Cuban in Miami

7751 W. 28th Ave. Hialeah

305-827-4224

Cuban

Amelia's 1931

13601 SW 26th St. Tamiami

305-554-4949

Cuban, Best Of

Finka Table & Tap's Eileen Andrade opened Ameila's 1931 as a tribute to her grandparents' restaurants in Cuba and Miami. The cozy space serves as a Cuban diner with strong Peruvian and Korean influences. Expect an eclectic array of comfort food ranging from Generao Tso's alligator to Cuban yuca tots topped with pulled pork. Purists can find classics such as Cuban sandwiches and croquetas.

4 articles

Ayestaran Restaurant

706 SW 27th Ave. Central Dade

305-649-4982

Cuban, Restaurants, Recommended, Menu

Full of vivacity and charm, Ayestarán features homemade, authentic, fresh Cuban, Spanish, and international cuisine at reasonable prices. But don't be fooled: The prices are no reflection of the large portions of high-quality meat. Open since 1975, this family-style Cuban restaurant features classic dishes like vaca frita ("fried cow"), combining shredded beef with garlic, fresh lemon juice, lime juice, and seasonings prepared on a skillet with sautéed onions; and ropa vieja ("old clothes"), which is similar to vaca frita but stewed in a tomato sauce. Both are fresh dishes packed with flavor. There's no better place in Miami to have your meat, vegetables, and potatoes and still come home with a good portion of leftovers. If a New York strip steak is your meal of choice, you'll be pleased with the taste and the price. The secret is ordering the riñonada steak (the same as the strip) at half the price. You will also find red snapper, king fish, jumbo shrimp, and lobster. The talented chefs know exactly how to prepare these meals with enough citrus, onion, garlic, and pepper to make your mouth tingle. Weekly lunch specials keep the regulars coming back for more. But the real treasures, besides the desserts, are the Spanish-speaking waitresses and Cuban chefs. ¡Bienvenido a Ayestarán!

Ball & Chain

1513 SW Eighth St. Little Havana

305-643-7820

Cuban, Bars and Clubs, Recommended, Readers' Choice

Sitting above a green-and-white-striped awning, the neon sign for the "World Famous Ball & Chain Bar and Lounge" illuminates SW Eighth Street much as it did nearly 80 years ago. Founded in 1935, Ball & Chain was a jazz palace where the likes of Billie Holiday and Count Basie jammed until the sun came up. The original Ball & Chain closed in 1957, and the neighborhood changed around it. The bar space on Little Havana's Calle Ocho sat unloved for years until current owners Bill Fuller and Zack and Ben Bush brought it back to life. Today guests sip pastelito daiquiris (served with a side of the Cuban pastry) and old-fashioneds prepared with tobacco bitters. The bar pays homage to its roots with almost continuous jazz sets, including impromptu jam sessions by local musicians with dancing that spills onto the street.

2 events 133 articles

Bella Cuba

1659 Washington Ave., Miami Beach South Beach

305-672-7466

Cuban, Best Of, Readers' Choice

2 articles

Bianco Bistro Cafe

8190 SW Eighth St. Westchester/West Miami

786-762-2459

Cuban, Mediterranean, Fusion

Blue Sky Food by the Pound

3803 W. Flagler St. Coral Gables/S. Miami

305-642-4388

Cuban, Restaurants, Menu

Not fancy but fast Cuban food, and lots of it. Buy by the portion for a quick, ready-made meal, or in bulk by the pound for take-out and catering services. Typically good roast suckling pig with onions, ropa vieja, picadillo, yuca with garlic, tamales, sweet plantains, and well-seasoned black beans and rice. Self-service. Take-out. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

3 articles

Bon-Bon Bakery

300 SW 17nth Ave. Little Havana

305-642-4656

Bakery, Cuban, Best Of

The facade of this bakery is rundown. The sign and storefront look as though they haven't been painted since they were first erected - sometime around the Mayflower landing. Despite all that, Bon Bon Bakery surprises you twofold. First, what bakery do you know that offers real Cuban pizza? A full pie, plain cheese or with ham, will cost you only $7.40. You can also purchase heaven by the slice for less than a buck. The second surprise is in the dough - Bon Bon's bread and crackers are delicious. Some say the place sells the best Cuban bread ($1.25) in Miami. You can pick up also bags of fresh, authentic Cuban crackers, made with either lard ($1.50 per bag) or salt ($1 per bag). If you're in the mood to soak up some Latin atmosphere, hit the counter and order a slice of pizza Cubana and a Malta.

2 articles

Bread n Pan Cafeteria

333 NE 69th St. Miami Shores/Biscayne Park

305-759-4178

Cuban, Latin, Best Of

Blink and you'll miss this one-woman outpost tucked away on an industrial avenue in Little Haiti, but it's worth keeping your eyes peeled to score one of Bread n Pan Cafeteria's frothy, steaming cups of café con leche. For those in the area and desperate for a caffeine buzz, there's no better place to score yourself a cup of the brown, luscious liquid that keeps the city buzzing.

