Three Guys from Miami:Bring the Whole Family to this Cuban Restaurant!

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Take the whole family to this casual Cuban restaurant

(Photo Courtesy La Carreta Restaurant)

Jorge: You know what I like best about La Carreta Restaurant?

Glenn: The tres leches cake?

Jorge: I love it, but that's not what I had in mind.

Raúl: How about the fufú? They make some great fufú.

Jorge: I won't argue with you about that. But what I like best about La Carreta is the fact that no matter how many people we show up with, they always manage to find us a table.

Glenn: We've had as many as 15.

The perfect place for families.

Jorge: They're not like some restaurants who give you that "YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING" look! And best of all you can bring the kids.

Raúl: It's a very kid-friendly place.

Jorge: So when we want to take the whole family out for some great Cuban food, there's only one choice...

Glenn: ...Don't tell me -- La Carreta.

Jorge: You got it. The Valls family -- owners of both the Versailles Restaurant and Casa Juancho -- serve up all the classics of Cuban cuisine at eight different Miami locations. Vaca frita Con Cebolla (fried beef with onions), Arroz Imperial (Imperial Rice), Tasajo Criollo and boliche (Cuban potroast) are just a few of our favorites.

Glenn: How does La Carreta differ from the Versailles restaurants?

Jorge: The style of cooking at La Carreta is more country style, while the style at Versailles is more like Havana or big city cooking. It's a lot like the difference between Cajun and Creole cooking. Although both restaurants serve many of the same dishes, the food at La Carreta is closer to what the guajiros would eat in the countryside.

Raúl: It's the kind of food I ate in Cuba.

The original La Carreta on Calle Ocho in Little Havana.

Glenn: I love their Churrasco Carretero a la Brasa. A delicious thin-cut steak with a great garlic-citrus flavor. Another great steak is the Bistec Criollo a la Parrilla.

Jorge: They have two great sampler plates for people who want to try a little bit of several Cuban foods. El Clasico (the Classic) includes Arroz Blanco y frijoles negros (black beans and white rice), picadillo, lechón asado, Platanos maduros (fried sweet plantains), croquetas de Jamon (ham croquettes), yuca (in olive oil and garlic, yum!) and Tamal (one Cuban tamale).

Glenn: El Criollo (The Country Style) has everything on El Clasico except you get yellow rice, ropa vieja (shredded beef), and Masas de Puerco (fried pork chunks). They also have some very good fish dishes. I recommend the Filete de Pargo al Ajillo.

Raúl: Hey, don't forget the fufú.

Glenn: Fufú is mashed plantain. It comes with several dishes, or order it ala carte: Fufú de Platanos Verdes.

Raúl: You'll never find fufú on the menu at your local McDonalds.

Cousin Ivo and his wife when they visited from Cuba. They really liked the abundance of food -- something they DON'T see in Cuba.

They have huge tables at La Carreta. we've had as many as 15.

Glenn: The Bird Road location has recently undergone a major expansion and remodelling. Manager Joaquín Perales has done an excellent job, even during construction, delivering great Cuban food at what we consider the best restaurant of the La Carreta chain.