In all, this is a great place to eat, especially if you don't want to spend hours waiting for food.

Favorite Dish: I had the picadillo criollo, which is like a hash served with fried plantain, rice and refried beans. I also ordered a plate of fried yuca (cassava) on the side. Everything was absolutely delicious.

This restaurant is owner by Gloria and Emilio Estevan. It is beautifully designed which gives it a great atmosphere. And true to it's name there is a wall lined with bongo drums with a guy playing on them throughout dinner. The menu highlights typical Cuban cuisine at a reasonable price.

On Friday and Saturday nights the restaurant turns into a Salsa club after hours. The dancers were absolutely AMAZING! I have never seen such wonderful dancers shaking theirs butts to the music. It was worth it just to go and see the dancing. I wished I knew how to Salsa dance so I could join in.

This place isn't in Little Havanna. It is located on the waterfront across from the pier and shops.

I found this restaurant online and ended up wishing that I had not.
The service was terrible. If we wanted anything we had to ask the waiter 3 times for it.
The Yuca was good, but the tostones (fried salty plantains) were terrible. I ordered ropa vieja, which was ok. But nothing to write home about. Basically this place has terrible service and mediocre food.

1 more image

This authentic & award-winning Cuban food restaurant serves lunch and dinner with the culture and flavors of Cuba.

Little Havana showcases seafood paella, roast pork, ropa vieja, relleno-stuffed fish, and other authentic Cuban dishes. It also has a full bar, dance floor and live Latin entertainment at selected times and a childrens menu. The staff is bi-lingual and very nice, very efficient.

The North Miami spot was named one of the best Cuban restaurants in Miami.

APPETIZERS, SOUP, SALADS, VEGETARIAN SPECIALS, LUNCH SPECIALS, SANDWICHES, CUBAN DINNER SPECIALS AND FIVE STAR HOUSE SPECIALS ALONG WITH DESSERTS

Sample items include

Fish Soup $3.50, Shrimp In Garlic Sauce, $8.95, Black Bean Soup $2.95
Fabada (Asturian style soup) $3.50,Cuban Tamal with Mojo $2.75 Fried Yuca $3.50
Mariquitas-Plantain Chips $2.75 Taste of Havana $11.50

Vegetarian combination (white rice, black bean, mixed vegetables & plantains) $7.95

Cuban sandwich $.5.95, Pork sandwich $5.95, Grounded Beef in Creole Sauce $6.95
1/4 Baked Chicken $6.95, Lamb Shank $7.95, Little Havana Steak $7.95
Chicharrone's - Chunks of Fried Chicken $6.95

CUBAN SPECIALS
Oxtail in Wine Sauce $10.95, Marinated tender slices of baked pork $10.50
Chicken filet in a creamy yellow sauce made out of brandy and lobster sauce
Shredded beef cooked in light tomato sauce $9.95, Chicken Havana Style $7.95,
Little Havana Steak $12.50, Pollo Franco $11.50 , Palomilla Steak $11.50 Poillo Pizanno $12.50 Grilled Lobster MP Paella Valenciana $20.00 each
Broiled Assorted Seafood $24.95 , Seafood Combination $24.95 64.

DESSERTS
Rice Pudding Havana $3.

Favorite Dish: The Paella was simply superb. The chef special "Paella" was probably better than what I ate last year on Las Ramblas in Barcelona from a 4 star restaurant.

The rice was cooked to perfection and there was so much seafood that I could not finish my plate.

The special was $13.95.

Cuban Food shouldn't be expensive and overpriced. Most of all, should taste authentic.
Simplicity of Cuban cuisine is in the spices that compliment the food you're eating.
Cuban Food is not spicey HOT, it is spicey - flavorful. Alot of caribbeean flavors which marry lime/garlic/onion/parsely and olive oil together for cool, refreshing meats, complimented by the bean and rice staples.
SERGIOS CAFE or restaurant are a local favorite. Good ambiance, terriffic service.
Most dishes start around $9.95 which includes meat, rice, beans and a starch (such as potato or plantain).

Restaurant review: http://miami.about.com/library/weekly/aa051002a.htm

Favorite Dish: Palomilla steak (skirt steak marinated in lime/garlic/olive oil and onions), Black Beans and Rice, Fried plantains.

Vaca Frita (Shredded Flank Steak, broiled, shredded and marinated in garlic/oil & Spices), Moros & Sweet Plantains.

Pollo a la Plancha (Grilled Chicken Breast) with accompaniments.

Calgo Gallego: (White Bean Soup)

Excellent sandwiches for lunch

The complimentary bread melted with garlic butter - served toasted and hot!!!

I've only eaten here once...coulcn't get past the pricing and the "creative" yet nothing to do with actual Cuban cuisine that this restaurant seems to want to mimick.
Adding the word "Nuvo" to their title seems to somehow draw in the crowds.
Perhaps it's the fact that it seems "people wishing to be seen" , politicians, stars,etc. frequent this place.
I'm calling it as it is (to me) ... if you're in the area and feel a need to try it, by all means do, but DO NOT walk away feeling as if you've sampled true Cuban food.

To add insult to injury, as if their prices weren't steep enough, they charge a cover charge to enter when live music is playing.

Favorite Dish: Beans were over spiced with Cumin to the point that they didn't taste at all like black beans.
Meat was grilled and served with "creative" yet unfamiliar toppings. (I love food, and I eat just about anything - but if you brand food Cuban it should resemble it's namesake).
Dessert (Flan) was watery and flimsy.

ENOUGH SAID!