2 articles

Caciques Corner

100 W. Flagler St. Downtown/Overtown

305-371-8317

Cuban, Latin, Sandwiches, Best Of

Situated directly beneath a Metromover stop, this homey little Cuban diner is busy at all times of day. In the wee hours of the morning, you can catch a whiff of strong coffee floating out of the large ventanilla, as patrons gather beneath the grubby blue awning to chat about the day's headlines before dispersing to work. At lunch, the din rises to a near-screaming level as the closely packed wooden tables adorned with paper mats fill up to capacity. The Cuban sandwich ($5.50) - filled with overflowing layers of ham, roasted pork, and greasy, toasted bread - appears to reign supreme. A close second would be the other sandwich variations that pay homage to the establishment's most frequent customers: the tax collector's tuna melt (tuna on rye with melted cheese at $4.95), the bailiff's choice (turkey, ham and swiss at $5.50), and the downlower (turkey, roast beef, bacon, and cheddar in an, er, secret tryst for $5.95). For heartier appetites, there's a usual offering of traditional Cuban dishes such as palomilla steak ($9.50) and fried pork chop ($9.25), served with sides of morros and platano maduro. There's also an extensive breakfast menu available for early-morning diners.

4 articles

Cafe 72

7201 NW 36th St. Doral

305-593-0585

Cuban, American, Menu

1 article

Cafe La Trova

971 SW Eighth St. Little Havana

786-615-4379

Cuban, Latin American, Critics' Pick, Best Of, Slideshow, Readers' Choice, Essentials, DrinkHere

Between Cuban cantinero Julio Cabrera's daiquiris and chef Michelle Bernstein's fare, there's something uniquely Miami about Cafe La Trova. Bernstein's comfort food is all-around tempting; she works to meet the foodie fantasies of her guests, whether they're in search of elaborate dishes or a traditional tres leches dessert. Cabrera's cantineros take pride in the art of drink making. Here, they "throw" daiquiris, tossing the precious liquid from shaker to shaker to create an arch in the air before spontaneously bursting into a choreographed dance number. But as with all things Magic City, this joint isn't fueled solely by good food and drink: At any given time of the day, expect guayabera-clad musicians or jazz trumpet players to fill the air with their vibrant tunes from a stage whose backdrop is the weathered façade of an Old Havana edifice. The Florida Michelin Guide recognized Cafe La Trova for its superior food and drink.

39 articles

Caja Calienta

95 NE 40th St. Midtown/Wynwood/Design District

305-788-8092

Cuban, Menu

Caja Caliente

808 Ponce de Leon Blvd. Coral Gables/S. Miami

786-431-1947

Cuban, Best Of, Menu

5 articles

Caja Caliente

95 NE 40th St. Midtown/Wynwood/Design District

305-788-8092

Cuban, Food Trucks, Menu

1 article

Calle 23

230 Miracle Mile Coral Gables/S. Miami

786-325-3474

Cuban

3 articles

Calle Dragones

1036 SW Eighth St. Little Havana

786-722-8370

Cuban, Asian Fusion, Fusion

Caña Restaurant

1102 Brickell Bay Dr. Brickell

786-535-1653

Cuban, Caribbean, Latin American, Menu

1 article

Caporal Chicken

14616 SW 8th St. West Dade

305-551-2227

American, Cuban, Fried Chicken, Best Of, Menu

4 articles

Casa Lario's

7705 W. Flagler St. Westchester/West Miami

305-662-5656

Cuban, Restaurants, Best Of, Menu

Though Casa Larios' claim to celebrity fame is that Gloria Estefan launched her career here, the real draws are the close-to-homemade Cuban staples. Dishes include ample servings of fried pork, roast chicken, and rice and beans. The moist, sweet plantains are actually better than many an abuelita's home cooking. (But don't tell her!) Regulars like to chow down on fare such as terrific bistec de palomilla ($10.95), chicken fried with mojo ($10.95), and paella ($27.50). Try the house-made mamey flan ($4.50) for dessert; it'll leave your taste buds doing the conga.

4 articles

Cervecería La Tropical

42 NE 25th St. Midtown/Wynwood/Design District

305-741-6991

Brewery, Cuban, Best Of, DrinkHere

Cuba's oldest brewery made its way to Miami after nearly 25 years of research on the part of Manny Portuondo, great-great-grandson of Federico Kohly, who founded Cerveceria La Tropical in 1888. Using the original beer recipe, Portuondo revived his family's legacy with a state-of-the-art brewery in Wynwood, bringing La Tropical to the masses for the first time since Castro seized power. The grounds are verdant, thanks to an onsite annex of Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, and offer a full bar and live nightly entertainment. The beer selection rotates, but you can count on La Original (an amber lager) and Nativo (a suave IPA) to be available on tap. An onsite restaurant offers a menu created by chef Cindy Hutson that features Caribbean food with a Miami twist, from beer-can bread with whipped guava butter to curry jerk chicken wings to a "Latin Lovers" flatbread topped with pulled pork, chorizo, and churrasco.

