Miami's Best Cuban and Latin Restaurants
Our favorite places to eat in and around Miami!
With a restaurant on every corner, we once calculated that it would take us about18 months -- eating at three restaurants a day -- to try them all! So this is NOT an all inclusive list of EVERY Cuban and Latin restaurant in Miami. These are our personal favorites, and the places where we take our closest friends.
Surprise! We don't just eat Cuban food. Miami is a great melting pot of Latin cultures and we enjoy them all!
Join us as we take you to our favorite places for Cuban and Latin food!
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The best Cuban sandwich (Cubano)
If for some strange reason you can eat only one thing on your trip to Miami, make sure that the thing you try is a Cuban sandwich! The savvy Cuban knows the difference between the pre-made bargain sandwiches found at many lunch counters and ventanitas -- coffee windows -- and the delicious handmade-to-order variety found at restaurants and cafes.
Classic Cuban fare at this long-time Miami favorite
There is one restaurant that we're guilty of taking for granted. We've used the drive-up window at Islas Canarias for years. It's a convenient way to pick up Cuban sandwiches -- even complete meals to take home or eat in the car as we travel around Miami.
The restaurant that defines "Miami Cuban"
Always popular with the locals, Versailles is a great place for out-of-town visitors to experience a complete immersion in Cuban culture. The restaurant is a lot like the Havana of old -- loud, boisterous, full of excitement, and dripping in Cuban patriotism. A frequent stop for political types, this place also boasts some of the best baked goods in Miami...
Eating Little Havana: a restaurant guide
Over the years, one glue that has helped keep Calle Ocho whole is the quaint and funky restaurants that have kept the locals coming back for Latin American comfort food. The places that embody the heart and soul of Little Havana - the restaurants that have retained their character based on huge aspirations, yet humble roots - are the ones that survive.
This is one "Che" we can stomach...
We're not sure if Che Tito serves the best steak in Miami, but this is the place we go when we want a great steak. Many people come here for the pizza, and it looks and smells great. However, we've never been able to resist the tantalizing slabs of beef prepared just behind the bar on a simple grill.
Best place for late-night dining
When we get the craving for some Cuban comfort food late at night, Sergio's is open late and serves all of our favorites. This place is great for late night dining. Open most nights until midnight and 24 hours on weekends. What a great place to stop in for a medianoche and a batido de trigo -- the perfect bedtime snack...
"This is Miami, and I want seafood!"
You'd think with Miami being so close to the ocean there would be a great seafood restaurant on every corner. For any city this size, you'd expect a lot more seafood places! You might be surprised to find that many of the best places are far away from the ocean! Two of our favorite places are Cuban. However, the place we go when we want a great seafood dinner is Peruvian...
A meat lover's paradise
This restaurant is another entry in a growing list of Brazilian churrascarías serving traditional rodizio -- specially grilled meats that are delivered to you right at the table. If you like meat like we do, you'll appreciate this great Brazilian style steakhouse that brings you an ultimate "all-you-care-to-eat" meat feasting experience. The packaging is beautiful, but the food is truly the star of the show here...
Only in Hialeah!
Once the famed Hialeah racetrack was shuttered, many people forgot this still vibrant Cuban community. For many Cubans, Hialeah is their American hometown, the place their lives began in the United States. With so many Cubans, you can be certain of one thing -- Cubans love to eat, so there has to be some great restaurants in Hialeah to feed them!
Three Guys From Miami Show You How to Make the Best Cuban, Spanish, and Latin American Food!
CHECK OUT THE RECIPES:
Drinks | Appetizers | Salads | Main Dishes
Soups | Side Dishes | Desserts | Index
Gloria's restaurant
Gloria and Emilio Estefan loved the original west Miami restaurant so much they wanted to bring it closer to their South Beach offices. The result is this hip restaurant in painfully hip South Beach. Gloria's star power helped the restaurant get started, and that's what keeps the crowds coming back night after night...
Hate to get all dressed up just to get a good meal?
If you're like us, there are some times when you just don't feel like breaking out the tux to go out for a nice, sit down meal. Sure, formal restaurants have their place. But sometimes it really is ALL about the food. Miami residents have it made with this La Caretta, a mini-chain of Cuban restaurants, each serving great food in a decidedly casual environment...
Enriqueta's was once a little known spot in Miami, but with a recent feature in the Miami Herald and a mention in Food and Wine, this little hole-in-the-wall joint has hit the big time. We've always known this restaurant as a great place to get a Cuban chicken sandwich – something you don't find everywhere, and never this good.
However, if we only have you here for an hour or two and you have never tried Cuban food, there is a way to get a small taste of Cuban cuisine without leaving the airport. There are two places at the airport where you can try a Cuban coffee, eat a delicious Cuban pastry, and even try a decent Cuban sandwich.
When temperatures in Miami plummet to as low as 50 degrees, you will find the locals huddled at tables under the big green awning sipping thick hot chocolate and dunking their churros.
Two great classic Spanish restaurants
Cubans occasionally like to get back to their roots and eat at a classic Spanish restaurant. There are several examples of Spanish restaurants in Miami, most serving the classics such as tapas, paella, and fabada asturianas. However, there are two restaurants in particular that we are particularly fond of – or is it, "of which we are particularly fond?" (Someone call Alex Trebek!)
Don't let the name fool you!
It may be called "Little Havana" but this one lies closer to Collins Avenue than Calle Ocho. Nevertheless, this is a classic Cuban restaurant in every sense of the word. If you're staying on the north end of Miami's beach scene, this close-to-the-beach restaurant may just fill your need for authentic Cuban favorites.
Three Guys From Miami Show You How to Make the Best Cuban, Spanish, and Latin American Food!
CHECK OUT THE RECIPES:
Drinks | Appetizers | Salads | Main Dishes
Soups | Side Dishes | Desserts | Index
This new Kindle version contains all of the recipes and editorial copy from the original print edition. As a bonus, the new Kindle edition includes 24 new photos of the prepared dishes.
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