5 articles

Chic's

4070 W. 12th Ave. Hialeah

305-556-8907

Cuban, Spanish, Best Of, Menu

Got a late-night craving for masa de puerco and congri? A sweet tooth for some flan? Chico's has you covered. For the past 30 years, this Hialeah eatery has been adding Cuban-American spice to the diner concept. You can get breakfast, lunch, and dinner 24 hours a day, and the seven-page menu usually features at least a dozen daily specials between $6 and $9, including typical favorites such as picadillo criollo, bistec empanizado, and ropa vieja. Other delectable comfort foods include an omelet loaded with fried plantains and Chico's special fried rice. Also noteworthy is the beer selection, with bottles of Modelo Especial, Modelo Negro, Sapporo, and Kalik chilling in the drink coolers. Directions for non-Hialeah denizens: Chico's is easily accessible via NW 67th Avenue, which turns into West 12th Avenue once you enter the city limits.

2 articles

Chug's Diner

3444 Main Highway Coconut Grove

786-353-2940

Cuban, Diner, Recommended, Best Of, Essentials

Michael Beltran distinctly remembers the day he got his nickname. It was his first day as a high school freshman; Beltran walked in late to class, a chocolate milk chug in hand. Today, Chug is the name of the restaurateur's Cuban-American diner, a successful pop-up he's since expanded into a permanent, full-service eatery and modern-day ventanita. Where once stood a tiny grab 'n' go, Chug's now shows off an airy, open design inviting morning, afternoon, or late-night dining, complete with diner-style booths and a bar with lounge-style seating. True to the diner ethos, a crave-worthy menu of Cuban-American eats covers breakfast, lunch, and dinner. While you can order lechón hash to start your day or grab a frita patty melt for lunch, don't miss out on the curated selection of Pastelito Papi's famous fruit- and meat-stuffed pastelitos, or the house Cubano sandwich served on fresh-baked Cuban bread from the diner's bakery. In 2022, Chug's was awarded a Michelin Bib Gourmand for its approachable, excellent fare.

20 articles

Croqueta Bar

10505 SW 40th St. Westchester/West Miami

Fast Casual, Cuban

4 articles

Cuba Libre Restaurant & Rum Bar

800 E. Las Olas Blvd. Fort Lauderdale

954-314-6500

Cuban

Cuban Guys

1678 NE 186th St. Aventura/North Miami Beach

786-949-6877

Cuban, Sandwiches, Best Of

1 article

Cuban Guys

1675 W. 49th St. Hialeah

305-200-1055

Cuban, Sandwiches, Best Of

1 article

Cuban Guys

3174 W. 76th St. Hialeah

786-507-4494

Cuban, Deli, Sandwiches, Best Of

It doesn't get more Cuban than fritas and flan — and the Cuban Guys chain has mastered both. This fast food-esque concept out of Hialeah also serves up pan con bistec, yucca frita, plantain chips, Cuban bowls (a rice, beans, meat & plantain chips mashup), salads and fresh juices. Not to mention that their flan comes in multiple flavors — from guava and cheese to cappuccino. The perfect creamy closure to an authentic Cuban meal.

8 articles

Cuban Guys

10801 Sunset Dr. West Kendall

786-464-0744

Cuban, Sandwiches, Best Of

1 article

David's Cafe Cafecito

919 Alton Rd., Miami Beach South Beach

305-534-8736

Cuban, Latin American, Menu

12 articles

Dos Croquetas

1555 SW Eighth St. Little Havana

305-967-8657

Cuban, Best Of

1 article

Dos Croquetas

10505 SW 40th St. Sweetwater

305-912-3672

Cuban, Latin American, Best Of

6 articles

El Brazo Fuerte Bakery

1697 SW 32nd Ave. Coral Gables/S. Miami

305-444-7720

Bakery, Cuban, French, Best Of

Picture it. Cuban women with pens in their hair running back and forth behind windows filled with pastelitos and bocadito party trays that make you salivate. As you attempt to push through the crowd of hungry patrons, you rip a ticket from a number machine on the counter, and then someone shouts, "¡Proximo!" (Next.) Your number is up, and all you can do is smile. Welcome to El Brazo Fuerte. This is the quintessential Cuban bakery. Open for more than 35 years, the place boasts customer service second only to the delicious pastries and always-fresh pan Cubano. There are Cuban pastelitos filled with your choice of guava, cream cheese, guava and cream cheese, beef, ham, tuna, or coconut. Also on deck are locally famous, crisp croquetas filled with ham, chicken, fish, or potato. El Brazo also bakes hourly a variety of fresh desserts, including eclairs, napoleons, key lime tarts, and capuchinos — conical sponge cakes dipped in sweet syrup. A single serving of all of the delectable treats offered at the bakery might put you in orbit. And don't forget the café con leche, which comes only second to your abuela's. Located in Little Havana, El Brazo Fuerte offers great service, a friendly staff, delectable food, and gorgeous cakes that will leave you wondering how other bakeries stay in business.

3 articles

Cuban in Miami

Newsletter Sign Up

Enter your name, zip code, and email